101. Vice-Captain Tires (2)

Tilles and I stood facing each other.

A swordsman in his early fifties. Unlike the young High Knight from before, his face was full of mature gravitas.

I had often heard Tilles’s evaluation through Lilia-nim.

‘The most loyal sword protecting the Imperial Capital.’

And as much as his loyalty, the most powerful sword. Tilles remains in the position of Vice-Commander, but in reality, he is far stronger than the current Commander.

To the world, he is more famous for his skills as a commander leading the Royal Knights than for his skills as a swordsman. But the position of one of the Empire’s Ten Swords was not earned with the title of Vice-Commander.

“You are confident as expected. Well, you showed your skills against my knights a little while ago, so it’s not strange for you to show such composure.”

The five knights all turned their gazes to me at once.

As expected, they couldn’t easily accept the sparring match from earlier. At that moment, Tilles’s atmosphere changed.

“But I am different from those knights.”

The surrounding air changed completely. Some people unconsciously took a few steps back from the atmosphere.

‘Even though everyone gathered here is a martial artist…’

Of course, it was understandable. Until just now, Tilles’s atmosphere while talking to me was closer to that of a scholar than a martial artist.

Probably right after Tilles used his Mana Art. The energy emanating from him now…

It was the suffocating sense of intimidation that only a clear powerhouse could exude.

‘The Vice-Commander’s Mana Art. Unlike me, who hasn’t even trained for half a year… he must have trained for at least 30 years.’

The Mana pressure he emitted was like the dense Mana of a sunken forest. It was similar to that high concentration of Mana pressure. Tilles said.

“Then, shall we clash with each other’s most confident Aura strike?”

At his words, the surrounding commanders shouted.

“Vice-Commander-nim! If it’s a strike containing the Vice-Commander-nim’s Aura, it’s too much for that young Count to handle…”

“That’s right. That Count is a Reinhardt man, so…”

Of course, what they were saying wasn’t considering the skills of the Reinhardt family, a prestigious swordsmanship lineage. Rather, they were worried about me, the only heir of the Frontier Lord.

To be precise, they seemed worried about the political problems that would arise if I were injured by the Vice-Commander.

“There’s no need to worry. Just standing in front of me, who has already started accelerating Mana, is enough to guess the Count’s skills. So, there’s no need to worry about the Count. Isn’t that right?”

The commanders fell silent at Tilles’s words. And the High Knights’ expressions also changed.

Unlike their previous gazes that burned with a desire to win against me. Now, they were filled with surprise. As Tilles said, I wasn’t intimidated at all by Tilles’s gaze staring at me and stood facing him.

‘But the Mana pressure is getting more and more intense.’

He, who looked like a friendly middle-aged man. Now, he feels like a huge mountain. Even though he hasn’t drawn his sword yet, my body stiffens at his overwhelming gaze.

This is the realm of a Master. And I realized it once again now.

‘Commander Michael. He went easy on me during the parade.’

The current Commander of the White Night Knights, Michael. He, who competed with me in a strike during the parade, is also a member of the Empire’s Ten Seats.

Michael, who is evaluated higher than the current Tilles even among the Ten Seats, is the swordsman. At that time, unlike Tilles, Michael didn’t use Aura or Mana at all, but…

If a knight of that level had truly intended to mess with me, I would definitely not have been able to withstand his sword.

‘Now I can see it. And I can feel it. Michael’s realm. And the realm of Tilles in front of me.’

The knights who have surpassed the realm of Master. The fact that I can accurately grasp their level is also proof that my skills have improved incomparably from the time of the parade.

And, the desire to compete as a swordsman is… stronger than it was in Rheinheim that winter. Incomparably.

Unlike back then, when I had lost my memory and was mistaken for a possessor. I am as I am. I was Yulian of the Reinhardt family.

‘Now, I can try a sincere strike using Aura.’

And seeing my appearance enduring his gaze, a different light appeared in Tilles’s gray eyes. But soon, he put on a cold expression and said to me.

“You seem confident. Then, let’s draw our swords now.”

