At the moment when Ian was preparing for Igor’s battle.
Ariel and the heroines were staying in the auditorium, watching the transfer exam.
“Ugh… why do I have to watch this….”
In her heart, she wanted to leave the match alone and roll around with her lovers in the dormitory, but…
‘But then there’s also the princess… I can’t just leave my seat empty.’
She sighed involuntarily as she looked at the woman sitting next to her.
A woman with white hair and golden eyes, symbols of the imperial family, the First Princess, Erzebeth.
Thanks to her staying to watch the transfer exam, Ariel also struggled to keep her seat.
Of course, it’s not that she couldn’t leave her seat just because the princess was next to her.
Unlike others, Ariel wasn’t noble enough to worry about such things.
Who was she? She was the beloved daughter of the esteemed Volkanov Count. Wasn’t she the chosen Hero of the Holy Sword Elysion?
Although her reputation had been tarnished by one failure, she was still strong.
Even now, the nobles in the Empire treated her well enough.
‘Not exactly the kind of specs that would make anyone want to fight me.’
On the contrary, even she had to admit that Erzebeth was an exceptional person to hold her ground like this.
‘She’s not just a simple princess, but a strong candidate for the future Empress.’
The current emperor had two sons and two daughters, and among them, there were only two who could be potential successors.
‘2nd Prince Bedon Arcana and 1st Princess Erzebeth Arcana.’
The first Prince, who was to be Crown Prince, chose to serve the Higher One, became a Cardinal, and left for the Holy Church, and the youngest, the second Princess, was now 10 years old.
One might think that Bedon Arcana would become the crown prince. But if one knew a little about the palace’s situation, such a statement couldn’t be made.
‘Princess Erzebeth is an exceptional spirit mage… and she works very hard…’
Compared to Bedon, who believes in the principle of primogeniture and behaves like a tyrant, she carefully built connections with the nobles.
Thanks to her, everyone supported Erzebeth except for conservative bureaucrats and insignificant nobles.
Just by looking at her surroundings, isn’t it evident?
The first princess sat comfortably with Duke Bernogia, known as the ‘King of Fists’ among the five dukes of the empire, and her mentor, the Sword Master, by her side, watching the match with solemnity. Even these prominent figures couldn’t help but shift uneasily in their seats, silently observing the proceedings. Ariel couldn’t bring herself to do such a thing.
“Hoo…”
As Ariel let out a sigh, whether Erzebeth sensed Ariel’s feelings or not, she looked on with anticipation.
Seeing Igor with his menacing gauntlet, Erzebeth swallowed hard.
“Igor… He was known as an impenetrable wall. I’m looking forward to seeing how Ian will fight against him.”
As Erzebeth expressed her anticipation, Duke Bernogia smiled kindly, as if looking at his granddaughter.
“I have high expectations too, Your Highness.”
“Aren’t you the King of Fists?”
When Erzebeth looked at Duke Bernogia with a narrow gaze, he simply smiled kindly.
“I apologize, but I don’t think it will be a very interesting match. Unless it’s one-sided.”
“If it’s one-sided…”
“I’m sure Ian Volkanov will lose. Since he can’t use the weapon he’s used all his life, he has no chance of winning.”
With the duke’s cold judgment, Erzebeth turned her gaze to the Sword Master this time.
Countess Haley Miler nodded lightly in agreement with the Duke’s opinion.
“I agree. It’s going to be a pitiful match where Ian gets beaten up and it’s over.”
“You’re being so cold… but I heard he was your former student?”
“It’s already over between us. He’s just the karma of someone who did wrong.”
Though Hailey’s opinion was somewhat sharp, it was reasonable.
To face a master without being able to use the weapon he had used all his life?
It would be foolish to expect victory.
Ariel also shared the same opinion.
The thought of seeing her lovers and Ian being beaten made her turn pale as if to say when did she agree to this.
Smiling, Ariel looked at Celia with a mischievous smile.
“Senior. Ian will probably use a spear, right?”
“What? A spear? Ariel, what are you talking about?”
“What do you mean? Haven’t you and Ian had a duel with spears before? And spears are easy to handle….”
For a moment, Celia was upset at Ariel’s joke.
“Ariel!”
“Hehe. Just kidding, just kidding!”
