NOVEL NEXT Chapter 134: A Cut Above The Rest
The grounds thrummed with the chaotic clashing steel and shouting voices, the knights fully immersed in their duels as dust kicked up around them.
Cassius stood at the edge, his keen eyes tracking the flurry of movement, Lucius hovering dutifully at his side.
His gaze then slid to Julie and Aisha, still standing apart from the fray, and a faint smirk tugged at his lips.
"You two." He called over, his tone teasing but pointed. "Why aren't you joining in? What's the holdup?"
Julie met his look with a wry smile, crossing her arms as she tilted her head.
"The thing is it wouldn't be fair if I did." She said, her voice dry but steady. "No point in it, really—I'd have to hold back so much it'd be useless. And if I actually went all out?...One swing, and they'd all be flat on their backs, nursing bruises or worse."
"...I'd rather not risk slicing up my own knights just to show off."
Cassius chuckled, a sound that carried a hint of challenge. "Tooting your own horn, eh, Captain? Sounds like you're saying you're a cut above the rest."
She shook her head, her smile sharpening.
"Not at all, I just don't want to accidentally hurt them. Going full strength against my own people? That's a mess I'd rather avoid."
He nodded, conceding the point with an amused hum, then turned his gaze to Aisha, his brow arching.
"And you? What's your excuse, cat-ears?"
Aisha huffed, flicking her tail as she shot him a sidelong glare.
"I'm a mage, not a brawler." She said, her tone edged with pride. "It wouldn't exactly be a fair fight since I could just whip up a little earthquake, and they'd all be kissing the dirt. No swords or fists needed."
"...Kinda overkill for a sparring match, don't you think?"
Lucius, standing primly beside Cassius, adjusted his tie and cast a skeptical look between them.
"So, what you're both saying..." He drawled, his voice laced with the same dry amusement that he showed to everyone except his master. "...is that you're too powerful—downright overpowered—to tussle with your own crew?"
His eyes drifted to Skadi, who was gleefully darting between five knights in a chaotic 5v1, her wild swings and feral grin making it clear she was having the time of her life.
"And yet there's that wolf girl, taking on half a dozen like it's a picnic. She's strong too—stronger than most, I'd wager. So why's she out there mixing it up and not on the side like you two?"
Julie and Aisha sighed in unison, their exasperation almost tangible.
"Because she wants to..." Julie said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "She loves fighting—it's playtime for her. She's not thinking strategy or fairness; she's just having fun."
"Yeah." Aisha added, her tail swishing irritably. "Skadi's out there bouncing around like a kid in a candy shop. Doesn't matter if she's strong—she'd fight a wall if it swung back. This is just a game to her."
Lucius's lips twitched downward, a faint dismay creasing his brow. "Playtime." He muttered, shaking his head. "She really is a carefree mutt—look at her go. Five against one, and she's grinning like a fool."
Cassius laughed, clapping Lucius on the shoulder.
"She's a force, alright. But I get it—no point forcing you two in if you'd just steamroll them." His grin faded into something more focused as he glanced at his butler. "Now come on, Lucius—time to check our new legion's combat abilities."
Before Julie or Aisha could process that, Cassius and Lucius stepped forward, striding straight into the chaotic swirl of dueling knights like they were strolling through a light rain.
The field was a maelstrom—swords flashing, spears thrusting, shields clanging as warriors darted and clashed with fierce intensity.
Seeing this, Julie's eyes widened, a jolt of alarm shooting through her.
"Wait, stop!" She shouted, lunging a step forward. "What are you doing? That's a madhouse out there! They're fighting like it's a damn war—you'll get yourselves skewered!"
She paused, her gaze flicking to Cassius.
"I mean, you will be fine—you've got the reflexes to dodge a hundred swords. But Lucius?" She turned to the butler, her voice softening with genuine concern. "If he waltzes in there, he's gonna catch a stray sword or a flying dagger to the face. He's not built for this!"
But instead of heeding her word, Lucius straightened, brushing a speck of dust off his vest with a casual, almost smug smile.
