Chapter 88 : The Ninth Knight
The Ninth Knight
'Hoo... I know well enough who you are.'
Gregory couldn't definitively confirm his identity, but since he had thoroughly memorized the history books in his previous life, he could infer who the person in front of him was.
Trace, the loyal sword of the Blandi Kingdom, who had displayed overflowing talent since childhood. But in truth, he was pitiable as well.
Despite his countless talents, he was one of the unfortunate knights who died young while carrying out tasks for the kingdom.
'What is that? That strange energy...'
As Gregory strode closer, trace felt overwhelmed. Seeing Gregory emit mana and give it substance, he realized that Gregory was indeed a powerhouse.
And yet, red mana, something he had never seen before.
Naturally, it made sense for him to be frightened.
Gregory seemed to enjoy Trace's reaction, looking down on him all the more.
"Looks like you're finally understanding the situation now? The fact that your sword's tip will never reach me."
When the opponent desperately struggles, the sense of hopelessness is maximized. Gregory decided to toy with his opponent, holding back to mock him.
If that happened, the remaining soldiers would also become wary of Gregory.
Even if they made it back to their base, Gregory planned to set things up in advance so that they would never consider a sudden raid again.
"Wh-what are you talking about! You think I'm scared of something like this? Haven't you heard the saying, 'an empty wagon makes the most noise'?"
Trace tried hard to act unafraid, but the signs were obvious. Eyes that couldn't focus, a back arched stiff from tension, even arms trembling uncontrollably.
"It's a shame, really. I'm not an 'empty wagon.'"
In a blur the eye could barely track, Gregory stepped in and stabbed Trace in the solar plexus with the tip of his sword.
"Kheuk—"
Trace groaned and collapsed to the ground.
Gregory thought he had controlled his strength, but to be stopped by such a simple blow—what a disgrace.
He found Trace to be far more pathetic than the renown he'd heard of in his previous life suggested. Still, if Trace truly lived up to his reputation, there was no way he'd end it here.
"Ah, it's not over yet."
Supporting himself with his sword, trace pulled himself up and glared fiercely at Gregory.
'As expected... I haven't seen you in person before, but when it comes to persistence, you're always one of the names that comes to mind.'
But Gregory was unfazed. Unless he utterly broke his will here, there was no telling what Trace might do.
He had been described as willing to give his life for his country without hesitation.
Gregory decided this was the time to thoroughly break his opponent's spirit. In a voice only Trace could hear, he said,
"You know, the world is vast—much vaster than you think. I used to believe I was the strongest swordsman of my age. But that's not always the case."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Trace frowned, wondering at Gregory's words. But he quickly understood. He had always thought he was the strongest among his peers, only to be thoroughly defeated by Gregory before his eyes.
Trace seethed at Gregory's words. Thinking Gregory might be off his guard, he quickly righted himself and gripped his sword tighter, a look of madness in his eyes as he stared at Gregory.
"Yiaaap!"
Overcome by humiliation, he launched an attack at Gregory. The situation was tense—Trace was close enough that his swordstrike could seemingly reach, yet Gregory remained perfectly calm, simply observing.
"Far too slow... Do you think you can cut anyone with such sluggish attacks? Or no, is that just natural? No matter how hard you try... you're just ordinary in the end."
"Can't you shut that mouth of yours? Are you saying all the glory I've enjoyed is empty and meaningless? Instead of insulting me, why don't we cross swords a few more times?"
"Fine. It's not that you lack talent for an ordinary man. Let's just say you're dull-witted."
Trace, enraged, ignored Gregory's words and swung his sword again with speed. And yet, Gregory moved before he could be hit, as if he'd never been there at all.
When his own blade failed to touch Gregory, trace was consumed by both inferiority and humiliation. He charged at Gregory again with another downward strike.
Gregory stepped back, twisting his torso to evade the attack naturally. Now, Gregory thought, it was time to apply real pressure.
"I told you to be quiet, didn't I!"
Trace, not wanting to hear another word of Gregory's mocking, struck out once more. He kept attacking Gregory, but as Gregory had foreseen, none of Trace's swordstrikes even touched him.
'At this level... I could probably fight Adrian on even terms.'
Thinking there was little point in prolonging this any further, Gregory decided to end it here. Just as he dodged the last incoming swordstrike and prepared a slash of his own, trace's expression changed for some reason.
Cheng—!
Gregory's Durandal clashed with Trace's sword, the impact resounding through the air. Impressed by the sudden change in Trace, Gregory said,
"What the... You weren't being serious until now? You should always fight with everything you've got. What if you end up dead otherwise?"
"......"
Trace's wild, frenzied look was gone, now replaced by calm. In a quiet voice, he spoke.
"Do you know how much effort it took for me to become the Ninth Knight...?"
Upon hearing these words, Gregory realized that Trace was claiming to be the Ninth Knight. In Blandi Kingdom, the Ninth Knight was regarded as a knight among knights.
The lower the number, the greater the honor sought, so to be the Ninth Knight as Trace claimed was by no means a low rank.
But Gregory couldn't have cared less about such things.
"I don't know why you keep blaming effort... Think it through. You're the ones who started this war, so why keep blaming me? Looks like you're finally ready to do this properly. So, how about it?"
At this, trace calmly began to walk forward, his sword radiating mana. Inside, he was determined to end things right here with Gregory, but he showed nothing on the surface.
Gregory also thought that this man could become a five-star knight or perhaps higher.
"I don't know how you're so strong, but take a good look. This is me going all out."
Trace's clear mana pulsed around his sword, and he rushed in.
Tii-dididinng—
Sparks rang out as their swords clashed again and again. Gregory was flustered by the sudden flurry of Trace's attacks, but since he wielded red mana, trace's attacks could not break through.
Cheng—
Cheng—
Gregory decided that it was time to finish things. If you win this easily after appearing to be evenly matched, the sense of loss for the loser is even greater.
It was enough to threaten the enemy and thoroughly break the will of this Trace as well.
Kang—
As Trace changed his grip and tried to launch a desperate attack at Gregory, a sharp sound echoed in his ears.
"It's over."
Because none of his attacks could touch Gregory, trace had started to feel a vague sense of defeat. But as he heard that sharp sound and felt a heavy sensation in his hand, he finally realized it.
That he had lost to Gregory, and that his sword had been cut by the chilling blow of Gregory's blade.
Tuk—
Next, his blade split in two and fell from the sky, the pieces landing upright in the ground.
It didn't feel real. He, who had been hailed as a crucial figure in securing victory for the kingdom, who had achieved fame at a younger age than anyone.
He had been utterly defeated by someone who looked to be his peer.
'No, to begin with, he wasn't even a matchup.'
Trace now realized that Gregory had only been toying with him. When his tension finally broke, he could clearly see the consequences this defeat would bring.
If your sword can't even reach your opponent, they must be at least two levels above you. At the very least, Gregory had been holding back, not revealing all his cards—a monster in human form.
Trace looked at Gregory with uneasy eyes.
"What do you intend to do with me now?"
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