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The Carsus army had formed a strong defensive formation with tightly packed troops and positioned their knights at the forefront, aiming for a central breakthrough. While not necessarily a poor formation, this was typically a strategy employed by a smaller force facing a larger army.

In contrast, Prince Yubel’s forces had stretched their formation thin and wide, creating an encircling shape with arms extended. This was usually a formation used when attempting to overwhelm the enemy with superior numbers.

In essence, the formations of both sides were reversed.

“Of course, if you understand the circumstances, it’s quite reasonable,” Repenhardt remarked, stroking his chin.

The reason Prince Yubel’s army, despite its smaller numbers, adopted an encircling formation was simple. It wasn’t actually an encircling formation but rather multiple assault units. With six Aura Users among their ranks, there was no need to concentrate their powerful force in one spot.

Additionally, the knights who had lost the honor to Repenhardt vied to be at the forefront this time. Thus, the decision was made to let them all lead the charge. Knights are most useful on the battlefield when they are charging at the front, so relegating them to the rear was not an option.

Meanwhile, Carsus was wary of the combat prowess of Prince Yubel’s forces, who had managed to capture Sinai Fortress with only two hundred men. Although he was reluctant to acknowledge the prowess of a slave race, the fact remained that Sinai Fortress had fallen to those two hundred men. He wasn’t foolish enough to ignore the reality before his eyes.

In terms of ‘knight-level’ strength, Prince Yubel’s forces were actually superior to Carsus’s. Despite this seemingly illogical scenario, Carsus’s keen intellect grasped the situation. Thus, adopting a defensive formation was the rational choice.

Buuuuuuung!

As the horn sounded, both sides erupted in cheers. Amidst the booming voices that elevated their morale, a knight on horseback slowly advanced from the Carsus formation. He was a middle-aged man in his early forties, with light red hair and a magnificent beard.

Cheers erupted from the Carsus army.

“The Demon Sword of Brozen!”

“Sir Spirius!”

Raven von Spirius, a knight serving the Marquess of Brozen, was another Aura User within the Carsus army. Having awakened his Aura at the age of forty, and training diligently for three years, he was a relatively new Aura User but possessed formidable combat prowess.

Sir Spirius drew his sword. Displaying a brilliant red Blade Aura, he proudly showcased his power as he shouted.

The Carsus army had formed a strong defensive formation with tightly packed troops and positioned their knights at the forefront, aiming for a central breakthrough. While not necessarily a poor formation, this was typically a strategy employed by a smaller force facing a larger army.

In contrast, Prince Yubel’s forces had stretched their formation thin and wide, creating an encircling shape with arms extended. This was usually a formation used when attempting to overwhelm the enemy with superior numbers.

In essence, the formations of both sides were reversed.

“Of course, if you understand the circumstances, it’s quite reasonable,” Repenhardt remarked, stroking his chin.

The reason Prince Yubel’s army, despite its smaller numbers, adopted an encircling formation was simple. It wasn’t actually an encircling formation but rather multiple assault units. With six Aura Users among their ranks, there was no need to concentrate their powerful force in one spot.

Additionally, the knights who had lost the honor to Repenhardt vied to be at the forefront this time. Thus, the decision was made to let them all lead the charge. Knights are most useful on the battlefield when they are charging at the front, so relegating them to the rear was not an option.

Meanwhile, Carsus was wary of the combat prowess of Prince Yubel’s forces, who had managed to capture Sinai Fortress with only two hundred men. Although he was reluctant to acknowledge the prowess of a slave race, the fact remained that Sinai Fortress had fallen to those two hundred men. He wasn’t foolish enough to ignore the reality before his eyes.

In terms of ‘knight-level’ strength, Prince Yubel’s forces were actually superior to Carsus’s. Despite this seemingly illogical scenario, Carsus’s keen intellect grasped the situation. Thus, adopting a defensive formation was the rational choice.

Buuuuuuung!

As the horn sounded, both sides erupted in cheers. Amidst the booming voices that elevated their morale, a knight on horseback slowly advanced from the Carsus formation. He was a middle-aged man in his early forties, with light red hair and a magnificent beard.

Cheers erupted from the Carsus army.

“The Demon Sword of Brozen!”

“Sir Spirius!”

Raven von Spirius, a knight serving the Marquess of Brozen, was another Aura User within the Carsus army. Having awakened his Aura at the age of forty, and training diligently for three years, he was a relatively new Aura User but possessed formidable combat prowess.

