Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 27

8. 1 VS 100

1

“Hey! The new commander is going up against the knights!”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah, I heard it from a guy who was at the training grounds a little while ago. They’re saying it’s one against a hundred!”

“Wow! That’s insane!”

The Tolude Fortress was thrown into chaos by the sudden news of the duel.

Even a simple one-on-one duel would have caused a stir, but this was one against a hundred.

To witness this extraordinary match, all the soldiers, except for those on duty, rushed to the training grounds.

The same was true for the career officers.

When they arrived at the training grounds, the duel was about to begin.

“Lord Luke, are you really going to face all of us alone?” Kaper, stepping forward as the knights’ representative, asked with a displeased expression.

They had been drawn into Luke’s provocation, and now they were all involved. Even if they won, they didn’t think it would be honorable.

“Why? Are you scared now?”

“Tch! Fine. Just don’t cry when you lose.”

Kaper, having steeled his resolve, signaled to his subordinates.

Then, three knights stepped forward. They weren’t experts, but they were known to be quite skilled with the sword as formal knights.

“We will attack first.”

The three knights, having announced their attack, charged at Luke.

However, the moment a faint light seemed to envelop Luke’s body, they were flung backward faster than they had charged.

Thud! Thud!

There was no need to even draw a sword. Luke, who had cast Strength and Quick magic on himself, defeated the three of them so quickly that they were barely visible.

Kaper, seeing his subordinates knocked out on the ground, swallowed hard.

‘He’s strong!’

Even though he had heard the rumors of him being a Destroyer who had single-handedly defeated four Gigants [giant monsters] and easily handled five of Deren’s guards with just a whip, he had underestimated him because of his young age.

However, his movements just now were so fast and sharp that even he couldn’t grasp them.

‘At least it wasn’t a win because the opponent was careless.’

The three knights who went first were sent out to confirm that.

As a result, they were certain that he was not someone to be taken lightly.

Alex, who seemed to have the same thought, looked at Kaper.

“Hey, Kaper.”

“I know, Alex.”

The two were the vice-commander and the first squad leader of the knights, but they were as close as friends.

Kaper, nodding to Alex, gave another order.

“The opponent is strong! Fight as if you’re giving it your all!”

About a dozen knights and trainee knights surrounded Luke and cautiously attacked.

They didn’t let their guard down at all, using shields and swords in a coordinated attack.

However, they were no match for Luke either.

Luke, using Blink magic to quickly escape the encirclement, repeatedly struck and retreated, scattering the knights’ ranks.

And then, he took down the scattered knights one by one.

“Is that all? If so, I’m very disappointed.”

“Ugh… !”

“Don’t you still understand why I told all 100 of you to come at me? Are you just going to keep wasting yourselves like fools?”

Kaper, angered by Luke’s provocation, gritted his teeth and gave an order.

“Deploy the anti-superhuman combat formation! Experts to the front!”

At Kaper’s command, the experts who had not yet stepped forward took the lead. And together with the remaining knights, they formed a wheel formation around Luke.

The wheel formation used by the knights was designed to deal with a small number of strong opponents.

However, it was rare to encounter a strong person like a Sword Master or a 7th Circle Archmage on the battlefield.

Even if they did, they would deploy Gigants to deal with them, so the knights had learned it but rarely used it.

And yet, they were using it against their own side, against their superior!

“Oh ho, now this is getting interesting.”

Luke, seeing the wheel formation, flashed his eyes and launched a preemptive attack.

“Sonic Wave! Wind Storm!”

“Kuaaaak!”

“Kuh-eok!”

Luke used the demon’s abilities and magic simultaneously.

As soon as the knights at the front fell from the ultrasonic attack, a fierce storm that followed swept away the knights at the rear, causing part of the wheel formation to collapse.

However, it was not just any wheel formation.

The remaining knights quickly filled the collapsed part and began to attack and retreat around Luke.

Clang!

Clang clang clang!

Thud! Thud!

Amidst the magic, swordsmanship, and the subtle manifestation of demonic powers, a fierce clash broke out between Luke and dozens of knights.

The knights were the ones who were constantly launching fierce attacks.

However, Luke skillfully mixed magic and swordsmanship, and even manifested demonic powers, repeatedly blocking or cleverly evading their attacks.

