Chapter 100

Chapter 100
Chapter 100: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

“Let’s lift together.”

Thankfully, Lion faced no dangerous incidents.

The reason was simply that the distance separating this spot from the residential quarters and the knights’ training grounds was quite substantial.

“The barley needs to soak for a full 24-hour cycle now.”

Naturally, following that stage, multiple water changes and further soaking would be required to trigger germination, but for the moment, the immediate task was complete.

‘It is a relief that this corner has just the right amount of shade.’

Storing it inside the building was an option, but wouldn’t positioning it close to the well prove far more convenient?

Lion set the basin down within the cool shadows and paused briefly to catch his breath.

‘Still, this area is surprisingly vast.’

He had never truly appreciated it throughout his entire life, but the Asteri household’s estate covered far more ground than he had envisioned.

The presence of dedicated living quarters constructed exclusively for the knights served as clear proof of that scale.

‘Impressive benefits.’

After all, these served as the knights of the renowned Asteri magic dynasty.

One might naturally assume they would look down upon mere swordplay in favor of arcane arts.

‘Grandfather pays no mind to such narrow views.’

Petrick not only hired personnel purely on the basis of skill and loyalty, disregarding gender and social standing, but he also provided generous accommodations.

While it lacked the distinct architectural marvel of something like the Magic Tower, a substantial portion of the mansion grounds was handed over to the knights for dormitories and training fields.

Did the perks end there?

Alongside high salaries and comprehensive benefits, should any knight fall honorably while defending the Asteri name, the livelihood of their surviving relatives was thoroughly guaranteed.

Naturally, gifted fighters poured in from everywhere, causing the morale of the order to skyrocket.

Some even whispered that their overall combat strength surpassed that of the Imperial Knights.

‘Even if the crown downplays it to protect the empire’s prestige.’

Anyone with actual insight understood the reality.

There had to be a concrete reason why the volume of applicants consistently dwarfed that of the Imperial Guard.

Regardless.

“Quite reassuring.”

Lion nodded to himself as his gaze drifted toward the distant knights’ sector.

While the threat of an assassination attempt remained relatively low in his own case, the same could hardly be said for Rikschel, could it?

Whether Rikschel realized it or not, he was undoubtedly benefiting from considerable protection behind the scenes.

‘Should I make time later to check in on the knights?’

Figuring it wouldn’t hurt to pay them a visit eventually, Lion draped a piece of cloth over the basin and turned away.

“Surely nobody would just toss this out, right?”

Nah. Even so, would anyone really walk off with something left sitting so neatly in the open?

He decided to trust that anyone finding it would assume there was a valid purpose behind its placement.

Besides, since it only needed to sit undisturbed for a single day, things would likely be fine.

……Probably?

—

A short while after Lion departed from the soaking grain.

*Clack!*

The sharp collision of dense wooden blades resounded across the training yard.

Two youths, standing on the threshold of manhood, traded blows while a circle of squire knights roared with enthusiastic encouragement.

“Hit him hard, Jake!”

“Come on, rookie! Stay in the game! You can’t afford to drop this!”

The atmosphere carried the rowdy energy of mercenaries gathered around a gambling ring or an underground fighting pit.

Though it might seem a bit unrefined for the prestigious knights of the Asteri family, who prided themselves on elite discipline…

A closer examination revealed a different reality.

Though they shouted freely, they never overstepped the boundaries of decorum.

Even while reveling in the spectacle, their sharp eyes keenly absorbed the intricate footwork and forms.

At the very least, they lacked the reckless, vacant stares of immature youths.

And right in the middle of it all.

The two combatants locked in a relentless exchange.

*Clack! Clack!*

They surged violently across the training dirt, seamlessly shifting between aggressive lunges and evasive parries.

A dull whistle cut through the rushing air as a wooden blade came crashing down from above with immense force.

*Whoosh!*

Jake, the veteran squire, executed a vicious downward stroke.

The sound resembled the heavy club of a rampaging troll or ogre tearing through the atmosphere.

“Grrr!”

His opponent barely managed to intercept the descending arc with his own weapon.

*Screech-*

The defender’s boots skidded backward, driving him toward the edge of the training grounds, yet Jake wore an expression of sheer astonishment.

