I Learned It from You (1)
The heart of the Forest of Demonic Beasts was still full of grim and dark energy.
Though the outer regions were being swiftly developed, the core remained untouched and abandoned.
That was because Ghislain had strictly prohibited access to the center before he collapsed.
A group was now approaching that dangerous center.
An elf, hood pulled deep over their face, spoke cautiously.
"Grand Chieftain, it's too dangerous to go any further."
"....."
Erenes, walking at the front, paused to gaze at the forest filled with a vile poison.
Although Ghislain had led the army to clear out the monsters here, the lingering energy of decay remained formidable.
This was a place where even a formidable warrior would struggle. From the moment one stepped in, they had to battle corruption.
Erenes spoke in a quiet voice.
"Wait here for a moment."
"Grand Chieftain! This place is too dangerous!"
To that, Erenes replied with a forlorn smile.
"This is a place I hold dear."
"Pardon?"
"I'll be back shortly, so stay here."
Without saying more, Erenes stepped inward.
Chiiiik...….
The corrupt energy surged toward her, yet it had no effect.
Erenes neither summoned spirits to purify the area nor suppressed the encroaching poison.
She simply moved as naturally as breathing, and the corrupt energy withered each time it touched her.
Erenes quickly passed through the corruption-laden forest and stepped onto the scorched and wounded land beyond.
There, she looked upon a massive black barrier stretched out before her.
Gaaaaaa...….
The barrier emitted a constant, ominous aura, flickering as though exhaling painful breaths.
Erenes quietly approached and reached out a hand.
'Just as I thought....'
The barrier was firmly sealed. No, it was holding back the energy pouring from within.
"…Duke Fenris. How on earth did you get inside?"
Erenes couldn't believe what Ghislain had said. That's why she stopped by before leaving Lutania — to verify it for herself.
She was still confused. About Duke Fenris's conversation with the Saintess, the dream, all of it.
"Was it really because of that necklace...?"
When Duke Fenris first obtained the Saintess's necklace, she had turned a blind eye.
But she knew he suspected her.
"My acting is still unconvincing, it seems."
Erenes closed her eyes.
Her old comrades had always told her she was terrible at acting.
Each time, she'd snap back — in her mind, her performance had been perfect.
But…
Yes, those days were truly joyful.
The thought alone brought a smile to her face.
They had fought to save the world, laughed together, and protected one another.
Those were the most radiant days of her life — so beautiful that they became painful memories she wished she could forget.
Tears streamed down Erenes's face.
"Duke Fenris, I know that necklace. It was the one the former Grand Chieftain gave to the Saintess."
But she hadn't said anything. She couldn't, and didn't want to.
It was a memory to be forgotten, a destiny that had passed.
After caressing the barrier a few times, Erenes slowly turned away.
'Adversary's power is growing stronger.'
Her own strength was returning to its former peak. And that meant the Adversary's power was reviving as well.
Ever since Duke Fenris had fallen asleep, her power had been returning faster.
That strange coincidence continued to gnaw at her heart.
But she soon steeled herself.
'Duke Fenris, it no longer matters what has happened to you.'
It was a thing of the past. Whatever he discovered wouldn't change anything now.
Erenes coldly declared,
"I will find the Adversary and kill him, and I will eradicate the remnants of the Salvation Church."
Because that was the only way to make the sacrifice of all those from a thousand years ago… meaningful.
Step.
As Erenes took a step forward, her body suddenly faltered.
Drip, drip.....
Blood trickled from her nose.
Erenes couldn't understand.
"Me…?"
She was bleeding from her nose and couldn't maintain her balance?
A haze overtook her mind. It felt like something was tangling and twisting inside her head.
"Kugh!"
Crushed by sudden, overwhelming pressure, Erenes coughed up blood.
"This is...."
For a fleeting moment, she sensed it.
Something vast and timeless was invading her mind.
And...…
The world itself was beginning to change.
***
Along the way, Lionel continued to pester Deneb endlessly.
"Give me back my holy power!"
"I really don't know what you're talking about."
"You took all my holy power!"
"But my holy power is the same as ever. I seriously don't know what happened."
Deneb sincerely believed that what had happened back then was a miracle. Her holy power was still barely a speck.
Even so, Iraniel had trusted her and handed over the holy stone. That alone felt overwhelming — she still didn't know how to handle the honor.
And yet Lionel kept asking her to give back the holy power, which left her completely flustered.
Lionel had surprising persistence.
"Give it back!"
"I never took it, and I don't know how to give it even if I could."
This bickering happened every day, so Ghislain finally stepped in.
"Hey, it's gone, so what can you do? It's not like holy power is something you can just hand over."
"But I felt it! I saw my holy power being absorbed into that lowly priestess!"
"Oh, come on, that's gotta be a mistake. Stuff like that doesn't happen."
Ghislain had asked Deneb several times as well. But she truly didn't know if anything like that had occurred.
Still, there was one thing of value that came from it.
'She saw the Salvation Church's darkness and thought it was nothing.'
Right after that, a miracle happened.
So Ghislain could roughly guess the situation.
'This is the first time Deneb has truly encountered the Salvation Church's energy.'
It seemed like contact with that energy brought her closer to awakening. Which made sense.
Holy power and the Salvation Church's energy were polar opposites. Especially for the Saintess, who was essentially their natural enemy.
She hadn't fully awakened yet, but she had received the holy stone. That meant a new condition had been fulfilled.
Now, Ghislain was curious to see what would happen if she encountered the Salvation Church's power again and fought them.
That was all he could deduce for now. The reason Lionel had lost his holy power still wasn't clear.
Ghislain casually said,
"Well, your holy power's gone anyway. How about training your mana cultivation technique? Surely your family has one passed down?"
