...
{3rd Pov}
Flugel continued working on his magic. After some consideration, he decided that before attempting more complicated concepts, he first needed to establish a proper foundation for his new Magic System. There was no point trying to create exotic spells that defied the world's understanding if he lacked a stable framework to build upon.
Thus, he decided to create at least one spell for every tier and every elemental attribute before delving into magic that would be considered attributeless by this world's standards or concepts that did not exist within Od Laguna's magical theory at all.
For the first tier of elemental magic, he created the following spells:
Tier 1: [Fireball] [Waterball] [Wind Bullet] [Crystal Bullet] [Ice Bullet] [Earth Bullet] [Lightball]
They were all basic spells.
Nothing particularly impressive.
None of them possessed devastating destructive power, and against truly powerful opponents they would barely qualify as an annoyance.
However, that was not their purpose.
Their purpose was to serve as the foundation stones of an entirely different magical system.
Even creating these simple spells required a surprising amount of effort from him. Each spell had to be reconstructed, integrating principles foreign to Od Laguna while still remaining functional enough to be cast through conventional mana.
The process thankfully wasn't that complicated as it was simply modifying the existing spells.
Naturally, there were trade-offs.
Flugel quickly realized that by creating these structured spells, he was sacrificing some of the versatility that traditional magic offered.
For example, he could still control the power behind the spell by increasing or decreasing the amount of mana supplied to it.
A larger mana investment would naturally create a stronger attack.
That aspect remained unchanged.
However, he could no longer freely alter the shape of the spell once the incantation had been established.
A Fireball would remain a Fireball.
A Wind Bullet would remain a Wind Bullet.
The spell formula itself already defined the final structure.
The shape was predetermined from the moment the incantation was completed.
In exchange for losing that flexibility, the spells gained greater stability and consistency.
Every cast would produce nearly identical results.
Which, from Flugel's perspective, was an acceptable compromise.
After all, he was not trying to improve Od Laguna's magic.
He was trying to create an entirely different system altogether.
The biggest advantage of these spells, however, was something entirely different. Since every spell was mixed with one of his three supernatural energies, Aura, Ki, or Psychic energy, they should theoretically bypass Od Laguna's perception to some extent. At the very least, they would not be recognized in the same manner as ordinary magic that operated entirely within the world's established framework.
Of course, this was still only a theory.
Subaru had yet to properly test it.
The problem was that he currently lacked a suitable test subject. To verify whether these spells could truly bypass certain aspects of Od Laguna's authority, he would need someone possessing the appropriate Divine Protection or a similar ability connected directly to the world's system.
Until he obtained such an opportunity, the theory would remain unproven.
Meanwhile, life continued moving forward.
One day, Reid's father informed the Heavenly Sword that he had been invited to meet the Crown Prince of Lugunica, Farsale.
Naturally, the invitation was less of a request and more of a summons.
At this point in history, Lugunica was very different from the nation Subaru remembered.
The Lugunica of four hundred years in the future would become a massive kingdom, one of the Great Nations of the world and a political powerhouse whose influence extended across the continent.
The current Lugunica, however, was still relatively small.
It had not yet grown into the behemoth of a nation it would eventually become.
Its territory was more limited, and influence was more localized with many of the institutions Subaru considered iconic had either not yet been established or existed only in primitive forms.
Even the royal family followed a different theme or ideology.
The rulers of this era were commonly referred to as the Lion Kings.
The title carried immense prestige throughout the kingdom and was deeply connected to the nation's identity.
According to the stories of this age, the term Lion originated from a legendary beast known as the King of Kings.
A creature that embodied majesty, courage, and rulership above all others.
Flugel found the detail particularly interesting.
After giving it some thought, he eventually reached a conclusion.
The concept of lions should not naturally exist within this world.
Which meant the knowledge likely originated from one of the previous summoned Sages.
Someone from another world who had introduced the concept centuries ago.
Based on the historical clues available to him, Flugel estimated that the idea of the lion and its symbolism had probably been brought into this world at least six hundred years ago, if not earlier.
