[Chapter 4]
Zeke spoke in a sharp voice.
"What is it, Decker?"
Decker adjusted his monocle and said.
"I heard about what happened with the young master at the Pankration testing grounds."
Zeke turned his head away disinterestedly and said.
"So what?."
"Is it true that you turned Leon Conrad and Jacken Valdek into a bloody mess?"
Zeke snorted.
"Why ask when you already know?"
Decker stood close to Zeke.
"I have been watching over you young master since you were born until now."
Zeke said while changing his clothes.
"I know that too."
Decker was exclusively in charge of Zeke until he was banished from the family.
His father, the head of the family, never saw his face after he failed to awaken his aura during the blessing ceremony.
His mother passed away when he was young, and his father might as well have been non-existent, so Decker was like a parent to him.
Even when he was treated like trash by the family, Decker alone stayed by his side.
Decker looked at Zeke and said.
"May I ask what happened?"
"Those bastards acted up, so I beat them up. What else do you need to know?"
Despite Zeke's rough words, Decker remained silent.
Zeke looked at Decker and said.
"What do you want to say, Decker?"
Decker slowly opened his mouth.
"Young master, may I check your pulse?"
Checking the pulse meant examining whether the aura had awakened.
Zeke looked at Decker and silently extended his hand.
"Excuse me."
Decker grabbed Zeke's wrist.
Woong!
Zeke flinched at the aura force entering his body.
Decker's aura examined every corner of Zeke's body.
That's when Zeke realized something he didn't know in his previous life.
'Blue Knight?'
The way he freely moved the aura through his body was unusual.
'Even if he's the main family's servant, would a Blue Knight just take care of a child?'
It made no sense.
In small kingdoms, Blue Knights often served as commanders of knight orders.
While Zeke was growing suspicious, Decker, who was examining his body, pressed his lips tightly.
Seeing this, Zeke inwardly smirked.
'No matter how much you examine, you won't feel any aura.'
Opening the 'middle Diantan was fundamentally different from opening the lower Diantan, and it was a method almost no one knew about.
Even Zeke himself thought it was nonsense when he first heard about the middle Diantan from his master.
It was a concept that went beyond common sense.
Knights who awakened aura and opened their lower Diantan cannot use magic. Conversely, mages who awakened magic and created circles in their hearts cannot use aura.
It was impossible to have both lower Diantan and circles in one body.
Even Zeke, who could use healing, a type of magic, couldn't use aura.
However, when opening the middle Diantan, one could use mana, which is the source of both magic and aura.
After being able to handle mana, Zeke could use a different kind of power from aura.
Decker stared at Zeke and said.
"Are you hiding something from me, young master?"
At those serious words, Zeke stared back at Decker and said.
"Decker, are you hiding nothing from me?"
At Zeke's words, Decker fell silent.
In his previous life, he was a loyal servant who protected him until the final moment he was expelled from the family.
But now that he knew he had been hiding his power, he couldn't let his guard down.
'Maybe… the other direct descendants deliberately assigned him.'
Decker slowly opened his mouth.
"May I ask why you suddenly changed?"
Until yesterday, Zeke was contemplating how to skip the Pankration test.
But in just one day, he had changed too much.
Zeke turned his head to look at Decker.
"That's the wrong question."
At those words, Decker's eyes flickered.
Zeke said in a cold voice.
"You should have asked why I only changed now."
Decker had no response to Zeke's words. As if he hadn't expected an answer, Zeke gestured to Decker.
"You know the test in a week is 'sword combat', right?"
Decker nodded.
"Yes, I know, young master."
"Prepare a sword."
"You mean something other than your usual sword?"
"How can I duel with that empty piece of trash?"
Zeke said with a frown.
"Prepare a claymore."
At Zeke's words, Decker said in a calm voice.
"A claymore is longer and heavier than regular swords."
"I know. The heavier the better. I'll adjust it later, so for now just bring one from the storehouse."
Decker stared at Zeke for a moment before nodding.
"Understood, young master."
"Also, book a private training room for the afternoon. I'll go right after lunch. Leave the sword in the training room."
"I will do as you said."
After receiving all instructions, Decker left the room without further words.
Once Decker left, Zeke let out a breath.
''Phew… After returning, I keep learning things I didn't know in my previous life.''
Zeke calmly collected himself and organized the future he knew in his mind.
Knowing the future was a powerful weapon.
Over 20 years, the continent would face many changes, big and small, entering a period of great transformation.
He made plans to utilize his knowledge of the future to his maximum advantage.
'Just wait, you Draker bastards. Unlike my previous life, I'll thoroughly use you this time.'
In the afternoon, Zeke went to the private training room he had reserved.
Befitting a training room made by the Draker family, all equipment was fitted with the latest technology.
Mirrors were attached to the walls on all sides so one could watch their form while wielding a sword, and various muscle training equipment and training weapons were prepared.
While looking around the training room, Zeke discovered a claymore placed on the desk.
"As expected of Decker. Clean work."
He picked up the claymore.
The blade alone was over 1 meter long and weighed more than 3 kilograms.
Though smaller than a bastard sword, it was certainly a burdensome sword for twelve-year-old Zeke to use.
