How to Live as a Genius Knight in a Fantasy World

48.

When Arden VI opened his eyes, there was no one left by his side.

Frantically getting up to search for the queen and prince, in the dense forest where the sky was barely visible, there was no trace of human presence to be found.

“Where… exactly am I?”

He was undoubtedly a capable ruler, but at the same time, he was a king who couldn’t easily leave the palace.

Wherever he was, it was always near the palace, and even if he ventured outside of Arden, his attendants who would always take care of any inconvenience followed him.

Now that they had all disappeared.

The king couldn’t even figure out where he was.

In the end, what he chose was to head towards the distant mountain.

Looking around from a high vantage point, he thought there might be something to gain.

A mountain where not only wild beasts but also minor monsters frequently appeared was not a suitable environment for ordinary humans to survive.

But the king was not an ordinary human, and the nuisance creatures that came looking for an easy meal ended up becoming a snack for the stomach of the King of Arden.

Being a high-ranking knight, it took him two full days to climb to the summit, even though the height of the peak was not the only obstacle; the mountain itself was rugged with no path.

Finally reaching the summit of the mountain, the king, surveying the surroundings, could soon discover a remarkable sight.

“A city…?”

In the midst of a forest filled entirely with trees, a city larger than Arden itself stood.

Tall trees as high as city walls grew endlessly, forming the forest, and countless people moved across bridges woven from the branches of the trees.

At the tops of the enormous trees, yellow, round fruits hung in abundance, and large mushroom-like structures grew plentifully on the tree trunks.

In a landscape that seemed to come straight out of a fairy tale, even the king, captivated by anxiety and unease, couldn’t help but exclaim with admiration.

“It’s like a place where fairies would live.”

The wooden fortress enveloped in a dreamlike atmosphere.

An unimaginable sight, yet the King of Arden had already discerned the true identity of this place.

“It’s the city of the Woodland Folk.”

Woodland Folk.

Also known as Elves.

Once the crucial allies in the founding of the Kingdom of Arden, now merely a mysterious race whose existence is fading into legend due to dwindling interactions over the years.

Simultaneously, they were a race that had bestowed great favors upon the Kingdom of Arden.

The moment the king realized their identity, he understood why the magic circle had led him to this place.

After a brief moment of hesitation, the king stepped into the light mist surrounding the city as the soldiers, including Rohan, set out for the city of Tigrun.

In the royal palace of the Florian Kingdom, which had maintained a close relationship with Arden, intense debates were ongoing.

“Have you not heard the news? Arden has vanished in its entirety. The capital!”

“That’s right. If we leave those dark sorcerers alone, it could lead to even greater calamity. Wouldn’t it be better to strengthen while Arden is holding on?”

“Does that make any sense? We haven’t even been asked for help by Arden, so how can we assist?”

“It’s an invasion, an invasion.”

“But isn’t rooting out the dark sorcerers different? How does that amount to invasion?”

In fact, aren’t we in a position where we can’t just sit back and watch what happens to Arden? Do you not realize how unstable the western borders are?”

“The Empire never invades, right? How many times have they been protesting like this?”

When news first arrived that dark sorcerers had appeared in Arden, they were not of much concern.

Ardenians traditionally possessed a martial temperament, and the country stood out among the peaceful kingdoms for its military strength.

Moreover, as a country that had recently experienced the mischief of dark sorcerers, they had thought that the influence of minor dark sorcerers would be swiftly suppressed.

However, the results that came later were completely beyond expectations.

The appearance of a dragon, like those in legends, and the tragic news that even the capital Arden had fallen into the hands of dark sorcerers, with reports that not even the king and the royal family’s safety was assured, indicated how dire the situation had become.

Before long, the Arden issue became the top priority in state affairs.

For several days now, other matters had not been properly addressed.

As dark sorcerers had long been considered mere troublemakers, no one was unaware that leaving them be could bring about even greater calamity.

It was natural that there were calls to send troops to Arden to completely eradicate the dark sorcerers.

However, sending troops to another country was by no means as easy as it sounded.

Even the mobilization of the knights belonging to the clergy as a group would face significant opposition, let alone the prospect of troops from a completely different country crossing borders at will.

Of course, given the circumstances, there was a possibility of understanding from the Arden side as well.

The problem was that the territorial disputes with the Empire that had been ongoing for years had recently escalated significantly.

