The training camp where the Harvest Rite will take place is in the shape of a hemisphere.
At the center is a circular training ground occupying most of the building, and the audience seats are arranged around the edge.
The dormitory is below the audience seats. The place assigned to Kyle was the farthest from the entrance.
"This is a terrible room."
The only furniture was a bed. The weapons hanging on the wall, which were stained with blood, were the only thing that looked decent. There were various weapons, from short daggers to long spears. They were all well-maintained.
In this place, which reminded him of an arena, Kyle felt like a gladiator who existed only in ancient times. The first thing Kyle did was clean.
*Swoosh*
Wind blew inside the room, piling up dust in one place. Even a Lutentus, who is said to have the blood of a warrior, could not tolerate even a speck of dust touching his body.
Although his mana capacity was infinitesimal compared to his previous life, he could still use simple magic like [Breeze] without difficulty. Just then, he felt a presence outside.
When he stopped the magic, the dust that had not yet settled floated in the air. Just as he was frowning,
*Bang!*
The door opened, and Kyle narrowed his eyes at the young intruder.
"······I am Tanya. I will be serving you while you are here."
She was a thin woman with overly puffy clothes. Even in an already unpleasant situation, she had barged in without knocking.
"You're supposed to be my servant. Have you never learned how to knock?"
"What is a knock?"
"······."
Is this also someone's prank or simply ignorance?
I've heard that commoners often don't learn even basic etiquette. And it's hard to read a lie from that innocent face.
Tanya trembled as if she knew she had done something wrong. Even that slight movement made her skirt flutter.
"Knocking is when you knock on the door before entering to make your presence known. It's basic etiquette."
"I will remember, I will remember."
Tanya shook her head vigorously. She must have just become an adult. She was probably a low-ranking maid of Lutentus or had been drafted recently. This was probably discrimination against those who are part of the indirect branch, but Kyle didn't care.
Rather, the more skilled the maid, the more likely she is to be a "listening ear" for other powers.
Kyle had not been able to train for two days since he came here. He was starting to feel restless, but he had no intention of swinging a sword in this dusty place. He couldn't use magic in front of an outsider either. At least the place where the actual knights train should be minimally clean.
"Tanya, there must be a place where the knights practice. Do you know where it is?"
"······I don't know."
He didn't ask the question expecting an answer. Kyle nodded and left the room.
Tanya followed him with her big, frog-like eyes blinking.
* * *
Though it is not an official designation, the people of Lutentus refer to the first wife to the fifth wife of the duke as the "core" and their children as the "seeds of the core." This is because the order in which the Lutentus duke marries is also highly political, and their innate noble bloodline is important.
The seeds of the core could stay in Levido and didn't have to travel far to be liberated.
"Pfft! He's already dived into that filthy cesspit. Typical of that Aldbert guy. He really needs to be told about his bad taste."
Miley, the fourth wife's fourth son and a seed of the core, had heard from Aldbert, a second-class knight he had met on the way, that the seed of the indirect branch had already arrived at the training hall.
"Molson. What was his name again?"
"······Kyle."
"Ha ha. Kyle? That sounds like a fruit. Hilarious. You said he's a native who's never left the north, right?"
"Uh-huh."
"If it wasn't for Lutentus, he would have died a long time ago. He should be grateful."
In Miley's view, among the seeds from the indirect branch, those from the tribes in the northern frontier are merely nominal. This is because Lavida's newly developed territory is so vast that it requires workers to manage it. Imagine that, workers who don't even get paid? It's distasteful to be called the same 'seed' as these lowly types, but they have been quite useful. Just like Miley's chair right now.
"Right, Molson? Aren't you grateful?"
"...Uh-huh. T-thank you."
Under Miley, who was sitting cross-legged, a man was trembling and acting as a "chair." The man was Molson, the second son of the 11th wife, and a seed of the indirect branch. He was 17 years old, and this was his last chance for freedom. If he failed to be freed this year as well, he would have to live his life in chains. If he was spotted by Miley, who was a likely candidate for freedom this year······.
"Anyway, it's because of those indirect branch kids that Aldbert is acting so superior. You saw it just now, right? He was disgusted when I asked him to bring me the new guy's face."
Miley recalled Aldbert, whom she had met on the way. When she asked him about the new guy, he turned pale and backed away.
"······I somehow felt like Aldbert was scared."
"Haha! What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Are you defending those indirect branches now?"
"It's not like that."
"Hah hah. It's obvious he was avoiding him because he was dirty. I heard that there are places in the outskirts where people eat with their hands that they used to wipe their butts. That's exactly what it is."
Miley's mouth twisted into an exaggerated sneer.
"They don't know anything about manners, I swear. Molson, go get him, and let's clean him up."
"Cleaning······?"
Molson shuddered. On the first day he arrived here, Molson also received "cleaning" from Miley. He still felt as if a foul smell lingered on his body.
