30 people were recruited as Roman privates soldier.
There was no person who can use Asura Swordsman among them.
Pooky was only a C-class mercenary, one step lower than Lucas, he heard something incomprehensible the first day Roman taught him.
"You are born boneless."
Even back then he didn't know the meaning about what Roman had said to him.
After the war, Roman enlisted men learned how to use the Asura cultivation method, and after learning it Pooky felt like he entered a new world, and developed really quickly.
His speed of learning was different from others. If a soldier beside him was someone who felt difficulty in accepting mana, Pooky was someone who naturally accepted it.
In the process of manifesting mana, most of the people could took years to learn and there is still posiblity that they will not succeed.
However, Pooky succeeded in manifesting the aura in less than a month.
It was a huge event for the Roman personal soldier. Since people like Lucas had doubts about Asura's cultivation method.
No matter how wealthy Dmitry was, they thought Roman would not impart a great cultivation method to a common soldier.
However, after experiencing Asura's cultivation method first-hand and when Pooky successfully manifested mana, it completely removed their doubts on the cultivation method.( TN --- : ) if any of remember Asura cultivation method is really lowest grade cultivation method for Roman, and if we think that way they are not wrong. : ) )
Asura cultivation method is really good and it was the gift they received from Roman's after becoming his personal soldier.
To common soldiers and mercenaries, it was a treasure that could not be bought even with billions of gold coins.
It may have been that Pooky talent was outstanding and because of that he succeeded in manifesting the aura, but since Roman personal soldiers had experienced Asura's cultivation method, they knew that it was not possible simply because of only Puki's talent.
It didn't make sense the technique didn't help him even in the slightest. Soon enough, they themselves started feeling the mana around their bodies. Thus, they were able to solve something that normal people had the most difficulty in while understanding the process of learning about Aura.
Now things had changed. They all understood that if one put in the effort just like Pooky, they could become Aura Swordsman as well.
Also, there was another one who had succeeded and proved himself and that was Kevin. Attitude of all the personal soldiers of Roman has changed since then.
Now everyone risked their lives to become strong and get over the wall which is blocking their path to become strong.
The vicious atmosphere created a sense of competition, and the extreme clash between Kevin and Pooky was the result of that.
Kaang!
Thuk!
Their sword clashed with each other from time to time.
Now their aura clashed when they manifested, it sounds little different than sword clash.
When the air sucked in and exploded at one, those fighting around them turned their eyes in astonishment.
"Now try to stop this!"
Thuk!
Pooky took the momentum and fully manifested his mana.( TN -- if any one had forgetten how 1 star aura swordsmen fight is by simply manifesting their mana around their body.)
Kevin was the one who had manifested Aura earlier, but Pooky still had the upper hand due to his physical build.
Pooky has a huge physique and strong muscles like an armor.
His explosive attacks created a synergy with the power of Aura, and Kevin was helplessly pushed back by the powerful attack that pressed down on him.
Nevertheless Kevin's expression didn't change while the attack.
In this situation even the slightest mistake could lead to death, but Kevin's gaze did not depart from his opponent.( TN -- author didn't wrote many details in the fight, he just showed that they are fighting very intensly, so I added some extra few details.)
"Look at him."
Roman personal soldiers called Kevin 'Ghost'.
Their reasons were varied.
The unpredictable movements and unique anomalous swordsmanship reminded them of a ghost, but the biggest reason was that boldness of a person who didn't care about his life, as if he had several lives which give people goosebumps seeing his fighting style, and Kevin was like that.
Although many battles have been held in the past, Roman's personal soldiers have never seen Kevin take a step back because he was afraid.
To prove his worthyness to Roman, Kevin even cut of his arm.
While cuttting off his arm he clenched his teeth while enduring the pain from the his arm, and that momemt feeling of fear vanished from Kevin's mind.
'I have to win'
For Kevin defeat was not an option, Kevin became jealous of the fact, that Chris was more important to Roman than him.
