< Chapter 3 - Count Chase #4 >
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The test for entering the Bayer Counts’ house was simple.
Fight an opponent of average skill level and land a single blow.
It was very simple and clear, but because of that, there was little room for so-called tricks.
We test only your skills fairly and fairly.
Count Bayer of that time passed the exam at the young age of twelve, and Gail, who was naturally gifted but not as gifted as his father, also passed the exam at the younger than average age of thirteen.
Uther is seventeen years old.
Although he was two years older than the age of fifteen, which was the age at which a normal person from the Bayer Counts would have to pass the exam, taking the exam this time was actually close to impossible.
‘Just a month.’
Before obtaining the Necklace of the Sun, Yuder had difficulty even training physically, let alone practicing properly.
Therefore, the period during which Yuder obtained the Sun Necklace, began treatment, and trained was at most a month, and the time spent training martial arts was less than two weeks.
Moreover, Uder was not currently in a fully recovered state.
Although his palsy was improving and he was slowly returning to normal physical strength, he was still considered weak based on the article.
‘but.’
Count Bayer had no intention of embarrassing Juder in front of everyone.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I had any intention of deliberately giving my child a poor test.
‘Victor, I trust you.’
The last letter received from the family’s old knight, Victor, a day before arriving at the family home.
The young master will pass the test.
If Victor said so, I would believe him.
He was not the type of person to spout off baseless stories.
‘But even so.’
Count Bayer was also a human being.
I became curious.
What on earth did Victor see that made him feel so confident?
It was a thought that seemed impossible, but what if Yuder had a talent that surpassed him?
My heart was pounding.
The one who had been waiting for this test more than anyone else in this place was Count Bayer himself.
“father.”
Gale spoke in a low voice as he handed a wooden sword to Count Bayer, who was standing in the middle of the indoor training grounds.
Count Bayer smiled bitterly at the look in his eyes that seemed to suggest that he really needed to take on the role of a direct opponent, and in the end, Gail gave up and shook her head, speaking softly.
“Take it easy.”
“okay.”
It was none other than Count Bayer, one of the ten swordsmen of the Kingdom of Seilun.
It was quite easy to limit one’s sword skills to the level of a common knight.
Count Bayer, who had received the wooden sword, looked with a pleased face at Juder – or rather Juder and Cordelia – who were preparing to take the test from afar.
Likewise, Gail looked at the same place and said with a huhuhuh laugh.
“They really are a great pair, aren’t they?”
“Yes, it’s really nice to see. I don’t think it was like that before the expedition… It seems like we’ve gotten a lot closer.”
“Because it’s a good time.”
A man taking an exam and his fiancée who is worried about him.
What a beautiful sight this is.
There will definitely be some pretty and cute words being exchanged.
“Hey, you crazy bastard. Count Bayer himself is coming out. At least ask him to change his opponent.”
“Hey, you’ll probably level with me.”
“Then what if you lose? You always sing in a slurred tone.”
“If you lose, you’ll go to Langest alone. Good luck with the main scenario.”
“What is that crazy guy talking about?”
Cordelia, who had been whispering pretty and lovely words, said with a sigh.
“Okay, I’ll believe you. He’s an outboxer, so he’ll do something. But······.”
“still?”
“Don’t overdo it and get hurt. Okay?”
“Yellow Storm.”
“why?”
“You really take after your father.”
“If I resemble my father, then who do I resemble?”
“I know.”
Yuder finished the story with a kick and a laugh, then straightened his shoulders and let out a deep breath.
Finally, he turned to Cordelia and said:
“Let’s go together.”
Langestro.
To change the main scenario of Uther and Cordelia.
Uther grinned, and Cordelia snorted, shaking her fist slightly in encouragement.
“Go for it.”
This was enough. Uther adjusted his grip on his wooden sword and stepped forward, while Cordelia retreated to where Count Chase was standing.
“Miss, is your Majesty okay?”
Cordelia nodded as Dahlia asked quietly.
“It’ll be okay.”
Because Outboxer009 said so.
Cordelia swallowed her words and looked at Juder as if she was watching what would happen, and Juder stood in front of Count Bayer.
“Let’s get started.”
There was no need to drag it out.
The moment they met, Count Bayer spoke, and as soon as Yuder took up his stance, he launched an offensive.
It was a royal swordsmanship that all knights who served in the Bayer Counts’ household were familiar with.
Count Bayer kept his word.
The speed of the wooden sword and the power it carried were both at the level of a knight.
But even so, it was a sword wielded by one of the Ten Swordsmen. It was an attack that seemed to show the epitome of the kingdom’s swordsmanship.
And so,
‘I can do it.’
Yuder dodged Count Bayer’s sword.
Although it may have seemed like a simple evasion, the knights watching were momentarily struck by something strange.
Rebound marks.
That was the distance that Juder had traveled to avoid Count Bayer’s sword. He had avoided Count Bayer’s sword with minimal movement.
The count’s sword struck in succession.
The swordsmanship of the kingdom continued as if it were measured with a ruler, and Yuder dodged all of the count’s attacks without even striking once.
Seven times.
The moment he dodged seven sword strikes, exclamations of admiration erupted among the knights.
Count Chase’s eyes lit up as well, and Gale looked almost cheering.
And Cordelia understood.
Why was Uder so confident?
‘You memorized it.’
The swordsmanship of the kingdom’s swordsmanship.
The attack patterns of the examiners in the Bayer Counts’ exams, which have been passed down through generations.
