Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The Swordsmanship Genius Who Transcends Through a Pact Chapter 17

“Ghk...”

The pain was enough to force a groan from my lips.

Agony tore through my entire body, so intense it felt as though ice flowed through my veins instead of blood, and for a moment I nearly lost consciousness.

‘I have to guide it.’

I pushed Extreme Cold Art to its limit, drawing on the effects of Frost Essence and Cold Heart as far as they would go.

The biggest reason I'd chosen to consume the Ice Crystal now was Extreme Cold Art.

Before learning it, I wouldn't even have been able to move mana through my body, but now things were different.

Ssssh-

Even amid energy so intense that frost bloomed around me, I continued guiding it toward my dantian.

It felt as though ice rather than mana was circulating through my mana circuits.

“Haa...”

The moment I exhaled, I saw white breath spill from my lips.

The inside of my body had become unbearably cold, but I couldn't stop here.

Just as stopping the blood flowing through my veins would kill me, stopping now would definitely mean death.

Even in the middle of this, scenes from the game flashed through my mind.

‘I wondered why it had so many damn penalties attached.’

I never imagined this kind of hellish pain was waiting for me.

I forced those useless thoughts away and bit down on my lip. The cold that had spread through my entire body was now surging violently toward my dantian.

What mattered now was controlling its speed.

Even if my mana had been imbued with the frost attribute and I could use it naturally, directly digesting a mass of mana like an Ice Crystal was something else entirely.

‘From here on is even more important.’

I focused even harder and pushed Extreme Cold Art to its limit.

At the same time, the already frigid room grew colder still, and I could feel everything around me beginning to freeze.

‘Heat them up.’

When I did the opposite and heated the circuits, the damned cold surged through them even faster.

The expanded circuits and increased mana affinity granted by Extreme Cold Art, along with the even greater mana efficiency from Blessing of Frost.

I had to use everything.

Not merely perceive what I'd gained, but fully make it my own.

How much time passed like that?

Sss—

The sensation of freezing from the inside gradually transformed into a strange comfort, and I could feel the mana within my dantian steadily increasing.

When the quiet breath I exhaled sent cold air drifting through the room, I finally opened my eyes.

“It's, over.”

Sweat poured from my entire body like rain, only to freeze into droplets of ice and fall to the floor.

After settling even the remaining mana, I calmly checked my dantian.

‘Wow.’

Mana given tangible form surrounded my body.

The sheer amount was completely different from before.

It was no longer the faint film I'd produced when I first obtained Extreme Cold Art, but something that felt like a proper barrier of magical power.

“Lord Ian!”

Perhaps sensing the change in my mana, Tarian, who had been waiting outside, hurried into the room.

He looked alarmed, probably imagining something like mana backlash, but his expression changed the moment he saw the barrier surrounding my body.

“You've achieved something.”

“Hoo, I got lucky.”

“I knew you'd become a Sword User, but I can hardly call you an ordinary Sword User anymore.”

“Is it that much?”

“You've surpassed most knight cadets.”

A quiet laugh escaped me.

‘A knight cadet.’

When we'd first met, I'd been weaker than an ordinary soldier.

Then, through countless Pacts, I'd climbed to the level of a squire.

And now I'd reached a point where the words knight cadet actually suited me.

“I'll have to make you start calling me knight-level soon.”

“At this rate, I'm afraid you really might surpass me.”

Tarian smiled as he said it, and I looked back at him with a grin of my own.

“One day, definitely.”

“Then I'll have to work even harder myself.”

Tarian had already been training with an unusually sharp intensity lately.

If this gave him even more motivation, I was more grateful than anything.

“Thanks to you, I managed to finish safely. Get some proper rest today.”

I forced my increasingly heavy eyelids open as I spoke to Tarian.

It was the moment I'd finally claimed every reward from the long Subjugation Festival.

* * *

The next day, the main Subjugation Festival began.

Unlike the promising youths from before, the people participating in the main event were impressive across the board.

“You don't have to participate?”

“This isn't really a place for a knight to compete, unless it's to elevate his lord's honor.”

I'd already elevated my own honor just fine.

Feeling oddly awkward at Tarian bowing out, I waited for the main event to proceed.

Larissa Vahen took first place in the main Subjugation Festival.

‘At this point in time, she really is about even with Tarian.’

It might have been the main festival, but they couldn't exactly release monsters dangerous enough to challenge proper knights into the territory.

So the main Subjugation Festival was effectively structured around defeating House Vahen's knights, with those knights standing in for monsters.

“She really is exceptional.”

“That is the level of a knight.”

Tarian said it almost as if asking whether I could do the same, and I nodded.

“Still doesn't feel as far away as it used to.”

“I expected you to say that.”

After the main Subjugation Festival ended, another banquet was held on the third day.

Considering the entire event was essentially a social gathering meant to demonstrate that House Vahen remained strong and prosperous, I supposed that was natural.

“You aren't going to the banquet today?”

“Two days was enough.”

“There are probably many nobles waiting to meet you, Lord Ian.”

“Then they can come find me themselves.”

I had no intention of going out of my way to seek them out.

Tarian laughed at my answer and nodded.

