Chapter 68
A single word from the man's mouth echoed through the dueling grounds.
“Karl…? Knight of the Lighthouse…! A Master-level knight!”
“It’s the Free Knight, Sir Karl! To think I’d see him with my own two eyes!”
People started to shout.
And the fervor of the dueling grounds heated up intensely.
“Is that the famous Knight of the Lighthouse, Karl?”
“He’s younger than I thought.”
“Well, they did say he’s the third son of the Meyer family, so that makes sense.”
“Didn’t I hear that the Meyer family abandoned the third son?”
“It’s family matters. Not something outsiders would know in detail.”
The nobles couldn't help but admire his appearance, which could well be called the epitome of a knight.
Even though he hadn't shown anything yet, the aura he exuded felt like it overwhelmed the surroundings.
“There are rumors that Sir Karl is a Master, but that can’t be true, right? Being a Master at such an age doesn’t make sense, does it?”
“Well.”
The nobles had heard too many unbelievable rumors related to Karl, so they believed the rumors were exaggerated.
The story of him single-handedly saving a remote barony might be believable, but the tales of him purging the corruption within the Order that even the Order couldn't handle, and slaughtering Count Calido's knights alone, were too far-fetched.
Among them, the most unbelievable story was that he became a Master at the age of 25.
“Well, we’ll know when we see, won’t we.”
The gazes of the chattering nobles all focused on Karl.
While the nobles were talking about Karl, the Meyer family members also widened their eyes upon seeing the suddenly appeared Karl.
They remembered Karl leaving without hiding his contempt after hearing Serna's harsh words, so everyone looked bewildered when he suddenly appeared and declared his participation.
“Why is that brat standing there!”
Then Serna spat out irritated words.
“My Lady! Please stop!”
When an old knight, unable to watch any longer, rebuked Serna, she flinched involuntarily and shut her mouth.
She too had felt the piercing gazes of the surrounding knights.
Nevertheless, the surrounding knights also nodded slightly at the remark of the knight who was favorable towards Karl.
Regardless of what they were thinking, the duel's referee had already declared the start of the match between the two.
***
Pove, a half-bandit, half-mercenary who had killed countless posturing knights, looked at the young brat.
Rumors of him being a Master or whatnot were rampant, but not a single person here had actually witnessed his skills firsthand.
And Pove was a skilled fighter who had split open many knights with nothing but hollow fame.
Cutting down mere grunts no longer held any thrill for him.
His greatest amusement was smashing the heads of armored knights into the mud and mocking them.
‘You meet your end today too.’
He gripped his battleaxe tightly and slowly closed the distance towards Karl. His preferred fighting style, unfitting for his appearance and weapon, was to slowly wear down his opponent.
He slowly closed the gap, pressuring him, chipping away at the opponent's stamina and concentration, creating his own fight.
‘What is this…?’
He thought he was controlling the flow of air, but as the distance to Karl shortened, he felt cold sweat trickling down his body.
Karl, standing on the dueling ground, hadn't moved a single step, simply standing with his sword lowered.
Gulp
Pove swallowed dry saliva without even realizing it.
‘There are no openings. But… why…?’
He had a premonition that the moment he swung this axe would be his last. It was a formless terror.
‘Impossible. It can’t be!’
The brat standing before him was, at most, only in his mid-twenties.
It was absurd to think he stood superior to him.
“Uwaaah!”
Overcoming the fear that stiffened his entire body, Pove roared and charged forward like lightning. His battleaxe flew towards Karl urgently, without leisure.
Despite the hair-raising sound of the axe cleaving the air, Karl lightly stepped aside to dodge his axe and struck the opponent's neck with the flat of his sword.
Paak!
“Keok…!”
A sound like a neck breaking echoed from Pove's throat, and he tumbled several times on the ground. The impact on his neck was so severe that it was difficult to control his body properly.
Pove clenched his teeth tightly in pain, humiliation, and confusion, and picked up the battleaxe again.
“Uwaaaaaaaaaah!”
Letting out a fierce battle cry to overcome his fear, his battleaxe rotated with his body, creating a whistling sound.
