Ch.23Knight Order Competition

After finishing her grueling training routine, Se-erin headed to the training grounds. She planned to find some idle seniors and request a sparring match.

Whoosh-!

-Haa!

As she approached the training grounds, she felt an intense wave of energy. A familiar yet strange force, along with occasional fierce battle cries, indicated someone was already there.

Clang-!

Upon arriving, Se-erin’s gaze swept across the area. The training grounds were filled with seniors who were rarely seen around.

“Oh, Se-erin!”

One of them greeted her. It was Reynard, who had joined her on a recent mission. Se-erin approached him with a slight bow.

“Senior.”

“Are you also preparing for the competition?”

“Competition…?”

This was news to her. Se-erin tilted her head slightly, causing her snow-white hair to cascade down like falling snow.

“Ah, you haven’t heard yet? There’s a knights’ competition being held in a month.”

Se-erin’s eyes scanned the grounds once more. Even those who were usually nowhere to be seen had come out to train and sweat.

These were people who normally maximized their personal time after training hours. The fact that even those who typically locked themselves in their rooms were now out swinging swords meant the competition must be worth the effort.

Se-erin stroked her sword once and asked, “Is this competition really worth all this effort?”

Not chasing after the reincarnated one… Se-erin swallowed the rest of her thought.

“Of course! If you perform well in the competition, the Empire’s armory will be opened to you.”

“The armory…?”

“It’s where countless treasures lie dormant. Famous swords known to all, rings that supposedly slow time, shoes that let you fly through the sky… well, most are probably just rumors.”

Se-erin nodded. Indeed, if one could obtain such remarkable items, it was worth the effort. She asked, “Are there also swords used by other swordsmen in that armory?”

“That goes without saying. The Empire’s armory is history itself. It houses the swords of previous knight commanders, and even the sword of the Sword Saint, said to be the Empire’s strongest blade…”

Before Reynard could finish, Se-erin’s body was already in motion. Her light frame kicked off the ground and she soared silently into the air.

In an instant, she stood in the center of the training grounds.

“Senior Reynard. May I request a match?”

It was a bold request from a junior. Reynard didn’t refuse. As his form leaped toward the training grounds, Se-erin drew her sword.

Clang-!

***

As the competition date approached, the atmosphere grew more intense. Theo and Flora were also busy preparing.

Those assigned to missions before the competition had to leave headquarters with regret.

It was truly unfortunate.

“Here I come, Se-erin!”

At Theo’s shout, Se-erin raised her sword. Sparring with an evenly matched opponent greatly helps improve one’s skills. Their swords clashed in mid-air.

Tang-!

Unlike before, parrying the sword felt easier. Se-erin and Theo’s blades locked together, changing direction and sending sparks flying.

Through her blessing, Se-erin had completely absorbed the essence of the swordsmanship Theo was learning. She could now anticipate the direction of his sword.

‘A thrust targeting the lower left, followed by an upward slash.’

Clang-! Tang-!

After blocking the sword, Se-erin’s gaze swept over Theo’s entire body. She read the movement of his muscles and the flow of his breath to predict his next move.

‘He’ll drain his strength and then deliver a straight thrust. A strike infused with mana.’

The moment Theo exhaled deeply, faint lights burst from his arms and legs.

Crack-!

Se-erin also summoned her mana. The rush of mana that began in her heart now carried a biting cold. A blurry figure appeared on the vast snowy field in her mind.

Thinking of something else during intense combat is dangerous. However, this was necessary. To change the nature of mana, she needed a powerful image in her mind.

But this wasn’t an easy task. Human imagination isn’t constant. The images one conjures change frequently depending on time and surroundings.

What helps with this abstract process is a promise to oneself. When recalling specific words, one trains to naturally evoke the corresponding image.

This is known as the mantra of internal martial arts.

Mana cultivation methods were no different. Se-erin used her tribe’s folk songs as the mantra for her mana cultivation method.

‘Our footprints on the snow-white field, following the stars in the quiet night sky…’

The blurry image becomes clear. As a vast snowy field unfolds in Se-erin’s mind, an icy blue energy swirls toward the tip of her sword.

Whoosh-!

It wasn’t over. The mana gathering at the tip of Se-erin’s sword intensified. The bitter cold now harbored sharp claws.

‘Wolf, protect us, as we set out to hunt…’

A faint wolf form flickered above Se-erin’s body. Those at a distance couldn’t notice, but Theo, facing her directly, could see it.

‘This is…!’

The sword technique rapidly transformed. The trajectory that had been extending in a straight line twisted and struck downward.

Whoosh-!

The massive collision of forces pushed them both back slightly. Se-erin used the gap to catch her breath. She retreated two more steps to assess the situation.

Theo also stepped back twice. Veins bulged on his forehead from the slight pain in his hand.

