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Even though he knew it, he couldn’t bear it. Her words simply couldn’t be tolerated.

“Pull out your sword!” he shouted again. As the hemp string was torn apart and flew through the air, the fire burning in Kaisen’s eyes turned cold.

“Idiot.” Arin Perry’s eyebrows furrowed.

She drew her sword from her waist and struck Kaisen’s short sword, signaling her acceptance of the duel. “Hmph, this is self-defense since I feel that my life is in danger.”

That was how the duel began. There were no witnesses or rules for winning and losing—only murderous intent.

Kaisen’s sword slashed through the air, aiming for Arin’s vitals.

A blood-curdling scream of metal erupted. The blows were so ferocious that sparks flew out one after another. In the face of an overwhelming offensive, Arin’s blocks were panicked.

“What, did they pull out their swords?” The cadets of class 997, who were moving through the hallway to their next theory class, saw the duel and voiced their complaints.

“This is why men can’t be trusted. They just have too much anger.”

“No, I would have done the same.”

The person who actually argued against her classmates’ disparaging of Kaisen was Seira, the disciple of the 6th Seat, Arecia Alter Solang—a Fake Warrior’s direct disciple.

Kaisen’s case was different because he was male, but in most cases, direct disciples had an absolute advantage over other cadets, whether that be in skill or popularity.

Seira arrived earlier than Arin had calculated and had heard everything. “She insulted his master.”

“No way…!”

“You know what they say about assuming. If it were me, I would have killed her without even giving her time to draw her sword.”

It was clear who had the upper hand in their fight. Truly, there were three reasons for Arin’s ability to even fight against Kaisen. For one, the boy was half blind. For two, Kaisen used a shortsword against Arin’s bastard sword. Finally, Arin didn’t need to switch to an offensive.

There was no need for her to win the match.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” A thunderous roar rang out.

The moment Kaisen heard it, a corner of his vision flashed, and his sword arm was caught in an iron grip mid-swing.

“!” Kaisen looked up.

Chief instructor Olliere Dune Jeraye had suddenly appeared and grabbed the weapon arms of both duelists. Her footwork had been trained to such a limit that she could appear in places beyond perception and exploit weak points in an opponent’s vision.

“You have broken the first rule! According to the rules, you will both be expelled.”

“…”

“Not drawing a sword is a test of a cadet’s basic willpower! You might as well be saying you lack the quality to become a Fake Warrior.”

Arin Perry shook her head as if she had been waiting for that moment. “There are exceptions. Instructor, I drew my sword because I felt that my life was in danger.”

“Are you saying Kaisen drew his sword first?” Olliere asked.

“Yes, ask the other cadets.”

Olliere did not look at the other cadets. Instead, she looked at Kaisen.

Kaisen raised his head. He resembled Kamila, and his calm but cold eyes shone. He did not avoid his instructor’s gaze.

“Why did you draw your sword?” she asked him.

“Because the matter concerned something even more important than my own life,” Kaisen calmly explained.

“Are you trying to say Arin Perry drew her sword first?”

“He’s lying!” Arin shouted.

“No. Even if Arin had pointed her sword at me first, I wouldn’t have drawn mine.”

“Then why would you attack her?”

“I drew my sword because she insulted my teacher. Please, let me cut her down.”

Olliere’s expression turned cold. A dark flame fluttered in her eyes as she looked back at Arin. “Is that true?”

“…?”

“I’m asking you… Did you insult Kamila?”

Arin shook her head. With a gulp, she slyly said, “I wouldn’t have done that, instructor.”

Olliere looked around. A deep silence fell over the area. The other cadets were afraid of the power of the Muryeong Sword Sect and dared not open their mouths.

Arin had only acted because she was confident there’d be no problems with the leading sword sect backing her. She only had two things to watch out for: the Fake Warriors’ disciples studying in the 997th class and the Prominent Sword’s daughter.

‘One of the disciples is an idiot, so I only need to watch out for the other two,’ she thought.

Kaisen’s eyes narrowed, and his heart began to beat violently.

A voice rang out as one of the cadets raised her hand and testified. “I am Seira, the disciple of Arecia Alter Solang. I heard it all, Chief Instructor.”

Seira Panton had dazzlingly pale skin and off-white hair. The eldest daughter of the Margrave of Panton had beautiful, playful eyes, and her braided hair hung below her shoulders, making her look elegant.

