The Count's Gun-Shooting Scoundrel

Thwack-thwack!

Kweeeeek!

From within the forest came the sounds of a merciless beating, followed by a Goblin's scream.

In that time, Skevin and Arthur scrambled to their feet.

“Young Master.”

Arthur brought a finger to his lips, signaling Skevin to be quiet.

Skevin immediately shut his mouth and sent hand signals to the Trainees as well.

The screams from the forest stopped, and a tense silence fell.

Hellot returned, his two fists drenched in blood, and approached Arthur as soon as he saw him.

“Are you alright?”

Arthur nodded and asked.

“Was it a Goblin?”

“Yes, and they use weapons like arrowheads, which are coated with a deadly poison. A single hit is fatal.”

“Don't let your guard down, they might show up again.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hellot immediately had the Knights form defensive formations in teams of three and instructed the Trainees to move in groups of five.

While everyone was getting ready, Arthur reflected on what had just happened to him.

His senses had become even sharper than when he was facing Hellot.

It wasn't just a simple feeling; it warned him of danger, and in urgent moments, his body moved on its own to escape the threat.

It was so surprising and strange that he was utterly bewildered.

‘What in the world is this?’

He decided to think about this problem after returning to the castle; he couldn't just turn back now.

He decided to survey the situation here while continuing the mountain run.

“We move, slowly.”

Arthur took the lead and started walking toward the next watchtower.

Skevin, who had been watching him silently for a while, had a complicated expression.

Arthur had detected the danger and moved faster than him, a top-tier Sword Expert.

‘How….’

It was something that couldn't be understood with common sense.

Furthermore, he hadn't been flustered at all by the unexpected situation and remained perfectly calm.

That might be possible during training, but in a real combat situation, it was a difficult feat even for a seasoned Knight.

The more time he spent with him, the more he was surprised.

It was like looking not at a 17-year-old boy, but a war-worn veteran.

All of this must be possible because he inherited Teheran's legacy.

Skevin smiled to himself as he followed him.

‘My expectations are growing.’

        *        *        *

The rest of the watchtowers were installed at regular intervals along the border between the territory and the mountain range.

There were no more Goblin attacks as they moved, but their corpses were found in various places.

He had an ominous feeling that the Goblins would soon descend on the village in a horde.

‘Damn it!’

‘What do we do?’

‘Can we even fight them?’

Just as the Trainees were lost in all sorts of fearful and worried thoughts.

“Anyone who falls behind had better be prepared.”

Once they had checked all the watchtowers, Arthur began to run in earnest.

“Wh-what?”

“Damn it!”

Everyone was flustered as his pace gradually increased.

***

By dusk.

The Trainees who returned to the castle were pale and completely exhausted.

As soon as they entered the Sparring Arena, they collapsed with a thud.

The Knights were no different.

They had trained their entire lives, but they had never run so hard that their hearts felt like they would explode.

Every single day was truly hell, and Arthur, who kept it up, felt like a demon.

Moreover, standing on the platform with that bizarre hat pulled down low, his breathing perfectly steady, he looked like a monster himself.

‘He's not even human.’

‘At this rate, I'm going to die from exhaustion.’

‘Ah, I want to rest.’

Just as everyone, looking as if their lives were over, began to lie down on the ground one by one.

“Who said you could lie down in the Sparring Arena!”

Arthur's fierce voice pierced their ears.

All the Trainees jumped in surprise.

Those who had been lying down shot up, stood at attention, and stared at the platform.

It became dead silent.

“I never said the training was over.”

Gulp-.

Everyone swallowed their dry saliva.

Their stamina was depleted, and they couldn't move a single step. They were terrified he might order them to go touch the East Castle Wall.

Today, for some reason, the skull on his bizarre hat stood out.

‘Ah!’

They felt like they finally understood why the skull was there.

In the Sparring Arena, Arthur was a demon.

Receiving training from a demon?

They realized it was a message to be prepared for that much.

“Ugh…”

Groans escaped from here and there.

