Chapter 121

Going back in time a bit.

Hans and the King were in their private meeting.

Bayard, despite her initial hostility, had retreated readily, understanding the weight of a conversation between leaders.

Helia had also retreated, but she and Bayard stood guard at the entrance to the office, ensuring Hans’s safety.

The problem was that this had irritated the Royal Guard. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Moreover, the Royal Guard’s duty was to protect the King and the palace.

Their openly vigilant stance implied a lack of trust in the Royal Guard, a silent declaration that they would handle the Commander’s security themselves.

Melissa clicked her tongue.

Having been threatened by Bayard earlier, Melissa harbored resentment. Her words were naturally far from amicable.

“This is the royal palace. Please surrender your weapons.”

“I cannot compromise the Commander’s safety.”

“Your safety is guaranteed with the Royal Guard present.”

“I’m afraid I cannot comply.”

“Ha…!”

Despite the provocative tone, Bayard remained impassive. They hadn’t insulted Hans directly or undermined his authority in front of her.

Melissa, seeing Bayard’s refusal, clicked her tongue again. She had found the woman irritating from the start, and now, she was even more so.

“I will not repeat myself. Surrender your weapons.”

“I refuse.”

“Very well.”

“…”

“Now, now, let’s all calm down.”

As Melissa reached for her weapon and Bayard’s eyes flashed dangerously, someone intervened, dispelling the tension like a sudden gust of wind.

His face was perpetually smiling, but his eyes were hidden behind narrowed lids. Instead, his pale blue hair drew attention.

He spoke with a smile.

“Commander, why don’t we all calm down? These are the Royal Knights, after all.”

“There are no exceptions, even for the Royal Knights.”

“Oh? Is that so? I thought the Royal Knights were the exception.”

“

Melissa fell silent, bewildered by the young man’s seemingly genuine confusion.

To be precise, there was an exception to the rule, a matter not above the law, but separate from it entirely.

The right to bear arms.

The Royal Knights were often the target of envy and jealousy, facing numerous assassination attempts. Some had even lost their lives.

Enraged, the Royal Knights had forbidden surrendering their weapons under any circumstances. Their fury at the time had been so intense that most other races had conceded. Ṟ

Realizing this, Melissa was left speechless.

She had known the rule, but her emotions had clouded her judgment, driving her to assert dominance.

“Who are you?”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Rocazo, Vice-Captain of the Royal Guard.”

“Rocazo? That’s an unusual name.”

“I hear that often.”

Rocazo.

Even among the diverse Royal Guards, it was an unusual name. But that aside, Vice-Captain at such a young age?

Bayard was impressed.

“It’s nothing special.”

“It seems quite impressive to me. Vice-Captain of the Royal Guard.”

“Oh, it’s nothing compared to the lady beside you.”

“…”

Rocazo’s attention shifted to Helia, who stood next to Bayard.

They appeared to be around the same age, in reality, Helia was only a year younger than Rocazo.

But regardless of Rocazo’s interest, Helia simply stared at the ceiling.

Bayard smiled wryly.

‘This child only has eyes for the Commander.’

Helia at least acknowledged the other Royal Knights as comrades, showing some semblance of camaraderie. But she was utterly indifferent to everyone else.

“It seems I’m not even worth a glance.”

“Don’t take it personally. She only cares about the Commander.”

“Hmm, the Commander of the Royal Knights, you say?”

“…Wait a minute, Rocazo.”

Melissa, sensing something ominous, quickly intervened.

She remembered Rocazo’s youthful tendency to create tension with his occasionally impertinent remarks.

“Now that you mention it, I’ve heard a certain rumor…”

“What rumor?”

“Captain Bayard, allow me…!”

“That the Commander of the Royal Knights only got his position through connections.”

Finally, Helia reacted.

However, she didn’t draw her sword because Rocazo’s words were ambiguous. It wasn’t an outright insult.

It was just a rumor, and it didn’t directly disparage Hans’s skill. It was a statement that was irritating but not quite enough to warrant a violent response.

“You seem to have something else to say.”

“You’re perceptive.”

“Get to the point.”

“How about a one-on-one duel?”

His intentions were obvious.

He had pretended to mediate the situation, positioning himself as an ally, then subtly planted the seed of the rumor to provoke a reaction.

Finally, he revealed his true objective.

Normally, she would have ignored such a petty tactic, but Helia wouldn’t let it slide this time.

She wouldn’t be satisfied until she wiped that smug grin off his face.

“Fine. I accept.”

“Shall we proceed to the training grounds?”

‘She fell for it.’

Rocazo inwardly celebrated as Helia accepted the challenge. He could finally put his hypnosis magic to use.

Of course, his crude magic was riddled with flaws compared to true hypnosis. It required the target to be vulnerable, a weakness he could exploit.

For example, a mental crack caused by the shock of defeat.

To create such a minor opening, he needed to humiliate her in a public duel.

‘I was hesitant at first, but the down payment was substantial, and more importantly, she’s my type.’

Her fiery red hair and cold crimson eyes were unexpectedly beautiful. Simply put, he had fallen for her at first sight.

He had been told by the one who had hired him and provided the hypnosis magic that Helia, despite being the youngest Royal Knight, had merely been a bystander.

In contrast, Rocazo, regardless of his true intentions, had undergone Royal Guard training and had extensive combat experience.

He believed he had a reasonable chance of winning.

“Helia, something feels off. It would be best to ignore this duel…”

“No, I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“I am the Commander’s disciple. I will not back down from a challenge.”

It was a matter of pride she wouldn’t compromise on. Even if it was a trap, as the Commander’s disciple, she would face it head-on.

As if everything had been prearranged, they arrived at the training grounds to find everything prepared. Even the Royal Guard and other knights were gathered, waiting.

Even Captain Melissa found it odd.

He had made all these preparations before even knowing if his challenge would be accepted?

‘Just what is he planning?’

But she didn’t intervene.

Aside from her animosity towards the Royal Knights, she was curious about the outcome of a duel between them and the Royal Guard.

‘They’re the renowned Royal Knights, but…our Royal Guard are no pushovers.’

“I will officiate the duel. Are you both ready?”

“Yes, I’m ready.”

“As am I.”

“Good, then let’s begin.”

With the preparations already in place, the duel commenced without delay.

Rocazo and Helia, each wielding a wooden practice sword, faced each other.

Then, the duel began.

🚨 Important Notice 🚨

); }

In that instant, Helia’s cold crimson eyes flashed.

She had been grappling with her own doubts.

‘Is this enough? Am I content with simply following in the Commander’s footsteps?’

The answer was a resounding no.

At first, being near him had been enough. But as time passed, her desires had grown. She wanted to walk beside him, hand in hand.

To achieve that, simply learning from him wasn’t enough.

‘This must be the task he has given me.’

‘My own swordsmanship, refined and enhanced from the Thunder Dragon Swordsmanship he taught me.’

Helia Style Single Sword Advance Slash

The Thunder Dragon Child, already unmatched in speed, became even faster. Even for a promising talent like Rocazo, it was a speed he couldn’t defend against.

Everyone has a plan…

Until they get punched in the face.

[Translator Notes]

[Your Text Here]