Chapter 139 : New Class
Chapter 139: New Class! Strategist (Blue)
“What exactly is going on with this Anthony…”
Among the original six great knights, he seemed to be the least familiar with this Anthony.
“Hello, Knight Anthony.” Leo politely greeted him and performed a standard knight’s salute.
“Ah~ no need to be so formal, we’re all on the same side. You’re being too distant.” Anthony smiled, patted Leo on the shoulder, and casually sat down in Leo’s courtyard. “I’ve always wanted to come take a look, but never found the chance.”
“Understandable, the Knight Hall is quite busy.” Leo smiled on the surface, but inwardly he was already guessing the purpose of the visit.
“So, how is it? Are you getting used to living in this courtyard?” Anthony casually placed a box of butter pastries he was carrying.
“I’m used to it. I have to thank you for your care.” Facing Anthony, Leo maintained a respectful tone as if speaking to an elder.
“It has nothing to do with me, it was all arranged by Laforin.” Anthony chatted idly, then paused. “By the way, I heard you’ve been helping Lady Manta with alchemy. Didn’t expect you to be so versatile.”
Anthony smiled—when he smiled, his eyes curved like crescent moons, giving him a very friendly appearance.
“Lady Manta is my teacher. I’m just helping a little.” Leo invited him to sit and poured him a cup of water.
Anthony accepted it naturally. “Impressive. Alchemy takes a lot of time. Doing alchemy and practicing swordsmanship at the same time—it’s not easy. Oh? I just saw the dwarf Stark leave. Did he forge a sword for you?”
As he spoke, Anthony abruptly shifted the topic again.
Leo nodded.
“Can I take a look?”
Leo didn’t refuse and directly brought out the Thunder God’s Hammer.
Anthony looked at the greatsword in front of him and laughed. “So heavy—can you even wield it? A sword’s weight needs to be appropriate. You can’t just pursue weight and destructive power.”
“Haha, it is a bit difficult.” Listening to Anthony ramble from topic to topic, Leo was beginning to lose patience.
“It’s fine. In just half a year, you went from a Knight’s Squire to a Formal Knight. With your growth and talent, a heavier sword is actually a good thing.” Anthony maintained his friendly smile, like an elder concerned about a junior. “Oh right, how’s your Breathing Technique training going?”
At this point, Anthony deliberately paused, as if waiting for Leo’s answer.
Leo felt annoyed by all the probing questions.
He wasn’t free to sit here chatting idly.
But on the surface, he still remained patient. “It’s alright. This kind of thing just has to be done step by step.”
“Any difficulties? Maybe I can help.” Anthony appeared very enthusiastic.
“Nothing for now.” Leo smiled, somewhat perfunctory, already thinking of an excuse to leave.
“That’s normal. Everyone goes through this stage.” Anthony patted his shoulder. “Young man, you’re quite sturdy!”
Seeing that Anthony showed no sign of leaving, Leo asked casually, “Did you come to see me for something?”
“Nothing really. Just feeling bored, so I came to see if you had any difficulties I could help with.”
Leo thought to himself—he kept saying he wanted to help, but there was nothing he actually needed.
“No need to hold back. Our Blackstone Knight Order has always supported one another. You’re new—there are bound to be challenges in cultivation.” Anthony continued guiding him.
“No need to trouble yourself. Cultivation just requires steady practice. There will always be progress.” Leo spoke confidently.
He had never felt any anxiety about cultivation.
Every day, the panel gave him real-time feedback.
Every day, he could see his own progress.
Anthony hadn’t expected Leo’s attitude to be so positive.
“Good, good. You know, when I was training my Breathing Technique, I took quite a detour. In my thirties, I once had a chance to break through to High-tier Knight…” Anthony began recounting his past.
He spoke about how he had slackened at one point and missed the best opportunity.
Then he fell into a long bottleneck in knight cultivation.
Even now, he was still stuck at Mid-tier.
Leo listened, politely responding.
But in truth, he had little interest.
Such things would never happen to him—with the panel, his progress was always visible.
Right now, he was eager to go to the dungeon and test his new equipment.
“Thinking about it now, cultivating Breathing Techniques is like this.
Take me now—I’ve reached Mid-tier, but I’ve been stuck here for too long.
Day after day, it’s like waiting for a seed to sprout.
That waiting is unbearable.
You don’t know if it will sprout.
You start doubting whether the seed is already dead.
You don’t even know if watering and fertilizing it daily will yield results.
Sometimes I think—if only there were a Breathing Technique where you could see your strength improving after training…”
Anthony continued talking to himself.
It sounded like the complaints of a middle-aged man.
Meanwhile, Leo’s thoughts had already drifted.
He hadn’t expected this smiling man to be so negative.
And so roundabout in speech.
Honestly, Leo disliked this type of person.
