Chapter 68: Unofficial Ranker (1)

Before sunset, Villas arrived in Dmitri.

At the checkpoint, after explaining his purpose and identity, they were immediately led to meet Marquis Romano, following the instructions of the guard captain.

“I am Romano of Dmitri. I understand you have come from the Valhalla Temple?”

“Yes. I am Villas, a priest from the Valhalla Temple’s Cairo branch. As I mentioned at the checkpoint, I heard a rumor that Romano of Dmitri defeated the 49th-ranked Homerus. While the Valhalla Temple is not obligated to verify unofficial ranking matches, this is such an unusual event that I want to meet the parties involved and determine whether to reflect it in the rankings.”

“That’s excellent news. You’ve come at the right time.”

Marquis Romano could not hide his joy.

Ranking verification.

It was a cause for celebration for the Dmitri family.

Even if it’s a lower-ranked individual, a family that possesses a ranker is recognized as a prestigious house.

Dmitri has a short history.

As the first head of the family, Marquis Romano had not yet earned the noble recognition from others, aside from wealth.

But now, Romano of Dmitri has the opportunity to become a ranker.

If this were to become a reality, the Dmitri family would have to be recognized in the noble society from that point on.

And not just by anyone.

Romano is the eldest son of the family.

Marquis Romano served tea to his guest and ordered a servant to fetch Romano.

However, the servant who returned had a troubled look on his face.

“...My lord. Hans, who is in charge of Romano, says that the young master is currently working in the forge and has completely cut off all external communication. What should we do? If it’s something that must be handled even if it interrupts his work, Hans says he will personally bring Romano here.”

“No, it’s fine. That’s enough.”

The work in the forge.

A smile appeared on Marquis Romano’s face.

After his conversation with Hendrick, he learned that Romano of Dmitri was very interested in the forge and had the necessary skills.

It was a very happy matter.

Proving that the eldest son of the family was qualified to inherit the family business, Marquis Romano did not want to interrupt the forge work, even for a visit from the Valhalla Temple, which could elevate the family’s status.

Marquis Romano said,

“Priest, I’m sorry, but since it’s late today, how about resting for a day and meeting Romano tomorrow? I will inform him that you wish to meet him as soon as his work is done.”

“Understood.”

Whether today or tomorrow,

It wouldn’t be a big problem.

Seeing Villas nodding readily, Marquis Romano smiled.

“Since that’s the case, why don’t you take a tour of Dmitri? I’ll assign someone to guide you, so you can see what kind of place the Dmitri family is. It won’t be a bad experience.”

Since he had nothing to do at the moment,

Villas did not refuse Marquis Romano’s offer.

Hans was assigned as the guide.

He was to guide Villas to Romano when the time came, and Hans began walking, explaining about Dmitri.

“The Dmitri family owns the largest iron mine in the Cairo Kingdom and produces the highest quality iron. As you can see, the structures in the inner city are made of iron and are very sturdy. The same goes for the city gates. The gates and the high walls, made of reinforced steel, make Dmitri known as an impregnable land.”

The explanation was calm.

The history and characteristics of Dmitri.

While walking through the streets, Hans described the unique features of Dmitri, and Villas and the priest listened silently.

Actually,

Villas wasn’t really listening to Hans.

He was listening with one ear and letting it out the other, lost in his own thoughts.

‘For a swordsman capable of defeating Homerus to be born in such a remote place. If the Dmitri family were an old knightly family, it would be understandable, but it seems unlikely that such a swordsman would be born in a land where mining is developed. Moreover, if the eldest son of the family achieved such a feat, it’s highly probable that the nobles, blinded by fame, manipulated the rumor.’

It was obvious.

Being a ranker is a glorious position.

There were no shortage of people who tried to claim glory through deceit, and their common characteristic was that they did not officially participate in ranking matches.

Unofficial ranking matches, based on the testimonies of people present at the scene.

There was a reason why the Valhalla Temple did not actively accept ‘unofficial results.’

How long had they walked?

When they arrived at what looked like a training ground, they heard enthusiastic voices.

“One.”

“One!”

“Two.”

“Two!”

A group of people.

They were in the middle of training.

Villas’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Given the nature of the Valhalla Empire, he was more interested in such scenes than in the history of a staid family.

‘Are they regular soldiers?’

They didn’t look like knights.

The reason was that the members were of various ages, and among them was someone who looked like a young soldier.

Knights cannot be achieved at a young age.

If the members’ characteristics were so varied, it was more likely that they were conscripts rather than professionally trained soldiers.

Villas asked,

“Can I watch the training for a while?”

“I’ll ask and come back.”

In response to Villas’s request,

Hans ran to the person who looked like the commander.

The commander glanced at Villas and nodded, indicating that it was fine.

“You can watch from a distance.”

“Thank you.”