Just another small piece of evidence that outsiders had been influencing the history of this world long before Natsuki Subaru ever arrived.
Lugunica was already nearly six hundred years old at this point in history. The kingdom was still plagued by numerous internal and external issues, many of which would continue to shape its development for centuries to come.
One of the most significant problems was food production.
Although agricultural yields in this world were already absurdly high compared to what Subaru remembered comparatively from Earth's medieval ages, largely due to the influence of mana on the environment, that did not mean the kingdom was free from shortages.
The land of Lugunica had yet to receive the blessings that would later be associated with the Divine Dragon.
Likewise, many advanced agricultural concepts, farming techniques, and methods of large scale cultivation simply did not exist yet.
People relied heavily on tradition, experience, and favorable conditions.
When those conditions failed, problems quickly followed.
As a result, securing a stable food supply remained one of the kingdom's greatest concerns.
It was because of this issue that Reid's father explained the purpose of the Crown Prince's upcoming journey.
According to him, the Crown Prince would be traveling to a neighboring kingdom in order to negotiate a deal related to food imports and agricultural resources.
The success of those negotiations could potentially affect a large portion of Lugunica's population.
Naturally, such a mission carried risks.
Political tensions, bandits and assassination attempts were common and when royalty became involved, those risks only increased further.
Because of that, Reid had been assigned the task of protecting the Crown Prince during the negotiations.
To people from the future, assigning the Heavenly Sword to such a mission would have been excessive.
To current Lugunica, it was simply good insurance.
After all, if someone capable of threatening Reid Astrea appeared, then the negotiations would likely be the least of their problems.
Upon hearing the details of the journey, Flugel found himself somewhat interested.
The same could be said for Echidna.
One was curious about the politics and history of this era and the other was curious about practically everything and so, after a brief discussion, both Flugel and Echidna decided to tag along for the trip.
Thankfully, after a considerable amount of effort, Flugel had finally managed to create an Aura Ring capable of cleansing Echidna's miasma. The development of his new Magic System had helped him tremendously in this regard, as it gave him a better understanding of how to manually weave Aura into objects without causing the energy to dissipate immediately.
The process had been painfully slow.
Unlike his future self, who could manipulate such energies with far greater ease, the current Flugel was still heavily restricted by the Timeline's interference.
As a result, he had been forced to imbue the ring little by little, carefully layering traces of Aura into the metal over an extended period of time until the final product could continuously suppress and cleanse Echidna's miasma.
Even then, the accomplishment came with a reminder of his current limitations.
He still could not utilize most of his Aura.
The majority of it remained inaccessible due to the restrictions imposed upon him.
That fact annoyed him every time he thought about it.
Still, a functioning Aura Ring was better than nothing.
"So, this is the capital of Lugunica," Flugel remarked as he gazed through the carriage window at the city spreading out before them.
The sight was fascinating afterall this was the capital of four hundred years ago.
Compared to the capital he remembered from the future, it looked considerably smaller.
In fact, if he had to estimate, it was perhaps only one fifth the size of the future Royal Capital.
The difference was immediately obvious.
The walls were smaller, districts were less developed, roads were narrower and many of the buildings looked far more primitive than the architecture he was familiar with.
Not to mention, nearly a third of the city appeared to consist of slums.
Large clusters of poorly maintained houses stretched across entire sections of the capital, creating a sharp contrast between the wealthy districts and the impoverished ones.
'I guess even four hundred years ago this thing was no different', he thought, though it made him more disappointed with the future Lugunica for not solving this problem for like four centuries after.
"Hehe, this is the first time I've been able to visit such a densely populated place without everyone ending up dead," Echidna giggled while looking out the opposite side of the carriage.
Flugel slowly turned toward her.
"That's not a normal sentence."
"It is for me," she replied without the slightest hint of embarrassment.
"..."
The carriage continued rolling forward through the roads leading toward the capital.
Their journey had not been particularly comfortable.
Unlike modern transportation with better carriages and ground dragons, they were traveling in a carriage pulled by horses, which meant the trip had taken several days to complete.
