Chapter 59
A sharp sound.
Tak! Tadak! Tadak! Tak!
Continued by that, sounds of heavy blows were heard.
The hard wooden sticks for practice split the air without stopping.
‘Is, is it even?’
‘Roan has equal skills with Viscount Reil Baker?’
The soldiers surrounding the practice field opened their eyes roundly.
They also knew that Roan’s spear skills were outstanding.
But his opponent was the best spearman in Rinse kingdom and the one called spear genius.
“Ey. Viscount Baker is going easy on him.”
The mumblings of a soldier.
The soldiers around him nodded unconsciously.
Meanwhile, the battle was facing its conclusion.
Reil’s stick twisted like a snake and tried to stab Roan’s side.
It was a fast and strange attack.
However Roan wasn’t perplexed.
He stamped the floor with the stick and twisted his upper body to the side.
Spat!
Reil’s stick missed its target and stabbed the empty air.
Roan hit the stick that was on the ground with the back of his feet as if he was waiting for it.
Paat!
The stick drew a line along with sharp sound and surged up to attack Reil’s chin.
‘He’s good.’
Reil smiled at Roan’s sharp attack and took one step back.
Spat!
Roan’s stick passed in front of his nose.
A movement just enough to barely dodge the stick.
It was the perfect distance.
‘Amazing.’
Roan was astounded.
Reil was really relaxed even in the middle of this fierce battle.
‘Having looked at him from the side and facing him directly is certainly different.’
In his past life, the confrontation between Reil and Pierce, where he watched from the sideline, was as beautiful as a dance.
The spear drew lines and the both of them repeated closing in and backing up.
The sound of the sticks hitting each other and cutting through the air was heard as music.
‘That was the day I saw Pierce’s real look, which I couldn’t see because I was too close.’
In his past life, Roan and Pierce started together from the training camp and spent 2 years together.
At first, Roan took care of the shy and timid Pierce.
Although all the trainers and the seniors of the troop raised their thumbs saying that Pierce’s talent was the best, at that time Roan was full of confidence.
‘I also thought that there was nothing I couldn’t do.’
However, everything changed after meeting Reil.
Pierce, who was shy and timid, became one of the most influential people that would be able to lead the kingdom’s future after the confrontation against Reil.
Pierce became Reil’s disciple just like that and left his side.
And.
‘When we met again he became a vice corps commander, and I was still a normal spearman.’
Roan and Pierce.
The lives of the two people, who were almost equal, started to change after this confrontation.
‘That’s why I can’t forget it even if I want to.’
He had a bitter smile.
Roan bit his lower lip.
He wasn’t in a situation to be reminiscing about things from the past.
The attacks continued without letting him rest.
‘My breath is getting heavy.’
If there seemed to be a weak point, Reil’s stick closed in on it stubbornly.
Tak! Tadak! Tak!
A light sound.
It certainly was a difficult situation, but Roan didn’t get pushed back.
No, rather, he was even with Reil.
Although he couldn’t use the mana because of the gazes of other people, with Kalian’s tear and his strong body, the tip of the stick moved sharply and elegantly.
Spat!
Roan’s spear cut through the air and started to make big movements.
He was now executing Pierce’s spearmanship, which was now Roan’s spearmanship.
‘So this is Roan’s spearmanship.’
Reil’s mouth slightly rose up.
‘It certainly is different than what Pierce executed.’
Even if Pierce was a genius, it had only been two months since he started training in Roan’s spearmanship.
Compared to that, Roan already had more than 10 years.
His spear twisted and looked for Reil’s: arms, legs, stomach, private parts and joints.
Everything was deadly and vital.
‘Kugh.’
Reil grinded his teeth for the first time.
It was because Roan’s attack was much sharper than what he had initially thought.
‘If I keep being relaxed, I might face an embarrassing situation?’
Reil put strength in his grip and charged forward.
His defensive attacks changed to become offensive ones.
Tang! Tadang!
Even the sound of the clashes became different.
‘Kugh.’
Every time the spears clashed, his palm became numb.
‘He’s planning to end it now.’
Roan grinded his teeth.
The number of blows had already reached 40.
‘Whew!’
Roan let out a long sigh.
Actually for him, this battle had much meaning.
‘From the many futures, there’s one that always happens, no matter what I do.’
Int’s forest battle was like that, and this battle was also the same.
‘In the battle of Int forest, the time and the troops participating were different than my past life……..’
When the orc that came charging forward but fell because of a branch, it coincided perfectly with his past life.
Although it seems like I have the advantage because I know the future, the events are….
Reality wasn’t like that at all.
‘What if there aren’t changes even in the results?’
What if the ones that should die, died, and the ones who should live, lived?
What if everything flowed like a preconceived result?
What if in the end, he ends up dying in the battlefield just like his past life?
‘The results of right now has no meaning at all.’
But of course, it wasn’t that the future had to happen as he knew it.
The slightly different future just like the Prely river battle, and Slen battle that weren’t in the future at all.
‘If my guess is correct……….’
In the future he would face from now on, there would be many of these types of cases.
The cases he knew in the future, and the same cases.
Slightly different cases.
Completely different cases.
