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"How did you meet Selina?"

Count Millennium asked. What was his intention with that question?

He asked like it wasn't a big deal, but Count Millennium scanned me to the smallest part of my body.

"I was curious, so I went to see her."

"What were you curious about?"

Count Millennium asked as we walked, a stern look plastered across his face.

I had to rack my brain to figure out what Count Millennium meant by asking about this.

"Were you curious about her appearance, given the many rumors about her beauty, or... were you curious about her skill with a sword?"

Hearing that question, I laughed because only then did I know his intention.

Because of Raymond's life as a scumbag thus far, he must have been worried that it was simply to observe Selina's appearance.

"I was curious about her."

At times like these, I knew it was best to answer honestly. So, I told him the truth.

Selina Warrug.

I met her to understand her characteristics and, if possible, bring her to my side as an ally.

Fortunately, I didn't seem to have made a wrong impression, so after that, I would have to talk to her at the banquet to reach a better understanding.

After my honest answer, Count Millennium's next question was unexpected.

"Have you ever learned how to use a sword?"

"I never have."

"You were holding one earlier."

"That was my first time."

"Ha."

Count Millennium frowned slightly. His old friend, Bane Warrug, said that Raymond had held one before.

The Warrug family was the best in swordsmanship, and Bane Warrug was the most proficient with a sword in the whole family.

So if he said that it was clear that Raymond showed a level of skill that couldn’t belong to a beginner, much less a complete newbie, anyone would become confused with his response that this was his first time holding one.

"Bane says your sword technique is imbued with a killing aura. That it was skilled."

What does that mean? I flinched at the implication.

Imbued with a killing aura? There was no way I knew about that or intended it.

I just swung it… but I could take a guess.

'Is it because I acted like the main character?'

The main character of the novel is someone who holds a grudge against the world and cultivated a deep desire to kill monsters.

Since I copied his swordsmanship, it wouldn't be unreasonable for me to have taken on his killing aura.

"...I guess I have a talent for it."

That wasn't wrong. Raymond actually had an absurd talent for swordsmanship.

Count Millennium laughed, though.

"The only son of the Millennium Household has a talent for swordsmanship... Everyone in the world would laugh if they knew."

Despite Raymond's insistence on his swordsmanship skills, the Count was unconvinced. In his eyes, Raymond was nothing more than a 1st Circle wizard lacking true talent. His disbelief was evident in his words, causing me to sigh in frustration.

Just as Count Millennium said…

The world would laugh at it.

The only heir to a bunch of wizards was swinging a sword.

But none of that mattered to me.

'It's more important that I survive.'

I would grab that sword again and grow my chances for survival.

***

From that day, I steadily trained myself.

I realized this when I went to Count Warrug’s house and swung that sword, but this body couldn’t keep up with Raymond’s talent.

My body simply wasn't built for it.

I was out of breath even with the slightest swing, and my palms were all peeled after a couple more. There was no way I could normally perform under those conditions.

"Young Master. I will wipe away your sweat."

"Oh, thank you."

Alice came over and began to carefully dab a towel against my brow.

I stood still for a moment, catching my breath, then started walking again when Alice stepped back.

"Let's go to the 1st training field."

"The knights should be training..."

"That's why I want to go."

I immediately responded to Alice's warning.

I wanted to see the knights' training. I also wanted to see proper usage of that royal basic swordsmanship.

Alice looked a bit worried, but she didn't disobey.

Maybe it was because she learned through experience that I would always do what I wanted to do regardless of what she said.

She followed one step behind me.

"Haap!"

"Palyn! Your shoulders are too tense!"

"I will correct it!"

As we drew closer to the training field, I heard the numerous sounds of mock battle.

Dozens of people were wielding training swords across the field.

Most of them were the Millennium family's knights. They trained knights just in case, though their main force was composed of wizards.

I watched the knights swing their swords from a distance.

Their movements were similar to what Selina showed me at the Count’s house, so it must’ve been the royal basic swordsmanship.

'But... everyone's skill seems similar to Selina's.'

Their movements were somewhat awkward and even downright inefficient.

I was looking forward to learning from them since they were knights, but I was disappointed.

"Are those over there training… official knights?"

I asked Alice just in case since I wondered if they might be trainees.

However.

"Yes, they are the official knights of the Millennium Knights Force..."

