CHAPTER 280: CHAPTER 278: MALICE FROM ILYA

"Pushing your luck!"

Sitting at the head of the table, Major General Koverdale was now left with only this one evaluation of Thomas.

’I assigned you a task with almost zero possibility of success to make you retreat in difficulty, not to play some game of rivalry!

Do you think that as the garrison commander, my eyes are blind and my ears deaf?

Since the first day you arrived here, you’ve been inquiring about Aiven’s news. What kind of plots are you hatching? Even Solomon, who is always crafty and sly, can see it clearly. How could I not know?

Besides, a deputy? A man who is the first new star far surpassing you, why should he be your deputy?! ’

The Major General’s red face was already clouded with gloom, feeling this conversation with this utterly unself-aware thorn was a grave mistake from the start!

Moreover, compared to this Thomas Major, who is supposedly from a significant background within the Ilya Kingdom military and has an overbearing and arrogant demeanor, the courteous and respectful Aiven, who regards me as the garrison commander, is obviously more approachable.

In this time facing a formidable enemy, any sign of internal strife under my nose must be decisively extinguished!

"Major Thomas!...."

The General had just barely begun when Thomas seemed respectful but was actually rudely interrupted, "Honorable Commander, there’s no need for you to worry about the rest, we can handle the internal arrangements ourselves!"

While speaking, he walked towards Aiven:

"Captain Aiven, you heard what the commander said just now. From now on, you are under my command.

Although our ranks are equivalent as both the new stars of this Navy, I am slightly older than you and indeed more experienced.

I deem myself capable of fitting this leader position.

As my deputy, I hope you can exhibit abilities worthy of your reputation. If the task fails due to your incompetence, well, hehe..."

Aiven was never interested in self-satisfied guys who enjoyed hearing their own voices. Having seen many truly powerful figures, did he come out of nowhere thinking he could suppress me? And most importantly, this was an Ilyan, someone I naturally disliked...

Shooting him a sidelong glance, Aiven lazily scratched his ear, showing no intention to endure him:

"Heh... not interested!"

However, Thomas was waiting for these words from Aiven.

His eyes were filled with hard-to-conceal delight, yet his face displayed the anger of someone offended, clearly prepared for Aiven’s response, even orchestrated by him.

He reproached Aiven harshly, saying:

"Lieutenant Aiven, are you defying a superior’s orders?! Is this the quality you display as a soldier of the Alliance?! "

Coming from a prominent military family, he immediately placed a heavy crown upon Aiven’s head in the next moment.

Step!

Having seized the moral high ground first, before Aiven could speak again, Thomas had already stepped forward and brazenly struck!

"Defying orders... military law shall handle!"

Clang—

"What are you doing?"

"Stop right there!"

No one expected such arrogance from this guy, wielding authority and daring to draw his sword on a colleague right in front of Major General Koverdale, a Great Knight!

This scene left several civilian officers in the room utterly stunned.

Others might think this guy was just desperate to secure this hard-won task and opportunity to perform, resulting in his impulsive arrogance and overreaction.

But facing the tip of Thomas’s sword, Aiven clearly felt that Major Thomas was deliberately picking a fight! Even though this was their first meeting, the overwhelming malice was utterly undisguised!

"For the sake of just a ’Navy New Star’ title? Is that really necessary? Could it be...."

Considering a possibility, Aiven’s eyes darkened slightly.

Swoosh—

Suppressing the suddenly surging "Adventurer’s Blood" within, he couldn’t choose to engage in a brawl in the meeting room with this outrageous guy, as that would be a direct slap to the General’s face.

Before the sword’s edge reached him, Aiven, like an agile monkey, had already slipped out of the narrow window of the meeting room.

This meeting room was located in the Hollow Castle on the third layer of the fortress, and Aiven had already leaped down to the spacious artillery platform on the second layer of the fort.

Step—

Landing lightly like a lynx, he watched Thomas, who held a Hand Half-Sword with a blade slightly glowing with red Extraordinary Spiritual Light, also charge out from the window.

Though not too large in scale, this fortress was constructed for defense against all manners of "superhuman" beings in the Extraordinary World, with its first layer of solid adobe masonry over 20 meters high above sea level, a second layer of stone fort reaching another 10 meters, and finally a normal hollow castle equivalent to two stories high.

With a height of 30 meters, falling from here might not be lethal to an Official Knight, but it would certainly result in bruises and a bloodied face if the landing posture was improper.

Without a second word.

Landing, Thomas was already brandishing his Extraordinary Weapon "Bloody Lake Light" and rushing forward.

"Unbelievably disgraceful! You think this is the Ilya Kingdom, where you scoundrels can act recklessly?!"

The General’s roar could already be heard from afar.

Thomas ignored it, and his speed increased once more.

In truth, just moments ago, in the conference room, when he suggested making Aiven his deputy, Thomas himself knew it wasn’t realistic. But he didn’t care whether Aiven agreed or not.

He was just looking for an excuse to stir up trouble.

