Ch.230Head of All Trading Companies, Dieta (4)

The duel trial held in the heart of the Empire.

As the protagonist was the main character of the duel, the audience seats were filled without a single empty spot.

“……”

Among them were not only nobles and aristocrats but also many knights who had come to witness the skills of the renowned free knight—famous knights and officers of knightly orders had made the journey for this purpose.

They sat with arms crossed, observing Najin.

A young man who had reached Sword Seeker at just 18 years of age, earned the title of free knight at 19, and now possessed five stars.

They knew there was no reason to doubt Najin’s abilities. How could anyone question the skills of someone supported by Sir Gerd, the Empire’s First, and the Emperor himself? They had no intention whatsoever of diminishing the achievements engraved as stars in the sky.

‘However……’

Understanding something intellectually and truly accepting it were two different matters.

Most of Najin’s achievements had been accomplished in the Outer Continent.

It wasn’t easy for the knights of the continent to comprehend what Najin had achieved in that distant land. What exactly was an undead that had lived for hundreds of years? What was a beast that devoured stars? And what was a transcendent being commanding hundreds of jesters?

It was difficult to imagine. It didn’t feel tangible. It seemed like grasping at clouds.

Knights who had experienced the Outer Continent understood how great these feats were, but those who hadn’t couldn’t fully grasp just how remarkable Najin’s achievements truly were.

That’s why they thought:

He’s impressive, but isn’t he still just a Sword Seeker?

In the end, he existed within the same boundaries as themselves. How much difference could there be between Sword Seekers? Since he had reached the stage of “sprouting,” he must be among the upper ranks of Sword Seekers—that was the extent of their assessment.

That evaluation wasn’t entirely wrong.

Nor were they particularly underestimating Najin.

From an objective perspective, Najin was a swordsman who had been a Sword Seeker for less than two years. Even describing him as among the upper ranks of Sword Seekers was a favorable assessment, showing respect for the free knight.

‘The Albania side has four Sword Seekers? Then this should be quite an interesting duel.’

It would be a good fight.

Some knights watching the duel thought so. Most people try to understand situations within the framework of their own common sense. In their common sense, such speculation was perfectly natural.

Therefore.

KWAAAAAAANG!

When they saw Guiyot slammed into the wall at the start of the duel, their eyes could only widen in shock.

“What……”

“Just now?”

“What just happened? Did I miss something?”

“I couldn’t see it properly either.”

“What on earth…?”

They murmured with wide eyes. What had happened was beyond their common sense.

Knight Guiyot of Albania.

He had reached the realm of Sword Seeker more than ten years ago and was famous for tenaciously holding out against even superior opponents, dragging fights into long battles. He was also known among knights as “a knight you wouldn’t want to duel.”

Endurance, persistence, tenacious determination.

He was notorious for such qualities. Yet this Guiyot had been defeated in a single strike. The knights’ gazes trembled as they looked at Guiyot embedded in the wall. Most couldn’t even track Najin’s strike with their eyes.

Only the signal to begin the duel had fallen.

Almost simultaneously, Guiyot had been shot like a cannonball into the wall—the middle process seemed to have been cut out like with scissors.

“……”

The knights seated in the VIP section.

Only the senior officers of famous knightly orders, who had been Sword Seekers for a long time, could properly see the strike Najin had delivered.

At the start, Najin had lunged at Guiyot, and when Guiyot raised his shield, Najin had struck upward. It wasn’t a particularly advanced technique, nor was it a strike imbued with profound swordsmanship.

Just the basics.

It was the most basic strike, but its power was anything but light. With a single blow, Najin had shattered the shield Guiyot prided himself on. Then, using the repulsive force of the sword energy, he had sent Guiyot flying toward the wall.

All of this had happened in less than a second.

“Huh.”

The experienced knights burst into laughter.

Some gave hollow laughs, others exhaled in disbelief while stroking their beards, and still others nodded. They all had similar thoughts.

That the young man’s reputation was not exaggerated in the slightest.

Rather than being exaggerated, they realized that the rumors surrounding Najin might even be understated. Because this was a duel that didn’t take lives, Guiyot had merely been “embedded in the wall.” If it had been a duel to the death…

‘He would be dead.’

Being able to shatter a shield with a single blow meant being able to cleave through it. If it had been a battle for life, Guiyot’s head would have been flying through the air from the very beginning.

The first duel ended in an instant.

As silence fell over the audience, Najin lightly dusted off the tip of his sword. He remained standing in the dueling ground. With an expressionless face and cold, sunken eyes, Najin looked at the Albania knights waiting for their turn.

Prove it. Prove that you are knights.

Only when their eyes met did the Albania knights realize what this meant. Standing before them was a free knight.

The one who makes knights worthy of being called knights.

The free knight was asking a question.

Are you knights?

If so, reclaim the honor of your lord who has been insulted. Simply enduring or holding out for the next turn won’t do. Charge with the determination to die. Step onto the stage and pour out everything you have.

He was demanding this of them.

‘How harsh.’

But that’s what proof is all about.

Najin’s gaze, which had been directed at the knights awaiting their turn, naturally stopped on the knight sitting in the last seat.

Knight Commander Griffin.

Only Griffin was looking directly at Najin.

2.

The duels continued one after another.

After the first duel, the Albania knights changed their strategy. They had realized that Najin’s skills far exceeded their expectations.

“What kind of monster is that man?”

“Watch your words. There are many ears listening.”

“No, he is a monster. Guiyot went down in a single blow. I can hardly believe what I saw with my own eyes. Who knows better than us how tenacious Guiyot is?”

