Chapter 160

Patrol soldiers.

This role was usually given to rookie trainees within the Holy Kingdom. They possessed virtually no real-world battle experience, having mastered only the absolute fundamentals of handling a blade and positioning a shield. Their duties were confined to basic town security and keeping the peace. Eventually, once they gathered sufficient field experience, they would be deployed to proper battlefields.

“Identify yourselves! What is the meaning of this?!”

Clatter clatter clatter!

A trio of patrol soldiers hurried over, their metallic suits of armor clanking loudly with every stride. While Baek Jinwoo and the employee had been creating a scene, the tavern proprietor had quietly dispatched someone to fetch the guards.

The employee sprinted out into the street and pointed an accusing finger straight at Baek Jinwoo.

“That fellow over there ate a full meal and refuses to pay! Put him in chains this instant!”

The trio of guards shifted their attention entirely onto Baek Jinwoo. The soldier who seemed to hold the highest rank among them moved to the front.

“Are these accusations accurate?”

“They are.”

“…They are? You admit to it?”

The guard cocked his head in confusion. Typically, lawbreakers would offer a denial at this stage, wouldn’t they? If he acknowledges the act, why not simply… settle the bill?

“Ahem, in that case, please cooperate and come with us without trouble. We must escort you to headquarters for an official questioning. Shoplifting and fleeing a tavern is strictly against the law here in Lumentia.”

“We can bypass the questioning.”

Whoosh.

Baek Jinwoo gave a subtle nod of approval, and Drill Sarge immediately unsheathed his blade.

Shing!

The piercing resonance of unsheathed metal echoed through the air as Drill Sarge’s weapon caught the ambient light.

“Wh-what is happening?!”

“He drew a weapon!”

“Who on earth IS that person?”

The patrons remaining inside the tavern fell into a state of anxious whispering.

Shing! Shing!

The guards drew their own blades simultaneously.

“Wh-what do you think you are attempting?!”

“Do not escalate this situation further!”

Pandemonium engulfed the immediate area within moments. A few people rushed frantically toward the exits, while others backed away to a safe distance, observing the confrontation with wide, inquisitive eyes.

And then.

THWACK!

Drill Sarge’s weapon plunged into a guard’s stomach with incredible velocity.

“Y-you lunatic—!”

The companion beside him raised his blade in sudden terror, but.

In that exact instant, the hilt of Aso’s weapon impacted the back of his neck with absolute accuracy. An immaculate strike to seal his awareness!

Thud, thud!

The two guards collapsed into heaps in the blink of an eye.

Th-those technical abilities are terrifying!

The remaining senior guard stood completely paralyzed with fear, entirely unsure of his next move. Baek Jinwoo offered a calm, pleasant expression.

“Go fetch someone with real authority.”

“Wh-what are you saying—”

“Bring out the knight trainees, the Paladins, the Commander, the Royal Guardians, or the Champion… just gather all of them here.”

Baek Jinwoo systematically listed the military hierarchy of the Holy Kingdom from bottom to top. It didn’t matter what method he had to use. From this moment onward, he was required to demonstrate reality to them. They needed to see that his group possessed ridiculous levels of might. They had to prove they were invaluable assets perfectly suited to aid in the conflict against Asmodeus. The Holy King was a ruler who would only take action once he was presented with undeniable proof of that strength.

“S-sir, an urgent crisis has developed!”

Information traveled with immense speed.

“A group of unidentifiable troublemakers is instigating a massive riot within the city walls!”

“A riot?”

Alexion, a respected Paladin of the Holy Kingdom, directed a piercing, frosty gaze at the reporting messenger.

“Are you approaching me simply because your squads cannot control a handful of civilian agitators?”

“…The situation is completely abnormal, sir. Initially, we dispatched a trio of patrol soldiers. Afterward, we sent a squad of ten. Every single one of them was utterly routed.”

Ten patrol soldiers. That level of danger ought to have been resolved by standard knight trainees. The fact that this report has reached my desk… Does it imply these troublemakers possess strength far beyond that tier?

As Alexion observed him in deep silence, the messenger breathlessly pressed on.

“We proceeded to deploy battle-tested veterans, and even sent a detachment of five knight trainees, but… they were incapable of even brushing against the clothing of those troublemakers. There are two blade-masters, a terrifying entity wielding a massive scythe… and a Pixie brandishing a weapon resembling a magical rod. Their combat prowess is supernatural. It is almost on par with a Champi—”

“Silence!”

Alexion cut the messenger’s words short.

“How dare you utter that holy title so carelessly with your lips.”

“F-forgive my ignorance, sir.”

The Champion was the ultimate warrior serving the Holy King himself. If the Commander occupied a rank above the Paladin tier, then the Champion stood far above the Royal Guardian status. The Champion represented the pinnacle of existence within Lumentia, widely recognized as a figure bearing the direct grace of the Almighty.