All this time he had been running with the mobile unit and hadn’t had the chance to meet this so-called "Navy New Star." Now that the opportunity arose, how could he let it slip?

Not just because of the "Navy New Star," but more so because of a secret that couldn’t be revealed here.

First of all, in terms of family background, strength, tactics, and the "助手" his father provided him, how could the "New Star Number One" that was rightfully his be taken by an unknown kid?

Didn’t he see that even the so-called thousand-year-old Solomon clan "dared not" compete with him for the top spot?

Why must he be number one? Because he has always been number one from childhood to now!

Even in the end, when he obtained the Extraordinary Weapon "Bloody Lake Light" he had longed for, he felt a suffocating sense that it was given up to him by someone!

He must defeat him with his own hands to comfortably enjoy the fruits of victory.

Another reason he must take action...

The situation within Ilya was actually worse than Aiven understood, and the royal family’s predicament was no better than the so-called "Common Lord."

Domestically, the new nobles leading the parliament had effectively controlled this ancient country and were even brewing a storm.

Especially as they found new support while the royal’s last reliance, the only Titled Knight "Stormy Sea Tide," had shut the doors, various factions within the country began to align.

His sister, the eldest daughter of the Gregory Clan, married Viscount Jerome, one of the leading figures of the rising commercial nobility. Although his title seemed low, and he had no real fief, he was one of the most wealthy and influential individuals in the current Ilya Kingdom!

The alliance between the traditional naval hero family of Gregory and Viscount Jerome was indeed a powerful union!

Viscount Jerome and Earl Wright were the two banners of the commercial nobility; even if they were dubbed the "Vice King" of this country, no Ilyan would object.

Especially at the critical moment of seizing control of the kingdom, of course, they were the closest allies in the world!

So, Galliot who secretly slipped away from Earl Wright? Heh... just a stray dog!

Even if the price of his action was to openly confront the highest military authority here and deeply offend Major General Koverdale, Thomas was fearless.

Although he behaved arrogantly, it didn’t mean he wasn’t smart. Because of his unique background, he was very familiar with the perspectives and tactics of the upper echelons.

His current identity was not just an ordinary Ilyan military person but also a politically significant "Navy New Star" representing the kingdom’s facade!

If he wanted to turn a "military discipline incident" into a political event between Ilya and Tyrone Kingdom, this garrison commander could well punish him heavily afterward.

Moreover, if this Aiven Galliot was weak and suffered an "accident" by his hands... heh, everything would turn out well.

Not only would he not be punished, but returning to the country and winning the favor of both lords, rising to prominence would be inevitable?

He wasted no time.

[Frost Wolf Swordsmanship: Secret Technique: Mad Bone!]

A faint red light flickered in his pupils, and his whole body made explosive sounds like firecrackers, even his canines slightly protruding from his lips with a chilling gleam.

Thomas had already activated the extraordinary secret technique of Frost Wolf Swordsmanship and was going all out!

Swoosh—

He crouched like a vicious hungry wolf, charging toward Aiven.

As he drew near Aiven, he leapt forward like a wolf predatorily attacking a human, swinging his sword, the blood-colored blade voraciously biting toward Aiven’s neck like a giant wolf’s fangs!

A cold, ruthless killing intent rushed forward ahead of him.

[White Sail Swordsmanship: Sword Style: Floating Boat!]

Tiptoeing, Aiven slid away like a small boat carried away by the turbulent sword wind of Thomas.

At the same time, seemingly not daring to clash directly with that Extraordinary Weapon, he lifted the black cane inlaid with a ruby, lightly tapped the exposed spine of the longsword as they passed.

Clang—

Even with Thomas holding back part of his strength, the already fierce and domineering sword stroke, with Aiven’s slight push, instantly veered off-course causing Thomas’s body to stagger forward.

This gentle deflection cracked the sword stroke effortlessly like moving a thousand pounds with just four ounces.

This was also the remarkable ability Aiven’s "White Sail Swordsmanship" acquired upon reaching the peak mastery level.

In actuality.

The foundation of Extraordinary Swordsmanship and ordinary swordsmanship was always the same.

Utilizing the principle of leverage in mechanics, calculating the force strengths across the sword parts, judging the opponent’s body center shifts. Using geometry to appraise the distance, deciding upon movement and attack timing.

Even with diverse overall attributes, it could ultimately lead to an amazing effect of using strength to attack weakness, just like leveraging to move a thousand pounds with four ounces!

Bodily qualities in combat were just the foundation, deciding the lower limit of exertion, while the knight’s extraordinary essence and swordsmanship level were amplifiers, like a lever lifting the upper limit of exertion; the stronger the extraordinary essence, the higher the swordsmanship, the better the three-dimensional attribute effect could be deployed.

This was the fundamental reason Aiven had repeatedly won against the strong while being weak!

Otherwise, merely comparing the combatants’ physical qualities, how could human extraordinaries possibly defeat sea monsters with vastly different attributes?!