“If you’re talking about that fellow foaming at the mouth over there, then yes, we know well.”

“This is maddening. What Sword Seeker in the world is like that? This is absurd……”

Holt, the knight next in line to step onto the stage, shook his head. He was a knight who cared little for pride or honor. He just wanted his peaceful life of receiving a salary from the duke to continue forever.

The honor of knights has been insulted?

What’s the big deal?

It’s not like honor pays the bills.

With such a casual mindset, Holt’s stance lacked proper form as he stood in the dueling ground. He seemed eager to finish the duel quickly and go home. If only Guiyot had held out a bit longer, he might have tried something, but…

‘Seeing Guiyot go down in one hit, it seems hopeless… Do I really need to try hard?’

If he was going to lose anyway, he might as well avoid a harsh defeat and lose at a level that wouldn’t damage his reputation too much. With such a complacent attitude, Holt opened his mouth.

“Knight Holt of Albania.”

“Free Knight Najin.”

Najin frowned.

Then he adjusted his grip on his sword with a twist. The duel began, but unlike before, Najin didn’t move. He glared at Holt while letting his sword hang.

‘Is he telling me to come first?’

After a moment’s hesitation, Holt charged at Najin.

BANG!

Holt charged forward, kicking off the ground. To ordinary people, Holt’s speed seemed fast, and his movements appeared to be giving his all. But experienced knights clicked their tongues as they watched him.

“He’s ruining what could have been a splendid match.”

Najin felt the same sentiment.

He didn’t treat Holt, who was charging at him, as a knight worthy of respect. He avoided Holt’s sword by taking a step to the side and tilting his body.

Then, he reached out and grabbed Holt’s wrist that held the sword.

With his left hand gripping Holt’s wrist, Najin swung the pommel of his longsword, which he held reversed in his right hand. Like a hammer. The pommel struck Holt’s elbow.

“Keuup…!”

With a cracking sound, Holt’s arm bent backward. As Holt suppressed a groan, Najin kicked him in the abdomen. Having lost his sword, Holt tumbled ungracefully across the arena.

“……”

Expressionlessly, Najin threw the sword Holt had dropped at his feet.

Pick up your sword.

Or leave the arena on your own.

Najin glared at Holt as if he had no intention of respecting someone who hadn’t entered the dueling ground as a proper knight. Holt gritted his teeth while clutching his backward-bent arm. He picked up the sword from the ground and charged again.

Crack, crunch, snap!

With all his limbs broken, Holt was carried out.

“Knight Konev of Albania.”

The knight who took the next turn trembled with fear, but he still gritted his teeth and charged at Najin. Sensing his determination to land at least one blow, Najin responded with a clean strike.

Three matches ended in an instant.

Only one remained.

Griffin stepped onto the stage.

3.

Griffin had fought Najin before.

Before Najin became a Sword Seeker, when he was still a Sword Expert, Griffin had faced him. Griffin remembered that situation clearly.

And the conversation they had then, too.

“I won’t ask your name.”

That’s what Griffin had said to Najin back then.

“The Duke has ordered me to kill you, and I am merely following that order.”

“Yet I tell you this.”

“Because I respect your choice.”

At that time, Griffin was carrying out a mission, but he felt no anger or irritation toward the boy blocking his path. Even now, having taken responsibility for the failed mission, his sentiment remains unchanged.

The will and choice the boy showed at that moment deserved respect.

There was simply a difference in positions.

Now, as they faced each other for a rematch, Griffin took a deep breath. The boy who had been insignificant then had now become a knight whose name was known throughout the continent. Facing the free knight, Griffin opened his mouth.

“I am Griffin.”

With a thump, he beat his chest and declared.

“Knight Commander Griffin of Albania.”

“Free Knight Najin.”

Najin responded by offering a sword salute.

After exchanging greetings, Griffin pressed down deeply on the helmet he had removed. Behind the helmet, Griffin’s gaze settled.

As soon as the signal to begin the duel fell.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Griffin unleashed his strongest technique.

THUD!

The foot he planted was the root of a great tree striking the ground. Standing on the earth, his body was the trunk of the great tree. The sword he raised was a branch of the great tree stretching toward the sky.

The swordsmanship of the war hero Arta Trigadian.

Red sword energy imbued with the image of a thorn tree filled the stage. He harbored no petty thoughts of conserving strength, limiting output, or hesitating to reveal his secret techniques before such an audience.

Simply, full power.

You asked me to prove the honor of a knight?

I cannot prove my honor.

For it is determined not by me but by the master I serve.

‘So what I can show is.’

Griffin swung the massive thorn tree.

‘Only my pride.’

Seeing the thorn tree crashing down like a wave, Najin smiled for the first time since the duel began.

BOOM.

Najin stomped the ground.

The cross-star spear, which had remained thrust into the ground during the three previous duels, responded to Najin’s footwork by springing up into the air.

With a snap, Najin made no distinction between the motion of catching the spear and extending it forward. Thus, the technique was completed the moment he caught the spear.

Charging Horn.

A storm raged from the spear tip.

KWAGAGAGAGAK!

Before the raging storm, the thorn tree was completely broken. As the red sword energy scattered in all directions like broken branches, Najin threw the spear into the air and began running toward Griffin.

“Kup……”

Griffin, who had been thrown to the ground by the storm, rose with a roll. Gritting his teeth, he planted his roots in the ground again and drew out his sword energy.

The same situation as their past duel.

But the positions were reversed.

Back then, it was Najin who was challenging the impossible, but now it was Griffin. With none of his usual static and rigid demeanor, Griffin let out a fierce cry as he swung his sword at Najin.