"First time visiting a capital?" Reid Astrea asked while staring at Echidna with a questioning look. "Now that I think about it, how does a Witch like you even live? Do you stay hidden in some remote mountain cave or something?"
The question was surprisingly reasonable coming from Reid.
Which only made it more suspicious.
"What is with this sudden interest in my residence?" Echidna immediately fired back, narrowing her eyes slightly as she glanced at the Sword Saint.
"Hehe," Reid laughed. "Although you're weak, you're still hot, and stronger than most weaklings anyway."
Echidna's expression twitched slightly.
Being called weak again was rapidly becoming one of her least favorite experiences.
"And I'm pretty sure you're not the only Witch running around out there," Reid continued completely ignoring her reaction. "So naturally I want to meet the rest of them."
His grin widened.
"Either I can take them to bed, or maybe one of them can finally give me a fight worth remembering."
He openly declared his motivations without the slightest amount of shame.
Not even a token attempt to disguise his intentions.
Flugel stared at the shameless man in silence.
The idiot had just casually admitted that he wanted to meet the Witches so he could either flirt with them or fight them.
Possibly both.
Knowing Reid, probably both.
"Truly a barbarian," Echidna muttered under her breath.
"Thank you," Reid replied proudly.
"That wasn't a compliment."
"It is a compliment coming from a Witch, to call someone barbarian." Reid sneered.
"..."
Flugel felt another headache coming.
Then Reid suddenly turned toward him.
"Hehe, you don't need to worry about yourself, Flugel," he said while throwing an arm around his shoulder. "I don't touch women that belong to my lackeys."
Flugel's lips twitched.
A vein nearly appeared on his forehead.
The fact that Reid could say something so outrageous with complete sincerity somehow made it even worse.
Inside his head, however, Subaru was already imagining several methods of introducing Reid's face to the ground at high velocity.
'If I don't beat this guy into the dirt at least once, I genuinely won't be satisfied,' he thought.
The desire was becoming stronger with every passing conversation.
Unfortunately, outwardly he maintained the same calm and neutral smile he had been using ever since arriving in this era.
To everyone else, he looked perfectly composed.
Inside, however, he was adding another entry to the ever growing list titled:
"Reasons Reid Astrea Needs To Be Punched At Least Once."
"Hmm, since I was born a Witch, the people of my village gradually became accustomed to my miasma," Echidna explained. "It was extremely weak when I was young, so adapting to it was not particularly difficult. However, as I grew older, the miasma became stronger and stronger. At this point, ordinary people can no longer adapt to it no matter how much time passes."
Reid merely nodded.
"Sounds troublesome," he commented before immediately losing interest.
The carriage continued rolling forward for several more minutes before finally slowing down.
Then the driver's voice came from outside.
"Lord Reid, and esteemed guests, we have arrived at the gates of the Royal Castle."
Upon hearing those words, Reid Astrea stretched his arms and cracked his neck loudly.
Several unsettling popping sounds echoed through the carriage.
"I hope they've prepared a lavish feast for my arrival," he declared confidently.
The way he said it made it sound less like a hope and more like a threat.
"I highly doubt it will compare to what Sir Flugel prepares," Echidna immediately replied, she even licked her lips slightly.
The action was not meant to be seductive; it was pure greed of the Witch of Greed.
At this point, she had become completely addicted to Flugel's cooking.
Knowledge was still her greatest obsession.
But food had climbed surprisingly high on her list of priorities.
Flugel could not help but sigh.
Somehow, the Witch of Greed had developed a second greed.
Food.
The situation was made worse by the fact that he had unintentionally become responsible for nearly all cooking duties within their little group.
Thanks to a modified version of Al Shamak, he had created a personal pocket dimension that functioned as a storage space.
Whenever he needed ingredients, he could simply retrieve them from there.
To outsiders, it looked as though he was summoning food from thin air.
Naturally, both Reid and Echidna had been stunned when they first witnessed it.
Even now, neither of them fully understood how it worked.
The truth was far less impressive than it appeared.
He was not actually creating food.
He was simply storing it.
