Chapter 95

In a corner of the slums of the city of Klaan.

The private soldiers of Viscount Lagal were lying on the ground, their bodies covered in blood.

Their numbers were considerable.

"Hmm, that leaves just one more."

Lambert turned his gaze to the depths of the narrow alley.

"Unbelievable, unbelievable... It's impossible... With such a numerical advantage, why couldn't we even put up a fight...?"

In front of Lambert, the captain who had been leading the private soldiers was trembling, holding a young hostage in his arms.

Lambert had rescued Althea and her father, and while continuing to gather information, he encountered the private soldiers who were holding a crying young boy hostage and decided to intervene.

"Stay back, stay back! If you come any closer, this kid will be dead!"

The private soldier, his hand shaking, placed his sword at the boy's neck. His trembling hand caused the blade to graze the boy's neck, and blood began to drip.

"Not good."

Lambert kicked off the ground and dashed straight ahead, crossing paths with the man and delivering a swift strike. The trajectory of his crude greatsword, controlled with minute precision, cleanly severed the man's arm and neck while avoiding the boy. The man's head and sword fell to the ground, and the private soldier's body collapsed, pushing the boy to the ground. Lambert caught the boy before he could fall.

"...I couldn't capture even one more. Is it my form, or just bad luck?"

Lambert glanced at the private soldier he had just cut down. He had intended to find one of Viscount Lagal's henchmen and extract information about the viscount and the "Flute Devil." However, the private soldier's hand had slipped, nearly cutting the hostage's neck, forcing Lambert to quickly dispatch the last man.

Feeling somewhat disheartened, Lambert asked the boy he had rescued:

"Are you hurt?"

"A, a, a..."

The boy stared at Lambert in a daze, his mouth opening and closing before he fainted from fear. The stress of being kidnapped had already pushed him to his mental limits, and the terror of being confronted by a blood-soaked, fully armored swordsman was the final straw.

"I thought I had suppressed the miasma... or perhaps I'm just that scary..."

Lambert said, somewhat dejected, as he sheathed his greatsword.

"I'm not good with kids..."

Lambert had always been bad at dealing with children. They either ran away in fear, making communication impossible, or they liked him too much, causing him to feel uncomfortable and run away. He would have preferred to avoid this situation, but he couldn't just leave the boy there. He easily picked up the boy and walked through the slums.

(I hope someone can take care of him before he wakes up...)

As Lambert was thinking this, he sensed someone approaching from behind, kicking off the ground. He immediately turned around and drew his greatsword to block the attack. The rapier of the attacker collided with the flat of Lambert's greatsword.

"...To block my attack from a blind spot with one hand. Impressive, you're not like the others from earlier."

The attacker took a step back, maintaining distance from Lambert. The attacker was a slender man dressed in thin magic silver armor and a red cloak. The upper half of his face was hidden by a magic silver helmet, with only his nose and below visible. Silver hair could be seen through the gap at the bottom.

In his left hand, he held a rapier, and in his right, a dagger.

"Who are you?"

Lambert asked. The man laughed through his nose and readied his rapier again.

"I have no name to give to a criminal."

"A criminal?"

"Don't play dumb. I already know that you and your ilk have been spreading lies and kidnapping the children of the poor and powerless."

"What are you talking about..."

Lambert remembered his appearance. He was covered in blood and carrying an unconscious child. Indeed, it was easy to mistake him for one of Viscount Lagal's child hunters.

"Wait, calm down. It's not like that."

"Vile scoundrel!"

The man bent his back and charged at Lambert.

"Wait! It's not like that!"

Lambert pleaded desperately. The situation was dire, but there was no other way than to gain the man's trust.

From the man's words, it seemed he was not one of Viscount Lagal's people. He was likely someone with the same or similar goals as Lambert. Engaging in a pointless fight was not a good strategy, and he would rather avoid it if possible.

The man, just before entering the range of Lambert's greatsword, thrust his rapier forward with his left hand while lunging forward, twisting his body. The attack aimed for the joint in the neck armor.

Lambert dealt with the thrust by lowering his greatsword and moving forward.

"Wha..."

The man, sensing the danger at the last moment, quickly redirected his rapier.

Lambert's body check hit the attacker. Intending to deliver a thrust with his full weight, he ended up throwing himself into a wall of magic metal. The man felt the impact throughout his body and was easily sent flying backward.