“Are you telling me five trainees failed to even lay a finger on them?”

“That is the absolute truth, sir.”

“Hmm.”

Alexion’s expression turned incredibly sharp. The circumstances were evidently quite grave. The absolute nerve of these outsiders. To think anyone would dare initiate a violent disturbance within the heart of the Holy Kingdom. The grand influence of the realm was truly fading compared to days past.

He gave his head a swift shake, then stood up from his desk.

“Lead the way to the scene.”

He retrieved his sheathed blade and his pristine white buckler, declaring:

“This is clearly no ordinary tavern brawl. I shall resolve this matter with my own hands.”

He could not allow anyone who dared desecrate the statutes of the realm to escape justice.

Oh?

Baek Jinwoo gave his neck a soft roll to loosen up. A Paladin had arrived on the scene already? Paladins were revered holy knights. They formed the primary backbone of the Holy Kingdom’s forces, tasked with standing firm against hordes of beasts and fiends. This realm definitely gave off the impression of being amplified tenfold in scale and power compared to the original game format…

His stance is utterly flawless.

The arm supporting the heavy shield was locked in place, and the fingers gripping the hilt of his weapon remained rock-solid without the slightest tremor. The Holy Kingdom commanded hundreds of high-tier assets of this caliber. They would undoubtedly serve as excellent tools for the upcoming war.

“So you individuals are…”

Alexion permitted the tip of his weapon to point downward, biting his lip as he spoke softly.

“The agitators who have been orchestrating all this lawlessness?”

Simultaneously.

His vision scanned across each member of the group one by one. A warrior with a blade. A young girl with a sword. And a monstrous creature gripping a scythe.

What sort of anomaly is this?

This marked the very first instance where he experienced a profound sense of dread before a battle had even commenced. I am completely incapable of measuring their hidden potential.

Even so.

He refused to allow his determination to waver before their weapons had even met. Just as Alexion fortified his resolve and began to elevate his blade—

“Aso.”

Drill Sarge spoke up.

“Hm?”

“You handle this opponent.”

“Me?”

“Precisely. He ought to serve as a respectable training partner for you. You have been lacking in authentic battlefield engagement recently, have you not?”

“Ohhh, is he truly THAT capable?”

Alexion’s brow twitched with irritation.

What sort of nonsense had they just uttered? Him, an esteemed Paladin, being treated as what? A mere training partner? Ascending to the rank of Paladin demanded more than two decades of rigorous practice as a dedicated novice. It required surviving countless bloody wars, and only when the Holy King himself bestowed his personal recognition could you claim the honor. He was an absolute master among masters.

“What a collection of disrespectful fools.”

“So it is really my turn to fight?”

“You—!”

The very instant Alexion’s facial features began to twist in fury.

TAP!

The atmosphere fractured with a resounding pop, and an object lightly skimmed across his midsection.

Thunk.

By the moment he registered that it was the sword-wielding girl’s blade that had touched him, she had already repositioned herself directly behind his back.

What just happened?

He had failed to even perceive her movement clearly. An unbelievable display of velocity!

“Engaging in combat while bolstered by Ramba’s blessing is a tiny bit unsportsmanlike, I must confess.”

Aso grinned widely.

“But we are dealing with a crisis, right? That touch was merely a polite greeting to keep the playing field level. So shake off the shock and fight with everything you have. Do not start weeping afterward claiming you were caught off guard.”

Alexion was entirely incapable of processing the reality of the situation. What was he witnessing? How could a mere mortal accelerate at such a pace? If this had been an authentic execution attempt… would his life have already been forfeited? A deep shiver traveled down his backbone.

Then a sudden realization struck him.

The messenger had arrived at his office stating that the invaders were causing a disturbance. He had never claimed that they had slaughtered or critically harmed any of the town guards or apprentice trainees. Which signified what? They had merely been incapacitated. These individuals clearly possessed an underlying intention.

“…What exactly is your goal in doing this?”

Alexion intuitively pivoted his body to face Baek Jinwoo. Anyone with eyes could deduce that he functioned as their commander. He caught sight of a fair-haired lady, an elder with snowy hair gripping a staff, and a colossal white tiger resting beside him… yet even those formidable figures simply remained stationed behind Baek Jinwoo, arms crossed over their chests, quietly observing the event as it unfolded.

“It is quite straightforward.”

Baek Jinwoo offered a casual shrug.

“I have been stating it repeatedly from the start. Has our intent still failed to reach the ears of the authorities?”

“…Your intent?”

“Bring forth the entire leadership. Gather the Paladins, the Commander, the Royal Guardians, and the Champion.”

“You arrogant bastard—!”