The pocket dimension acted as a massive warehouse where he kept ingredients, cooking supplies, and various other necessities.
Still, the effect was convenient enough that neither Reid nor Echidna cared about the details.
As far as they were concerned, Flugel possessed a mysterious ability that allowed him to produce ingredients and delicious food whenever he wished.
And honestly, that fact alone had probably increased his standing in Reid's eyes more than any magical accomplishment ever will be able to, after all food is good civilization.
Now for the modified Al Shamak, he had essentially fixed the coordinates of the pocket dimension to himself, creating a small alternate space that remained connected to his existence. Whenever he needed something, he simply retrieved it from there. Over time, he had filled the dimension with supplies, ingredients, equipment, spare clothing, books, and countless other items that could prove useful during travel.
It was one of the most practical applications of his modified Al Shamak which he was going to use as rations for long journeys like these.
Of course, technically speaking, Flugel could have simply teleported everyone directly to the capital.
The journey would have taken seconds instead of days.
The problem was appearances.
Even Reid Astrea, who openly complained about traveling by carriage and considered the entire process tedious, still had to make the journey properly.
After all, they were representing House Astrea.
Political appearances that had to be maintained.
Nobles did not simply appear out of nowhere to a different place and announced I am weird or impolite and so, despite possessing much faster alternatives, they endured the long carriage ride like everyone else.
Once the carriage stopped and they passed through the castle gates, attendants quickly arrived to escort them inside the Royal Castle.
Rather than heading toward the audience chambers or any official meeting halls, Reid immediately changed direction.
Naturally.
Following instructions was not exactly one of his strengths.
Instead, he guided the group through several pathways and courtyards until they arrived at one of the castle gardens.
From there, he continued toward a large open training ground connected to the garden.
Flugel and Echidna exchanged brief looks before following after him.
Upon arriving, they found several knights engaged in training exercises.
Wooden swords clashed a group sparred against one another.
The atmosphere was energetic enough that most of the knights failed to notice the newcomers at first.
Their attention remained focused on their duels.
Then a voice suddenly called out.
"Sir Reid! It is good to have you back."
Flugel turned toward the source of the voice, approaching them was a young boy with golden hair and crimson red eyes sweat dripped from his forehead, and his training clothes showed clear signs of recent practice.
Despite his age, there was a noticeable confidence in the way he carried himself.
Two knights walked a short distance behind him, seemingly acting as escorts or attendants.
The moment Flugel saw the boy, he realized who he was due to combination of Blonde hair and red eyes similar to Felt and the Lugunican Royal Family.
"How's it going, Farsale? I hope you've got my favorite booze ready," Reid grinned as he casually greeted the young prince.
The boy, Farsale, nodded with a gentle smile that made him appear far more refined than the barbarian standing in front of him.
"Do not worry," he replied politely. "I made sure to stock plenty of it after hearing that you would be visiting us."
The moment those words left his mouth, Reid's grin widened even further.
"Now that's what I like to hear!"
The Sword Saint genuinely cared more about alcohol than the kingdom's affairs.
"By the way," Farsale continued while shifting his attention toward the two newcomers standing beside Reid, "wouldn't you introduce me to these two interesting individuals accompanying you?"
His gaze moved between Flugel and Echidna.
Both of them stood out enough to attract attention.
One possessed an air of mystery, or what Flugel will call Aura.
The other possessed an air of danger disguised behind elegance or so his instincts told him.
Naturally, Farsale was curious.
"Uh, them?" Reid said while scratching his cheek.
Then he pointed toward Flugel.
"The guy is my lackey."
Then he pointed toward Echidna.
"And the woman is his lackey."
"..."
Farsale's lips twitched.
Even the two attendants behind him struggled to maintain their composure.
The introduction somehow managed to answer nothing while simultaneously creating several new questions.
Farsale slowly turned toward Flugel.
Flugel slowly turned toward Farsale.
Their eyes met.
And in that brief moment, both of them understood something.
A silent understanding.
A mutual realization.
The shared suffering of having to deal with Reid Astrea.
Almost immediately, both of them let out a sigh at exactly the same time.
