Chapter 10: Initiation Test (5)

“The trial ends here.”

It was Iris who intervened between us.

Just as Lize had assured she would control her strength perfectly, her twin blades stopped just inches away from Iris.

In contrast, the Bloodstained Sword I held quivered, pressed against Iris. Realizing this, I relaxed my grip, and the blade’s trembling stopped.

Iris, who had swiftly stepped between Lize and me to break up our duel, only released her hold on the swords once both of us had relaxed.

The blade’s tip pointed listlessly to the ground.

“Was that last move the ‘Frost Storm Assault’?”

“Obviously. I said I’d only use one move, so of course it had to be the most fiery one! Although, is it a bit contradictory to describe an ice move as ‘hot’?”

A chuckle slipped out.

“I distinctly remember saying this was merely an initiation trial. This time, since you held back, no harm was done, but—”

“I didn’t hold back at all.”

Lize flashed a playful grin, meeting my gaze directly. Her smile seemed to suggest she had a lot to say. I avoided her eyes subtly.

“What do you mean by that, Lize?”

“I meant exactly what I said. I was serious, from start to finish. And our newbie here managed to counter every move at full strength, right, newbie?”

At Lize’s unexpected proclamation, not just Iris, but even Erika turned to stare at me. Feeling the weight of three pairs of eyes on me, an overwhelming sense of pressure crept upon my face.

“But if you didn’t control your strength, that’s an issue on its own. Have you forgotten?”

“I could have stopped at any time. I even stopped when Iris intervened unexpectedly. Wasn’t sure if the newbie could handle it, you know?”

Brushing off Iris’s concern with a casual remark, Lize approached me, that same playful smile on her lips. She then casually draped her arm over my shoulder, pulling me slightly downward.

Given our significant height difference, even if she tiptoed, I still had to bend a bit to meet her gaze. With her other hand, Lize playfully poked my cheek with her index finger.

“Man, you truly surprised me, newbie. I never imagined you’d counter-attack in that situation. Remember when I said I wouldn’t hold back if you could handle all my moves?”

“What about the dignity and reputation of a knight commander?”

“That doesn’t matter anymore. Now that I’ve seen how much potential our newbie has, what’s the significance of losing a duel?”

She moved even closer, her chest pressing against my arm. The one pushing seemed oblivious to her own actions, but to me, it was rather conspicuous.

“And one more thing. There’s an extremely crucial point all newcomers like you need to understand. This is non-negotiable.”

Lize’s voice lowered considerably, her face becoming serious. It made me feel the weight of the matter too. Just how significant was what she was about to share?

“Speak informally with me.”

“…Pardon?”

I thought I had misheard.

Her tone and expression had turned so grave that I expected some profound revelation, but this request to drop formalities? It was so out of the blue.

“Don’t bother with honorifics when addressing me. It’s uncomfortable for both of us. Just drop all that formality and speak casually. I’m offering this as a special service because I’ve taken a particular liking to our new recruit. How about it? Do you like the idea?”

“Uh….”

I wasn’t sure how to respond. Her character seemed so different from the original NPC in the game. I glanced at Iris and Erika for guidance.

Reading the question in my eyes, Erika began in a somewhat teasing tone.

“Just accept it. Even if you decline, she’ll keep insisting until you say yes. She might not look like it, but she’s quite stubborn.”

“Not look like it? Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“What could it mean, sis? You’d know better than anyone.”

Lize growled at Erika briefly, then turned back to me, her voice gentle but her gaze intense.

“Ignore her. So you got it, rookie? You can speak casually with me and with Erika too. You already converse normally with Iris, right? It’s the same thing. Erika and Iris are of the same age, so it shouldn’t be an issue. Now, call me Lize. Okay?”

Was she the oldest here? She didn’t look it.

Under the weight of her expectant gaze, I hesitantly said, “Li…ze?”

“Exactly! Well done. From now on, forget honorifics, just call me comfortably. Whether it’s Captain Lize, Knight Lize, or Sister Lize, none of that is necessary. Just ‘Lize’ will suffice. Got it?”

Lize, appearing quite pleased with herself, warmly embraced me.

Despite her cold exterior that seemed as if she wouldn’t bleed even if pricked, she had the most bubbly and affable personality. Adjusting to this contrast was difficult.

“So, did I pass the…did I pass the initiation test?”

I almost used honorifics out of habit, but seeing Lize’s stern face as she tightened her grip around my neck, I quickly corrected myself. Lize smiled contentedly, clinging to me even closer.

“Of course you did! How would it look on me if our new recruit didn’t pass here? Erika, what about you? No, wait, you’d say he passed anyway, right?”

“Does it really matter? Welcome to the Silver Dawn Knights, rookie!”

“…I might not like how you just decide things for me, but this time, I can’t deny the truth. I feel the same way as Lize. Welcome to the Silver Dawn Knights, newbie.”

When both Lize and Erika received their acceptance notices, Iris nodded with a face full of confidence, as if she had expected it all along. She seemed to have a deep trust based on their past performances.

“Welcome to the ranks, rookie. We’ll decide on your position later. For now, just rest. Claudia will formally introduce you once she’s back.”

With endless stamina, there was no real fatigue to feel, but there was no need to refuse such a kind gesture either, so the newbie simply nodded in agreement.

“Erika, show the rookie to his quarters. Let’s say… the floor right below the Knights’ leaders’ chambers. You can decide which room to assign him.”

“Understood, Iris. Then, let’s go, newbie. I’ll guide you to your quarters.”