Everyone tensed up, wondering what kind of training awaited them next.

Arthur silently watched the training ground, which was filled with a heavy silence, before opening his mouth.

“From tomorrow, come out wearing plate armor. And starting today, you will stand guard at each of the watchtowers. That is all.”

Arthur came down from the platform and headed straight for the East Castle Wall.

As he was warming up in front of the wall's stairs, Millerf approached him.

“Have you checked them, sir?”

“They were well installed.”

“If there were any places that needed additional installations while you were looking around the West Mountain Range today, please let me know.”

“The watchtowers should be enough, but I'd like to install some traps.”

“Is there really a need for traps…”

“We were attacked by Goblins today.”

“Did such a thing happen?”

Millerf was startled.

“It wasn't a large-scale attack. They seemed to be ones who ran over to our side while being chased by Orcs. Looking around the area, there were many Goblin corpses, so I think they'll be pushed down by the Orcs soon.”

“I understand. How deep are you thinking of making them?”

“Of course, wider and deeper would be better, but that would take time, so it just needs to be enough to buy us time to attack.”

“I will start the work immediately tomorrow.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Arthur nodded and was about to step onto the stairs when he seemed to remember something, stopped his movement, and looked at Millerf.

“About the Weight Magic. Can we increase its duration?”

“It's possible. However, the longer the duration, the higher the chance of side effects on the body.”

“What kind of side effects?”

“The weight gets concentrated in one spot, and you have to endure it until the time is up.”

“It's not a problem if it returns to normal afterward.”

“That's true, but…”

“Make it last for a week.”

“A whole week, you say?”

“And double the current weight.”

“What?”

Millerf's eyes went wide.

No matter how much stronger his body had become, enduring twice his body weight for a whole week, not just a short time, was a reckless act.

“Young Master, your body's balance could be destroyed.”

“Don't worry, that won't happen.”

Arthur drew a firm line.

Most of the numerous training sessions he had received to enter Tier 1 were done while wearing full military gear.

He had endured that for as short as a week to as long as two months on countless occasions.

Besides, during his active duty, he could squat up to 250kg, and if things got really dangerous, he could just use the power of Mana.

Millerf could tell from Arthur's determined face that he would absolutely not back down.

“I understand. However, if you judge it to be too much, you must use Mana and be sure to tell me.”

“Got it.”

“I will begin.”

Millerf quietly chanted the runic words.

Soon, Arthur's body glowed brightly before the light quickly faded.

Simultaneously, Arthur grimaced.

“Ugh!”

The phenomenon that appeared was completely different from the Weight Magic he had received until now.

Instead of pressing down on both shoulders, he felt pressure from his entire body.

Because of that, there were immense restrictions every time he moved.

“It's on there good.”

“What's wrong, sir?”

“I feel pressure all over my body.”

Millerf asked with a stiff expression.

“It seems to be a side effect. Is it very difficult?”

“I'll endure it for now, and if I don't think I can take it, I'll use Mana, so don't worry too much.”

“Then I shall escort you to your room…!”

Millerf's eyes widened.

Arthur was climbing the stairs, dragging that heavy body with him.

For a moment, he doubted his own eyes.

He quickly rubbed his eyes and looked again.

He hadn't seen wrong. Even in that state, Arthur was trying to train.

Millerf quickly followed after Arthur.

“Young Master! This is really dangerous.”

“It's still bearable. But I don't know what might happen, so please follow behind me.”

“Haaah…”

Millerf wore a look of disbelief.

***

A short while later.

Arthur came down after climbing to the top of the castle wall and said.

“Hah, hah, hah. I'll have to stop here for today.”

“A wise decision. From what I can see, you shouldn't push yourself any further.”

Arthur nodded and took a long, deep breath to calm his pounding heart.

Just as he let out a few deep breaths.

Arthur's eyes suddenly flashed as he asked.

“How do you know when you've gone from the 2nd Star to the 3rd Star?”

“The area above your navel will feel itchy at first, and then later it will feel heavy.”

