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“Where did it all go wrong?”

Riarude looked down at the sword in his hand.

It was a sword he had wielded since he was ten years old.

By the time he turned twenty, he had gained confidence in his skills, believing no one could match him.

A single sword had supported his entire life.

With the talent granted by the heavens, he amassed wealth and fame.

At twenty-five, he pledged loyalty to Count Korod, and by thirty, he became one of the Order of the Eight Knights.

More wealth, more honor.

However, Riarude never skipped a single training session.

On days when he drank too much and had a hangover, or felt dizzy from a fever, he still swung his sword.

The first time he hit a wall was during the war that erupted when he was thirty-two.

Jade Allen.

The moment he first confronted that undefeated knight, Riarude simply thought he was just a big northern brute.

He was nothing special, just another sacrifice to his sword.

But that was a mistaken belief.

No matter how hard Riarude fought, Jade Allen never even glanced at him.

He had several opportunities to cross swords with him, but each time he desperately tried to hide his disadvantage.

It was the moment he realized how vast the world was and that there were heavens above the heavens.

But there was one silver lining—everyone feared Jade Allen.

The first man Riarude ever acknowledged was recognized by the whole world.

Jade Allen was a calamity, and he believed that with that presence overshadowed, no one could defeat him.

…Or so he thought.

“…Haah… Haah…”

The beast, bleeding endlessly with wounds all over its body, showed no signs of falling.

“…What… are you?”

Riarude muttered, his voice trembling.

Kyle Allen.

Riarude was in an even deeper shock than when he faced Jade Allen.

It was eight against one.

Not just any eight, but the Order of the Eight Knights.

In the Delum Kingdom, there were no knightly groups held in higher regard than them.

Such a position required matching skills and talent.

Riarude thought he could easily kill Kyle Allen.

He believed he would hunt him down and smoothly leave the Castle of Rondore.

But that plan had crumbled long ago.

“…Barriott.”

Riarude called out to Barriott, who lay collapsed and showed no signs of getting up.

“…Chris.”

Another friend who had been with him since he was twenty-eight, was the same.

“…Reek.”

Reek lay like trash, his arm severed.

“…Gunter.”

Gunter, renowned for his resilience, was also down.

And then there were Craig and Gabe.

All of them lay motionless, not one of them could rise.

Was this a nightmare?

A single person defeating the eight knights, is this really happening?

And not some promising knight, but an eighteen-year-old kid.

Riarude had never seen anyone as skilled at one against many as Kyle Allen.

In a fight, it was difficult to focus on just one opponent, yet Kyle moved as if he was calculating four or so at once.

Riarude met Kyle Allen’s eyes shining through the darkness.

After being struck, those eyes showed no signs of dimming.

He didn’t look tired or exhausted.

In fact, they seemed to glow even more dangerously like a beast.

“I… I want to live…”

Kyle’s gaze shifted downward.

In his hand, he grasped the neck of Hilden.

Hilden, who had been eagerly anticipating stepping on Kyle Allen, relishing in the moment of shattering the cockiness of a rookie, was now begging pitifully.

“P-Please… let me live… At home… my mother…”

Kyle showed no sign of being moved by those words.

His gaze didn’t waver, nor did his expression change.

Instead, he simply wiped the blood beginning to flow towards his eyes as if it were a nuisance.

“…Spare me.”

Riarude begged too.

He laid down his sword and raised his hands.

How could he accomplish what eight couldn’t do alone?

Looking at Kyle Allen’s condition, perhaps he could have tried just a bit more, but Riarude wasn’t in a much better state either.

Above all, the terror of death loomed so greatly that he lost the will to challenge any further.

All that was left was an overwhelming desire to escape this immense fear.

He finally realized that the brave heart he once had, that was as fierce as a lion, had withered away.

From the moment Craig and Gunter fell, Count Korod had long vanished.

There was no one left here to scold his actions anyway.

Riarude forced his voice to steady as he spoke.

“Please, Kyle Allen. Isn’t that enough? We admit defeat. Let, let Hilden and me go.”

Kyle Allen, breathing like a beast, turned to Riarude again.

And in that instant, Riarude realized everything was wrong.

Kyle’s eyes still shone in the middle of the fight.

Those were the eyes of someone oblivious to the fact that it was over.

It seemed like his instincts dominated his body to survive, and perhaps that was his limit because there appeared to be no room for rationality to return.

“…Tell me the name of the one targeting Vivian, not the Count.”

“I… I don’t know. Even if I wanted to tell you, I really don’t know. Only the Count knows.”

-Phew…

“Gaaaaah…!”

Kyle didn’t say a word and shoved the broken blade of Hilden into his stomach.

As the blade dug in, he pressed down with the heel of his shoe to make sure it stayed in.

Hilden squirmed, but Kyle’s grip tightened around Hilden’s neck like he was wielding a two-handed sword.

The cacophony of choking and screams mingled grotesquely as wind escaped from his neck.

“You said you’d break his nose. Get up, why are you only screaming?”

Kyle whispered while stepping on the blade.

Even while screaming, Hilden shook his head.

“I’m sorry… no, I’m… s-sorry… I didn’t know… please… please…”

As Hilden begged like that, his voice gradually lost strength, and he quietly closed his eyes.