If this had been indiscriminate sparring, it might not have worked.
But it was a test, and to make it fair, the examiners had limited control over their search and attack patterns.
‘What on earth is in your head?’
It was so absurd that I almost started laughing.
But in any case, it was true that Yuder had figured out the pattern.
What’s more, that wasn’t all that was great.
“It’s pretty good.”
Count Chase said.
He and Count Bayer had already sensed to some extent that Juder had memorized the pattern.
And in fact, memorizing the pattern itself wasn’t that big of a deal. After all, it was a test that had been passed down for generations.
Memorizing the patterns wasn’t enough.
That alone wasn’t enough to pass the test.
Ninth.
This time, Yuder dodged. He sent the sword past him by just a step.
Gail, who had been watching, clenched her fist.
Uder had no talent.
That’s also a huge disaster.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible to dodge the sword strikes rushing in front of your eyes with such precision.
Count Bayer also smiled.
Because I felt more clearly than anyone else present that Yuder’s incompetence was real.
But Count Bayer thought at the same time.
Avoiding it alone is not enough.
You will never be able to complete the test conditions by simply avoiding them.
‘Come and see.’
Don’t just avoid it, dig in.
Don’t just stay outside, go inside.
Count Bayer swung his sword as if he was scattering it. Juder dodged to the side, and at that moment, Count Bayer’s sword rushed toward Juder as if pursuing him.
Consecutive hits.
A method where attacks are made in succession, so the attacking side also has to put in a lot of effort.
Uther knew.
I’ve been waiting just for this moment.
thud!
He kicked the ground. It wasn’t just a simple stomp. It was the 36 steps of the world. It was a law.
The sword cut through the air.
Uther slid forward. Instead of attacking head-on, he circled around the left flank and attacked Count Bayer’s opening.
Kwajik!
Count Bayer grabbed Juder’s sword with his left hand. Immediately after, Juder let go and smiled with a sweaty face.
“One room.”
The current blow.
It wasn’t the flat-footed knight who stopped it.
It was stopped by Count Bayer, one of the Ten Swordsmen.
For a moment, a loud silence filled the training ground.
Count Bayer looked at Juder and immediately burst into hearty laughter.
“I lost.”
“Wow!”
“master!”
Cheers erupted from all sides. Victor’s eyes turned red, and Gail ran over and hugged Uther.
“Huh, that’s pretty good.”
As Count Chase spoke, Uther looked at Cordelia in Gale’s arms, and Cordelia snorted and lightly punched the air.
‘Fine play.’
Uther laughed again.
And then Count Bayer, who had stopped laughing heartily, turned to Count Chase and said:
“Arthur, I’m sorry, but we’ll have to delay our departure by three days.”
Originally, I was planning to leave tomorrow, but I changed my mind.
Because I saw Yuder’s incompetence.
Because I knew he was definitely not an ordinary kid.
“Okay, I’ll wait.”
Now that Count Chase had given his permission, there was no one to dissuade him any longer.
And at that moment, the Rotten Water Yellow Storm understood. The reason why Count Bayer had given three more days.
The reason why Yuder was even more pleased with the fact that Count Bayer himself was stepping forward.
‘Additional compensation?’
Because the only thing Count Bayer could teach during the three days was martial arts.
Cordelia looked at Uther, and this time Uther responded.
He pounded the air with his slightly clenched fist.
&
Time passed.
Four days later in the morning.
Instead of dressing up as if she were going on a picnic, Cordelia, dressed in riding attire, stood in front of the carriage, tilted her head slightly, and soon smiled brightly.
“Were there any results?”
“It was there.”
Although it had only been four days, Yuder smiled brightly and answered, seeming more manly than before.
Entrance to Count Bayer’s residence.
A large four-horse carriage prepared by Count Chase has four horses.
There were four people riding in the carriage: Jude, Cordelia, the exclusive maid Maia, and the bodyguard Dahlia, and there were two escorts each from Count Bayer and Count Chase.
The Northern Twelve Houses’ fellowship meeting in Langest was literally a fellowship meeting.
Moreover, since it was a gathering of only minor children, there was no reason to put on a grand procession to show off the family’s prestige.
‘But I still have company.’
Uther glanced at Cordelia, and she nodded very slightly.
It was a signal that Yuder was ready for what he had previously mentioned: ‘Something to pack on the way to Langest.’
“I am so happy to be joining Langeste.”
“Me too. I’m really looking forward to the upcoming journey with Confucius.”
Since they were in front of Maia and Dahlia, the two people pretended to laugh and took their respective seats in the carriage. Maia and Dahlia exchanged happy looks before taking their respective seats next to the two people.
“Well then, let’s go.”
Since I had already greeted both sets of parents, there was nothing more to worry about.
“Uder! Have a nice day!”
Gale, who was sitting in the garden, raised his voice again, and Count Bayer nodded. Count Chase, as usual, snorted.
‘Do you know how to make n-bread?’
Cordelia’s gaze turned to Uther’s waist. She had seen the purse that Count Chase had handed to Uther when they had greeted each other earlier.
Instead of answering, Uder just shrugged his shoulders and looked back at the window on the other side.
northeastward.
Towards Langest, the heart of the North.
“Here!”
The carriage started off with the coachman’s shout.
It was the beginning of the main scenario.
Chapter 3 – The End of Count Chase, Chapter 4 – Seong-gon.
< Chapter 3 - Count Chase #4 > End