*Thunk-*
Miley, who had gotten off Molson lightly, smiled broadly. His gaze was on the tree on the other side of the bushes. A girl who had been staring at this place for a while. If she was as sensitive as him, a "core seed," then she must have been eavesdropping on everything they were saying.
'Watch and see. I'll show you how I handle the indirect branch.'
With a focused gaze, Miley briskly moved forward.
* * *
There are two conditions for 'liberation'. Either defeat another Lutentus seed in a match or defeat a second-class knight in a duel. Seeds are at most 17 years old. Considering that most second-class knights are approaching their 30s and even they have to work hard from a young age, it is an absurd condition. However, considering that they are Lutentus, the threshold is not high. Even if they are bound by Chains.
'The problem is that everyone does not have an equal opportunity.'
According to Milia, it is impossible to avoid being nominated by other seeds. In other words, if someone deliberately nominates you, you have no choice but to follow. The same is true in reverse, but Kyle had no intention of nominating another seed he had never met.
*Thud!*
Kyle's blunt stick pierced the chest of the wooden doll. The wood chips were drawn into the end of the stick and bloomed out the other side. It was a clean blow without a single chip flying off. It would have been an instant kill if it had been a person. There may be no knight who would accept such a stupid and honest attack, but it would be difficult to find anyone who could unleash this kind of power at the mere age of thirteen.
Kyle was in a state of reinforcement with the Chain engraved on his back. His body was heavy, like walking through water, and the flow of ki was one step slower than his thoughts.
It requires efficient distribution of power for only one blow. It was a state that he had only reached at the end of last year. If he had been released from the Chain, it would not have been limited to a small hole.
That's why he didn't want other seeds to make the mistake of nominating him. Second-class knights could afford to bear a moment of shame, but a seed's one defeat would leave a year of regret. If this was his last chance, he would have to live with the Chain for the rest of his life.
Suddenly, he remembered what Lavida had said.
"Count Sollent. You tend to dwell on small things for someone who dreams of revenge."
We were talking about whether to kill the monster or save the people. 'Yuriel' answered the latter, and Lavida said she would kill the monster to protect the people.
Even now, with the blood of Lavida running through his veins, he thought the same answer. The proud lineage of Sollent had always prioritized people. That is, if the moment of "choice" ever came.
*Puck- Boom!*
The wooden doll with a straight hole in it finally fell backward. Even so, the energy was overflowing. This was how destructive and efficient brute force was. If he had been able to produce the same power with magic at this age, he might have gone into a coma.
But this is a target that can be broken by this level of energy. And since he came inside the training hall, he haven't seen any knights.
"This target is not up to the standard of knights."
"Yes, sir. I've heard that the knights use something called Redwood puppets."
Redwood, commonly found in the south, is a type of tree that absorbs mana. Its strength is determined by the quality of the mana absorbed and is known to be particularly effective for 'Ki.' It's a material often used for training purposes. Redwood used for training is said to be so durable that it's incomparable even to steel.
"I haven't seen Redwood puppets. Do the knights train somewhere else?"
"... I'm not quite sure, sir."
She remembered when she went to find the training hall. Tanya got lost more than Kyle did when he first visited this place. Still, her determination to learn was strong, and she made the effort to write down any etiquette mistakes she was pointed out on the back of her hand.
Tanya was bowing her head, constantly rubbing her stomach. It seemed like there was a rumbling noise.
"Have you not eaten?"
"······."
A lowly maid like her must have been too busy learning to eat. Kyle took out a piece of jerky from his pocket. It was a local specialty from the Nava tribe. He had kept it for Milia in case she needed it.
"Here, have this."
"T-Thank you!"
Tanya took the jerky without question. She immediately unwrapped it and put it in her mouth. She didn't look the least bit graceful in the process.
Tanya's eyes sparkled.
"Yum! This is so delicious!" she exclaimed, smacking her lips.
"Don't smack your lips while you're talking,"
Tanya mumbled in agreement and nodded her head.
*Crunch.*
"······."
After waiting for Tanya to finish eating, Kyle said,
"I'm just going to look around, so stay here."
"Yes. But-"
He could tell what she needed by the way she rolled her eyes. Kyle also needed something to distract her. When he pulled out another bag of jerky from his pocket, Tanya giggled.
"Eat slowly."
"I know!"
Kyle left Tanya, who was chewing on jerky.
Kyle headed to the armory inside the training hall. Thinking about the knights' temperament, he thought they would have thrown away rusty weapons or broken training tools.
Kyle's goal was the Redwood. Even if the Redwood dolls were strong, they would eventually break under the pressure of training at Lutentus' training hall.
As expected, he could find a Redwood puppet inside the armory. More accurately, the remains of the Redwood puppet.
The doll was in pieces, its limbs torn and broken. It was hard to even call it a doll anymore. However, if it was made of Redwood, which had a high mana conductivity, and if the theory of mana conductivity was perfectly understood, then even a small amount of mana could be used to "restore" it. Kyle withdrew the mana that was reinforcing the Chains. That mana went to the Redwood and began to "disassemble" and "combine" it.
"······."
