"Clang! Clang!"
The sound of metal clashing echoed.
A bright flash every time the swords collided.
The source of the flash was two swords that glowed faintly and clashed with each other.
"Whizz."
The two swords moved in smooth curves or straight lines, as if they were alive, spitting out destructive force.
The speed of the swords increased until they were too fast to see, and the training hall was filled with the sound of buzzing like a swarm of bees and the friction of the swords hitting each other.
"Clang!"
"Thud!"
Finally, one of the swords seemed to lose and flew into the air, sticking to a corner of the training hall.
"Darn, I still couldn't beat you this time."
"Haha, if you beat me already, I would have nothing to teach you and be disappointed, wouldn't I?"
The one who grumbled was a young man who looked like he was in his late teens. He was Eurius, who had grown up a lot and started to look like an adult.
Compared to him, Sir Heinz didn't look much different. He still answered with a cheerful tone as he sheathed his sword and praised him.
"By the way, I've heard that I'm a genius so many times that my ears are clogged, but when I see your achievements, I feel really ashamed of myself."
It had been three years since he started his knight training in earnest, and Eurius was only 18 years old.
No matter how lenient he was as a teacher, it was amazing that he could fight dozens of matches with the imperial guards with his sword at such a young age.
Eurius had already reached the second stage of maturity, where he could freely condense force into his body and weapon. It was a level that could be called a first-class knight anywhere in the empire.
Sir Heinz praised him until his mouth was dry, but he was more amazed inside.
'In a few more years, I might not have to teach him anymore.'
He had been in charge of Eurius' education since he was six years old. He was almost like a father who had taken care of him for almost twelve years.
"If you keep up your current achievements, you might be able to reach the third stage at the youngest age in the empire. I hope you don't get complacent and keep working hard."
"Haha, I wish that were true. Thank you for your hard work."
Eurius smiled and saw Sir Heinz off.
He sat down on a chair in the corner of the training hall as if to rest for a while. When he felt that Sir Heinz's presence was completely gone, he got up.
He drew his sword and threw it lightly into the air.
Then he reached out toward the front. The thrown sword stopped in midair and flew toward him like an arrow.
"Thud."
Before his body was skewered by the flying sword, the sword bounced off with a faint blue spark as if it hit a wall.
This was one of the advanced applications of the third stage, called force field.
It was a technique that materialized force around one's body in the form of a shield or an invisible barrier. Knights who could skillfully use this technique could withstand a rain of arrows and even blind spears or swords on a fierce battlefield.
This was one of the biggest reasons why knights of the third stage were called one-man armies!
And finally!
This time, he threw his sword high above his head.
A sword that soared as if to pierce the sky, and a leap to catch it. But he didn't have enough height to catch the first thrown sword.
He kicked the air again before his speed dropped.
"Thump!"
Surprisingly, he stepped on the air as if there was something there and leaped again, then caught the sword leisurely.
This was one of the most difficult skills in the third stage, called force step.
The basic principle was not much different from force field. But it required more skilled manipulation because one had to create an invisible foothold at the exact location where one wanted to jump.
Force grip, force field, and force step.
These three skills, along with materializing force outside or interfering with objects freely, were characteristic of knights of the third stage.
They were called force masters or simply masters in general in the continent.
If one reached this level, one could fly around in midair, withstand a rain of arrows without flinching, and take an enemy's life from afar with just force control!
They were literally individual strategic weapons, and there were less than 50 such master-level knights in the empire.
Eurius had spent three years sparing no time for sleep and investing in training to recover his previous level.
Of course, his achievement was largely thanks to the help of one of his biggest enemies, Wallace.
The level up to the third stage was something he had already achieved in his previous life, and what he needed most was not enlightenment or advanced training, but force output.
He ate potions that were good for physical training like rice, and absorbed high-purity force stones whenever he hit a wall. How could any knight not grow like a storm in such an environment?
'People need talent, but ultimately, it's the environment that matters.'
He had also skipped some education and managed to become a master as an emperor in his previous life.
He had talent, but if he hadn't been an imperial, he would never have reached it.
