Theo automatically dropped his center of gravity as he answered. Randolph’s eyes grew serious as he looked at Theo’s near instinctive reaction. It was one that only a skilled person could show. He had noticed it during the chase, but Randolph was once again struck by how different Theo was from a year ago. As the atmosphere grew tense, Randolph took the first step.
“Go.”
His fist whistled through the air as his voice died away. Even without aura, the physical body of an aura user was a weapon in and of itself. He could break bones with a single punch. An ordinary person wouldn’t even see it, but fortunately, Theo wasn’t an ordinary person.
Bang!
Theo’s arm drew a semicircle in the air. It was a high level Shift Energy technique found in the eastern continent which emphasized firmness and domination.
… I couldn’t get rid of everything. He’s faster than I expected.
Theo shook his tingling hand as he prepared for the next attack. It was twice as fast as he’d expected. He wanted to raise his palm to defend, but Randolph’s next fist came before he could do so.
The dual wielding swordsman, Randolph Clovis, was as fast and sharp as his swords as he exploited any tiny gap.
Bang!Pit!Paang!Bang!
The fist and palm hit each other, causing the air between them to explode. As Theo’s palm moved away, his fingers swelled, and a few drops of blood fell, staining the floor.
Understandably, it was Randolph who was superior in this confrontation, while Theo was on the defensive. A swordsman didn’t just focus on his swords. Their body needed to be trained to handle aura, and a body that had been training for decades was truly terrifying.
Randolph wasn’t an opponent that a year’s worth of training could beat.
No, what is this shameful situation?
However, it was Randolph who was bewildered by the situation, not Theo.
In fact, he was going to teach the dangers of melee combat by suppressing Theo with his first attack. A magician who had learned a little bit of martial arts naturally couldn’t compare to someone who had been professionally trained in close combat.
However, he hadn’t expected his first attack to be blocked and then be stymied by a staunch defense.
Randolph looked at his employer with a wary expression.
Where did he pick this up?
There was no explanation for it. The human body rarely improved rapidly, even if it went through systematic and rigorous training. Perhaps those who had a bloodline would occasionally inherit their ancestor’s superior abilities, but this wasn’t the case with Theo. Theo must have experienced an extraordinary opportunity to grow like this. However, that wasn’t the only reason Theo was difficult to deal with.
Paang!
His defensive prowess was perfectly timed, as if he had done this more than a hundred times. He hadn’t even fallen for any of Randolph’s feints, and just defended the real strikes. Randolph didn’t know, but Theo’s perception had been of crucial importance in that task
Amazing. There is no chance of winning in a close combat match.
However, like Randolph, Theo was also shocked. Despite Lee Yoonsung’s physical abilities, his martial arts, and Alfred’s super perception, Theo had never found a chance to counterattack. Of course, it may have been different if Theo had used Umbra and other means, but Randolph hadn’t even used his aura yet. At this moment, Theo realized that a close combat match with a master class was beyond reckless.
Randolph had achieved his goal, but he continued to swing his fist unconsciously. He predicted that this confrontation wouldn’t end so easily.
Tak.
But then, Randolph retreated three steps and formed a fist. It wasn’t impossible for Theo to anticipate the retreat, but Randolph was simply too quick. This was the strength of a person who focused on speed. He could fight and retreat at any time.
“Admirable. You are a magician. To reach this level in a year… you truly are a genius. I grew up hearing that I was a genius, but I’m nothing compared to Young Master.”
“… You’re just complimenting me.”
“No, this isn’t enough. If you were born in the Andras Empire, you may have become the youngest of the Seven Swords…”
Randolph didn’t know about Gluttony, so he could only attribute this incomprehensible achievement to Theo’s talent. Of course, Theo smiled bitterly because he wasn’t actually a genius and Randolph just thought he was being humble.
Randolph’s hands curled into fists. His right fist rose to shoulder level, while his left fist moved down to his waist.
Jjirak.
Theo felt his danger sense go off. It was impossible to understand what that stance meant, but his senses were screaming at him in warning.
“Fortunately, I still have something to teach you.” Randolph smiled when he saw Theo’s stiff response.
Then Randolph moved.
..Paang!
The sound was one beat late. By the time Theo registered it, Randolph’s fists had already reached Theo, and there was no time for Theo to react to the attack. If Randolph had intended to kill Theo, Theo definitely would’ve stopped breathing right then.
Theo didn’t even have the chance to move. Pure physical power against trained martial arts… the winner and loser were decided in a moment.
“Well done.”
“Good work, Young Master.”
It was a phenomenon which couldn’t be understood, but Theo didn’t forget his courtesies. However, the question wasn’t resolved. Theo’s eyes were filled with burning curiosity, causing Randolph to stutter.
“W-Well, I had a thought. It seems I was correct.”
Randolph’s cryptic words bothered Theo.
“What did you think? And why were you right?”
“I just found out what Young Master is lacking.”
