A sudden sparring match?

Ludger frowned at Aileen’s abrupt proposal.

“You must be busy. Let’s stop there.”

“Why are you being like that over something so trivial? I still have plenty of time left, so it’s fine. Besides, I wasn’t asking you, was I?”

Aileen jerked her chin toward Phantos as she spoke.

Even in front of a beastkin, she showed no particularly unusual reaction.

If they were capable, whether beastkin or elf, Aileen was perfectly willing to recruit them into her inner circle.

At the very least, there was no need to worry about discrimination.

Ludger had that idle thought but still intended to put a stop to this pointless act.

However, in a rare turn of events, Phantos spoke up first.

“I’ll do it.”

“You...”

Ludger was about to say something to him but lost his words when he met those blazing eyes looking back at him.

Even the beastkin’s unique wild nature flickered deep within his pupils.

Phantos, who was usually solemn and reserved, was now clearly provoked.

He’d already been itching for action lately—so now that a Master-class knight had appeared, and Ludger was telling him to just let him go?

That would be like waving meat in front of a starving lion and telling it not to eat.

“This won’t stop even if I try. Fine. Just keep it to an appropriate level.”

Once Ludger gave his permission, Phantos nodded.

A slight twitch curled at the corner of his lips.

Aileen watched the scene with satisfaction, and the only one who reacted normally was Passius.

“Your Highness, are you seriously asking me to spar all of a sudden?”

“What’s the problem? Don’t tell me you think you’ll lose?”

“It’s not that I think I’ll lose—it’s just too sudden. Weren’t we supposed to finish our talk and part ways neatly?”

“Then take this opportunity to learn a truth about life. That your plans can always be overturned by unexpected variables.”

“...I’ve lived longer than you, Your Highness.”

Being lectured on ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) the truths of life by someone younger than him, Passius shook his head in disbelief.

But what could he do? Even as a Master-class knight, he ultimately had to follow orders from above.

‘Ah. But I really don’t want to do this.’

Passius looked at Phantos.

Just look at that hulking mass. It had been ages since he’d seen a build even larger than Commander Lutus Wardot.

He didn’t know if the bulk was from muscle training or fattening up, but Passius could tell how much sheer muscle was packed under that mass.

The muscles even bulged slightly through the thick flesh.

‘In terms of raw physique alone, he might be stronger than a high-ranking knight.’

It wasn’t just the size.

That beastkin warrior exuded the kind of aura that only came from true strength.

Passius could sense it—he was a Master-class knight too, after all.

‘Even knowing I’m a Master, he’s putting out this much killing intent.’

In Passius’s assessment, Phantos was a hardcore battle maniac.

Lately, he’d been suppressing his instincts, but a cup filled to the brim will eventually spill.

Like a dam breaking, the moment he laid eyes on Passius, his fighting spirit burst out.

‘Her Highness has no intention of stopping this, and Ludger looks like he has no choice either.’

Sigh.

Passius let out a deep sigh full of pity for his own fate.

“Well, I guess there’s no helping it.”

That’s what he said—but truthfully, his body had been itching just as much.

Once you reached the realm of a Master, most people began to revere you. Even fellow knights did the same.

From that point on, worthy opponents disappeared.

Luypholdt had been a rare exception, but now here was someone baring his fangs at him without hesitation—and that wasn’t just unusual, it was downright refreshing.

“Let’s do it. Fellowship of the sword.”

* * *

The group changed locations.

A massive underground arena, hidden from public view.

Aileen looked around at the worn-down structure, a relic of neglect, and asked,

“What is this place?”

“It used to be an illegal underground arena secretly operated by an organization called Silver Sun in Rederbelk.”

“Ah. I heard about those bastards. I let them be since they didn’t cross any lines, but to think they were doing this kind of thing, too.”

“We swept them out, but didn’t know what to do with the space, so it’s been left alone for now. Given the situation, I thought it was the perfect place for a sparring match.”

Ludger, who had naturally taken a seat in the VIP area, answered.

Fighting near the hideout was never a good idea.

While there were some deserted areas out of public view, none were wide enough.

