As all hope seemed to drain from Kael’s chest, he found himself completely unable to move a single muscle.
His body trembled violently under the overwhelming weight of fear. Yet, just as death seemed inevitable, an unbelievable miracle unfolded right before his eyes.
SRAAAKKK!
The gigantic wild boar’s enormous leg suddenly stopped in midair! It was as though an invisible wall, thick and incredibly hard, had slammed into the monster’s face from the front.
The Demonic Beast’s massive body froze in midair for half a second before, without warning—
BOOOMM!
The elephant-sized monster crashed violently onto its side, rolling heavily across the ground before coming to rest lifelessly right beside Kael’s trembling body.
Overwhelmed by sheer terror and the tremendous shock of what had just happened, Kael’s eyes rolled back. He eventually passed out on the ground, his face soaked with tears and his breathing ragged.
In the distance, Evan let out a long, heavy sigh. His eyes reflected profound disappointment. The arrogance and selfishness of a single person could put everyone else in danger.
However, despite his disappointment, Evan tried to find something worthwhile in the incident.
"???????? ???? ???? ???????????????????? ???????????? ???????????? ?????? ????????..." Evan thought as he slowly clenched his fist. "?? ???????? ???????? ?????????????? ???????? ???? ?? ???????? ??????????????????????, ?????????????????? ?????? ???????????????????????????? ??????’?? ???????? ?????????????? ????????????????????. ???????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ???????????????? ???????????????? ???????????? ????????."
The reason Anna had been nowhere to be seen beside Evan this entire time was that she had been preparing for exactly this kind of worst-case scenario. Evan knew that training village youths to face real demonic monsters always carried the risk of death. That was why he had asked Anna to hide among the dense trees not far from the training grounds.
"Huff... Thank goodness Anna moved quickly enough to bring down that wild boar..." Evan whispered softly to himself.
He felt a little more at ease and was deeply grateful. Although Anna was a cold witch who cared little for other people, she was willing to understand his wishes and had agreed to act to protect his students’ lives.
In the middle of the grassland, Marco sat limply on the ground, his knees trembling. An overwhelming sense of guilt and regret burned in his heart until his chest felt tight.
Meanwhile, the students near the tent barricade stared at the scene with bated breath. Terror still gripped their chests, yet they were also filled with tremendous confusion as they watched the gigantic wild boar suddenly collapse for no apparent reason.
In unison, they turned to look at Evan, who remained standing calmly and gracefully beside the main tent.
"I-I knew it..." one of the young men whispered, his eyes shining with admiration. "There’s no way the Instructor would let any of us die!"
"He’s truly a good person..." another replied in a trembling voice. "If he hadn’t acted from a distance... Kael would definitely have been trampled to death today."
Through the naive eyes of the village youths, the wild boar’s sudden collapse was proof of their Instructor’s extraordinary abilities and kind heart. He had secretly protected them from afar. Their admiration and respect for Evan soared even higher.
A few moments later, when they saw Marco and Wren running toward Kael’s body in terror, the other four students hurried over as well.
"Come on, hurry! We need to save him first! I hope he hasn’t suffered any serious internal injuries!"
"Tch, I’m sure this is all that arrogant bastard’s fault! He’s only been learning swordsmanship for a week, and he already thinks he’s the greatest... He nearly got Kael killed!" one of the students cursed, his eyes reddened with fury.
Their attitudes toward Marco had changed drastically, turning bitter and hateful. And who could blame them? Marco had initially been just like them, a nobody who was fortunate enough to be chosen for personal training by a noble. Yet, after gaining only a slight advantage in swordsmanship, he had immediately grown arrogant and ignored the team’s instructions. Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping(.)com.
"Someone like him doesn’t deserve to become a Knight! He doesn’t possess even an ounce of a true knight’s honor!"
As soon as they reached the unconscious Kael, one of the village youths could no longer contain his anger.
THUD!
A powerful punch landed squarely on Marco’s face, sending the sturdy young man sprawling to the ground!
"You bastard, Marco! Open your eyes and look at what you’ve done!" the young man shouted, pointing at Kael’s pale, motionless body.
Wren, who was supporting Kael’s head, quickly waved his hand to intervene.
"If you want to fight or beat him up, do it later! Right now, we need to get Kael to the tent and treat him!"
The young man who had punched Marco spat on the ground and stared down at him with disgust.
"Tch! You’re damn lucky today, Marco! After this... you’d better know your place and withdraw from the Instructor’s training! You nearly killed your own friend because of that oversized ego of yours!"
Marco didn’t utter a single word in response. He simply lowered his head deeply, allowing sand and grass to dirty his face. He wasn’t angry about being punched or insulted because he felt he deserved every bit of it.
