Chapter 240: Who else wants to come?
The exterior of the Franzer mansion was truly surging with people, a dense and massive crowd—all made up of individuals.
Even the ordinary civilians seemed to have caught wind of the event and had come to join in on the excitement, packing the area outside the Franzer mansion so tightly it was impossible to move. If it weren’t for the main road being kept clear, a stampede might have occurred.
"Quiet!"
"Don’t push!"
Ai En and Ian were both alarmed into action, already arriving with numerous knights, shouting loudly, maintaining a minimum level of order.
But this was still not enough to make the swordsmen retreat.
"I want to challenge Reiger Brillhaut!"
"I too want to challenge Reiger Brillhaut!"
"Bring out Reiger Brillhaut!"
Several hot-blooded swordsmen were on the verge of drawing their swords, shouting fiercely, determined not to give up.
It was imaginable that if Reiger didn’t show up here today, there would certainly be a great deal of commotion.
Until...
"He’s coming out!"
Someone suddenly shouted out, causing the noisy scene to fall into abrupt silence.
People quickly looked over and immediately saw a figure walking towards them from inside the gates of the Franzer mansion.
It was Reiger.
"That is Reiger Brillhaut!"Upon recognizing Reiger, someone exclaimed, which led countless gazes to pierce towards Reiger like swords.
"Mr. Reiger!"
Ai En and Ian both turned their heads upon seeing Reiger, and they called out to him lightly.
The surrounding knights also bowed to Reiger, their conduct becoming even more respectful than before.
"Thank you for your trouble."
Reiger approached Ai En and Ian, expressing his gratitude to the two.
"No..."
The two lady knights just shook their heads and were about to speak when they were interrupted.
"Reiger Brillhaut!" a swordsman took the opportunity to shout at Reiger, "Do you dare accept my challenge?"
As soon as these words were spoken, others immediately reacted.
"And me!"
"I want to challenge you too!"
"Do you dare accept my challenge?"
"I don’t believe in some 17-year-old Sword Saint. If you truly have the strength, then accept my challenge!"
"That’s right! Show us your strength!"
"Come on!"
One swordsman after another spoke up, some with faces full of excitement, some with hostility, some brimming with a desire to fight, and others with disdain.
It was evident that although there were many swordsmen here wanting to challenge Reiger, their motivations differed.
Some sought to use Reiger as a stepping stone to rise in rank.
Others genuinely doubted his abilities.
Some were drawn by fame, coming to challenge a strong opponent.
And then there were those who were simply jealous, envious, or presumptuous, thinking that Reiger had just pulled some trickery and could not possibly be at the level of a Sword Saint.
Reiger took in all their expressions.
Then, under the gaze of Ai En and Ian, Reiger stepped forward.
"So, you wish to challenge me?" Reiger said calmly, "Alright, who will go first?"
Reiger’s straightforwardness left many exchanging glances, and for a moment, they were at a loss for words.
"...Is it alright?"
"You really want to accept the challenge?"
Both Ai En and Ian frowned—one with a worried expression.
Both had seen Reiger fight twice.
Once was during an attack by "Shadow," where Reiger himself took action and captured the leading True Knight.
The other was during the War Festival, when Reiger personally killed Gil Datis, a Demon Swordsman.
In both instances, Reiger exhibited extraordinary strength, convincing Ai En and Ian of his abilities.
Yet, having seen Reiger in action, they could not help but have additional concerns.
The strength Reiger had shown in those two instances was remarkable, but to Ai En and Ian, it didn’t seem sufficient to be considered at the level of a Sword Saint.
Forget Albert Bolei, even with Demon Swordsman Gil Datis, it seemed as though Reiger had exerted considerable effort to overcome his opponent.
As such, he was certainly qualified as a seasoned True Knight.
But as a Sword Saint, Ai En and Ian felt that it still wasn’t enough.
Therefore, despite having heard about Reiger’s instant defeat of Albert Bolei, since they hadn’t witnessed it themselves and were biased by preconceived notions, they genuinely worried whether there might be an issue and if Reiger was deemed a Sword Saint due to some other reason.
They feared that if Reiger were to be exposed and defeated here, it would be a disgrace to his reputation.
Reiger did not see the concern in Ai En and Ian’s eyes, and even if he had, he would likely not have paid it any mind.
"Who will go first?"
He continued to address the swordsmen before him.
Finally, someone stepped forward.
"I will!"
A burly man leaped out in front of Reiger.