With armed conflicts occurring frequently, preparations had been made to significantly increase the military presence in the west to prepare for any eventuality.

While it might be possible to mobilize the forces held by the nobles in the north or dispatch some of the royal knights, the question remained whether it would make any significant difference facing forces strong enough to capture the capital of a country.

Their ongoing debates, which seemed to be never-ending, abruptly came to an end with the sudden arrival of a messenger who brought an urgent atmosphere with them.

Approaching the king, the messenger whispered something, and the king’s expression, which had seemed somewhat bored, changed instantly.

The courtiers, sensing the gravity of the situation, closed their mouths one by one and waited for the king’s words.

“…Hear me, lords. Last night, Katlur Fortress fell into the hands of the Empire.”

At the unexpected news, a heavy silence descended upon the court.

“I-Is that, is that really true?”

“It is. There’s no time to waste. Send word to your territories, alert them to prepare for war. Be ready to mobilize your forces at any moment.”

“…Yes!”

“Lord Viktor, lead the royal knights and the mages of the Tower. Lord Felix, ensure that the central army is deployed to the western border as soon as possible.”

“Yes!”

“Lord Taliyum. Ensure thorough preparations to avoid any supply disruptions. Do you understand?”

“I understand!”

The swift responses were followed by the swift disappearance of the courtiers.

A hint of unease settled in the king’s gaze as he watched them go.

The dormant embers began to kindle into flames of urgency.

Marching in winter was never an easy task.

The punitive force set off with an unusually generous supply, yet there was no way to avoid rapid physical deterioration due to fierce winds and severe cold.

The only solution was to take frequent breaks.

It was a consolation that there was no need to worry about the attacks of minor monsters.

Amidst an environment even the knights found challenging, there was a man who made everyone around marvel at him.

“Sir Rohan, truly remarkable…”

“That’s what I’m saying. How great is this stamina…”

“Youth has its advantages.”

“But, does such training really benefit a knight?”

“Well, isn’t that what he’s doing?”

A man who kept moving his body relentlessly amidst the howling winds in the mountains.

He was none other than Rohan.

While others busied themselves with resting, Rohan took a brief moment to catch his breath before grabbing his dagger.

“Just a little more, and I’ll be there.”

Of course, being human, enduring the march in the cold was no easy task for Rohan either.

Skills undoubtedly provided useful strength, but apart from a slight increase in recovery, there were no additional effects related to stamina.

However, Rohan was driven by the young body on the verge of its prime and the strong motivation of skill proficiency.

Before he knew it, his proficiency in dagger techniques was at 95%.

He needed to quickly fill the proficiency in dagger techniques and move on to archery.

“There will be a big fight, so I have to synthesize skills somehow.”

As SR-grade skills held such value that they were considered a family’s legacy, even if proficiency was not fully achieved, it greatly aided in increasing combat power.

To increase the chances of survival even slightly, synthesis was a must.

Though not as intense as Rohan, Kris seemed quite enthusiastic, perhaps inspired by Rohan, especially coming out to practice throwing daggers after dinner.

Kris’s stance in throwing daggers had become quite stable, and now, more often than not, the blade hit the target.

“…Come to think of it, is it okay to teach R-grade skills?”

Thinking of Kris practicing with full dedication, the idea naturally crossed his mind.

While he couldn’t reveal the SR skills he possessed as they were the family’s legacy, there was no one who could claim to be the master of ancient warrior swordsmanship or barbarian sword defense techniques.

“Though the aggressive martial arts bother me a bit…”

Nevertheless, as these martial arts could reach a level beyond the use of aura, they differed greatly from the basic martial arts taught in Izel.

It seemed a waste for only Rohan to know.

“Hmm…”

After a brief moment of contemplation, Rohan made a decision and nodded his head.

“Let’s focus on raising the proficiency of the skills I have first. Teaching now won’t make them proficient in using them…”

It seemed more helpful for Rohan to become slightly stronger right away and kill more monsters, thus increasing their survival rate.

With his thoughts organized, Rohan once again took hold of his dagger.

But life doesn’t always go according to plan.

The next day, as expected, there was someone calling out to Rohan as he was about to throw his dagger.

“Sir Rohan.”

In Rohan’s familiar voice, there was a glimmer of joy in his eyes as he turned around.

“Argen. What’s the matter?”

“Oh, it’s just that… I have a favor to ask.”