The boy and girl maintained this stalemate. And they realized: this match was over. Continuing would surely result in injuries.

Se-erin sheathed her sword first.

“Good work, Theo.”

“You’ve gotten stronger…”

When they first met, he had overwhelmed her. But now, he couldn’t guarantee victory. Such growth in just a month was unbelievable.

A slight jealousy welled up.

But Theo nodded. He knew fragments of Se-erin’s special talent. The negative emotions quickly faded.

“My turn next!”

As Theo stepped down, Flora stepped onto the training grounds. Se-erin checked her remaining stamina and raised her sword again.

That’s when one side of the training grounds became noisy. Turning to look, they saw unfamiliar figures talking with the knights.

“Who are they?”

“Is that…?”

Flora responded to Theo’s question. She retrieved her sword, descended from the training grounds, and took a few steps forward.

Her gaze brushed over the shoulder badges of the strangers.

“Wind?”

On the badges were small pins with images resembling wind.

“Why is the Empire’s Wind here?”

Theo and Se-erin also looked toward the strangers. The Imperial Knights were divided based on the blue griffin image on the national flag.

The identity of these strangers at the Blue Wing headquarters was the Wind, one of the Empire’s knight orders.

Though Blue Wing and Wind were both knight orders, they had no points of contact. The same was true for other orders.

Blue Wing knights who had been sparring began to stop one by one, becoming aware of the Wind knights.

Just then, Karnok emerged from the headquarters building. After looking around, he approached the Wind knights and had a brief conversation.

Then he walked straight toward the trio.

Se-erin, Theo, and Flora greeted him with short bows. Normally, they should salute a superior, but Blue Wing’s internal regulations were quite relaxed. Karnok waved his hand in acknowledgment.

“Is everyone’s training going well?”

“Hello, Vice Commander.”

“It’s been a while.”

It had been about a week since they last met. Se-erin nodded in response to Karnok’s question.

Karnok said, “Would you be interested in sparring with new members from another knight order?”

“Sparring…?”

“Well… we received a proposal from another order. They suggested a match between recent recruits to test their skills. Of course, it’s not mandatory.”

Se-erin’s gaze swept over the distant Wind knights. When their eyes met, they greeted her with a slight bow, showing no apparent malice.

She wasn’t particularly interested. Just as Se-erin was about to shake her head, Karnok added:

“If you win, I’m planning to give a one-day pass to leave the grounds… if you’re interested…”

Before Karnok could finish, Se-erin stepped forward.

“I’ll do it.”

“Oh… quite enthusiastic.”

She couldn’t help but be enthusiastic. Since outings were prohibited except on weekends, Se-erin had been craving bread lately. More specifically, she wanted to eat that fresh fruit pie.

Se-erin’s small tongue licked her lips.

“Good. What about you two?”

Karnok’s gaze fell on Theo and Flora. They both nodded as well.

And so, the match between Blue Wing and Wind knights was arranged. No special preparations were needed.

Those ready simply stepped onto the Blue Wing training grounds.

Se-erin was the first to step forward.

Her opponent was a boy who appeared to be about 16 years old.

The boy said, “Dian Tibolt of the Wind Knights…”

“Se-erin of Blue Wing.”

Se-erin could feel Tibolt’s intense gaze. His eyes busily scanned her face, eyes, and hair.

The corner of Se-erin’s mouth curved upward slightly.

‘I know I’m beautiful…’

Today, another boy had fallen for her sister’s appearance.

“Um… Se-erin, was it? If you don’t mind, after the match… could we talk for a moment…”

Tibolt’s words faded as Karnok flipped a coin into the air. The match would begin when that coin hit the ground.

Se-erin exhaled softly and placed her hand on her sword.

Tibolt also corrected his stance at the sight. A faintly visible sharp blade appeared above him.

Ting-!

The moment the coin fell, Se-erin swung her sword with all her might. Having already sparred with others, her stamina was depleted, so she didn’t want to prolong the match.

She aimed for a decisive blow.

Clang-!

“Urgh!”

Tibolt’s face filled with dismay. The force behind Se-erin’s sword far exceeded his expectations. He also summoned his full strength to counter it.

At that moment, just as Tibolt was about to channel strong power into his sword, Se-erin let go of hers.

The opponent she had been struggling against disappeared. Tibolt’s stance collapsed in an instant. Se-erin didn’t miss the opportunity.

“The, the sword…?”

‘The moment of the hunt, the silent earth, the strength of a hungry bear…’

Blue mana surged. As powerful strength supported her waist and lower body, Se-erin’s right hand spread wide.

Her small palm struck Tibolt’s face directly.

Thwack-!

The strategy of catching the opponent off guard worked again. Se-erin looked down at Tibolt as he flew off the training grounds.

A small handprint was imprinted right in the middle of his face.

“Winner! Se-erin!”

Watching this, Flora touched her own face.