Ending Maker

Count Bayer’s test for leaving home was simple.

Succeed in dealing a strike against an opponent, who is at the standard of an ordinary knight, in a duel.

Although it was very simple and clear, there was little room for the so-called tricks.

Testing only your abilities in a fair manner.

Count Bayer passed the test when he was at the young age of twelve, and Gale, though he wasn’t naturally gifted and as good as his father, passed the test at thirteen, younger than the average age.

Jude’s age is seventeen.

The truth is, at this time, applying for the test was close to irrational because his age was two years older than the average age of passing the test for the Bayer family, which is fifteen years old.

‘One month at the most.’

Before he got the Sun’s Necklace, let alone having proper training, even training his physical strength was difficult for Jude.

No matter how long Jude tried to catch up on his training period, it was only a month ago that he got the Sun’s Necklace and started his treatment, of which his martial arts training time was less than 15 days.

Furthermore, Jude’s condition, as of now, was not completely cured.

His Gueumjulmaek was getting better and he was gradually getting closer to having normal strength, but if you look at it from the knight’s standard, he was still on the weak side.

‘However.’

Count Bayer did not intend to humiliate Jude in front of everyone.

Of course, he also had no intention of conducting a sloppy test on purpose for his child.

‘Victor, I believe in you.’

A day before he arrived home, there was a phrase in the last letter that came from Victor, the family’s old knight.

The young master will pass the test.

I believe it if Victor said so.

He was not one to speak at length groundless stories.

‘But even so.’

Count Bayer was also a man.

His curiosity grew.

What was it that gave confidence to Victor that he came to the point in his report?

Perhaps it was a stupid idea that Jude did not have talent, and that maybe, Jude actually had a talent that even surpasses his?

His heart was pounding.

It must have been Count Bayer himself who waited for the current test more than anyone else in this place.

“Father.”

Gaël said in a low voice, as he handed a wooden sword to Count Bayer who took his place in the middle of the indoor training area.

Count Bayer laughed at Gaël’s bitter eyes that asked whether the Count even needed to play the role of the opponent himself, but Gaël eventually abandoned the thought and shook his head, saying in a low voice.

“Go easy on him.”

“Okay.”

He was no one else but Count Bayer, one of the Sälen Kingdom’s teenage swordmasters.

Restricting his swordsmanship to the level of an ordinary knight was quite easy.

Count Bayer, who received the wooden sword, pleasantly looked at Jude preparing for the test at a distance – to be exact, at Jude and Cordelia.

Likewise, Gaël who looked at the same place, laughed and said with a smile.

“They’re a really well-matched pair, right?”

“Yeah, it’s really a nice sight. I think it was not to that degree before I left for the expedition…but in the meantime, they’ve significantly become closer.”

“Because they had a good time together.”

A man taking the test and the fiancé worrying about such a man.

What a beautiful sight it was.

Surely, they must be exchanging pretty and sweet words.

“Hey, you crazy bastard. Count Bayer directly came out. Ask him to at least change your opponent.”

“Hey, I’m certain he’ll adjust the level.”

“And if you lose? You clamor about your Gueumjulmaek day in day out.”

“If I lose, you’re going to Langesthei alone. Main scenario, Fighting!”

“What’s this crazy bastard saying?”

Cordelia, who said those pretty and sweet words in a hushed whisper, said with a sigh.

“Okay, I’ll believe in you. You’re Outboxer, so you’ll do it somehow. Still…”

“Still?”

“Don’t overdo it and get hurt. Okay?”

“Yellow Storm.”

“Why?”

“You really resemble your father.”

“Of course, who else will I resemble but my father?”

“You’re right.”

Jude, who wrapped up the conversation with a giggling laugh, stretched his shoulders and exhaled a long breath.

Finally, he looked back at Cordelia and said.

“Let’s go together.”

To Langesthei.

To reform the main scenarios of Jude and Cordelia.

Jude grinned, and Cordelia snorted, shaking her fist lightly as if cheering.

“Fighting.”

This was enough. Jude fixed his wooden sword and stepped forward, while Cordelia retreated to where Count Chase stood.

“Miss, are you all right?”

When Dahlia asked in a small voice, Cordelia nodded.

“He’ll be fine.”

Outboxer009 said so.

Holding back her backbiting, Cordelia looked at Jude as if to observe how he’ll do it, and Jude stood before Count Bayer.

“Let’s begin.”

There was no need to prolong it.

Count Bayer spoke at the moment they faced each other, and as soon as Jude took a stance, he launched an offensive.

It was the Kingdom Swordsmanship that Count Bayer and any knights who used swords had learned.

Count Bayer kept his word.

The speed of the wooden sword and the strength he used was at the level of an ordinary knight.

But even so, the swordplay he wielded was the one of the 10 swordsmanship attack styles. It was an attack that was like the standard of the Kingdom Swordsmanship.

And so…

‘I can do it.’

Jude averted Count Bayer’s sword.

In a way, it was a simple avoidance, but in the eyes of the observing knights, it was conspicuously reflected at that moment.

Half the step of a footprint.

It was the distance that Jude moved to avoid Count Bayer’s sword. He evaded Count Bayer’s sword with minimal movement.

Count Bayer’s sword struck in succession.

The swordplay similar to the kingdom swordsmanship continued, and Jude avoided all the Count’s attack without a single one hitting him.

Seven times.

The moment he avoided the swordplay seven times, admiration burst out between the knights.

Count Chase’s eyes shone, and Gaël almost looked like he was going to cheer.

And Cordelia understood.

What made Jude so confident?

‘You memorized it.’

The Kingdom Swordsmanship.

The pattern of the attacks unfolded by the test examiners of Count Bayer, which has been handed down from generation to generation.

