Chapter 28 – Pouring Interest (1)

Sanson could not reject Henry’s request.

Since he had politely indicated that he would accept Sanson’s proposal, but wanted to reconfirm the conditions before that.

To the question of whether it couldn’t be done later, Henry only returned the reply that once that time came, it would be irreversible.

‘The situation is absurd.’

A Class C trainee taking his time over a recruitment proposal.

In a universal case, it would be something unimaginable.

In fact, such a proposal itself was a case that did not make sense.

However, the special circumstances of his overwhelming talent, and having a family to return to even if it was fallen, had created this situation.

‘I hope it ends quickly.’

Sanson was gradually feeling anxious.

The knights of other families were waiting for him.

It would not be polite if it dragged on too long.

‘To instill conviction in a short amount of time… I shouldn’t do it half-heartedly.’

If he just went easy on him, Henry was sure to feel it was insufficient.

“Raise your sword.”

Sanson chose a real sword by his authority as an observer.

Both Henry and Sanson himself.

“Will you start right away?”

“Yes.”

“Come in with whatever you want. I will make sure you enjoy what you can obtain in Timothy.”

The two began to clash swords.

The training ground was empty right now.

A training of only the two of them, without a single spectator.

Of course, that was strictly from Sanson’s perspective.

[Will you give 100,000 won if he evades this time too??]

[Oop Oop-jwa is silent lololol]

[Wow, he didn’t get hit by this lol. His physical is crazy lolol]

For Henry was currently accompanied by a whopping 150 spectators.

Even with Sanson in front of him, Henry was even conducting the broadcast.

“From now on, I will drag out time. The mission given by Mage Oop Oop was to have 2/3 or more of the knights visiting the academy offer me recruitment proposals.”

“Your fighting spirit is good!”

“…It seems what I am saying right now is heard as a fighting spirit. At any rate, if I drag out time like this, the knights who grew tired of waiting will come here. Because they will be curious about what on earth I am for Sir Sanson to show such interest.”

“Marvelous!”

[He’s suddenly exuding airhead charm lolol]

[Sanson is so cute lolol]

[What if the knights don’t come? Are you sure?]

“I am sure. For the past three years, what I could do were things unrelated to growth. I likely know the structure of how the academy runs better than any trainee.”

The knights participating in the observation enter together, and exit together.

That was the rule here.

“And there is something I prepared to use once the knights arrive.”

Earlier, Sanson had said,

that during the spar, Henry had grown.

That must have been thanks to his swordsmanship proficiency rising by one level.

[Level 2 Talent Bead (Transformation)]

So this was what Henry had prepared.

The bead purchased based on the sponsorship funds Oop Oop had showered him with.

‘I wanted to buy it in a bundle, but it can’t be helped.’

It was true that he felt regretful.

As such, the effect would surely be clear.

What remained was only to hold out until the knights arrived while suppressing Sanson’s anxiety.

***

There were numerous nobles in the Vallaran Kingdom, but among them, the families with strong influence were categorized into roughly ten.

Two Ducal Houses.

Three Marquisates.

Five Count houses.

They were the ones who could practically exert influence even up to the royal family, and at the foundation of that influence was the excellently raised knight order within their families.

However, the most overwhelming among them were, naturally, the two Ducal Houses represented by Puret and Roderick.

It was not simply a matter of titles.

Duke Puret and Duke Roderick.

It was thanks to the knight orders commanded by the two men being at a level comparable to the Royal Knight Order.

In the kingdom of knights, the level of the knights under one’s command was directly linked to the standing of the master.

Therefore,

“Sir Sanson is taking longer than expected.”

“Indeed. Could something have happened?”

Luden, a knight of the Roderick Ducal House.

Taylor, a knight of the Puret Ducal House.

The two possessed the strongest voice among the observers of the Vallaran Royal Academy this time.

The fact that other knights had waited quietly for Sanson was also because the two men had said nothing.

‘I spared time for him, and yet…’

‘He is holding people up for too long. We need to head back quickly.’

Now, the patience of the two was gradually running out.

They had only paid attention out of a bit of pity.

Because their background as Ducal Houses allowed them to take the largest number of trainees from here.

Thanks to a newcomer coming from the Timothy Marquisate, which belonged to the competitors, they could harvest even more.

But this was crossing the line.

“Shall we go take a look?”

“Let’s do so. If a problem occurred, we should help. Since the time is quite late…”

The fifth training ground.

The knights moved in a swarm to the place Sanson had visited alone.

Trainees’ gazes gathered.

Such gazes of admiration were familiar to them.

And when they arrived at the training ground,

“It seems they are… in the middle of a spar.”

“Who is the opponent?”

“He looks like a trainee. Since we haven’t seen him before, he must belong to Class C. But that mana operation… hmm, it’s clean.”

At Luden’s admiration, Taylor peeked inside.

Other knights followed suit.

Evaluations of the trainee clashing swords with Sanson followed, and it was no different from Luden’s.

“Indeed, excellent. The basics are solidly established.”

“But as a knight… well. It only looks to me like Sir Sanson is wasting time.”

“His swordsmanship is also relatively excellent. But I also… huh.”

Taylor froze.

The same went for Luden, who had spoken first, and the other knights.

Because while they were watching, Henry’s level had clearly advanced by a step.

“…Did I see correctly?”

“Amazing.”

“It seems he has obtained an enlightenment. It is something to celebrate.”

[Transformation]. The skill of changing the form of mana at will became far more sophisticated.