An attack capable of slicing average knights in two unfolded from him once more.
Kaang!
‘No… way…!’
The attack he had poured all his strength into was blocked by the sword held in Karl's single hand.
And Karl's expression as he blocked the attack was utterly serene.
Immediately, Karl's foot kicked Pove's abdomen.
Peo-eok!
With a sound like a leather sack bursting, Pove flew past the dueling grounds to the waiting area outside and crashed into the temporary structure.
“….”
The arena instantly fell silent, and as no one could react to this shocking spectacle, one of the Meyer domain citizens watching shouted.
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
And soon, everyone present, except for the Pascal Viscount family, erupted in cheers, chanting Karl’s name.
“Next.”
While the people shouted, Karl called for the next opponent in a level voice.
“The next representative knight for the Pascal Viscounty!”
When the announcer shouted, murmurs arose from the Pascal camp.
“…My Lord Viscount, this is impossible.”
“So you’re saying we should give up after coming this far!”
“Is there any other way! The next knight is… anyway, we must accept what we saw.”
They argued back and forth, raising their voices. After bickering like this, they eventually raised the white flag. The knights who had witnessed Pove's crushing defeat were utterly demoralized and declared forfeiture.
“The result of this representative knight duel is the victory of the Meyer Barony. Therefore, as previously agreed, I declare under the grace of God that the rightful claim to the bordering land belongs to Baron Meyer.”
Count Raphael's proclamation followed, and the people celebrated the Meyer family's victory. Furthermore, everyone praised the achievements of the great knight Karl with one voice.
***
“….”
In the Lord’s office, Den Meyer sat facing his third son alone. He looked at his son with incredibly complex eyes.
“Why did you help?”
“No particular reason. It was easy.”
Starting from his tone, everything was subtly grating, but it was clear he had received a favor.
“Your mother Serna… try to understand her. She said she saw something.”
Karl nodded. He too could understand.
In this place with a civilization resembling the Middle Ages, who could possibly understand a 7-year-old child raving in an incomprehensible language?
Perhaps he should be grateful they didn't kill him quietly or hand him over to a wicked Inquisitor.
“If you ever need the family’s help, call for us.”
“I don’t think that will happen.”
“…Are you planning to leave?”
“This isn’t the place for me.”
Den Meyer nodded. He walked somewhere and took out a ring.
“This is a ring left by an ancestor long ago. It proves your lineage in the family. Take it.”
“…I will accept it gratefully.”
It was the Baron’s way of showing sincerity. Karl, not bothering to refuse, accepted the ring given by Lord Den and rose to his feet.
“Take care… of yourself.”
It was the first time he had heard such words. Karl turned around without replying. As Karl walked outside, his two older brothers stood before him.
“Karl…!”
While they hesitated, Karl had already walked past them. The elder of the two, Hellip, shouted loudly at Karl’s back.
“Thank you…!”
Karl nodded and left the place.
Finally, fate, as if playing a joke, placed Serna before him.
“….”
Serna stared at Karl silently with fearful eyes.
Karl guessed that her feelings, regarding the child she carried for 10 months as an evil spirit, were probably not pleasant either.
“Stay out of my sight.”
“…!”
“It would be best if we never meet each other for the rest of our lives.”
Serna’s shoulders trembled at his emotionless, level, cold voice.
“I’m… sorry….”
This time, Karl was genuinely surprised for the first time. Sorry? He never thought such words would come from that woman’s mouth.
“Don’t say things that don’t suit you, just live well. Without any trouble.”
Whether he wanted it or not, she was the woman who had given birth to the body that allowed him to live here.
Rather than wishing her ill, he simply hoped she could move on from the bad memories.
Having concluded everything, Karl packed up the belongings from the mansion he had arranged here and organized the luggage of Emma, Joseph, and Molly. As he hired mercenaries and knights to form an escort for them to the County of Collo, a familiar face appeared.
“Have you decided?”
“It seems better to follow the young master than to stay here.”
“A good decision.”
Without needing many words, Hans naturally joined Karl's group. Thus, Karl departed towards the County of Collo.