And then, he launched fierce counterattacks, each time knocking down two or three knights.

“Damn it, I didn’t think it would be this bad…”

“He’s behind us! Change formation!”

The knights were facing a Rune Knight [a knight who can use magic] for the first time.

No, they had never encountered someone who had mastered both magic and swordsmanship to such a high level.

As a result, they were often caught off guard in their confusion.

If their comrades next to them hadn’t quickly helped, the wheel formation would have been full of holes and collapsed.

The officers and soldiers who were watching the fight from a distance were amazed by Luke’s performance, as he dashed around and clashed with the knights.

“Are Rune Knights originally this strong?”

“You fool! If Rune Knights were strong, everyone would be a Rune Knight, not a knight or a mage?”

“Then what is this… !”

It’s difficult to master just one of swordsmanship or magic.

Even if you spend your whole life mastering it, only one in ten thousand people become a Sword Master or a 7th Circle Archmage [a very powerful mage].

But to master both?

That would only hinder your progress.

“Are the knights going to lose?”

“No way! I heard before that the wheel formation is impossible to defeat unless you’re a Sword Master.”

“Is that so?”

Just as the officers and soldiers were chattering among themselves, the situation changed.

2

“This won’t do! At this rate, we’ll be annihilated.”

Anna, who was at the rear, stepped forward to stop the knights who were launching reckless attacks.

Originally, she didn’t intend to participate in this fight.

However, swept up in the atmosphere of all the knights participating, she ended up drawing her sword against Luke.

“Everyone, stop attacking and focus on defense!”

“What are you saying? Shut your mouth, you brat! The formation will become more chaotic!”

Kaper snapped back, but Anna didn’t back down.

“Vice-Commander, think about the practical use of the wheel formation!”

‘Ah… !’

At Anna’s cry, Kaper and Alex realized their mistake.

The wheel formation was indeed for dealing with Sword Masters and 7th Circle War Mages.

However, in actual combat, it was a tactic focused on thorough defense rather than attack. It wasn’t easy to face a superhuman-level opponent, and a clumsy attack could lead to being quickly defeated.

So, they focused on defense as much as possible to minimize the damage to their allies.

If they held out, their side’s Sword Master would come to support them, or they would find an opportunity to exploit the enemy’s weakness.

“Everyone, defensive formation!”

“Shields forward! Hold out as much as possible!”

At Kaper and Alex’s command, the knights gave up attacking and focused solely on defense.

They had acknowledged that Luke was a strong opponent who they couldn’t easily defeat with their skills.

‘Oh, look at these guys?’

As the knights focused on defense, Luke’s attacks were not very effective.

So, Luke decided to increase the intensity of his attacks.

“Let’s see how long you can hold out.”

He unfolded his Gold Sword, which he hadn’t used until now, and increased the amount of mana he poured into his magic.

As Luke’s offensive suddenly intensified, the knights’ formation faltered here and there.

“Kuaaak! I can’t take it anymore… !”

“Hold on! I said hold on!”

“What is Squad 2 doing! Immediately switch with the front line!”

“Trust your comrades! Don’t try to block it alone, block it with your comrades!”

The knights were also desperate.

Thanks to that, even though Luke had increased the intensity of his attacks, the wheel formation did not break easily.

‘Damn it, at this rate, my mana and stamina will be depleted soon…’

The scary thing about the wheel formation was this.

Because they took turns fighting, they would get tired before their opponent.

It was okay for now, but Luke thought that he might lose if things continued like this.

‘If I could use all my abilities, I could defeat them easily… !’

If he just fired a barrage of Dark Bullets, the wheel formation would collapse like a sandcastle.

However, he couldn’t use black magic, let alone white magic. And he couldn’t use abilities he had taken from demons, like Petro Light, that were too obvious.

As Luke was frustrated, he recalled the most recent demonic ability he had obtained.

It was the second stage enhancement of the Build Up ability.

The first stage of Build Up was just to strengthen the body. Because of that, his physique would become larger, and his body would become strong enough to block spears and swords.

When it went up to the second stage, there was no external change, but he could explode the potential within his body.

If that happened, he could use three times his usual strength for a short moment.

‘But that ability has a terrible backlash.’

That’s why Luke hadn’t dared to use Build Up stage 2 even after learning it. The fact that stage 1 had been enough until now also played a part.