Near the main tent, Evan watched the young men’s quarrel from a distance.
SRAAKK.
A graceful woman in a black evening gown suddenly appeared beside Evan, as though she had emerged directly from the shadows of the trees. Anna’s beautiful face bore a look of disappointment, and her voice carried a sharp, cutting note of disdain.
"They really are nothing but a bunch of weak fools..." Anna whispered coldly, folding her arms across her chest. "They blame one another, quarrel, and fall apart so easily. If this were a real battlefield... people like them would undoubtedly be dead and rotting by the first day."
Anna glanced at Evan indifferently.
"Well, what can you expect? They’re nothing but filthy commoners. Something this ridiculous was bound to happen."
Evan turned slightly toward his wife and offered her a faint, composed smile.
"It’s all right, Anna. They’re like diamonds still buried beneath mud and rough stones," Evan replied gently. "If they’re continually shaped through failure and suffering, their true worth will eventually emerge. There’s no need to regret what happened today... Every human being deserves a second chance."
Evan gently patted Anna’s shoulder before stepping forward to approach his students.
Up ahead, the village youths were working together to carry Kael’s body. Marco, meanwhile, walked alone at the very back. His fingers were clenched tightly beneath his dirty robe, his chest weighed down by overwhelming anger, shame, and disappointment in himself.
Disappointment could easily destroy a person’s spirit. Yet, if faced with the right attitude, it could also become the most powerful driving force for growth and strength. Marco’s head remained bowed deeply, as though an enormous weight were pressing down on his shoulders.
When they saw Evan approaching, Wren and the others immediately quickened their pace.
"Instructor! Please check Kael’s condition!" Wren called out in a panic. "He was trampled and thrown around when he fell. I think he might have suffered some internal injuries!" This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Evan nodded calmly. The students had briefly felt surprised and awkward because Lady Anna was suddenly standing behind their Instructor, even though the woman hadn’t been anywhere on the grassland just a few minutes earlier.
Although Anna enjoyed an excellent reputation among the villagers as a generous woman, these aspiring Knights always felt an uncomfortable, chilling, and terrifying presence whenever they were near her. The woman’s red eyes seemed to strip them bare, regarding them as nothing more than worthless trash.
They carefully laid Kael down on a thick patch of grass in front of the tent. Evan crouched beside him, placing his fingers against Kael’s chest and neck to examine the flow of his vital energy.
"He’s all right," Evan said with a relieved sigh. "No broken bones or ruptured organs. He’ll probably just experience some shock and trauma after he wakes up."
Evan then lifted Kael’s body into his arms with ease.
"Let me carry him into the medical tent," Evan said kindly to his students. "You should all get some rest. I know you’re all exhausted and shaken by what happened earlier."
The students froze in astonishment. Evan’s concern and gentle manner filled their chests with warmth. In unison, they bowed deeply before him, their respect utterly sincere.
"Thank you so much for your kindness and concern, Instructor!"
"You’re truly an extraordinary teacher... We’ll never forget your kindness!"
Their words of admiration and respect came straight from the heart. For Evan, such praise was nothing unusual. He hadn’t done any of this merely to maintain his image. He had done it because he felt fully responsible for the safety of those who had chosen to follow him.
Evan carried Kael into the spacious main tent and laid the young man on a soft folding bed. Anna followed behind him and tightly closed the tent curtains. Now, only the three of them remained inside the silent tent.
Evan turned toward his wife.
"Anna... please heal his injuries."
Anna let out a soft sigh, looking at Evan with a hint of reluctance in her eyes, yet also with complete devotion. She extended her smooth palm over Kael’s chest.
SRAAAKK!
A pure, golden-red magical glow radiated from Anna’s fingers, seeping through Kael’s skin and into his blood vessels.
"If you hadn’t asked me personally, Husband..." Anna whispered in a flat tone, "...I would never have been willing to waste my magical energy healing another human being."
Evan remained silent, attentively watching the miraculous healing process as the bruises on Kael’s skin gradually faded and disappeared without a trace.
After several minutes, Anna withdrew her hand and gently rubbed her temple.
"His physical injuries and nervous tension have been completely healed," Anna said, gazing at Kael’s sleeping face. "But when he wakes up, he may still experience a few panic attacks because of those traumatic memories. I don’t want to use memory-manipulation magic... because I dislike using my power excessively on anyone other than you."
Evan nodded in understanding as he straightened Kael’s blanket. Of course, he understood his wife’s nature all too well. Using magic to heal the soul or alter memories always placed a burden on Anna’s body, bringing unpleasant side effects and pain.
To Anna, there was only one person in this world worthy of receiving the sacrifices and pain brought about by her magical power...
Evan, her husband.