'Did the anxiety and nervousness slowly recede after each and every spar?'
The next day, during the 96th spar, Alisa finally lost to Jin. As the battle reached the 70-second mark, Jin's stab penetrated her shoulder.
"Erk!"
The moment his attack succeeded, they were both very surprised.
In fact, it was a wound that was severe enough to prevent Alisa from continuing the battle. Jin dropped his sword and frantically called a healer, and Alisa smiled awkwardly.
"Lady Alisa! Are you alright?"
"Uh… Yeah, I'm fine. I haven't had this kind of injury in a while."
Blood spilled all over the place. While the healers cast healing magic, Jin tilted his head.
'It wasn't an attack that Lady Alisa couldn't dodge. This is a victory born from luck."
And it was true.
Jin hadn't given his full effort yet. When training with Alisa, he often played his final trump cards after the 100-second mark.
In other words, Jin always beat Alisa in the 'Analysis Phase'. Though, this time wasn't because of his growth, but because of his opponent's mistake—so today's victory wasn't as sweet.
'I temporarily lost vision from the spiritual energy and failed to read his sword's movements… I can't believe I made this mistake. I guess I got pretty rusty after retiring.'
Maintaining the same amount of focus while fighting an opponent who she beat 94 times was not easy, even for a knight like Alisa.
Alisa wiped her forehead and shook her head.
"Damn. I've lost."
"No, I think we shouldn't count this match. I cannot accept this victory."
"I knew you would say that. I agree. I understand that you can't accept this. My mistake has caused a dilemma."
Thanks to the healers' hard work, the wound was treated in an instant.
"However, Young Master Jin, we can't just 'not count it'. If it were you from three months ago, even if I made a mistake or hesitated, you would never be able to defeat me."
A difference of roughly only three months—97 days, to be exact.
As for Alisa, she couldn't believe how fast Jin improved in that short amount of time.
'Even considering that he's a Runcandel, I don't understand this level. Soon, his swordsmanship and magic would both become 6-star.'
Because she was a former member of the Vermont Special Forces, she had met many swordsmen from a famous clan of swordsmen known as Hairan.
However, Alisa was certain. Amongst all of the talented knights she fought, Jin was on another level.
"Then, does that mean I can't fight you anymore?"
"Not at all. In the remaining three months, try to achieve your desired victory. Until then, I will always keep my evenings open."
* * *
December 1st, 1795.
The day for Jin and Alisa's 110th battle, Alisa took the day off from work. She wanted to fight Jin in perfect condition.
Because of that, the two didn't fight in the evening, but at noon instead.
And thirty minutes before the battle, Kashimir sought Jin.
"Young Master Jin, the information that you requested has finally arrived. It took longer than expected…"
"You found Alu's real name?"
The head of the Tesing Clan, Spiderhand Alu.
At first, Kashimir thought that searching for a person's name would be a piece of cake—that finding information about some sketchy alleyway gangster leader was easy with the Seven-Colored Peacock's intelligence network.
However, even after all this time, they failed to find Alu's real name.
"Unfortunately, that is not the case. The best agents investigated everything regarding that fellow named Alu. Seems like he had a lot of secrets. But there is nothing left from anything he did before becoming Tesing's leader."
Kashimir shrugged.
"There is only one reason for the Seven-Colored Peacock's failure. Someone must've intentionally erased his records. As you said, he may have some connections with a Runcandel."
"Hmmm… I regret killing him now. Then, how about the information on Vishukel?"
"Yes, Vishukel Yvliano. The Yvliano Clan's next patriarch. Hm… Young Master Jin, do you know of an organization named 'Kinzelo Group'?"
"I do. Our paths met when I executed a mission with my fellow cadets this year."
The Kinzelo Group.
A crazy organization that wanted to make their leader the king of the world. In Jin's past life, they assassinated the Zhan Kingdom's king and slaughtered their people, which really fostered their notoriety.
"Although I am not sure, it is possible that Vishukel is part of the Kinzelo Group. Once a week, he visits the Curano Dukedom, and he always goes to this one fragment workshop."
"Please tell me more."
"The owner of the strangely titled fragment workshop, 'Artistic Explosion', is a man named Bouvard Gaston. According to what we found, Bouvard is an executive of the Kinzelo Group. And Vishukel visits him every week, which raises suspicion."
"Bouvard Gaston?"
Jin spoke as if he didn't know. He couldn't tell Kashimir that Bouvard could 'transform' into other people just yet.
Not because he couldn't trust him, but because there was no way to prove it.
