Chapter 86: You Have to Lay the Bait Before You Need It (3)

Cayman’s movements, which began to pick up speed, were completely different from those of the adventurer hopefuls who had sparred before him.

The systematic flow of his movement slightly surprised Jonathan.

Of course, Jonathan quickly regained his composure and shortened the arc of his greatsword’s swing.

Whooong! Hwoong! Ka-kang—!

As Cayman kept dodging and tried to close in, he set his blade upright and swung it powerfully upward.

Jonathan, whose greatsword had stretched outward, bent his elbow and spun his body around.

Chwaaaak!

Cayman’s sword slid off the greatsword’s edge and deflected.

In that moment, Jonathan followed the direction of the force and swung the greatsword.

Kaaang—! Taeng! Chwaaaaaak!

Just like before, Cayman was pushed back and ended up losing grip of his sword.

“Khrrrk…”

Even though he had put in his best effort, he was defeated far too easily.

Feeling frustrated, Cayman wanted to charge in again, but he could only accept his loss.

“You’re better than the ones before you. You pass.”

“That’s considered a pass?”

He hadn’t landed a single proper attack from start to finish.

“Getting that close to my feet was impressive enough. But if you plan to stick with swordsmanship that relies on agility, you’ll first have to overcome the weight of that armor.”

“Ah…”

Jonathan had noticed the secret behind Cayman’s armor.

In truth, Raion had modified the armor’s thickness, making it three times heavier than before.

Because of that, even in the forest, Cayman had lagged behind Raion by quite a distance.

“Next!”

While Cayman picked up the sword he had dropped, Raion stepped forward.

“Hm…?”

Perhaps it was the aura emanating from Raion’s entire body, but as Jonathan adjusted his grip on the greatsword, he sensed something unusual.

“Are you the superior of the knight I just fought?”

“You could say that.”

“So, you’re a noble then. I’ve heard that nobles sometimes become adventurers or mercenaries as a whim.”

“Let’s just call it a hobby.”

His attitude was completely different from the typical arrogant noble.

Seeing that, Jonathan adjusted his stance perfectly and readied his attack posture.

“Then I’ll take the initiative.”

Srrrng!

Raion slowly drew his sword.

“As you wish.”

“Hm? That sword has quite an unusual shape. It’s similar to the single-edged blades used in northern Moratz, but its width is extremely narrow.”

In Moratz, they used scimitar-type single-edged swords.

Just from the slight curve of the blade, Jonathan made that deduction.

The fact that he noticed such details showed his genuine interest in swords.

“I made it myself to suit my style.”

“Fascinating. But I’ll have to see if that sword matches your skill.”

“Why don’t you find out for yourself?”

“Let’s do that!”

Tak!

The Adventurer Guildmaster Jonathan kicked off the ground and charged forward.

Up to this point, he had never once taken the first move in any of the spars.

The adventurers watching from around the training ground were startled by the sight.

“Haaahp!”

Chwaaaaaaak!

The greatsword that came flying sideways slid up along the tilted blade of Raion’s sword.

But the motion didn’t stop there.

Using the recoil from deflecting the greatsword, Raion’s blade traced a clean arc toward Jonathan.

Shwaaaak!

Hearing the sharp sound of the blade cutting through the air, Jonathan hastily pulled his greatsword back to block.

Kwaak—!

Unlike Raion, Jonathan couldn’t redirect the strike and ended up blocking it head-on.

Yet, despite being only one-fifth as thick as a greatsword, Raion’s blade carried incredible power.

“Kgh! Such strength… I thought you used agility-based swordsmanship, but was I mistaken?”

“You can decide after experiencing a bit more of it.”

Raion immediately increased his sword’s speed.

The arcs grew sharper and rained down left and right at blinding speed.

“How can it be this fast!”

It wasn’t a speed achievable through strength alone.

Each swing flowed naturally, precisely aiming for Jonathan’s openings.

Kakang! Kang! Chwaaak!

“Haaahhhhp!”

Kwaaaang—!

Amidst the flurry of sword exchanges, Jonathan slammed his greatsword down with both hands.

The greatsword embedded itself into the ground, sending up a thick cloud of dust.

The tremendous force not only drove it deep but even split the earth in a long crack.

“I’ve lost.”

Jonathan was the first to admit defeat.

“We could still exchange a few more blows. So soon?”

“It’s obvious I’ll lose. You’ve even been holding back—if I want to save face, I’d better stop here.”

“The fact that you realized that is impressive.”

As Raion replied, he infused energy into his sword.

In that instant, both his hand and the sword’s surface were enveloped by a semi-transparent flame that thickened its form.

“T-That’s aura!”

“It’s aura!”

“Then he’s a Sword Master!”

The adventurers watching around them gaped in astonishment.

Meanwhile, Jonathan didn’t look surprised—but his expression carried a hint of bitterness.

“As expected… A true Sword Master.”

“Guildmaster, your skill is nearly at that level. But it seems you still don’t quite trust your sword.”

“What do you… Ah!”

Jonathan’s eyes widened as he realized something from Raion’s words.

