The second lean knight stared at Elias for several seconds before glancing toward Trons, who was still recovering from the beating he had just received.
He knew Trons was stronger than him.
If even he couldn’t land a single meaningful attack against Elias, there was no point pretending that he himself could do any better.
The knight slowly lowered his sword, then dropped to his knees.
"I’m sorry, Lord Crimson. Please forgive me," he said hurriedly.
Elias looked down at him without saying anything.
His expression remained calm, but inwardly, he was practically beaming.
He had defeated an Intermediate swordsman.
Not only had he defeated one, but he had done it effortlessly.
Just yesterday, something like this had been nothing more than a distant dream. He had spent years training with a wooden sword, desperately trying to reach the level of ordinary swordsmen, yet he had never been able to make any meaningful progress.
Now, he had defeated an Intermediate knight with such efficiency that he had barely needed to think about it.
Elias still couldn’t fully understand what had happened during the fight.
When Trons had attacked him, it had felt as though someone else had taken control of his body. His feet had moved before he consciously decided where to step, his sword had responded to every attack naturally, and his body had somehow known exactly how to redirect each strike.
It had been a surreal feeling.
Elias lowered his gaze toward his own hands.
’Was that because of my increased sword mastery?’ he wondered.
He still remembered the feeling clearly.
It was almost as though his body had suddenly remembered something that his mind had never learned.
The kneeling knight lowered his head further.
"Please forgive my ignorance, Lord Crimson. I shouldn’t have insulted you or your wives," he begged.
Elias remained silent for another moment before Marcus finally stepped forward.
"Lord Crimson, I hope you will be kind to the ignorant," Marcus said respectfully.
Elias turned his gaze toward Marcus.
The knight captain’s expression was calm, but there was a hint of caution in his eyes.
Elias understood what he meant.
He had already proven his point.
There was no reason to keep humiliating the man simply because he wanted to test his new strength.
Elias nodded.
"Very well," he said.
He looked down at the kneeling knight again, his expression becoming slightly colder.
"Make sure to burn this day into your memories. The next time you dare do something like this, words will be meaningless," Elias said in a low voice.
The knight shivered and immediately nodded.
"I understand, Lord Crimson!"
Elias lowered his sword.
"Show them out," he ordered.
Benjamin, who had been standing nearby, immediately stepped forward.
"Yes, my lord," he said.
Marcus gave Elias a respectful bow before turning toward the two knights.
"Let’s go," he said.
Trons silently followed him, while the other knight hurriedly rose to his feet and followed after them without daring to look back.
Elias watched them leave the training grounds before finally releasing a quiet breath.
He turned around and began walking toward his room.
As he walked, he loosened the straps of his training outfit, a smile gradually appearing on his face.
"I really did it..." he mumbled.
He shook his head in disbelief.
"I defeated an Intermediate swordsman."
For some reason, the victory felt much more satisfying than his confrontation with Stella.
Perhaps it was because Trons was someone he could actually compare himself against.
Yesterday, Stella had been a monster far beyond his current understanding. Fighting her had been like standing before a mountain and trying not to be crushed.
Trons was different.
He was an Intermediate swordsman, someone who had trained for years and had probably believed that Elias couldn’t even stand against him.
And Elias had defeated him effortlessly.
The thought alone made Elias’s smile widen.
’If I keep receiving rewards from the system, how strong will I become?’
He continued toward his room, his mind already beginning to wander toward the possibilities.
When he reached the door, however, he stopped as something inside caught his attention.
Elias slightly pushed the door open without making any sound and looked inside.
Stella and Natasha were sitting together on the larger bed.
A notebook rested between them, and the two women were taking turns writing messages to one another.
Stella would write something, Natasha would read it and write a response, and Stella would then read the answer before smiling again.
Elias remained by the doorway, quietly watching them.
He had never seen them interact like this before.
Then Natasha smiled.
Elias froze for a moment.
It was small, almost subtle, but it was undeniably a smile.
Until now, he had wondered whether Natasha was even capable of smiling after everything that had happened to her.
Apparently, he had been wrong.
Seeing that expression on her face made his heart skip a beat.
’Smile suits her,’ he thought.
His gaze moved toward Stella, then back toward Natasha.
Both of them were beautiful.
Elias slowly narrowed his eyes as a serious thought entered his mind.
’Won’t I look like a toad while standing beside them?’ he wondered.
The thought lingered for several seconds before a voice interrupted him.
"My lord, it is time to feed Lady Monica," Sena, one of the two maids, said respectfully as she approached, carrying a plate with a bowl of pureed food.
Elias glanced toward the bowl before nodding.
"Alright," he said, reaching out to take the plate.
Sena handed it to him with a small bow.
He turned away from the room and walked down the corridor toward Monica’s room, carrying the meal carefully in one hand.
When he reached the door, he took out the key and unlocked it. The lock clicked softly as he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
He entered the room and closed the door behind him before turning toward the bed.
Monica was lying beneath the blankets, her bright-blue hair resting loosely against the pillow while the faint blue glow of the magical formations illuminated her delicate face.
Elias stood there for a moment, quietly looking at her.
’She’s beautiful too,’ he thought.
His gaze lingered on her peaceful expression before he sighed softly.
’Three beautiful wives... and then there’s me.’ He shook his head and walked toward the bed.
"Let’s get you fed," he mumbled.