And he calls himself the second son of a ruined house?
His manner of speech and behavior carried composure and nobility even in plain training clothes. He appeared far more aristocratic than the two fools from earlier. Kun repeated the name in his mind once more.
Taylor Rosetta.
Kun already knew a little about this youth. Among the more than one hundred trainees of the Third Moat, Taylor was considered the undisputed number-one sword prodigy. Rumor said his talent would one day allow him to reach the level of Sword Master.
A Sword Master — those who had surpassed human limits and become superhuman. A summit accessible to only a handful among hundreds of thousands of warriors. Of course, even among Masters the gap in strength could be enormous…
Yet the mere ability to reach such a level spoke of exceptional talent. But Kun remembered Taylor not only for his natural gifts.
Between possessing talent and fully realizing it lay a vast distance. Many praised as geniuses in childhood quickly broke and fell into despair. The reason was simple.
They did not know how to work.
Unable to break walls and overcome obstacles, they faltered at the first serious barrier. But unlike such “half-formed” talents, Taylor possessed something beyond mere sword skill.
“My proposal is the following…” Taylor continued.
He wished to test Kun’s strength in practice by working together as a pair. He also mentioned that despite its decline, his family still owned a merchant guild and held enough influence to serve as a respectable patron.
The offer itself differed little from the Silvers’, and in some ways was even weaker. It could not be otherwise.
Unlike the Silvers, who retained part of their influence, House Rosetta was in deep crisis. Their positions were unequal. Therefore Taylor proposed his house not as the sole patron, but as one of several possibilities.
The difference was that Taylor’s words, unlike the Silvers’ crude approach, contained specifics, with benefit and practicality perfectly balanced. Yet the main reason the proposal seemed more worthy to Kun was its delivery.
Polite, yet not servile.
There was neither arrogance nor weakness in his voice.
The rumors were true — he holds the talent not only of a warrior but of a merchant. He is clearly more gifted than the brother who currently leads the family…
It seemed the whispers among trainees had solid grounds.
The proposal truly was not bad.
Taylor’s chances of fulfilling it were higher than those of the Silver children, who meant little within their own clan. However…
A moment later Taylor raised his brows and asked in astonishment:
“Pardon?”
3.
Soon after Kun left, Taylor, left alone, let out a heavy sigh.
…Right.
He frowned, clearly unable to digest what he had heard. The recent conversation replayed in his mind again and again.
A refusal? He simply refused?
They were to face one of the instructors of Lion’s Moat. Even if the instructors would not fight at full strength, for current trainees it was an incredibly difficult task.
And he intended to do it alone.
At first Taylor thought he misheard. But if not…
Either he is raising his price.
After all, not only he and the Silvers had observed Ethan’s growth. Few knew Ethan had defeated Barison’s gang, yet many noticed his rapid progress. With such development speed, bargaining for better conditions would be wise.
However…
Taylor shook his head.
That wasn’t in his eyes.
Kun’s gaze when rejecting the offer would not leave Taylor’s mind. There had been no bragging or falsehood in it. It was the look of someone sincerely convinced he could tear a button from an instructor’s shoulder alone.
Does he truly believe that possible?
Taylor frowned again and exhaled.
“Phew…”
Unless that boy held some unbelievable trump card, Taylor could not imagine any method by which a lone fighter could defeat a knight.
“…Ha.”
An involuntary groan escaped his lips. Until now he believed his talent outstanding and his effort the utmost possible. And suddenly someone in the Third Moat stood a full head above him.
Though the trial had not begun, a strange sense of defeat washed over Taylor. He slouched, then scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
No… in this situation, should I admit I was simply caught up and surpassed?
He remembered how weak Ethan had looked at the beginning. To avoid falling behind, he himself would have to work many times harder than before…
Two months passed.
A strange low resonance sounded in Kun’s chest.
The pulsation of mana had become incomparably stronger than several months ago. Kun looked toward his heart.
Now the preparation is complete.
His eyes glinted predatorily in the darkness. At that moment, Kun placed the final mark on his preparation for the first trial.
4.
“Fuuuh…”
Calming his ragged breathing, Kun lowered his wooden sword. His training clothes were long soaked with sweat, proof of extreme exertion. Around him, other trainees continued practicing.
Whoosh, whish—!
Three months had passed unnoticed. The children trained day and night to avoid elimination at the very first stage.
Kun swept his gaze across the grounds. Dozens of youths swung swords. Some honed swordsmanship, others practiced steps, some trained hand-to-hand combat or group combinations. Unlike three months earlier, the rigid schedule had shifted into individual training under each person’s responsibility — naturally with instructor approval. They canceled most mandatory hours, granting freedom. However… the question was how effectively that time was used.
Some squeezed themselves dry, spending even rest minutes on training. Others had already begun slacking and searching for loopholes, hoping to get by unnoticed. The instructors merely looked away indifferently. Kun shrugged.
As expected.
Those who grew lazy already had defined their ceiling. The instructors simply saw no reason to waste time on them.
So these three months themselves were another examination?
A test within a test, measuring each one’s character and nature. Those who used the time wisely could surpass themselves. The rest would simply be eliminated…
At that moment:
“Everyone assemble!”
“Form ranks!”
Junior instructors hurried across the grounds gathering trainees. The senior instructor stepped forward and announced in his usual emotionless voice:
“As promised, we begin the Lion Trial.”
Exactly three months after the first announcement.
As soon as he finished, the ordinary instructors stepped forward in unison.
There were far more than usual. Apparently teachers from other moats had been brought in for the trial.
Twenty?
Kun estimated the scale.
If each moat has ten instructors and some are here…
Then the fourth or fifth moat still holds four to five hundred trainees.
Meanwhile the senior instructor concluded the introduction and asked:
“Explanations are finished. Any questions — or a group wishing to challenge first?”
The trainees exchanged glances before a pair raised their hands. The trial began in order. While one group fought an instructor, the others watched.
So observing combat is part of training as well?
The first group charged with shouts.
“Forward!”
“Surround him!”
While some celebrated and others burst into tears, Kun calculated statistics.
Roughly one third pass.
Even including the retest in two months, few would surpass fifty percent.
Among all, the group of Taylor Rosetta performed brilliantly. Silver hair, violet eyes — he had teamed with the Silvers. Clearly they gathered the strongest to clear the stage as quickly and impressively as possible.
While Taylor and the younger Silver brother distracted the instructor, the elder sister deftly tried to tear off the button. A classic yet effective strategy. It would have failed if not for the skill of the two restraining the knight — especially Taylor.
The senior instructor watched him with interest.
Lacks combat experience, yet already near first class.
The boy’s talent and strength matched the rumors. He was the best in the Third Moat. Combined with the Silvers, his success was natural.
“And next…”
Having finished evaluating Taylor, the senior instructor quietly called:
“Next — Ethan. Ethan and his group, step forward.”
Kun slowly rose.
And… it took only a moment for the faces of instructors and trainees alike to freeze in confusion.
He… intends to take the trial alone?