"..."
The synchronization was so perfect that even Reid looked slightly confused.
"What was that?" he asked.
Neither of them answered.
"Is this some form of sign language communication?" Echidna asked while observing the two men with obvious curiosity.
Her eyes shifted back and forth between them.
The phenomenon fascinated her.
No words had been exchanged.
No gestures had been made.
Yet somehow both men had reached the exact same conclusion.
"This," Farsale said while rubbing his forehead, "is the language of men who understand each other's pain."
A wry smile appeared on his face.
Flugel nodded solemnly.
For perhaps the first time since arriving in this era, he felt truly understood.
"Indeed," he replied.
The two shared another look.
Another sigh.
Another moment of silent communication.
Meanwhile, Reid simply stared at them.
"What are you two weirdos talking about?"
Neither of them bothered explaining.
"Interesting," Echidna murmured while smiling.
Her eyes gleamed with curiosity as she continued observing the interaction.
Though judging by the look on her face, nobody present had the slightest idea what conclusions the Witch of Greed was currently drawing inside her head and considering it was Echidna, that was probably for the best.
"I am Flugel, just a nobody," Flugel introduced himself politely before gesturing toward Echidna standing beside him. "And the woman behind me is Echidna."
The introduction was simple, yet Farsale nodded respectfully.
From the moment they had met, both men had formed a surprisingly favorable impression of one another.
Perhaps it was because they both had experience dealing with Reid.
Or perhaps it was because neither of them seemed interested in unnecessary posturing.
Whatever the reason, the conversation flowed naturally.
"Hehe, Reid's friends are my friends," Farsale replied with a warm smile. "Though you may already know this, I am the Crown Prince of Lugunica. You may simply call me Farsale."
Unlike many nobles, he did not insist on excessive formality.
The easygoing attitude only improved Flugel's impression of him.
"Sir Reid, if I may speak without overstepping my bounds," one of the knights accompanying Farsale suddenly interjected, "wasn't your meeting with His Majesty scheduled for this afternoon?"
The knight's question was perfectly reasonable.
After all, it was already afternoon.
Technically speaking, Reid was late.
Quite late.
"Well, the King won't mind," Reid replied with a shrug as though the matter were completely insignificant. "Travel gets delayed every now and then. It happens."
The two knights exchanged exhausted looks.
Then both of them sighed at nearly the same time.
Only the Heavenly Sword could casually treat a royal audience like an optional appointment.
If anyone else had behaved this way, they would have already been reprimanded.
Possibly imprisoned or executed for disrespecting the Royal Throne and the King.
Reid, however, was Reid.
Normal rules rarely applied to him.
"Well, Father will probably understand," Farsale said with a helpless smile.
Then his expression shifted slightly.
A spark of excitement appeared in his crimson eyes.
"Besides," he continued, "my hands have been itching for a duel as well."
His gaze locked directly onto Reid.
"Oh?"
The atmosphere around the training grounds immediately changed.
By now, the knights practicing nearby had finally realized exactly who had arrived.
Training gradually stopped and one after another, heads turned toward the newcomers.
After all, this was no ordinary visitor.
Standing before them was the legendary Heavenly Sword himself.
The man whose name had already spread throughout the kingdom.
The man who treated monsters, bandits, and enemy armies with the same level of concern one would give to an annoying insect.
Naturally, nobody wanted to miss what might happen next.
"Eh? So you want a duel?" Reid Astrea asked while looking at Farsale. "Well, let's see whether you've improved since the last time."
Despite agreeing, Reid did not sound particularly interested.
In fact, he sounded almost bored.
To most people, challenging the Crown Prince of Lugunica would be a significant event.
To Reid, it was merely another sparring match with a weakling.
Farsale simply smiled in response.
He was already accustomed to that attitude.
After all, nobody understood Reid Astrea better than the royal family.
The Heavenly Sword acknowledged strength and little else.
Titles and status meant nothing to him political authority meant even less.
Reid did not care whether someone was a commoner, a noble, or a king.
If they were weak, then they were weak.
That was the extent of his reasoning.