Given the level of Phantos and Passius, the sparring needed a space that was both large and durable.

‘More than anything, what’s dangerous is attracting Master’s attention for no reason.’

Grander was currently staying separately from the hideout in her personal quarters.

They’d prepared an entire building as her residence, and recently she’d been staying so quiet it was like she didn’t even exist.

If she came back, she might ask what had happened, but since she hadn’t shown up, she was probably sleeping.

That made it all the more important not to draw her attention.

If she woke up suddenly, there was no predicting what Grander would do.

So this place—out of her sight and suitable for dueling—was the best possible option.

“Still, even if it’s an arena, it doesn’t look particularly sturdy.”

“It may not look it, but it used to host duels between knights. It won’t break that easily.”

Just then, Phantos and Passius stepped into the center of the wide arena, facing each other.

Aileen’s sharp gaze swept over Phantos like she was appraising a product.

The reason she provoked Phantos into a duel was simple—she wanted to test him for herself.

‘Just looking at that build, he must be this man’s right hand.’

If Ludger had brought him along as a close aide, his skills had to be exceptional.

Even if he was a beastkin, the fact that he bared killing intent against a Master-class knight like Passius piqued Aileen’s curiosity.

He was different from those who were all bark and no bite.

She could tell the moment their eyes met.

There was a great beast sleeping inside Phantos’s eyes.

‘She really wants to see what Phantos is capable of.’

Ludger clicked his tongue at Aileen’s desire, but he didn’t blame her.

If anything, he was curious too.

Phantos was strong—but how would he fare in an actual fight against a Master-class knight? Ludger wasn’t entirely sure himself.

‘So I’d better watch carefully while I can.’

Even if it wasn’t a life-or-death fight, a duel should provide enough data on his combat potential.

Ludger’s gaze shifted to Passius, who held his sword.

Right then, Passius said something to Phantos.

“Interesting weapon you’ve got there.”

His eyes were fixed on the weapon Phantos carried.

He’d wondered what kind of weapon the beastkin would use, and it turned out to be something strange—a harpoon.

It wasn’t a weapon made to fight humans, but rather one specialized for hunting and killing something else.

A beastkin with a harpoon?

It was a bizarre and mismatched choice.

To make it stranger, something long and black was attached to the end of the handle.

‘Still, I can’t exactly laugh it off.’

Phantos’s aura while holding that harpoon was no joke.

He’d said it was a sparring match, but he was exuding the vibe of someone out to hunt his prey.

Passius had no choice but to raise his sword.

There was no way he could afford to act relaxed and fight barehanded against this. And that weapon—

"That weapon... it’s not complete yet, is it?”

At that, Phantos showed a reaction of surprise for the first time.

“How did you know?”

“I just sensed it. It’s definitely dangerous, but it didn’t feel complete.”

“I see. So you can tell things like that when you reach the level of a Master. I’ve learned something new.”

“Did you have any intention of using it fully?”

“This isn’t the place for that.”

“Oh. That’s a bit of a blow to my pride.”

Though he said it with a smile, Passius’s gaze turned markedly more serious.

The pressure emanating from him intensified.

Phantos grinned, a thrill running across his skin at the overwhelming force.

White fangs flashed at the corners of his lips.

This was it.

The feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time.

That thrill of encountering an opponent so powerful you’d be willing to risk everything just to bring them down.

“Let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

No sooner had they finished speaking than their figures vanished from the spot at the same time.

“Wh-what the hell?”

Hans, who had been watching, gaped in disbelief.

Moments later, flashes of light erupted in the air at the center of the arena.

Only belatedly did he realize they were sparks from weapon clashes.

Within less than a second, they had exchanged an uncountable number of blows.

A massive shockwave followed, shaking the arena's fencing violently.

Had it been any other time, the crazed audience would’ve erupted in cheers at the insane battle, but in the empty arena, not even a whisper could be heard.

Meanwhile, Phantos and Passius’s collision continued.

Each time their blurred figures flickered into view, flames and thunderous booms burst from all corners of the arena.

Ka-deuk!

