N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
C 355
"A mercenary with the strength of a master..."
In the Continent of Edona, there are many masters, as well as in famous houses and kingdoms. It is only natural that there are many masters outside of Six Kings and Five Demons, as there are countless warriors.
However, there is one group that has a very low number of masters, even though it has a countless number of warriors.
Mercenaries.
Mercenaries, who sell their strength and pride for money, have a lot of combat experience, but their overall strength is low because they do not receive systematic training.
"And even talented warriors quickly leave the mercenary life."
If you have the talent to become a master, it is much more profitable to join a famous house or kingdom than to be a mercenary.
The only people who stay as mercenaries, despite having outstanding talent, are either those who want to become the <Mercenary King> or those who love freedom.
"However..."
On the other hand, there are also rare cases.
There are cases where a master who belongs to a famous house or kingdom becomes a mercenary out of despair over his inability to improve his skills, or is expelled for causing trouble.
"That's him."
Raon looked at the middle-aged mercenary lounging around with his legs crossed and smiled wryly.
"Mark Gorton."
He was a knight from the Warner Kingdom, which is considered to be just below the Six Kings, and he reached the rank of master at a young age, but after failing to break through the lower rank for over 10 years, he was expelled for causing trouble and became a mercenary.
Thus, he gained the nickname "Falling Sword".
He was still a beginner master level, ten years ago, twenty years ago, and now, as he is now.
"But it's a little different from what I expected."
Raon looked at Mark Gorton's well-honed sword and well-toned body and licked his lips. As expected, rumors are not always reliable.
"Ready? If you are, come on!"
Dorian, who still seemed to be excited, did not notice that the opponent in front of him was Mark Gorton and turned his wrist.
"I don't mind whenever."
"That's good."
Mark Gorton smiled as he saw Dorian's eyes filled with confidence.
"What? What's that?"
Dorian trembled as if he felt something strange.
"With that strength at this age, you'll reach the rank of master before thirty."
Mark Gorton lowered his sword and narrowed his eyes.
"Oh."
"However, you will never reach the rank of master above the lower rank."
"...What do you mean by that?"
"Reaching the rank of master is open to those with excellent talent and perseverance. Even if you're old, if you have talent and train yourself to the death, the way will open, but..."
A sense of emptiness and despair began to fill his eyes.
"But to break through the lower rank to the higher rank, you need real talent that surpasses talent. Like your squad vice-leader, Raon Zieghart. Unfortunately, you don't have that talent."
"I know that I don't have the same talent as the squad vice-leader, but if I don't try to the end...."
"I mean, you're a narrow-minded bastard. It's that dirty."
Mark Gorton raised his sword with a distorted smile. A chilling aura emanated from the crescent-shaped, thin, and curved blade.
"Uugh..."
Dorian bit his lip at the cool air that seemed to lower the temperature. However, he did not seem to be backing down, as he clenched his sword tightly and lowered his stance.
Hey.
Wrath turned his head sharply when he saw the look in Dorian's eyes.
Is he going to die?
'I won't let that happen.'
No matter how hard he pushed him, he had no intention of letting him die or suffer serious injuries.
'What I want is enlightenment.'
Enlightenment?
'Yes. Dorian and his big-mouthed sister are making a big mistake.'
Raon looked at Dorian's back with his eyes like the flowers of Glasia in bloom.
'This stupid fight is for that enlightenment.'
* * *
Adis Sepia's office.
Knock knock knock!
With a hasty knock, the door opened and a young warrior entered, bowing his head.
"M-Master Adis!"
"What is it?"
Adis, who was looking at the documents, slowly raised his gaze. His eyes were dry and expressionless.
"I'm busy right now, so if it's not important, please come back later."
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned his attention back to the documents. His eyes darted quickly to see if there was an emergency.
"It's about the youngest master."
"Hmm..."
As soon as the warrior mentioned the youngest master, Adis' eyes, which had been swinging like a pendulum, stopped abruptly.
"What is it?"
Adis raised his head. The clear curiosity was clearly visible in his eyes, which had been dry just a moment ago.
"The third lady took the youngest master with her."
"Where? You've figured out the location, right?"
His calm voice sounded like the sound of waves, making it difficult to understand what he was saying.
"The training ground for the guards."
"I know who's there too."
Adis frowned as he tapped the document with the pen he was holding. He sighed and pressed his temples.
"She took Dorian to spar with them?"
"That's right. She wants to show that the money she's accumulated is higher than the youngest master's strength."
Regwin, the old butler standing to the right, nodded.
"Even if she doesn't like him, it's really immature to mess with the youngest master who just came back after nine years."
Adis crumpled the paper with the ink dripping down. His forehead was wrinkled like the paper.
"It's true that the youngest master is stronger than other warriors of his age, but he can't beat any of the three."
The young warrior put his hands on his chest and bowed his head.
"If you give me the order, I'll go and stop them right away."
He was ready to charge at a moment's notice.
"Hmm..."
Adis didn't answer and tapped the desk with his pen.
