Chapter 27: The Final Trial (3)
This sparring match wasn’t about completely overpowering the opponent.
It was enough to simply shatter the bead.
Naturally, both Keldric and I had to keep the bead in mind, which restricted our movements.
Even though it didn’t seem like it, Keldric’s left hand was focused on measuring distance or seizing the timing.
I, too, gripped my sword with both hands, defending one-sidedly to protect the bead hanging on my chest.
Throb, throb.
Knowing that Keldric’s left fist couldn’t unleash its full power, I offered my shoulder.
But even if it was weaker than his right fist, its strength was still tremendous.
I felt my struck shoulder creak.
Mana surging from the Dragon Heart rushed to my left shoulder to repair the injury.
Even without proper healing magic, pure mana itself possessed natural restorative properties.
‘Mana is overflowing. I can push my body further.’
Above Keldric’s head.
I didn’t retract the sword that had merely sliced through the air.
Feeling the full extent of the extended force, I swung downward as I reached the end of the sword’s path.
Keldric dodged effortlessly.
But my sword didn’t stop.
I swung again, and again.
Even as Keldric’s fist tried to block the direction of my attacks, the sword’s trajectory only shifted, continuing endlessly.
Crack! Crack!
The Linked Sword brought the flow.
Neither the strain in one shoulder nor Keldric’s iron-like fist could disrupt the sword’s rhythm.
A thrust condensing power into a single point, followed by a twist of the blade into a low slash.
Every sword path flowed as if drawn in a single stroke.
We clashed sword and fist, proving our training.
I didn’t deliberately target his left hand.
Keldric’s fist carried a depth that wouldn’t be broken by brute force.
I didn’t adjust my stance or try to disrupt his.
Transcending the limits of the human body, I assumed postures impossible even for the most flexible person.
Even if my joints buckled, I pressed Keldric, maintaining the direction and endpoint of my sword’s path.
Crack, crack, crack.
Ultimately, the wooden sword I held reached its limit before my body did.
A large crack formed in the blade.
The wooden sword had reached its breaking point just from enduring Keldric’s fists and striking his body.
Keldric didn’t miss that moment.
His fist came at me with unprecedented ferocity.
But I had no intention of stopping either.
Gripping the sword on the verge of shattering, I swung down at Keldric’s fist.
Snap!
The wooden sword broke.
Only a rough, jagged edge remained, as if torn by a beast.
Yet, I still felt the vanished sword tip in my mind’s eye.
I continued, wielding the flow of the sword’s tip toward Keldric.
Wooooong.
The Dragon Heart, which had been pumping fiercely since the spar began, followed my will.
It recreated the shattered sword.
Far harder and sharper than the original wooden form.
‘Third-Rank, no, Fourth-Rank.’
The Fourth-Rank was the realm of projecting mana beyond the body onto other objects.
Of course, this wasn’t a result I achieved on my own.
The Dragon Heart had forged the mana of its own accord.
But for now, that was enough.
In this fleeting moment, I had stepped into a realm I could only glimpse.
Keldric’s eyes widened.
Mana condensed in his fist, materializing.
Now, we weren’t clashing sword against fist but mana against mana.
Boom!
A loud friction sound erupted.
The sword I slashed diagonally pushed back Keldric’s fist.
In the space where the sword passed, a blue semicircle lingered in the air like an afterimage.
The concentrated mana remained without dissipating.
Keldric staggered back a few steps.
From his clenched left hand, dark red liquid dripped onto the sparring ground.
“Sparring concluded.”
Tayon, who had been standing at a distance, stepped between Keldric and me and spoke.
A low voice echoed once more.
“The victor is Polarin Adjak.”
Waaaaah!
A deafening cheer erupted.
My arms, legs, and every joint screamed in pain.
Thump, thump.
But even in this moment, the Dragon Heart pulsed fiercely, pumping mana throughout my body.
“Captain, congratulations on first place.”
Keldric approached me with an untroubled expression, extending his hand.
I relaxed and grasped his hand with a smile.
“Thank you.”
As Keldric said, regardless of the results of the remaining matches, I would claim first place.
“You’re really strong, Captain.”
I almost shook my head but stopped.
I won the spar, but Keldric was strong.
Without the restrictive rules, the outcome could have easily changed.
“You’re strong too, Keldric.”
But for now, I had to act composed.
I had to be the victor.
Even if it was just for show, it didn’t matter.
‘How I’m perceived matters too.’
There was much to do in the family and, further, in this world.
At least in this moment, I had to remain the one who defeated Keldric, the greatest talent of the Adjak family.
The ranking wouldn’t change.
I was the first-place winner of this Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
* * *
After all the sparring matches concluded, Tayon addressed the remaining participants.
“Well done, everyone.”
Fewer than half of those he had led remained.