"Mmm..."

Were they really official knights?

Noticing that I wasn't satisfied, Alice took half a step closer.

"They are very strong in actual battle."

"Really? Honestly, I don't think they are any different from Selina."

"Are you talking about Lady Selina Warrug?"

"Yes. That Selina."

I nodded. Instead, I thought that she was better than them.

Alice carefully responded.

"I heard that she is a genius in swordsmanship. Maybe the level of her swordsmanship is similar to that of official knights. However, it would result in Lady Selina's defeat if they were to compete in real combat right now."

"Do you think so? It’s all about the experience... right?"

I asked, tilting my head.

No matter how much I thought about it, I figured it would be neck and neck if Selina and the knights in front of me fought.

"All official knights can use Mana. No matter how good your swordsmanship is, you can't become a knight if you can't use Mana."

"Ohhh..."

Oh. Then it makes sense.

Mana's importance was mentioned several times in 'The Ruler of Talent.'

No matter how good your swordsmanship was, it would be difficult to fight without Mana.

In fact, in the beginning, there was a scene where the protagonist barely managed to fend off a group of orcs, even with Raymond’s sword skills, because he couldn’t use Mana.

'Should I also learn how to use Mana?'

I, as Sung-hyuk, knew nothing about Mana, but dealing with it didn't seem too difficult.

Raymond was also a 1st Circle wizard, so he could use basic elemental magic.

While I thought that, the knights’ shouting subsided.

Their swords pointed toward the ground as if their training was nearing a close.

The middle-aged man who had been savagely pushing the knights up until now saw Alice and me standing there and approached us.

"What brings you here, Young Master?"

"..."

Rather than welcoming me, it was closer to asking, 'what are you doing here?'

Judging from how sharp his tone was, it seemed that Raymond was not on good terms with the knights or their commander.

Alice quietly stood behind me, but she did not react. It seemed that she had expected this situation to happen.

"I was just taking a look."

Raymond's influence was significant, huh. I let out a small sigh.

At my words, the middle-aged man murmured back.

"You must have been frustrated because your magic training wasn’t going well, so you came to see us, who only know how to ignorantly wield a sword."

The middle-aged man sounded unsurprisingly bitter.

Alice, behind me, raised her head and stared him down.

She knew that what he had just said was clearly disrespectful.

At first glance, he seemed to be speaking in a manner that lowered the knights, but he deliberately mentioned his magic training and that Raymomd had no talent for magic.

And it was evident that Raymond himself must have said that line about ignorant knights in the past.

"Ah..."

I scratched my head.

I wasn't happy I had to clean up Raymond's shit, but what could I do?

This was fate.

'In the end, that means I must show my trash side again.'

I wish I could just live peacefully.

But how could I let it slide when people look down on me like this because of Raymond's past behavior?

I couldn't. I could never let it slide.

I closed my eyes, opened them, and started my ‘acting.'

[The 'Unknown God' is delighted to have something to watch now.]

I ignored the message window and turned to the knight.

"Your movements do look ignorant, for sure."

The middle-aged man's eyes narrowed. He wouldn't have expected an answer like this.

"Haha... We are not that talented, but still, we are necessary for the Count’s household to exist. After all, knights are essential."

The middle-aged man said, laughing.

This time too, was clearly disrespectful toward Raymond.

It was the same as saying, 'We are still necessary for the family, but what about you?'

"You are necessary for our family while only showing a skill in swordsmanship that even a child can match?"

Grin.

To claim that they were necessary at their current level was a comical notion, and my rebuttal caused a few more creases to form on the middle-aged man's brow.

"Did you say swordsmanship that even a child can match, Young Master?"

"Is it not?"

The middle-aged man's face momentarily contorted into a frown, but it was swiftly replaced by a carefree grin, as if he had just stumbled upon a stroke of genius."Then, Young Master. Would you like to try it?"

"Hmm?"

"If it's swordsmanship that even a child can match, then you will be able to do it too."

The middle-aged man said. The bait was clear.

Should I take it? Or not?

I didn't want to do what other people wanted, but it did seem like it'd be fun.

"Do you want me to prove that claim?"

"Well… we can stick to sparring or something. You should be able to keep up with a child, I think.”

The middle-aged man provoked me.

After listening to him…

I stopped laughing.