As a Paladin, he could not restrain his fury. The Commander and the supreme Champion were figures of absolute sanctity to their order. The mere notion of a foreign vagrant daring to speak those holy titles aloud filled his soul with pure disgust. It caused his blood to boil intensely.

The grand Paladin Commander. An S-rank powerhouse. And the legendary Champion. Another S-rank entity. Those two figures were universally recognized in the modern era as the sole protectors capable of standing against the might of Asmodeus.

“I attempted to resolve this through peaceful discourse, but it is clear that such a method is entirely useless against you!”

The furious Alexion struck his boot heavily into the cobblestones and launched his body forward like a missile.

As expected.

Baek Jinwoo signaled his understanding with a nod, as if the reaction was completely foreseeable. No matter how one evaluated them, these holy warriors. They were not conventional knights. They were essentially religious zealots. Just a minor slight directed at the icons they worshipped was more than enough to cause them to lose all reason and attack blindly.

Then again.

Fanatic groups in a classic medieval environment were practically a standard trope. Particularly so when this specific reality featured the tangible, measurable manifestation of divine energy. Along with actual, living fiends.

“DON’T YOU DARE LAY A HAND ON MY DAD!”

CLAAANG!

Alexion’s descending strike was cleanly intercepted by Aso.

SHREEEEEK!

At the exact same instant, a relentless sequence of counter-thrusts followed at a blinding tempo.

“Ngh!”

Alexion gasped for air, his eyes widening in sheer disbelief. His ingrained training took command. He shoved his consecrated buckler out in front of his frame.

Paladin. Holy Shield. Holy Shield!

The protective aura of pure radiance saturated his entire physique.

FLASH!

The defensive kinetic energy generated was so incredibly violent that Aso’s unyielding sequence of thrusts was actually forced backward.

“Whoa!”

The amplified swiftness of her strikes signified nothing when faced with this absolute defense.

“HAAAAH!”

Alexion hoisted his blade once more and delivered a counter-strike with lightning speed.

Judgment of Light. Judgment of the Sacred!

A magnificent holy beam erupted violently from his weapon, racing directly toward Aso’s position. A massive reservoir of divine power discharged seamlessly through the length of the steel.

Oh.

Baek Jinwoo found himself genuinely entertained. Do you recall those specific units? The exact summons that Kang Geonho used to command—the A-rank Paladin, and the A-rank Dark Knight. Those identical Paladins operated on the exact same principles as this warrior. Though it must be said, this specific fighter appears roughly ten times more formidable than the version Geonho possessed.

Even so.

The core reality remained that these were technical abilities he comprehended inside and out.

KRAKABOOOOM!

The divine energy manifested precisely like standard sword-aura brought into physical reality. It surged onward like a tempestuous torrent, attempting to completely dissolve Aso within its holy wrath.

“Tch.”

With a sharp click of her tongue that carried clear irritation, a brilliant streak of lightning sparked into existence. In that identical fragment of time, the incoming Judgment of the Sacred that had been bearing down with crushing weight fractured outward in every single direction, completely canceled out and reduced to nothingness.

“GUH!”

The monumental kinetic force that vibrated violently through his wrist joint completely ruined Alexion’s center of gravity. He plunged heavily onto the stone ground.

Thud.

From his collapsed vantage point on the pavement, the young girl’s silhouette dominated his entire field of view.

“Ugh, your movements are completely devoid of creativity.”

Aso shook her head side to side, clear disappointment etched across her features. A prodigy of her level evidently deemed that execution completely amateurish.

“I do not care how much raw power you possess. That was a basic thrusting motion. If you execute a strike in that manner, you will fail to register a single hit in a million years.”

“Wh-what are you—”

“Furthermore, you completely dismissed what Dad requested and simply charged forward like a wild animal, didn’t you? What incredible audacity!”

Alexion was utterly unable to make sense of the words coming from the young girl. What phenomenon had he just witnessed? She had not employed any complex combat style. Just a single, precisely applied counter-force had completely neutralized his offensive. And every ounce of holy energy concentrated within his blade had dissolved into absolute nothingness. Leaving him just like this, shattered on the stones.

More than two decades of intense suffering, sweat, and unyielding devotion to mastering the way of the sword, completely halted by a child who appeared to be under the age of thirteen.

“Now remain completely stationary and accept your correction!”

“…?”

“Drill Sarge always states: individuals who are incapable of comprehending spoken words are identical to wild beasts. And when dealing with beasts, a heavy staff is the only suitable remedy.”

What was that riddle supposed to imply—

Alexion’s vision grew hazy with overwhelming perplexity. Aso let out a confident smirk, then sprinted directly toward his position without a single moment of hesitation. Brandishing her weapon with the blunt spine of the steel facing forward, rather than the sharpened edge.