“Alright. I will attack with all my sincerity. So, there’s no need to go easy on me.”

It wasn’t a lie. I don’t want him to go easy on me like Commander Michael did. The realm I must reach is the realm where I can compete with the Empire’s Ten Seats.

No, I must become a swordsman who surpasses even them.

‘If not, there’s no reason for the Holy Sword Siertia to choose me.’

Of course, everyone except Tilles had a shocked expression at my arrogant words. But soon, their expressions became serious.

The two people drew their swords at the same time.

---

The sword that Tilles drew. Aura formed on the blade of that sword.

And the open space, which had been buzzing until just now, became quiet. It wasn’t surprising.

Because Tilles’s Aura Sword, who is one of the Empire’s Ten Seats and a Master, was burning with golden light.

Golden Eagle Wings. The swordsmanship symbolizing the Royal Knights. There are two reasons why the name of that swordsmanship is Golden Eagle Wings.

One is that the symbol of the Holy Lamir Empire is the golden eagle.

That’s why the squad of Pantheon Academy in the Imperial Capital, especially the outstanding cadets among the reserve squad, is called the Golden Wings.

‘Probably most people know the meaning of Golden Eagle Wings that way.’

But, the second reason that most people don’t know is. The Aura that blooms when the realm of Golden Eagle Wings reaches its peak, is precisely because of that form.

“Vice-Commander-nim’s Aura. It’s still surprisingly clear gold!”

One High Knight’s words reached Tilles’s ears. As he said, golden Aura was formed on Tilles’s sword.

And that Aura went beyond the form of the Aura Sword formed on the sword. The overflowing energy of that Aura spread around the blade, spreading out like wings.

The realm of Master that Tilles finally achieved after passing his forties. Reaching that realm, Tilles created true golden wings.

That Aura is the ultimate skill that made Tilles one of the Empire’s Ten Seats. And that golden Aura is still protecting the Imperial Capital from monsters.

But the High Knights’ impressions don’t seem to end with watching their own Aura.

Tilles also noticed that their gazes were already on the Count’s sword, not on himself. Tilles also saw that sword.

‘A dazzlingly beautiful sword.’

The Count’s sword was so beautiful that one’s eyes unconsciously turned to it.

Of course, the people gathered here are those who have rolled around in the most brutal battlefields with monsters.

To them, a beautiful and very expensive famous sword is less valuable than a sword that can withstand monsters for the longest time, even if it’s crude.

But even they couldn’t help but instinctively turn their eyes to the Count’s sword. No, it’s a sword that gives off a somewhat reverent feeling beyond just being beautiful.

‘Come to think of it, the sword symbolizing the Reinhardt family was a Holy Sword left in history.’

But I heard it was lost during the era of Sword Empress Atlin, who was several generations above the current Frontier Lord.

‘Then maybe it wasn’t actually lost, but hidden in the Frontier Lord’s treasury.’

Tilles sensed it. He was sure that sword was the Reinhardt family’s Holy Sword.

As befitting the Vice-Commander of the Royal Knights, Tilles’s sword also has its own name, but it was clear that it was insignificant compared to that sword.

But that impression was fleeting.

‘Now is not the time to evaluate each other’s swords. No, more than that, what is that?’

Soon, when jet-black Aura began to bloom from the Count’s sword. The expressions of the people in the open space changed to surprise once again.

To the extent that it instantly erased the impression of the Holy Sword. Everyone was surprised and paid attention to that Aura.

“Is that the Count’s Aura?”

“Such a black Aura! Wasn’t the Aura of the Lionheart Sword white or a bright flash?”

At the same time, everyone was puzzled. As they said. The Aura of the Lionheart Sword, which is famous for being magnificent and powerful. The color symbolizing that Aura was white.

But Tilles knew. The identity of that jet-black Aura, no, the powerful jet-black Aura that seemed to absorb all the light around it beyond ordinary black.

That Aura was also undoubtedly the Lionheart Sword, Reinhardt’s Aura.

