Starting With an SSS-Rank Swordsmanship Talent

Is he challenging me?

Von stared at Alaric with shock. He didn’t expect the young lord to suggest something like this all of a sudden.

I admit his swordsmanship is fancy, but is he confident enough to defeat me?

Von’s fighting spirit was boosted when he saw Alaric staring at him with a taunting smile.

“If that’s what my lord wants, then this subordinate will obey.” He replied with a serious voice.

“Good! Please don’t hold back, Sir Von.” Alaric said as he waved his sword, showing off his precise control.

Are we really using real weapons for a spar?

Von frowned. He didn’t know Alaric’s intentions for doing this and it made him slightly perturbed.

After a moment of hesitation, he grabbed his flail and waited for Alaric to make the first move. “I’m ready, my lord!”

Hearing this, Alaric grinned.

Since you interrupted my training, be prepared to become the training dummy for the new sword technique I created.

Thinking about this, he tapped his foot and rushed forward with quick footwork. He moved like the wind, fast and agile.

Upon gaining momentum from the sudden charge, he raised his short sword and swung it with extreme speed.

Whoosh!

He is faster than me!

Von’s eyes widened in surprise. He didn’t expect Alaric to be this fast. He quickly adjusted his stance and lifted his flail to block his sword.

Clang!

When the spiky metal ball struck Alaric’s blade, a loud ‘clang’ echoed.

He is this strong?

Von stared at the young warrior in disbelief. From what he had heard, Alaric wasn’t even twenty years old! However, his power had already surpassed him, an Elite Knight who had trained for decades!

So he wasn’t being overly confident earlier.

Von frowned after he discovered Alaric’s true power. He decided to be more cautious and serious about this spar.

He warily observed the young Elite Knight while adjusting his posture to a more comfortable stance.

Seeing the sudden change in his opponent’s expression, Alaric smirked.

That is right. You should be this careful if you do not want to be defeated so miserably.

In the next moment, Alaric rushed once more. This time, he increased his speed by about fifty percent. His movements were so fast that he had almost turned into a blur.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Von could barely follow him. Knowing that he was at a disadvantage in terms of agility, he quickly changed his approach.

He wielded his flail aggressively in an attempt to slow down Alaric’s pace.

Bang! Bang!

Every time his flail struck the ground, it would leave a deep hole.

I can’t touch him!

Sweat trickled down Von’s face.

He was struggling to keep up with Alaric’s fast and lethal sword strikes.

The two were so focused on their battle that they didn’t notice the growing number of spectators in the training ground.

The warriors were awed by their spectacular battle.

Clang! Clang!

Among the spectators was Henry. He watched the battle with great anticipation and interest. He could see that Alaric was holding back, but he didn’t say anything.

Lord Alaric is only using one sword, but he still has the advantage. It’s already a miracle for Von to survive this long.

He thought to himself.

Von’s power was almost on par with him. The only difference between them was their experience and decision-making. Henry believed that he was ahead when it came to those factors.

Strange… Lord Alaric’s sword seems to be faster and his technique has changed. Did he create another sword technique?

Henry raised his eyebrows with a look of disbelief. In the past few months, Alaric mostly focused on improving his dual sword style. He had rarely practiced different sword techniques.

At this moment, Von suddenly made a mistake which Alaric took advantage of. With a quick maneuver, he deflected Von’s flail and kicked him hard.

The former mercenary was pushed back a couple of steps, making him briefly lose his balance.

Alaric zoomed in, his blade just a few inches away from Von’s neck.

“It was a good fight, Sir Von. Thank you for accepting my request.” Alaric lowered his sword and smiled at the man.

I lost?

Von could still not believe what had happened. He only made a mistake once, but Alaric was able to capitalize on it. He took the opportunity without hesitation and ended the battle with ease.

He forced out a bitter smile as he replied. “It’s an honor to spar with you, my lord. I have learned a lot from this battle.”