He was a bit lacking in perseverance because he grew up so spoiled in his previous life…
'That was because our empress really pushed me hard.'
He still shivered at the thought of how Beatrix nagged him. He had to swing his sword even if he didn't want to. That was the only way to survive and plan for the future!
But he still couldn't achieve what he really wanted, the entrance to the superhuman.
"I need some stimulation."
At first, he thought that if he just got enough force output, he would quickly open the way to the next level with his solid force foundation and previous experience.
But after actually training for three years, he couldn't even grasp a clue to the fourth stage.
He thought that he needed some extraordinary measures to break through his stagnant level.
He had postponed this plan for a long time because it involved a lot of risk for him, but he couldn't delay it any longer.
He called a palace servant.
"Call Sir Heinz for me!"
It wasn't long before Sir Heinz came in.
"Your Highness, did you call me?"
"I have a favor to ask you."
"A favor from Your Highness? Just give me your order anytime."
He answered crisply, and Eurius smiled and opened his mouth.
"How about going hunting with me?"
…
It was January, and the snow was falling hard. But the palace was busy with movement regardless of the cold.
"The envoy from the Shannon Kingdom has arrived."
"Archbishop Demodeo, the representative of the Holy Kingdom, has arrived."
"The congratulatory envoy from the Far Eastern Empire has just entered the capital."
The palace officials, maids, and servants were all busy recording and entertaining the envoys who came in endlessly.
"Congratulations on your birthday, Your Majesty."
"We have also brought a rare specialty from our country for your birthday."
It was no wonder they were busy. Today was one of the biggest events in the empire, the emperor's birthday.
To celebrate, a large banquet hall was prepared and filled with envoys from various countries and nobles from all over the empire.
"Long live the emperor!"
Following the loud announcer's voice, the emperor walked onto the high stage set up in the banquet hall.
"First of all, I thank you all for coming to celebrate this old man's birthday."
The emperor was known to be frugal and didn't like big banquets. He gave a few short words of speech and ended his speech.
"Then, I hope you all enjoy the banquet."
But the emperor couldn't leave right away.
There was still an important ceremony where envoys and major nobles from each country presented gifts to the emperor of the empire.
"Next is a gift from Baron Kingdom's King Baron."
"Your Majesty, this is a medicinal herb called ginseng that only grows in our country. It helps a lot with restoring energy."
The gifts piled up around the emperor as the ceremony began.
Rare elixirs made from medicinal herbs that only grew in the Far East, clothes made from rare beasts' skins, and so on. Gifts that were hard to see even for a king of a country kept piling up.
The old emperor looked tired from the endless barrage of gifts. But even he had to open his eyes wide at one point.
"Next is a gift from Leonhart von Scharnos, the second prince of the empire."
Leonhart walked up to the stage confidently and presented his gift with both hands.
"Father, this is a medicinal herb called ginseng that only grows in the Far Eastern Empire. I had a hard time getting it through a long sea voyage."
"They say you're a genius who stands out lately, and it seems to be true."
The nobles nodded their heads and murmured.
Ginseng was a rare herb that was hard to get in this continent, but it was well known among the nobles who knew about it.
Even if he was the second prince who had the backing of Duke Wilhelm, it would have been impossible to get something rare from another continent without great skill.
The emperor also liked Leonhart's sincerity more than his gift. He put away his tired face and smiled brightly.
"Hehe, you've worked hard for this second prince. I'll gladly accept it."
There was still a buzz in the hall.
"But why is the second prince giving his gift before the first prince?"
"Oh, are you talking about that first prince who's obsessed with swords?"
"I heard that it's because of Duke Wilhelm's pressure. Tsk tsk, poor thing."
The line of gifts seemed endless, but there was still no sign of Eurius in the banquet hall.
Some of Duke Wilhelm's faction even frowned and spoke harshly.
"No matter how much he's favored by His Majesty, it's a huge rudeness not to show his face on His Majesty's birthday."
"Tsk tsk, now that Marius is gone, his troublemaker nature has returned?"
But at that moment, the door of the banquet hall suddenly opened.
