Chapter 105 : Chapter 105
Chapter 105. The Time of Proof
Everyone's gaze turned towards Maxim.
Maxim, holding Dawn which was as big as his own body, let out a sigh.
“How pathetic.”
At Maxim's words, the faces of the soldiers and knights contorted.
Chris looked at Maxim as if in disbelief.
‘What is he planning?’
The soldiers and knights of the north were spending each day in taut tension, not knowing when war might break out. As a result, many of them had become rough and sharp-tempered. Furthermore, due to the series of recent problems, their sensitivity was higher than ever. And into this scene, Maxim appeared.
‘Everyone had expectations when the royal family said they were sending someone…’
It wasn't the reinforcement of troops that everyone wanted. It wasn't a knight they sent either.
It was the youngest prince, rumored to be weak, who had just come out of the military academy.
‘It may be an intimidation ceremony, but it was too much.’
Perhaps the plan was to crush him from the start and then send him back after giving him the cold shoulder.
But…
“Your expressions are quite a sight. You had such spirit when you were acting up, but not now. Why? Is it because you don't know when Uresra will attack? Do you feel like a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse?”
Chris let out a hollow laugh.
‘When it comes to getting on people's nerves, he must be the best on the continent.’
No matter how nicely he tried to wrap things up, Maxim just tore it open himself, so there was no way to smoothly mix him with the others.
“Your words are harsh.”
Edouard Perignon, who led the 3rd Battalion, glared at Maxim and stepped forward.
“Was it harsh? How was it harsh?”
“It doesn't seem like you're asking because you don't know.”
Maxim approached Perignon.
The knights near Perignon blocked Maxim's path. All of them had murderous glares.
Maxim's companions looked at Chris with faces full of worry. Among them, Rodrigo approached Chris and said, “We must stop him.”
“It was something he had to go through once, so let's watch a little longer.”
“Still, this is dangerous. You know Count Perignon's personality, don't you?”
“That's why I see it as a good thing. If it's going to blow up, it's better for it to be with the hottest-tempered one.”
“Even so, if it's Count Perignon, he might cause an accident…”
“His Highness won't just stand by either.”
Rodrigo still looked at Maxim with worry.
Maxim met the gaze of each and every knight who blocked him.
The tension between Maxim and the knights, between Maxim and the soldiers, escalated.
“We are dedicating our youth, risking our lives, and shedding blood to protect this place. For you to speak like that is going too far.”
At Perignon's words, Maxim grinned and said, “Ah, it was too far. I didn't know?”
“Wow, he’s annoying.”
It was a comment that escaped Piontek without him realizing.
The others didn't deny it. Instead, they nodded.
“It is too far!”
Someone shouted.
The voice came from among the soldiers.
The starting point.
Anger began to cloud the soldiers' faces like clouds.
They clumped together, growing darker and darker.
“T-this looks d-dangerous…”
Those who agreed with Odekerkh's words looked at Chris. Because Chris could suppress the floating anger.
But Chris did not receive such gazes. He quietly waited for the knights' reaction.
Kung!
Perignon struck the ground with his scabbard.
‘Not bad.’
Maxim looked at Perignon with interest.
Perignon had settled the soldiers' anger with a deliberately rough action. And he made them look at him confronting Maxim, to use their anger to cheer for him.
“Apologize.”
“Why? It's not like I said anything wrong.”
“You are wrong. We have never been afraid.”
“I don't think so.”
Perignon's jaw muscles bulged.
Intermittent jeers came from among the soldiers.
“We do not fear the enemy. We are battle-hardened veterans who are always prepared to die!”
“That's right!”
“Correct!”
The soldiers, uplifted by Perignon's words, thrust their fists into the air and shouted.
Maxim watched this with indifference.
“Prove it.”
The atmosphere, which had been boiling over, cooled as if doused with cold water.
“Why? You can say it, but is it difficult to prove?”
“How do you want me to prove it? Are you telling me to create an enemy that isn't there and show you us fighting?”
“Hey, why are you being like this?”
Kaang!
Along the path that Dawn had passed, the stones on the ground split into several pieces.
“If you live by the sword, you should prove it with the sword. Are you going to prove it with something else? What else could there be? Playing with dolls?”
Perignon let out a hollow laugh.
Chris, who was watching, also let out a hollow laugh and shook his head from side to side.
Rodrigo grabbed Chris's arm.
“You really have to stop him. If this continues, something big will happen.”
Chris looked at Rodrigo intently.
“If I stop him here, His Highness will only be ignored and then kicked out.”
“Still, you have to stop him. How can His Highness handle them?”
The others also added that Rodrigo was right, saying, ‘You have to stop him,’ ‘It's right to end it here for today,’ ‘If you say he was like that because he was tired from the first day, everyone will let it go.’
But Chris did not accept this.
“This is not a stage he created to ask for help. Look at that.”
Maxim took off his thick fur cloak. He also casually took off the thick clothes that hindered his movements.
“Wow! Damn! It's so cold. What are you doing? Move it, move it.”
Maxim swung Dawn here and there to shake off the cold and to signal that he was ready.
Perignon looked at Chris.
“I permit it. However! The use of mana is forbidden. You will compete only with your swordsmanship.”
The knights and soldiers raised their swords high and shouted.
Maxim clicked his tongue, saying, ‘A knight should use mana. What's there to prove if you take that away.’
Adellian, who heard this, frowned.
“It's not like he's trying to kill someone, why is he really like that?”
“I know, right. If you look at him, he's really reckless. You go and stop him.”
Piontek tapped Michelle's shoulder.
Michelle scratched her cheek and looked at Rodrigo and Bethel. It meant that the two of them would be better than her.
“He's not someone who can be stopped just because you tell him to.”