However, if he lost the duel like this, he would be disgraced, so Luke pulled out the Build Up stage 2 ability.

Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa—!

As mana and stamina overflowed within his body, Luke manifested a 4th circle area-of-effect magic that he rarely used due to its high mana consumption.

“Fire Explosion!”

Kwaaang—!

As a powerful explosion occurred in the air, the shockwave knocked down about thirty knights.

Luke, finding an opening, immediately jumped into it and swung his sword in all directions, firing Sonic Waves.

“Aaaagh!”

“Ke-ek!”

As the golden aura that only appeared at the completion stage of the Gold Sword emanated from his sword, no one could stop him anymore.

The same was true for the experts who had been stubbornly clinging to Luke from the front.

The knights who were hit by the flat of the blade or the sword’s edge screamed and tumbled to the ground.

Soon after, the wheel formation collapsed.

Only one person was standing with a frightened face, and that was Kaper.

“Damn it, damn it! Damn it all!”

As Luke glared coldly at him, with even his best friend Alex having fallen, he screamed and shook off his fear.

And then, he unleashed his aura with all his might and charged at Luke.

“Die!”

Thud!

However, the one who died (?) was Kaper. He was hit on the crown of his head with the flat of the sword and fell to the ground, unconscious.

“Lord Luke won!”

“Woooaaaah!”

The officers and soldiers, who had been wearing shocked expressions, cheered and shouted Luke’s name. At first, they thought it would be fortunate if the new commander didn’t get humiliated. But to think he would knock down all 100 knights with such tremendous skill. Thus, the one-versus-one-hundred battle that would mark a page in the Northern Army’s history seemed to come to an end.

3

“You’ve done well, Lord,” Philip said, rushing towards Luke with a delighted expression, having watched the duel with a worried heart. Luke was about to respond but paused for a moment. ‘Ugh!’ A terrifying pain, as if his whole body was twisting, assaulted him. His bones felt like they were crumbling into powder, his muscles were spasming. The blood in his veins seemed to have stopped, and as breathing became difficult, the sky turned yellow. “Lord?” ‘Damn it, just as I thought…’ The aftereffects of Build Up Stage 2. Suddenly exploding his potential and drawing up mana had exceeded the limit his body could handle. Fortunately, he had past experience, so he knew how to deal with this situation. ‘Breathing! First, I need to control the rampaging mana and stabilize my heart and meridians by breathing.’ After taking a few deep breaths, his body felt much better, and he was able to move again. “Are you alright?” Philip asked, approaching him. “I’m fine, it seems I overdid it a bit.” In any case, it was all over. Among the knights groaning and rolling around, none showed any further intention or energy to challenge him. But then… Clap! Clap! Clap! A clapping sound with a somewhat blunt feel was heard, and then a burly man with a rough impression appeared from among the soldiers. “Impressive. I really didn’t expect you to take down 100 men.” “And you are…?” “Bison. Just a humble knight from a mercenary background. I was out on patrol and came back to find an interesting spectacle unfolding.” Bison, after glancing over the fallen knights, picked up a sword from the ground and said, “They’re not exactly my favorite people, but as colleagues who share the same mess hall, I can’t just turn a blind eye. Is it too late to join in?” “What are you talking about, Sir Bison?” Philip asked. He had noticed that Luke was not in a condition to fight properly. But to jump in when everything was over! “It’s already over. Don’t do anything unnecessary and go back!” “Haha, unnecessary? After taking down 100 men, are you saying you’ll back down from just one, and that too, a mere mercenary knight?” At Bison’s words, the soldiers began to murmur. They were already quite excited after witnessing such an incredible fight. Therefore, the appearance of a challenger was bound to be interesting, and they were curious about how the commander would deal with this impudent challenger. ‘What the heck is this guy?’ Luke glared at Bison with a displeased look. As if he had been waiting for it, he was asking to fight after everything was over. As Luke was pondering how to deal with this annoying challenger, a good idea suddenly came to mind. “Alright, I’ll accept your challenge. But just using swords would be boring, how about we fight in a different way?” “A different way? Are you suggesting we fight riding Gigants [large, humanoid war machines]?” “If you know how to pilot a Gigant.” “Well, I’ve worked as a mercenary rider for a clan, so that’s not a problem.” At those words, Philip looked at Luke in surprise. A mercenary rider who had fought in the Gigant Arena would be quite skilled in piloting. In comparison, Luke was an expert-level knight, but he was just a beginner rider training in the intermediate piloting course. Although he had been constantly practicing piloting while riding the Gigant on the way to the fortress, it was questionable whether he could fight well in an actual Gigant battle. “Lord, I think it would be better to refuse.” “No, let’s fight. If I back down here, everything will be for naught.” The reason Luke fought against the knights was to show them his overwhelming skill and to firmly establish military discipline by crushing anyone who dared to challenge him. But if he turned his back in this situation, saying they would fight later, he wouldn’t be able to achieve his original goal. “But…” “Don’t worry. I have a plan.” Luke, having brushed off Philip’s dissuasion, looked at Bison and said, “Sir Bison, I accept your challenge.” “Hehehe, as expected of the commander, you’re a true man. You don’t know how to avoid a fight.” Bison grinned. Philip found that smile, and his appearance, quite unsettling. He was sure he had seen him somewhere before, but he couldn’t remember where. Because of that, Philip was even more anxious about the second duel.