"Sorry for being late. He was harder to catch than I thought."
As soon as they heard his voice, everyone in the banquet hall felt a cold air coming in and shrank their bodies.
All eyes in the hall focused on the door, and there was!
…
…
…
Second Prince Leonhart!
People are influenced by their growing environment, social status, physical condition, and every other factor in their values.
The second prince Leonhart was a blessed person.
The prince of Scharnos Empire, which was undisputedly the best country in the continent!
Duke Wilhelm, who was the best warrior in the empire and had unrivaled power except for the emperor!
Even his own talent was outstanding. The world he saw was like this.
'It's so easy that I can only laugh.'
He had never heard anything but praise since he was young. The tasks that others found difficult were just easy steps for him.
He didn't have a particularly bad personality either. He was so mature that he understood the difference between his position and others, and what he had to do.
If there was one flaw in him, it was that he was too calm for his young age and lacked childlike charm, and that he had an older brother.
"I will definitely make you the emperor, Your Highness."
"Haha, how can you say that when I have a legitimate older brother?"
Duke Wilhelm adored him terribly.
It was understandable, since his nephew had great talent and diligence. He was the ideal successor.
But Leonhart knew his uncle's true intentions well.
'My uncle is full of ambition for power.'
The way he saw his uncle was a person who loved him as much as he was obsessed with power. He probably wouldn't leave him alone even if he made him the emperor.
And there were still many obstacles to him becoming the emperor.
First of all, his father, who was called the iron-blooded emperor. He was a fair and excellent ruler, but he knew his uncle's ambition better than anyone. And he loved his eldest son so much that he wouldn't help him.
Finally, there was his brother.
'Eurius von Scharnos.'
The feeling he had every time he saw his half-brother was pity. He was just an ordinary child to him.
Of course, compared to himself, who was a genius. Eurius would be able to run the country well enough if he inherited the throne, but no matter how he thought about it, he was overwhelmingly superior.
The only one who deserved the throne of this vast empire was himself!
That's why he had been trying to get better reviews than his brother in everything.
He had learned various subjects related to imperial studies, and he had tried to be a humble second prince, contrary to his true feelings.
'Anyway, I have a higher chance of becoming the emperor with the power of the duke and the nobles.'
He didn't worry about the position that would come to him naturally, but about what he would do after becoming the emperor.
But his arrogant thoughts changed to doubts from one day on.
"It seems that the first prince has finally come to his senses."
"What do you expect? Our second prince is the only one who can do it. Who else has the emperor's charisma like him? His Majesty will surely choose Leonhardt in the end!"
The duke's cronies didn't even bother to hide their contempt. Anyone who had seen him since he was young would have done so.
He didn't care much at first. He and others had different perspectives from birth. Even if Eurius came to his senses, it wouldn't make much difference.
But…
"…Please give enough support to the people."
On the day he reported his educational achievements to the emperor, Leonhart felt a shock as if he was hit on the back of his head with a hammer.
"It's Marius' work. It won't be a big problem."
The nobles around him seemed to think so, but Leonhart sharpened his eyes.
'My intuition is rarely wrong.'
Eurius looked ordinary at a glance, but he was his brother too! He must have some advantages.
He talked to the duke for the first time that night.
"Honestly, I was annoyed that I lost to my brother this time. Uncle! Please help me."
The duke was of course pleased.
He had always been worried that the second prince he pushed didn't seem very interested in power.
"Hahaha, don't you have this uncle? I swear by my name that I will make you the emperor."
Leonhart acknowledged Eurius as his rival for the first time since then.
Others thought of the first prince as a lucky bastard who was born first, but he never let his guard down.
People who were born perfect like him always considered the last possibility!
'Brother Eurius, it won't be easy anymore.'
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'You probably think that way, right? That arrogant brat never treated me as a brother in the first place.'
His half-brother's genius was best known by him, who had lived with him for over thirty years in his previous life.
And after confirming his [Stat Window], he was even more convinced of that.
Eurius also smiled bitterly.
'Leon, do you think it will go your way?'