“I hope that helped you even a little. Then, should we head back to get our certification?”

“I’ll guide you.”

Allen, who had been standing there dumbfounded, hurried over to take the lead.

Even as they left, Jonathan was deep in thought.

The events in the training ground spread through the guild in an instant.

Naturally, Raion’s entrance into the building stirred the adventurers into a buzz.

The desk clerk, Serna, also heard the news right away.

Serna stared blankly at Raion, who was once again standing before her.

“S–Sword Master confirmed. Please hand over your badge.”

Raion took out the silver badge of the Dragonia Family he had made earlier.

Just from that, one could tell that Raion was a noble.

Serna then pressed a golden seal—crafted through arcane engineering—onto the badge.

Chiiiiiiik!

As if the raised surface had been heated, smoke rose with a sharp hiss.

When the seal was lifted, the mark “S-rank” was engraved beneath the badge.

“Raion Dragonia. You are hereby certified and issued as an S-rank. From now on, you may take any mission within the Adventurer Guild without restriction.”

Her voice instantly made the surroundings even noisier.

“He’s really an S-rank? Then that rumor about someone seeing aura in the training yard was true?”

“If he’s S-rank, does that mean he’s really a Sword Master?”

The short but intense rumors were now proven true.

Next came Cayman’s turn.

“Cayman. Certified and issued as B-rank. You may only take missions suitable for your grade.”

The difference was enormous.

Still, being recognized as a B-rank adventurer from the very beginning was impressive in its own right.

Cayman felt a bit of sting inside, but at the same time, he was motivated to train even harder.

“Then, could I ask you to handle the monster corpses?”

“Are they waiting outside?”

“No. Right here. Storage!”

Raion took out an ordinary-looking leather pouch and activated his ability.

A space opened, and from within poured the corpses of trolls, Saliva Wolves, orcs, goblins, werewolves, lizardmen, and more.

“Wh–what—!”

The people nearby couldn’t help but gasp in shock at the sight.

“A–All of these are the corpses you’re submitting?”

“Yes. Please dispose of all of them. How long will it take?”

“Hmm… There are quite a lot, so it might take a while. If you tell me where you’re staying, I’ll contact you there.”

“Does this guild have rooms?”

“It does.”

“Then give us two.”

“It’s fifty silver per night.”

“I’ll pay for about ten days in advance.”

At Raion’s request, Cayman handed over five gold coins.

“I’ll let you know as soon as the processing is done.”

Once their business was over, Raion went upstairs with Cayman.

“Master, won’t you attract too much attention this way?”

Raion was traveling under a false identity to conceal his movements.

Naturally, Cayman found it strange.

“For now, I need to attract attention.”

“Why’s that?”

“A Sword Master appeared as an adventurer. Now, where do you think that’ll spark the most interest?”

“Ah! Could it be that the Lord of Praizen will hear about it?”

Sword Masters and 4th–5th Circle magicians were the highest-priority recruitment targets in any nation.

No territory would simply leave such talent alone.

“Exactly. You’re not as dull as you look.”

“Well, I’m not bright, but I’ve got a bit of cunning.”

“That’s quite the boast.”

“Hehehe! But… do you have business with this Lord? Wouldn’t it be easier to meet him as your true self?”

“That’s why I can’t. Let’s just wait and see.”

A few days passed.

By then, rumors of a Sword Master’s appearance had spread like wildfire across Praizen Territory.

Raion Dragonia—Sword Master and S-rank Adventurer.

The weight of that title alone was immense.

Countless people came and went from the Adventurer Guild just hoping to catch a glimpse of such a Sword Master.

However, since that first day, Raion hadn’t stepped outside.

Murmur murmur—

While the crowd was gathered, a carriage pulled up before the guild.

It belonged to Orbas, the administrative officer directly serving the Lord of Praizen.

Soldiers surrounded him.

Administrator Orbas entered the guild and approached the front desk.

“What brings you here, Administrator?”

At Serna’s question, Orbas smiled kindly.

“I heard that someone extraordinary has appeared here recently. The Lord has ordered me to escort him for a personal meeting.”

“Ah~! You mean that person?”

Since the man was already famous, Serna understood immediately.

“Could you call him for me?”

“I’ll ask right away.”

She hurried upstairs.

Left waiting with his soldiers, Orbas tapped the desk with his finger.

A short while later, two people came down the stairs—Raion and Cayman.

Upon seeing them, Orbas immediately stepped forward with his soldiers to greet Raion.

From the atmosphere alone, it was clear who he was.

“I am Orbas Hampton, Administrative Officer of Praizen. The Lord wishes to meet you.”

“Very well.”

“Eh? Ah…! Th-thank you!”

Orbas, surprised by how easily Raion accepted, stammered as he replied.

“Are we traveling by carriage?”

“Yes, it’s waiting out front.”

Raion followed him with Cayman and boarded the carriage.

The guild erupted into chatter once more.

After all, an S-rank adventurer being summoned by the Lord was no small event.

“If there’s anything uncomfortable during the journey, Lord Dragonia, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”

Once they were all aboard, the carriage began to move.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep