Born and raised in the northwest part of the continent, Fredric was a top-tier employee, but he was always more interested in the matters of the other regions.
Although he was now in a position of carrying the luggage to a corner village his goal was to one day make a name for himself and build a platform that would ultimately dominate the entire continent.
To be a good trader one is supposed to be sensitive to information and the most important information was about people.
He had heard countless times from people that what he was doing was nothing but nonsense but even then Fredric found it hard to stop hearing the gossip from other places.
And like that.
“Ah!”
He soon realized it.
Irene Bratt Judith and Ilya.
Where he had heard the names of the four people from.
“Wh-what is it?”
Staring at his assistant who made a weird sound his higher-up employer Kenzal frowned.
This kid often had strange thoughts and made a lot of mistakes so he couldn’t let his guard down.
However unlike the usual where he would be fearful Fredric was still looking surprised.
And as if wanting to tell something important he whispered.
“Mr. Kenzal.”
“What is it? Don’t be this weird. Just back off and do your job!”
“It is because this is important. Do you know those people over there?”
“I don’t know. How would I even know?”
“Those people are amazing swordsmen.”
“What?”
“Didn’t you hear about the golden batch of Krono who were active in the Land of Proof lately?”
“I think I heard something about it… why? Are they those ones?”
“Yes! They have the same names. Even Sword Master Ilya Lindsay!”
Fredric hadn’t heard of the information that Irene had also reached Sword Master.
However what he knew now was enough.
With a face full of excitement he tried to give out the stories he heard about the Krono trainees Irene Pareira and Ilya Lindsay.
However that wasn’t possible.
Kenzal slapped him on the forehead and said.
Slap!
“Ack! Why…”
“Stop with the bullshit and do your job right.”
“No it isn’t bullshit… they have the same name!”
“This jerk! What if they have the same name? If I change my name to Julius right now will I become him huh? Should I then act as the commander of the Holy Kingdom?”
“But they seem to be the right age….”
“Then tell me. Why did such great people come all this way to this remote part of the continent and better yet why are they coming with us? Huh? Those people are probably in the arena fighting battles there.”
“That…”
Fredric was speechless at that.
He had nothing to object to.
Seeing him hesitate Kenzal sighed.
“Ugh think about it. Huh? It is because they didn’t want to reveal their names. Hmm seeing that guy’s face he looks like a noble… phew let’s leave it at that.”
Kenzal clicked his tongue and walked ahead.
Looking at his back Fredric pouted.
‘Can’t he just say that? Why did he have to hit me on my head?’
Besides he could have been right!
The young employee didn’t like this.
But Kenzal’s words were indeed more persuasive; however he didn’t want to accept that easy explanation especially because his boss always kept scolding him.
He glanced back.
A strange atmosphere that was hard to find in such remote places.
Besides the party had with them an Orc fortune teller and a strange talking cat; not having secrets was weird.
‘I will unfold the secrets they are hiding!’
Fredric who was determined clenched his fist.
Thus his investigation began.
‘… very ambiguous.’
3 days since Irene’s party joined them.
In the meantime Fredric would move around them run several errands and pick up stories from here and there.
He wondered if he could know the truth about the other party if he heard them talking.
‘They must be great swordsmen so they must have amazing stories to tell. In particular Bratt Lloyd and Ilya Lindsay are high ranking nobles so maybe they will talk about the continent’s situation or maybe other diplomatic stuff.’
However it wasn’t anything like that.
Fredric recalled the conversation he overheard over the past 3 days one after another.
“Many people say that the King of fermented fruit drinks is Wine. Well to some extent I will admit to that. If God had gifted grapes to mankind then the devil gifted us the method to make Wine. But I think beer has had a bigger impact on people and in general it is more happy…”
“Uhm isn’t it better to just drink what you want to? Ah by the way it was said that the fermented liquors are made from rice in the eastern part of the continent. There are two kinds I think makgeolli and refined rice wine but the taste…”
Bratt Lloyd and the Orc kept talking about alcohol.
“Ilya what is it? Is your head all complicated again?”
“Ah yes a little…”
“I told you! In that case it is better to just empty your mind. You can even do it while walking.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Here follow me…”
“meow…”
He wasn’t sure what was going on but Ilya Lindsay was talking to a cat and then fell into a dazed state.
“Hey hey.”
“… what?”
“I am bored; say something. Something fun.”
“… do you know how sand cries? Dirt dirt.”
“…”
“… uh so when sand cries it turns moist and the moist one is dirty…”
“Kuvar told you that?”
“Yes….”
“Just stay silent then. You’d be better if you drink alcohol.”
“Sorry.”
Irene and Judith were walking around joking.
Conversations that made no sense were what they were and hardly anything related to swords was being said!
However it was hard to dispel the doubts the stories they talked about when they gathered for meals.
“It is about mixing the strides with expressions and if we can use it well we can change the direction in the air right?”
“Theoretically it is possible. Like if you want to attack and then defend sure…”
“Umm in an urgent situation… or it could be used to deliberately trap the opponent.”
“Come to think of it Kuvar Orc warriors use spirits when they fight don’t they?”
“Yes. Just the way I use it there are cases where the spirits themselves are fused in the attack or the magic of the five spirits are fused into something like an Aura operation.”
“Then the… Magic of Five Spirits? Do you use it as well?”
“I also use the magic of spirits. We use both. Why? Are you interested?”
“Yes. I want to see how it flows.”
