C18: Revealed Fangs (Part 1)
"Indeed. Have you grasped it?"
Hugo le Baskerville.
He called for Vikir, who had just come out of the study, straight to his office.
Judging by the schedule cleared until the time Vikir would come out, it seemed that he held considerable expectations.
Vikir had never seen Hugo care about his children like this, except for his eldest son and second son.
However, there was no reason for him to get excited or flustered. In his previous life, Vikir was just as old as the current Hugo.
"To some extent."
"Oh."
Hugo emitted a faint light from his eyes.
It had only been a day since he entered the study, so there was no way he could have obtained anything.
Most of the Baskerville siblings of the same age were at a stage where they were just beginning to sense mana, and they hadn't even experienced proper practical training yet.
In such a situation, how could an eight-year-old child feel anything while looking at a higher-level martial arts book?
However, Hugo was looking at his son in front of him, whose exact birth order he didn't even know, with an inexplicable sense of anticipation that he couldn't even understand himself.
"What did you feel and understand inside the study?"
"It was um... warm... sharp... pointy... soft and squishy... bumpy? Something like that."
"..."
Hugo briefly touched his head with his hand.
It's always difficult to understand a child's answer.
However, had Vikir reached a certain level of enlightenment? Hugo suddenly grasped something from Vikir's disorganized string of words.
"Could it be...?"
Hugo murmured to himself, then immediately lowered his head slightly.
Aura.
A sign that he had officially entered the world of swords.
An area that ordinary swordsmen could never reach even in their lifetime.
Even the talented Baskerville siblings, who were dedicated to the path of the sword, had to train relentlessly and reach the level that could only be achieved at the age of 15.
That was the realm of "Sword Novice Intermediate."
Hugo furrowed his brow once again.
He was just an eight-year-old child. What was he expecting right now?
However, despite that, Hugo couldn't take his eyes off his son's innocent face.
Just maybe.
The anticipation, the just maybe, made Hugo impatient and compelled him to speak.
"...Can you show your father what it is?"
All the humans of the Baskerville family hesitate to reveal their true accomplishments to each other.
Even between parents and children, or among siblings. It's almost instinctual.
That's why, even when facing his eight-year-old son, Hugo chose a cautious tone.
However, Hugo's concerns were easily dispelled by Vikir's innocent answer, scattering them away.
"Of course."
The training ground of the Baskerville family.
In the center of this spacious plain, surrounded by numerous people, stands a single young child.
Vikir stands tall, holding a short sword that matches his physique, with his eyes closed.
When Hugo mentioned that he would test Vikir's level, a crowd of people flocked to the training ground to witness the spectacle.
"He submerged in the Styx River for seven minutes, right?"
"Yeah, and they say he killed two venomous snakes in the Cradle."
"This time during the practical evaluation, he caught Cerberus."
Surprisingly, Hugo didn't block the gaze of the gathering onlookers.
He simply kept his eyes fixed on Vikir standing in the middle of the training ground.
Barrymore, who was standing next to Hugo, asked, "My lord, what are your plans for testing the young master's abilities?"
"...I'm thinking of having him face a suitable demon."
Even amidst this, Hugo remained relentless.
To pit a mere eight-year-old child against a demon.
Eventually, the demon that would serve as Vikir's test opponent arrived.
The monster being brought by the knights was an orc, with green skin and a massive build.
<Orc>
Danger Level: C
Size: 2m
Location: Enemies and Dark Mountains
-A humanoid species designated as a similar human-like form with intelligence.
They form packs with strong bodies, low intelligence, and excellent reproductive abilities, and their danger level is by no means lower than that of barbarians.
Orcs. They are demons with combat abilities comparable to five ordinary adult men without weapons.
Their entire body is composed of muscular tissues, with innate strength, immune system, and regenerative abilities.
This orc, captured by the Baskerville family, had prepared itself to hate and despise the world, as it had once been a member of a warlike tribe.
The surrounding people began to buzz.
"Hmm. Even so, an orc against an 8-year-old child is a bit...?"
"To face an orc, one should be at least 15 years old."
"Well, if anything goes wrong, the knights will intervene."
Despite being members of the staunch Baskerville family, many had a hard time understanding this match.
"..."
However, Hugo proceeded with the match without saying a word.
Eventually.
...Clang!
The orc, freed from the restraints, was released into the center of the training ground.
Pushed back by the spears and swords of the knights, the orc, with its teeth and gums exposed, drooled as it moved toward the center.
There stood Vikir, wielding a sword.
[Grrraaaah!]
The orc rushed toward Vikir with both hands stretched out.
The 8-year-old child, who thought he could easily kill it, and the subsequent complacency.
However, Vikir lowered his body and evaded the orc's hands effortlessly.
It was a remarkably skillful movement, aimed at the difference in size and height.
"Oh?"
Hugo's eyes widened. The gazes of the other Baskervilles were the same.
However, before the astonishment around him could settle, Vikir immediately followed up with the next move.
Swish!
He swung his sword and spun in mid-air.
Although he was only 8 years old, his body weight was quite impressive.
The weight of Vikir's body was fully transferred into the sword, which cleanly sliced through one of the orc's wrists.
[Grooargh!?]
The orc didn't realize what had just happened.
It was understandable since the opponent in front of him suddenly vanished as if extinguished, and his wrist fell off.
However, before the orc could grasp the reality, the next harsh reality struck mercilessly.
