The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Chapter 69

Clang! Clatter!

A fierce battle with sparks flying ensued one after another. The knights, already appointed by Count Melvin, were demonstrating their skills as seasoned expert swordsmen.

“Phew. That was a truly impressive display of swordsmanship. I would like to cross swords with you again if the opportunity arises. You’ve passed.”

The six knights showcased almost equal prowess to the examiners and breezed through the examination.

Applause and cheers were nonstop from the audience, and even the nobles in the spectator seats could no longer doubt the knights’ abilities.

Those who had sarcastically mocked the knight order for merely filling their ranks were now hastily trying to hide their flushed faces. And just then, they found a new target.

“Cough. Now the trainee knights are making their entrance. But honestly, to provide them with official armor and weapons… Isn’t that a bit childish and lowbrow?”

“Indeed. Trying to deceive us into believing they’ve filled their ranks with such tactics. The foolish citizens will mistake them all for knights, won’t they?”

“Considering the stature and standing of true knights, such despicable acts should be prohibited. What is the Knights’ Association doing?”

“That’s right! Who doesn’t provide armor for trainee knights because they’re out of funds? It’s all in consideration of the order’s hierarchy….”

Again, these individuals began to nitpick baselessly. And the atmosphere of the examination hall shifted slightly.

Although it was supposed to be a fair assessment, it was natural for the examiners to know a bit about the participants.

Now that it was the turn of the trainee knights, the examiners were seemingly more relaxed, exchanging meaningful glances as they awaited the trainee knights’ entrance.

* * *

The 2nd phase of the examination, the guided duel, was designed to evaluate the participants’ level of swordsmanship and combat skills.

As implied by its name, the principle was for the examiner to conduct the duel according to the participant’s level.

Hence, most duels involved little to no use of mana, or at most, mana swords. It was rare for duels to outright involve mana blades (materialized sword qi) like in the cases of Jake or Pierce.

Clang! Clang!

A two-handed sword, known for its long handle, moved swiftly and elegantly.

‘Tricky,’ the examiner clicked his tongue internally. The two-handed greatsword was known for its clear strengths and weaknesses.

Its long blade and weight allowed for powerful slashes and thrusts, but it was less agile, and its wielder could be at a disadvantage if an opponent closed the distance.

Naturally, the examiner tried to close the gap to exploit weaknesses, but gaps were hard to come by.

‘Wasn’t he just a trainee knight? Impressive.’

The participant, Alex, meticulously maintained his distance, smoothly continuing the offense and defense. It was evident that he thoroughly understood how to utilize his weapon.

‘So this is why the Ashton count’s household is considered prestigious. Not only is the swordsmanship excellent, but the level of a trainee knight is this high!’

The person across from him could barely be considered to be in his mid-twenties at most. However, based on his proficiency and tactics in swordsmanship, he exuded the vibe of a seasoned swordsman with ample real combat experience.

Judging solely on his swordsmanship, there seemed to be nothing more to assess.

The moment the examiner realized that three minutes had passed, he nodded and exclaimed, “That’s enough. Impressive sword skills. I see no reason not to pass you. What do the other examiners think?”

“Pass.”

“I cannot agree. I request a re-examination!”

The main examiner, who had assumed a pass was a given, hesitated for a moment when one of the assistant examiners raised an objection.

“… Is there a problem with my judgement?” he asked, puzzled.

The objecting examiner shrugged and said, “To be honest, can we really call that a proper duel? From what I saw, it seemed like he was merely biding his time, staying just out of greatsword range and barely engaging.”

“What…!? Are you serious? Did you even see properly?”

“It’s odd. From my perspective, his skills were certainly sufficient for passing.”

Another assistant examiner also cocked his head, puzzled by the situation.

“Regardless, my opinion stands. We need a re-examination.”

The objector appeared resolute in his stance. At that moment, something sparkling caught the main examiner’s eye.

‘Could it be…?’

The brooch pinned to the objecting examiner’s uniform. It bore the symbol of the Gronan Household, a branch of the Randal County. This seemed to be entangled in political issues.

“Do as you wish!”

The main examiner clenched his teeth and stomped towards the assistant examiners’ seats. The re-exam was within the assistant examiner’s rights, so he was powerless to intervene further.

‘Dirty scoundrels, dragging politics into the sacred halls of knight order! I won’t let this slide.’

He resolved to officially protest to the association after today’s examination was over.

The re-examination lasted one minute. The objecting assistant examiner would personally duel the candidate. If the candidate lasted the minute, he would automatically pass.

If not, the outcome would depend on the decision of the last assistant examiner who hadn’t participated in the duel.

The re-examination was set, and the squire, Alex, had to face the trial once again. Examiner Bern eyed Alex with a gleam in his eye, drawing his rapier.

‘You have to fail here.’

Aside from instructions from his family, he had no intention of allowing a squire from the Ashton family to pass the examination anyway.

His rapier began to glow with a crimson mana. Shhhh!! As soon as the duel began, the rapier, like a red meteor, charged towards Alex.

“Do you dare think you can take this sword?!”