“I-I don’t know can you please explain clearly after we see it.”
‘… seeing things like that makes me feel that they are great swordsmen.’
Fredric didn’t know much about swords.
However the degree of difference between what was fake and what was real could be distinguished by him.
It was because he had met several mercenaries before.
Judging by that it was obvious that these people were up to something.
However…
‘Considering the appearance of the other times the sense of difference is too great.’
“Hmm…”
Fredric watched the four swordsmen.
With eyes like that of a detective.
Of course Kenzal wasn’t letting Fredric watch them like that.
Slap!
“Ah! Why again!
“Don’t stay still and go prepare the meal.”
“You should know how to do that; why always use violence on…”
“Right violence shouldn’t be used; if that is the case work before I ask you to. Move fast!”
With that Kenzal gave him work.
Fredric was dissatisfied with it but it was true that he had to work so he went to prepare the meal.
After a while the merchants and mercenaries of the group who finished their dinner spoke with a smile.
“Phew that was a good meal!”
“It was delicious because it doesn’t feel like eating roadside food.”
“The weather is nice so this is good. The decision to go north during summer was good.”
“I hope we can get there without coming across thieves.”
“Look here shouldn’t you be thinking about defending everything if that happens?”
“It is because I’d prefer IF there is no problem at all. Do you know what would happen if there were thieves? It will just be one fight after another!”
“Hm that so? Well the sky is bright so we might as well fight…”
Two of the mercenaries got up from their place and took out each other’s weapons and went to the dining area.
Usually they would talk until the dark sky and they would eat chat a little and then go to sleep right after the sky turned dark but today they had time to sit and camp.
“Hm should we relax too?”
“Sounds good. No one has shown up for ten days so I guess we are on the safe side.”
“Well I didn’t even see a single ant let alone thieves or monsters.”
It wasn’t just those two.
After eating almost all of the mercenaries took their places and took out their weapons.
And with rising energy they fought amongst themselves as training.
Judith who watched that mumbled.
“Can we do that?”
“Well it will be fine since the mercenary commander will tolerate it. Since the sky is still bright my vision won’t have a problem and there are also people other who want to train so.”
“Is that so? Then…”
It was the moment when she was about to say let us do that too.
Irene jumped up.
And Ilya Lindsay followed after him.
Without saying another word Judith shook her head as she looked at the two people.
‘Aren’t they a perfect couple?’
Of course she didn’t say those words out loud.
It was because she was sure that Ilya would attack her if she said that when she was not drunk.
Saying that Judith looked at Bratt the same way.
“Once they are done should we go?”
“Right. Let’s see them fight first”
Said Bratt and Judith nodded.
A battle between two swordsmen who were Sword Masters.
Of course one couldn’t still use the Aura sword properly but that didn’t mean that he was any less.
Judith was looking forward to the fight with bright eyes and Bratt next to her waited for it to start with calm eyes.
“What.”
“The young nobles are fighting against each other?”
“Should we take a look?”
“We should. I wonder how strong they are.”
It wasn’t just Judith and Bratt. Some mercenaries and merchants showed interest in the battle of the two as well.
The people didn’t mingle as they all knew they would go their separate ways soon but since they had been together for 3 days it was inevitable for them to be curious.
And as usual Irene and Ilya didn’t care about it.
In the eyes of the others they saw that the two were too focused with each other and drew their swords.
No to be precise Irene summoned his sword.
And while the people of the group were still stunned Ilya’s body moved.
Phat!
Most of them were unaware that she had appeared at Irene’s side in an instant.
Not just the merchants but even the mercenaries were shocked when they saw Ilya’s figure next to Irene. This was by no means a simple act.
Whether it was a run or a leap or a jump the movement was too smooth to see yet complex to do.
A waving of an arm and the bending of the knee;
They were the things a swordsman would notice in the opponent and act accordingly.
However Ilya’s movement gave no such clues to the opponent and her operation of Aura was amazing.
Therefore the mercenaries could only find Ilya once she halted her movement at Irene’s side to swing the sword.
Kwaang!
Of course Irene didn’t care.
He had numerous experiences accumulated through the battles in Eisenmarkt as well as the Aura Seeing Eye.
His defensive skills were completed through that.
He neatly blocked the first attack of Ilya and took a step forward and Ilya backed away like a wild beast startled by fire.
However after a while she moved again. Even faster than before.
Irene’s eyes which couldn’t fail him were wide open again to see her movements.
Kwang!
Kwang!
Kwang!
Ilya’s sword fell at each breath she took pouring out in all directions. A storm of steel blades.
It fell down and then rose and then came from the side and then suddenly it was on the other side the sword seemed to be coming from all directions.
Truly a splendid sword trajectory.
It felt like one was dealing with three to four swordsmen at the same time.
“Hmph!”
Woong!
Irene who was constantly being pushed back until then threw a powerful slash at Ilya.
A timely attack aimed at Ilya who paused to take a breath in before attacking again and he struck with a force powerful enough to blow her away.
Of course the opponent dodged it easily.
However thanks to that Irene was able to catch his breath.
And unlike before the silver-haired swordsman stepped back for real this time.
And the blonde swordsman just looked at her eyes.
“…”
“…”
The surroundings went quiet.
In the beginning many people were sparing with each other but now the only people fighting were Irene and Ilya and everyone else was just looking at them dumbly.
The mercenaries who felt the sharp energy still being released thought.
‘What are they?’
