The Useless Extra Knows It All....But Does He?

Chapter 475: Chapter 474 - Lead the Way! (3)

Silence followed the deafening impact.

For the briefest instant, the enormous study seemed suspended in time as another cloud of shattered marble and pulverized stone erupted into the air. Dust rolled across the chamber like a living tide, swallowing bookshelves, pillars, and broken furniture beneath a gray veil while fragments of wood continued falling from above with dull, scattered thuds.

Nothing could be seen clearly.

Only drifting silhouettes remained.

Then—

A sharp crack echoed from within the dust.

A dark figure burst out of the smoke, using the fractured remains of a stone pillar as a foothold before launching himself forward once again.

Luca’s crimson eyes remained completely focused.

Blood continued dripping slowly from the wound across his shoulder, staining the torn fabric of his academy uniform, yet his expression carried neither panic nor hesitation.

Both sabers flashed simultaneously.

Their silver edges crossed through the lingering dust like twin streaks of lightning aimed directly toward the Duke.

The attack came from an unexpected angle.

Not toward the center.

Not toward the spear.

Instead, Luca twisted his body in midair, allowing one saber to descend toward the Duke’s shoulder while the second curved inward several moments later, deliberately delaying its timing to create an opening where none appeared to exist.

It was an elegant combination.

Fast.

Precise.

Deceptive.

The Duke watched quietly.

Then—

The massive black spear rotated only a fraction.

The heavy shaft intercepted the descending saber effortlessly before continuing its motion without the slightest interruption. The spearhead then shifted almost imperceptibly, meeting the second blade with equal ease before either strike could complete its trajectory.

Steel rang throughout the chamber.

Luca’s entire sequence collapsed before reaching its conclusion.

The Duke’s movements remained astonishingly economical.

No wasted strength.

No unnecessary flourish.

Every movement existed solely because it needed to.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

Luca landed lightly upon the fractured floor before immediately retreating three steps as the spear swept horizontally through the space his body had occupied only an instant earlier.

The compressed air alone shattered another section of the study wall.

His breathing remained controlled.

His thoughts, however, raced continuously.

What is this...?

Another thrust arrived.

Luca pivoted sideways.

The spearhead grazed past his chest close enough for him to feel the cold metal brushing against his clothes.

He redirected the weapon using both sabers before slipping toward the Duke’s flank.

Again—

The black spear reversed direction impossibly fast.

Luca abandoned the attack entirely.

He ducked.

The spear passed overhead.

Its momentum continued seamlessly into another strike aimed directly toward his legs.

He jumped.

The spear crashed into the floor beneath him, sending fractured stone exploding upward.

Luca twisted through the flying debris before landing atop one of the broken marble slabs scattered throughout the study.

Not even a heartbeat passed before the Duke was already standing before him.

The spear descended.

Luca crossed both sabers above his head.

The collision shook his entire body.

His knees bent instinctively beneath the overwhelming force as cracks immediately spread across the marble beneath his feet.

Another strike.

Another block.

Another retreat.

The rhythm never stopped.

Every exchange forced him further backward.

Every collision reminded him of the enormous difference separating them.

He’s overwhelming me completely...

The realization wasn’t discouraging.

It was simply the truth.

Luca had fought powerful opponents before.

Powerful beasts.

Gifted students.

Ancient remnants.

Yet none of them resembled this.

The Duke wasn’t defeating him through greater mana.

Nor superior speed alone.

He was controlling every inch of the battlefield.

Every dodge Luca made naturally placed him exactly where the next spear strike was already waiting.

Every defensive movement gradually narrowed his available options.

It felt less like fighting...

And more like being guided through an invisible path whose ending had already been decided.

Another exchange erupted.

Luca deflected the spearhead outward.

The Duke immediately shifted his grip.

The butt of the spear swept toward Luca’s ribs.

He blocked with his left saber.

The impact spun him halfway around involuntarily.

Before he could recover, another thrust had already arrived.

Luca barely managed to lean backward.

The spearhead passed within centimeters of his throat.

His heartbeat remained astonishingly calm.

Think.

Another strike.

Another dodge.

Don’t chase the weapon.

Another clash.

Watch the shoulders.

The Duke’s body hardly moved.

His feet remained planted.

His shoulders...

Luca’s eyes narrowed.

Every attack began there.

Not from the spear.

Not from the hands.

The smallest movement of the shoulders preceded every transition.

Barely noticeable.

Almost invisible.

Yet it existed.

Luca stopped looking at the spear altogether.

Instead—

His attention focused entirely upon the Duke himself.

The shoulders.

The hips.

The shifting of weight.

The subtle tightening of muscles before each movement.

Gradually—

The seemingly impossible rhythm became slightly clearer.

Not predictable.

Never that.

But understandable.

Another thrust exploded forward.

Luca didn’t wait for the spear.

He moved before it.

The attack narrowly missed.

For the first time since the battle had begun—

He appeared exactly where the Duke had not expected.

Not behind.

Not beside.

Directly inside the spear’s optimal range.

The opening lasted less than a fraction of a second.

Most people would never even notice it.

Luca did.

Both sabers flashed simultaneously.

The first blade deliberately struck the shaft of the spear, not to damage it but to alter its angle by the smallest possible amount.

