Chapter 148 : Prince’s Education(?)

“May I… beat up the prince… no, may I injure him, Your Majesty?”

Muno’s statement instantly chilled the atmosphere in the office.

At that, Prince Leon immediately flew into a rage.

“Ha, just because you’ve made a name for yourself, you bastard…!”

“Enough!”

At the king’s roar, he flinched and shut his mouth.

“Sparring between knights is naturally bound to involve injuries. As long as it’s a wound that can be healed, it’s perfectly fine.”

At those words, the prince’s face contorted, while a smile formed on Muno’s face.

“Then, let’s go at once.”

At the king’s command, the stage was quickly set.

* * *

“I’ll say this in advance, I don’t mind if you use that ‘famous’ artifact. You don’t know about our Iron Corporeal Arts, so there should be at least that much of a penalty.”

Thump. Thump.

Prince Leon Iron tapped the floor of the royal training ground.

But the prince saying this was wearing a suit of silver full-plate armor that was clearly overflowing with tremendous mana.

An artifact that was anything but ordinary to anyone who saw it.

It was an overly serious attitude for just a spar.

The king’s expression, looking down on the training ground from the seat of honor in the distance, was also heavy, which raised a new question in my mind.

“Hmm… Given the situation, I couldn’t ask His Majesty directly, but is there something at stake in this spar?”

I had just prodded gently.

At that moment, the prince frowned slightly.

“…You don’t need to know that.”

So there is something at stake.

The feeling that I might get tangled up in some other troublesome matter after the spar made my brow furrow on its own.

‘Hmm. This is troublesome…’

Having just gone through a major ordeal, I was as exhausted as I could be.

It had only been a few hours since I had recovered from a near-death state, and just because my body had recovered didn’t mean my mental fatigue had disappeared.

“Hah…”

I wanted to rest in my cold but warm hometown, Drasen.

I was also curious about how Karina was doing, as she was in the midst of the succession war.

I also wanted to check on Rauel, who had left alone.

‘There’s so much I want to do.’

Why do things keep happening like this?

However.

“Hmph. A sigh? Don’t tell me you’re already scared?”

Looking at the daredevil before me who didn’t know his place, I had no desire to just go easy and lose.

‘A guy like this achieved merits in a terrorist attack?’

Thump.

“I am ready.”

Prince Leon took a step forward, clashing his gauntlets, which looked more like vicious blunt weapons, together.

Whew.

“I too will use my bare hands.”

“What? Are you saying that knowing that our Iron Corporeal Arts is based on martial arts?”

“I am well aware.”

“And yet you’re bluffing?”

As if it were a bluff.

Considering the characteristics of the Iron Corporeal Arts I learned while checking the king’s condition earlier, I could probably give him a few more handicaps.

Perhaps the prince was so confident, despite likely having no real combat experience, because of that very characteristic.

But for Muno, it was just laughable.

“Weren’t you trying to show something to His Majesty the King?”

“What?”

“If I draw my sword, you won’t even have that chance.”

I had only told the truth, but the prince’s pretty face crumpled.

“…Fine. I shall see that confidence for myself.”

The moment the prince got into his stance, the middle-aged knight acting as the referee raised his sword high.

And.

Kwadeudeuk.

The moment Muno ‘deployed’ his helmet and put it on, giving a nod, the knight plunged the sword into the ground.

Puuk.

The agreed-upon signal to begin.

At that moment, the prince leaped forward as if shortening space.

The gray eyes visible through the helmet were now glowing silver, and I could see the skin within also tinged with a light gray.

It was as if the prince’s body and the artifact armor were vibrating in unison, and I could see in real-time the flow of mana in the armor becoming much thicker and more precise, as if they were completely integrated.

‘As expected…’

The reason why the corporeal arts of the royal family, who should treasure their bodies more than anyone, were based on martial arts.

It was because it had the characteristic of being able to turn the body into literal ‘steel’.

‘At the 4-Star level, most weapons probably wouldn’t even penetrate the skin.’

The ability of the founding king, Solshar Iron, who was said to have raised a kingdom with his bare hands in the cold and harsh north of the continent, was by no means just a legend.

