128. Proof of the Lion

Pavel’s eyes followed the clash of the two swords.

As if time had stopped, the time from the beginning to the end of the sword’s path felt incredibly long.

Perhaps most people watching the sword fight thought the same.

• Is there such a slow Aura Sword?

• It’s definitely the Lion’s Heart Sword form. Is it so slow that we can read the sword path?

But the reality was completely different.

Pavel was breathless at that moment.

‘The ultimate stillness of the Lion’s Insight. That sword form is a complete domination of space through Aura.’

It took Pavel over 30 years to reach that level. Only now, as a master, did she realize the meaning of that Lion’s Insight.

The Lion’s Heart Sword. It is fundamentally a majestic and powerful sword.

But the fact that the sword has strong destructive power means that it also has the speed to match that destructive power.

However, the swordsmanship that Wilhelm and Yulian were displaying seemed so slow that it was almost yawn-inducing, contrary to common sense.

‘At first glance, you might not even think it’s the Lion’s Heart Sword.’

That’s why reaching the level of the ultimate stillness of the Lion’s Insight was impossible for most Knights of the White Night.

‘Because you have to apply the mysteries of the Lion’s Heart Sword that you’ve learned in the exact opposite way. The ultimate stillness…’

For the ultimate stillness, you had to completely abandon the preconceived notions about speed.

It’s obvious that being fast means reaching the goal first.

But the ultimate stillness starts first and arrives last. That’s how it appears to those watching the sword.

‘But that’s an illusion.’

That’s why the more skilled a knight is in the Lion’s Heart Sword, the more difficult it is to understand its mysteries.

You had to control the fierce sword strikes internally, not externally. And you had to make the energy of the sword directed inward dominate the space around you.

‘To do that, you must be able to perfectly control the raging Aura of the Lion’s Heart Sword.’

The Lion’s Heart Sword is a powerful sword that freely releases its exploding Aura.

So, it’s a swordsmanship that’s furthest from control. But for the ultimate stillness of the Lion’s Insight, you had to do it.

If you succeeded in that control perfectly.

Then, through the expansion of the dominated space, you begin to encroach on the opponent’s space.

Due to that encroachment, the opponent, deprived of all movement in the space, is frozen in place.

The only one allowed to move in that space is the master using the ultimate stillness.

Movement is relative.

‘If the opponent stops, my movement can have an unconditional absolute advantage due to space domination.’

Simply put, since the opponent is stopped in that spot.

No matter how slowly I move, I’m bound to be faster than that person.

Of course, this kind of explanation is an excessive simplification of the supreme mysteries contained in the ultimate stillness.

In the meantime, the two swords clashed in succession.

Clearly, Duke Wilhelm was the one dominating the space.

But Count Yulian calmly escaped that domination. At the same time, through counterattacks, he was steadily expanding his own territory, step by step, surely.

Pavel was sweating without her even realizing it.

‘How can a young swordsman who is not even one year since awakening Mana perfectly control his Aura like that at that age?’

In the end, the key to the ultimate stillness of the Lion’s Insight is the control of Aura.

Even the ferocity or competitiveness unique to swordsmen must be completely suppressed at that moment.

Even the raging 7th Circle Aura.

So, it’s not a level that a young man of just 21 years old can reach. It’s a level only possible for a swordsman at the peak, who can abandon all joys and sorrows for the sake of a single sword.

Pavel watched the duel with bated breath, with her own two eyes.

‘Already time…’

A full minute had passed.

Nevertheless, Count Yulian was perfectly fine without a single scratch.

Considering that the Knights of the White Night have to risk their lives to last 5 seconds against Wilhelm, the result was truly unbelievable.

‘Agnes. It would have been better if you were alive to see this.’

Pavel thought of her closest old friend.

And as the judge of this duel, she shouted.

“Duel over! Both of you, sheathe your swords!”

Silence lingered in the training ground.

---

The duel with my maternal grandfather was over.

“It seems that I may have been the one who underestimated you the most.”

With those words, my maternal grandfather left the training ground.

The officials gathered in the training ground had expressions that they couldn’t believe the result of the duel.

“Well, being this unscathed against the Lion Grand Duke. It’s a natural reaction, I guess.”