"No need to fret, Captain." He said, his tone dripping with pride. "My beloved Young Master will shield me from whatever comes our way. A blade, a hammer—he'll send it flying with a flick of his wrist, and I'll stroll back without so much as a scratch on my cheek."
"...He's got me covered—always does."
Julie and Aisha blinked, taken aback by his confidence, but before they could respond, Cassius grinned—a wide, devilish thing—and dropped a bombshell.
"Nah, I don't think will." He said, his voice light and utterly casual. "You can fend for yourself, Lucious, I'm not lifting a finger."
Lucius's proud smile froze, then shattered into a pout as he whirled on Cassius.
"What?! Young Master, why not?!" He whined, his voice pitching high with betrayal. "You're supposed to protect me! What if I get clobbered out there? A spear to the chest, a mace to the head—do you want your loyal butler's adorable face to be flattened?!"
Cassius shrugged, unfazed, his grin unwavering.
"You need to get used to handling yourself, Lucius. I can't always be there to play babysitter—time to toughen up a bit. You'll be fine; you're nimbler than you look."
Lucius's pout deepened, his hands flailing as he trailed after Cassius.
"Nimble?! I'm a butler, not a bloody acrobat! What if I trip? What if l—oh, gods, a shield's coming right for me, isn't it? You're heartless, Young Master, absolutely heartless!"
His whining followed them like a shadow as they plunged into the fray, bickering all the way.
The knights barely noticed at first, too caught up in their duels—steel rang against steel, grunts and shouts filling the air as they danced their deadly steps.
But Cassius moved with purpose, his demeanor shifting to a quiet solemnity as he wove through the chaos, his eyes sharp and observant.
He sidestepped a lunging spearman, ducked a swinging axe, and paused beside a pair locked in a furious exchange of sword strikes.
His head tilted, studying their forms—the way one parried low, the other countered with a high slash—like an artist appraising a canvas.
And after observing a certain duel enough, he leaned toward Lucius and murmured something, his voice too low to carry over the clamor.
Lucius, still sulking but ever-dutiful, flipped open a small notebook and scribbled furiously, his pen darting across the page as Cassius spoke.
They moved on, threading through the battlefield with an almost eerie calm, pausing at each duel to watch, assess, whisper, and note.
No one could hear what Cassius said—his words were a secret shared only with Lucius—but his focus was unmistakable, his gaze darting from stance to swing, from feint to follow-through.
Julie's warning also proved prophetic moments later.
A knight stumbled, her spear knocked free in a fierce clash, and it sailed through the air, spinning straight for Cassius's head.
Gasps rose from the sidelines, the knights faltering mid-strike as horror flashed across their faces.
But Cassius didn't flinch—his hand snapped up, catching the spear between his fingertips with a flick of his wrist, as casual as swatting a fly.
And without breaking his stride or shifting his gaze from the duel ahead, he tossed it aside, the weapon clattering harmlessly into the dirt.
The knights gaped, a few muttering. "Did he just—?" And "Bloody hell, he's quick!" and Cassius glanced their way, catching their stares, and waved a hand.
"Keep going!" He called, his tone firm but unbothered. "Don't stop—show me what you've got!"
They hesitated, then obeyed, the rhythm of combat picking back up as swords clashed and shields thudded anew.
Watching this, Julie folded her arms, her brow creasing as she watched Cassius and Lucius weave deeper into the field.
"What's he after?" She murmured, half to herself. "All this watching, those notes—what's the play?"
Aisha, still peeking out from behind her, shrugged.
"Beats me, Captain. Guy's a walking riddle—pervert one minute, mastermind the next. But I bet it's something big, though—he's got that look."
Skadi, meanwhile, let out a whoop as she dodged a flurry of blows, her silver hair whipping around her as she spun to face her next opponent, utterly oblivious to Cassius's scrutiny.
The field churned on, a storm of steel and sweat, and Cassius moved through it like a calm eye, his notebook filling with secrets only he understood, for now...