The lizardman wasted not a single second. The claws of his left hand glinted in the dim light as, with a sudden motion, he yanked a second dagger from the strap on his belt. The blade flashed in the moonlight as he swung it toward the young knight standing just behind him.
Klein, his gaze cold and devoid of emotion, reacted in the blink of an eye. There wasn't a hint of hesitation in his movements—he struck the lizardman's arm with force. The hit was precise, and the dagger slipped from the attacker's fingers, spinning in the air. Klein caught it mid-flight, then drove a powerful kick into the opponent's leg, knocking him off balance. The lizardman fell to his knees with a loud grunt, and before he could recover, he was yanked forward violently.
Now it was Klein who held the dagger—the same one that had been aimed at him just moments ago—pressed against the lizardman's throat.
"Who the hell do you think you are, huh?" he hissed in an icy tone. "Did you really think you could attack me?"
Toru, still breathing heavily with anger, hissed back,
"Klein, for God's sake… You don't understand… That man…"
"Quiet." Klein's voice cut through the air like a blade.
The lizardman froze as the young knight growled,
"Too loud. You'll wake the rookie. I can let you go, but you're coming with me, and you're going to behave. One wrong move… and I'll slit your throat."
He said it as if discussing the weather—without emotion, without hesitation. Then he released his grip and stepped back.
Toru turned his head toward the young knight standing a few meters away.
"Get up. How long do I have to wait?" Klein said flatly.
The lizardman rose slowly, fury written across his face.
"You… kill me?" he scoffed with disdain. "Don't make me laugh, you little brat. You think I'm going to take orders from some punk? If you kill me, you're screwed. Word will spread fast that the son of the commander of the royal guard, Klein Ardeb, killed another court knight. Or maybe you think your daddy will save you, huh? That he'll—"
He didn't get to finish.
In an instant, a sword blade was at his throat.
"Silence" Klein snarled. "My father never gave me special treatment. He doesn't give a damn about status. The only thing that matters to him is a person's worth and what they can do. Even if I killed you, he'd punish me like anyone else."
Toru fell silent. This was not the answer he had expected.
"So… you're saying you'd kill me knowing you could face the consequences?" he asked cautiously, with a hint of disbelief.
"Consequences?" Klein didn't even blink. "The strong don't face consequences. If my father orders my execution, I'll kill anyone who tries to carry it out. Now move before I lose my patience. We're going to the training chamber. We'll talk there."
Without waiting, he turned and headed for the door.
A cold bead of sweat ran down Toru's neck. Even so, he said nothing and followed him.
"I'll kill anyone who tries to carry it out… Crazy bastard… But damn, he's not wrong," Toru thought. At present, with the king, the strongest knights and mages from the first to the fourth rank, as well as their warrior units and mage apprentices, all stationed in the country of Satop, Klein's position was unique. As the fifth court knight, he currently held the highest knightly status in the castle. But status wasn't the real problem…
Toru swallowed hard, still trailing the young knight.
"This seventeen-year-old son of a bitch matches the strength of the third, maybe even the second court knight. He only has the title of fifth because of his age… Fuck, why did it have to be him who caught me?"
After several minutes, they arrived at one of the training halls on the second floor of the castle. The torchlight cast long, flickering shadows across the walls, and the air was heavy with the scent of metal and sweat. Klein closed the heavy wooden doors behind them and slowly turned to the lizardman.
"Now talk. What the hell are you playing at? And don't lie. Or I'll kill you."
***
Klein Ardeb — a genius whose name already commanded respect across the kingdom. The son of the commander of the royal guard Rost Ardeb.
A boy who at the age of six, could defeat grown warriors in combat. He had not been born with any extraordinary elemental affinity—his element was earth, but in his case, it was abnormally powerful. Even as child his body was as hard as stone, and his strikes carried enough force to knock out an adult man with a single blow.
By the age of twelve, he had mastered all four sword styles—becoming one of only three people in the kingdom to do so. Four years later, at sixteen, he became a court knight, immediately awarded the title of Fifth despite his youth.
Rumors claimed Klein could not use magic—mere lies spread by the jealous and the weak. In truth, he could use all four basic elements at Level III out of V and could use rare elemental magics, such as light and darkness, at Level I and even Level II—enough to earn the title of Fifth Court Mage.
Klein Ardeb, also known as the Sword Genius, would without a doubt become the greatest force in the kingdom's future.