“Ha!”

The confidence contained in the prince’s spirited shout was well-founded.

However.

‘Hmph…’

Tuk.

“Ugh!?”

With just a light tap from Muno’s left hand, the imposing fist swerved to the side, exposing an opening with his entire body.

And.

‘First, one hit.’

Cheok.

Muno, who had lowered his stance and stepped in, slammed his shoulder directly into the prince’s torso.

Kwang!

“Keok!?”

Udangtangtang.

Prince Leon, whose body was thrown into the air in an instant, flew a dozen meters and tumbled to the ground before quickly getting back up.

“Y-You… what did you do!?”

The prince, his face flushed red through his helmet, shouted furiously.

Then, after glancing at Muno’s motionless expression and his royal father’s face, he gritted his teeth and carefully took his stance again.

“It won’t be easy this time.”

Wooooong.

The mana of the artifact flowed, even more perfectly refined than before.

A slightly more cautious atmosphere was also reflected in the mana.

However.

‘Even so.’

Muno beckoned with his left hand, a twisted smile on his face.

A clear provocation.

I could see the prince’s face under the helmet turning red again.

Kwang!

The prince’s body, which had disappeared with a roar as if to shatter the ground, appeared before Muno’s eyes once more, only to disappear again in an instant.

Paaang!

The low kick, delivered like lightning as he slid down as if to sit, was certainly sharp.

However.

Cheok.

Tuk.

The moment Muno, who had stepped back, lightly tapped the rotating leg.

“Ugh!?”

The prince’s body, losing control, spun in the direction he had swung his leg.

“Well then, excuse me.”

Muno jumped up with a taunting voice and lightly kicked the rotating torso.

Of course, the result was anything but light.

Kwang!

Udangtangtang.

The prince flew as if crumpled and tumbled far away.

The nameless brawling art of the Drasen family, passed down to compensate for the wide movements of the Drasen Greatswordmanship, was overwhelming the famous Iron royal family’s ‘Steel Fighting Style.

Considering the difference in the two’s capabilities, it was certainly not a normal situation, but Muno’s expression remained utterly calm.

It seemed the Steel Fighting Style also had a characteristic that maximized its ability by synchronizing with weapons or artifacts.

‘If a body made of steel has real metallic properties, it’s a piece of cake for me.’

As long as the enemy’s body was a lump of metal, slightly twisting those rough movements was as easy as breathing for him now.

“You, what kind of evil trick are you using! Father! That man is using magic!”

It was understandable that Prince Leon, who had been subjected to it, was screaming like that.

He probably felt like he was possessed by a ghost.

But before he could answer, the king, who was far away, cut him off firmly.

“Don’t talk nonsense, Leon!”

“Father…!”

Despite the prince’s protest, the king just looked at Muno with a bitter smile.

“Sir Muno is also a Spirit Master of Metal. It seems his level in that area has risen quite a bit. Is that not so?”

It was more because his metal manipulation ability had grown stronger through his four evolutions.

But his inherent ability was now also difficult to distinguish from the realm of Spirit Arts.

‘In fact, they aren’t that different.’

The guess that Spirit Arts itself might have been a method created to assist those born with elemental manipulation abilities like himself was gaining credibility with each evolution.

“…That is correct.”

However.

“This reveals our royal family’s weakness quite openly.”

The king’s following words were momentarily chilling.

‘Oops!’

What if someone with power met someone who knew their weakness?

My expression hardened in an instant, but fortunately, the king was just smiling.

“Well, it’s not like Spirit Masters of Metal are common. Sir Muno, I’m sorry, but for now, please face him with pure physical strength. As it is, that boy Leon won’t be convinced.”

What could I say to that?

“…I will follow your command.”

Muno bowed his head slightly to the king.

“…Spirit Arts of Metal? Hmph. I’ve heard of it. Then shall we have a proper fight without that cheap trick?”

I clicked my tongue briefly as I looked at the prince, who was firing up his fighting spirit with a flushed face.

To call it a cheap trick after being beaten so shamefully.

‘Doesn’t he know that just devalues himself more?’

