Chapter 91

Episode 91

“I never dreamed I’d be walking this path with you.”

We entered a dark, secret passage. It was located beneath the Kalisto main castle. Leading the way was Head Butler Muller.

He was taking me to the secret training ground, a place accessible only to the head of House Kalisto.

It was said that the Kalisto swordsmanship had been passed down and refined in this very place for generations.

During my time as an aide, I had only heard rumors of its existence. This was my first time experiencing it firsthand.

“The Duke has been speaking highly of you lately.”

“I hope I can live up to his expectations.”

“He hasn’t smiled this much in decades. Lady Selendis of the Inspection Unit applied for the high-ranking knight qualification exam, skipping the intermediate level, correct?”

“Yes.”

“That’s why the Duke has high hopes for you.”

To be precise, that wasn’t the case.

It was Lady Lucia who had discovered Selendis’s potential. It was only possible because she had created the Inspection Unit and brought us together.

We soon arrived at a massive stone door.

It was surprisingly large for an underground structure.

“This is the secret training ground. Enter.”

The door opened, revealing a spacious interior.

It was dark. There were no windows, so no light could penetrate. The only illumination came from sparsely placed lanterns.

‘So, we have to fight using senses other than sight.’

Visual information played a crucial role in ordinary spars.

But in battles at a certain level, attacks could be invisible. Not just physical attacks, but aura attacks as well.

Of course, I had nothing to worry about.

Even in complete darkness, I wouldn’t lose as long as I had “Automatic Combat.”

As we walked further in, I noticed a giant chessboard pattern on the floor.

It was covered with something transparent, like a thick layer of glass.

I took a step forward, and the surface felt soft. But when I lifted my foot, it provided firm support. It seemed to be made of a special material that could withstand any attack.

The grandeur wasn’t limited to the floor. The ceiling and the surrounding walls were equally impressive.

Massive statues, depicting familiar faces, lined the walls, seemingly supporting the ceiling. They were the previous heads of House Kalisto, those who had brought glory to the family.

Beneath them were trays displaying rare weapons and armor. They were spotless, as if cleaned daily.

Three people were waiting for me.

Duke Kalisto, who would be overseeing the spar, Lady Lucia, and my opponent, Princess Beatrice.

“It’s an honor to be invited to such a sacred place, Your Grace.”

“Don’t think too much of it. It’s an old tale that only the head of the family can enter this place. Anyone who has mastered the Kalisto swordsmanship can use it.”

So, Hylix, Romero, and even Sir Mars had access to this place.

It felt less sacred now.

“I haven’t mastered the Kalisto swordsmanship. I’m not qualified.”

“Haven’t you mastered something even greater?”

He was probably referring to my mastery of magic. Duke Kalisto had never seen my swordsmanship properly.

He would be surprised if he did.

I hadn’t mastered any swordsmanship style. I simply followed the movements of “Automatic Combat.”

It might be even more shocking for him to see it multiple times. It was like witnessing a new swordsmanship style every time I fought.

“We agreed to have a private spar, but I allowed Lucia to observe at her request.”

I bowed to the Lady. She smiled silently, her gaze fixed on me.

I turned my head and saw Princess Beatrice, clad in heavy armor.

She always smiled at me, but today, she looked solemn.

“I hope this will be a beneficial experience for both of you, regardless of the outcome. Now, prepare yourselves.”

We moved apart, creating a distance between us. Beatrice warmed up, swinging her spear, which was as tall as she was.

*Whoosh!*

Ordinary spears were most effective for thrusting. But her spear seemed capable of “slashing” as well.

It meant I had to be prepared for a variety of attacks, not just straight thrusts.

Of course, it wouldn’t work against “Automatic Combat,” but it was always better to be cautious.

“Aren’t you going to warm up, Sir O’Brien? Or are you that confident?”

“I’m better in a real fight than in practice.”

“Hmph. I hope it’s confidence, not arrogance.”

The princess maintained her composure while diligently warming up. Her movements became more fluid as her muscles warmed up.

I finally understood why she had come all this way with only five knights.

‘Her movements are beyond that of a high-ranking knight.’

It was difficult to tell for sure since she hadn’t activated her aura yet, but based on the six-stage theory, she seemed to be at level 2.

‘No matter how skilled she is with a spear, it’s still a step below the Bellatrix swordsmanship. She’ll be easier to deal with than Prince Arthur.’

*Shing!*

I finished my calculations and drew my sword. Beatrice immediately thrust her spear towards me.

*Whoosh!*

Even from a distance, I could feel the air pressure generated by her attack. I was curious to see how powerful it would be with aura.

It wasn’t an attack but a warning. A provocation to fight her with all my might.

The Duke, seeing that we were ready, announced the start of the spar.

‘Automatic Combat.’

My body surged forward as the skill activated.

It was unusual for “Automatic Combat” to initiate the attack. It seemed to be trying to seal off her attacks with swift movements due to the difference in reach.

I saw an opening and thrust my sword towards her abdomen.

*Clang!*

I had anticipated her blocking the attack.

The real attack came next.

Spears had a long reach, but their recovery was slow. She couldn’t recover from the impact of my sword thrust.

Was she going to get stabbed?

*Swoosh!*

As expected.