In fact, Farsale was fairly certain that Reid did not even acknowledge the King's strength.
The only reason he showed a degree of respect toward His Majesty was because the King was responsible for ensuring the kingdom continued functioning properly.
And more importantly—
The kingdom functioning properly meant a stable supply of alcohol.
Which meant Reid had easier access to booze.
Yes.
That was genuinely part of his reasoning.
The absurdity of it would have been difficult to believe had they not witnessed it firsthand countless times.
Yet strangely enough, that was one of the reasons the Kingdom of Lugunica did not feel particularly threatened by the existence of the Heavenly Sword.
Certainly, Reid possessed enough power to become a disaster if he wished.
Nobody doubted that.
However, the man himself lacked any interest in ruling.
He had no political ambitions, no desire for authority and no interest in governance which was boring paperwork to him.
The things Reid genuinely cared about were surprisingly simple.
Good alcohol, strong opponents and beautiful gals, one with voluptuous or curvy figures and probably big breasts.
Beyond those things, his interests dropped dramatically.
Not to mention, Farsale had spent years building a friendship with him.
A strange friendship, certainly but a genuine one nonetheless.
As a result, the King trusted that the Heavenly Sword would never betray Lugunica without reason.
After all, from Reid's perspective, destroying the kingdom would only create problems.
Problems meant fewer taverns, fewer taverns meant less booze and less booze was clearly unacceptable.
The logic was ridiculous, completely ridiculous and yet somehow it worked.
Which perfectly summarized Reid Astrea as a person.
Soon, Farsale had taken up a proper battle stance with a wooden sword held firmly in his hands. His posture was disciplined, his footing stable, and his focus entirely directed toward his opponent. It was obvious he had undergone extensive training.
Meanwhile, Reid Astrea stood several meters away in a completely relaxed posture.
His body was so full of openings that any competent swordsman would immediately attempt to exploit them.
The problem was that everyone present knew better.
Those openings existed because Reid simply did not care.
"Lord Reid, here is your sword," one of the knights said as he approached carrying a wooden practice sword.
However, Reid waved his hand dismissively.
"No need."
The knight paused.
"Huh?"
Reid grinned.
"I have a new favorite weapon now."
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone present became curious.
Even Farsale blinked in surprise.
A new favorite weapon?
The man who had reached the realm of the Heavenly Sword had found a new favourite weapon?
Naturally, everyone wanted to know what kind of legendary armament could attract his attention.
Then Reid reached into his pocket.
And pulled out two chopsticks.
"..."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Several knights stared blankly.
One of them looked genuinely concerned.
"W... What are those?" Farsale asked, completely caught off guard.
Reid immediately burst into laughter.
Then, without the slightest bit of shame, he struck a dramatic pose.
"These!" he declared proudly while holding the chopsticks high. "These are multipurpose divine tools!"
Everyone continued staring at him.
"You can eat all kinds of food with them without getting oil, grease, or crumbs on your hands!" Reid continued enthusiastically.
Then he pointed the chopsticks forward.
"And when necessary, you can fight with them!"
His grin widened.
"A true masterpiece!"
Several knights looked as though their understanding of weaponry had just been violated.
"This is revolutionary!"
"No, it isn't," one knight muttered clenching his teeth.
"It is," Reid insisted.
"No, it really isn't." Reid chose to ignore the words of an extra.
Ignoring the knight entirely, Reid proudly pointed toward Flugel.
"All thanks to my lackey!" he announced.
Immediately, everyone's attention shifted toward Flugel and Echidna.
"He is the one who introduced me to such divine tools!"
The expressions around the training grounds became even stranger.
Flugel immediately felt a headache coming.
"I assume I am the lackey he is referring to," he said with a calm expression.
Then he looked at the chopsticks.
"And those are simply chopsticks."
The gathered knights waited for more.
"They are eating utensils."
More silence.
"Primarily meant for eating."
The silence somehow became even heavier.
"..."
Farsale slowly looked at the chopsticks.
Then at Reid.
Then back at the chopsticks.
"You use eating utensils as weapons?"
