NOVEL NEXT Chapter 39: (1)
“That… That’s right. Maybe we should aim for the Queen tomorrow,” The Lieutenant suggested.
“Lieutenant! You said he always comes down at least once a day! You said that!” Tarien’s voice was filled with irritation as he addressed the lieutenant. But there was no sign of the Harpy Queen returning.
“Tsk, tsk.”
It was obvious why Tarien was getting worked up.
Would the support unit return to Gami-an just because they had achieved victory? Absolutely not. The support unit was not part of Panielun.
There was only one way for the support unit to fulfill its purpose.
That was to capture the Harpy Queen, and now that she had escaped, Tarien was growing frustrated.
“If we can’t capture the Harpy Queen tomorrow, then so be it!” Tarien exclaimed.
“T-Tarien-nim, sir!”
Unable to contain his anger, Tarien turned and walked away, followed hastily by the knights.
“Tsk. I told them not to act like that,” the old knight sighed with a displeased expression as if the scene did not sit well with him.
“Yes?”
“Nothing.”
If Kaiyan heard correctly, it seemed like the old knight had reprimanded Tarien. But who would dare to speak to the noble he served in such a manner?
Could it be that the old knight held a higher rank than what was assumed?
The relationship between them was suspicious.
“Well, let’s go back. Panielun Allied forces will take care of the rest.”
“Yes.”
“The 7th Special Unit, take some time to rest.”
With the commander and lieutenant having already returned to the barracks, the old knight issued orders to the soldiers in their place.
“Would you mind having a chat with me?”
“Excuse me?”
As Kaiyan was about to return to the barracks with the other soldiers, the old knight grabbed his arm.
“Just for a moment.”
“Well… If that’s what you want.”
“Hehe, follow me.”
As he followed the old knight deeper into the cave, they came to a fork in the path. Instead of leading the way to the barracks, he took the other path.
Thump, thump…
“You’re a truly peculiar person, you know that?”
“…That’s quite a direct question.”
“Hehe… I just wanted to say that you’ve caught my interest.”
“Well… I suppose I had a hunch since you’ve been observing me so closely.”
“Hehe, it’s true. But when do you think I started taking an interest in you?”
“Well, isn’t it since we started hunting monsters together in the center? That was when we first spoke,” Kaiyan replied.
Since the old knight and Kaiyan started hunting monsters together, they had always been paired up whenever they passed through the center. Thanks to that, they had become close.
“No, not really.”
“Huh? Then when…?”
“From the beginning. Since the day you first joined the 7th Special Unit.”
“….”
A chill ran down Kaiyan’s spine as if he had encountered an undead monster in the dead of night. If what he said was true, then the old knight was truly a mysterious person.
“Hehe, don’t be so surprised. It’s just that your skills are exceptional for your age, so I took notice.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Though Kaiyan agreed, he distanced himself from the old knight, creating some space. Just in case he needed to escape at any moment.
“Hehehe! Do you believe you have a talent for swordsmanship?”
“Yes, of course.”
Without hesitation, Kaiyan answered the old knight’s question.
“There’s no need to pretend to be humble now.”
Kaiyan had been asked a similar question before.
His answer now was similar to what he had said back then, but the difference was that it had been a half-joke before, whereas now it was a hundred percent sincere.
Unlike in the early days of his awakening as a player, he now knew very well how extraordinary his swordsmanship skills were thanks to the player system.
It could be considered a talent in the truest sense, but the difference was that it wasn’t something he was born with.
“Hehe, I see. In that case, what level of talent do you think you possess? After all, there are different ranks of talent, aren’t there?”
“Ranks…”
It was a question Kaiyan had never thought about before.
Since he had gained his talent through the system, it was difficult to put it into words.
“Personally, I believe you have Guardian-level talent.”
“Guardian? Are you referring to the Guardians? The Aura master that protects the Kingdoms?”
“That’s right.”
His praise was overwhelming, leaving Kaiyan flustered.
Guardian-level talent… It was the highest compliment one could give to a swordsman.
Of course, as long as the player system exists, he is confident that he can become like them someday. However, that’s just his personal belief. If he were to tell others, it would be the perfect story to be laughed at.
“….Why are you saying that? I am far inferior compared to the knights.”
‘If I distribute the Free Attribute Points, the story would be different.’
“Hehe, how can you compare yourself to those who have been professionally trained in swordsmanship since childhood?”
“That’s a valid point, but…”
“Moreover, it hasn’t even been a month since you started wielding a sword. In that sense, you truly are a genius among geniuses.”
“Ah, thank you.”
‘…Why is he praising me like this?’
The initial praise was fine, but as the compliments continued, he started feeling a bit uneasy.
‘Kaiyan, always remember that there’s no such thing as free praise in this world. If someone keeps showering you with compliments, they want something from you.’
Those were the words Uncle Jeff had told him.
If that was the case, the reason the old knight was acting like this was that he wanted something from him, but he couldn’t guess what it was.
What could a knight, especially one with a relatively high rank, want from him?
“But!”
The old knight, who was walking ahead, stopped and looked directly at him with a glimmer in his eyes.
“To fully develop your talent, you definitely need proper training. If left as it is, you will only remain an average skilled individual. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
‘So this is it.’
Somehow, it seemed like he called him separately to bring up this topic, an invitation of a sort.
“Well… I think there’s nothing wrong with just living like this.”
“Heh, to be honest, your talent interests me. I want to recruit you as a knight of the Chenniaven family. What do you say?”
He had intended to preemptively decline the offer, but the old knight confidently voiced his thoughts. As he expected, what he wanted was to recruit him as a knight.
“…I truly appreciate the offer, but as I mentioned before, I intend to become a mercenary.”
His answer was an obvious refusal.
He already had the necessary Ora martial arts and swordsmanship skills, and with the help of the player system, he could continue to grow on his own. So being a knight now would only slow down his progress.
“Hmm… It seems like you don’t know much about being a knight. Becoming a knight would elevate your status.”
‘No, that’s why I don’t want to.’
“I understand what it means to elevate one’s status. However… my dream right now is not to be a knight, but to be a mercenary.”
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