“And after that?”

“You will feel three rings about half the size of a fist. That is the proof that you have entered the 3rd Star.”

“I see.”

Arthur smiled meaningfully.

In that instant, Millerf's eyes flashed.

“Don't tell me?”

“I think I just entered the 3rd Star.”

“How can this be…”

Millerf was astonished.

It had only been a month since he had inherited the legacy of Teheran Julius.

And yet, he had entered the 3rd Star.

His prediction that it would take at least six months, no matter how fast, was completely wrong.

“That's truly amazing!”

“It's thanks to your help.”

“It is the result of the sweat you have shed, Young Master.”

“Thanks.”

Arthur turned around and looked at the stairs.

“Now that I've reached the 3rd Star, it feels much better.”

He could feel that the burden of the weight's pressure had definitely lessened.

At this rate, it seemed he could handle the training sufficiently.

“I'm going to train a bit more before I go, so you head back first.”

Arthur started climbing the stairs again.

Millerf shook his head at the sight.

“You are truly relentless.”

        *        *        *

The world was pitch black, as if consumed by darkness.

A fierce wind blew across the Sparring Arena, which had been boiling with heat all day.

The Knights and Trainees, exhausted from the arduous training, were sleeping, their snores sounding like an orchestra.

Arthur, too, was sleeping like the dead, thanks to the grueling training that pushed him to his limits every day.

But then, he suddenly frowned and his eyes snapped open.

At the same time, the sound of an emergency horn echoed through the castle.

Bwoooooo-!

He shot up and ran outside.

By the time Arthur arrived at the castle gate, about ten villagers were gathered, terrified.

“The monsters have come down again!”

“Damn it!”

He had woken up from a premonition so ominous it felt like his head would explode.

Perhaps this was what it was trying to tell him.

He wondered if, due to his sharpened senses, he had even gained the ability of precognitive dreams.

“This time, there were creatures that looked like wild boars, too.”

Skevin, who had just arrived, had a distorted face.

“Did you just say creatures that looked like wild boars?”

“Yes, they were swinging something like a giant axe and smashing everything in sight.”

“It seems the Orcs have come down this time as well.”

“What's going on?”

Hellot, along with the other Knights and Trainees, began to gather at the entrance.

Arthur asked a villager.

“How many of them are there?”

“There were too many to count.”

“What about the people in the village?”

“They evacuated to the next village, just as the Knight told us to last time.”

Arthur turned his head to Skevin.

“Prepare for battle.”

“Are only the Knight Order moving out?”

“No.”

Arthur turned around and looked at the Trainees.

“Don't you want to see for yourselves how much stronger you've become?”

Ack-!

They answered without a moment's hesitation.

“I'll give you ten minutes to prepare. Anyone who's late can stay here and guard the castle.”

***

A short while later.

The Knights and Trainees finished their preparations for battle and assembled.

They all looked at Arthur and tilted their heads.

‘What's this?’

‘Isn't he coming with us?’

Arthur's appearance hadn't changed at all from before.

Skevin, in full armor, rode his horse over.

“Are you not coming with us?”

“What are you talking about?”

Arthur stared at him blankly.

“I'm asking because you're completely unprepared. Why are you dressed like this?”

“What more do I need to prepare?”

“Pardon?”

Skevin shook his head, bewildered.

“The Orcs have come down as well. It's extremely dangerous to go in this state.”

“A useless worry.”

Arthur replied coldly and then addressed everyone.

“From the moment we leave the castle gates, anyone who disobeys my orders will be punished immediately. If you don't want any unfortunate incidents, you'd better keep your wits about you.”

Ack!

“When we arrive at the village, the Knight Order will deal with the monsters, and the Trainees will rescue the people.”

Ack!

Arthur climbed up onto the horse behind Skevin.

“Y-Young Master…”

He pulled his hexagonal hat down low and muttered as if to himself.

“They showed up at just the right time.”

‘Could it be?’

Skevin's face hardened.