Cases he didn’t know about, etc.
Various different types of the future were mixed together causing uncertainty and were also approaching closer.
‘Because of that, I don’t know if the situations that I am aware of will happen exactly like in my past life.’
That’s why he wanted to check it.
When Reil requested a battle after hitting his chest.
‘I really got my act together.’
The battle against Reil and Pierce that he remembered.
The start of it was certainly the same.
‘Will I be able to change the results of this battle?’
If he could, there was no need to be afraid of the incoming future.
‘I can’t keep relying on the future I know.’
On top of that, the thing called the future was really uncertain.
He was at a point where he could rely on it passively but had to actively take the initiative.
Because of that, this battle against Reil was really important.
‘I will crush all the different futures where the results are already pre-determined.’
Then, a sharp sound was heard.
Spat!
The spear drew a line and flew towards him.
Roan took two steps back and twisted his wrist.
Tang!
The spears collided against each other.
“Amazing. I had quite the fun time, sparring.”
This was Reil’s voice.
Roan gritted his teeth.
“Block this one too.”
They were some lightly tossed words.
The battle was coming to an end.
In his past life, Pierce couldn’t block the last attack and lost.
‘I will block it. I will block it and change the future.’
Roan opened his two eyes abruptly.
Paat!
In that instant, the surrounding scenery and spar became slow in Roan’s eyes.
Meanwhile, only Reil showed any fast movements.
Spaaaaaat!
The spear closed in while it cut through the air.
He could see that the tip of the spear vibrated in all directions.
At first glance it seemed like it was aiming for his stomach but actually it was a continuous attack followed by the two thighs, sides, and back.
Roan glared at the tip of his spear and turned his body.
Everything was really slow to the point where he yawned.
At the same time, Reil’s spear lowered and aimed for the thigh.
‘Hph!’
Roan took in a breath and charged forward.
Spaaaaaat!
Reil’s spear slightly grazed Roan’s thigh.
But the attack didn’t end there.
Tuk.
The spear stopped like it was all a lie, surged up, and then twisted.
It was a movement aimed at the sides.
‘Quicker!’
Roan felt trapped because of his slow movements.
He turned his body and closed in on Reil.
A perplexed look could be seen on Reil.
Taaaaat!
Roan passed by Reil’s body like that and made it to his back. At the same time, he tried to kick Reil’s ankle. The movement was executed perfectly and everything flowed together.
‘It’s done!’
A faint smile appeared on Roan’s face.
Then!
Reil’s two feet, that were solidly stuck to the ground, started to float in the air.
‘Impossible!’
Roan looked at himself kicking the empty air and frowned.
He thought that it was the perfect attack.
‘What kind of reaction is this fast!’
Then, he felt a pain as if someone was poking his eyes with a needle.
It was because he had used Kalian’s tear over-excessively.
However, Roan endured it and swung his spear.
Paaaat!
The spear moved through the air very slowly.
After a while.
Puuuuuk!
The tip of the spear hit Reil’s back.
‘Kugh!’
Only then did Roan blink once.
Pat!
At that moment, the scenery that was slow until now returned to its original speed.
Tat!
Reil, who jumped to the air, turned his body with the spear.
He made some distance with Roan in an instant.
“Kugh.”
Pain was felt in his back.
‘What the hell just happened?’
Reil frowned.
He executed one of his own spearmanship techniques that he had saved to finish the spar.
He thought that with Roan’s skills he would be able to either dodge or block the attack that was aimed for the thigh.
‘But I thought that he would fall by the following attack.’
His guess was wrong in a way that was good to see.
But it wasn’t to the point it completely slipped away from him.
Roan showed quick movements to the point that it was surprising and then closed in on Reil.
At the same time, he turned his body. After that he was at his back he tried to kick him.
Reil kicked the ground and jumped away instinctively.
However, he couldn’t block the attack that followed.
‘If this was a real battle, my back would have deep cut into it.’
Reil glanced at Roan.
‘I can’t measure his skills.’
He thought that he had measured Roan’s skills to a certain point during the spar.
But the moment he thought of the last attack, Roan showed skills beyond his estimation.
He was truly amazed.
“Are you also able to blo…….”
The moment that he was planning to compliment him.
Pat!
Roan charged through and faced him with a fierce intent.
‘Kugh!’
Reil gulped some air and raised his spear.
Offense and defense happened again.
From now on, it was something Roan also faced for the first time.
It was a battle that didn’t happen in his past life.
‘I’m changing the results!’
Just because the situation changed a bit, he couldn’t be relieved.
This was because the future was still uncertain.
‘A blitz warfare!’
From now on, he couldn’t use Kalian’s tear for a while.
Tak! Tadak! Tak!
The clashing sounds filled the training room.
The fierce attacks continued.
“Amazing.”
Io mumbled with a surprised expression.
The people around him nodded in agreement.
They were surprised at two things.
The first, obviously was Reil’s spear skills.
‘The skills of Viscount Baker is really famous…..’
But what was even more surprising was Roan’s spear skills.
‘For the skills of an 18 year old spearman to be this high.’
Io was amazed.
A faint expectation appeared in his face.