But as the Third Knight who managed the Knight Hall, Anthony held a higher status—there was no need to offend him.
“Alright, enough of that.” Anthony suddenly changed the topic and looked at Leo. “By the way, Leo, do you still have that chess set I gave you last time? How about we play a game?”
Leo found it strange.
Anthony should know that Eve Sova had been captured.
Not mentioning it might be due to confidentiality.
But still having the mood to play chess?
However, when chess was mentioned, Leo actually became interested.
One of the Six Knightly Arts—he wanted to see if he could unlock a related class.
“Chess? I only know the rules. I’ve never really played against someone,” Leo said honestly.
“I’ll teach you. It’s very interesting.”
After Leo brought out the board and set up the pieces, the two sat across from each other.
Anthony eagerly made the opening move.
The game in this world was called War Chess, simulating warfare—with knights, chariots, horses, kings, queens, and so on.
It felt somewhat like chess from Leo’s previous life.
He had played once as a squire before.
At that time, the panel had shown no reaction.
So he hadn’t paid much attention.
But now, after so long, he decided to try again.
They began their match.
“Your opening is quite good,” Anthony commented while playing, moving quickly without much thought.
Leo remained silent, focused.
He took the game seriously, though his Second Mind was still occupied with other matters.
Time passed quickly.
After more than ten minutes—
Leo kept checking his panel, but there was no reaction.
Anthony, however, seemed very engaged.
To be honest, among the amateurs of Blackstone City, Leo’s chess skill was already quite decent.
Though far inferior to Anthony, his calculation ability was strong.
And his concentration was exceptional.
“No wonder he’s an alchemist,” Anthony thought, smiling brightly.
“Sorry, I’ll take this.” Anthony suddenly captured Leo’s white horse.
At this point, Leo was already in a losing position.
“I concede.” Leo smiled, tossing down his piece.
“Hahaha, good skill,” Anthony praised sincerely.
“Not really—I still lost.” Leo smiled awkwardly.
“You were just one move away. It’s normal. Experienced players know there was a trap there. As a beginner, it’s normal not to see it. You’re already very impressive. Among the seven knights of Blackstone City, your chess skill should be second only to mine.”
“Thank you for the praise, Knight Anthony.” Leo remained polite.
But he still couldn’t feel any closeness to this Third Knight.
He had a feeling—
Although everything Anthony said and did seemed natural, it felt like he was wearing a mask.
“Alright, it’s getting late. I won’t disturb you further. Let’s play again sometime.” Anthony stood up.
“I’ll see you out.” Leo stood as well.
“Good.” As Anthony walked toward the exit, he noticed the cages in the corner. “Leo, what are those cages for?”
“I like raising small animals.” Leo didn’t hide it.
Everyone in the courtyard already knew.
“I didn’t expect you to have such hobbies.” Anthony walked to the door. “No need to see me off. I’ll visit again next time.”
“You’re too kind.” Leo spoke politely, though he didn’t mean it at all.
He truly didn’t like dealing with Anthony.
Even though nothing had gone wrong, he instinctively disliked him.
“He feels too natural.”
Leo found the most accurate description.
Too natural—so much so that it felt rehearsed.
Like actors delivering lines in a show.
Every sentence perfectly suited the situation, without a single spontaneous word.
That was Leo’s impression.
In short, he didn’t like Anthony and didn’t want deeper contact.
He was that kind of person.
Arthur had flaws, but Leo liked him.
Anthony, on the other hand, seemed flawless—and yet he disliked him.
Instinctively.
……
Meanwhile, as Anthony walked home, his brows gradually furrowed.
‘Why is this Leo so confident in his cultivation—there isn’t even a trace of hesitation?’
Once someone condensed the Black Aura Coating and stepped onto the path of a knight, they could no longer sense their Breathing Technique progress.
Unlike the Quasi-Knight stage, where instruments could measure it.
Every knight would experience doubt and confusion during cultivation.
The unknown made people uneasy.
But from Leo’s eyes, Anthony saw no confusion at all.
This was the first time he had encountered such a person.
No—the second time.
The first had been Mia.
Anthony originally intended to slowly build rapport and plant a seed of confusion in Leo’s mind.
Later, through the Knight Hall, he could give him a chance to access transcendent power.
Once a person experienced that kind of power even once, they would become dependent—addicted—and eventually enslaved by it.
Zoro had been like that.
Leo should be no exception.
“Impossible. Everyone experiences confusion eventually.”
After probing him, Anthony used chess as an excuse—
An excuse to meet again.
“Intelligent, talented… Leo Laide.”
He had already chosen this chess piece.
And he would definitely take it.
……
Meanwhile, Leo was also thinking as he walked.
At the moment he conceded—
A line of text appeared on his panel.
【Unassigned Class: Strategist (Blue)】