Leon clutched his forehead, looking bewildered.


    "Did… did I just get hit?"


    The incident had happened so suddenly that he wasn''t entirely sure. It wasn''t until Ss spoke that he fully grasped the situation.


    "This time, I was faster."


    Leon''s eyes trembled at Ss''s calm voice. How could this be? He hadn''t even seen the sword move.


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    "It''s just a fluke! It has to be!" he thought, suppressing his anxiety and readying himself again. Clearly, his own impatience had left an opening for the attack. This time, he resolved to approach calmly to avoid making the same mistake.


    "If I just get close enough to knock his wooden sword aside…"


    Thwack.


    "Ugh!?"


    As soon as their wooden swords shed, Leon felt a spark of pain re on his forehead again. Ss''s sword had struck precisely the same spot.


    Leon staggered backward, eyes wide in disbelief.


    "What on earth…!?"


    Again, he hadn''t seen the attack. The speed wasn''t even that fast! As Leon struggled to process what had happened, Ss chuckled.


    "Shall we continue?"


    "…Of course!" Leon gritted his teeth and charged at Ss once more. This time, he nned a straightforward, powerful attack. If he struck quickly and forcefully, his opponent would have no choice but to confront him head-on.


    "Let''s see if he can handle this!"


    As Leon''s wooden sword swung down, Ss''s sword moved as well. At the moment they shed—


    Thwack.


    "What…? He deflected my sword to the side?"


    Leon''s mind reeled. Deflecting a blow to another direction wasn''t easy—it required exact control. If the force was misjudged, the deflection wouldn''t fully block the blow, or the deflector might even lose bnce. Yet Ss''s maneuver was wless.


    Without breaking his own stance, Ss''s blow disrupted Leon''s bncepletely. Another strike from Ss''s wooden sword came toward Leon, sending him staggering backward.


    Thwack.


    "Gah!"


    The third strikended on the same spot, leaving Leon dizzy and struggling to keep his focus. Ss barely managed to hold back a smirk.


    "You think you can beat me, an amateur who''s never set foot on a battlefield?"


    Ss''s frustrating "Ordinary" trait limited him from surpassing the level of "proficient" in any skill, no matter how hard he tried. His swordsmanship, like all his abilities, could never exceed average proficiency, yet he''d survived battlefields at that limit for over a decade. As a result, he was unmatched among ordinary knights. Genius or not, a mere novice with little experience stood no chance.


    "Would you like to continue?"


    "…No, I concede."


    Leon held his forehead, bowing his head. Though it stung, he had to admit he couldn''t win.


    As they left the training ground, Baron Caden patted Leon''s shoulder.


    "Well fought."


    "Thank you."


    Despite his words, the baron''s brow twitched slightly. This duel had been intended to humble Ss, but the effect had been the opposite. However, a noble must sometimes smile, even in the face of defeat. Caden praised Ss in as cheerful a tone as he could manage.


    "You truly are from the Corleone family—a fine example of the legendary Dragonyer Leonik''s swordsmanship."


    "My ancestors'' glory is hardly mine, my lord. I am humbled."


    "No need to be. Today has opened my eyes."


    After heapingpliments on Ss, the baron paused as if suddenly recalling something.


    "Oh, it seems I''ve forgotten a matter requiring my immediate attention. I had arranged fine wine for us, but s, I won''t be able to join. Perhaps you would join my son in my ce?"


    "Of course, though I would have liked to speak with you as well, my lord."


    "My apologies; this matter is unavoidable."


    Their gazes met briefly. The baron''s mention of a wine gathering was an invitation to converse in confidence, yet by sending his son in his ce, he was making it clear this discussion wouldn''t represent the official stance of the Winslow family.


    "Ah, a true noble."@@novelbin@@


    After seeing his direct and straightforward father for so long, it was refreshing for Ss to see the subtleties of noble behavior. Nobility, after all, was inherently political.


    "Leon, I''d like you to host Sir Ss in my stead."


    "Of course, Father. I won''t bring shame to our family name."


    Leon smiled brightly as he epted his father''s instructions, causing Ss to click his tongue in amusement.


    "He''s still smiling, even with that red mark on his forehead."


    In terms of swordsmanship, Leon had much to learn, but in political insight, he was already his father''s equal.


    Ss followed Leon to the reception room, where fine wine and light refreshments had already been prepared. Evidently, it had been set up well before the duel ended.


    "This wine is from the Lergren region in the South. Its aroma is quite pleasant."


    With a brief exnation, Leon poured their sses. The wine was indeed rich in both vor and aroma. After they each took a sip, the real conversation began.


    "I''ve heard much about your aplishments, Sir Ss."


    "I simply did my duty as a knight."


    "What did you think of the western territories as you traveled?"


    "There were quite a lot of monsters."


    It was the same response he had given to Beric. There was no creativity in his answer, but honestly, it was hard to find anything else to say. Everywhere he went, it was monsters, monsters, and more monsters. In these troublesomends, anyone would associate the western territories with monsters.


    "You''re correct. The West is indeed and of hardships and, as such, always yearns for powerful knights."


    "Like Sir Ray, for example?"


    "Precisely."


    Leon looked directly at Ss as he spoke.


    "Lately, the monster situation has worsened. I always think about how reassuring it would be to have someone like my sister with us."


    "Unfortunate indeed. One can only hope for another knight like her someday."


    Despite Ss''s clear refusal, Leon''s face stiffened slightly. He quickly forced a smile and took another sip of wine.


    "Well, wouldn''t it be even more reassuring if someone who''s already here took up the role?"