'This is truly the end.'
Tenant lowered his head.
Behind him, the Fenris Mercenary Corps were trampling the remnants of Rodrick's army, chasing them relentlessly. Ahead of him, Count Fenris's army stood blocking the way.
There was no escape.
Chased and chased, they had finally been cornered in a dead end.
'How… how did it come to this…?'
The Fenris forces knew exactly where Rodrick's troops were moving, and where their own forces were positioned. Despite being separated, their movements were flawlessly coordinated.
'Amazing.'
Even calling it amazing felt insufficient, but he couldn't think of a better word. After all, he was a knight, not a poet.
They were utterly defeated. It wasn't just Count Fenris—every commander in the Fenris forces surpassed Rodrick's leadership.
How could so many talented individuals all be concentrated in the North?
"Perhaps…"
Perhaps, when Count Fenris had gone out of his way to bypass and enter the West, their defeat had already been decided.
"Tenant! Tenant! What are we supposed to do now?!"
Marquis Rodrick spoke, trembling violently. His face was pale as if he might burst into tears at any moment.
"My lord…"
"Hurry, hurry, let's ride through them! With your skills, you can break through, can't you? Surely you can!"
"..."
Maybe he could break through. Tenant was confident in his skill and horsemanship. No matter how skilled Count Fenris was, catching Tenant giving his all to escape wouldn't be easy.
If he were running alone, that is.
"Everyone, dismount."
At Tenant's command, the remaining knights and soldiers of Rodrick's army dismounted. There were barely a hundred left.
Marquis Rodrick asked again, his voice full of unease.
"Why are you telling us to dismount? If all of us charge together, we could break through and escape."
"My lord, please dismount as well."
"I refuse! Why should I dismount? I will leave this place! Lead the way! Lead the way, I said!"
Tenant turned to the knights beside him.
"Assist the marquis."
"Let go of me, you scoundrels!"
Marquis Rodrick struggled wildly, refusing to dismount, but he could not overcome the knights' strength.
"Argh! You wretches! Are you betraying me?! Are you planning to hand me over and beg for your lives? You honorless scum!"
Marquis Rodrick screamed at the top of his lungs, twisting his body, but Tenant and the knights of House Rodrick remained silent.
The knights simply held Marquis Rodrick tightly, preventing him from fleeing.
"Let me go! I said, let me go!"
As Marquis Rodrick continued his tantrum, Dominic, covered in blood, came charging out of the canyon with a terrifying expression.
"Marquis Rodrick! I'll kill you!"
His bloodstained face exuded a murderous aura. It was clear that he was determined to kill Marquis Rodrick with his own hands.
No matter who tried to stop him, Dominic would fight like a madman. No one could block someone so consumed by hatred.
Tenant, unwilling to try anymore, spoke calmly.
"Drop your weapons, all of you."
Clang, clang.
The knights and soldiers immediately let go of their weapons. None of them wanted to fight anymore.
Dominic, seeing this, stopped in his tracks and said,
"Do you think I'll spare you because of this? I may let those who surrender live, but I won't spare Marquis Rodrick."
Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop.
Ghislain approached leisurely on his black horse, speaking as he arrived.
"So, you're surrendering now? This is more anticlimactic than I expected."
At his words, Marquis Rodrick glared at him.
"Count Fenris… you dare…"
His face flushed red with anger. To be defeated despite overwhelming numbers—it was humiliating beyond measure.
He wanted to scream, curse, and hurl insults. But with even his knights betraying him, he couldn't act recklessly. He didn't want to die yet, so he could only breathe heavily.
Marquis Rodrick turned his glare to Tenant.
"Tenant… I took such care of you… And yet, no matter how talented someone is, if their origins are lowly, it shows in the end. You filthy traitor."
"....."
As Marquis Rodrick said, Tenant had been born a serf's son. But Marquis Rodrick, recognizing his immense talent, had personally taken him in.
Thanks to that, Tenant had grown to become known as the finest sword in the West and the commander of House Rodrick's knights. With the marquis's support, he had even been granted a baron title and risen to nobility.