‘It’s Sword Empress Atlin’s Seon’oe. Midnight.’

Frontier Lord Atlin, whose name was very important in the Empire’s history books.

And people called her Sword Empress, with the greatest respect for her, who was a very excellent swordsman.

And Sword Empress Atlin was also the commander Tilles respected the most.

The most efficient tactics and strategies for knight orders and legions to deal with monsters. All the foundations of that theory were created by Sword Empress Atlin and the Essenmund elite soldiers under her command.

The tactics created with their lives as nourishment. They have been passed down to later generations and are used everywhere in the Empire.

‘If it weren’t for Sword Empress Atlin. If it weren’t for those tactics, the Royal Guards would have had a very hard time dealing with the monsters coming from the old Imperial Capital.’

And Tilles also greatly respected Atlin not only as a tactician but also as a swordsman.

So, he personally researched the Great Battle of the Vernige Plains, which was not well known to the public, 100 years ago, when the Empire was on the verge of collapse.

‘The two ultimate skills that the Sword Empress created at that time. One of the ultimate skills is…’

The jet-black Aura that the Count in front of him was blooming. Seon’oe Midnight. And even in Reinhardt, famous for being a swordsmanship family, the only person who reached that realm after Atlin was unique.

‘It was the current Frontier Lord. Wilhelm von Reinhardt was the only one.’

But, from today, that statement had to be changed. It is no longer unique.

The young Count standing in front of Tilles right now. Following Wilhelm Frontier, he has newly reached the realm of that Sword Empress.

‘I was going to yield the first move to that Count. I have to change my mind.’

Tilles’s blood was boiling fiercely. He wants to compete with him properly, even if it’s just for one strike.

He doesn’t like a clumsy sparring match where he yields the first move and receives his attack.

A swordsman who has already reached the realm of Midnight. So, it is an insult to the Count unless they clash swords with sincerity.

“Then let’s start the sparring!”

At the same time as Tilles’s words, the two people’s bodies moved.

---

The sparring is over. Cold sweat flowed.

It was only one strike. It was only once that they crossed swords, but everything was contained in that sword strike.

It felt like countless feints and real attacks, countless strategies to target each other’s blind spots and weaknesses, were continuing in that one strike.

Of course, that moment was only fleeting. It is not an area that can be judged by the head, that is, by thought. The Lionheart Sword I learned.

And with the intuition for swords flowing in Reinhardt’s blood, I anticipated Tilles’s moves that had not yet flown, blocked them, and found a way to counterattack.

‘If I wasn’t careful, my body might have been cut in half.’

Such intuition was repeated countless times within me in that fleeting moment.

But that was the same for Vice-Commander Tilles. Predicting each other’s sword strikes, the search for loopholes that seemed to chase each other’s tails was repeated in that short time.

‘It was really dizzying.’

The reputation of the Empire’s Ten Seats was not in vain. The moment I saw the Aura he created. And the moment his sword moved.

I instinctively felt a sense of crisis in my body, as if I was caught in a rapid current. The Lionheart Sword of power. And the Sentiac Knights’ sword that emphasizes speed.

And the Royal Knights’ swordsmanship, Golden Eagle Wings, which seemed to mix the advantages of both, finally began to move.

Then, each other’s fleeting moments came to an end. Tilles’s ultimate skill and my Seon’oe, Midnight, collided at the same time.

‘I had to refine Aura to the limit of Midnight, which I had never used before…’

It was probably instinct. The realm of the 6th Circle I achieved. That realm created the darkest black Midnight that I had never experienced before.

Maybe if that wasn’t the case, I would have died. And after exchanging one strike like that. The sparring ended.

Tilles’s sword returned to its scabbard.

And Tilles opened his mouth and said to Lilia, who was watching the sparring with the others.

“Your Highness Lilia. Would it be alright to give five High Knights of the Royal Knights to Count Yulian?”

Lilia’s expression brightened.

“Yes, of course, I’m fine with it. Wait, does that mean?”

Tilles nodded calmly.

“Yes. Five High Knights will dedicate their lives to the Count.”