The girl’s appearance was not important to Arin. Seira was one of the most dangerous people to her.

“Really? What did she say?” Olliere asked.

“She made an outrageous claim that Kamila Alter Aradamantel gave birth to Kaisen after sleeping with Yohan Wolf Frost,” Seira said, her expression completely calm.

A dark shadow appeared on Olliere’s face.

Seira continued, “If someone had said something like that about my late teacher, I would have torn their tongue out, duel or not.”

“!”

“That guy, Kaisen, is honorable to the point of frustration. I testify to everything on both my honor and the honor of my teacher. That’s all.” Seira finished speaking and smiled.

Arin’s complexion turned noticeably white, and her lips trembled. ‘When? No, how on earth is she here already? Why her, instead of anyone else?’

Something flashed through the air, and Arin’s head snapped to the side, sending fragments of broken teeth and droplets of blood into the air.

Olliere lowered her hand and spoke. “Kamila lived on the battlefield even before she became a Fake Warrior. After she became one, she continued to live on the battlefield until the moment she died.”

“I-instructor…”

“While you were bathing in warm water and sucking the milk from your mother’s breasts, Kamila was drinking the blood of her enemies and bathing in sweat. All so that a human such as yourself could live in peace! You dare insult her?”

If Olliere hadn’t been the chief instructor and Arin had not been a cadet, she would have probably killed the girl.

She held back the anger raging through her body. “Arin Perry, get out of here right now. You are immediately expelled from the Temple of the Sword of Bravery.”

“B-but that’s unfair…!”

“Unfair? Any instructor would agree with my decision. Tell your sect leader that, so long as I am the chief instructor, no Fake Warriors will be produced from your sword sect.

“How are your eyes?” Olliere asked.

“If I wear glasses, I can live. It’s okay,” Kaisen said.

“Brat, you don’t have to emphasize it that much. I already know.” Olliere’s steps were quick.

Clouds danced in the blue, northern sky as they walked along the ascending corridor of the Imperial Court. The fragrant scent of black raspberries accompanied the setting sun.

“Arin Perry’s expulsion is done.”

“That was fast,” Kaisen commented.

“The Sage Dragons entrusted the entire education of the cadets to the instructors. Let off some steam now.”

Kaisen could not understand Ollier’s intentions. “You seem more angry than me.”

“Is that so? Hmm, I guess I am. There’s no way Kamila would have done something like that. That bitch and I were classmates here in the Temple of the Sword of Bravery.”

“You were her classmate…?”

“She was a bitch I didn’t like. Even though she always took the top position, she didn’t show any signs of being happy.”

She was Kamila’s classmate? That was truly amazing. Hearing Olliere’s tone of voice as she revealed a new side of Kamila, Kaisen became expectant.

“In the end, she was chosen by Aradamantel, the Holy Sword of Heroes. Meanwhile, as you can see, I am only acting as an instructor.”

There was no criticism in her tone when she cursed Kamila. Olliere’s voice was steeped in longing. “She wasn’t a mean-hearted bitch, though.”

“That’s true.”

“I guess she was very kind to you, right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have pulled out your sword. If I hadn’t known Kamila’s past, you would have been expelled right away.”

Kaisen looked out the window again at the distant summer sky. His pupils wavered for a moment.

He thought back to that day, the day everyone died, and remembered the dawn of the first rainy season and his colleagues’ endless screams.

“Go on a trip.”

He recalled the bloody battle with Kishun, Kamila’s smile as she laughed while coughing up blood, and his teacher’s last warmth as she touched Kaisen’s head.

Kaisen was suffocated into silence by the sadness welling in his heart.

Olliere recognized the boy’s expression and placed a hand on Kaisen’s shoulder. “She was a bitch who yelled that she would never accept a disciple, but when you showed up in front of me, I was completely shocked. To be honest, I was happy.”

“…”

“I remembered. She told me to give a tip if her disciple ever appeared. Of course, with that bitch’s personality, I never imagined such a day would come, so I forgot about it.”

“A tip?”

“Kaisen, why do you think men can’t become Fake Warriors?”

“…?”

“There may be many reasons, but Kamila thought it might be a mindset.”

“What kind of mindset?”

“Men are physically stronger than women. It’s frustrating, but it’s a fact that must be acknowledged.”

“That’s why women handle Mana Chain better.”