'And yet you betray your benefactor like this?!'
Spitting angrily, Marquis Rodrick said,
"I should never have taken you in. A dog like you dares to bite the hand that fed it? And for what? To surrender to some brat from the North?"
After a long silence, Tenant finally opened his mouth with difficulty.
"I will not surrender."
"Then why are you doing this? Why aren't you running away to the end? Why are you holding me back?!"
"I will not run either."
"What?"
Placing a hand over his heart, Tenant saluted solemnly, his eyes resolute.
"There is only one thing left I can do for you, my lord."
"And what is that?"
"To ensure that my lord does not suffer further humiliation at the hands of your enemies."
"What… what nonsense are you spouting…"
"This is the only way to preserve your honor, my lord."
Thud!
Tenant's sword struck like lightning, stabbing into Marquis Rodrick's stomach. The act was so sudden that no one could stop it.
"Urgh… guh…"
Still held by the knights, Marquis Rodrick could not even resist as the blade pierced him.
As the marquis bled profusely, dying before his eyes, Tenant wept blood tears.
"It was an honor to serve you, my lord."
Dominic froze momentarily at Tenant's unexpected action. Marquis Rodrick was someone he had sworn to kill, with Ghislain's approval no less.
He hadn't anticipated that Tenant would take matters into his own hands.
As Marquis Rodrick breathed his last, Tenant drew his sword and spoke.
"Kneel and surrender to Fenris. There is no need for further sacrifice."
The remaining soldiers of Rodrick's army knelt down. However, the knights were different.
Some knelt, but others could not bring themselves to do so.
Knights who switched allegiances would live with infamy for the rest of their lives. They'd have to serve unworthy lords or change their identities entirely.
Those who had once taken great pride in being the best of the West couldn't bear to live such a life.
Shing.
Those knights pulled out daggers from their waists and ended their lives on the spot.
Tenant paid them no mind.
He simply glared at Ghislain and threw his scabbard to the ground.
Then, loudly enough for all to hear, he shouted,
"I, Tenant, knight commander of House Rodrick and the finest sword of the West,"
He extended his sword and pointed it at Ghislain.
"Hereby challenge Count Fenris, the finest sword of the North, to a duel."
Silence fell over the battlefield.
The situation had taken a strange turn. They could have simply wiped them out, but Tenant's actions in killing Marquis Rodrick had thrown off the timing.
Thud.
Ghislain dismounted from his horse. He tossed aside his lance and drew his sword.
"I will honor your courage."
"Thank you."
Tenant bowed his head sincerely.
Of course, Ghislain has little interest in chivalry. From the beginning, his identity has leaned closer to that of a mercenary than a nobleman.
However, he wasn't so unreasonable as to disregard an opponent who adhered to chivalry. Nor had he ever refused a duel requested by a capable swordsman.
Tenant was a fighter worthy of respect from anyone.
"Come. Let me see the skill of the West's finest sword."
Tenant smiled. Who would dare speak like that to someone who had risen to the top in their region?
But his opponent had every right to do so. Ghislain was, after all, one of the contenders for the title of the Kingdom's Finest Sword, a master at the pinnacle of his craft.
With Ghislain's acceptance, no one else had a choice. Everyone backed away, creating a wide space for the duel.
Boom!
Tenant charged forward, swinging his sword. His speed was so fast that most knights would lose sight of him in an instant.
Clang!
"Impressive."
Ghislain blocked Tenant's sword with a grin. Though the West was often mocked for its laziness, the reputation of its finest sword was not unfounded.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In an instant, dozens of exchanges were made. Ghislain deliberately refrained from unleashing all his power.
Tenant's swordsmanship, purely as a martial art, surpassed anyone in Fenris.
Disciplined movements and flawless techniques—it was evident how much talent Tenant possessed and how hard he had worked to hone his skills.
Fighting someone like this was exhilarating. It would be wasteful to approach it with mere efficiency in mind.
