Chapter 235: Family of Sword Saints

Chapter 235: Family of Sword Saints

Although the royal palace had banned the use of magic, it wasn't completely impossible to use it there.

One way was to gain the royal family's trust and have them lift the restriction, and another option was to visit specific places, such as designated arenas or training fields.

Since these specific places were set aside for combat or training, they were among the few places within the royal palace where magic restrictions did not apply.

Similarly, Riezel and Yuri were heading toward one of these places.

"Be careful."

Yuri walked beside Riezel, her usual lighthearted demeanor replaced by a rare serious expression as she softly warned him.

"Albert Borley isn't just an ordinary knight."

Yuri's warning wasn't surprising to Riezel.

"I can tell..."

Riezel responded nonchalantly, gazing ahead.

"Borley, if I remember correctly, he's from that family of Sword Saints you mentioned before, right?"

Previously, on their way back to the royal capital, Yuri had told Riezel that there were six Sword Saints in Jinas. As a result, while he wasn't completely familiar with all the Sword Saints of Jinas, he had a fair understanding.

The first Sword Saint was said to be the oldest among them.

Originally, he was the attendant to the previous king, and when the previous king passed away, he was still just a Sword Master. It wasn't until several years after the current king ascended the throne that he achieved the status of Sword Saint.

Currently, he resided in the royal palace to guard it and rarely made an appearance, even less so in public.

Due to his seniority, he was known as the 'Old Sword Saint'.

The second Sword Saint was someone nurtured by the current king, Hendrick, after he took the throne.

As a result, this Sword Saint was extremely loyal to Hendrick, who, in turn, trusted him greatly. Hendrick had even used him as his double on several occasions, having this Sword Saint impersonate him in dangerous situations.

Since this Sword Saint was also the leader of the royal family's assassination unit, Shadow, he became known as the 'Shadow Sword Saint'.

The third Sword Saint was a marquis.

Originally a wandering swordsman, he had entered the kingdom's sphere of influence over a decade ago. Granted the title of viscount, he continued to earn merits on the battlefield, which led to his promotion to marquis.

He was given a territory bordering a foreign land and stationed there to guard the borders and repel foreign enemies, thus becoming known as the 'Guardian Sword Saint'.

The fourth Sword Saint was the one previously mentioned who had been recruited into the Cordelion family by Sergius Cordelion.

It was said that he was born a slave and had to train hard in swordsmanship to survive, eventually achieving the status of Sword Saint. After being saved by Sergius, he became his subordinate and fought for him.

Due to losing an eye during his time as a slave, he was known as the 'One-Eyed Sword Saint'.

The fifth Sword Saint was the honorary noble previously mentioned.

He was of noble birth himself, but his family, like the former Frenzel family, had fallen into decline. It was only when he became a Sword Saint that his family regained prominence.

However, he had little interest in noble affairs and preferred to travel. Due to his erratic appearances and disappearances, which made him seem like a shooting star, he was known as the 'Meteor Sword Saint'.

"Many believe that Albert will definitely become a Sword Saint before turning thirty..." Yuri continued with a serious expression. "This is also why he is seen as more talented than any of the Borley family's previous Sword Saints."

One should know that those who became Sword Saints before the age of thirty were extremely rare across the continent. At least, none of the six current Sword Saints of Jinas achieved this before turning thirty.

"Albert is now recognized as the best swordsman just under Sword Saint, widely regarded as the strongest Sword Master in Jinas." Yuri lightly shook her head. "Someone like Jill Dardis wouldn't last more than ten moves against him."

Upon hearing this, Riezel believed it to be true.

In his view, a Sword Saint was roughly equivalent to Level 7, a status held by only a single person in Orario, known as the ultimate weapon, Ottar.

Since Albert was the best swordsman just under Sword Saint, he was not far from the status of Sword Saint himself, possibly at the limit of Level 6 or even Level 7.

In Riezel's eyes, Jill was equivalent to Level 6 but not particularly strong, probably just middle Level 6 or even lower Level 6, not even comparable to Muzan, who had slaughtered thousands.

Someone at lower-middle Level 6 would undoubtedly lose to someone approaching Level 7 within a few moves if they had no trump cards.

Considering this, Albert might be the strongest opponent Riezel would encounter in this main world.

"I believe the king is likely testing you with Albert, assessing your true strength before deciding how to deal with you, so be cautious." Yuri said solemnly, speaking each word carefully.

Riezel calmly nodded as a faint, almost imperceptible smile formed at the corner of his mouth.

'Best swordsman just under Sword Saint, huh?'

In that case, he decided he would give them a surprise.

===

Royal Palace, Arena.

At this moment, everyone arrived at a vast arena, not quite on the scale of Undine's training field used for the War Festival, but still comparable to a football field.

Although the seating was sparse and clearly not intended for large crowds, it featured a single elevated platform capable of accommodating around a hundred spectators.

One by one, nobles, officials, and knights came with Hendrick, bringing him to the high platform and allowing him to take the spacious seat in the center.

Yuri was among them, sitting closest to Hendrick, her eyes fixed intently on the arena below, with a hint of concern showing through.

Riezel and Albert had already entered the arena, standing opposite each other at the center.

"Let's start right away."

Hendrick instructed the official standing nearby.

Nodding, the official acknowledged the command and stepped forward.

"Attention, the match between Sir Riezel Brynhart and Knight Captain Albert Borley shall now begin!

"Draw your swords!"

With the official's declaration, Albert was the first to draw his sword.

Soon after, Riezel's sword appeared as well, but its appearance caused quite a stir among the spectators.