The next morning, when the first ray of sunlight pierced the mist of the Kastian manor, Leo was already fully armed and standing in the training ground.
He wore a light, basic mage robe, with various low-level scrolls and supplies potions hanging from his belt, and he gripped his short wand tightly.
For this long-awaited expedition, he had even been so excited that he barely slept half the night.
At exactly eight in the morning, four figures appeared on time at the entrance of the training ground.
Walking at the front was the burly Storm Swordsman, Balke. He held a bottle of strong liquor in one hand, carried a greatsword on his back, and strode forward with long, confident steps.
Behind him followed a short thief, a bald heavy-armored warrior carrying a huge tower shield, and a young mage in a light robe holding a wooden staff.
“Yo! Isn’t this our regular at the Wind Moon Tavern, Young Master Leo?”
Balke walked to the center of the training ground, looking at the ready Leo, and flashed a hearty smile.
“I heard you want to hire us as bodyguards to see the world outside? This is a first for us.”
Balke certainly knew Leo. This kid used to be a regular at the tavern, acting arrogantly every time he came for a drink—kicking the door open, tossing the cups around, and even breaking a few chairs.
“Stop wasting words! I paid fifty gold coins for this!”
Leo lifted his chin, trying hard to look like an experienced veteran.
“I’m already a first-tier mage. I’m not here to hold you back. I can handle ordinary magical beasts myself! You just need to guide the way and deal with unexpected situations.”
“First-tier? Hahaha!!”
Balke laughed loudly, his voice echoing across the training ground.
“But still, as bodyguards, we need to have a sense of the employer’s actual strength. Otherwise, out in the wild, if you can’t even beat a slime, that would be a problem.”
As he spoke, Balke rested his sword on the ground with one hand and casually unbuckled his greatsword.
“How about this, little master? Let’s have a simple sparring match. Let me see what kind of mettle you, the gold sponsor, have. Go ahead and attack however you like.”
“You want to test my strength?”
Leo wasn’t scared; instead, he got excited. This was the strongest second-tier swordsman in Fengyue City!
“Since you’re asking for a beating, don’t blame me for being rude!”
Leo shouted, and his magical power surged instantly.
“Water Bullet Barrage!”
He cast a lighten spell on himself, quickly creating distance, while his short wand swung in a fluid motion.
Seven or eight water bullets the size of millstones shot out like a chain of cannons, screaming toward Balke from tricky angles!
Facing this dense attack, Balke didn’t even move a step.
He held the heavy greatsword with one hand, swinging it as if it were a mere branch.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
The broad blade drew casual afterimages in the air. Like swatting flies, Balke leisurely smashed the water bullets midair, turning them into a mist of water.
Not a single drop touched his clothes.
“How is that possible?!”
Leo’s eyes widened. His pride and joy—the rapid-fire water bullets—were as fragile as toys in front of this rough man!
“I’m not done yet! Mist Barrier! Water Blade Slash!”
Leo gritted his teeth. A mist barrier rose in front of him as cover, and he flung three extremely sharp high-pressure water blades, trying to flank from the side.
“Not bad, you can change tactics.”
Balke’s eyes showed a hint of approval, but his movements remained effortless.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three crisp metallic sounds rang out. Balke simply twisted his wrist and precisely blocked the three water blades—which could have cut through wooden posts—with the back of his sword.
After this fierce assault, Leo was panting heavily, barely able to straighten his back. But Balke hadn’t even broken a sweat.
“Huff… huff… Uncle, your defense is way too crazy…”
Leo leaned on his knees, reluctantly giving up the pointless attack.
“Test is over.”
Balke looked at Leo, who was panting like a dog, and a smug, punchable grin curled at the corner of his mouth.
“But… little master, as an employer, your skills barely pass.”
Balke hoisted the broadsword onto his shoulder, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
This kid used to be so arrogant at the tavern, always kicking doors and smashing glasses—how could I miss this chance to properly teach this noble brat a lesson?
“As a senior, I think it’s necessary for you to see what real field combat looks like.”
Balke’s smile faded, and a violent wind-type magical power suddenly erupted from him!
Vroom—!
The air in the training ground instantly turned heavy, and a gale howled.
Balke gripped his sword with both hands and raised it high.
Cyan wind-attributed magical power crazily converged on the blade, emitting a teeth-grinding tearing sound.
Although he deliberately slowed the gathering speed to give Leo ample reaction time, to Leo—who had never faced life-or-death pressure—it felt like an overwhelming mountain bearing down!
“What the hell! He’s serious?!”
Leo’s face turned pale. He could clearly sense that if that sword came down, he would be sliced in half!
His survival instinct made him furiously drive the last bit of magic power inside him.
“Wind Blessing! Accelerate! Accelerate again!”
Leo scrambled to cast three acceleration spells on himself, and like a startled rabbit, he ran desperately toward the edge of the training ground.
“Hm? Trying to run?”
Balke watched Leo fleeing in panic, his mocking grin growing wider.
Of course, he wouldn’t really hurt the fifty-gold-coin gold sponsor. He just wanted to scare the kid a little, to get revenge for the tavern’s door and chairs.
“Watch closely, little master! This is real power!”
[Gale Slash]
Balke roared, and the greatsword swung forward fiercely!
Boom—!
A violent gust of wind swept across the entire training ground, knocking over the weapon racks in the distance.
Of course, to show off and also not to split his fifty-gold-coin employer in two, he hadn’t actually drawn the blade or fully released the terrifying magic power gathered on the edge.
He just swung the afterimage-laden sword in an exaggerated motion, creating a deafening sonic boom.
***
Meanwhile, Leo, who was frantically retreating, heard the deafening sound and thought he was done for.
His legs gave way from fear. With a thud, he landed flat on his back on the cold blue stone, eyes wide open, staring blankly at Balke, who was still striking a cool pose.
“Hahaha! Look at your cowardly face! Did you wet yourself?!”
Balke laughed heartily in an extremely nasty way, and his teammates behind him also burst into laughter.
Leo sat on the ground, his face reddening, finally realizing he had been tricked by this rough man.
Humiliation! Utter humiliation!
Balke put the greatsword back on his shoulder, arrogantly preparing to receive the expected worship and awe from Leo.
But just as he reached the peak of his showing off—
“Lord Balke.”
A woman’s voice, icy cold and carrying a bone-chilling edge, suddenly came from the corridor at the entrance of the training ground.
Balke’s smile instantly froze.
He turned around and saw that Lady Elsa had somehow already arrived.
She wore an elegant noblewoman’s long dress, and the reddish-brown thorn whip was coiled around her wrist like a venomous snake.
The whip’s tip scraped against the ground with a hiss that sent chills down the spine. Her face was dark and terrifying.
Lady Elsa walked forward step by step, her voice as cold as an ice cellar.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“I hired you for fifty gold coins to protect my son, not for you to come to the Kastian manor to show off your power and terrorize my son!”
“Are you declaring war on the Kastian clan?”
Balke’s smile froze completely.
He looked at Lady Elsa’s fierce, murderous gaze, then at the scared-senseless young master on the ground. A very ominous premonition shot straight into his mind.
‘Oh no…’
Balke swallowed hard, cold sweat soaking his back instantly.
‘Drinking leads to trouble… I showed off way too much…’
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