The rapier seemed poised to pierce through Alex’s thigh at any moment. Yet, soon enough, Bern’s face contorted in disbelief.

“He dodged it…?”

That a mere trainee knight should evade the Randal household’s swordsmanship, ‘Shooting Star,’ was unthinkable.

Convinced it was merely a fluke, Bern unleashed a series of attacks one after another. However, as if he had foreseen the rapier’s movements, Alex deflected the onslaught flawlessly.

Although he was unable to counterattack due to the fundamental skill gap, his defense was more than enough.

“That’s enough!” Suddenly, a minute had passed, and the assistant examiners halted the duel.

“Participant Alex, you pass. Your performance was truly impressive; I’m at a loss for words!”

“Phew, it’s over.”

Alex, sheathing his greatsword and bowing in gratitude to the examiners, took a moment to catch his breath before turning around.

The crowd erupted in cheers, over which Alex struggled to contain his surging emotions.

“Thank you, Master!”

If not for Raul, passing this examination would not have been easy for Alex. Raul had investigated everything from what the knights’ trials entailed, who the examiners were and what swordsmanship they practiced, to which families were involved.

Discovering that many of the examiners were associated with the Randal household, Raul had personally taken up the rapier, demonstrating ‘Shooting Star’ to help train the trainee knights, leading to this moment’s achievement.

Alex couldn’t help but admire his master’s foresight.

“Yes, everything went just as Master said!”

Only one step remained. Once he cleared the final hurdle, he would stand as a true knight beside his master. He determined to dedicate his life to serving by his master’s side.

With this resolute oath, Alex left the training field, leaving a stunned Examiner Bern in his wake.

“Heh, isn’t this ironic? Now I truly understand why the knights of the Ruben Kingdom are exceptional.”

“Ahem!”

“This year is indeed unlike the others. What’s the reason for the particularly stringent examination?”

At the colosseum’s central VIP section, uncomfortable murmurs kept reaching Carson, the chairman of the Ruben Kingdom’s Knights’ Association.

It was clear why – even to an outsider, the ongoing irregularities in the examination hall were blatantly obvious.

Following Alex’s passage, a series of contentious re-evaluations were ordered for the First Knights Order’s trainee knights.

If there were genuine issues warranting reconsideration, it would be one thing, but these seemed unreasonably harsh compared to previous participants’ assessments, to the point of being blatantly suspicious.

“These detestable scoundrels!!”

The chairman’s fists trembled imperceptibly as he feigned calm, watching the proceedings unfold.

Despite hastily sending staff to manage the situation, the association’s prestige had already been severely damaged. Moreover,

“Association Chairman. This is quite unexpected. Could it possibly be the incident I’m thinking of?”

While the head of a media outlet openly asked,

“Ha-ha. Surely, you jest? The Knight’s Association of the Ruben Kingdom is practically the focal point for knights across the continent. It must just be the examiners being overly enthusiastic. Isn’t that right?”

The enigmatic sage, Gray, was speaking with an inscrutable expression beside him. Moreover, today’s VIP section was filled with powerful figures whom he could not afford to treat lightly.

The chairman of the association felt cold sweat trickle down his back as his face flushed red.

“Ahem…”

“Ha-ha…”

“This is beyond imagination.”

The attempt to check the First Knight Order by the examiners had completely backfired, even having the opposite of the intended effect.

“The skill level of the squires is one thing, but…”

“It’s probably safe to say that in terms of swordsmanship, the Ashtons are ahead of the Randal.”

“Indeed, a prestigious family proves its worth yet again. Perhaps this marks the limitation of an emerging family.”

“It seems so. There’s no doubting Count Hudson’s prowess as a master, but the level of the knights clearly favors the Ashtons…”

The atmosphere and currents were shifting among the observers. The original influence in the capital saw the Randal overpowering the Ashtons.

Due to this, many held the belief that the Randal were superior in terms of swordsmanship and knight quality, but such notions were being upset.

Moreover, looking at the spectator stands, it wasn’t just a backfire; it had outright elevated the First Knight Order.

“Truly the First Knight Order!!”

“All the squires passing? I knew this would happen!”

“Dad! When I grow up, I want to be a knight in the First Knight Order!!”

“Why was the Count Ashton’s household not well-known? If the new Order is this strong, how powerful must the main Order be?”

To be honest, until now, there had been plenty of rumors about the First Knight Order, but not many had actually seen them in combat.

At best, those saved by them from gates or some mercenaries shared tales, but now, the situation had changed.

In addition to rumors, countless citizens had witnessed their sparring firsthand.

Moreover, being younger than other knights and equipped with brilliantly new shining armor and weapons, it was natural for them to stand out in the arena.

“Ah, already the last participant? I was so engrossed I lost track of time.”

“Look! That’s him, the last participant!!”

“Ah, to see him fight in person. I could die without regrets now.”

“Kyah! Young master Raul~! Please look here!!”

Despite the prolonged trials potentially leading to exhaustion, the audience was evidently more exhilarated.

Because the last participant in the second round of trials was none other than Raul.

(To be continued)