“Don’t joke like that! Memories with that guy are something I want to forget.”
Celia turned her gaze to the ring with a stern expression.
In truth, Ariel’s words weren’t wrong. It was a fact that she had sparred with Ian, her childhood friend.
For her, who was congenitally weak, a friend of the same age was a presence she imagined in her mind.
The harsh air of the northern region toughened her, allowing her to endure the [Resentment of Fire], but it also brought loneliness to her.
As she was spending her days lonely, she met a boy, and that boy was Ian.
Under the common ground of being alone, the two quickly became close, and Ian, not wanting her to fall behind in her family, had sparred with her using a spear… But…
‘No… Let’s not think about that b*stard.’
Recalling the past, Celia repeatedly lowered her head.
Back then, she thought Ian was truly a good person. She liked him more than just as a friend.
As childish as she was, she’d even dreamed of a future with him.
However, after meeting Ariel, Celia came to realize the truth. To be precise, she discovered Ian Volkanov’s despicable true nature.
Once she realized the truth, there was no way to romanticize those memories.
‘And there’s no way that guy can handle a spear!’
Sure, a spear might be an easy weapon to handle.
But that’s among cold weapons; it’s definitely not simple.
As Celia seethed with anger, Ariel nestled into her arms, locking eyes with her.
“Senior… can’t we just forget about it and watch together? I messed up…”
“Don’t, don’t ever do that again, understand, Ariel?”
“Hi-Hi.”
“You’re such a… come here.”
As Ariel snuggled into her embrace, Celia turned her head towards the ring.
Thud!
An unpleasant sound filled the arena.
A sound akin to bones breaking. What? Has Ian already been hit? Celia and Ariel turned their heads, and there it was.
‘What? He’s fighting bare-handed?’
Ian Volkanov, fighting bare-handed against Igor who wore menacing gauntlets.
“But why is Ian winning?”
As Igor limped with a broken leg, Ian relentlessly unleashed violent strikes against him, almost resembling assault.
***
King of Powers, Heidel Liens Bernogia.
He had predicted Igor’s victory in this match.
It was obvious from the start. No one would expect Ian Volkanov to win.
‘Vishen is a strong nation.’
A man who had dedicated his life to martial arts, he had traveled not only within the Empire but also to many cities in pursuit of strength.
He had even visited Vishen. As descendants of a martial warriors, the fighting skills of Vishen’s people were even acknowledged by him.
To fight against the strongest man in Vishen? The Duke thought it was a match that he no longer needed to watch.
Just the basic fighting style of Vishen would be enough to toy with Ian.
That’s what he thought.
‘What am I witnessing? Ian Volkanov won?’
Until Igor was completely defeated, that is.
Igor, rolling on the ground, breaking through the ring’s fence. In contrast, Ian Volkanov wiped off his sweat as if nothing had happened.
He was one of the five pillars supporting the empire. Known as someone no one could defeat with their fists.
That was him.
He thought he had mastered every martial art in the world.
‘What kind of martial art is Ian using, exactly?’
Ian demonstrated a martial art even he had never seen before.
‘The power of a kick that shattered Igor’s front leg in one blow is absurd. But those movements, what are they?’
The light steps bouncing in place, the repeated movements of lowering and raising posture.
Even someone who had dedicated his life to martial arts had never seen such strange movements.
But what was even more surprising was how incredibly efficient they were.
‘Just by taking short steps, he strikes the opponent and then moves out of the attack range. And by repeating the lowering and raising of posture, he deceives the opponent.’
The way he extended his fist was different too.
Most fighters condensed mana into parts of their body before striking forcefully.
If their fist made contact, they would push forward with their entire body weight, pushing the opponent.
But Ian was different.
Just repeat hit and run.
He wondered if fighting like that could deliver proper power, but seeing Igor sprawled on the ground, that thought vanished.
‘It’s beyond belief…’
Creating such a face with just a few punches meant the power was considerable.
Duke Bernogia looked dismayed as he watched Igor.
“Huh. How…”
It felt like everything he had believed in until now was being shattered.
He turned his gaze…, but the reactions of others were no different from his.
“Huh? What? What happened? Ian won? How?”
Ian’s former master, the Sword Master, stood up abruptly, her eyes wide.
