Henderson.

People wouldnt have been so surprised if he had been a mere obscure person. Aside from the fact that he didnt have a reputation as a swordsman, many knew of his farmer days.

Whisper.

Is that Henderson?

That Henderson defeated knight Taylor?

We just saw it wrong, right? The aura.doesnt it take more than a year to even feel mana? Then how did Henderson, who was nothing but a farmer, know how to use aura?

Everyone was shocked. Henderson was someone they were familiar with.

When Roman Dmitrys name blew up, they didnt know what Henderson was up to, but they knew the reality around them.

The friends who drank with him, the colleagues who helped him during the cropping time, and the elders who watched him grow.

Everyone obviously knew Henderson, so this made no sense.

The day Henderson left Lawrence, people held him back and said,

Have you lost it? Caterpillars need to eat pine needles to live. So why would a man who lived all his life as a farmer go do such a dangerous job? Life is no more. A farmer needs to die as a farmer, and being a swordsman is a life one should be born into! In half a year, I promise that you will miss your life as a farmer.

That was their last memory with Henderson.

But now Henderson broke the aura test, and those who had been harsh to him were all dumbstruck as they watched him come down the stage.

And that was when they found out that while they continued to live the same life every single day, Henderson followed Roman Dmitry to make a life that everyone thought would be impossible.

For a moment, they felt envious of this. But after watching Henderson bow his head to Roman Dmitry, no one knew anything about him anymore. Those who remember the past Henderson couldnt hide how shocked they were.

things are so weird.

Wasnt it clearly said that Henderson is the weakest? Then how did he defeat an aura swordsman?

Couldnt there be an accident with Henderson winning Group 5?

The nobles of the Northeast Alliance were sure they could win Groups 5 and 6.

McBurney had luck in the early stages, and they thought he would advance to the second or third rounds, but it was different for Henderson, who went against an aura swordsman right away.

If everything had gone according to plan, Henderson would have had nothing to use against Taylor and would have had to fall, but unexpectedly, he knocked Taylor out.

There was an ominous feeling in the air.

Viscount Conrad spoke with a bright face,

Do not lose your composure, people. This is just the start. And if Henderson werent good, would Roman Dmitry put him in the competition? This is rather expected but wait patiently. One cannot win this with one or two wings, so there is a limit to what people like Henderson can even display.

His eyes trembled as he witnessed it. The systematic movement and Taylors defeat were unbelievable, with the opponent being a commoner.

But what could be done? The tournament started and they cannot back out now.

Trust me. The ultimate winner will be us.

Until then, he gulped, still unable to digest the fact that their assumptions had been incorrect.

After Hendersons victory, McBurney won too. McBurneys opponent was not a skilled swordsman, so not many people were surprised by his victory.

For Round 2, they didnt wait for the next group. The next round proceeded immediately after the previous match.

Son.

Yes.

Is there any other reason why the tournament that is so troublesome is being held in the northeast? The nobles are clever. Even if they dont win, they will aim to make us bow our heads.

It was Baron Romero.

Roman had come up with the plan, but even though it didnt make sense, the Baron wholeheartedly supported his sons ideas.

And Roman said,

I know that too, Father. The nobles of the Northeast Alliance are like bats in a cave. No matter how the conversation goes, they will be back to doing their thing. But still, I think this is a necessary process. The northeast is complacent about being able to deal with the force of Dmitry. That is not the truth but a mistake that resulted from their confidence thinking that they have the Central Government on their side.

In the northeastern area, Dmitry was the king.

On the other hand, the Northeast Alliance were like foxes who could conceal themselves and keep their heads held high.

And that was a risk factor.

If there were an actual conflict with the Northeast Alliance, the Dmitry family would have no choice but to bear the damage, even if they won.

Because war is war. In the process of eradicating forces such as the Northeast Alliance, Dmitry would lose forces, and the northeast would have to step back.

That wasnt satisfactory.

Roman hoped to completely engulf the northeast.

Father, I do not wish for a war with them. War gains us nothing. Even if we take them down and put them below our feet, I will not be able to go against the Central Government, which holds more power in Cairo. This tournament is to prevent war. They must have thought that with the six groups being divided, they have a good chance of winning, and that is their baseless confidence.

Three stages.

The second of these stages were in this operation, and the northeast nobles would see a new reality.

If the Northeast Alliance, which is still stuck in its fantasy, is defeated with overwhelming force. If they see reality alter, they will know that they will not come out as winners, and they will not even win in a single group, and that they will be unable to overcome Dmitrys might even with the support of the Central Government. Thats when we start to take control of the region. It will be a perfect surrender. When the alliance faces reality, I plan to subdue their weak minds.

His fathers expression didnt change.

And up on the stage, Kevin was standing.

Group 2, Kevin.

He was now uneasy about the placement.

I was slower than Chris.

The round before, Chris defeated his enemy in three seconds. The opponent was helpless despite being a swordsman who could use aura, and Kevin saw it.

So he did his best too. He planned to take the opponent down faster than Chris, but then the opponent blocked one attack, and the time moved to eight seconds.

It was fast enough but Kevin wasnt happy with it.

Chris is strong. I am not his equal opponent yet, but I do not want to accept this simply.

What if

When people would ask, Who is the sword of Roman Dmitry? Who would come to mind?

It was a simple answereveryone would say it was Chris.