"What?"
"Start again, from the beginning, and train properly. You've got the basics down, so if I teach you, you'll grow fast too."
Ghislain had no intention of bullying Lionel. After all, Lionel was also a comrade of the Hero who fought the Apostle in the dream.
Naturally, Ghislain felt a sense of duty to help him grow strong as well.
At Ghislain's words, Lionel burst into laughter.
"You're going to teach me? A dark mage? I admit you're strong, but magic and swordsmanship are completely different. Do you really think you can handle me without magic?"
Lionel truly believed that. He had never seen Ghislain fight properly.
Even when they went to support the elves, it was the death knights who had done the fighting. Ghislain had only cast spells and then gotten beaten by a priest from the Salvation Church.
He knew Ghislain had real combat experience and was fairly strong, but thought it was all thanks to his magic — physically, he had to be weak.
At those words, Ghislain gave a slight smirk.
"Want to try me?"
"What are you saying?"
"I won't use magic, not even mana. Let's fight purely with physical strength and technique."
"Pffft!"
Lionel laughed without thinking — but only for a moment.
Soon, he glared at Ghislain with furious eyes.
"So I've become a joke now, huh? I lose my holy power and suffer humiliation, and you think I'm someone to be mocked?"
"Well, not that much."
"If it's not that, then there's no reason for a bastard like you to humiliate me this way. Fine. I accept the challenge. But what if you lose?"
"What do you want?"
"Hand over the holy stone to me immediately."
Lionel had tried to take the holy stone from Deneb the moment they left the forest, but Ghislain had stopped it from happening.
Deneb had been hesitant too, but no one in the mercenary corps could go against Ghislain's word.
That's why Lionel had been silently seething.
Ghislain nodded.
"Fine, I'll give it to you right away. Anything else you want?"
"This party's chain of command is a joke. I'll officially take command, and from now on, you all follow my orders."
"Ugh, of course. Then if I win, you follow me without question. No — just join the mercenary corps. You'll be the rookie. Got it?"
"Ha, fine. I don't know if a lowly mercenary will keep his word, but I'm a knight. I swear by my honor and the name of the Empire."
Lionel drew his sword and raised his shield. As long as his opponent didn't use magic — not even mana — then, with pure strength and skill, there was no way he'd lose.
His family's techniques and mana cultivation method were so renowned they held high status even within the Empire.
Still, he wasn't completely without worry.
'Even if I win, will that mercenary bastard really keep his word? He might gang up on me with numbers.'
Chances were high they wouldn't honor the agreement. Mercenaries are dishonorable rabble, after all.
Even so, he was determined to go through with the fight.
'I can't forgive this. I'll make sure he learns his place.'
He, who had always been admired by those around him, had been reduced to a fool since joining this mercenary band.
Now, he would release his pent-up frustration and get revenge for all the humiliation he had endured.
Seeing Lionel so fired up, Ghislain chuckled softly.
"Hey, bring me a club. And a shield too."
Soon, the mercenaries brought over a suitable wooden club and a small shield for Ghislain.
Lionel's swordsmanship had strength in defensive tactics with a shield. It was designed to hold enemy lines or extend duels in combat.
So Ghislain picked up a shield as well, intending to face him with the same style.
Seeing that, Lionel's lips curled in contempt.
"Arrogant bastard...."
Shield technique was different from swordsmanship. One had to train just as long with a shield as with a sword to master it.
'I've lived with a shield all my life!'
They said that on the day he turned one, at his family's ceremonial choosing, he picked up a shield.
And now, this magic-wielding nobody dared to act like that against him — with some shabby, tiny shield no less.
It was another unbearable insult.
"I'll teach you your place!"
Paaak!
Lionel charged forward, raising his shield with force.
His tactic was to push hard and break his opponent's balance right away. He threw his body into the shield with a determined glare.
Kaaang!
But Ghislain didn't budge an inch as he received Lionel's blow.
Then, tilting his shield slightly, he deflected Lionel's charge smoothly.
"Huh?"
Lionel was caught off guard and lost his balance for a moment — and in that instant, Ghislain's club aimed straight for his head.
Bang-!
Lionel barely blocked it with his sword and stumbled back, gasping for air. His face showed clear signs of shock and tension.
'A fluke? It has to be a fluke. Yeah, it must be.'
The shield technique Ghislain had shown was too precise, too refined. A dark mage couldn't possibly wield a shield like that.
As Lionel stood confused, Ghislain tilted his shield playfully.
"Looks like you're lacking in skill. Are you sure you were trained properly?"
"You little..."
Enraged, Lionel lowered his stance and raised his shield again, going for another strike. But Ghislain once again deflected it with a matching shield blow.
Bang-!
Once again, Lionel lost his balance. And just like before, Ghislain's club came flying in.
Thud!
"Ugh!"
Hit in the arm, Lionel winced in pain. Still, as a knight with long training, he immediately counterattacked.
Bang-!
Ghislain lightly raised his shield and blocked it.
Lionel didn't stop. He knew pausing now would be dangerous.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Ghislain blocked every blow without faltering. His shield was like a wall, solid and unbreakable.
And with every exchange, Lionel grew more and more anxious.
'Why… Why is he so good with a shield?!'
It didn't make sense. He had never heard of a mage using shield technique. Where in the world did such a thing exist?
Yet he couldn't deny what he saw. Ghislain's shield work was nearly perfect.
Then Lionel suddenly realized something about Ghislain's technique.
'Wait, what the… That shield technique…'
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The shield's movement and the coordinated strikes looked exactly like his own. Like looking in a mirror.
Lionel muttered without realizing,
"How… How do you know… our family's technique…?"
That dark mage bastard… was using someone else's family technique as if it were his own.
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