4

As the second duel was decided to be a Gigant duel, the Iron Mages moved busily. While they were preparing the Gigants, Luke focused on recovering. Thanks to that, although not in perfect condition, he was able to recover enough to fight to some extent. “Please be careful, Lord. If he’s a mercenary rider, he might use some unconventional attacks.” “I understand, I’ll keep that in mind.” Luke nodded at Philip’s advice and boarded his Gigant, Achilles. Bison also boarded a Gigant that the fortress possessed. It was a Warrior-class Gigant like Achilles, a fellow named Savage that he had seen before at Lamer’s Gigant Arena. Thud! Thud! The Gigants that the two were riding moved outside the fortress. The fortress’s training ground was too small for Gigants to fight, and the soldiers could be in danger. The soldiers of the fortress, who had encountered the unexpected spectacle of a Gigant duel, all climbed onto the ramparts to watch the two Gigants fight. “Then, let’s begin.” “Very well. Would it be alright if I make the first move?” “Go ahead.” At Luke’s words, Bison slowly moved his Savage forward. But in an instant, he closed the distance with Achilles and fiercely swung his greatsword down. “… !” Clang—! Luke almost reflexively blocked the attack. In the meantime, Bison’s Savage had moved behind Achilles. “Oh, oh, oh!” “Lord, be careful!” The officers and soldiers, having witnessed Savage’s incredible maneuver, opened their mouths wide, and Philip shouted urgently. This was because a clear, brilliant light of Gigantic Aura burst forth from Savage’s greatsword. “Tch, Fireball!” Luke hastily deployed magic. Then, a large flame burst out from Achilles’ left hand, which was turned behind him, striking Savage. Bang! With a loud explosion, Savage staggered and retreated. If Luke’s response had been just a little bit slower, Achilles would have been cut in half by the Gigantic Aura. “What is that guy?” He had barely managed to block the surprise attack, but Luke couldn’t calm his surprised heart. When he had blocked Savage’s attack a moment ago, not only Achilles but his own body had also trembled. He had never felt this kind of pressure except when sparring with Rogers back in the territory. ‘Upper Expert? No, this is top-tier!’ His swordsmanship, his Gigant piloting ability, it was definitely not the skill a mere mercenary would possess. What exactly was this guy named Bison? “Hehehe, not bad, you young lord. Well, with that much skill, you were able to defeat 100 knights.” Bison, who was sitting in Savage’s cockpit and smiling leisurely, soon distorted his expression into a ferocious one. “Anyway, you must pay the price for the dirty trick you played on this Cayon before, causing me shameful humiliation!” Bison’s true identity was surprisingly Baron Cayon. After losing in the territory war, he had fled under the wing of Marquis Myers, and he had transferred to Tolude Fortress under a disguised identity to assassinate Luke. It was thanks to Marquis Myers, who had learned in advance that Luke had been appointed as the commander of Tolude Fortress, that he was able to do so. Cayon, who had come to Tolude Fortress, was waiting for the right opportunity to assassinate Luke. But after going out on patrol for a while, he found that this guy was instigating the knights to have a duel. And not a one-on-one duel, but a one-versus-one-hundred duel! ‘You fool! Does he think he’s some kind of Sword Master? Thanks to that, it’ll be easier to deal with him.’ At first, he had intended to enjoy the scene of Luke getting crushed. But what was this? The fight was going strangely. The knights had even put up a good fight with a wheel formation, but they were completely defeated by Luke, who suddenly unleashed an explosive offensive. After examining Luke’s condition after the duel, he realized that now was the perfect opportunity to get rid of him. It was because the young one was quite exhausted from overexerting himself to break through the wheel formation. So, he deliberately revealed himself and challenged Luke. “Kuhahahaha, die, you young brat!” Having gained the upper hand, Cayon launched a relentless attack without giving him any openings. Luke was helplessly pushed back by the fierce offensive. “Wow, was Sir Bison that strong?” “I heard he was around a mid-level Sword User, but that’s clearly above mid-level Expert.” While the officers and soldiers were in awe, Philip rushed to the Iron Mages. “Are there any Gigants that can be activated right now?” “I’m sorry, the others are undergoing maintenance…” “Damn it!” In Philip’s judgment, Luke was no match for Bison right now. No matter how he looked at it, that level was beyond a mercenary rider, it was the level of an Expert Rider who was very skilled in Gigant battles. It was a situation where he had to step in, but there were no Gigants available to ride out right now. ‘I have no choice! I’ll have to stop him even if it’s with my bare hands!’ While Philip was making up his mind and rushing out of the fortress, Luke was cornered. He was frantically blocking the barrage of attacks from Bison, or rather, Baron Cayon. However, Luke’s body was not in normal condition after exploding his potential a moment ago, and his Gigant piloting skills were far behind Cayon’s. Naturally, even if he blocked the attacks, he couldn’t block them completely, so there were clear marks of the sword on various parts of Achilles’ armor. If he hadn’t been skillfully using Marionette magic to assist his piloting, the opponent’s greatsword might have already pierced through the chest plate and into the cockpit. ‘What the heck is this guy? Why was he hiding this level of skill?’ Considering that he had picked a fight after the battle was over and had hidden such incredible skill, he suspected that he was an assassin who had come to kill him. ‘Perhaps the Emperor sent him?’ However, it was actually Marquis Myers, the leader of the noble faction, who had sent Cayon. In any case, Luke had to look for an opportunity to counterattack. ‘Let’s stay calm. I still have a useful card left.’ Unlike Luke, who was calming his mind in the face of danger, Cayon was completely excited, drunk on the sweetness of revenge. “Kekeke! I’ll tear apart the limbs of the Gigant you’re riding and cut you in half while you’re writhing in the cockpit. No, before that, I should enjoy the sight of you pissing and shitting yourself in fear!” With that thought, Cayon swung his greatsword widely. With that powerful strike, Achilles’ right arm, which was holding the greatsword, was completely severed. “Now, next is the left arm!” Just as Cayon, who was in high spirits, was about to swing his greatsword again, Luke, taking advantage of his carelessness, activated his magic. “Grease!” “Ugh!” Grease was a trivial 1st-circle support magic, but when Luke used it on the right spot at the right moment, it displayed surprising power.