He went to a shaded area and sat down.

At that moment,

Villas’s feelings about watching the training were simply curiosity.

After finishing the basic training,

Chris, who was in charge of the soldiers’ training, said,

“Today, we will have sparring matches between peers. Pair up and start the match when the signal is given.”

“Yes!”

Everyone moved in unison.

With Lucas’s departure, the number of members had decreased by one, but with Kevin included, there were 31, making it a perfect match.

Thirty soldiers. Fifteen matches simultaneously.

For the soldiers, it was a familiar training routine, and they proceeded with the sparring matches with their assigned peers in order.

Thud.

Whoosh!

First,

A pair charged at each other.

The shorter man took the initiative, quickly closing in and striking at vital points with his wooden sword, while his opponent met the attack head-on without flinching.

They exchanged several attacks and defenses in an instant.

Despite the fierce sound of the wooden swords cutting through the air, neither of them blinked as they focused on their opponent.

Clang!

Clank!

Their weapons clashed violently.

Their attacks were threatening at every moment.

They didn’t just attack visible parts of the body; they calmly blocked the enemy’s attacks and created situations to strike at vital points.

And if the opponent exposed a weakness? They would charge recklessly, risking danger.

It was a fierce battle, despite using wooden swords.

The same was true for the other pairs.

The soldiers, starting their sparring matches in turn,

Fought like gladiators in a gladiatorial match, showing no mercy.

“Focus! Look at your opponent!”

Chris shouted.

When the soldiers were first recruited,

They were better than regular soldiers, but by Chris’s standards, they were still a ragtag group.

But now,

It was different.

Due to the Sura Meditation Technique, they had made physical progress, and most importantly, the soldiers who had learned the Sura Sword Technique had gradually transformed into warriors.

The Sura Sword Technique provides answers to all situations.

When attacked from above, the sides, or the legs,

It taught how to block or dodge and counterattack in any situation, and the Sura Meditation Technique maximized its effectiveness.

The current situation.

It was the result of their hard work.

The faces that had been bruised from being hit by wooden swords had all recovered, and they watched their opponents’ weapons with the Sura Sword Technique in mind.

And they responded with appropriate counterattacks.

Even though the outcome of the match was not important, none of the soldiers showed a relaxed attitude that it was okay to lose.

Among them,

One person fought the most fiercely.

The protagonist was none other than

Kevin.

Kevin.

He was small.

That’s why Villas thought he was a young soldier, but his fighting style was completely different from his physique.

Whoosh!

By a hair’s breadth,

He dodged the attack his opponent was attempting.

Kevin’s bold movement of leaning back to avoid the attack and then immediately stepping forward to attack the opponent’s vital points was impressive.

The speed of the wooden sword was incredibly fast.

By holding the sword short, he reduced the time to attack, and from the opponent’s perspective, it looked like simultaneous attacks.

Clang!

Clack!

All the attacks were blocked.

Kevin’s opponent.

He was no pushover.

Like Lucas, he was a former war mercenary, and his name was Puki.

“Kevin, if you keep neglecting your defense, you won’t have a body left.”

Puki sneered.

His bald head, gleaming in the sunlight,

The tattoo running down from his crown was unsettling, but Kevin was not fazed.

“Win first, then talk.”

Punch!

“Gah.”

He punched the opponent’s side.

Puki’s body felt like a suit of solid muscle armor, but Kevin’s sharp punch distorted Puki’s face horribly.

This is why no one liked sparring with Kevin.

Romano had said to treat sparring like a real battle, but Kevin took it to an extreme.

As if he could never allow a single defeat.

Seeing Kevin fight like it was a real battle, Puki growled in frustration.

“Alright, let’s see what you’ve got.”

From then on,

It was a series of real battles.

Puki boldly attacked vital points that could cost a life if hit, and Kevin never retreated, even in situations as tense as walking on thin ice.

Always charging at the opponent, maintaining the distance to attack Puki, and avoiding the opponent’s fierce counterattacks with concise movements.

Whoosh, whoosh!

His eyes were bloodshot.

The Ghostly Demon Technique.

Kevin’s movements were like those of a ghost.

The relentless, relentless attacks made Puki’s forehead sweat.

‘This kid.’

When he first became Romano’s private soldier,

The one who surprised everyone was not Romano or Chris, but Kevin.

He looked like an ordinary, unremarkable boy, but he fought the most aggressively and fiercely in the grand battles.

Maybe because Chris was an insurmountable wall,

Soldiers like Puki wanted to beat Kevin, and the heated competition led to rapid development.

Then,

Clang!

After the exchange,

Both exposed weaknesses.

In an instant, their gazes locked in the air.

Then,

Without hesitation, mana energy rose from both of their wooden swords, and they charged at each other like mad.

It was clear.

It was the aura of a 1-star ranker.