Sylvia looked ahead with a tense gaze.
‘I can only use 30% of my power.’
The Imperial Knight Trials were straightforward. Astria preferred simple tests.
The first gate: prove minimal strength by defeating a monster.
The second gate: not fleeing from existing knights.
The current test was the second gate. Not fleeing.
To pass, one had to be strong. Strong enough to eliminate most candidates.
It wouldn’t be difficult if she used her full power. Just displaying Sylvia’s immense magic could make someone faint or wet themselves.
But showing only 30% of her power was not enough to make them faint.
‘Besides, I can’t fight them one by one.’
Hmm, Sylvia sighed, deciding to stick to what she did best.
“I am Sylvia Clifton of the Teutonic Knights.”
The 29th Imperial Knights Examination.
It gathered the most applicants ever, from commoners to nobles to mercenaries—even criminals, as long as the crimes weren’t severe.
It was a report on an official document stating that unless it was a serious crime, one’s background would not be asked.
They focused on Sylvia, who clearly appeared to be a difficult knight.
“A woman?”
“And so young.”
“…She could be my daughter.”
“But Teutonic Knight?”
Some people reacted by saying they couldn’t believe it.
Some people commented, ‘The Teutonic Knights, who were said to be the strongest in the world, are no big deal.’
But a few remained silent.
“We’re already inside.”
“What do you mean, Caron?”
“She’s within the range to kill people.”
Range. A measure of a knight’s skill more critical than detecting magic.
Without mastering this, one couldn’t be considered an exceptional knight. Sylvia noted the changed expressions of those around her.
‘I just need to watch out for them.’
Assessment complete. Sylvia suppressed her magic to 30%.
“…!”
Those who now held their swords eyed Sylvia warily.
Lowering her magic actually made her more noticeable. Most were already overwhelmed.
But that wasn’t enough. Sylvia needed to convincingly disqualify these individuals without resorting to any aggressive actions.
“The test is simple.”
“If you can even touch the edge of my clothes, you pass. Otherwise, you fail.”
People were uncomfortable with the blatant simplicity of the test.
“…Is this a joke?”
“Does this look like a joke to you?”
“The entrance criteria for the Imperial Knights are that simple?”
Sylvia calmly drew her sword.
“Try it.”
“You’re mocking us!”
A mercenary wielding a massive sword dashed forward at an insane speed.
He swung as if to cleave Sylvia in two.
But—
Thud!
He crashed into a wall of the Colosseum upon contact with Sylvia.
No one saw Sylvia move. All they saw was the outcome.
They couldn’t deny the gap in skill.
“Next.”
For the next hour, several challengers failed.
No one doubted Sylvia anymore.
The challengers who had rushed forward were thrown aside like sacks.
Yet Sylvia didn’t shed a drop of sweat.
“Is there no one else?”
The participants stepped back. Sylvia had a different worry now—what if there were no successful candidates at all?
“I want to believe it’s just a coincidence.”
This time, a man with a large scar over one eye stepped forward, grinning as he drew his sword.
“Just a touch of your clothes, right?”
“I did say that, but if you can maintain your composure, you pass.”
“Any means necessary, I assume.”
“Don’t worry about that.”
“Hmm, really?”
Sylvia narrowed her eyes in confusion. She hadn’t experienced being notified of her own success in the first stage, so she wasn’t sure.
But shouldn’t the Knights prioritize knightly conduct? Then again, with the Teutonic Knights, standards of knighthood were… well, many were not even human.
‘Oh well.’
Sylvia decided to focus on her own job. She would figure out those details in the third test.
“It seems like if you make a careless move, you’ll face a counterattack and be disqualified.”
The man didn’t enter immediately; instead, he casually circled around Sylvia, twirling his sword.
“I’m Garumel, the Mercenary King.”
“I’ve heard you rival Masters.”
He seemed suspicious, almost like a notable participant. Sylvia raised the corners of her mouth in amusement.
Perfect. With this kind of big name challenging her, she could easily sift through the mediocre contenders. It was a relief; the challengers were becoming tiresome with their futile actions.
“I was worried the first test was too easy. Did they raise the difficulty too abruptly starting from the second test?”
“As I said, even if your skills are somewhat lacking, if you can endure, you pass. Is enduring that difficult?”
“Haha. Three minutes ago, you made someone faint. Don’t act like you can’t do it. Anyway, there’s only one way to pass this test: end it with one blow.”
“Are you okay with revealing your strategy like that?”
“If I don’t, they’ll call me a crude mercenary. Still, even though it’s a test to select knights, I have to act like one.”
Garumel stopped, as if his reconnaissance was over.
“This is my range now. May I proceed?”
“You’re quite talkative. It’s fine. If a beginner like you were to fall to me, I would be the one who gets scolded.”
“A beginner, huh. Reminds me of what I heard when I first became a mercenary ten years ago. Well, can’t be helped. I came here to meet a new strong opponent. If you’re that opponent, welcome.”
Garumel smiled, baring his teeth. Sylvia, who had been sighing, suddenly widened her eyes. The man’s demeanor had changed. From a caterpillar to a butterfly.