Those who secured ranks 1 to 10 in the Coming-of-Age Ceremony would be recognized as hero candidates, receiving the family’s full support.
Even those who didn’t earn high scores but passed the final trial would be granted a position within the family, regardless of rank.
Compared to risking their lives through the trials, it wasn’t a grand reward.
But these were children who had trained for the Coming-of-Age Ceremony since birth.
From a modern perspective, the ritual might seem barbaric, but the faces of those who passed the final trial glowed with exhilaration.
“The rankings will now be announced.”
Tayon began calling out names, looking at each person he had led, including the special candidates.
“28th place, Serel, well done.”
“…It’s an honor, Lord Tayon.”
“27th place, Ansio, you volunteered for the night watch during the march. You worked hard.”
“Thank you! I’ll keep working hard!”
Throughout the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, Tayon rarely spoke beyond what was necessary.
Even when reviewing my swordsmanship, he wasn’t talkative.
But the Tayon before us now was different.
Though he didn’t prolong his words, he remembered and congratulated each individual.
The roll call continued, reaching the top 10, the hero candidates.
Since the unrivaled hero Adjak vanished, the family still hoped for new heroes to emerge.
The Coming-of-Age Ceremony was a tradition created to identify such heroes.
That’s why those ranked 1 to 10 were called hero candidates.
Being recognized as a hero candidate meant receiving the family’s support and the freedom to choose one’s role.
“9th place, Siriel, you’ve changed a lot since the beginning. Your effort to protect your teammates—keep that going.”
“Yes!”
“6th place, Kiyot, you have a strong body and a fine weapon. Wield that axe justly in the future.”
“My strength will be used for the Adjak family.”
Balan, Soler, Keldric, and I had consistently ranked at the top since the first trial.
Balan, finishing 4th, was slightly disappointed but reaffirmed his resolve with Tayon’s encouragement.
Keldric, having lost to me and 10 points, dropped to 3rd.
“Keldric, you’re strong. You’ll grow even stronger. Train so your fists become harder than any weapon.”
“Yes, Lord Tayon!”
“Soler, your talent surpasses anyone here. Control your emotions and broaden your perspective.”
“Thank you.”
With tasks assigned to the two, it was finally my turn.
Tayon had given me a Special Recommendation and guided me, despite my lack of qualifications to participate in the Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
I had worked tirelessly to honor his name and achieve my dreams.
‘What will he say to me? A task? Encouragement? Anything…’
I suppressed my trembling emotions and awaited Tayon’s words.
“Polarin.”
“Yes, Lord Tayon.”
“You.”
Tayon gazed at me intently, silent for a moment.
“You’ve taught me much.”
“Me, sir?”
“Yes, you. I had planned to lay down my sword after this escort.”
“….”
“But watching you, seeing the sword you swing every day, I’ve changed my mind a little.”
“Lord Tayon.”
“Keep walking your path, as you have.”
I was taken aback, hearing Tayon’s inner thoughts for the first time.
But he continued without pause.
“A path no one else has walked.”
With those words, Tayon left the sparring ground.
I stared at his retreating figure, but he never looked back.
* * *
The celebration banquet for the Coming-of-Age Ceremony’s conclusion was held at Chilgong Fortress.
Tables lined the wide plaza, laden with food and drink.
‘Well, after the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, they’re in a world where they can drink.’
Seeing 18-year-olds tipsy and staggering felt strange.
But the atmosphere was a festival in itself.
A slight buzz.
A chance to wash away past struggles and celebrate each other’s achievements.
That alone was enough to excite the participants, but the presence of heroes from the autonomous regions, long admired by the children, heightened the mood.
Even the trial supervisors approached me, which was somewhat overwhelming.
Deshkin, the supervisor of the first trial, had been sitting in front of me, chattering away.
“You really beat Keldric? Man, even I wouldn’t want to face that guy. Wanna spar with me before you get your Heart Engraving?”
I also had to endure Diana’s enigmatic gaze.
The Coming-of-Age Ceremony participants, with excited faces, approached the heroes they admired to talk.
‘Where is Lord Tayon?’
I wanted to speak with him more.
So, ignoring the food and the festive fervor, I searched for Tayon.
The unparalleled hero of District 18, with a statue at the village entrance.
Once a legend, now closer than anyone.
Then, something strange happened.
I was walking through the bustling banquet hall when everything vanished in an instant.
Suddenly, I was left alone in the middle of an empty void.
A faint beam of light shone down in one spot.
I walked toward it slowly, not letting my guard down, drawing the sword at my waist.
Upon reaching the light, I saw a woman with a languid expression.
Her appearance could pass for human, if not for her vertically slit pupils.
“Lady Hike?”
She nodded.
The right hand of Adjak and a member of the final expedition.
The dragon looked at me and spoke in a low voice.
“Are you Adjak?”