"Yes," Reid answered proudly.
"Why?"
"Because they are awesome."
"You are really going to fight me using kitchenware?!" Farsale had to ask again, in disbelief, genuinely taken aback by what he was seeing.
He had expected many things from Reid Astrea.
This was not one of them.
Even though he had never once managed to defeat Reid, and had never truly succeeded in drawing out the Heavenly Sword's full interest in a duel, there was still a certain level of respect between swordsmen.
At the very least, Reid normally used a wooden sword during their sparring matches.
This made the current situation feel significantly more insulting.
"Whether I use a wooden sword or these hardly makes a difference," Reid replied without the slightest hesitation.
The answer was immediate and blunt and somehow even more offensive than the chopsticks themselves.
"Huh... Is that so?" Farsale asked.
A vein almost appeared on his forehead.
"You know, even I can get angry when you do things like this, Reid."
For the first time since their conversation began, the Crown Prince's smile became noticeably strained.
The surrounding knights immediately stepped back.
They had seen this before.
The moment when a normally calm person finally lost their patience with Reid Astrea.
It happened surprisingly often.
"Very well," Farsale continued while tightening his grip on the wooden sword. "Let's fight."
His posture immediately became more serious.
The relaxed atmosphere vanished.
His sharpened his gaze and steadied his breathing.
The Crown Prince of Lugunica was no longer approaching this as a friendly spar.
He was approaching it as a challenge.
"Come," Reid barked.
The moment the word left his mouth, Farsale moved.
His figure became a blur as wind erupted around his body as mana surged through him.
The surrounding air twisted and accelerated, boosting his speed to an inhuman level.
Several nearby knights widened their eyes.
Even among the Royal Knights, Farsale's talent was exceptional.
In an instant, he crossed the distance separating them.
Then he swung.
The wooden sword descended with his full strength behind it.
A strike that would have overwhelmed most opponents before they could even react.
Then—
Everyone froze including Farsale.
Because Reid casually raised two chopsticks and caught the wooden sword between them.
Just like that the sword stopped completely, trapped between two ordinary wooden chopsticks.
Silence spread throughout the training grounds.
Several knights stared with their mouths hanging open.
One of them rubbed his eyes.
Another looked at the chopsticks as though they had personally insulted his understanding of combat.
Even Farsale himself could not immediately process what had happened.
His strongest opening strike was stopped by eating utensils!
Meanwhile Reid looked completely unimpressed.
"Too slow. Too weak," Reid Astrea commented casually.
The words immediately caused Farsale's eyebrows to twitch.
Without saying anything, the Crown Prince shifted his footing and adjusted his balance. Then he pulled his weapon back and launched another attack.
And another.
And another.
And another.
His wooden sword cut through the air repeatedly, each strike faster and sharper than the last. The training ground echoed with the sounds of wood slicing through the wind as Farsale unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks.
To the surrounding knights, his movements had already become difficult to follow.
Yet none of it even mattered.
Reid calmly stood in place..
His chopsticks moved almost lazily through the air.
Tap.
Deflect.
Tap.
Deflect.
Tap.
Deflect.
'This motherfucker is Aura Farming!', Flugel thought.
Every single attack was redirected with ridiculous precision.
The speed of their arms gradually became a blur, making it difficult for ordinary observers to even see what was happening anymore.
Yet despite the intensity of the exchange, Reid's expression remained completely bored.
It was as though he were swatting away flies rather than defending against a skilled swordsman.
Farsale clicked his tongue.
Then he suddenly changed stances.
His body lowered as his muscles tightened, mana surging through his limbs.
The surrounding wind gathered around the wooden sword.
Then he thrust forward with all his strength.
BOOM!
A sonic boom exploded across the training grounds.
Several younger knights instinctively stepped backward.
The sheer force behind the thrust was enough to demonstrate why Farsale was considered a prodigy.
Then—
Crack.
The wooden sword shattered.
Reid had casually pinched the incoming weapon between his chopsticks and snapped the wooden blade into two pieces.
The broken halves spun through the air before crashing onto the ground.