If this was an indiscriminate sparring, it wouldn’t work.

But it was a test, and in order to be a fair test, the examiners had limited patterns of swordplay and attack.

‘What the hell is in your head?’

It was so absurd that she almost laughed.

But it was true that Jude was familiar with the pattern for one reason or another.

Moreover, it was not the only thing that was great.

“He’s better than expected.”

Said Count Chase.

He and Count Bayer were already somewhat aware of the fact that Jude memorized the pattern.

And in fact, memorizing the pattern itself wasn’t that great. It was a test that has been passed on for several generations anyway.

Memorizing the pattern was not enough.

It was not enough to pass the test.

Ninth.

Jude avoided it this time again. The sword passed him just a step away.

Gaël, who was watching, clenched his fist.

Jude had a talent for martial arts.

It was a tremendous martial arts talent.

Otherwise, it was impossible to accurately avoid such a rushing sword in front of you.

Count Bayer also smiled.

This is because he felt more clearly than anyone else in this room that Jude’s talent was genuine.

But Count Bayer thought at the same time.

Avoiding is not enough.

You can never complete the test conditions just by avoiding it.

‘Approach more.’

Penetrate it, don’t just avoid.

Don’t just stay outside but step inside.

Count Bayer caused his sword to swing wildly. Jude evaded by stepping sideways, and at that moment, Count Bayer’s sword rushed towards Jude as if it were chasing him.

Consecutive attacks.

It was one attack to another attack, so the attacking side should eventually be overwhelmed by the amount.

Jude knew it.

I’ve been waiting for this moment only.

Thud!

He kicked the ground. It wasn’t a simple takeoff. Thirty-six World Steps. It was the footwork skill.

The sword cut through the air.

Jude slipped forward. Instead of penetrating in front, he turned to the left and pierced the gap of Count Bayer.

Kwajik!

Count Bayer moved his left hand and caught Jude’s sword. Soon after, Jude let go his sword and smiled with a sweaty face.

“One jab.”

That one strike just now.

An ordinary knight couldn’t block it.

Count Bayer, one of the ten swordmasters, blocked it.

A moment of loud silence filled the training area.

Count Bayer looked at Jude, and soon burst into a boisterous laugh.

“I lost.”

“Ooooh!”

“Young master!”

Cheers erupted from all over the place. Victor’s eyes reddened with tears, and Gaël ran at once to Jude and hugged him.

“Hmph, it was impressive.”

When Count Chase said that, Jude was in Gaël’s arms and saw Cordelia, and she snorted and slightly smacked the air with her fist.

‘Fine play.’

Jude laughed again.

And Count Bayer, who stopped his continuous and spirited laugh, turned to Count Chase and said.

“I’m sorry, Arthur, but I’m going to delay the departure by three more days.”

Originally, I was going to start right away tomorrow, but I changed my mind.

I’ve seen Jude’s talent.

I didn’t realize he was never an ordinary child.

“Hmph, I’ll wait.”

Count Chase allowed it, and there was no one who dissuaded him.

And at that moment, the rotten water Yellow Storm understood. The reason why Count Bayer changed it into three more days.

The reason why Jude was more pleased with the fact that Count Bayer came forward himself.

‘Additional rewards?’

The only thing Count Bayer could teach for three days was Mugong (martial arts).

Cordelia saw Jude and this time he responded.

He knocked through the air with his fist slightly clenched.

***

Time has passed.

In the morning four days later.

Instead of dressing up like she was on a picnic, Cordelia was dressed in horseback riding clothes. She stood in front of the carriage, slightly tilted her head, and soon made a large smile.

“Have you had some success?”

“I have.”

It was only four days, but Jude, who seemed to have become more manly than before, answered with a grin.

At Count Bayer’s gate.

One big carriage and four horses prepared by Count Chase.

There were four people in the carriage: Jude, Cordelia, the exclusive maid Maja, and the escort warrior Dahlia. And two escorts each from Count Bayer and Count Chase.

The social gathering of the 12 northern families in Langesthei was literally a social gathering.

Moreover, since it was to gather the minor children together, there was no reason to set up a grand procession that boasted of their family’s power.

‘But we still have companions.’

Jude glanced at Cordelia, who nodded very small.

It was a sign that she was ready for “something to take with you on our way to Langesthei,” which he mentioned prior to the trip.

“I’m very happy to be with you in going to Langesthei.”

“Me too. I’m looking forward to the trip with Mr. Bayer.”

Because they were in front of Maja and Dahlia, the two, who pretended to laugh ‘Haha’ and ‘Hoho’, each settled in the carriage. And Maja and Dahlia, after exchanging warm looks, took their places beside them.

“Then, let’s go.”

We have already finished the greetings for both our parents, so our departure wouldn’t take any longer.

“Jude! Have a pleasant journey!”

Gaël, who was in the garden, raised his voice, and Count Bayer nodded. Count Chase snorted as usual.

‘You do know ‘how to pay’, right?’

T/N: The “how to pay” phrase that I used here is actually “N빵,” which is a Korean slang for a paying system where the total cost is divided by the number of people and then paid.

For example, five people had dinner at a restaurant and the total sum was $100, so each person has to pay $20 because $100 divided by 5 people is $20. This system is called N빵 (N-ppang).

Source: OpenSlang Dictionary

Cordelia’s gaze turned to Jude’s waist. It was because she saw the money bag that Count Chase gave to Jude when he said hello earlier.

Jude shrugged his shoulders, pretending to not know the answer, and then looked out the opposite window.

To the northeast.

Towards the heart of the north.

“Hiyaa!”

The carriage set off with the cry of the horseman.

It was the start of the main scenario.