Chapter 3

Chapter 3

If Joshua showed his mana technique right now, his plan for quiet revenge would go down the drain.

However, he also knew that there was no meaning in hiding his power, especially in critical situations. He had no intention of being dragged around by anyone anymore.

‘Maybe it would be better to show a little bit of power here...’

A knight that could use mana in battle would earn them the title of “C-class Knight”. They were also referred to as mana users. On average, a noble knight takes about five years to form his mana hall, with constant training. And then it takes another three years to draw mana back out from the mana hall and use it in combat.

Therefore, a knight who can form a mana hall around the age of fifteen and manipulate mana would be known as a genius, and was sure to leave their mark in the history of the kingdom. At that age, they are sure to master their mana technique by the time they were twenty. It was a very long and tiring process.

However...

Joshua looked at most to be at the age of ten now. He was at least half the age of the idiot centurions in front of him. Imagine the attention he would draw when everyone found out that at his young age, not only could he form his mana hall, but he could also use it effectively in battle.

The dukedom will be turned upside down.

No... the whole world will be turned upside down.

At his age and with his level of mastery, he would be the youngest and greatest genius not only in the kingdom, but in the entire continent.

‘Last time, I started with nothing. Actually, it’s not a bad thing to gain recognition early.’

If he were acknowledged as the best at a young age, then Kaiser, the fox, would surely bow before him.

Kaiser would find him because he was more focused on recruiting outstanding people more than anyone else. He was sure that Kaiser would be the same as before.

Joshua thought about a lot of things, but only a moment has passed.

Gort’s club was about to smash into his nose. However, at that moment, Joshua made his move. His quick reflexes allowed him to execute a flawless posture and short, concise movements.

It was a simple action, but its speed and power were anything but.

Joshua took a single step to the side, avoiding the club, and swung his right fist.

Whump!

Gort’s body made a sound like ripping leather when Joshua’s fist struck home.

“Eu—!”

Gort couldn't even manage a groan and collapsed to the ground, eyes rolling back into his skull.

“W-What?”

Rols’s eyes went wide with bewilderment. Gort stood with his back facing Rols, blocking the latter’s vision of the petite Joshua, obscuring what happened before Gort. In the blink of an eye, he had only heard the deafening ripping sound and Gort falling to the ground with a thud.

“This trash of a bastard!”

Roid, who was more hot-tempered than Rols, drew his sword.

It made a resounding Chaang!?as he unsheathed it. It was a common longsword that could easily be found on the street. Joshua noticed the rust speckling the sword here and there but it was plenty sharp.

‘This is dangerous.’

Immediately after using the technique, Joshua felt something strange inside his body. He could feel something lumpy and unpleasant in the pit of his stomach which he wasn’t familiar with.

‘Just one more time.’

A warning siren was going off in his head, but he didn’t pay it any mind.

‘If I defeat Roid, the probability of Rols attacking me is very low... since he’s the most cautious of the three.’

“Look here!”

Roid approached him and swung his longsword at Joshua.

Whik!

The longsword swung right over Joshua’s face with a ripping metal sound. Joshua neatly avoided it by leaning back.

Right now, he had the body of an untrained child, but due to his age, his muscles had yet to harden up, and his flexibility was at its best.

He bounced back up like a spring, and was greeted by Roid’s surprised gaze.

“...!”

Whoosh!

It was definitely weaker than before, but clear mana appeared on Joshua's fist once again.

Roid was too close and saw it too.

“M-Mana一!” Roid muttered in astonishment.

Crack.

It was not the sound of tearing leather like before, but a light thump sound.

“Finished.”

Plop.

Roid fell to the floor after being hit with a 100-point uppercut, shattering his jaw. This time, Rols clearly saw how the situation unfold and gasped in surprise.

“C-crazy...” Rols spat a cuss and backed away.

He doubted the reality he was in. He had never imagined that the mute idiot had actually been hidding such strength within.

If it had only been one incident, it could be considered a coincidence, but two times in a row was too much to be. Now, it was safe to say that the duke’s bastard son had clearly been hiding his skills for a long time now.

‘Well...’ n0VELusb.c0m

While Rols’s brain was in turmoil, Joshua staggered.

Obviously something was wrong. He was experiencing such pain from using only this much mana!

Cold sweat trickled down his back. He knew he couldn’t afford to show his weakness now. He needed to cement his victory. And he was sure that he would win.

Rols was as quick-witted as he was cautious. He was a person who had risen to the rank of centurion using his tact rather than his skills. However, in Joshua’s current state, even someone of Rols’s level was dangerous given his rapidly fading consciousness.

Joshua desperately straightened his unsteady body.

“Pass the message on.”

“...!” For a moment, Rols was stunned.

“You, you, you... ! Spoke... Did you always know how?” Rols stuttered. His eyes looked wide enough to pop out of his skull at any moment.

“From this moment on, anyone: including you centurions: who insults my mother一”

The more Joshua's youthful voice continued, the faster Rols retreated.

“一I will never let them off.”

Killing intent flashed between Joshua's two eyes as he finished speaking.

“Ahhhhhhhhh!” Startled, Rols screamed and turned away. His many sins rattled his head as he ran.

Joshua was dangerous. The child was no longer the mute trash he knew: the kid was a predator.

The Battle of Kraden Plains was one of the worst battles Rols ever experienced. That kid felt like one of the first nine stars of the Empire he saw there.

“He’s a monster!”

Rols did his best to flee, kicking up a cloud of dust behind him.

Joshua stared at Rols’s silhouette until it disappeared.

Thump.

With a small noise, Joshua's small body collapsed.

‘Oh, shit.’

As darkness consumed his vision, Joshua slipped into unconsciousness.