A thing that could barely be called a doll was created. It looked like a lump of mud, and Kyle didn't like it one bit. However, this process alone drained his mana. He was born with a talent for martial arts, but his magical power was not even as strong as his claws in his previous life. This world was truly fair, wasn't it?
"It will be fine for training······."
Kyle, who excused himself, left the armory with the lumpy Redwood in his arms.
"Kyle, sir? What is that?"
"It's a Redwood doll."
"A doll······? Ah, yes. I understand. It is a doll."
Tanya, who had been looking down, nodded with a stiff face. Kyle didn't like that any better, but he didn't scold her.
He put the Redwood "lump" down on the floor and picked up the staff. He stabbed at the same point with the same strength as before.
*Clang!*
The sound of metal striking metal rang out, even though he had stabbed wood. The sensation of sinking in when he stabbed was soft, but the resistance that followed was full of elasticity. It was truly a material worthy of being called a training log. He had never felt this before when he practiced with wood or iron.
'This means it was completely destroyed.'
Kyle couldn't even be sure if he could break it even if he weakened the strength of the Chain. He stabbed the staff again with the goal of piercing a hole.
*Clang, clang!*
The pleasant sound made his movements as light as dancing.
It was when he had been devoted to his training for a long time.
"Ha ha! You're really funny, you."
A sneering voice came from the entrance of the training hall. The boy was about a foot taller than Kyle, who was quite tall for his age. Next to him was a scrawny man standing around. As they appeared, a nauseating smell wafted through the air, which seemed to be coming from the bucket in the man's hand.
"You should be stuck in a breeding chamber in the indirect branch, not here. How did you get here?"
"Because there are limitations······."
"Hey, girl! You didn't bring him here, did you?"
"...I didn't catch that. But why ask if you're not going to listen to the answer?"
Kyle was annoyed that his words were cut off. Meanwhile, Tanya, who was pointed out, trembled and lowered her head. From her reaction, it seemed that they knew each other.
"Tanya, who is that?"
"He is the fourth son of the fourth wife, Lord Miley······."
The fourth wife. That means he is the highly esteemed "seed of the core" he has only heard rumors about.
"Is there a problem with me practicing here?"
"Of course, it does. Dirty blood always reeks. Even the noble blood of a Lutentus can't help but be tainted when mixed with that of a lowly woman. Right, Molson?"
Miley asked for Molson's agreement, and Molson reluctantly nodded. It was a ridiculous thing to do. To insult a deceased woman. Kyle was about to respond when Tanya spoke up.
"Lord Miley. Lord Kyle is also a seed of the Lutentus. Your words are inappropriate."
Tanya, this woman's ignorance knew no bounds. No, what she said just now should not be called ignorance. Even though she was trembling with fear, her eyes were still watching her opponent accurately. It should be called 'simplicity,' which is to think only of the one she is serving now.
"This lowly woman has lost her mind."
Miley approached with his eyes wide. It was clear where his raised hand was headed. Kyle's lips curled up at the obvious reaction.
*Clap!*
The sound of hands colliding merrily. Kyle pressed down on Miley's hand, which he was holding. Miley had an amazing grip for a boy, but that was all.
Kyle focused on both the quantity and quality of his training as he strengthened and detoxified the shackles. Even in the center, with its good environment and teachers, the quality of his efforts was different.
Miley's face was scrunched up in pain.
"Ugh-! These things have all gone crazy! Molson! What are you doing not helping!"
"Uh······?"
The tall man rolled his eyes and bustled about frantically. Watching this ridiculous scene, Kyle was suddenly lost in thought.
There were many who mocked Yuriel for entering the tower at a young age. Yuriel remembered all of them, and after becoming the tower master, he buried them all in the magic academy.
'I wonder if my revenge will be carried out with such meticulous and cold calculations...'
For some reason, he couldn't help but feel his heart racing. He couldn't stop laughing as he watched Miley writhing in pain.
"The smell coming from the bucket is making me feel nauseous. Is your nose blocked? Or have you become so accustomed to the smell that it feels familiar?"
"······What?"
When he let go of Miley's hand, he took a few steps back and regained his balance. Soon after, he snatched the bucket from Molson's hand and strode back over.
"You, little brat. You need to be cleaned before you can even be considered a human being."
Kyle knew what "cleaning" meant by looking at the bucket. The opaque liquid must have contained all sorts of smelly things. Miley's behavior was too obvious from what he was doing. However, he let go of his hand for the sake of having a "pretext" for what he would do later.
As expected, Miley threw the bucket.
*Shooshk-!*
At the same time, Kyle's foot kicked the inside corner of the bucket.
"Damn it-! This crazy bastard!"
Miley was the one who had been doused in the dirty water mixed with filth.
"Are you finally a human now?"
Kyle laughed as if he was enjoying himself.
Author's Note
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and gain early access to exclusive chapters, insightful industry news, upcoming events, and captivating new releases. Join now through toodatfiction and stay ahead of the curve.
83Please respect copyright.PENANA8FRCq85R1X