As the rookie and Erika’s figures completely disappeared into the castle, Lize burst out in astonishment.

“Iris! Where did you find such an impressive person? You saw it, right? How he parried all my attacks? I can’t believe he’s just a newbie with those skills.”

“I really don’t know.”

“Oh, come on, don’t lie. Was he some kind of secret weapon you’ve been hiding? Wait, wait! Can’t I even joke?”

Seeing Iris clenching her fist with a cold glare, Lize quickly retracted her words in panic. Iris just clicked her tongue and relaxed her grip.

“If I had known, I would’ve told you. Seriously, I have no idea. When I went to inspect the prison on that bastard’s orders, almost everyone was killed by the monster, except for that rookie. On top of that, the only survivor, our newbie, had been cursed by the witch, so he doesn’t remember anything. What could I possibly know?”

“Was it just one monster? Shouldn’t we have hunted it down?”

“There’s no need. He killed it.”

“Killed it? The newbie did? That monster?”

“Yes.”

“…How?”

Iris briefly recounted the events at the prison.

After checking the entire prison and confirming there were no survivors, she found the newbie fighting that monster near the main gate. Eventually, the rookie managed to defeat the monster on his own.

It was as if he knew exactly how the monster would attack; he deftly parried every blow with his crude steel sword. At first, Iris wanted to help, but something told her it was better to watch. She added the tidbit about how his final attack blasted off the monster’s armor.

Listening intently to Iris’s story from start to finish, Lize, with a somewhat stiff expression, finally spoke.

“Did you say the newbie was the discarded one?”

“He claimed so himself. It must be true. If you can’t trust his words, use the Ability Verification Orb.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust the newbie… But he’s cursed, right? And not just by any average spell, but by a witch’s curse. That means his physical abilities would be on par with a commoner. He can’t use magic, and can’t wield mana. How can he still manage all that?”

Lize recalled the moment during the entrance test when the newbie precisely dodged and deflected all of her attacks. It wasn’t mere luck; his skill was genuinely outstanding.

Though he was overpowered in terms of strength, his technique was impeccable. Whether she unleashed a series of quick strikes or slow, calculated ones, he seemed to predict them, deflecting with ease.

The more she thought about it, the more incredible it seemed.

Both of them got lost in their thoughts for a moment. Breaking the silence, Iris gazed at the palm of her hand which had blocked the newbie’s blade earlier. There was a faint scar.

It was a superficial scratch, barely visible. But the mere presence of this scratch was unsettling.

Considering the difference in their skill and strength, such an injury shouldn’t have occurred. She should have easily caught the blade and ended it there.

But she didn’t.

“Was that… the newbie’s doing?”

The sentence was incomplete, yet the implication was clear. Iris nodded in affirmation.

In the final moment, the newbie reacted instantaneously to Lize’s counter feint, altering the trajectory of his blade. That was why her palm had a faint scar.

In the brief moment of the attack, when the newbie’s stance wavered, Lize prepared her counter feint. As she deflected all of Lize’s attacks and attempted to retaliate, he responded to her unforeseen feint, changing his blade’s path.

Iris, witnessing the shift in the blade’s path, changed her stance as well. Their skills seemed to be on par.

And that was the problem.

Two of them were veteran knights, wielding their swords for over a decade, and the other was a man cursed by a witch. Their skill levels shouldn’t be comparable.

“Until that point, I was merely impressed. But that last move genuinely startled me. You intervened because you assumed the newbie wouldn’t react, right?”

“I won’t deny it.”

Had she been in that position, could Iris have reacted the same way as the newbie? She pondered.

No matter how many times she thought about it, the answer was ‘no’.

He deflected that relentless barrage of attacks, found an opening to strike, and right before landing his blow, he changed his blade’s path in response to an unexpected counter from the opponent.

Despite the odds of facing such an encounter with a body that had greatly weakened due to a witch’s curse, the rookie managed it with astonishing ease. The tale was so incredible that even if shared as a tavern story, few would believe it.

No one had a clue about the rookie’s origins or the extent of the innate talent within.

“Iris.”

“What?”

“Do you have a special relationship with the newbie?”

“If by ‘special relationship’ you’re implying romantic interest, then no. We just coincidentally met in prison. Is there a reason you’re asking?”

“A reason? Sure. If you haven’t claimed him, I intend to.”

Lize licked her lips.

She found the rookie appealing in many ways. Handsome, fit, and above all, he perfectly matched Lize’s specific tastes.

She loved the idea of discovering a man of great skill and talent in his prime and nurturing that potential. Only later to have the tables turned and be overpowered by him. This was precisely Lize’s taste.

She was well aware that her preference was unconventional and probably too bold to actualize in reality. Thus, she’d always kept it as a hidden fantasy.

But now, a man who seemed like the embodiment of her ideal stood right before her. She couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity.

Moreover, the fact that the rookie was a robust adult male was a plus. What Lize desired was a strong, talented man, not a runt or a boy.

“Do as you wish. I won’t interfere.”

“Really? So, you won’t change your mind later? You won’t suddenly claim that you met him first after I’ve already wooed him?”

“How do you see me? I won’t play such games.”

As Lize was about to jubilantly leave after receiving this almost-permission from Iris, a blunt voice stopped her.

“Oh, I do have one question.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

For Iris to ask a personal question? This was rare. Lize paused and listened intently.

“Considering you’ve never even held a man’s hand, do you know how to seduce one?”

“What are you on about?”

Lize looked at Iris incredulously. Why would she mention ‘never even held a man’s hand’ when she herself was in the same boat?