Cayon’s Savage lost its balance as its greatsword slipped.

‘Now’s the time!’

Luke, having moved into a blind spot, drove his left fist, enhanced with Strength magic, into the Savage’s abdomen where the core engine was located.

Kwaang—!

“Th-this! No way!”

Cayon’s face, which had been full of bravado, turned pale.

The core engine was the most sensitive part of a Gigant [a large, humanoid war machine].

While it could withstand most external shocks, it couldn’t handle a direct hit like this, bypassing the armor and striking the core engine directly.

Such an attack was only possible for someone who knew the Gigant’s structure inside and out.

Luke knew more about Gigants than most Iron Mages [mages specializing in metal and machinery].

Fzzzt! Fzzzt!

“This can’t be! To be turned around in one blow like this!”

While Baron Cayon was seething with rage, the sparks from the damaged core engine intensified.

And finally, it caused a violent explosion.

Kwaaaang—!

“Uwaaaah!”

Philip, who had been approaching the area where the Gigants were fighting, intending to save Luke, was sent scattering by the flying debris.

‘What about the Lord?’

As the thick smoke cleared, Achilles, with Luke inside, came into view.

Although debris was embedded in various parts of its armor, it didn’t seem to be critical, as it was moving without issue.

That was all thanks to Luke deploying a Shield magic with all his might at the last moment.

Thud!

“W-what is that?”

Philip, who had been sighing in relief, was startled when something large fell from the sky.

The fallen object was the upper half of the exploded Savage.

It had been blasted high into the sky by the powerful explosion and then fallen back to the ground.

“Kuh… I, I… lost…”

Cayon barely managed to pry open the crushed hatch and crawled out.

The shock of the explosion and fall had left his body completely battered.

Therefore, he had no strength left to fight against Philip or Luke, who had dismounted from his Gigant.

“Who are you? Reveal your identity!”

Luke asked, holding his sword to Cayon’s neck.

“Kuh, it’s infuriating! Infuriating…”

Baron Cayon could only express his resentment.

Philip, who had been carefully observing Cayon, recognized his face and was shocked.

“Lord, this man is Baron Cayon.”

“Cayon? The one who tried to invade our territory during the previous territorial war?”

“That’s right. I wonder why he’s here…”

Was it simply to settle a personal grudge, or was he hired by someone?

However, Luke couldn’t solve that mystery.

Cayon, who had been trembling with a resentful expression, coughed up black blood and died on the spot.

Thus, he had dealt with the assassin who had tried to take his life by taking advantage of the chaos.

However, since he hadn’t found out anything related to it, Luke felt uneasy in many ways.

5

“Oh, my back!”

“Ugh, my shoulder is throbbing, I can’t even lift my arm.”

“I’ve got a cracked rib, you idiot!”

The fortress’s knight quarters had turned into a hospital.

That was because a whopping 100 new patients had been created.

They were the knights and trainee knights who had been severely beaten by Luke.

They all had minor and major injuries all over their bodies.

Those who were in good condition recovered quickly, but those who were not had to receive intensive treatment for several days.

Anna was also lying among those patients.

Having been knocked down by a blow to the back of her head with the flat of a sword, she was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling with a dazed look.

“Luke de Rakan…”

The descendant of the famous Sword Emperor Rakan, who was called a hero.

She didn’t know what the hero of 500 years ago was like, but the amazing skills Luke had shown were enough to shake Anna’s heart.

‘He’s really amazing! He’s on a different level from those Rune Knights [knights who use magic runes] who can only use swordsmanship and magic!’

She had felt that Luke was unusual from the first time he punished Deren.

But to win against 100 knights alone, even if there were trainee knights mixed in! And with overwhelming force!

Moreover, she heard that he had even had a Gigant battle after that.

Bison, a mercenary-turned-knight who had recently transferred, had shown his hidden skills, but even he had been defeated.

And that he had turned the tide with a single punch.

‘He’s so strong, and handsome and reliable too…’

As she recalled Luke’s appearance and his amazing skills, her cheeks flushed, and hearts appeared in her eyes.

“Aaaah, Lord~!”

A soldier approached Anna, who was clearly showing what it was like to be smitten at first sight, and spoke to her.

“Sir Anna, the commander is looking for you.”

“Eeeeh! M-me?”

Startled, she jumped up from her seat.

“Yes, he said to come to the commander’s office immediately.”

Anna tilted her head as she left the quarters.

She couldn’t understand why the new commander was looking for her.

‘Well, I’ll find out when I go.’

She was secretly hoping to see him anyway, so she was glad he had called for her.

As she hurried towards the fortress headquarters, she fixed her hair and straightened her clothes.

Even though she was in a hurry, she didn’t want to show a disheveled appearance.

“Loyalty! Commander, you were looking for…”

Her eyes widened as she opened the door to the commander’s office and gave a salute.

That was because there were familiar faces inside the commander’s office.

There were three knights, including Alex and Kaper, who were considered quite skilled in the 7th Knight Division of the Northern Army.

They were Vice-Commander Kaper, 1st Squad Leader Alex, and 3rd Squad Leader Hobart.

“Have you arrived? If so, please take a seat.”

When a knight named Philip pointed to an empty seat, Anna put aside her curiosity and sat down.

Once she was seated, Luke opened his mouth.

“How is everyone’s condition?”

“Thanks to your consideration, there are no difficulties in moving!”

Only Anna answered quickly. The others were still keeping their mouths shut with sullen expressions.

Luke, who smiled faintly at them, continued to speak.

