Chapter 70
"Wait, what?"
Joshua found himself in an absurd situation.
A student entered the classroom and dragged Joshua out to a relatively unknown location.
It was Amaru bron Sten with his tiny eyes, and he nonchalantly bent his head in front of Joshua.
"I said, I'm sorry."
"..."
"I was completely ignorant of the weapon called the spear, and I mocked it. I'm repenting."
Joshua’s mouth went agape in response to Amaru's words.
'Was he actually this kind of person in the beginning?'
It was absurd since the nobles' pride was so great ordinary people couldn't even begin to comprehend it. The nobles could sacrifice their lives for their pride, so it was ridiculous to see one of them bowing down like this.
Especially if the one bowing had the Sten Family’s blood running through their veins. After all, the Sten Family was one of the most prestigious families on the continent.
Joshua grinned bitterly while looking at Amaru, who was still bowing toward him.
"Let's forget about it. I had mocked you as well."
"Will you forgive me?"
"It isn’t something to ask forgiveness for…"
Amaru's face brightened at Joshua’s response.
Amaru looked up and muttered, "Thank you!"
"It's fine to express gratitude—"
"Can you enlighten me about something then?"
'So this is why...'
Joshua finally saw what Amaru was trying to do. He grinned and responded, "What?"
“I still have no idea about the depth of your spear skill, but before I lost consciousness, I felt a great power being pushed into my gut.”
"...?"
Joshua was puzzled. Amaru noticed that and continued. "I learned that when two points are connected, the key to finishing the fight quickly is to run in a straight line toward the enemy. It's a faster and easier way to end the fight. It’s also a great way to feel at ease when fighting because it’s really satisfying to end a fight that way."
"..."
"I felt like my entire body was spinning the moment I ran in a straight line toward you, and then that unknown power struck me. It's a simple technique, but I hypothesize that it's much more complicated than that. I really felt like my body was being twisted into a spiral."
"...!"
Joshua's eyes widened a bit.
'He felt like he was revolving?'
Joshua stared at the slanted-eyed boy in front of him with an incredulous look. He?expected it to a certain extent because he was of Arie bron Sten's bloodline, but Amaru was way beyond his expectations.
'He was struck with an unknown force and was forced to endure extreme pain, yet he wasn’t ashamed of his defeat. He was also devoted enough that he even asked his opponent, Joshua, for a martial art lesson. In addition, he was talented as well.'
Joshua frowned. 'Why haven't I heard of this guy in my past life?'
Joshua held his chin and pondered and then nodded as if he finally came to conclusion.
Agareth had clearly said it.
Similarly, Amaru had a talented older sibling.
Joshua recalled a face from his old memories.
'Right…Arie bron Sten was succeeded by one child. However, that child didn’t look anything like his father, unlike Amaru.'
The future Sten Family didn’t follow the Agnus Family's path to downfall.
It was all because of how successful they were in handling the civil war. They managed to remain completely neutral because of their remarkable ability to discern the tides of war. They eventually survived until the end.
Unfortunately, their path had never always been rainbows and butterflies.
After all, the Stens weren’t originally a noble family. However, they were instantly recognized as a 'prestigious family' after the appearance of the incredible genius Arie bron Sten.
After the fragile Arie bron Sten retired to the back line, the Sten Family didn’t manage to produce another genius equivalent to him for decades. Eventually, the family's lifeblood, as well as everything else, vanished.
Naturally, the Sten Family pursued a simple life afterward.
'But Sten is still a count, and if this kind of guy succeeds him…'
A faint ray of light momentarily gleamed in Joshua's eyes as he looked at Amaru.
If it had been the case in Joshua’s past life, the Sten would have enjoyed the same prosperity the current five ducal families were experiencing.
Unfortunately, there were no what-ifs in history.
Since he already had his own life to handle, it wasn’t Joshua’s job to turn everyone else’s life for the better.
"So…can you enlighten me?"
"..."
At that, Joshua raised his head. His mouth twitched, and a chuckle spilled out when he saw the slightly impatient look on Amaru’s face.
"I'll share it with you."
"Really?"
"On one condition."
"...?"
Amaru seemed doubtful. However, Joshua continued. "One should always return the gesture in kind. I also have a few questions that I'd like you to answer."
"Then? Are we now friends?" asked Amaru.
"Friends?" Joshua asked with a perplexed look.
Amaru nodded in response. "Providing each other the help we require when needed. Isn’t such a connection called a friendship?"
"..."
Joshua stared blankly at Amaru for a while before he burst out laughing.
"It's up to you how you want to label this connection, but I doubt it will be well received by your friends."
"Friends?" Amaru tilted his head and asked.
"I met your circle of friends at the cafeteria the other day, remember?."
"Ah, them." Amaru scowled as though he understood it. "I'm only with them not because I like them but because it's a dumb move to be alone. It’s annoying how they follow me around, but I never thought of them as friends. They're just a bunch of foxes lusting for power."
"Remove those foxes from your life, then." Joshua broke out into laughter when the bright idea came to him. "Speed is more complicated than you think."
Amaru focused after noticing that Joshua was plunging into a major topic without notice.
