Broken and Elincia made their way down to the beach, where Orion and the other knights were waiting for them. Among the group were Elowen, Mira, a few Beastkin, and Elves who stood by, ready. As soon as Broken approached, the Knights rose in unison and bowed respectfully.
Orion, who seemed to be adjusting to his new responsibilities over the past few days, avoided making eye contact with Broken and remained silent.
Anna’s voice broke the quiet. “My Lord, are we preparing to go on another hunt?!”
Broken smiled and shook his head. “No, I didn’t come here today to send you out on another hunt. I wanted to let you know that I believe it would be best for you all to rest and restore your strength today. We’ll be setting off on our expedition tomorrow.”
He then turned to Elowen and Mira. “I didn’t get a chance to properly thank you both yet. My appreciation for your contributions in the last monster defense.”
Elowen smiled and bowed slightly. “Without Lord Maylock’s order for us to come, it might not have happened, my Lord. But I’m glad we could be of help.”
“We’ll be heading into another big battle soon,” Broken added. “I trust you’ll be ready.”
Elowen nodded with a slight smile. “Couldn’t be worse than sacrificing my life to kill the Ranked Demon, right?”
“We can all hope so,” Broken replied with a faint smile.
Broken then turned to Orion, who seemed to lower his gaze slightly.
[Name: Orion]
[Level: 208]
[Strength: 745 | Agility: 234 | Intelligence: 756 | Constitution: 324 | Stamina: 546] [Job: Guard]
[Battlefield Commander (S) – Bravery (A) – Charge Resistance (B) – Spell Mastery (B) – Sword Mastery (B) Intimidating Presence (B)]
Orion possessed an impressive set of talents that seemed to perfectly complement one another. His S-rated Battlefield Commander talent alone would be invaluable to Broken as he looked to expand his army in the future.
Igor also had the Battlefield Commander talent, though his was rated at B. That difference alone made it clear that Orion had far greater potential when it came to leading his own war troops.
His potential was immense, with abilities that balanced each other seamlessly. Spell Mastery and Sword Mastery-combined with his choice of the Sword Magic class-made him a force to be reckoned with.
And Bravery? Broken smirked; that one could easily have been called Arrogance instead.
As the son of a well-respected Viscount, Orion carried the weight of many people’s expectations. Broken hoped he’d rise to meet them.
But seriously, he still couldn’t believe it-Orion was practically a perfect setup, with stats and talents so ideally aligned. Damn, he was lucky to have Orion on his team.
“Orion,” Broken said in a firm tone.
“Yes, my Lord,” Orion replied.
“I want you to understand something-I’m someone who puts in tremendous effort and makes rapid progress, both in combat and every skill I pursue. With my hard work and talent, I’m confident I’ll grow very powerful in a short time.”
Orion looked momentarily stunned by Broken’s words, but he recovered and responded, “Yes, my Lord, I recognize your remarkable talents.”
“I’m sure you want to challenge me to another duel, to prove that you won’t stop here, right?”
At this, Orion’s expression tightened, his jaw clenched.
“But,” Broken went on, “make sure you’re worthy of the challenge. If it doesn’t excite me, you know I won’t be interested. So, make it as compelling as possible for me. I won’t wait around for you-work for it, or there won’t be any duel at all.”
As Orion felt his heart pounding, his breath coming in heavy, he clenched his hands into tight fists.
“My Lord,” he said with fierce determination, “I swear to you, I will train relentlessly, leaving no time for anything else. I’ll make sure I can put up a meaningful fight for you in our next duel. I’ll give it everything, as if my life depends on it.”
[Orion felt an intense drive to push past his limits, to reach new heights and prove he was not someone to be underestimated. Every moment from now on would be devoted to training, rising to his fullest potential.]
[Your affinity with Orion has increased to 45%.]
Whoa, the affinity jumped up that fast? From 12 to 45 just like that? What happened? No way that was just because of Broken’s words, right?
“You are now the Knight Commander, and you’re in charge of Karl, Yann, and Anna. You’ll likely have more knights under your command soon enough.”
Orion straightened. “I will give it my all, My Lord.”
Broken smiled and, without another word, turned to leave, Elincia quickly falling into step behind him.
“Orion!” Karl called out as Broken and Elincia walked off. “Remember, I’m your rival too. Don’t get too comfortable, because I can easily surpass you.”
“Shut up, Karl!” Orion snapped back. “Keep dreaming. Don’t think for a second you can outdo me! I’m your Knight Commander, and I’ll make sure you have a hard time under my command. Hah!” With a huff, he strode away.
Anna, grinning with enthusiasm, ran after Orion, spinning around to walk backward so she could look him in the face.
“Orion…your cheeks are so red! Are you blushing because of our Lord’s charm? Oh, Lord Broken is so charismatic that he’s even won over Orion-the same Orion who challenged him to a duel in front of everyone a few days ago!”
“Shut up, Anna, or I’ll punish you hard!” Orion muttered, turning his face away.
Anna only laughed in response.
“How did you come up with that approach, Broken?” Elincia asked as they walked side by
side.
“What approach?”
“The way you motivated that jerk, Orion,” she continued. “You were so confident and provoking with him, but he took it to heart and seemed genuinely inspired. How did you do
it?”
“I’m not sure what you mean, Elincia. I was just saying what was on my mind.”
Elincia’s eyes lit up. “You have a natural gift for leadership! Do you realize your own
potential?”
Broken pondered this for a moment before asking, “So, are you saying I could do the same with all the guild members who might follow me someday?”
Elincia giggled. “Well, you do seem to communicate differently with each person, don’t
you?”
She went on, “And that’s exactly what I mean. You’re able to influence people in a natural way -look at how you barely tried with Maylock, yet he already admires you deeply. That’s real
leadership.”
Broken considered her words thoughtfully. “So, do you think I could lead others?”
“Try it,” Elincia replied warmly. “I’ll be there to support you.”
“I’ll talk to Freya about this,” he said after a moment. “See you tomorrow, Elincia.”
***
Leon stepped out of the capsule and realized night had already fallen. They were still at the beach cottage, but the place seemed empty as he moved from room to room. Finally, he headed out to the backyard, where the swimming pool shimmered softly in the fading light.
Freya was seated comfortably on a nearby sofa.
“Hello…” Freya greeted him, turning around and waving. “What’s wrong? You look
exhausted.”
Without a word, Leon slowly made his way to the sofa and sank into it, closing his eyes. Freya gently stroked his cheek and pulled him closer to her shoulder.
“Rest here,” she murmured. “You’ll be amazed at the serenity Freya’s shoulder can bring.”
Leon relaxed, letting his head rest on her shoulder as he took a slow, deep breath of the clean evening air. The tension and fatigue that had weighed on him began to melt away.
“There’s something I want to talk to you about,” he whispered.
“I’m here,” Freya replied softly. “Go ahead; I’m listening.”