In any case, the king himself had placed a restriction, so I had to accept it.

Of course, that didn’t change the situation.

“Hoo…”

Wooooong.

Hwarururuk.

“Then, without any abilities, I’ll give you a proper beat… ahem, I’ll do it for you.”

Muno smiled chillingly as he ignited gray flames all over his body.

“How dare you…!”

The prince, who had flinched at that, gritted his teeth and took his stance again.

Kwang.

He charged again, shortening the space with a roar as if to shatter the ground.

His inexplicable technique of instantly super-accelerating to close the distance was the same, but.

Paaang.

The power of the fist he thrust forward while lowering his stance was different from before.

The mana, fixed in the shape of a sharp awl and rotating like a drill as he pushed it forward, felt quite deadly.

“Hoo!”

Kung.

Muno, who took a step forward to meet him while ‘accelerating’, gathered the blazing mana all over his body into his fist and swung it at the approaching opponent.

A simple, brutish counterattack that couldn’t even be called a martial art, one that didn’t even consider efficiency.

Moreover, its target was the prince’s fist, which was aiming for him.

– You must be insane!

The moment I saw the prince’s eyes smiling just before the clash.

Kwaaaaaang!

Kwakwakwaka.

Silver and black flashes intersected, creating a momentary storm around them.

Right after the heavy blows of the knights, who refused to yield an inch, collided.

Ududududuk.

Along with the sound of bones twisting, the smiling prince’s expression crumpled pathetically.

“Kuaaaaaaahk!”

As the mournful scream of one whose arm was completely bent back and crushed against his will burst out.

“Oh no…!”

The middle-aged knight who was the referee rushed in and supported the prince.

“That man, that man dares! Kuaaaahk!”

The knight, who checked the condition of the prince screaming as if having a seizure while collapsed on the ground, looked back at Muno with a heavy face.

“Sir Muno, isn’t this too much?! Have you forgotten that your opponent is His Highness the Prince!”

“How could I, Sir Haiern? I just thought His Highness the Prince was up to something else, seeing how confidently he charged in.”

“You think that makes sense…!”

“I didn’t hit His Highness’s face, I just met his fist. Commander of the White Iron Knightly Order.”

At those words, the middle-aged knight, who ran a hand through his graying hair, could only let out a sigh.

“That man, that man……. Grrrrrk.”

Haiern then glanced at the prince, who was now foaming at the mouth and thrashing about.

Seeing the king nod with a heavy face, he turned around, supporting the prince.

And.

“Even if His Majesty allowed it, you went too far. Youthful spirit is good, but it will make your life tiring.”

“I will take your advice to heart.”

When Muno replied with a light smile even as he gave advice as an elder, Haiern shook his head and walked away.

Muno could guess what he was thinking.

‘On my end, this was the bare minimum, Sir.’

Why would he have crushed the prince so severely if he were clueless?

‘Although I was a bit annoyed.’

Muno could only give a bitter smile as he looked at the king, who had a stiff expression again.

He too had heard the king’s words just before entering the training ground.

– You can cut off one of his limbs. No, make sure you do. So that the boy’s swollen head completely deflates.

Jeobeok jeobeok.

“I have carried out your order, Your Majesty.”

“Yes, you’ve worked hard. To think you could win so easily even without using Spirit Arts. I’ve seen you in a new light.”

“Not at all. My armor was just superior to His Highness the Prince’s.”

“The difference in capability was also great.”

To the king’s assertion, Muno just replied with a smile.

Both statements were true.

He acknowledged that the full-plate armor the prince wore was a pretty impressive artifact, but his own armor was not on a level that could be compared to ‘pretty impressive’.

The punch, reminiscent of an electric drill from his past life, was quite excellent, but the two’s basic capabilities were too different to be bridged by such a technique, and among them, the difference in weight was too severe.

But even setting aside all these reasons, the king’s request itself was strange from the beginning.

Isn’t that his son?

“Why did you ask me to be so harsh on His Highness the Prince?”

At those words, the king discreetly dismissed those around him, and only after everyone was gone did he ask in a small voice.

“Are you certain there is no demonic energy felt from Leon?”

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