Joshua saw what Amaru was doing, but he coolly continued. “To achieve extreme speed, it's not just about a straight line. You have to connect the dots. Basically, ponder about this, and find your own path by yourself.”
"It's not a straight line?" Amaru had been silently mumbling along with Joshua's words, but he suddenly opened his eyes wide. "That's all to it?"
"Only through constant pondering and practice can one truly build something. It's akin to research. You will end up with a disappointed heart and be stuck for the rest of your life if you want the answer to be fed to you."
"Well…"
Joshua's eyes lit up when he saw Amaru’s slight smile.
"Now… let me ask you something."
Amaru quickly nodded. "Anything. I'll answer any question you ask me unless it’s about my family's esoteric swordsmanship."
"You don’t have to tell me about that."
Joshua blushed a little when the Sten Family's swordsmanship was brought up.
"I have two questions for you: one about the academy's circles, and the other is about…" Joshua continued in a low voice. "Shimizu kun Douglas."
***
“An urgent letter has arrived, Your Majesty."
Emperor Marcus pondering on the throne raised his head silently at the voice.
Jacken, the chief of the intelligence department under the emperor's direct supervision, was bowing at the foot of the stairs, waiting for the emperor to speak.
"Speak up."
Jacken raised his head at the emperor’s words.
"A letter from Swallow has arrived."
"Swallow… That has to be from Draxia."
"It says: the previously announced plan will be implemented sooner than expected, so I hope Your Majesty alters your commitment to meet the schedule.”
“It appears that Thran's retaliation is stronger than expected." Emperor Marcus chuckled before saying, "As I already stated, no military support can be provided, but Draxia should be pleased if the empire's two Masters are sent as reinforcements.
"That should be sufficient."
"In that case, send Geschhard and Arie. Make sure to tell them that they should stay under the radar and take down any obstacles that might risk their covers. That should be enough."
"All right. I will issue their deployment with an edict.”
Emperor Marcus nodded in response to Jacken's answer.
“If it is revealed that we are behind that, we could be accused of being war criminals, and we will be condemned by the entire continent. I’m not afraid of that, but there's no harm in taking extra precautions."
When Emperor Marcus’ words fell, he returned to pondering on the throne.
"I still have a separate report for you, Your Majesty.”
"...?"
Emperor Marcus gestured, asking Jacken to continue.
"Joshua von Agnus has enrolled at the Avalon Imperial Academy through the pseudonym Ash pen Frederick."
"Ah… he’s such an interesting boy."
An amused light flashed across Emperor Marcus’ eyes. This was a surprise since Emperor Marcus always looked constantly bored, even when talking about unusual things every day.
"Yes. It was also said that he and Amaru bron Sten got into a fight because Joshua insulted the Sten Family's swordsmanship. It was a fight to restore the Sten Family's honor, but Amaru lost."
"If it’s Sten, isn’t that Arie’s family?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Interesting…"
Emperor Marcus revealed a genuine grin.
‘This is a work of art.’
The Sten Family was one of the proudest prestigious families of the empire.
However, Joshua actually got into trouble with them on his first day at school.
'Well, it makes sense. After all, even the treasure of the empire Babel von Agnus was no match for him,' Emperor Marcus inwardly muttered.
Emperor Marcus then folded his arms and said, "Jacken."
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
"Have I ever expressed concern about the hasty admissions of high-ranking nobles?"
At Emperor Marcus’ question, Jacken immediately shook his head. "Your Majesty has always been frank about whether something is good or bad, and Your Majesty still bestowed upon your benevolence even to the weak."
"Yes." Emperor Marcus’ smile widened, and he said, "Jacken, I'll assign you a task."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"I want you to enlist that child in the Knights Templar of the Empire. I'll write a letter of recommendation if necessary."
"...!"
Jacken's eyes widened in surprise at the shocking remark. It was tough to enlist in the knightly orders of the empire, but Emperor Marcus said that he would write a recommendation letter. It meant that he was willing to ignore the conventions just to help someone get enlisted in the Knights Templar.
However, Emperor Marcus was sitting in the highest seat of the empire.
His words were the empire’s laws.
No one could refute his words.
"Of course, I have taken into consideration the time when he defeated our knights. It was a bit silly of me to say that he might need a letter of recommendation. He’s that good, after all."
In Emperor Marcus’ eyes, Joshua was still a child.
He was apparently the greatest talent to have ever existed, but he was still a child.
Although he had forced an Imperial Knight to take ten steps back during his mana test, the Imperial Admission Test was hard because it was more practical. It seemed Emperor Marcus wanted Joshua to undergo an informal admission test rather than going through the annual Imperial Admission Test.
‘He has to put his life on the line. Otherwise, he’ll be a loser and will have to kiss Knighthood goodbye. Is there even a greater dishonor than being deprived of the chance to become a knight?’
If the fruits fell before they were ripe, the losses would be huge. After all, the owner would have no choice but to throw the fruits away.
That was why Emperor Marcus mentioned the recommendation letter…
However, it didn’t take Emperor Marcus long to realize that his thoughts had been a waste of time.
Th𝓮 most uptodate nov𝑒ls are published on freew(e)bnove(l).𝓬𝓸𝓶