I Obtained Sword God Level Talent - Chapter 5


“Come out, mercenary, you who mock the Knights with lies! My sword will not forgive you!”
I was sitting on the bed, slowly stretching my shoulders, when it became noisy outside for some reason.
“Come out this instant! Can’t you hear me?!”
It was a loud shout that made me frown, as if he wanted to show off his vocal cords.
Swoosh.
I glanced outside and saw a chubby middle-aged man glaring towards the tent I was in.
“What’s that now?”
The source of the shouting was a pig with a goatee. At least I could tell he was a knight thanks to the clothes he was wearing and the sword in his hand.
I picked up the sword I had placed next to the bed. Then, stepping out of the tent, I said to the red-faced, panting man,
“Are you talking to me.”
“Oh ho, indeed. Are you the one? Are you the protagonist of that rumor?”
“Rumor?”
“Yes! That preposterous rumor that you killed hundreds of orcs alone!”
“…Is there any reason for me to answer that?”
I felt annoyed by the sudden display of hostility.
Th i s wa s c o pi e d f r o m ki n g m tl.org
Wait, why is this boar confronting me about that? Besides, it’s not a rumor, it’s the truth. Thinking this, I glanced around.
As Lancelot had said, this was the Knights’ encampment, right in the middle of their military camp. Moreover, perhaps due to the middle-aged man’s loud voice, the surroundings were quickly crowded with onlookers.
‘Knights here, knights there. Looks like the rumor spread among them.’
The ‘Knight’ class is rare. This was the first time I had seen so many knights with my own eyes, so I couldn’t help but be intrigued.
Power naturally breeds authority.
Unlike medieval Europe, knights in this world are tactical weapons in themselves. That means most of them were of ‘noble’ status.
“Wow! He really still has that boyish look!”
“Huh, he’s not intimidated even after seeing us. He’s the real deal.”
They were watching the confrontation between me and the middle-aged man with fascinated faces. Occasionally, they would let out exclamations like “Ooh” and “Huh.”
“Sigh.”
I let out a sigh, suppressing the unpleasant feeling of being a monkey in a zoo. This middle-aged man clearly had business with me. Otherwise, why would he put on a show in a place with so much attention?
“Y-Yes! I will personally spread the honor of the Knights and the majesty of His Majesty the Emperor!”
The middle-aged man, growling as he spoke, rummaged through his pocket.
And what he pulled out was.
Swish!
“A duel! Gler von Dupont, 8th Squad Leader of the Golden Lion Knights, challenges you to a duel!”
A pure white handkerchief.
“A duel? Are you serious? Tainted honor can’t be washed away with something like this!”
“He’s gone mad! Is he conscious of being fired after returning?”
The knights gathered around gasped at the middle-aged man, the boar Gler’s, actions.
It seemed his actions were beyond common sense. Judging from the jeers that were pouring out, one could tell what kind of existence he was in the Knights.
“Hehehe! Crawl between my legs if you’re afraid of the duel now. You know, many people die during duels.”
“A duel, huh.”
T h is w a s c o pi e d fro m k i n g m tl .or g
Ignoring Gler’s sneer, I closed my eyes and slowly surveyed the surroundings.
I felt as if numerous blessings were whispering to me. That guy is no match for you. In the end, he will kneel before your sword… they said.
“Alright.”
Clang!
I opened my closed eyes. And simultaneously drew my sword.
To begin with, I wasn’t a knight, nor did I properly know the rules of duels in this world. The only thing I had learned during my short time back from the front lines… was that my life would be intertwined with war.
So I would strike. I would cut down anyone who challenged me. That was the way of survival I had chosen.
“T-This crazy…!”
“Everyone, step back! It’s a duel!”
“Good heavens! Is he serious?”
“Hahaha! This is a refreshing sight!”
The knights surrounding us retreated like the tide.
Perhaps they never imagined things would unfold like this?
“T-This bastard?”
The moment Gler, with a bewildered expression, opened his mouth.
Wheeeeeng!
I didn’t repeat the same line as I moved. Instead, I became a streak of light, charging towards him. Immediately, a barrage of flexible sword strikes pressed down on Gler’s diagonal line.
“Guoooogh!”
Despite his comical appearance with his flabby body, Gler was a knight. He also hurriedly raised the sword in his hand and responded to the attack.
Clang! Clank!
‘I see it.’
Sword and sword sparked against each other.
I glimpsed the gap that existed between them. Gler’s swordsmanship was far more refined than an orc’s. However, compared to my limits, it was as pathetic as a firefly before the sun.
Whoosh!
Thi s wa s co p i e d f r o m k i ng m t l. o r g
I swiftly withdrew the sword that was relentlessly attacking Gler.
At a glance, it looked like a defensive move to avoid a counterattack. However, my intention was not defense, but attack. I had no intention of missing the ‘gap’ that was already clear to me.
“Y-Yeeek! Damn it!”
Gler, his face pale, let out a frustrated yell.
I didn’t reply with words, but with actions.
T h i s wa s c o p i e d fr o m k in g mt l. o r g
Swish!
My hand guided the jet-black blade along a sword path impossible for an ordinary human to achieve.
But then.
Clang!
T hi s w a s c o p i ed fr o m ki n gm tl .o rg
“…?”
It was at that moment that my sword, which had been advancing with the momentum to cut through everything in this world, stopped its advance.
“Mana!”
“Dodge it! Young mercenary!”
“Gler, you crazy bastard!”
The knights who were watching the duel shouted with voices filled with concern.