“Yes? What is it about?”

Since it was rare for Argen to ask for a favor, Rohan paid even closer attention to his voice.

“Well… actually, I’d like to request a duel.”

“A duel? Now?”

“Yes. I know the timing isn’t ideal, but I’m feeling too restless. There’s still plenty of rest time left…”

It was an unexpected request.

After gazing at Argen for a moment, Rohan quietly nodded his head.

“Then shall we move our ground a bit?”

Given the thousands of soldiers nearby, it would be impossible to hide the fact that they were about to clash swords.

Still, there was no need to make a spectacle of themselves, so Argen simply nodded in agreement.

Venturing into the mountains, the two found a suitable clearing, raising their weapons to face each other.

“It’s been a long time.”

As they stood facing each other like this, memories of their early days clashing swords during their training as recruits flooded Rohan’s mind.

“Time is short, so I’ll make the first move.”

With a declaration of offense, Argen’s hand holding the sword moved.

The sword drawn from his waist sheath, matched his imposing figure, boasting a noticeably larger size compared to those of other soldiers.

Sensing Argen’s momentum rising, Rohan also drew his sword.

Taking a stance reminiscent of a sword dance, Argen’s massive body lunged towards Rohan as if about to collapse.

The sword, with a force that an ordinary soldier would hardly withstand, fell straight towards Rohan.

It seemed like it could easily cleave Rohan in two with its momentum.

However, Argen’s sword never touched Rohan’s body.

Rohan’s growth rate was so steep that even without Ora’s help, he felt no difficulty in deflecting Argen’s attacks.

The subtle movements each time their swords clashed completely nullified Argen’s force.

It felt like facing a wall.

Yet, Argen did not cease his relentless attacks.

Even though he was no longer young for a soldier, his sword still carried a burning passion.

But what truly astonished Rohan was not Argen’s fervent heart.

“It’s gotten heavier.”

Easily brushed off, but that was only because Rohan’s level was significantly higher.

Despite his advanced age, Argen was gradually improving.

Argen’s persistent attacks finally came to an end around the time his breath started to falter.

Rohan waited quietly until he had fully caught his breath.

Perhaps due to consistent training, Argen’s physique quickly found stability.

Meeting Rohan’s gaze fixed on him, Argen awkwardly smiled as if sensing his admiration.

As if attempting to cover it up with a smile.

But Rohan’s gaze still pierced through him, and unable to withstand it, Argen reluctantly spoke up.

“Well, Rohan-“

“Just call me Rohan. There are only two of us here.”

“Kum, kum… Alright. Rohan.”

“Do you have something to say?”

“…hahahaha. Yeah. Honestly, I’ve been feeling a bit stifled lately. Especially as of late. The truth is, it hasn’t been long since I started wielding a weapon.”

“I heard about that.”

“Yeah, it’s been well over ten years now. Initially, coming in as a soldier, it was natural for me to learn spear techniques. But a spear isn’t the kind of weapon you carry around on a daily basis.”

“That’s true.”

“So, trying out various weapons, I eventually found that the sword suited me best. It’s easy to carry around. I, from a young age, had high expectations placed on me in the village. Talents fit for a knight or something. Actually, I thought so too. Right from the start, I was noticeably different from others in build. Since I never lagged behind in strength from a young age, I thought I could easily become an impressive person.”

“Hmm…”

“But, it’s not as easy as that. Despite constantly wielding the sword except for duty and drinking times, it didn’t work out. If becoming a knight was that easy, there wouldn’t be so few non-knights around… Still, feeling stifled, I had to ask you for a favor. And you, Rohan, are the only one I trust to handle my sword properly.”

At Argen’s candid words, conflict brewed on Rohan’s face.

Just the day before, he had sorted out his thoughts on martial arts training, yet hearing Argen’s words unsettled him.

After a moment of contemplation, Rohan let out a deep sigh as if conceding, “Teach only Argen. I don’t have the luxury to teach other soldiers.”

In reality, from Rohan’s perspective, Argen had ample potential.

Argen’s skills were overwhelmingly superior to other soldiers, and he possessed a diligent spirit of constant improvement.

Perhaps if he had learned decent martial arts from a young age, he might have become a knight long ago.

“Argen. Listen well.”

“Huh?”

“Starting tonight, after dinner, come to my quarters. Bring your sword. Understood?”