In his last moments, the young bravado he believed would keep him alive faded away.

-Thud.

Kyle set down Hilden’s neck as if he were just tossing away a burden.

“…Tell me, Riarude. The name of the other guy. Maybe I’ll spare you.”

Riarude still couldn’t believe it.

How many holes had pierced his belly, and how many wounds crisscrossed his chest and face?

His left arm, which had gripped Hilden’s neck, was pierced by the broken blade, while his right ear was nearly severed.

Yet, how was he still standing?

It felt like he was staring at an ogre.

“…I said I don’t know…”

“…”

“…Can’t you just let me go?”

Riarude, with his hands still raised, pleaded desperately.

At that moment, sounds of people came from beyond the open door.

It seemed everyone had realized the commotion had dragged on too long.

‘There they are…! Over there!!’

Riarude chuckled as he lowered his arms.

It was too late to run now.

“…So this is where my life ends.”

He scoffed, giving up on hope.

“To meet death at the hands of such a rookie…”

For his failure to recognize a talent bestowed by the heavens, he was to taste defeat once more.

It wasn’t an unfair fate; it was the second time.

Perhaps he should have given up the moment he heard the name Allen.

Grinding his teeth, Riarude bent down to grasp his sword once more.

Kyle raised his two-handed sword.

-Woom!

That was Riarude’s last memory.

****

Vivian woke from the noisy commotion.

The sky reflected in the window was still dim, and it was far too early for people to be around.

As she tried to drift back to sleep, the unsettling noise kept her from dozing off.

Vivian rubbed her eyes and sat up.

After yawning comfortably, she blinked in confusion.

Considering the ruckus she heard at night… it must have been Count Korod causing trouble.

She had noticed it ever since he started drinking continuously.

Vivian stumbled to her feet, fighting off her annoyance, and opened the door.

“What’s going on…”

As soon as she opened the door, she froze at the scene laid before her.

Maid and guards lined up like they had committed some grave error.

They all bowed their heads, making the atmosphere unusual.

She couldn’t help but wonder how big of a crisis had unfolded to make them so restless already.

Vivian surveyed the chaotic scene around her.

Normally, it would be Kyle who came out first to help her understand the confusion.

He would say, “This happened, and that happened…” to clarify the situation.

But Kyle was nowhere to be seen.

She sensed something significant had gone wrong, but his absence was disturbing.

A slight chill ran down Vivian’s spine.

“…Where’s Kyle?”

She asked weakly.

But then, the butler Pifin stepped out with a pale expression.

He lowered his head and spoke,

“…Please follow me.”

…

“Grab him! Hold him down!!”

“Stop the bleeding…! The bandage is soaked! Hurry, we need something else… Where’s the hot water?!”

Complete chaos unfolded before her eyes.

Vivian froze in the room reeking of death.

The metallic smell of blood mingled with the scent of various herbs filled the air.

The maids and the newly appointed commoners, along with Scholar Krellyn, were all gathered around Kyle Allen.

“Cough…! Cough!!”

Kyle was coughing up blood, his eyes rolled back in whiteness.

Everytime his strong body convulsed, the maids struggled to hold him down.

“Ah…”

-Thud.

The moment Vivian saw him, her legs gave way beneath her.

“Lady Vivian!”

Pifin and the maids tried to support her, but Vivian was dazed and thoughtless.

All she wanted was to deny this situation.

Just before falling asleep, she had shared a kiss with Kyle, and now he lay battered in bed.

It was clear he had suffered severe injuries.

“Wh-what… what happened…”

Pifin gulped nervously and replied anxiously.

“…They say a battle broke out in the night. It was between the Order of the Eight Knights and Kyle Allen…”

In a moment of boiling rage, Vivian ground her teeth and retorted.

“Bring everyone…! They can’t escape from this land—”

“-They all died.”

“…”

Vivian’s mouth hung open at the shocking revelation.

They all died? The Eight Knights?

“K-Kyle didn’t fight alone…”

“He fought alone and defeated them all. He collapsed immediately after… And Count Korod has already left the city.”

Vivian gripped her trembling knees and got back on her feet.

Overcoming her fear, she hurried over to Kyle.

“Ah… ah…”

His skin was torn from the sword, exposing the flesh beneath, and blood spurted from the holes like geysers.

His complexion was dark, and he was drenched in sweat.

Foam formed at the mouth, blood flowed from the wounds, and life was escaping from his body.

With clarity returning, Vivian spoke up.

“S-Scholar Krellyn.”

Scholar Krellyn quickly turned at the sound of Vivian’s voice and stood up.

But Vivian grabbed his shoulder with urgency.

“Talk while treating him.”

Krellyn nodded and resumed his treatment of Kyle.

From what he could barely glean, he was tied to Count Korod.

But the notion that the Eight Knights were wiped out meant that that lifeline had also rotted away.

Scholar Krellyn must have known this, and he could feel what crucial thread needed to be clutched.

“Wh-what’s the situation?”

Vivian asked, trying to calm her trembling heart.

Krellyn stiffened for a moment, taking a breath before maintaining his silence.

A gulp slipped down his throat.

“…Prepare yourself.”

A piercing pain assaulted her heart.

“Ah… Aah!!”

It was the moment Vivian let out the scream she had been holding back.

 

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