“That is also true.”

“Forget that. Let's spar.”

I said it while gripping the hilt of my sword.

The grand ducal estate, especially as the seat of House Vahen, which served as the military backbone of the North, possessed all kinds of training facilities.

They were on a completely different level from even the reasonably well-maintained training grounds back in our territory.

“Are we really allowed to use this place?”

“I got permission, so it should be fine.”

“I haven't given permission yet.”

“Then why did you follow us?”

I snorted at Johannes Vahen, who had likewise escaped the banquet and attached himself to us.

“Gatherings like that are nothing but tedious. Besides, you're someone I've acknowledged, as well as my rival. Naturally, I need to stay close and watch you.”

“We were rivals?”

“Ahem...”

Johannes suddenly looked dejected, and I found myself glancing toward Tarian.

As expected, Tarian neatly avoided my gaze.

“Rival might be too much. More like a fellow swordsman walking the same path.”

“Yes, Ian. You are my greatest rival.”

I sighed quietly at how quickly his spirits recovered.

Maybe it was because he was still young, but his emotions really did swing wildly.

He was annoying, but somehow never quite unlikeable.

-Hurry up and give me back!

It would've been even better if Winterbane didn't wail so loudly every time I met this guy.

Thinking that, I entered the training grounds reserved for House Vahen's direct bloodline.

“We need to use it quietly. I'm sneaking you in, after all.”

“I'm touched.”

“Huhu. Showing this much favor to someone I've acknowledged is nothing.”

I watched Johannes stride forward proudly with his chest puffed out, only to sense someone's presence deeper inside the training ground.

When I glanced over, Tarian seemed to have sensed it too, his expression growing slightly tense.

Johannes, the only one among us who hadn't noticed, entered with an excited expression and found...

“Johan?”

Larissa Vahen.

For a moment, I wondered why today's star was here instead of at the banquet.

“S-Sister?”

“Why are you here? And beside you, Ian?”

She asked with the same expressionless face she'd worn when we first met.

At first glance, she almost looked angry, but the way she tilted her head made it seem more like simple curiosity.

“Why are you here, Sister?”

“I asked first.”

“Ah, well, I've made some good friends this time, so I came to train with them! And beside me is...”

“I know. Ian. And Knight Tarian.”

Johannes's expression brightened slightly as she looked between me and Tarian.

“Are you teaching Johan again?”

Perhaps because they'd known each other when Tarian worked for House Vahen, Larissa spoke to him without hesitation.

“No. I currently serve Lord Ian. Though I suppose I can still offer some simple advice.”

“Is that true?”

Johannes was the one who reacted most strongly.

His expression looked like he'd stumbled upon an unbelievable opportunity, and Winterbane's screams only grew louder, but I ignored them and stepped forward.

“My apologies if we've disturbed your training, Princess.”

“...”

I could feel Johannes staring at me in bewilderment over the difference in how I treated her.

Larissa looked at me, then shook her head.

“Not disturbing me.”

“Then I'm glad.”

“Actually, this works out.”

I was just about to wonder what she meant when she continued immediately.

“Let's make a bet too. You and me.”

I slowly looked at her after the abrupt challenge.

“Very well.”

If anything, this was exactly what I'd wanted.

The time had come to test the abilities I'd recently acquired.

“Lord Ian, are you sure about this?”

The instant I readily accepted Larissa Vahen's proposal, Tarian looked at me with concern.

“I want to see proper Vahen swordsmanship too.”

“But...”

“I know.”

I had a rough idea what he was worried about.

My opponent was strong.

And since we weren't too far apart in age, he was probably worried that the gap might discourage me.

“You've watched me this long and still don't know?”

“It seems I worried for nothing again.”

I shrugged at Tarian's bitter smile.

Meanwhile, Johannes watched Larissa and me with obvious anticipation.

“I-I can watch too, right?”

“Watching is fine.”

Johannes's expression visibly brightened at my permission.

“Finished talking?”

“Thank you for waiting.”

I bowed my head slightly, and she answered with a silent nod.

“Though if we're making a wager...”

“I'll help you. With your goal.”

The words were incredibly simple, but for a moment I couldn't help staring blankly.

Help me?

With uniting the North?

Considering her influence and her strength, that would unquestionably be a huge help.

“Instead, if I win, give it back.”

She pointed toward Winterbane, and I slowly nodded.

I'd already gotten an Epic-grade skill from it, which was more than enough.

And if I could wager this in exchange for her help...

‘She's someone who leaves the North in the first place.’

Just keeping her here would already be a gain.

If I could secure her actual assistance on top of that, it was an entirely different matter.

The question was what condition would decide the bet.

“What exactly are the terms?”

“Just make me like what I see.”

A proposal as vague and ambiguous as they came.

But I wasn't worried.

My heart was already pounding at the thought of testing Extreme Cold Art in actual combat alongside the power I'd gained from the Ice Crystal.

“Can we start immediately?”

“Good.”

For reasons I didn't really understand, she was looking at me quite favorably anyway.

Without hesitation, I drew my sword and faced her.

“Then please give me a lesson.”

This was a good opportunity to keep Larissa in the North.