‘Is 30%, 30% okay?’
Red magic filled the Colosseum.
Sylvia felt a little nervous.
“Oh, by the way, I forgot to ask one thing.”
Garumel grinned cruelly.
“Instead of touching your clothes, can I kill you?”
“…”
Sylvia paused at his words.
“Give it a try.”
“In that case, don’t blame me.”
Two lines flew towards her immediately. Sylvia deflected them from her spot. At the same time, another line was drawn in the middle. It seemed quite powerful.
‘It would take another 200 years for this to kill me.’
Sylvia opened her eyes slightly wider. Was he anticipating it? She was also disappointed. The sword was too slow. Sylvia waited until the sword was right before her neck. It was Sylvia’s habit. She liked to knock the balance of power.
However.
Sylvia felt a prickling sensation and a strong sense of unfamiliarity.
‘What is this?’
“Sylvia, no!”
Sena’s voice rang out loudly.
It was almost instinctual. Sylvia, unlike before, quickly positioned her sword in the path of the crimson aura, not waiting until the last moment.
Then Garumel smiled. Sylvia’s pupils quickly scanned her surroundings. It was then that she noticed it—a sword that was trembling slightly.
‘Phantom Swordsmanship.’
What you see is a fake. The real one was slightly lower than that.
‘A Magic Swordsman. How? I couldn’t feel any magical power other than that sword!’
It was too late to alter the course of the sword she had already moved to block. A fleeting future flashed before her—an image where both her arms were severed, overlapping with the sword reaching her neck.
‘This isn’t the time to hold back.’
Sylvia released all restrictions. She hastily emitted her magic to conjure an aura, intending to block the attack like shield.
But Sylvia saw it. An intangible sword effortlessly passing through the magic she had unleashed.
‘The magic is dispersing. A unique constitution…!’
In an instant, despair clouded Sylvia’s eyes. If things continued like this, she would die. Just as the sword about to reach her neck passed through her magic.
Swiish!
With a sound resembling something being cut, Garumel kneeled and hesitated, clutching his side.
“No one has ever seen through that. The world is vast.”
Blood gushed like a waterfall from his half-severed right hand. Yet, he smiled, or rather, reveled in the moment.
Sylvia slowly turned her head with a dazed expression.
Rumble—
The wall of the Colosseum, cut diagonally, was collapsing.
‘Your Majesty?’
No, Sylvia denied that possibility. Astria’s swordsmanship was more overpowering than this. Above all, if Astria had looked down upon Sylvia’s dire situation, she would have found it pitiful but not intervened.
Not even Chris. If he had helped, he would have blocked Sylvia’s path. He was the type to be faster than the sword. This man wasn’t someone who would unleash such nonsensical sword techniques. Even if he did, this man’s sword could have ignored his magic.
That leaves only one person by process of elimination.
The direction from which the slash came. And the one not using magic.
“…Senior?”
**
[18234]
‘That was dangerous…!’
Sena’s legs gave out and he slipped down, holding on to the wall of the Colosseum.
Earlier, Sylvia’s lifespan had suddenly changed.
[0]
In the context, it meant she would lose her life in this incident.
He couldn’t lose Sylvia like this in vain.
So he used ‘Medicine’.
Sena’s hand trembled. If he had been a little late, what would have happened?
Just the thought was horrifying.
“Physician.”
“…!”
Astria’s voice was low, making Sena jump.
‘I messed up.’
Could it be that she noticed?
No, there was no trace of the ‘Medicine’. It didn’t use magic power or divine power.
Even if it were Astria, she couldn’t have known that Sena was responsible for the recent slash. It was impossible to tell from the outside.
“Indeed, a knight’s fight is impressive. I was so surprised that I jumped…”
“Do you know how to use a sword?”
Sena said with a smile.
“Justitia allows it. It’s fair, but I only the ability to save lives.”
“When you’re cornered, you always talk like a priest. Although it’s not like you, is it? Do you know how to use a sword?”
Astria stared him down.
How long has it been since the last time the walls of the Colosseum were destroyed?
“Quite a skilled individual.”
Her smile reached her ears.
She looked back at Sena.
Her eyes were devouring him.
“Congratulations, Physician. Your value has increased thousands of times for me.”
“But… I didn’t do anything…”
“It’s truly troublesome.”
Astria’s gaze was somewhat unfocused.
She loved talent.
Sena had the talent for healing.
He was so gifted with his looks that she wanted to have children with him.
That was enough for her.
But now.
She saw another side of Sena.
The slash just now.
There was no starting point.
It wasn’t an eruption.
‘Space’ itself had been cut.
The distance was at least 200 meters.
He did it without any preparation.
This would have been difficult. Truly difficult.
If she allowed herself to be further tempted here, Astria couldn’t hold back.
“This is the first time I wanted someone this badly before.”
Sena swallowed nervously and stepped back.
It felt like Astria was going to devour him. Her burning possessiveness was palpable.
Sena clapped his hands once to lighten the mood.
“Ah, there’s an injured person. I’ll go help.”
With a quick movement, Sena descended the Colosseum steps. First, he had to tend to the person he injured.