‘He actually stopped that?’

To be entirely frank, he had poured a tremendous amount of physical power into that singular strike.

Peers and even fully certified knights ought to have been driven to their knees by such an impact.

Up until this moment, that had always been the outcome.

Yet the guy standing right in front of him—the newly arrived ‘rookie’—remained standing tall.

‘A genuinely formidable opponent has entered our ranks.’

Still, that was the extent of it.

His adversary had already been pushed onto the defensive with nowhere left to retreat.

Directly behind him stood the assembly of watching squires.

Fleeing the ring would instantly disqualify him as a knight.

A smirk tugged at the corners of Jake’s lips amid the swirling dust of the training square.

What path would the newcomer choose?

A desperate, humiliating counterattack?

Or a quiet, submissive acceptance of defeat?

Whichever route he took, the taste would be bitter for the newcomer.

Yet tasting this specific defeat was an essential initiation rite required of everyone who officially joined the Asteri Knights.

The exact instant Jake anticipated victory and began drawing his weapon back for the finishing blow.

*Pop!*

A cloud of dust erupted, and his target vanished entirely from sight.

……!

Instinctively, Jake jerked his upper body down and whipped his head around.

*Thwack!*

The wooden sword buried itself deep into the hardened dirt and stone floor of the courtyard.

‘Had I not dodged…’

No, there was no spare second for reflection.

Using the downward momentum and the recoil of the earth, Jake sprang upward violently, sweeping his blade through empty space.

*Pow!*

“Ugh!”

The boy was blasted backward out of the dust cloud, tumbling across the ground several times.

Coughing and sputtering, the newcomer spat dust, having clearly absorbed a direct blow to his midsection.

The bout had reached its conclusion.

Refusing to accept the outcome, however, the newcomer clawed his way up, his fingernails tearing deep gouges into the dirt floor.

For a split second, jagged teeth bared in the open air, and his wide eyes burned with an eerie, feral glow.

“……”

Sensing the sudden spike in pure killing intent, Jake tensed every muscle and shifted his hand toward the hilt of his own weapon.

Just as a low growl rumbled, signaling an imminent renewed assault.

“Halt.”

“……”

“Jake takes the match.”

Rikson, the Knight Captain, who had observed the entire exchange from the very rear of the group, intervened.

“Whew.”

Releasing the breath he had been holding, Jake let his tense shoulders drop, sheathed his training sword, and stepped toward the boy with a friendly grin.

“Your abilities are something else, you know? That’s far beyond what someone just assigned to basic chores should possess…”

The precise moment their eyes locked by accident, Jake swallowed his remaining words and instinctively yanked his wooden blade back out.

*CRASH!*

An impact wave unlike anything experienced moments prior slammed directly into him.

The grip on his weapon fractured, drawing blood from his palms as the wooden sword splintered, threatening to snap in two at any second.

Had the material not given way under the pressure, his fingers likely would have been crushed clean off instead of merely lacerated.

How could anyone generate such destructive force without even relying on a proper weapon strike?

Though his eyes bulged with shock, Jake desperately tried to readjust his hold on the ruined hilt.

As the assailant surged forward once more…

“Stop right there!”

Rikson’s voice resonated with heavy internal power, forcing the newcomer backward.

Stepping directly between them to shield Jake, the Captain fixed a severe expression upon the intruder.

“Barg!”

*Grrr-!*

A low, animalistic snarl escaped the boy’s throat.

While the onlookers stationed further away might have missed it, Jake caught the chilling sound with absolute clarity.

“The bout is finished! Now, what is the proper course of action?”

“……”

At Rikson’s stern command, Barg inhaled deeply.

After several heavy breaths, the fierce intensity in his eyes slowly faded, and his tightly locked fists relaxed.

“Ah……”

Only then did cognitive awareness seem to return to his expression.

Barg lifted his drooping head, his gaze shifting between Knight Captain Rikson and Jake standing just beyond.

Gone was the terrifying aggression from moments before; now his back was hunched and his shoulders drooped low.

His posture appeared remarkably timid.

“Um, apologies…”

His fingers fidgeted nervously against one another.

He looked as though he wanted to inquire if Jake was uninjured, yet the imposing presence of Rikson kept him frozen.

