Is this what it feels like to have your heart pounding?
Seo Woojin felt a sensation as if something was dropping with a thud in response to the knight's question.
"Hey, D-class hero, I didn't know that a kid who was only level 2 could hold out like this against a baby Tranga."
The Knight inserted his sword and patted Seo Woojin's shoulder.
"Regardless of your grade, are you naturally talented with a sword? You said your aptitude for the job is 'sword soldier' right?"
'Oh, I didn't realize I just said that to praise myself.'
Seo Woojin realized it was just a casual remark to compliment himself.
He sighed, loosening his stiff expression.
"Thank you for saving me."
"No need to be grateful. Anyway, even if it weren't me, Irene would have stepped in."
When Seo Woojin turned around, he noticed Irene standing awkwardly with a sword in hand.
It seemed like she was trying to move to save him, but the knight in front of him was a bit faster.
"I could handle it, Gerald."
"Huh? I know, I know. Our Irene could have handled it easily."
"I can carry out my duties…"
"Leave that aside. Is it because you're a Hero? You certainly grow fast."
Gerald's playful voice lightly dismissed Irene's complaint.
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Gerald. As you can see, I'm in a higher position than this girl. Is it your first time having a conversation like this?"
Gerald extended his hand towards Seo Woojin.
When I looked at Irene, she let out a small sigh and said.
"He is a senior knight like Testeron."
Seo Woojin held hands with a shocked expression at Irene's comment.
'Do all high-ranking knights have twisted personalities? Or is it that having such a personality is a prerequisite for becoming a high-ranking knight?'
I'm not sure which is correct, but the people Seo Woojin saw were all strange.
"Hmm, it's definitely not the hand that has been holding the sword for a long time."
Gerard nodded to Seo Woojin's palm, which had no calluses.
"Well, what are you doing?"
He tried to pull his hand away due to an unpleasant feeling, but there was no way that Seo Woo Jin could overcome the power of a senior knight.
No matter how hard he tried, instead of resisting, it only took more strength.
"You don't even have the strength to lift a spoon, but enduring it like this. Are all heroes like this?"
Fortunately, there was no sign of suspicion.
Rather, it seemed full of curiosity.
'He looks like an ordinary middle-aged man….'
Gerald, whose head was half-bald, looked just like any other middle-aged man, except for his mischievous behavior. In this neighborhood, there were many people whose age couldn't be guessed.
"I didn't think much of you from the rumors I've heard, but you're quite nice, aren't you?"
Gerald smiled warmly and let go of Seo Woojin's hand.
"Well, that's what Testeron says. Right, Irene?"
He turned around to ask, but Irene didn't respond.
'Well, regardless of the answer, it's better to stay quiet to avoid getting scolded.'
It feels like watching the military in Korea.
It's the same everywhere. The military is all the same.
The knights were a kind of soldiers themselves, so it was not unreasonable for Seo Woojin to think that way.
"Anyway, she is no fun."
Gerard clicked his tongue when he saw Eileen not responding in any way and then showed interest in Seo Woojin again.
"Have you ever learned swordsmanship separately?"
"No, I haven't."
He had never learned anything that could be called swordsmanship. There was no time for that, and no one to teach him. Occasionally, he would observe Irene's posture, but it was only a basic observation, not a deep and thorough lesson.
"But still, hunting Snow Wolf and going head-to-head with baby Tranga is quite something."
"Well, I mostly just took hits rather than going head-to-head."
Except for the last stab, he hadn't made a proper attack. Even that stab ended up being just a poke at the baby Tranga's forehead.
So, it was an awkward fight to call it a battle.
"No, no. Even if I brought some soldiers now and asked them to fight, not many would withstand it as much as you. At best, maybe some centurion?"
Seo Woojin blinked.
He was just level 2.
But did he already have the skills of a centurion?
"Of course, they might be a bit more experienced than you since they've had better meals."
Still, it seemed that Gerald thought Seo Woojin's skills were at that level.
"I heard that the lower the grade, the narrower the growth rate, but you're D grade, right?"
As Gerald mumbled to himself, wondering how someone could change so much, Seo Woojin felt cold sweat running down his back.
"It means that other guys get stronger faster…. I heard that the empire's Heroes are already dealing with Aura."
Seo Woojin tilted his head.
"What's Aura?"
It seemed like something he had seen in a fantasy novel. However, he couldn't be sure if it was the same thing.
Considering the atmosphere, it seemed quite remarkable.
The fact that a knight like Gerald had such an expression said a lot.