She dodged my attack with advanced footwork. I attempted a third attack, but it was blocked by her spear.

I pressed my attack, closing the distance between us. She retreated, parrying my relentless attacks.

Despite being on the defensive, she hadn’t activated her aura yet.

She seemed to have her own principles.

I had to push her to the limit to see what color aura she possessed.

Meanwhile, a serious conversation was taking place between the Duke and Lucia.

“I’m worried about you lately.”

The Duke spoke, his gaze fixed on the spar. Lucia turned to look at him.

“What are you worried about?”

“You’re pushing yourself too hard.”

His words were brief but carried a lot of weight. Lucia understood his concern.

At first, he had thought it was just a peculiar hobby of his mature youngest daughter.

He had spared no expense in supporting her. He had even given her access to the family’s treasure vault, filled with rare and valuable items.

That’s how the “Lucius Club” was created.

But as time passed, O’Brien joined the Inspection Unit and successfully completed numerous missions. Lucia’s engagement with the Imperial Family was broken off. And now, she had even established a trading company.

Observing all of this, the Duke realized that his small and delicate daughter harbored grand ambitions.

And he was certain that it wasn’t a fleeting whim but a deeply rooted conviction.

“You’ve always been mature for your age. You even mastered statecraft before your brothers.”

“You knew?”

The Duke chuckled at her innocent question.

“It would be strange if I didn’t. Your tutor is a dear friend of mine. He’s strict and impartial when it comes to teaching. But when he praised you, he was as passionate as a blazing furnace.”

As he finished speaking, Beatrice launched a counterattack. It was her first attack that utilized the reach advantage of her spear.

*Swoosh!*

*Clang!*

O’Brien not only dodged her attack but also swung his sword, deflecting her spear. The spearhead swerved, exposing a weakness.

But it was Beatrice’s foot, not O’Brien’s sword, that exploited this weakness.

*Whoosh!*

Her leg shot out, striking O’Brien’s abdomen. But he had already braced himself, absorbing the impact with his left hand.

“Do you also desire the family headship?”

“Inheriting the family isn’t my goal.”

“Then what is?”

O’Brien, who had retreated momentarily, creating a brief pause in the fight, activated his aura. Beatrice followed suit, unleashing her own aura.

As O’Brien had predicted, her aura was a shade of purple.

It was slightly below level 2.

“My dream is to create a world where all beings can coexist peacefully.”

Duke Kalisto missed the subtle difference in his daughter’s words. She hadn’t said “humans” but “beings.”

“I hope you achieve your dream.”

They didn’t speak any further.

The spar had intensified.

The clash of metal echoed through the training ground, and blue sparks flew as they exchanged blows.

Beatrice even used some of the Bellatrix spear techniques. But none of her attacks landed.

The Duke’s gaze sharpened.

‘What a peculiar swordsmanship style.’

He observed the relentless barrage of sword strikes directed at the princess and sighed.

If he, a renowned master swordsman, had never seen a particular style before, it usually meant it was a third-rate style. Worthless. But O’Brien’s swordsmanship was different.

‘It’s not third-rate. It’s free and unrestrained. Who taught him this style?’

He had many questions.

But that wasn’t O’Brien’s only strength. He could introduce the variable of magic into this close combat at any moment.

‘Is the princess outmatched?’

He was the Empire’s Swordmaster, the one who had elevated the Kalisto swordsmanship to its peak.

He had never encountered a sword path he couldn’t understand, but today, one had been added to the list.

It was the trajectory of O’Brien’s sword.

Like a giant tree weathering a storm, O’Brien’s sword deflected the princess’s spear, which was swirling towards him like a whirlwind.

*Clang!*

It was as if a bell had rung in the Duke’s mind.

Beatrice felt it too.

She retreated, wiping the sweat from her eyes. Her spear arm trembled, and the aura surrounding her spear had faded.

O’Brien, on the other hand, was unfazed. His aura remained strong, and his expression was even colder.

“I didn’t know you were this strong… Were you hiding your strength?”

“Perhaps.”

O’Brien moved, leaving behind a cryptic remark. Three consecutive attacks, simple yet powerful, drove the princess to the edge of the training ground.

*Clang!*

*Clang!*

*Clang!*

Her spear finally fell to the floor.

The spar was over.

No one was surprised by the outcome. It was as everyone had expected.

“…I lost.”

Beatrice finally understood why O’Brien had requested a private spar.

It wasn’t to protect her pride.

He knew that revealing his true strength to the public would cause chaos within the Kalisto Dukedom.

She realized that neither Hylix nor Romero could defeat O’Brien.

Only Duke Kalisto could.

‘No, even that’s just a guess. He might not be able to guarantee victory either.’

She still felt like O’Brien was hiding something. If he unleashed his full power, could even the Duke stand against him?

Beatrice shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. She had to think about her next move.

The ability to reflect on her path and choose her own destiny.

That was the crucial difference between Princess Beatrice and Prince Arthur.

“I lost today, but it won’t be easy next time. I’ll train hard and defeat you.”

“I look forward to that day.”

Immediately after the spar, the princess left the castle with her knights. No one knew where she was headed.

But one thing was certain.

She would be stronger when they met again.