Meanwhile, the chopsticks remained completely intact.
Not even a scratch could be seen on them.
The training grounds fell silent.
"Impossible!" one of the knights suddenly shouted.
The man's face was full of disbelief.
"Those sticks must be some kind of legendary weapon!"
Several other knights immediately nodded.
That explanation somehow felt easier to accept than the truth.
After all, everyone present knew Reid was monstrously strong.
But this was ridiculous even by their current understanding of him.
The knight genuinely felt that Reid had cheated somehow.
There was no way ordinary eating utensils should survive that exchange.
Reid, however, did not even bother responding.
He looked completely uninterested in defending his honor.
Instead, noticing the curious look on Farsale's face, he let out a sigh.
"Fine."
Then he casually tossed the chopsticks toward the prince.
Farsale caught them in midair.
The entire training ground watched, everyone wanted to know the secret.
Were they magical artifacts?
Ancient relics?
Weapons forged by master craftsmen?
Farsale examined them carefully.
Then he applied a tiny amount of strength.
Crack.
Both chopsticks snapped instantly.
"..."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Farsale stared at the broken pieces in his hands.
The knights stared at the broken pieces in his hands.
Even the attendants looked confused.
The chopsticks had broken so easily that it almost felt insulting.
In fact, Farsale was certain he had barely used any force at all.
Which made the situation even more absurd.
Slowly, everyone turned to look at Reid.
The Heavenly Sword simply shrugged.
"See?"
Then he pointed toward Flugel.
"My lackey makes good chopsticks."
"That's not the lesson anyone should be taking from this," Flugel immediately replied.
"As expected, you are stronger than I could ever hope to imagine," Farsale said with a sigh as he accepted his defeat.
There was no bitterness in his voice.
After all, this was hardly his first loss against Reid Astrea.
If anything, the result had merely reinforced what he already knew.
The gap between them was still enormous.
Meanwhile, the knight who had previously claimed the chopsticks must be some sort of legendary weapon immediately fell silent.
There was simply nothing left to say.
The broken pieces of the chopsticks were still lying nearby, proving they had been completely ordinary.
Which definitely made the entire situation even more terrifying.
The surrounding knights looked toward Reid with newfound apprehension.
The man standing before them had casually dismantled the Crown Prince using nothing more than kitchen utensils.
At that moment, many of them felt they were witnessing the true monster of Lugunica.
The man who would one day be remembered in legends.
The man whose strength existed beyond common sense.
Then Flugel ruined the atmosphere and destroyed the aura Reid had formed till now.
"Great Reid," he said with a perfectly serious expression. "You are a stick swinger now. This is your base form from this day onward."
"..."
Several knights looked confused.
Farsale blinked.
Even Echidna tilted her head slightly.
Nobody understood what Flugel was talking about.
Reid, however, immediately burst into laughter.
"Haha! I have absolutely no idea what that means!"
His laughter echoed throughout the training grounds.
Then his grin widened.
"But if someone cannot defeat me even when I use these, then my sword does not deserve to be unsheathed for them."
The declaration was arrogant.
Fucking kind of arrogant.
Yet nobody present could deny that he had the strength to back it up.
Farsale smiled even though Reid had essentially mocked him again, he did not seem bothered.
Instead, he looked at the Heavenly Sword with determination.
"Then I suppose my goal will be to force you to unsheathe your sword."
His voice was calm.
"And after that, I will defeat you."
The surrounding knights looked surprised.
Some even smiled, that was exactly the sort of ambition they expected from the Crown Prince.
Reid stared at him for a moment.
Then he laughed even harder.
"Haha! Farsale, you really shouldn't daydream so much."
"..."
To be continued...
(A/N: You can get upto 10+ advance chaps in Paa_treon with the name Akros Zero(Pls don't get a membership higher than 10 dollars unless you are for Danmachi)
And yes I was dead, a person lying on the same place for weeks not doing anything can be called anything but 'Dead'.
Now in a few days my sis' surgery will be finalized, pops delayed it so much. Pray to the god that spinal surgery is successful, otherwise I dare think not.)