And instead of surpassing Chris, if he got defeated by Pooky, it would be a huge same to live with.
Kevin had met with Roman in a situation where his life was being trampled upon by others, he may have died that day if Roman had not taken action on the other party.
In order to repay Roman for his kindness, he always lashed out at himself that he had to be stronger than his current self.
Thuk!
Kevin countered Pooky attack.
Seeing Kevin rushing in, Pooky quickly retrieved his sword and attacked after he anticipated Kevin actions. Pooky counterattack was fast.
If Pooky attack hit him like this, Kevin's head would split instantly due to impact from it. It was literally a situation where one hit would end the battle. Still, even though his own life was at risk, Kevin didn't think of avoiding that attack and moved ahead.
Swish!
Kevin extended his sword from his hand and aimed right below Pooky's chin. Pooky was shocked, seeing that Kevin's attack was aimed at such a vital spot.
He had to decide whether he will attack Kevin and or defend himself from Kevin attack?
If this was a real battle, Pooky would undoubtedly choose the former to win, but he didn't want to risk his life recklessly in a spar.
"Damn it."
Kaang!
He blocked the Kevin attack.
His unstable posture shook his balance, and after seeing this opening Kevin slammed Pooky down on the ground, knocking him down.
With that, the match between them ended.
As Pooky came to his senses and lifted his head, a cool sensation lingered near his neck.
"Do you really have to do this?"
"You try to risk your life too. Then you will know that I wasn't wrong."
Pooky looks at Kevin with tired eyes, after seeing that Kevin retrieved his sword, he stood up.
Willas was watching the match between them from the starting from a distance with a shocked expression.
At first, it was his light curiosity towards the soldiers of the outskirts, made him stop.
He wanted to check out how they trained and what level they were at, just for fun.
But the training of the soldiers was shocking to him.
'What am I looking at?'
All the soldiers who were sparring with each other had unusual movements.
Ordinary soldiers would only wield and block others while training, but right now what he was seeing were quite different. As if they were veteran and seasoned swordsmen, they aimed for the vital points of their opponent with every single attack. Their movements of dodging and attacking were incredibly efficient and quick as well.
Willas unwittingly clenched his fists as hard as he can when he saw how they were training.
He started to admire them especially for their swordsmanship.
Seeing the swordsmanship that systematically pushed the opponent, Willas doubted whether they were indeed soldiers from the periphery.
'All the soldiers are using the same swordsmanship, and their mastery in the swordsmanship is unbelievably excellent. And the atmosphere of intense fighting and training is like they are in the real battle. Is this the level of the soldiers of the baron's family from the outskirts? It's like looking at a miniature version of the Valhalla Empire.'
Valhalla is like this, people from the Valhalla always risking their lives in battle.
People who always fight with their best for whatever reason, Roman soldiers were like that, when they where fighting they put all on it.
Willas was still admiring them but after some time, fight between Kevin and Pooky quickly escalated, and finally they started using their Aura while fighting with each other.
That was a truly shocking scene. The fact that someone who looked like a child could use Aura caught Willas attention.
'How is this possible.'
The two Auras were different, they were different from how Aura swordsmen commonly use. Usually, Aura is used like an explosive force that unleashed power in an instant, but Kevin and Pooky's Aura was so weak that Willas, at first, doubted if that really was Aura.
He even thought it was a joke to be an actual Aura. He wanted to check the Auras with some magic artifact, but the moment the two Auras collided, his mouth was opened so wide and he could not close his eyes after what he had seen.
Quang!
Thuk!
The wind blew intensely around him. Even though he was at quite a distance away from them, he could feel how strong the clash of the two soldiers was, and he understood that the power of Aura was much stronger than it was supposed to be.
It was not possible his head started spinning after thinking about it.
The power of the Aura shown from the soldiers, puzzled Willas.