Sir Spirius drew his sword. Displaying a brilliant red Blade Aura, he proudly showcased his power as he shouted.

“Foolish ones who cannot recognize the true king! I, Raven von Spirius, challenge you! If there is a warrior among you, step forward!”

The cheers of the Carsus army grew louder. The radiant sword of the Aura User was indeed effective in boosting the soldiers’ morale. Just the sight of such valor was enough to elevate spirits and make hearts race with excitement.

“Is there no warrior among you? It seems it was certainly a cowardly trick that defeated Sir Tetsvalt!”

Kadamyte, who had been waiting, frowned as he watched Sir Spirius shouting.

“Shall I go out there and cut him down? Just by looking at him, he’s weaker than that Tetsvalt fellow.”

“Hey, we already know who’s going out, don’t we?”

The Dwarf warrior standing beside him stopped him. As expected, a man rode out from the camp. Sir Spirius’s expression twisted slightly. He had heard rumors that Sir Tetsvalt had been killed by a Dwarf Aura User. But the man now emerging was clearly a human.

“Who are you?”

The man drew a long sword and shouted boldly.

“I am Cyrus of the Tenes family, an ally of Prince Yubel. It is an honor to face the renowned Sir Spirius!”

Wooooom!

With a roar, a blue Blade Aura erupted from Russ’s sword. This time, it was Prince Yubel’s army that cheered. Spirius muttered in disbelief.

“Incredible. He doesn’t even look thirty.”

Considering the common knowledge of the present age that even the most exceptional warriors only awaken to Aura in their late thirties, Russ’s existence was indeed astonishing.

“I commend your martial prowess! Now, I shall present your head to Lord Carsus!”

Spirius began to charge on his horse. Russ also rode forward, shouting.

“It will not be easy!”

Red and blue lights collided at the center of the battlefield, causing an explosion.

KABOOOM!

At first glance, it might seem meaningless for renowned warriors to settle their skills one-on-one before a battle. However, any proper strategist knew how significant this act was in determining the soldiers’ morale.

From the perspective of a commander, troop movements might be visible, but for an ordinary soldier, war was merely about wildly following orders, risking death if unlucky, and surviving if fortunate. To help these soldiers overcome the fear of death and boost their combat spirit, it was necessary to show them directly, ‘Look! Our side is this strong! Fight with confidence!’

“Taaaah!”

“Haaap!”

Russ and Spirius continuously clashed their Blade Auras, leaving dazzling trails in the air. Each time their auras collided, sending shockwaves, the soldiers erupted in cheers. The cheers from Prince Yubel’s army were louder than those from the Carsus army.

“Aura User!”

“We have an Aura User too now!”

“But who is that knight? He looks human.”

“They say it’s Cyrus! Does it matter? He’s on our side!”

Since the civil war began, Prince Yubel’s army had always ignored the Carsus army’s provocations for one-on-one duels, immediately engaging in battle instead. Only an Aura User could face another Aura User, and it was always Tetsvalt or Spirius who issued the challenges. Knowing that they would surely lose if they accepted, Prince Yubel’s army couldn’t afford to take up the challenge.

As a result, Prince Yubel’s troops always entered battle with lower morale compared to the Carsus army. The mere fact that they avoided these duels made the soldiers feel inferior. This sometimes led to the unfortunate situation where Prince Yubel’s army, despite having the upper hand, would lose due to lower morale.

But now it was different. Russ was holding his own against Sir Spirius with remarkable skill. Just having an Aura User to step up for a one-on-one duel sent Prince Yubel’s army’s morale soaring. Conversely, learning that their opponents had an additional Aura User dampened the Carsus army’s spirits.

“Sir Spirius, you must win this,” Carsus muttered, watching the duel from the main camp while biting his nails.

He was anxious. He had heard that two Orcs and three Dwarf Aura Users had taken down the Sinai Fortress. Now, there was an unexpected human Aura User in the mix.

‘Do they mass-produce Aura Users or what? Why do they keep popping up?’

If the information was correct, the number of Aura Users on their side now exceeded that of the entire Crovence Kingdom.

‘It seems unlikely, but with such rumors circulating, Sir Spirius must defeat that young knight impressively.’

An adjutant beside him spoke cautiously.

“Do not worry too much, sir. Awakening Aura at such a young age is impressive, but he does not look to be even thirty. In terms of experience and skill, Sir Spirius cannot possibly lose.”

“That’s true,” Carsus nodded. Yet he couldn’t shake the sense of unease that filled his heart.