"Did Dorian go by himself?"
"No. The member from Light Wind squad also followed him."
"That's good."
He smiled wryly and took out a new document from the right. He looked down at the document as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Master Adis?"
"Leave it."
"Yes?"
"If he's there, nothing big will happen. I said leave it."
"Who on earth is he...?"
"Raon Zieg... White Sword Dragon!"
The young warrior backed away in horror.
"Why is he here...?"
"He said he brought Dorian as the vice leader of the Light Wind squad..."
"So, we should go even more, right? White Sword Dragon may not interfere with family matters, or if he does, a big fight could break out... ."
"That won't happen."
Adis even smiled faintly, as if he was certain.
'It could never be.'
As a merchant, he didn't know much about the strength of a warrior, but when he saw Raon's real eyes here, he remembered the old days.
'I felt like I saw the heads of the Six Great houses.'
It felt similar to when he saw the heads who were somewhat mature in their thirties, not like Raon now in his teens or twenties.
'He's a monster. That's it.'
As he told Raon, he was confident in his ability to see people, but he couldn't even grasp the caliber of a person named Raon Zieghart.
There was no way that such a man would fall for the third's tricks. He was clearly going to break the child's plan and give Dorian a lot of help.
"And Raon has the right to interfere in this matter."
"Yes? What's that... ."
The young warrior, who was standing in a daze, raised his head.
"You, Dorian, and Phalen are all making a big mistake."
Adis smiled brightly and tapped the table.
"Because he hasn't built up just his strength."
"That is... ."
"Don't you know yet? That is... ."
"Master Adis."
Regwin, the old butler who had been silent, stepped forward.
"If you don't finish your work now, you'll have to stay in your office tomorrow."
"Oh, I see."
Adis nodded and looked at the documents.
"Tomorrow is the time to see the young master, so you must be prepared."
"Yes. I've been waiting for today... ."
He shook his head quickly and frowned.
"That's not it!"
* * *
"Ugh!"
Dorian moaned as he blocked Mark Gorton's sword.
'This, this man what is it... .'
He thought it would be easy to win because the energy felt weaker than that of Totten Robel, but it was not. The difficulty of the sword technique, the aura emitted, and the physical ability were all on a different level.
Just blocking the sword strike drained all of his strength.
"You can't even block this... . I guess I overestimated you."
Mark Gorton swung his sword gracefully. The blade, imbued with extreme grace, fell with a terrifying light.
"Huup!"
Dorian unfolded the Shimmunhyun Sword's technique, Qinghua Yuyun. The blue clouds that bloomed like flowers formed a thick barrier of sword energy, but Mark Gorton's sword easily ripped through the sturdy barrier.
Kwaaang!
Dorian felt a shock like being hit with a hammer in the chest and was pushed back slowly.
"Cough... ."
Dorian endured, but a scream burst from his mouth. He felt his stomach churning violently, as if he had been riding in a carriage for a long time. It seemed that he had internal injuries.
'It wasn't even a special sword technique...'
Mark Gorton had shattered his technique with a downward strike that was barely even a sword technique. This meant that the difference in skill was significant.
'At the very least, he's a peak expert. Or...'
A master.
Dorian trembled his jaw as he watched Mark Gorton slowly approach. As soon as he realized that his opponent was far superior, the excitement that had filled his head chilled to the bone.
"Hey, hey there?"
Mark Gorton ignored Dorian's call and fired a sword strike at an angle.
Zherueruerueng!
Dorian desperately deployed the Shimmunhyun Sword and the Yunhyun Boap at the same time to counter the sword strike, but he could not withstand the powerful impact and was blown away.
"Ugh...."
"What is it?"
Mark Gorton raised his chin as he looked at Dorian, who was gasping for breath.
"What is your name...?"
"I'm Mark Gorton."
"Falling Sword?"
Humph!
Dorian, who had uttered the nickname Falling Sword, covered his mouth himself.
"It doesn't matter if you say it. It's true that my sword fell."
Mark Gorton showed no change in expression even when he heard the nickname Falling Sword, which was full of ridicule.
"And I'm also your future."
"Ah, what are you talking about all this time!"
"There is a period of stagnation for warriors who have reached the rank of master. It's a period when their skills don't improve for a while after they've crossed the wall."
"I've heard of it before..."
Dorian nodded stiffly. When Raon reached the rank of master, Rimmer had told him about this stagnation period.
"Some people can continue to climb the stairs to the sky without any stagnation, but there are also those who can never escape from that stagnation, like me."
Mark Gorton smiled sadly with an expression that was difficult to describe.
"That's why I want to crush a young man like you who is full of confidence and make him realize where he stands."
The sword energy blooming from his sword began to thicken.
"I don't like him talking too much, but the conclusion is good."
Phalen snorted and pointed at Dorian.
"Step on his head from the beginning. So that he can never raise his head again."
"It seems that he's earned your hatred on both sides."
Mark Gorton looked back at Phalen and laughed. The energy that had been condensed in his sword gathered, twisted, and formed a thick and sharp river.