“Aren’t you curious why I called you here?”

“Yes, we are.”

Alex answered, on behalf of Kaper, who had a bandage on his head.

“Three days ago, before that duel, you promised. If I won, you would absolutely obey me.”

At Luke’s words, the four people’s expressions changed as if they had eaten something sour. They remembered the promise they had made back then.

“So, did you call us to receive an oath of loyalty?”

Kaper asked bluntly, but Alex tried to stop him, but Kaper didn’t care.

“An oath of loyalty… The reason I called you here is to make a proposal.”

“A proposal?”

“You don’t have to look so displeased. This proposal will only benefit you; it will never be a loss.”

Having said that, Luke looked each of them in the eye and spoke sincerely.

“Would you like to come under my command?”

‘What the heck is he talking about all of a sudden!’

The knights, except for Anna, were inwardly cursing. They were all planning to return to their families after being discharged.

But to become a vassal of another family?

That was something that would never happen unless they were hit by an arrow in the head.

However, even their thoughts were shaken by Luke’s following words.

“If you come under my command, I will teach you the Gold Sword.”

“G-Gold Sword!”

There was no one among the people in this place who didn’t know the legend of the hero Rakan.

Rakan had ascended to the position of Sword Emperor with the Gold Sword he had created.

In other words, if you mastered the Gold Sword, you had a high chance of becoming a Sword Master, even if you couldn’t become a Sword Emperor.

In fact, Sword Masters were frequently born in the Rakan family’s knight order.

“I-is that really true?”

“Yes, it is. Why would I call you here and lie without any reason?”

The people Luke had called today were talented in swordsmanship, but their development had stagnated due to various limitations.

Luke was able to grasp that fact through their personnel records and the duel three days ago.

‘They are all children of nobles. But just because they are children of nobles doesn’t mean they can all learn excellent swordsmanship.’

If a family’s swordsmanship was not good or they didn’t have the ability to hire a good instructor, even if they were children of nobles, they couldn’t learn advanced swordsmanship.

In that respect, the swordsmanship they had learned was ordinary.

However, there were those who had shown their talent at a young age with such swordsmanship, and even those who had reached the level of Expert.

Among them, Kaper had reached the intermediate level. It couldn’t be said that he wasn’t talented.

‘They are not as good as Philip, who graduated at the top of the Imperial Military Academy, but they are still outstanding talents.’

One of the reasons Luke had come to the military was to scout talent.

He judged that the military, where young people from all over the empire gathered, had a higher probability of discovering talent than the territories that were biased towards the south.

The faces of the four people were filled with conflict at Luke’s proposal.

Then, the first person to accept was Anna.

“I will do it!”

“You’ve made a good decision.”

Anna, who blushed slightly at Luke’s smile, twisted her body and asked.

“But if I become your subordinate, will I be able to learn swordsmanship directly from you?”

Luke, who had noticed her intentions, pointed to Philip.

“Unfortunately, I’m busy with official duties. Sir Philip will teach you the Gold Sword.”

“C-can’t you teach me directly?”

“He may look laid-back, but Sir Philip is a talented individual who graduated at the top of the Imperial Military Academy. His swordsmanship is at the upper level of Expert. Wouldn’t that be enough to qualify him as a swordsmanship instructor?”

The knights’ gazes towards Philip changed at Luke’s explanation.

If they had been indifferent until just now, they were now burning with intensity.

It was a competitive spirit.

A competitive spirit towards Philip, who was not much older than them.

“I will do it too.”

“Me too…”

“Hah, it’s such an attractive offer that it’s hard to refuse.”

In the end, even Kaper and Alex, who had hesitated until the end, decided to become Luke’s vassals.

In fact, they were not the eldest sons of their families, so even if they returned after being discharged, they would not be able to inherit their families.

At best, they would become vassals supporting their brothers, or they would have to go out on their own and forge their own path.

Therefore, they didn’t want to miss the opportunity to become stronger and develop further.

“Thank you. The decision you made today will be regarded as something you will never regret in the future.”

Having said that, Luke added something meaningful.

“Well, you might regret it for a while.”

“… !”

The knights flinched as they saw Philip’s face, which was wearing a wicked smile.

They couldn’t help but tremble at the sight of him, like a cruel drill sergeant who was happy to have new recruits to push around.