And instead of the officials who were frozen like statues in that place, Vice-Commander Pavel approached me.

I bowed to her.

Pavel held the important position of Vice-Commander of the White Night. And not only that, but she was also my mother Agnes’s childhood friend.

‘When I was young… Vice-Commander Pavel played with me a few times.’

So, she’s like an aunt to me. I politely greeted her with courtesy.

“I don’t think I’m exactly unscathed…”

As I said that, my whole body throbbed.

In reality, the two of us didn’t actually clash swords that much. It was only a 1-minute duel.

But during that short time, I deeply realized why my maternal grandfather was called the best in the Empire.

‘Grandfather, is he really injured?’

My dominion has developed to the point where it overwhelms even Lamiare, the Apostle of the Door.

But against my maternal grandfather, I couldn’t gain the upper hand even once during that one minute.

Of course, I didn’t give up the space of my sword strike to my maternal grandfather. But I felt a little resentful.

And at my answer, Pavel looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.

“The fact that you lasted 1 minute against His Majesty is already unbelievable. His Majesty even used the ultimate stillness. And the fact that you can use the ultimate stillness at your age is also unbelievable. Is the blood of Reinhardt different after all?”

As she said that, Pavel briefly took off her glasses.

Taking off her glasses revealed an impressive mole under her eye and green eyes. She was so youthful that you could mistake her for being in her late 20s.

In her younger days, my mother and Vice-Commander Pavel were famous as the beauties representing Essenmund. It seems that fame hasn’t gone anywhere.

She wiped her glasses with a cloth and put them back on, saying to me.

“And His Majesty always gives feedback on the sword to whoever he duels with. So that the duel partner can gain enlightenment.”

“But didn’t the Lord just leave?”

“So, it’s amazing. It means that His Majesty directly acknowledged you as a swordsman. In other words, there’s nothing to teach at all. He must be quite disappointed.”

Pavel told me subtly.

“His Majesty was very much looking forward to personally guiding your swordsmanship when you returned to the White Lion Palace. But if your swordsmanship is already this complete. There’s nothing for His Majesty to teach one by one, so he must be very disappointed.”

There was a reason why my maternal grandfather just left.

That’s his own way of praising me. I replied to Pavel.

“But there’s still a mountain of things to learn from the Lord. And today was just a light duel.”

It wasn’t just empty words.

My maternal grandfather has reached the ultimate art of the White Night, surpassing even the ultimate stillness of the Lion’s Insight.

When I said that, Pavel made another bewildered expression. But she continued.

“And if your swordsmanship is this certain. Hmm. There’s no reason to oppose your saying that you’ll go as a special envoy to the Demon King’s Kingdom. He must have mixed feelings in many ways.”

I felt a little sorry for my maternal grandfather at those words. Pavel smiled, reading my expression.

“Still, he’s confirmed that his only grandson is so skilled. For a while, we’ll be tired of hearing him brag about his grandson.”

That’s how the conversation with Pavel ended.

Belatedly, the officials were buzzing with surprise at the completely unexpected result of the duel.

I felt embarrassed to be in that place, so I hurried back to my room.

---

I spent two busy days.

Unlike Harsen Castle, I didn’t have a set position in the White Lion Palace.

But I already knew what I had to do. In the meantime, the contact I had been waiting for came.

“Chloe-ssi and Rosette-nim will arrive at the White Lion Palace in two weeks. It seems that the task you entrusted to them went well, Young Master.”

As Aylin said. It seems that the two of them have almost finished the task I entrusted to them.

I entrusted the two of them with a mission regarding the portals of the Ancient Empire era.

I had to receive instruction on the Lion’s Heart Sword from my maternal grandfather and leave for the Demon King’s Kingdom immediately. So, a portal was needed to shorten that time.

“There are also portals from the Ancient Empire era left in Reinheim. The two of them did well.”

There was also a portal leading to the Primeval Forest in Pantheon.

But there was quite a distance from the Primeval Forest to the Demon King’s Kingdom’s capital.

So, it was much better for me if Chloe and Rosette activated the portal that directly connected to the Demon King’s Kingdom’s capital.

So, I now have two weeks left. And my maternal grandfather will be heading back to the Eternal Permafrost in three days.