* * *

A sharp trajectory of red Blade Aura rushed towards a vital point, only to be deflected by a dazzling circle of blue Blade Aura. Light clashed with light, creating a splendid dance in the air.

Spirius’s expression hardened as he observed Russ, who countered his mounted swordsmanship with equal skill.

“You have impressive skills for a young warrior!”

“You too live up to your renowned reputation!”

Russ responded with a shout, hiding a smile. With each clash of their swords, exhilaration surged through him.

‘I can do this!’

He could indeed. He could hold his own and potentially even defeat Sir Spirius, the famed Aura User of Crovence. The realization brought him incredible satisfaction.

Spirius’s swordsmanship was undoubtedly superior to Russ’s. Russ’s unique, unpredictable style was not enough to penetrate Spirius’s mastery of orthodox swordsmanship. In terms of pure swordsmanship, Russ would surely lose.

Despite this, Russ was fighting Spirius on equal terms. Ironically, Russ had more ‘experience’ than Spirius.

‘I must thank hyung for this.’

Spirius had roamed the continent as a young knight, surviving numerous deadly battles. However, after becoming an Aura User, he had never faced a true life-or-death struggle.

The Crovence Kingdom had enjoyed peace for the past decade, with no wars against other nations. As one of the most prominent noble families, the Marquisate of Brozen faced no significant threats, leaving Spirius without serious challenges. At best, he demonstrated his overwhelming prowess by scattering Aura against bandits and thieves.

Moreover, Aura Users rarely sparred with each other to avoid revealing their techniques. Tetsvalt was considered the strongest knight in Crovence not because he had defeated all other Aura Users in combat, but because he had trained the longest and his Aura manifestation was the most intense. Aura Users could generally gauge each other’s level by sensing their Aura.

In contrast, Russ had encountered numerous Aura Users, including Repenhardt, Dwarves, and Orcs. In terms of fighting Aura Users, the young Russ, who had only recently awakened his Aura, had more practical experience than the forty-year-old Spirius, who had spent a lifetime mastering swordsmanship.

“I’ll kill you!”

“You impudent brat!”

Spirius roared, his red Aura flaring as he charged. Russ, unfazed, met the attack head-on, his blue Aura blazing. The battlefield crackled with energy as the two warriors clashed, the outcome uncertain but the spectacle undeniable.

Shouting fiercely, the two knights continued their exchange of attacks. Unlike ordinary knights, who might rely on weapons like spears or shields, they only wielded long swords.

However, with Aura capable of changing form at will, such conventional weapons were rendered meaningless. Each extended, fired, blocked, and redirected their red and blue Blade Auras in a ferocious battle.

While Spirius had the upper hand in swordsmanship, their Aura reserves were evenly matched, and Russ’s proficiency and experience in utilizing Aura were superior. The battle gradually tilted in Russ’s favor.

Seeing this, Repenhardt clicked his tongue.

‘Well, I sent him out there thinking it wouldn’t matter if he lost.’

Having missed the battle at Sinai Fortress, Russ had pestered Repenhardt for the chance to face Sir Spirius this time. Russ’s loyalty to Repenhardt was driven by his ambition to make a name for himself and return to the Tenes family with honor, a reasonable request.

This time, Repenhardt had readily agreed. At Sinai Fortress, the aim had been to prove the true strength of the other races, but that wasn’t necessary now.

Proving the strength of other races was good, but if they continued to outshine the humans, it would overshadow the humans’ achievements.

This would create a dichotomy of humans versus other races rather than allies.

Given that most of Prince Yubel’s army were humans, having a human Aura User step up was crucial to preserving the dignity of other nobles and preventing unnecessary jealousy and rivalry.

‘If it looks like humans are being overshadowed by Dwarves or Orcs, it could give the wrong impression. But if Russ steps up, they’ll see us as a formidable, diverse group of Aura Users. If Russ falls, then Kalken or Kadamyte can step in.’

Repenhardt had his reasons for sending Russ out. He hadn’t expected Russ to win, as, based on his past life, Russ had little chance of defeating Sir Spirius at his current age.

Yet, Russ was fighting remarkably well, far exceeding expectations. He was nearly dominating the situation.

‘At this rate, he’ll be called a Sword Saint in a few years.’

But on reflection, it wasn’t so surprising. Russ’s talent was extraordinary, nearly complete in itself.

He had only earned the title of Sword Saint in his forties because Aura Users typically avoided sparring, forcing him to learn everything on his own, which took time.

Now, thanks to Repenhardt, he had the opportunity to learn from various sources, making his rapid progress unsurprising.