“I—I lost.”

“Indeed. This particular sparring match goes to Jake.”

Chuckling softly, Jake extended his uninjured hand outward.

“Good fight.”

“Ah, right. Thanks. And… sorry about that…”

Barg grasped Jake’s hand with both of his own, gave it a hesitant shake, and then glanced down at Jake’s wounded fingers.

“Um, your hand…”

“This? It’s nothing. Accidents happen during training. Don’t worry about it.”

Forcing a reassuring smile, Jake clapped Barg on the shoulder.

Beneath the surface, however, his thoughts told a completely different story.

‘That final blow…’

Jake swallowed hard in secret.

Even among the senior squires preparing for full induction into the Asteri order, Jake held a high standing.

Yet had he taken the full brunt of that last attack head-on…

He undoubtedly would have sustained severe trauma.

Even through a momentary lapse in focus, he hadn’t even been able to track the movement.

‘And that look in his eyes.’

He had felt the distinct sensation of a predator locking onto its prey an instant before the kill.

‘A remarkably dangerous fellow.’

Though he formed this conclusion, Jake kept his outward expression entirely neutral.

Dangerous or not, since the kid had officially entered the order, he was now a junior.

Somehow, they would need to find a way to coexist.

‘That said, aside from all of that…’

I’m definitely going to ask the Captain-nim about this newcomer named Barg later.

“Captain-nim. That means I’ve secured our lunch bet, correct?”

Jake inquired with a casual grin once the handshakes concluded.

“Yes.”

*Woohoo!*

At Rikson’s confirmation, the training field, which had grown tense and quiet, erupted into cheers and applause.

“Just as expected, betting on Jake was the winning play!”

“Aw man! And the newcomer looked so promising!”

“Seriously, how could a rookie possibly overcome Jake?”

“Looks like our lunch budget is gone too, huh.”

Naturally.

The underlying objective behind this intense training exhibition served a very specific purpose from the very beginning.

A wager over lunch.

To put it plainly, only those who placed their bets on the victorious fighter would enjoy a proper midday meal.

And the rest?

They would simply go hungry.

Such was the harsh reality of an order of knights dedicated entirely to practical combat readiness.

It also functioned as an established tradition whenever fresh blood entered their ranks.

An initiation designed to force newcomers to experience defeat firsthand while simultaneously sharpening their tactical awareness.

As for the losers of the wager system…

“Alright, the rest of you go secure your meals and make sure you’re back on time.”

They were expected to forage or acquire their food through any means necessary.

Whether through begging, trading, or scavenging. Any method worked.

“Sigh. I had a feeling this would happen, so I stashed some emergency rations beforehand.”

“Hey, you too? Same here.”

The junior members with a bit of tenure under their belts knew how to navigate the system, but…

“……What about me, then?”

The newcomer was left entirely on his own to track down sustenance.

“Good luck out there.”

Jake patted Barg’s shoulder a few more times before turning away.

The other knights did much the same, and even Captain Rikson departed the area.

In truth, the rule had been devised to help new recruits quickly learn the geography of the Asteri estate and get accustomed to interacting with everyone.

After all, the mathematical probability of a novice defeating a senior knight hovered near zero.

Naturally, the timid newcomer Barg, completely unaware of this unwritten custom, simply blinked around the empty field with a devastated expression.

They aren’t providing food?

Good grief!

‘How on earth am I supposed to find anything to eat out here?’

Every direction offered nothing more than desolate, barren ground.

*Grrr.*

Having taken such a brutal beating during the drills, his stomach flatly refused to cooperate.

Word on the ground was that the afternoon training session would prove even more punishing, focusing heavily on raw endurance.

That being the case…

‘I—I have to track down food somehow!’

Clenching his fists in determination, Barg set off walking in a random direction.

Fortunately, Barg possessed a tiny bit of background experience performing odd jobs for the knights, brief though it had been.

Due to his naturally shy disposition, he hadn’t formed close bonds with the other domestic servants, but he at least knew a few locations where provisions might be scavenged.

‘If all else fails, I’ll just fill my belly with water…’

He even mentally prepared himself for the worst-case scenario of drinking water to stave off hunger.

Looking disheveled and caked in dust, the newly minted squire trudged onward.