“Are you also planning to accompany him to the Eternal Permafrost, Young Master?”

“Yeah. Graiel, the Apostle of the Eternal Permafrost. I have to lend my strength to defeating that Graiel.”

100 years ago. That Graiel, who almost destroyed Essenmund, has been resurrected as an Apostle.

‘According to Vice-Commander Pavel…’

I heard about Graiel directly from her, who had been in the Eternal Permafrost until recently.

She said that the current Graiel, who has been Apostle-ized, is stronger than the Graiel in history.

But the Knights of the White Night and the elite forces of Essenmund were holding out well against Graiel’s army.

My maternal grandfather is a hero who is evaluated as the strongest swordsman since the Sword Empress.

And he has developed the territory to an extent that cannot be compared to the Essenmund of that time.

Even near the Eternal Permafrost, which is evaluated as the most terrible Chaotic Gate in Islan, the elites of Essenmund were holding out very well.

‘But there’s a limit to that.’

As the resurrection of the Demon God Knoia approaches, his Apostles and Demonic Beasts will become even stronger.

So, I had to eliminate that Graiel with my maternal grandfather on this expedition.

‘If it were my maternal grandfather from before, he would have desperately tried to stop me from going to the Eternal Permafrost…’

Due to this duel, my maternal grandfather has no reason to stop me from accompanying him. So, it was a good thing for me.

Above all, because of that shocking duel.

I heard that the expectations that the officials have for me have become very high. So, it will be even more difficult for my maternal grandfather to stop me.

“There’s no time to take a break, I guess.”

Aylin looked at me with worried eyes. As she said, I haven’t been able to rest much since last winter.

‘Come to think of it, I haven’t really enjoyed any leisure time.’

Long-lived dragons value their leisure time more than any other race.

If they don’t have a proper hobby, they can’t endure the boredom because of their long lifespan. There were quite a few dragons in history who went crazy because of that boredom.

But when I think about it, I didn’t have any particular hobbies.

‘During my days as a good-for-nothing, I was obsessed with strange artistic activities…’

That was only because of Knoia’s curse, its influence.

Nevertheless, the reason why I can focus on work and training like this without any leisure time.

Is because the biggest hobby of a Demonic Dragon is lovemaking with females.

‘Well. When I think about it, I’ve enjoyed lovemaking countless times.’

It wasn’t that I deliberately sought out women. But I enjoyed lovemaking with a number of women that was not lacking, no, overflowing.

And all of them were very outstanding beauties. So, I was unintentionally preventing the rampage as a Demonic Dragon very well.

‘Still, lovemaking as a hobby. It’s embarrassing to tell people.’

Thinking such trivial thoughts for a moment, I left the room.

Since I was going to the Eternal Permafrost in three days. I was planning to loosen my body in the meantime. The place I headed to was the training ground.

“Please take care of me!”

And coincidentally, there were three Knights of the White Night in the White Lion Palace who were close to me.

Uriel and Charlotte. And Lucia. I sparred with those three, reviewing the duel with my maternal grandfather.

‘These three have also improved their skills through the Harsen Siege Warfare. They’re very good sparring partners.’

I spent the whole day sparring in the training ground.

“Everyone worked hard. If you overdo it, you’ll accumulate fatigue. Make sure to loosen your bodies well.”

“Yes, sir!”

After the sparring with the three of them ended, I headed straight to the bathhouse of the White Lion Palace.

It was a bathhouse built as a 4-story building.

Not only the people of the mansion but also the officials used it together. As expected of Essenmund, who enjoys hot springs.

‘Well, it’s not like I’m uncomfortable.’

Even if it’s a public bathhouse, there was a separate bathhouse exclusively for me in that building.

I soaked my body in the tub there, relieving the fatigue accumulated from sparring.

‘Am I an Essenmund person after all?’

Being in the warm water made my whole body feel relaxed. When I was thinking that I could take up bathing as a hobby.

I was suddenly startled by the voice I heard.

“Kyaaak!! W-Why is the Count here!”

It was a woman’s voice. I turned my head to where the voice came from.

I saw a woman with long yellow hair and an impressive spiral hairstyle. I quickly recognized her.

“Lady Charlotte?”

I said to her, who was flustered.