Uuuuuuung!
Dorian swallowed his saliva at the sound of the powerful sword river. He didn't back down or run away, but clenched his sword in both hands.
"Even after seeing the sword river, are you still going to try?"
Mark Gorton frowned at Dorian's eyes, which trembled as if he was scared.
"I'm not special compared to the people around me."
Dorian exhaled a deep breath as he looked at Mark Gorton.
"My strength and mental strength are all lacking."
Compared to Raon, Burren, Runaan, and Martha, he didn't have a single outstanding feature.
Even though he had watched their backs from the closest distance, he hadn't learned a single realization about swordsmanship.
'But I did learn one thing.'
Dorian was scared. He was scared of dying or being seriously injured by the powerful energy, but as a subordinate of Raon, who had been watching him closely, he couldn't just kneel down without doing anything.
Uuuuuung!
A brilliant light rose from Dorian's sword, the brightest it had ever been.
"I don't have any intention of winning, but I don't want to be crushed here in a humiliating way!"
"What a annoying look."
Mark Gorton grinded his teeth and moved. The energy accumulated on the blade of the sword rose, gnawing at the space like a saw.
"I will make you kneel down in an instant."
His sword, which had twisted and risen, poured down like a red lightning bolt.
"Aaaaahhhh!"
Dorian screamed and thrust his sword forward.
Dorian roared and thrust his sword forward. The Shimmunhyun Sword's technique, Great Shimmunhyun Cut, which defeated Totten Robel, created a second huge cloud.
Zhezhezhezhek!
The sword energy spread in a cross shape filled the air, but it was meaningless in front of the energy.
llKwaaang!l
The sturdy-looking clouds cracked, and Dorian rolled on the ground, spitting blood.
"Ugh...."
Dorian tried to get up immediately, but he only shook his neck as if he had run out of strength. He was not seriously injured, but he was unable to move due to the backlash of using all of his aura and the physical shock.
"Ahahahahhaha!"
Phalen pointed at Dorian and burst out laughing.
"I knew it would be like this. That's your level. No matter how much you practice your swordsmanship, you can't beat a single mercenary I hired!"
She looked down at Dorian with cold eyes.
"While you were wasting time swinging your sword, I made money. Not just that mercenary, but enough money to hire warriors who could easily crush you like you."
"Ugh...."
"Before and now, you're best suited to kneeling under me... Huh?"
"Huuup...."
Dorian used his sword as a cane to get up. He looked at Phalen and gritted his teeth.
"Ah, it's not over yet."
"What, what are you doing! You're up!"
Phalen quickly backed away and gestured to Mark Gorton.
"Finish it quickly. Smash that mouth of his!"
"Hmm..."
Mark Gorton approached Dorian and frowned.
"If you move in that condition, you won't be in a good shape. You may not be able to move for a while because of the internal injuries."
"I'm a coward. I don't like being scared, and I hate being hurt even more."
Dorian took a deep breath and raised his sword. The weakened wrist trembled so much that the blade looked bent.
"...But I know that now is the time to get up and hold the sword."
Now that I think about it, Raon is not the kind of person to make me do something like this for no reason. He put his faith in him and put strength into his shaking feet.
"I'm getting more and more annoyed by your eyes."
At the moment Mark Gorton scrunched up his face and swung his sword down, a red line slashed down like a sword.
Zherueruerueng!
The dark blue sword was roughly pushed back. What appeared before Dorian's eyes was Raon's long sword, burning red.
"Why are you interfering? This is our family matter!"
Phalen frowned and pointed at him.
"No, it matters."
Raon pushed back Mark Gorton's sword and looked down at Phalen with cold eyes.
"You said that Dorian's strength is not worth more than your money, right?"
"So what?!"
"What Dorian has built is not just his swordsmanship."
He smiled coldly and raised his left hand.
"A little harder than a fairy tale."
A fairy tale that had split into two pieces fell from his hand.
"A little more resilient than a silver coin."
The second time, a silver coin that crumbled like a cookie poured out.
"A little stickier than a gold coin."
Finally, the gold coin crumbled into dust.
"Because he built a relationship called 'bound'."
"A bound? What kind of bullshit is that...?"
"As you boasted about making money, Dorian built relationships when he came to Zieghart. That means I am his strength."
The sword energy burning like the sun began to crush Mark Gorton's blue sword.
"I and the other Light Wind members are also prepared to draw our swords with our lives for this guy. That can't be bought with money."
"Ugh...."
Phalen's face twisted at Raon's cold laugh.
"Bring him down too. Crush him completely!"
Phalen pointed at Raon with his teeth clenched.
"I don't like your eyes more. It makes my stomach sick."
Mark Gorton frowned and repelled the sword. A blue power rose up on his blade.
"Even if it gets a little rough, understand."
"You said it was a Falling Sword?"
Raon tilted his chin and flicked his fingers. A cold chill flashed across his blue eyes.
"I'll let your power down with my sword skills only."