And it did not end there.

“There was still more left. He grew again.”

“Indeed… it is understandable why Sir Sanson’s heart was captured.”

Once again, the trainee’s skill grew.

This time, [Focus].

For he could see that the technique of focusing mana on the necessary spot had become cleaner.

There was no room for doubt.

While exchanging swords a few times, that trainee had obtained enlightenment and grown.

Under tacit agreement, the knights closed their mouths and quietly watched Henry Camilton’s training.

Assessing whether the scene they just saw was a coincidence or not.

“Ah, come to think of it.”

At that moment, a knight of a Count family opened his mouth.

He was in a position where he had been quietly reading the room the entire time.

However, seeing that the knights of the Ducal Houses were showing interest in that trainee right now, he judged it was an opportunity to score points.

“There is a rumor I heard. Seeing that Instructor Kiana said something similar earlier, I believe it is quite reliable content.”

Receiving curious gazes, the knight began his explanation.

That the trainee’s name was Henry Camilton, and he was in a position where he hadn’t even felt mana for the past three years.

That he underwent rapid growth while the short vacation passed, and judging by that, that growth might not be a coincidence.

“…The young master of the Timothy Marquisate was a student of the academy, was he not?”

“He was in the same Class C as that Henry Camilton.”

Only then did the atmosphere of the knights change.

Sanson had not been stupidly wasting time.

He was merely investing reasonable time after discovering an overwhelming talent that blossomed late.

‘Perhaps the fact that he didn’t take anyone else was also intentional.’

If his idea was to give up on all other trainees and bring only that Henry Camilton.

If it was to make him feel indebted in the process and secure time to be alone like now.

‘I completely misjudged.’

‘I was missing out on a gem. No wonder. I thought he was simply trying to execute the command given by Marquis Timothy.’

In fact, it was so.

For it was a known fact to everyone that Bane Timothy attended the academy, and as such, they had only understood it as the Marquis’s intention to give his son some leverage.

“Ahem.”

Sir Luden entered the training ground with a cough. The knights who had been reading the room accompanied him.

“Ah, Luden.”

“I came over wondering if something had happened. It was an interesting spar.”

“…You were watching. I am only sorry for making you wait. It is finished now, so I will wrap up quickly and…”

“No, it is fine. We would also like to have a chat with that trainee.”

“…Pardon?”

Sanson narrowed his brow.

Because this was too blatant.

But the other party was someone he could not treat lightly, and it was an unwritten rule not to interfere when one wished to speak with a usable trainee.

‘But even so, this is…’

Isn’t it excessive?

Feeling that way, Sanson changed his mind once again.

‘At any rate, they do not know Henry’s background.’

Even if they find out,

there weren’t many figures who would shoulder the entire burden of the Camilton Viscount family.

‘It should be fine.’

It would be fine, and it had to be.

Also, considering the reactions Henry had shown so far, it was clear it was not something to worry about too much.

However, at that time, Henry,

“The knights have finally arrived. Fortunately, I succeeded in holding out. It is clear they feel attracted to me, but I must not give up at just that level.”

had already completed preparations to negotiate using himself as the product long ago.

What he wanted to obtain?

Naturally, executing Oop Oop’s mission was the top priority, and along with it, helping Viscount Camilton who must be struggling in the countryside.

It was a difficult goal, but Henry was confident.

“I will begin slowly. First, I should let them know what I want.”

***

Surrounded by the knights,

Henry quickly thought and drew a conclusion.

‘It is the proper order to reveal the problems I mentioned to Sanson first. Aside from that, the conversation should be held in a place where everyone is together.’

He had already shown his capability.

However, they probably could not fully grasp what kind of person Henry Camilton was with just that.

Without making Sanson, who had reached out first, feel displeased, Henry had to raise his worth further.

‘In effect, it’s no different from an auction. An auction held over the product named Henry Camilton. Revealing the risks first, and raising my worth with conditions too sweet to give up.’

The winning bid price decided after that?

depended solely on Henry’s eloquence.

Of course, he had no intention of being sold off regardless of how much was called.

“I apologize. I have already spoken with Sir Sanson.”

The start was a refusal.

An attitude of “I have no intention of following you.”

It was the most basic flow, but Henry currently had the guts to display this much guts.

“I know. But Henry, trainees who have proven their capability have the qualification to converse with all of us.”

“Thank you for looking upon me favorably. However, I have a difficult condition.”

This time, he explained the risk.

That he had a family he must inherit, exactly what state it was in, and that he could never give up on that situation.

But that Sanson had taken ‘what kind’ of concrete measures, taking into account his circumstances.

It was content difficult for the knights to accept easily, and naturally, Henry’s appeal did not end there.

“This kind of situation is unfamiliar to me. Even just two weeks ago, I could not feel even a handful of mana. Although I grew rapidly in a short period, my honest feeling is that I am not even sure if this is truly my own skill.”

Wrapping it in humility, he firmly impressed his own value.

‘Henry Camilton reached this stage in just two weeks.

As you also saw just now, that Henry achieved growth even during a brief spar.

This is definitely Henry Camilton’s skill, and as it is not a fluke, he will continue to grow at this rate hereafter.’

The knights had already confirmed that fact with their own two eyes.

Naturally.

[Their eyes have rolled back lolol]

[Right now, at least three of them have truly lost their minds lolol]

[Sanson has a completely devastated expression lolol. He is packed with a sense of betrayal lolol]

The response of the knights was exactly as Henry expected.

BJ Swordmaster