Theo listened quietly. He had absorbed Lee Yoonsung’s experience, but it wasn’t perfect. Randolph was close to being a master, so his advice would definitely be helpful. As Theo calmed, Randolph’s expression turned serious.
“The basics are good. You know how to distinguish real attacks from fakes, meaning your discerning eye is better than that of ordinary knights. You won’t be easily caught by a surprise attack.”
“… Then?”
“The problem is what comes next. Since you only know the basics, you don’t have an answer when a technique like the one I used at the end shows up.”
Theo silently accepted it. Randolph’s last technique was literally ridiculous. It was a technique using an aura user’s massive physical abilities and couldn’t be easily understood. Randolph called it Hidden Meaning.
“Well, the name varies. Whether it is Hidden Meaning, Vision, Secret Technique, or Mystic Arts… the important thing is its nature, not the name. It’s a decisive blow that can only be demonstrated after faithfully accumulating the basics.”
Randolph drew his swords and took on a posture to deal a deadly blow that didn’t show any errors.
Kakiing!
The blow couldn’t be seen. The acceleration was almost invisible as Randolph’s blow split a ball of dust in the air into two. This was the swordsmanship of the Clovis family, at one time a member of the prestigious Seven Swords of the Empire.
Randolph put the swords away calmly and said, “I don’t know who taught you martial arts, but if you have time, you should learn the rest. Otherwise, you won’t be able to beat real masters of close combat. Of course, Young Master is a magician, so there is no reason to do that.”
“… Thank you.” Theo bowed respectfully.
The knight’s path and the magician’s paths were different, but advice to reach the next level was always useful. After thanking Randolph, Theo was left to ponder something he had forgotten about—Transmission.
To put it bluntly, eating the book Battle Song was getting in the way of Theo’s own Battle Song. The synchro rate was high, but his physical abilities were low, which meant he couldn’t reproduce even half of Lee Yoonsung’s skills. It would take a few more years if he wanted to search his memories and pursue those afterimages.
However, the story was different if he could fully absorb the soul with Transmission. He would be able to use all of his abilities, much like Alfred. The words Gluttony had spoken also proved the possibility.
– Transmission isn’t normally used in that way. 𝒃𝙚𝙙𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝒍．𝒆𝒕
In the past, Theo had almost died when Alfred’s soul had been absorbed. However, according to Gluttony, there seemed to be a more modest way of using Transmission. Anyway, it was necessary for Theo to keep the expansion of his vessel in mind as he started thinking about new possibilities for Transmission.
Then at that moment…
[Deo!]
The childlike voice ringing through Theo’s head got rid of his thoughts. The refreshing voice belonged to the ancient elemental Mitra, who was contracted to him.
Mitra? What’s going on?
[Here baba!]
Huh?
Theo turned his head and found the party involved.
“… Mitra, don’t bother Hugin.”
A girl with light brown skin and hair like ripe wheat stood on the head of the crow. She was now an independent entity, but Mitra’s essence was still an earth elemental. Her range of action was limited when on a ship crossing the sea.
[Fwen!]
Therefore, Mitra made a new friend with wings.
Kyaaack!
… Of course, her new friend may not share the same sentiment.
I’m sorry. I’ll feed you well later.
Theo looked at Hugin sadly before turning to Mitra, who had called him. She might’ve called him to play as usual, but it felt like that wasn’t the case today.
Mitra’s eyes flashed as she spoke again.
[Deo! Here baba!]
“Huh? Aren’t I looking at it now?”
[Eung? No! Not see it!]
What is she talking about?
Theo was perplexed, and Mitra suddenly smacked Hugin’s head.
[Bwack sail! Bwack sail!]
Kuwaaaack!
It might not seem like it, but Mitra had the power of an intermediate level spirit. When Hugin launched himself into the sky, he invoked Clairvoyance and the horizon appeared before Theo’s eyes. Theo was confused by the sudden vision but he had already experienced this several times, so he focused calmly.
There had to be a reason Mitra was showing him this landscape.
“… Black sails.”
Those who didn’t know the sea might say that the color of the sails didn’t matter. However, sailors would scoff at them. The color of the sails revealed the purpose of the ship. White represented passenger ships and domestic trade vessels, blue represented international trade vessels and ships carrying delegations, while other colors symbolized the military vessels of various countries.
However, there was a color that didn’t belong, and it was the black sail that symbolizes sin. There was only one type of ship which flew a black flag – a pirate ship.
There weren’t just one or two but five. A passenger ship that had abandoned mobility and combat power for size wouldn’t be able to go against them.
“Randolph, arm yourself right now.”
“Already am.”
As a veteran mercenary, Randolph was armed the moment he heard the words ‘black sails’. The two men left the room instantly. Theo continued using Clairvoyance as he made his way above deck. As the faint smell of seawater and perfume entered his nose, there was a sense of discomfort.
… Why didn’t I get a warning?
His senses detected all enemies, including things that stunk of evil and spirits, so why hadn’t it noticed the existence of the pirate ship? But his danger sense was still silent. This was a first for Theo who had gone through many difficulties.
However, his question would disappear in the near future.