"Hmm… the balance is good at this level."
This is one of the main facilities of the Dragon Slayer family, known as knights among knights.
Not even a single sword in storage was made carelessly.
'It's far inferior to what I used before.'
In fact, the claymore that Zeke used before his regression was a special sword, so it couldn't be compared in the first place.
Knowing this, he consoled his disappointment and gripped the claymore with both hands, taking a stance.
"Whew…"
In his previous life, he could easily swing even heavier swords than this, but with a child's body, even holding it was difficult.
Zeke slowly swung the claymore.
THUD!
Unable to handle the sword's weight, the tip stuck into the training room floor.
Zeke lifted the claymore again.
"As expected, it's difficult without help."
He closed his eyes and concentrated on his diantan.
A warm energy flowed from around his solar plexus and spread throughout his body.
A cultivation method using mana, the pure energy of nature, rather than aura or magical power. Originally, it was a technique humans couldn't learn.
After spreading mana throughout his body, Zeke swung the claymore again.
Whoosh!
The movement was much better than before.
He fixed his lower body and repeated basic cutting motions.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
With each swing, the sword became more familiar in his hands and made the sound of cutting wind.
Eventually, even the sound of cutting wind disappeared.
Zeke put down the sword.
"Whew! I need to build up my stamina first. I'll collapse from exhaustion while swinging the sword."
As an adult, Zeke had a solid build over 180 centimeters tall, with flexible and elastic muscles filling his entire body.
In contrast, now he barely exceeded 160 centimeters, with a small build and almost no muscle.
If he didn't have the combat techniques and awakening skills learned in his previous life, he wouldn't have been able to subdue his cousins in pankration.
Zeke clicked his tongue seeing his aching body after swinging the sword just a few times.
"Really… my body was complete garbage when I was young."
He decided to use his secret technique.
"Healing."
Light spread throughout his body, and the pain in his aching muscles disappeared.
Zeke lifted his restored arm and, seemingly satisfied, gripped the sword again.
This was how Zeke from before the regression utilized healing.
He strengthened his muscle fibers several times more than others by overworking his muscles, healing them, and overworking them again.
After training with this method, Zeke could cut down opponents with larger builds than himself, or knights of higher ranks.
It was a harsh training method impossible without mental strength and willpower.
"One week. It's a bit tight, but… I'll have to adapt somehow."
He continued swinging the claymore again and again without rest.
* * *
A week had passed since the pankration evaluation.
During that week, Zeke's achievements became a major topic among the trainees.
This was because Zeke, who had shown weakness unbefitting a direct descendant of the Draker family, showed a completely different side during this year-end evaluation.
Some trainees speculated that Zeke might have used impure power obtained through dark magic.
And finally, the day of the sword fighting duel, the last of the year-end evaluations, approached.
Meal times were fixed at the cradle.
As the training was harsh, meals were prepared excellently with balanced nutrients.
The breakfast was especially buffet-style, allowing trainees to eat as much as they wanted.
Next to the common dining area used by regular trainees, there was a separate dining room where only the children of powerful families within the Draker blood alliance could enter.
Unlike the regular meals focused on nutrition, luxurious foods were laid out on the table there.
Owen, Reina, Jacken, and Leon were seated at the round table provided.
Servants brought food that each of their masters wanted and placed it before them.
Owen picked up his knife and fork and elegantly cut small pieces of plain fish dishes to put in his mouth.
In contrast, a huge steak was placed whole in front of Reina.
She cut large pieces of the steak dripping with blood juices and chewed them.
It was a hearty meal befitting the heir of the Tourn family, known for having the strongest physique among all noble houses.
Jacken and Leon didn't touch any of the food and remained still.
Seeing the two of them, Owen spoke.
"You may not have an appetite, but eat a little. You'll need energy for sword training this afternoon."
At those words, Leon raised his head and glared at Owen.
"Are you picking a fight?"
Owen calmly shook his head.
"Words are useless on someone who doesn't know how to accept goodwill."
Leon suddenly stood up from his seat.
"You bastard, how dare you…!"
At that moment, Reina, who had nearly finished her steak, looked up and glared at Leon.
When she glared, Leon flinched and slowly sat back down.
Jacken, who had been quiet, spoke up.
"So. What are we going to do?"
At those words, Owen, Reina, and Leon looked up.
Everyone knew what Jacken was talking about.
''Zeke Draker.''
Owen wiped his mouth and spoke.
"Well… Whether it was luck or whatever, his swordsmanship shouldn't be anything special."
His seemingly calm expression turned cold as he continued.
"We'll find out what else Zeke is hiding when we test him today."
Reina, who had finished her steak, suddenly stood up.
She picked up her sword that was placed beside her and said.
"Did that really look like luck to you?"
At those words, Owen looked at Reina.
Reina looked at the three people sitting at the table and said.
"None of you deserve to be Draker knights."
After saying what she needed to say, Reina left the dining hall.
"That arrogant bitch…"
Leon hit the table and trembled with anger.
Owen tapped the table with his fingers, thinking hard.
'Reina and Zeke, huh?. This could be interesting.'
A genius who awakened her aura at age ten, before the blessing ceremony.
It seemed Reina Tourn had found her prey.