Ghislain suppressed his mana and chose to duel purely with swordsmanship. He, too, took pride in his sword skills.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their speed gradually increased.
In the now darkened night, red and blue streaks of light intertwined endlessly, dancing across the space.
The people of Fenris watched in awe.
"He can fight the lord to that extent?"
"There was such a powerhouse in the West."
"What a waste of talent."
They all knew how the duel would end. There were almost no swordsmen in the kingdom who could defeat their lord in a one-on-one duel.
Even if the opponent was the best in the West.
Yet, seeing Tenant fight with all his might, refusing to kneel despite the inevitable outcome, left them in quiet admiration.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The intensity of the duel grew with each passing moment. Every clash of their swords sent shockwaves rippling through the ground, leaving it scarred.
'Tenant... he must have reached the threshold of master-level in the past life, didn't he?'
In his past life, as the Mercenary King who scorched the West, Tenant had stood at the very threshold of becoming a master when he confronted Ghislain.
At that time, there was no need for such an exchange of swordsmanship. Ghislain, consumed by rage, had mercilessly torn through his foes.
Even so, Tenant possessed undeniable talent that would surely elevate him to master-level in the future.
'It would be a waste to kill him here…'
If someone like Tenant could be recruited, he would be a great asset in future battles. Besides, Ghislain bore no deep grudge against him.
But Tenant would never yield. He was as proud as he was arrogant.
"Show me your full potential."
Ghislain's swordsmanship began to change. Until now, he had matched Tenant with standard techniques. But now, his movements grew savage, capable of tearing through anything in their path.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Tenant widened his eyes. His opponent's sword seemed alive, as though each strike carried a will of its own, intent on consuming him.
"Urgh!"
Tenant found himself barely able to defend. His face was filled with shock.
'Was he always this strong?'
Tenant had long realized that his opponent wasn't using his full strength. He could feel it with every exchange.
Count Fenris had restrained his mana and chosen to fight purely with swordsmanship. The absence of the infamous demonic aura surrounding his sword was proof of that.
'I thought, at least in swordsmanship, I wouldn't fall behind…'
Tenant believed that if he could showcase superior swordsmanship, it would preserve the pride of the West.
But that hope had been completely dashed. He no longer had the luxury to compare their techniques.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
'I'm going to die!'
Tenant desperately tried to evade the torrent of strikes coming at him from all directions.
He had already resigned himself to death, but facing true death so closely heightened every nerve.
Count Fenris was not only far superior in mana but also leagues ahead in swordsmanship.
It was unbelievable. How could a human's swordsmanship reach such heights?
"Was my talent… truly so insignificant…?"
Tenant had shown extraordinary aptitude for swordsmanship since childhood. He instinctively knew how to swing his sword and predict his opponent's movements.
He was aware of his unique talent. Becoming the strongest in the West felt like a predetermined fate.
Yet, at some point, he hit a wall. He had glimpsed the world beyond, but he could not break through.
Years passed in vain.
'Ah… I see now what I was lacking…'
The path that had eluded him, no matter how hard he tried, began to reveal itself as he stood on the brink of death.
Seeing the blade flying toward him with the intent to kill sent electric shocks through his entire body. His sharpened senses focused solely on surviving.
Mana flowed through his body, filling even the smallest of muscles.
Facing death, the abstract concepts he had grasped at began to solidify.
His body evolved in real-time, filling its gaps and ascending to the next level.
Whoosh!
A new world unfolded before him. The extreme enlightenment born of extreme fear changed the way he saw everything.
Slow.
Time seemed to flow differently. It was as though everything around him had come to a standstill.
Every sense absorbed the information around him vividly.
This is…
'This is the world beyond the wall!'
His entire body trembled with exhilaration. Everything he had honed and trained for coalesced into a single will, manifesting in the world.
Flash!
Suddenly, Tenant's sword emitted an overwhelming light.
At the same time, Ghislain's body became shrouded in a dark aura.
Boom!
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]