"To put it simply, it is a magic sword."
"…Can you explain in more detail?"
"When you reach a certain level, the magic flowing into the sword can take on a destructive form that can cut through anything."
"That's what we call it, the Aura."
Irene picked up Gerald's words.
"Of course, the problem is that reaching that level is infinitely difficult. Even in Sion, there are only a handful of knights who can handle Aura."
"Among them, the Lord."
"Yeah, Lord."
Seo Woojin nodded as he listened to the explanation.
'So, it's the same as the Aura I know?'
He understood perfectly.
Yet, he was surprised.
A Hero capable of handling such technique had already appeared…
He had only raised his level to 1.
"If it's the Empire, is it him?"
The handsome guy he saw when he was first summoned.
His job aptitude seemed to be SSS-grade, but he couldn't remember well that day because he was so disoriented.
Still, being the highest-ranked Hero, he seemed to grow quickly.
'While someone is struggling like this…'
He envied the guy growing up by riding a bus under the giant nation called the Empire.
He was secretly sighing inside, and Irene seemed to notice it again.
"I'll say it again, but our Sion doesn't cultivate knights in such an easy way."
How scary is it that these guys train with mottos such as 'A drop of sweat today is a drop of blood tomorrow.'
Seo Woojin lowered his head, as if not expecting anything.
But then it happened.
Kuuung!
With a sudden vibration, a pillar of light shot up from a little distance away.
"What… what is it?"
Seo Woojin, perplexed, asked Irene, but she closed her mouth.
Her expression was also stiff.
"Gerald…?"
"I'll go first. Take care of this guy and stay as far away as possible."
"But…"
"What was the order given to you by the Lord?"
Irene hesitated for a moment, but soon nodded in agreement.
"Alright."
"Okay, then I'll see you later."
Without exchanging a word with Seo Woojin, Gerard ran towards the place where the snow pillar rose.
The mischievous demeanor he had just shown disappeared entirely, replaced by a visibly tense expression.
Observing Gerard, a senior knight, behaving in such a manner made Seo Woojin feel uneasy once again.
"What on earth is that?"
Draconis was massive.
And Tranga was also a sizable creature.
But undoubtedly, they didn't compare to the towering column of eyes.
'I guess 30 meters should be enough?'
What on earth could create snow pillars of such crazy size?
"It's an ice bug."
"A bug?"
"A giant monster that crawls beneath the northern land. The sizes vary, but that one is particularly enormous."
Irene seemed quite knowledgeable about the monster, providing an explanation.
"It likes to feast on Tranga. Among them, it prefers the offspring the most. So, during this season, it always appears in Tranga's habitat."
And each year, it was also the main culprit behind creating numerous fallen warriors.
"Among our fellow knights, there are several who have fallen in battle against it."
Irene bit her lip.
Her expression showed a strong desire to rush there right away and engage in battle with the knights.
"But why is it still alive?"
"We've always failed in subduing it. Whenever it felt even slightly disadvantaged, it immediately fled."
Even Van Slaine couldn't capture the fleeing creature.
"Isn't that dangerous, then?"
"Earlier, you asked, 'What are the knights doing, and why are only the soldiers fighting?'"
That's how it was.
No matter how much you think about it, it was inefficient and unreasonable.
"I think I can answer that now."
"The Lord and the Blue Shield Knights were waiting for him."
* * *
"My Lord!"
"I'm aware just by looking."
Van Slaine, who was observing the battlefield between the soldiers and Tranga, sighed and stood up from his seat.
"Testeron."
"At your command."
Testeron, who was waiting behind him, stepped forward.
"Summon one knight to ensure there's no delay in dealing with Tranga."
"I have already taken care of it."
"All right, all right."
Van Slaine, looking satisfied, smiled and turned his gaze toward the knights.
"He has appeared without fail this year as well."
"I don't think I'm ever tired of it."
"It seems so."
Despite Van Slaine's relaxed tone, the knights erased any signs of tension and burst into laughter.
"Although it's an annual event, isn't it getting a bit tiresome now?"
"Yes!"
"We want to stop now!"
However, even while laughing, the knights' pupils were heavy with a serious undertone.
"So, it seems like we're going to bring it to an end this year."
Swoosh-
The holy sword 'Teres,' symbolizing the commander of the Massive Guardian, revealed itself.
In contrast to what was given to Seo Woojin, it was a pure white sword resembling the frozen northern appearance.
"Go, to comfort the spirits of my comrades who were sacrificed by that guy."
A blue wind began to race across the snowy land.