‘…Mana?’
Even before their voices reached my ears, I was already enveloped in an intense sense of incongruity.
‘He created a defensive wall using mana. How basic.’
I didn’t change my sword path. Somehow, I had the confidence to pierce through his mana and land the attack.
I added more strength to strength.
Power and skill. Heaviness and smoothness. There is no shield that can withstand the swordsmanship created by the simple yet magnificent (Sword God) trait. Realizing this, I had nothing to fear anymore.
“Is that… a mercenary?”
“There’s no ‘refinedness,’ let alone ‘spirit.’ But for some reason, his sword looks complete.”
“Oh! Good heavens! The rumors are true! That’s the one who slaughtered hundreds of orcs!”
The knights’ astonished cries reached my ears clearly.
Of course, I didn’t lose focus even amidst all this. The blade pierced through the dense wall of mana. It was then that the mana, stretched like a balloon for a moment, shattered like glass.
Shatter! Crash!
“M-Mana… He… ‘cut’ the mana.”
In the momentarily silent arena, someone’s dazed voice echoed.
Thud!
“T-This… How could this be?”
Gler, who had collapsed onto the dirt floor, opened his mouth.
The mana that he had mustered had lost its flow and dispersed. At the same time, his beloved sword was shattered, scattered across the ground.
Clank!
However, I had no intention of stopping here. He had already lost his will to fight, but there was no denying the fact that Gler had targeted me under the pretext of a duel.
“Frey! Stop!”
As I slowly raised my sword, Lancelot let out a shout that was close to a scream.
T h is was co pi e d f r o m k i n g m tl . o rg
Halt!
Turning my head as I paused my movement, I saw the owner of the voice.
“….”
Lancelot had hurriedly pushed through the crowd and appeared. I looked at him with an inquiring gaze.
He said, with a face full of regret, which was unlike him,
“Hold back. He is a noble. Gler is a direct descendant of the Dupont count family.”
This guy had looked down on me and even targeted my life. But I have to endure this humiliation just because he’s a noble?
Swoosh.
I looked down at Gler, who was in a pathetic state. He was soaked between his legs, his face frozen in terror. He had wet himself, even though he was the one who challenged me to a duel.
Thi s wa s c op ied f r o m k i ng mt l . org
“…Hold back?”
Seeing him like this, I felt certain. I didn’t need to calculate; I could see the path I had to take.
“Why should I?”
Slash!
***
The duel was over.
T h is w a s cop i e d f r o m k i n g m tl . o r g
As time passed, the sun began to set, and the knights gathered in groups of three or five and started their dinner. Should I consider myself lucky? The knights provided me with a meal too.
Clatter.
“…Delicious.”
The moment I put the food I received into my mouth, I almost shed tears.
Perhaps because it was food for knights, not ordinary soldiers, the menu was quite luxurious.
First, the potatoes. These weren’t ordinary potatoes, with white steam rising from them. They were boiled to reveal their fluffy insides, topped with cheese, and baked to perfection.
T hi s was c op i e d f r o m k i ngm t l . o r g
And how about the meat? Even I, a modern person with a rather picky palate, could feel the exceptional quality. The juices from the thick meat burst in my mouth, almost giving me the illusion of drinking a beverage.
‘It’s a taste of heaven compared to the rice balls the orcs threw at us.’
Of course, I wasn’t the only one enjoying this luxurious meal. Lancelot, who was using a barrack all by himself, was sitting across from me.
“….”
He seemed to have lost his appetite. Seeing him picking at his food with such a feast before him made me want to lecture him.
“…Are you not afraid?”
Lancelot, who had been rolling the potatoes on his plate for a while, finally opened his mouth as my meal was nearing its end.
“Afraid, you ask?”
It was an abrupt, out-of-the-blue question. But I could grasp the intention behind it.
“Well, what is there to be afraid of? Accidents happen during duels, don’t they?”
“Is that so? That could be true.”
Lancelot gave a short reply and smiled bitterly. It was an awkward smile, unfamiliar to me, who only knew the image of the always honorable ‘Sword Master Lancelot.’
“They might not harm you just for losing an arm, but they might resort to some dirty tricks. The Dupont family is like that.”
“Really?”
I shrugged in response to Lancelot’s concern, which wasn’t quite a concern.
I had cut off Gler’s left arm at the end of our duel.
The level of medicine in the (Silver Ring) world is primitive, but considering the existence of ‘holy water’ and ‘healing magic’ that can even reattach severed limbs, it was a truly lenient punishment.
“Frey.”
T h is w a s c op i e d fr o m k i n gmtl . o rg
“What?”
“I’m just asking, in case. Do you remember my name?”
“Of course I do. Lancelot Du Armand. Squad leader of the Golden Lion Knights.”
“Haha.”
“…?”
Why is he acting like this again?
Lancelot’s lips curved into a smile. Today alone, I had already seen him smile twice. Considering his usual personality, it was a very rare sight.
“Interesting.”
What’s so interesting again?
I looked at Lancelot with an expression that demanded an explanation. Then, he took a large bite of his potato and said calmly,
“I never told you my name was Lancelot Du Armand. Lancelot Du Armance. That’s the name I gave you.”
“…?”
…Damn it. Did he set a trap without me knowing?
Lancelot’s indifferent and dry gaze turned to me.
“I think I understand your identity a little now.”
Crackle! Snap!
The sound of wood burning in the stove echoed like thunder in the quiet tent.
“You are…”
Lancelot’s following words. I couldn’t help but widen my eyes as I heard them.