Reincarnated with the King’s Power

Chapter 15

4-star.

At the unexpected remark, silence fell over the training ground.

“Fourth Young Master, your joke has gone too far.”

Xenon Hertz, a knight who had mastered the 3-star level, spoke with Mana imbued in his voice.

“Did you think we wouldn't be able to tell, just because there's no one in the Knight Order who has achieved 4-star?”

His face was flushed with anger.

The Blue Knight Order was looked down upon by other orders, largely because they had not actually produced a 4-star knight.

While their commander, Julian, was incompetent, the Vice-commander, Xenon, was not without responsibility either.

“Fourth Young Master, you should apologize and ask for forgiveness now. Then we will accept you as a trainee apprentice….”

“Xenon Hertz. You are not qualified to say such things.”

“……”

“Not just you, but no one in the Blue Knight Order is qualified.”

“You've gone too far.”

Xenon spat out a warning, but the Fourth Young Master did not back down.

“How lacking in talent must you be for someone who can't even recognize his opponent's level to be serving as the Vice-commander. My brother Julian must have had a hard time.”

He even subtly shifted the blame for Julian's incompetence onto Xenon.

“I don't think that's something the Young Master who was always bested by Commander Julian should say.”

The knights watching on released their killing intent as if in agreement.

Julian's face contorted.

‘Why is he provoking the Vice-commander in front of everyone?’

The Vice-commander was such an indispensable talent to the Blue Knight Order that rumors circulated about Paian aiming for his position.

Within the Knight Order, most, including the Centurions, followed him, so there was nothing to be gained by breaking him in front of everyone.

Julian couldn't understand why Killian, who should have known this, was provoking him like this.

In a brief moment, the conversation between Killian and Xenon had escalated to an extreme.

“If you're a knight, you should speak with your sword.”

“Fine! This won't end until one of us admits defeat first!!”

With those words, Xenon, who had been suppressing his anger until now, rushed forward like an arrow.

A simple and intuitive movement.

He looked ready to strike his head in a single blow with the wooden sword he was holding.

Killian clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘To think he's still at a level where he can't control his emotions.’

Come to think of it, the knights I had met so far had lacked mental and swordsmanship training compared to the level of their Mana Hearts.

At best, only Zodiac had shown a satisfactory performance.

‘Using Mana up to the 2-star level should be enough.’

Grip.

He gripped the training wooden sword tightly and fixed it at his waist.

The muscles in his lower body and biceps expanded as if they would burst at any moment.

It was the muscle strength that had reached the level of a 1-star knight through constant training since he had woken up.

The moment Xenon, underestimating his opponent, stepped within 10 paces, he released his fully expanded muscles.

A flash.

The thrust-out wooden sword accurately struck his solar plexus.

Thwack!

Just as Julian had in the past.

“Guhk……”

Xenon, who hadn't even managed to swing his sword once, rolled on the training ground floor.

It happened in the blink of an eye.

Thanks to his physical strength, which had reached the level of a 1-star knight, the power of the technique was doubled.

Currently, Killian's Mana Heart was at the 4-star level. If he supported his lacking physical strength with Mana, he could probably perform about 100 flashes a day.

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

Julian approached, clapping.

“With this, my brother's admission is confirmed. What are you all doing? Take the Vice-commander to the priest's office.”

“……”

“Well done. With this, no member will have complaints about your admission. Your technique has become much smoother, hasn't it?”

‘Anyone watching would think he taught me the sword himself. Well, does it matter?’

In any case, if I wanted to use the Sepia Merchant Guild as a foothold, I had to cater to Julian's pride to some extent.

“It is all thanks to you, brother.”

“Hahaha.”

While Julian laughed heartily, a knight carried Xenon away on his back.

Having been struck in the solar plexus the moment he came in, he would probably have to be bedridden with recovery potions for a full day.

‘What a monster.’

Unlike his smiling face, Julian swallowed a dry gulp.

He knew because he had also been caught off guard in the same way.

Collapsing without being able to do anything was a shock, but the real shock came after waking up.

Because one would fall into a Slump due to skepticism about the swordsmanship they had built up.

If he hadn't joined hands with Killian, he himself would still not have escaped that pain.

As he broke out in a cold sweat, the knights gathered in the training ground belatedly began to murmur.

They had all watched the movement from a moment ago with their own eyes.

A simple thrust. A basic move that anyone who walked the path of the sword would have practiced thousands of times.

The difference lay in the instantaneous acceleration and flawless execution.

“Killian. On that note, wouldn't it be better to properly announce your achievement?”

He meant, why did he say 4-star and not 5-star.

By the family head's order, knights of 3-star or higher could not join the Young Masters' knight orders, but it was a different story if one was a Young Master themselves.

“4-star. That's just about right.”

Killian said nonchalantly.

In truth, he had said so because he hadn't yet achieved 5-star, but there was no need to step forward and correct the misunderstanding.

“Is that so.”

Julian nodded at his attitude of drawing a clear line.

The subjugation was a month away, so he judged it important to hide the secret weapon that was Killian until then.

“Everyone, listen. From today, Killian Eurasia will be with us as a knight of the Blue Knight Order. Furthermore, he will assist me and carry out the duties of a tactician, so treat him with the proper respect.”

At Julian's declaration, imbued with Mana, the training ground fell silent.

But the silence did not last long.

“I cannot accept this.”

A knight, his bare upper body covered in numerous distinct sword scars, stepped forward.

“Centurion Hector. Are you trying to defy my orders now?”

Frowning, Julian did not hide his displeasure.