'These are not ordinary soldiers. Perhaps they are the Knights that the Dmitry family had put great effort into. But since when did the Dmitry family have this kind of power? While researching Roman Dmitry this time, I confirmed that Dmitry was the dominant force in the northeast region, but still this cannot be seen as the power of a family which belongs from the outskirts. Even the central government did not have this power. I've heard that Dmitry is obviously famous for mining and there blacksmithing, but what the hell is this scene I'm witnessing?' ( TN - I don't think Willas is refering over all power of the central government, i think he is refering about the power of the Aura released by Kevin and Pooky and comparing it to the Aura of the Aura swordsmen of the central government. )
" Priest. Dmitry is really a mining town?"
He heard the voice of the apostle, he was no different from Willas.
He had researched the Dmitry family, but when the apostle witnessed the situation that was different from what he expected, his thought process completely collapsed by the power he saw.
Willas said, "I am also doubting what I am seeing now. What is certain that they are not ordinary soldiers. I heard that there is a knighthood named after Dmitry, and they are probably the knights of Dmitry."
From his perspective they are the knights of the Dmitry.
But at that moment Hans, who was listening to their conversation right next to him, said.
"They are not the Knights of Dmitry. The Knights of Dmitry exist separately, and the people you see right now are private soldiers under Master Roman Dmitry. They do not belong to the Dmitry and they are solely under Master Roman command."
After hearing what Hans had said Willas was completely taken back.
Valhalla is known as the Empire of Warriors, it is known to have the most powerful soldiers of the world, but now Valhalla soldiers cannot be compared to Roman private soldiers.
'They are just normal soldiers?'
Even a normal person would laugh after hearing that, what are soldiers for empires and kingdoms? They are pieces that can be abandoned on a battlefield.
Contrary to Roman's soldiers, ordinary soldiers weren't treated excellently, and nor did they possess skills strong enough to exchange blows fiercely with others. They are just people who fell down screaming after one or two hits. Even Valhalla had such soldiers. Soldiers of Valhalla had superior combat power, but they can't be compared in quality with the private soldiers of Roman.
Willas was speechless, Dmitry is not even a prestigious family in the Cairo Kingdom, and Dmitry should barely have skill to nurture soldiers at this level.
Willas was not able to think properly for a while.
When Hans was guidance Willas to his room, he asked a question from Hans.
"Where did you recruit these soldiers from? Not everyone can be this talented. Did you paid a lot of money to get them? Or did they become apprentices while preparing to become knights? Otherwise, it doesn't make sense for regular soldiers to use Aura and only be a normal soldier."
The quality of soldiers was quite high. Truthfully, Kevin and Pooky weren't weak enough to be called just soldiers. They knew how to openly manifest Aura and what kind of crazy person would use such talented people as just normal soldiers? If they were truly used as normal soldiers, they should have quit right away while thinking they were being treated unfairly. He thought that any man with common sense would realize it. Nevertheless Hans' next words shocked Willas again.
"I don't know why you're asking such a question, but if you're talking about Kevin and Pooky, they weren't Aura swordsmen just a while ago. Kevin came from a slum, but Master Roman specially picked him up, and Pookie was a C-class mercenary, and after seeing the announcement of the enlistment recruitment, he decided to become Master Roman's private soldier. They only became stronger after being taught by Master Roman. Isn't that great? As the heir to the Dmitry, Master Roman was gifted with an eye to recognizing people's talents. Truly a blessing for Dmitry."
Now Hans voice was raised to the max. It was as if Roman Dmitry was someone he was immensely proud of.
Nevertheless, Willas stopped walking at that moment after hearing praise for Roman. The landscape around him was dim. It was truly a unique atmosphere.
Before he had arrived in Dmitry, he thought that there could not be a person who could have defeated Homer from this place.
But now he is thinking completely differently.
'Roman Dmitry, what the hell is that guy?'
Meeting was postponed to tomorrow. He told Baron Romero it would not be a problem to meet Roman after one day, but now he wanted to meet Roman as soon as possible.
The protagonist of the story, Roman Dmitry.
The only way to confirm the shock he got from earlier, is by meeting the person himself.