"Guh!"

"I'm telling you, it's not like that."

Lambert said, sounding exasperated.

The man, bent over, tried to catch his breath. His mouth, visible through the helmet, showed signs of fatigue.

"How could I, a man of my caliber, be so easily dealt with..."

If Lambert had put more weight into the collision, he could have easily broken several of the man's bones and rendered him combat ineffective. Of course, he had held back.

"You... You're not one of Viscount Lagal's private soldiers... There's no way a provincial lord's private army could have a swordsman of your caliber..."

"I've been saying that from the beginning..."

"I see, you must be one of the 'Flute Devil's' men. The rumors that they have infiltrated the core are true, then. In that case, I cannot let you off easily. I must stop you at all costs!"

He still didn't understand.

"...Persistent."

"I cannot die having been underestimated by a criminal!"

The man threw the dagger in his right hand at Lambert and then ran forward, closing the distance while following the trajectory of his thrown dagger.

"Was it a good idea to throw away your weapon?"

"The right dagger was always meant to be a shield to deflect the enemy's sword... It's unnecessary now that I've abandoned my defense! You will see the resolve of my unyielding spirit!"

With a shout, the man launched a series of thrusts. Lambert, with the child on one shoulder, easily blocked the man's rapier with his remaining hand.

"Guh, why, why can't I reach you..."

The man's sword skills were completely nullified by Lambert. Every technique was countered with precision. No matter how fiercely he attacked, he couldn't even find a foothold to disrupt Lambert's stance.

"Too slow, and your strength is lacking. Moreover, your movements are too linear. Strength can't be built in a single night, but your sword lacks the attitude to master it. It's a matter of mindset first."

In response to the man's muttering, Lambert critiqued his sword skills. While defending against the man's attacks, he felt a nostalgic sense of teaching his former subordinates, and the words slipped out. However, the man's muttering was just that, and he certainly didn't seek an evaluation from Lambert.

"You! To lecture me on the basics of sword handling... Are you mocking me!"

The man, from outside the range, readied his rapier, targeting Lambert while circling around him.

(But if he's underestimating me, it's convenient... This man is too unpredictable. I must stay calm. My father often said that my only weakness was my quick temper. I will take advantage of his complacency and use our family's secret technique, the thrusting sword's ultimate skill, 'Double Linked Thrust'...!)

'Double Linked Thrust' is a rapier's ultimate skill. When a thrust is blocked, the momentum is controlled and redirected to pull back and thrust again. The rapier moves in a circular motion rather than a straight line, making it an active counter technique that responds to the opponent's defense.

"If you think I'm slow, then try this, my secret sword!"

The man thrust his rapier. The moment Lambert easily deflected it, the man quickly drew a circle with his rapier and thrust again at the same speed.

"Just a combo?"

Lambert easily dealt with it by slightly deflecting his greatsword. However, a smile appeared on the man's face despite his technique being blocked.

"Indeed, you are strong. But, that was a mistake."

The man's rapier was pulled back at a speed beyond his arm's limits.

The terrifying aspect of 'Double Linked Thrust' is that if it is blocked twice in a row, the force of the two thrusts is added to the rapier. To counter it, one must avoid it rather than block it.

"'Triple Linked Thrust'! Is it still too slow for you!"

The man's arm was screaming in pain. But this was a matter of life and death. If he could defeat a strong enemy with some injuries, he would have no regrets.

"Hmm."

Lambert deflected the rapier with a slight movement of his greatsword. His arm didn't waver at all from the high-speed thrust.

The man already had a bad feeling at this point. But there was no time or room to think about it in the heat of battle. This might be the last and best opportunity.

"'Quadruple Linked Thrust'!"

As Lambert continued to defend without attacking, the speed of the rapier increased with each 'Linked Thrust'. By the time it reached 'Sevenfold Linked Thrust', the man could no longer keep up with where his rapier would thrust next. He focused all his attention on delivering the rapid strikes. The intense pain in his arm had numbed, and he felt nothing.

(I can do it, the next one, this one, I can do it!)

The man was certain. He felt himself approaching the realm of sword mastery.

"Your stance is weak, and you're still too slow. Your movements have become monotonous and sloppy. As I said before, you need to start with your attitude and