"Do you think a weakling like you could defeat me just because you have some skills?"
"Hyde, victory!"
"Don't underestimate me just because you think I had an easy opponent due to good luck!"
"Hyde, victory!"
Five days later, advancing to the main tournament was easily decided. Perhaps the competition level had indeed increased, as the very last opponent managed to withstand three strikes before kneeling.
"Not bad."
Helmut, nonchalantly dismissing his trembling opponent, turned and walked away cleanly. Everyone talks too much. The sword is simpler than that.
"Hyde, congratulations on advancing to the main tournament."
Mihail, who had approached at some point, greeted him with a smile. Including Robert, whom he had met on the first day, Mihail's knights did not pay much attention to this side, only cautiously keeping their hands on their swords.
They were well-trained, on a level similar to the academy instructors. It's unlikely for someone who isn't a significant heir to a family to have knights of this caliber.
'It's not worth delving deeper.'
Mihail is just a noble boy he happened to meet. Helmut carries too much weight from his past to get involved with anything.
"If you have no special plans today, would you like to go somewhere nice with me to celebrate advancing to the main tournament?"
Helmut cut him off shortly.
"I'd like to focus on training since the main tournament is coming up."
Sharing the lodging is one thing, but there's no benefit to getting closer to Mihail. There's a risk of him getting caught in the crossfire of Helmut's endeavors.
Even if he's a significant noble, this is Basor, a foreign land. It wouldn't be strange if he encountered trouble.
However, Mihail persisted subtly.
"It seems like you could easily advance to the higher stages, Hyde."
Helmut noticed. Perhaps this was a sign that he had been marked by him in advance.
Being overtly friendly in front of everyone like this signals to the power brokers of Basor that he's already taken.
'That's inconvenient.'
"I can't guarantee that. The main tournament is already filled with skilled competitors."
"Then, let's watch the other matches together in the VIP seats? It's the matches where the main tournament contestants are decided, so it might be helpful to know your future opponents."
It was clear the skill level of the main tournament contestants. Helmut wasn't particularly interested in watching, but the idea of observing others' matches piqued his interest. He nodded.
"Let's do that."
Being able to make an enticing offer is also a skill.
When they reached the VIP seats, one contestant was already on the stage. A giant of a man, at least three heads taller than Helmut. The announcement followed.
"Facing him is Luke Yeager!"
A man slowly walked towards the stage from the other side. Just as Helmut was about to sit, he inadvertently gave the man his attention. Something extraordinary was felt from his stride. It was an indescribable sensation.
The moment Helmut saw the man's face on stage, he froze.
"Hyde? Do you know him?"
"No, it's nothing."
Helmut shook his head, but his gaze intensely followed the young man on stage.
The man wasn't huge, but he had a well-built physique with sleek muscles. His silvery-grey hair contrasted starkly with Basor's sun. His eyes were a deep green, serious and focused.
And his face. It bore a pleasant charisma with a slight smile, though a hint of sharpness lingered.
At 18, he was transitioning from a boy to a young man. Though not old, his face emanated maturity, likely because he had already carved out his place in a foreign land.
'Darien's descendant.'
A sharp sensation passed through Helmut. There was no need to verify why the Palma Knight was here or if he indeed was the one.
Although not identical, his features stirred memories.
He resembled Darien. The stubborn, resilient man who taught Helmut not only the sword but also many other things.
The strongest human Helmut had ever known, a man not even the beasts of Parehe Forest dared to confront lightly. The man who had gritted his teeth, vowing to stand shoulder to shoulder with him someday!
'What kind of swordsmanship will he display?'
Ding. The long bell sound barely faded before the match concluded.
"Huh? That ended quickly."
Mihail's voice reached him. Helmut belatedly realized Mihail's presence next to him, so absorbed in the moment he had momentarily forgotten where he was.
The brief duel had sent shivers down his spine. Not just because he saw the strong swordsmanship of the opponent.
Helmut saw a glimpse of Darien in him.
'Not enough moves were made to confirm his swordsmanship.'
But even from those few moves, he could sense it. He knew Darien's swordsmanship.
'His son must have learned it thoroughly.'
After all, it was Darien. Not just any disciple, but his only son would not have been treated lightly. He would have been just as harshly dealt with as Helmut, if not more so.
'Driven away by the hardship.'
Yet, such painful and difficult memories tend to leave their marks. Darien's unnamed son must have successfully passed down Darien's swordsmanship to his talented grandson. That was Helmut's guess.
'I've never seen anyone with talent like mine before.'
Helmut was surprised by this realization. Not out of arrogance. Helmut was a genius.