“Uh, sister. What am I seeing right now? Is this a dream? Ian won?”
“…I don’t know either, Ariel.”
Ariel Volkanov, Ian Volkanov’s sister and a Hero, denied reality. Even the lady of Wignoron beside her couldn’t take her eyes off the ring.
“…Interesting.”
‘Even the Princess is showing such a reaction.’
First Princess Erzebeth.
Evaluated to ascend to the position of Empress in the future, trusted by the high nobles of the empire.
She had a discerning eye.
There were plenty of skilled individuals in the Empire, some even reaching the level of a Master.
So, even though she wouldn’t bat an eye at most experts…
‘It seems even the Princess was quite surprised.’
Right now, she couldn’t take her eyes off Ian’s movements.
In that moment, Heidel Bernogia closed his eyes in realization and recalled the scene just now.
‘I might regret missing that.’
The moves Ian showed. He didn’t want to miss even a single detail.
Especially the decisive blow Ian showed at the end.
‘I only heard about it as a legend from my family’s ancestors. I think I’d believe it even if it was the hand of that legendary monster.’
He imagined the moment when the giant hand materialized and pierced Igor’s abdomen, his eyes involuntarily closed.
‘…I’m shaking so much just watching from a distance.’
An attack that seemed like it could come from myth, even if it manifested a God’s arm.
Now, perhaps not, but later when Ian grew stronger.
‘I don’t even dare to think I could withstand it.’
The Duke finally exhaled the breath he had been holding.
The gaze towards Ian was now filled with curiosity.
***
After defeating Igor, he quickly left the auditorium.
Since the test was passed anyway, and there was no one to congratulate him, there was no need to stay there.
‘It’s regrettable, but it can’t be helped.’
Being attached to petty emotions is utterly useless. Ian decided he had things to do.
He took out his device and checked the message with a stern expression.
– Meet me at the smoking area behind the auditorium.
Short and clear message.
As much as he wanted to ignore the message and go home, seeing the sender made him rethink.
– Sender: 3rd Platoon Commander
‘I would be in big trouble if I ignored this.’
Ignoring the meeting with the officer of the 3rd Platoon, to which he belonged, was unthinkable.
‘If it’s the commander of the 3rd Platoon… It’s him, right?’
In the original story, the 1st Platoon, where Ariel and the heroines belonged, mainly appeared. However, the 3rd Platoon also had a considerable amount of content.
Ian, being both the main villain and a member of the 3rd Platoon, had other reasons.
‘The 3rd Platoon is led by a veteran platoon leader from the commoners.’
Generally, Platoon Commanders responsible for training platoon members are nobles.
This is because they emphasize etiquette as nobles.
‘But Emperor Isaac Verno Arcana broke the condition that platoon leaders must be of noble birth when he ascended to the throne. He said that etiquette and self-esteem should not be prioritized over skill.’
To overcome the attacks from the barbarians of the North or the demons, the Empire was constantly in dire straits.
To cope with such a situation, the improvement of the skills of the students was urgent.
Though skilled, entrusting the education of the students to nobles lacking in experience was considered distasteful by the Emperor.
‘So, an imperial order was issued that for at least one platoon, a person with outstanding skills, regardless of origin, should serve as instructor.’
As an example, the Emperor sent a knight he knew to Ark. He was currently leading the 3rd Platoon.
Ian knew how strong the platoon he created was.
If asked to list the toughest opponents he fought in the game, there would be several members of the 3rd Platoon in the top 10.
‘The platoon leader who created those guys is even more of a monster.’
Recalling memories of the original, he headed towards the smoking area. There, a man standing alone caught his eye.
Thud!
At the sound of Ian approaching, the man turned his head with the cigarette dangling from his mouth, and only then could he be seen clearly.
“Platoon Commander…”
Despite being a commoner, he entered the Imperial Knights and single-handedly stormed a den of demons, wiping out all the monsters.
“How are you? Sit down.”
3rd Platoon Commander Kyan.
He looked at Ian.
(Lolz Note: Would you guys like Illustrations for characters on chapters when they appear or should I just leave them in the Illustrations Chapter, also to note that Erzebeth (cover girl), has white hair and golden eyes. The author didn’t manage to make that using AI, so she looks blonde with purple-ish eyes.)