Chris was considered to be Dmitrys genius swordsman, and actually, he was truly showing the steps that correspond to the reason he followed Roman.

He had the ability to defeat a 3-star swordsman with sharp leadership. With no opponents except Roman, it was only natural for him to be called Romans sword.

But Kevin hated it. He started following Roman first, so he didnt like Chris being Romans representative.

I will not deny that Chris is the leader. For the sake of my Lord, I will be a servant faithful to the orders of the superior, but it is another matter for Chris to be considered as the first sword of Dmitry. I want the Lord to trust me. When he would only need strength to solve a problem, I want him to choose me and not Chris.

For Kevin, Roman Dmitry was heaven. Kevin yearned for Romans approval and hoped that he would be the best in his position and not just a competitor with skills.

Three seconds.

Kevin had to finish it fast, but he changed his mind.

I will prove my worth today.

And as the Lord said, show everyone your overwhelming abilities. Kevin saw his opponent coming up from the other side of the stage, and his eyes changed.

Flutter.

The confrontation began, and Kevins opponent was Knight Miles of the Northeast Noble Alliance.

The opponent is the demon of Dmitry. If I dont do my best, I might lose my face.

Rumble.

And he used it right away.

In the fight, the sword was being used. And the moment they raised their auras, it was no different from a fight that put lives on the line.

Tap.

Kevin was fast.

With a simple step, he let Miless attack flow, and he easily blocked the chained attack that hit him straight.

Kevin raised his aura just like Miles.

Knowing that Kevin already knew how to use aura, Miles pushed him hard without much agitation.

Kang!

Kaang!

It was still just the start. It was a match where Miles seemed to have the upper hand. At the unexpected flow, the northeast nobles clenched their fists in excitement at their chance to win.

It was then

Huk.

The difference.

Kevin dodged the attack and dug ahead. He stretched out the sword and attacked through the small gap.

Puak!

Kuak.

It was a shock.

He hastily protected himself with aura, but the shock was too much for his chest.

It wasnt to the extent of making him fall down. Miles clenched his teeth and attacked Kevin.

Kevins deep sword strikes caused a precarious situation of having too many gaps, but Miless strikes never worked.

Fucking rat!

Whish!

The heat was boiling inside of him.

Just one step. That was the distance between him and Kevin.

Obviously, it would be difficult to avoid it, but Kevin still showed such an acrobatic stance. It was absurd to move despite their close confrontation.

Kevin didnt use aura to shield himself in the least and merely moved to avoid the attacks. It took a lot of guts. It would have been a shock if the attack actually worked, but Kevin didnt seem to care.

Just one more step.

Tak.

That was his assessment, and he boldly rushed ahead. He intended to kill Kevin, even at the cost of giving up his flesh.

Bang!

Right ahead of him, Kevins face disappeared.

He immediately protected himself with aura.

Puak!

Ack!

Another shock to the body.

It was a shock that was enough to make his legs stumble, and he hurriedly looked for Kevin.

One step to the back and Kevin was there.

Right within the range of Miless attack, so he didnt even take a breath.

From then on, there was no such thing as a plan.

Fight with instinct. He swung his sword when he saw him and raised his aura to protect himself from such a situation happening again.

Huk!

This time, he felt nothing.

He felt annoyed.

Even though they exchanged hits, not a single attack worked on Kevin.

Fuck!

The difference in skills was clearly visible.

Kevin and Miles.

Although the status of their auras may be different, the two showed an overwhelming difference in abilities.

Just half a year ago, Kevin was a boy from the slums, but extreme training and experience in the war helped him grow.

Puak!

!

Another blow shook Miless body.

It hurt.

As he staggered back, he constantly checked his surroundings.

You bastard.

Kevin took a step back.

Miles didnt fully comprehend the scenario until now since he was continuously thinking of ways to counter the attack, but Kevin was successful in attacking, although he never saw him do so.

It felt like a joke.

How Kevin constantly gave Miles time to breathe showed that Kevin wasnt even doing his best.

Chris finished the opponent in three seconds.

So Kevin changed his mind and decided that if Chris finished his fight in a short time, he would do the opposite. He purposely dragged out the fight to show the opponent how different he was from him.

You bastard!

Groan.

Miles moved and rushed in.

It was now a matter of pride. He didnt want to give up in such a way, regardless of how he would lose.

Just once.

He wanted to hit Kevin once.

The sword fluttering with aura cut through Kevin, but this time, he avoided the attack by taking a step back.

Their eyes met, revealing gaps.

If he were hit with another attack now, he would be crippled.

But Kevin left without attacking.

Even though he would have a certain victory, he took a step back to allow Miles to adjust.

Miless mind collapsed at that situation.

I will abstain.

Making the opponent give up.

This was Kevins way.

Kevin didnt finish it quickly. Rather, he dragged it out long enough to prove the difference between him and the opponent.

And Miles collapsed.

The talent of this man, who once dreamed of succeeding as a swordsman, felt tormented now.

Round 2 is done. Kevin of the Dmitry family wins and advances to Round 3!

Kevins victory came in 10 minutes. It was the longest in this tournament, but people were amazed throughout the whole 10 minutes.

But Kevin didnt smile.

While Kevin was fighting Miles.

Round 2, five seconds.

Round 3, eight seconds.

Round 4, ten seconds.

In those time frames, Chris shocked people by making it to the finals.