The second saber immediately followed.

Instead of aiming toward the Duke’s center—

It curved unexpectedly toward his forearm.

The movement contained no wasted force.

No hesitation.

Only perfect timing.

The Duke’s violet eyes sharpened almost imperceptibly.

His arm shifted.

Almost fast enough.

Almost.

The edge of Luca’s saber slid cleanly across the Duke’s forearm before the black spear finally intercepted it.

A thin crimson line appeared across weathered skin.

Tiny.

Barely more than a scratch.

Yet unmistakably real.

The entire study fell silent.

The Duke slowly lowered his gaze toward the narrow cut upon his forearm.

Then his eyes returned to Luca.

For the first time since this battle had begun—

Something changed within the Duke’s expression.

It wasn’t surprise.

It wasn’t anger.

It was...

Approval.

Silence settled over the shattered study.

The violent clashes that had echoed through the room only moments earlier had completely disappeared, leaving behind nothing but the quiet creaking of damaged bookshelves and the occasional fragment of broken stone slipping onto the fractured floor. Dust continued drifting lazily through the golden rays of sunlight pouring in from the towering windows, giving the devastated chamber an almost surreal tranquility.

Neither man moved.

Luca remained standing several meters away, both twin sabers still held firmly in his hands. His breathing was heavier than when the battle had begun, a thin line of blood still traced its way down his shoulder, and countless small tears marked his academy uniform. Yet despite the fatigue settling into his muscles, his crimson eyes never left the towering figure standing opposite him.

The Duke stood exactly where he had finished the exchange.

The enormous black spear rested quietly beside him, its butt planted firmly against the shattered stone floor. The tiny crimson line upon his forearm—the only mark left by the entire battle—had already begun drying beneath the morning air.

For a long while, neither of them uttered a single word.

The atmosphere had changed completely.

The crushing hostility that had dominated the study moments earlier had vanished, replaced instead by a quiet understanding that required no explanation.

Eventually, the old Duke released a slow, measured breath.

The sound carried throughout the vast chamber.

Then, in his deep, hoarse voice, he finally spoke.

"Do you remember..."

His burning eyes remained fixed upon Luca.

"...the first time we met?"

Luca blinked once.

The question caught him completely off guard.

His thoughts instinctively drifted backward.

To the Imperial Capital.

To the grand noble ball hosted beneath glittering chandeliers inside the Astravia Imperial Palace.

He remembered standing among countless influential nobles, military commanders, and political figures whose names alone carried enough weight to shake kingdoms.

And among them...

He had met the Iron Duke.

Even now, the memory remained vivid.

The overwhelming aura the old man naturally carried had nearly forced him to his knees ,being directed at him intentionally. Back then, simply enduring the Duke’s presence without showing weakness had required every ounce of determination Luca possessed, and even afterward his body had suffered internal injuries from resisting that immense pressure.

Compared to today...

It almost felt like another lifetime.

The Duke continued speaking before Luca could answer.

"Back then..."

His weathered gaze remained calm.

"...you could not even withstand my pressure without injuring yourself."

The words carried no mockery.

Only simple observation.

His eyes slowly traveled across Luca’s current figure.

The torn uniform.

The blood staining one shoulder.

The twin sabers still resting comfortably within his hands.

Then the old man gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"And now..."

A faint smile, barely noticeable beneath his beard, appeared upon his face.

"...you stand before me crossing weapons without losing your composure."

His voice grew quieter.

Almost reflective.

"It truly is as the old saying goes..."

He lifted his gaze toward the sunlight filtering through the damaged ceiling.

"...the young inevitably surpass the old."

Luca’s tense shoulders gradually relaxed.

The battle was over.

He could feel it now.

The suffocating sense of danger that had accompanied every heartbeat since entering the study had completely disappeared.

With a helpless smile, he slowly returned both sabers to his storage ring before rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I think the Duke is giving me far too much credit."

The old man raised an eyebrow.

Luca laughed softly.

"I spent the entire battle doing nothing but dodge, block, and pray that my instincts didn’t fail me."

His smile became slightly more wry.

"And after struggling that much..."

He glanced briefly toward the thin scratch upon the Duke’s forearm.

"...I could only leave behind something so superficial that it will probably disappear before lunchtime."

He shook his head gently.

"I still cannot compare to the Duke."

For several moments, the older man simply looked at him.

Then—

A deep, booming laugh erupted throughout the ruined study.

"Hahaha...!"

The powerful laughter echoed against the cracked walls, carrying none of the imposing authority from before. Instead, it sounded genuinely amused, causing even the dust lingering within the room to tremble slightly.

Outside the study, several passing servants instinctively glanced toward the closed doors in surprise before quickly continuing their work.

Inside—

The Duke continued laughing for several more moments before finally calming himself.

He looked toward Luca once again.

This time, there was unmistakable warmth within his burning eyes.

Not the warmth of affection.

Nor the warmth of familiarity.

It was the look of an old warrior acknowledging someone he believed worthy of standing before him.

Slowly, he rested both hands upon the shaft of the enormous black spear.

Then, with a faint smile still lingering beneath his beard, he spoke.

"Now..."

His deep voice filled the quiet study once more.

"...shall we have a talk, young man?"