Unlike Xenon, who was of noble birth, the three Centurions, who were commoners, sometimes did not hesitate to cross the line.

Fellows more suited to be mercenaries than noble knights. It was a prejudice he secretly held against them.

“Commander. It is a fact that the Fourth Young Master passed the entrance test. However, there are two more things left to verify.”

Hector revealed his fighting spirit and stared at Killian.

Just him, a head taller, looking down created a unique sense of pressure.

Julian opened his mouth with a reluctant expression.

“Speak.”

“First. It is unclear whether the Fourth Young Master is truly a 4-star knight.”

“That is……”

Before Julian could answer anything, Hector continued.

“Second. It is about whether he is suitable as the Knight Order's tactician… Well, that's a position you've been warming with your butt until now, Commander, so it's not for me to interfere.”

“Are you trying to negate my personnel decision now?”

“I'm not negating it, I mean we should make it certain, Commander.”

Saying so, Hector raised the corner of his mouth.

No matter how one looked at it, he did not seem to respect Commander Julian.

In a knight order where the principle was to obey superiors, the chain of command was absolute. Nevertheless, unlike the Vice-commander who acted with a pretext, Centurion Hector was showing an attitude that openly ignored the hierarchical relationship.

‘That fellow Julian, he wasn't trusted by his own knights.’

Come to think of it, it was only natural.

He was less skilled than the Vice-commander, yet he held the position of commander because of his title as a Young Master.

‘And on top of that, he probably held the tactician position concurrently because he didn't want to listen to anyone else's orders.’

One could call him the epitome of an incompetent superior.

Whether in swordsmanship or tactics, if he had the skill befitting his position, he would not have experienced such insubordination today.

“You dare! Are you refusing the commander's order!!”

Julian spoke, revealing his fighting spirit, but Hector was a 3-star knight.

He just snorted and glared at the two Young Masters.

On top of that.

“I also agree with Centurion Hector.”

“Centurion Hector is right for once in a long time.”

Two men stood on either side of Hector.

They, too, were 3-star knights serving as Centurions of the Blue Knight Order, just like Hector.

“These guys, as a group……”

Julian glared at the Centurions who paid no heed to his fighting spirit.

The more the murmuring of the watching knights grew, the greater his agitation became.

“Brother, it seems you are not as popular as I thought.”

Normally, if the commander approved and it was proven through the Vice-commander, it should have been accepted, but the Blue Knight Order was going backward.

It seemed the one who was more respected was actually the Vice-commander, Xenon.

“You… stay still.”

Julian's voice trembled lowly as he spoke.

He had finally gotten his hands on the precious sword named Killian, only to show such a side of himself.

Even if he had been negligent in managing the Knight Order due to his recent Slump, their words and actions were excessive.

‘I was too lenient with them, and now their arrogance has pierced the heavens.’

It was the moment he was about to order the guest instructor, Miller, to subdue them.

Zzzzzzzzt.

Suddenly, immense Mana flared up from his side.

“Killian……?”

The Cheonghwageom, once his own sword and now Killian's treasured sword, was emitting blue Mana.

“If you have a complaint, I'll accept it. However, you'd better have the skills to back it up.”

Killian's gaze, which had been leisurely scanning the knights, stopped on the three Centurions.

“State your rank and name.”

At the nod of his head, the three men opened their mouths in turn.

“Centurion Hector of the Blue Knight Order. I have no surname.”

“Centurion Huan of the Blue Knight Order. I have no surname.”

“Centurion Jesse of the Blue Knight Order. Likewise, I have no surname.”

Among those who finished their introductions, Hector stepped forward.

He, with a height nearing 190cm, looked down at Killian.

“I didn't expect the Fourth Young Master to have forged a Mana Heart of this level.”

“You seem more suited to be a mercenary than a knight.”

“Hahahaha. You have a good eye.”

Hector laughed and grabbed a wooden sword from the floor.

It was the training wooden sword that Vice-commander Xenon hadn't managed to take with him as he was carried away.

“It seems you haven't had your Mana Heart forged for long, but to be a knight, your lower body has to be strong, you know?”

Tap, tap.

Hector tapped his own muscular legs with the wooden sword.

It was a judgment based on the thought that while his opponent might have quickly forged a Mana Heart through a stroke of luck, his physical strength as a warrior would be lacking.

He knew that defeating Xenon was no coincidence.

‘Even so, he wants to check for himself.’

Huan and Jesse. The other Centurions were probably the same.

Unlike Julian, a pleasant smile formed on Killian's lips.

“I hope your skills match the words you speak.”

“Those are my words.”

Stepping forward, Killian imbued his voice with Mana.

“As the new tactician of the Blue Knight Order, I declare this. If anyone can defeat me, I will immediately recommend them for the Vice-commander position. I will also add a gift on top.”

Thud!!

He plunged the Cheonghwageom into the spot where Xenon had collapsed just a moment ago.

Killian tapped the hilt of the treasured sword.

“The Cheonghwageom. This is the sword that Commander Julian personally bestowed upon me. Anyone confident enough to take it, step forward.”

The murmuring of the knights grew even louder.

The Vice-commander position and the Cheonghwageom. It was bait that no knight could resist.

The murmuring did not last long.

A few knights who raised their hands stood behind the Centurions.

Every single one of them had eyes filled with aspiration and desire.

“Since it's the first day, I'll only take five. Sir Miller, would you be so kind as to act as the judge?”

He was the man who had been silently observing even when the Blue Knight Order was showing its shameful side.

To a proposal that seemed to not even consider the possibility of refusal.

“……With pleasure.”

The middle-aged knight walked to the center of the training ground.