Alaric noticed his uncomfortable smile so he tapped the man’s shoulder. “I learned a lot from you too, Sir Von. We should do this more often.”

“If that’s what you want, my lord. This subordinate will do as you command.” Von lowered his head.

After the spar concluded, Alaric didn’t stay in the training ground and left right away.

Looking at him leave, Von sighed while shaking his head. “No wonder everyone is full of praise for him. Lord Alaric is indeed worthy of his reputation.”

“Don’t worry about it, Sir Von.” A nonchalant voice drifted into his ears.

He turned around and saw Henry approaching him with a broad grin. Seeing this old warrior, he cupped his fists in greeting. “Sir Henry.”

Henry returned the gesture and said. “Lord Alaric’s talent is unmatched. He had already defeated all the Elite Knights in the household. Well, except for one person…”

Von revealed a look of curiosity upon hearing this.

Alaric was probably the most powerful Elite Knight he had faced so he wanted to know which man he hadn’t defeated yet.

Sensing his curious gaze, Henry chuckled. “Do you know Sir Butch?” He asked.

Von raised an eyebrow. “Butch? I have heard of the name, but I’m not familiar with him.”

He was new to the household and there were still plenty of people who he wasn’t familiar with.

“The masked warrior who always follows Lord Alaric around. That’s him. He is also new to the household, but he has already defeated most Elite Knights who had requested to spar with him. He had also fought with Lord Alaric, but their battle would always end in a draw.” Henry chuckled while shaking his head.

Hearing this, the image of a tall warrior appeared in his mind.

So it’s him.

He had seen this person a few times and the aura he exuded was indeed frightening for an Elite Knight. He even heard some people calling Butch the Merciless Executioner. It was a moniker that perfectly fit his image.

“I want to spar with him and see how large of a difference there is between us!” Von clenched his fists and expressed his desire to spar with Butch.

Henry laughed at his unyielding spirit. “You are quite brave, Sir Von. Not a lot of people have the guts to spar with Sir Butch. It was a great decision to bring you here! Hahaha!”

***

Meanwhile, a few miles from Turtle Fort, Franklin’s team was still observing the three barbarian warriors they discovered.

“What are they doing here?” Wolf whispered.

Franklin sent him a glare, making the young Knight Apprentice cover his mouth in embarrassment.

Aliya also flicked Wolf’s forehead for almost exposing them.

The young warrior could only shut his mouth.

At this moment, one of the barbarians suddenly looked over, giving them quite the scare.

Franklin tightly held his sword while observing the barbarian’s movement. He was ready to attack if he would discover anything abnormal.

However, the barbarian’s gaze shifted to another location, making him sigh in relief.

Just what are they planning to do here?

Franklin frowned.

The team remained cautious throughout the whole observation, but one of them made a fatal mistake. He stepped on a twig which created a snapping sound that reached the ears of the barbarians.

“Who is there?!” One of the barbarians shouted in their own language.

The three barbarian warriors scanned the surroundings while holding their weapons.

Shit!

Franklin cursed in his mind. There was no choice but to reveal themselves.

Before showing himself to the barbarians, he sent a signal to his subordinates, informing them not to make any move.

He then walked out from the big tree, revealing himself to the barbarian warriors. He raised his hands to show them that he had no intention to fight.

“Relax. I didn’t come here to fight. I only came here by accident.” Franklin spoke in the common tongue, hoping that the barbarians could understand him.

“Why should we believe you? You don’t look very convincing.” Surprisingly, the barbarians could speak the common tongue.

Franklin was relieved that they were able to understand him.

From the little information he knew about the barbarians, he was aware that only a few of them could speak the common tongue. Which means that these barbarian warriors weren’t ordinary members of their tribe!

“Throw your sword away and we might believe you.” One of the barbarians shouted.

Hearing this, Franklin frowned. He didn’t want to engage them in battle since it might complicate the delicate relationship between the barbarian tribes and Astania.

After some hesitation, he threw his sword. “Do you believe me now?”