Vikir, who had cut through the orc's wrist and emerged beneath the groin, proceeded to sever the orc's ankle as well.
Thump!
By the time the orc realized that his wrist had been severed, his ankle had already been cut, and he fell to the ground.
Silence filled the surroundings.
Everyone from the Baskerville family had their eyes wide open.
"...He's only 8 years old?"
"Look at his physique. He's like a seasoned warrior."
"He didn't even use mana. How was that possible? What was I doing at his age...?"
The number of people surrounding the training ground kept increasing as time went on.
Even the knights and servants came to watch, indicating the scale of the spectacle.
However...
"..."
Hugo, on the other hand, remained silent with his mouth shut.
Of course, Vikir understood Hugo's reaction.
"He hasn't shown yet what awakening in the battlefield truly means."
What Vikir had just done, severing the orc's wrist and ankle, was purely a display of his physical prowess.
He hadn't shown what he had realized in the battlefield yet.
Finally.
Vikir took a deep breath and lightly tapped his sword.
Around 4kg. The short sword was quite heavy for a young child, but in Vikir's hand, it swung around as if it were a blade of grass.
As if that wasn't astonishing enough, Vikir presented another astounding display.
...Flash!
The tip of the sword emitted a faint glow.
Everyone from the Baskerville family, who noticed the nature of that light, gathered their mouths in awe.
"Aura Blade!?"
The manifestation of the sword expert's Aura, symbolized by a physical form.
It was emanating an eerie glow from Vikir's sword tip, like ghostly flames.
An Aura that ignited blood like kindling.
An embodiment of the killing intent, which was also the symbol of the Baskerville family.
Seeing it, the orc instinctively felt fear and stepped back.
The monster known as an orc, relying on its inherent skill "Rapid Regeneration," attempted to heal the wounds on its wrist and ankle.
<Ba'alzebuub, the Voracious Fly> / Stinger
-Slot 1: Burn (火傷) - Cerberus (A+)
-Slot 2: Bleeding (出血) - Hellhound (B+)
-Slot 3: Rapid Regeneration - Norwegian Rat (F)
Unfortunately, due to Ba'alzebuub's ability embedded within Vikir's body, that was impossible.
The Hellhound's bleeding skill overwhelmed the orc's rapid regeneration skill.
Now, the orc would fully experience the mortal power of the fangs possessed by the hellish hunting dog.
Usually, even shallow and minor wounds that wouldn't bleed initially would eventually start bleeding as time passed, and the bleeding would last much longer than usual wounds.
If the wrist or ankle was severed, there was no need to mention what happened next.
Gulp... Gulp... Gulp...
The blood soaked into the short sword slowly disappeared.
The short sword imbued with Ba'alzebuub's power craved the orc's blood like a beast, and the orc had no chance to resist. It had to continuously offer its blood as a tribute.
And in such a situation...
Swish!
Vikir swung his sword.
And everyone gathered in the training ground witnessed it.
A sinister fang revealed itself in the air.
Baskerville Style No.1.
A distinct "Piercing Fang" was clearly embedded deep into the orc's throat.
Naturally, the orc's life was instantly cut off.
Along with the excruciating pain, as if being engulfed in the flames of hell.
Vikir revealed a level of mastery that seemed befitting of the 15-year-old youths from the Baskerville family.
Of course, there could only be murmurs around.
"Insane. I couldn't even sense mana when I was eight."
"I could barely form a mana clump on the palm of my hand back then."
"That guy seems like a perfect novice sword expert. Seriously, is this even possible?"
In a place like the Baskerville family, known for its gathering of geniuses, where the previous record for the youngest Sword Expert was at 14 years old, having an 8-year-old achieve such a feat was unheard of.
Butler Barrymore spoke with a mixed expression of astonishment and pride.
"Congratulations, my lord. A prodigy of the generation has emerged. It's a triumph for the family."
"Hmm..."
Hugo nodded expressionlessly.
But Barrymore noticed it. The corners of Hugo's mouth hidden under his mustache slightly curved upwards.
Praising one's own child was never enough for a person like Barrymore, so he took the opportunity to add a few more words.
"Even against five adult men, isn't it the orcs who can't be pushed back with strength? Seriously, an 8-year-old can kill such an orc so effortlessly. There won't be another genius like this in any imperial family..."
"Ahem. That's enough, Butler."
Hugo interrupted Barrymore's words as if they were irritating.
Then, with a slightly annoyed expression, he spoke up.
"Actually, that orc seemed a bit unusual."
"Excuse me?"
"When it comes to orcs, their exceptional regenerative power is a characteristic. But that guy's blood didn't stop flowing. Suddenly losing a large amount of blood inevitably leads to weakness. Was there some kind of poison on Vikir's sword?"
"Oh, no. The sword was checked by the Paladin Knights and handed over. It's just an ordinary one."
"Ahem. Then maybe the orc was already weakened."
Anyway, he was a man who couldn't simply accept straightforward praise.
Barrymore lightly smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
Well, in any case, it was true that a prodigy had appeared in the Baskerville family.
A young warrior who became a perfect novice Sword Expert at the age of only 8.
While everyone, including Hugo, was quite surprised by this achievement,
"Wait a minute."
Vikir captured the attention of everyone.
Instead of turning away like Hugo intended, he stopped and looked at Vikir.
Their gazes met.
Vikir spoke with a calm voice.
"Are there any bigger creatures than orcs?"
He asked and went for a double kill.