"Yes. A rather fat man in his mid-thirties. And Vishukel always brought sweet potato croquettes every time he went to his shop. Like some kind of delivery."
"Hmm, assuming that both of them are part of the Kinzelo Group, Bouvard must be of a higher rank."
"Most likely so. I have actually met Vishukel once in the past. He's a very proud individual. But if it's a man who he always delivers food to, then…"
In reality, Bouvard was an executive and Vishukel was the vice-leader of the group, so the latter was the one with the higher rank. However, the Seven-Colored Peacock didn't figure that out yet.
Kashimir and Jin simultaneously chuckled. They couldn't imagine Vishukel delivering food to a fat man.
'I expected a relationship between them, but the Kinzelo Group… This is unexpected. In fact, Bouvard seems to have a higher rank… What does Vishukel get out of being part of Kinzelo?'
The answer was simple.
Although the Yvliano Clan couldn't go against the Runcandel Clan, they were strong enough to put up a fight against the Vermont Empire's Hairan Clan.
However, the clan lacked any other talented knight, so if they excluded Vishukel, their power would decline.
'It's either he's trying to use the Kinzelo Group's strength to regain his clan's honor or he's being hypnotized.'
But is the Kinzelo Group that strong? Enough for a talented knight like Vishukel to seek them?
'Looking back at my past life, when the Kinzelo Group was at its peak… It's not impossible. Even the three strongest powers didn't touch those crazy guys.'
As he thought of the past, he remembered some weird things that happened.
Whether it was before or after he regressed, the Runcandels didn't lay a finger on the Kinzelo Group. Even though he and the other beginner cadets got fucked over by them.
'Was it because the Runcandel Clan didn't think that they're worth anything? Or because they considered them a very dangerous organization? Well, I'll find out soon enough.'
Jin lightly bowed to Kashimir.
"Well, alright, Sir Kashimir. Thank you for your service."
"Well the service was from the agents. I only sat and listened to their reports. I presume the next task is to find out about the Kinzelo Group, then? As well as to continue searching for information on Alu."
This was the part that Jin liked about Kashimir. Even without saying anything, they had the same plan.
"I am always in your debt, Sir Kashimir."
"In that case, why don't you go play with Euria? Every day in my office, she yearns for your presence. And with Miss Enya present, they make my head hurt."
"Understood. Oh, anyways, it's time for me to spar with Lady Alisa. Would you like to come and watch?"
"Sounds good. I wanted to see how much you've improved anyway."
Kashimir's expression was filled with confidence.
He was confident that Jin couldn't defeat Alisa yet.
'I should witness Young Master Jin's growth and send another letter to Lord Cyron.'
Alisa was already in the training area, waiting for Jin.
"Huh? What? Honey, why are you here?"
Alisa began to jokingly complain after seeing Kashimir walk alongside the young Runcandel.
"What, am I not allowed to come here? Young Master Jin invited me to watch."
"Well, no, it's not that. It's just… I don't want you to see me losing."
"Losing…? Wh-What? You're going to lose? What do you mean by that?"
Kashimir's eyes were filled with shock.
'Instead of the promised six months, he managed to defeat her in only three?'
Asking with his eyes, Kashimir looked at Alisa, and she nodded.
Alisa Betzer, former Vermont Special Forces 2nd Division agent and Tikan's current Chief of Defense.
She took a day off from work to fight in perfect condition because she expected a loss in today's battle.
'His skill has already caught up to mine. Yesterday.'
While Kashimir lost his sense of reality, Jin and Alisa took their positions.
"Seems like today will be the last spar, Young Master Jin."
Jin only bowed instead of responding to his opponent. Alisa continued.
"Even in the far future. I wish you would remember me as a great sparring partner. Even the moment when you reach the top of the world."
"Instead of a sparring partner, I will commemorate you as a great teacher and friend. And I hope you remember me as a wonderful student."
Kashimir got a hold of himself and stepped away from the battlefield. He didn't want to interfere with their fight.
Alisa clenched her fists, and Jin muttered.
"Summon."
Phoenix.
A summoned beast from a different world. An entity that could only be summoned by magicians who are 6-star and above.
For the past 109 battles, it wasn't only his swordsmanship that improved. His spiritual energy and magic were also greatly enhanced.
Fwoooosh…!
Jin conjured a dimensional portal, and a massive flaming bird emerged from it.
And Kashimir—who was looking at Jin's phoenix—let out a gasp.
He knew who that phoenix was.
—————