“Magic is something you learn to use, and physical ability is something you’re born with. As a result, you tend to overestimate your own strength.”

Kaisen tilted his head. He had no idea what Olliere was trying to say.

Olliere entered the elevator, and as Kaisen followed, she pressed the [98] button.

“Are women not the same?” he asked.

“Of course not. It is relatively difficult for women to rely on their physical abilities, so they rely on other things.”

“Other things?”

“Tools, Kaisen. This is probably why women are better at handling Mana Chain, which is how swordsmen use their main force, and it’s probably why they are selected as Fake Warriors.”

“…!”

“Humble yourself, know your limitations, and earnestly pray to your holy sword for everything. That is how you use your blade.”

Olliere laughed in a self-deprecating manner and leaned against the glass wall. “What meaning could such advice have from me? I was never selected by a holy sword, after all. Anyway, that is what Kamila told me.”

Kaisen touched his chin. ‘Rely on the holy sword, not your own body, and pray sincerely to the holy sword?’

On that day, Kaisen only listened to the advice his teacher had left to her close friend with one ear. Such was to be expected.

“Chief Instructor…” Kaisen said.

“What?”

“I don’t know if those words have any meaning to me. I’ve been injected with the dragon spirit stone five times and failed every single time. I guess all that’s left now is the expulsion process.”

“Whether the attempts will be meaningful or not will probably be decided today.”

“Huh?”

A heavy clanging sound told him that the elevator had arrived at its destination.

The wire mesh opened to the side.

Olliere had taken Kaisen to the 98th floor, the Dragon Shrine, a sacred place that opened only when the cardinals gave the Light Dragon’s revelations. Everything around them sparkled with gold.

「This is a sacred place. Take off your shoes, Kaisen, disciple of Kamila Alter Aradamantel.」 A solemn voice echoed through the golden world. Sublime in nature, the voice shook the very air, and it sounded familiar.

‘What is this voice?’ It was a power he had heard of and a presence he had experienced. Kaisen, who kneeled down and took off his shoes, dared to raise his head, and his pupils trembled.

「Child, have you been at peace?」 It was Cardinal Yoshhar, the yellow dragon who had accepted him into the ‘Temple of the Sword of Bravery’.

There was no way he could forget that solemn dragon’s head and golden silk robes. “As you can see, I was not at peace. I went blind at the first injection of the dragon spirit stone.”

“Hey, Kaisen! What kind of tone is that?! My sincere apologies, Your Excellency,” Olliere Olliere tried to stop the boy.

Yoshhar raised his hand to indicate that it was okay. 「No, child. What blinded you was conceit.」

“…!”

「Are you despairing just because you fell once? Were you so confident that you could achieve anything in the world at once? Pride is the most cunning and patient assassin.」

“What should I do when I’m crippled from that one fall?” Inadvertently, Kaisen’s voice became sharp.

Yoshhar, who sat high up on a seat in the distance, took a deep breath and stood up. 「If it can’t be achieved through ordinary means, you can try something extraordinary.」

As Yoshhar came down the stairs, the nearby wyvern priests in robes held out something wrapped in blue silk.

It was a spirit stone.

After infusing such a spirit stone with a dragon spirit, it became a dragon spirit stone that resided in and modified the body of a Fake Warrior.

「Generally, those who use up their lives to create dragon spirit stones are the wyvern priests here.」

Yoshhar chanted truly powerful words over the stone he was holding in the dragon tongue. The language of dragons was different from human language, and according to their hierarchy, their words could change the sky, part the sea, and create land itself.

「Pa bei ro ni Gen jetsu ro shi…」

The power of the recited words fluttered, and that power held absolute authority.

A flash of light surged in the swirling wind.

Kaisen would have collapsed on the floor from the force of the wind if Olliere, who’d been about to leave the temple, hadn’t supported him.

“No way…” Olliere muttered.

“What is it?” Kaisen asked.

“This is amazing, amazing! Kaisen, a Sage Dragon is personally infusing power into the spirit stone you will use!”

The boy’s eyes widened in surprise. The stone would hold a Sage Dragon’s power?

Olliere spoke in awe. “Ordinary spirit stones are created by wyvern priests! The difference in power between wyverns and Sage Dragons like the Cardinal Yoshhar is incomparable! Why?! Why would he give up nearly a hundred years of his lifespan?”