“I want to stop him too. I want to tell him he doesn't need to push himself like this, not to do it.”
Michelle, who heard the answer, shrugged and scanned the soldiers.
The soldiers were consistently looking at Maxim with hostile emotions.
Michelle found this part very uncomfortable. She thought that if something happened during the duel, it would be because of the soldiers, not the knights. So she quietly gripped her bow.
“Do not worry.”
Chris placed his hand on Michelle's arm, signaling her not to be on guard. He filled his finger with a thick yellow energy.
Paak!
“Huh? Th-this is…”
The soldiers were flustered when they saw the bright yellow line drawn in front of them.
“Just watch quietly. If there is anyone who ruins this sacred duel, they will pay the price.”
Electricity crackled and danced on the yellow line.
The soldiers swallowed dryly and stepped back, and back again.
“Alright! The stage seems to be set. So who's coming out?”
Perignon drew his sword.
At that moment, a sharp-looking man stepped forward.
“Jacques Oudinot, 2nd Company Commander of the 3rd Battalion. I wish to learn a lesson from Your Highness.”
“Oudinot. I created this situation, so I will resolve it.”
“Battalion Commander. Please give me the opportunity. If not now, when else can I hit a royal?”
The knights and soldiers laughed out loud.
“Interesting. Go ahead. Let's see how well you can hit.”
Oudinot smiled at Perignon. It meant that since Maxim had said so, he had no choice but to step forward.
“Haa, I understand. Go easy on him. It'll be a problem if you overdo it.”
“That sword will block everything for him. It looks bigger than his body.”
This time too, the knights and soldiers laughed openly.
And Maxim also smiled and nodded.
“You have a sharp eye. This one does block everything.”
“Since you say so, let me have a taste.”
Oudinot drew his sword.
A gray sword that did not shine.
It felt like a sword that symbolized the north.
“It may look like this, but it's quite sharp. Block well on your own.”
“He said let's fight with swords, but that one is fighting with his mouth.”
This time, Piontek and Adellian, and those around them, burst out laughing.
Oudinot's face turned red.
“Here I come!”
“Come on. I'm not going anywhere.”
Oudinot grit his teeth so hard that a cracking sound could be heard and kicked off the ground.
“Oh! It's starting.”
“Oudinot! Oudinot! Oudinot!”
“Company Commander! You bastards.”
“Company Commander Oudinot! Company Commander Oudinot!”
Amidst the one-sided cheering of the soldiers, Oudinot's sword aimed for Maxim's shoulder.
Kagang!
“Did you do that to see how I would block it?”
Maxim, who had lightly blocked with Dawn, flicked Oudinot's sword up.
Oudinot's arm opened up. He twisted his upper body to cover the exposed opening.
“Are all Poinus bastards so predictable?”
Pang!
Oudinot's upper body lurched forward.
The flat of Dawn's blade had struck his back.
Pa, pang!
“Keoheok!”
Oudinot, whose entire back rang, causing his insides to twist, began to vomit.
The knights and soldiers held their breath and looked at Oudinot. In the north, Oudinot's skills were considered decent. Even those who were stingy with their skill evaluations would say he was quite good when asked about Oudinot. That was why Perignon hadn't tried to stop him too forcefully.
“How should we see this?”
“It must be because he was careless?”
“That must be it. He must have made a mistake while trying to go easy on him because his opponent was young.”
Oudinot stood up with a composed face as if the soldiers' words were true. He wiped his mouth and looked at Maxim with an intense gaze.
Maxim clicked his tongue as if it were pathetic.
“Are you going to be like that on the battlefield too?”
“It was a mistake. I was just a little careless.”
“Oh ho, really?”
Maxim took a couple of steps back and gestured with his hand as if telling him to come at him again.
“Come at me without being careless.”
“……Brace yourself.”
Oudinot's sword aimed for Maxim's chest.
A sword with weight behind it, an intention to push through straightforwardly.
Ping!
Through the splitting air, Oudinot's sword leaped out and aimed for Maxim's neck.
“So predictable.”
Kang!
The clash of blade against blade.
Fierce sparks flew between the gazes of the two who faced each other.
“Push him back!”
“Oudinot! Overpower him there!”
“Don't hold back!”
This time, the knights shouted loudly.
Maxim scoffed and received Oudinot's sword without wavering.
“You are quite skilled.”
“What's this much? Should I say it too?”
“……”
“I'm disappointed.”
Oudinot's brow furrowed.
Maxim pulled Dawn with both hands and shook off Oudinot's sword.
“I've received your attack twice, so this time I'll go first.”
Before Oudinot could answer, Maxim's figure cut through the air.
‘How clumsy.’
Oudinot smiled.
Launching one's body into the air was the same as declaring that one's entire body was a weak point.
He couldn't even dodge the sword.
He showed too many openings, making defense difficult.
It was also impossible to react to the opponent's movements.
“You need to learn more…!”
The moment he was about to deliver his lecture, the shadow of Dawn fell over his head.
Oudinot raised his sword to block it.
Pajik!
It was not the sound of refined steel clashing.
Tung-geureong.
The gray blade, devoid of light, fell to the ground.
Oudinot, in an awkward posture, let out a hot breath as he looked at his broken sword.
“I keep telling you. You guys are predictable.”
Oudinot looked back and forth between the sword and Maxim as if he couldn't believe it.
‘Ah! How could this be.’
The first blow, the second blow, and the final attack all collided at the same point.
‘Is this even possible?’
He couldn't believe it even after seeing it.
Maxim clicked his tongue, saying, “I told you I was disappointed. Tsk,” and stared at the other knights.
“If any of you bastards want a go, come out!”
The aggressive atmosphere directed at Maxim began to move in a different direction.