The hardened arena floor, designed for knightly combat, was scored with deep grooves from sword strikes and spear scrapes.

“Can you see any of that, sir?”

Hans asked in awe, eyes wide.

The battle was far beyond what he could track with his eyes.

Ludger didn’t answer.

He was too focused on the fight between the two.

KAANG!

With a thunderous clash, the two figures parted and landed at a distance.

The biggest change from before: their positions had swapped.

And the ground between them was carved with countless marks of impact.

“Nice!”

Phantos grinned, his face contorting with exhilaration.

His pupils split vertically, and wild energy burst from him like an explosion.

The harpoon in his right hand began to blur.

Seeing that, Passius narrowed his eyes, then swiftly twisted his body to the side.

Puh-puh-PUH!

A sharp, leathery snap rang out three times in the air. It happened so fast it almost sounded like one noise.

Immediately after, three massive holes were blown through the far wall of the arena.

Thick alloy steel, resistant even to the aura of most knights, had been pierced clean through—like tunnels bored by sheer force.

Passius spun mid-dodge and swung his sword.

Even though the strike shouldn’t have reached, Phantos twisted out of the way with shocking agility for someone his size.

A colossal slash carved into the wall behind him.

One of the support pillars was cleaved at an angle and crashed to the floor with a thunderous boom.

And this was without either of them using aura or spirit.

They were relying solely on their physical bodies, pushed to the absolute limit.

Their forms vanished again, and another burst of sparks erupted in the air.

The impacts were growing fiercer, and the shockwaves echoing through the arena rang out like thunder.

Harpoon and sword—

Every time they clashed, the waves of force didn’t just shake the arena but rattled the windows of the VIP section.

The way the glass quivered felt unnervingly like a typhoon slamming against a windowpane.

This is bad.

Ludger clicked his tongue and began casting magic, reinforcing the glass with an enchantment.

With this, the glass likely wouldn’t shatter.

At that moment, a metallic shrrrrk echoed through the arena.

It sounded like a massive snake slithering across the ground.

The trembling resonance, like scales vibrating in the air, came—surprisingly—from Phantos’s weapon.

“Oh? Is that a chain?”

Aileen asked, intrigued.

At the end of Phantos’s harpoon, something long and pitch-black trailed.

It was a chain.

A thick, enormous chain.

“Not just any chain. It’s a scaled-down version of an anchor chain—what they use on ships.”

Not only that, it was made of special material and further refined with advanced processing.

“Even though it’s been lightened as much as possible, that chain still weighs in the tons.”

“...And he’s swinging it around like that?”

Aileen’s eyes followed the black whip streaking through the air.

The heavy black chain whooshed through the arena with terrifying speed, roaring like a sonic boom as it came crashing down toward Passius.

Passius let out a short laugh at Phantos’s brute strength and redirected the chain diagonally with his sword.

The enormous weight slid along his blade, flowing smoothly like water, and smashed into the floor.

“Hey. Isn’t this kind of weapon cheating?”

Even as he said that, the fact that he deflected a swung anchor chain with a single sword was nothing short of insane.

And this is just a physical brawl. If they actually used aura or spirit...

Ludger imagined the scene and shook his head.

Even this reinforced underground arena might collapse if things got out of hand.

Thankfully, for now, the two were keeping within the bounds of a proper spar.

But with the heat rising like this, who knows how long that’ll last?

Ludger considered whether he needed to prepare to intervene.

Even as that thought passed, his gaze turned toward the executives in the VIP seats.

The members of Owenz were watching the duel with a mix of excitement and tension.

Hans clearly couldn’t follow anything and wore a dazed expression. Seridan and Bellaruna were cheerfully rooting for Phantos.

Arfa simply watched with a bright, innocent smile, while Violetta sat quietly and observed.

But one person drew Ludger’s eyes.

Alex.

Gone was his usual flippancy. He was watching the duel with a serious expression.

This match will be a good experience for Phantos...

In Alex’s clear retinas, the sparks flying from the two warriors’ clashes reflected in rapid succession.

And it looks like he might become even stronger too.