But Darien's descendant matched Helmut's level, finishing his match in a similar timeframe. Though 18 and older than Helmut, his talent was undeniably on par.
Helmut carried a shadow within him. If they had started from the same point, he could not confidently claim he would surpass him.
"What do you think, Hyde? He seems quite skilled."
"He's definitely a contender for victory."
"Does that mean he's stronger than you?"
Mihail asked nonchalantly. Helmut wasn't offended.
"I'm a contender too."
He didn't feel like he would lose. Excluding Darien and the rulers of the Parehe Forest region, he hadn't encountered anyone who gave him the impression of a potential defeat. Mihail asked with interest.
"Does that mean you have to fight to find out?"
Without responding, Helmut stood up. He left with just one remark.
"I have somewhere to be."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The young man, Luke Yeager, smiled to himself as he returned to the waiting area. Today, for some reason, he was in high spirits. Was it because his advancement to the main tournament was confirmed? But that had been expected. Just like the outcome of the recent duel.
'Maybe something good is about to happen.'
"Isn't it unfair for a member of the Palma Knights to participate in the preliminaries?"
Morgan, who had just lost to him in the preliminaries, grumbled. Since his opponent was a noble, Morgan, a mercenary, had to use formal language. Luke shrugged it off.
"I can't just wait for the main tournament; I need to let off some steam."
Typically, those with a guaranteed spot in the main tournament wouldn't bother with the preliminaries. The risk of an unexpected defeat and ensuing embarrassment deterred them.
But Luke wasn't worried about that.
He was a strong contender. There was no need to consider the possibility of defeat.
"Keep at it. You might make it through the loser's revival round. Everyone finds their place according to their skill."
"If I had the skill to advance, I would," Morgan conceded.
He continued, "But there's someone just as impressive as you, even younger. In fact, that person is even younger than you."
"Oh, I've heard about him. Hyde, was it? Have you seen him?"
Luke's eyes sparkled. The young man had already become a legend in the royal capital. Hyde. Blonde, blue-eyed, as delicate as a doll collected by noble ladies, more suited to holding a book than a sword.
Yet, despite being just 16, his prowess was tremendous. No one could withstand more than three strikes against him.
'With that level of skill, he'd be more than qualified for the Palma Knights.'
If they had faced off in the preliminaries, even Luke might have found it challenging. Not that he expected to lose.
"I haven't seen him yet... but it looks like he's coming this way now."
Luke turned around. The newcomer's presence was remarkably unobtrusive, yet his appearance was striking. Blonde and blue-eyed, indeed shining brilliantly among the crowd.
His appearance was delicate enough to suffer in Basor, surrounded by darker and more rugged locals.
But Luke Yeager wasn't raised in Basor.
'His steps are regular, his posture stable.'
His brow furrowed. This young man wasn't famous for nothing.
Approaching without hesitation, Luke sensed the boy had come looking for him.
'Did he watch my match?'
If so, impressed by his skills, it made sense for him to come over. Luke felt flattered yet awkward.
"I'll go then. Good luck."
Morgan, preparing for the loser's revival round, bid farewell and left. Luke addressed the approaching boy.
"So you're the Hyde everyone's talking about."
Wondering what this boy was up to, Luke's curiosity was short-lived. The next words out of the boy's mouth froze Luke's expression.
"Are you the great-grandson of the Sword Saint?"
Luke's hand shot out, attempting to silence him, but was swiftly blocked by the nimble boy.
The stranger looked at him coldly, as if asking if he was looking for a fight.
Luke quickly scanned the area. Thankfully, the few others in the tent were engrossed in the ongoing match outside, paying no attention to the inside.
Luke, relieved, responded to the boy's continued questioning.
"Didn't use the Diefert surname, huh?"
"Keep it down! How did you... Is it already a rumor?"
"Probably not. There's a way to find out everything."
Talon had assured Helmut that he could access even state-level secrets if needed. Luke looked troubled.
"Alright, Hyde. What brings you here? To ask about that?"
"You haven't answered yet."
The boy's demand for silence was conditional on getting an answer. An unexpectedly assertive attitude for a young one. Luke glanced around and replied.
"My grandfather cut ties with the Sword Saint and left home. Claiming the Diefert name now would be ridiculous. The Diefert side knows, but they're wary I might claim inheritance rights."
"But you became a knight here in Basor, right? Wouldn't it be better to use the Diefert name then?"
Using the Sword Saint's renown wouldn't be a problem for the true heir. It could even be beneficial. That was Helmut's thought. Luke shrugged.
"It's fine here. Palma Knights are a good fit. Anyway, Diefert has nothing to do with it. My grandfather wouldn't be pleased if I used the name. I'm Luke of the Yeager family."