‘The one who will continue the legacy of Viscount Baker, no, he may become a commander that surpasses him.’
Io’s mouth slightly rose up.
‘If he teaches him well from now on, he will certainly…….’
The deeper his thoughts grew, the closer the battle approached the climax.
Roan put strength into his grip.
‘Let’s end it with this.’
He was planning on executing the 7th stance of Roan’s spearmanship.
This was the strong technique that stabbed the spear on Violin’s side.
‘Hph!’
He took in a deep breath.
The muscles on both of his arms swelled.
Spat!
The spear split the wind.
At the same time, the entire spear moved to the sides.
‘Is this also Roan’s spearmanship?’
Reil looked at the gorgeously moving spear, to the point that it made him dizzy, and smiled.
He wasn’t certain if he was aiming for the left or the right because of the big movements.
‘Is it the left or the right?’
Reil glared at the tip of the spear and then twisted his wrist.
The place he tried to block was his left side.
Then.
Tung!
The spear hit the air as if it was flicking along a heavy sound.
The tip of the spear suddenly changed trajectory and came carving into Reil’s right side.
‘Amazing!’
It was an extraordinary change.
Reil hurriedly pulled back his spear and twisted his body.
Then.
‘Kugh!’
He felt a pain in his back.
‘Damn………’
He was surprised with Roan’s attack.
Because of this moment’s discomfort, his movements were slow.
‘My ribs will be smashed.’
Reil bit his lower lip.
At this state, he wouldn’t be able to block the spear, nor dodge it.
‘Roan. I’m sorry but I can’t do anything about it.’
He bitterly smiled and took in a deep breath.
In that instant, a soft feeling surged up from his stomach.
Paaaat!
At the same time, the spear split the air at an amazing speed.
Reil’s spear hit Roan’s spear.
Pagak!
A sharp sound.
Roan’s spear broke in a way that was easy to see.
“Kugh!”
Roan grinded his teeth at the amazing shock that was felt and quickly spread out from his palms.
But even so, he didn’t let go of his spear.
‘Is it mana……?’
He guessed the identity of the strength that surged up from his body in an instant.
“Kugh.”
His body trembled.
Viscount Baker showed his amazing strength, worthy of being a man of his reputation.
‘So this is Viscount Reil Baker’s real strength.’
The difference in having mana and not having mana was certainly big.
‘What would have happened if I also used the Flamdor mana technique?’
He would have succeeded in that last attack.
Regret was left.
‘But even so, I have to hide my mana.’
He had just started training in it.
If he made a mistake and rumours spread, he would have his mana technique taken away from him even before he reached the peak.
“Whew.”
Roan let out a long sigh.
‘Does it end like this……?’
Roan looked at his broken spear and shook his head.
Then, Reil’s voice was heard.
“I’m sorry.”
He bitterly smiled and slowly walked up.
And surprisingly enough, he slightly bowed.
“It’s my defeat.”
This was a sudden declaration of defeat.
The soldiers who were around the training ground had surprised expressions on their faces.
“He lost?”
“Viscount Reil Baker lost?”
“Impossible!”
They couldn’t understand.
The one with the broken spear was Roan and not Reil.
On the other side Io, Aaron, the knights, and etc. nodded at Reil’s declaration of defeat.
‘He even used mana while facing a normal soldier, so it’s right that it’s his defeat.’
Io had a faint smile and nodded his head.
Everyone was thinking the same thing.
They didn’t know the truth; Roan was currently learning a mana technique.
‘Even so, he’s the real thing.’
Io’s sight moved to Roan.
He had the skills to evenly fight against the spear genius Reil, and the outstanding strategies and tactics he showed in the battles.
‘He said he was only 18. Then……..’
Many plans were being set up in his head.
On the other side, Roan was a bit perplexed at Reil’s sudden defeat declaration.
“No. The one that lost is m……….”
Roan, who was raising his broken spear, staggered.
It seemed like the mana Reil put in his body still remained inside him.
Reil hurriedly grabbed Roan’s hand and supported him.
“The internal shock would have been greater.”
Reil awkwardly smiled and grabbed Roan’s wrist.
He was planning to calm his interior when it was a mess.
“I’m, i’m fin………”
Roan hurriedly tried to pull away his wrist, but he couldn’t beat Reil’s strength.
Then.
“Huh?!”
Reil, who was inserting mana through the tip of his finger, had a surprised expression and looked at Roan.
And then, he shook his head as if it was astonishing.
“You were more of an amazing guy than what I initially thought.”
He whispered in a really low voice in Roan’s ear.
“I will keep it a secret for now.”
Roan bitterly smiled.
Because he knew what Reil was talking about.
“Instead, you will have to speak with me.”
Roan just nodded instead of replying back.
Reil was still holding onto his wrist.
And then, he was astounded.
‘A normal soldier is accumulating mana inside his body?’
Reil fixedly looked into Roan’s eyes.
‘He gets funnier the more I know about him.’
He had a thought that the things that would happen from now on, they were going to even more fun.
And that feeling got it exactly right.
< A new start (2) > End
Translator’s note: Thank you for reading!
Translator : Subak
Proofreader: st8_lupe.