The man, clad in armor and carrying a heavy sword on his back, was taller than Solok and much more muscular.
When such a knight in heavy armor, bearing a heavy sword, landed in front of Reiger, even the ground trembled slightly, stunning many spectators.
The burly man then addressed Reiger.
"I am Marco Newgelen!"
At this name, many in the crowd immediately erupted into uproar.
"Marco Newgelen?"
"Is he the ’Tyrant’?"
"I didn’t expect him to be here."
The swordsmen began to chatter amongst themselves.
"Could it really be him?"
Ai En and Ian also looked at each other and expressed grave faces.
"What’s the matter?" Reiger turned to the two female knights and asked, "Do you know him?"
The one who answered was the straightforward Ian.
"He is a swordsman who made his name a long time ago, hailing from the lands of Newgelen, and the son of that region’s lord." Ian explained to Reiger, "Newgelen is a remote rural area, whose lord is merely a baron and doesn’t have much presence in noble circles; the baron himself is quite ordinary. However, Marco Newgelen, as his son, is a master of swordsmanship. He left home early to hone his sword skills, aiming to become a Sword Saint."
"Because he tends to go too far when striking, this man has caused many of his opponents serious injuries, and some have even died from them. Thus, many refer to him by the title ’Tyrant’."
Ian explained thoroughly, giving Reiger a clear understanding of just who this towering man was.
As for Ai En, she was more succinct.
"He is very strong," said Ai En gravely, "Ian and I are probably no match for him."
This was something Reiger had noticed himself.
In the instant when he tuned into the world around him, Reiger had already seen that the bulging muscles on this man were not just for show.
If it was purely about strength, this man was probably stronger than Albert.
In other words, at the very least, he was a Level 6 master.
"Reiger Brillhaut, right?"
As Reiger was gathering information about Marco, Marco spoke again.
He grinned widely, a man whose features could only be described as fierce.
"I heard you defeated Albert Bolei with a single move? I don’t buy it!" Marco spoke bluntly, "I lost to Albert Bolei roughly four years ago and had my True Knight Medal taken by him. It wasn’t until recently that I managed to take it back!"
This was a rule.
When someone challenges a thousand True Knights as a path to becoming a Sword Saint, if the challenger defeats an opponent, they may take their True Knight Medal as proof of their victory.
The defeated, if they lose their True Knight Medal, must not reclaim the medal or claim the identity of a True Knight for three years.
This rule was established to prevent the birth of Sword Saints through underhanded methods - more specifically, to prevent rigged fights.
It’s precisely because of this rule that each challenged True Knight must fight with all their might, not hold back, or else they’ll be without the True Knight Medal and branded as a loser publicly for three years.
For a swordsman, this is a considerable disgrace, a substantial blow to one’s pride.
Marco had clearly experienced this.
He spoke openly about it and snorted coldly.
"Since I’ve crossed swords with Albert Bolei, I know just how strong he is. A frail little fellow like you defeating him is impossible, let alone with a single move. It’s a joke!"
Marco’s words drew angry glares from Ai En and Ian but did not cause the slightest ripple in Reiger’s emotions.
"So what?" Reiger said with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, "You’ve come to prove I’m a fraud?"
"Exactly!" boomed Marco, "I don’t believe such a joke!"
With that, Marco drew the heavy sword from his back.
"Boom!"
The tip of the heavy sword slammed into the ground, causing an explosive sound and leaving a crater in its wake.
Watching this scene unfold, many people swallowed nervously.
"Careful not to die, kid," Marco grinned again and said, "I’m not very good at holding back."
"No problem," Reiger replied, clenching his hand to create a blade with structural magic, still sheathed and held casually in his hand. He stood his ground and addressed Marco, "That’s what I’m good at."
That single sentence infuriated Marco.
"Audacious!"
Marco roared, lifting his heavy sword as if he were a charging chariot, thundering towards Reiger.
However, in that moment, the roaring sound of thunder filled the air.
"Boom!"
A flash of lightning appeared before everyone’s eyes, and in an instant, it became the only thing in the world.
The lightning was fleeting, the storm swirled, and Reiger’s figure seemed to pass through space, arriving behind Marco with his body crackling with the energy of thunder and lightning.
"Clink..."
The unsheathed blade was now being re-sheathed by Reiger.
"Spurt!"
Marco, amid his charge, suddenly burst forth with blood light, causing him to collapse onto the ground, unconscious.
"————"
Silence.
A deathly quiet.
"Who else wants to come?"
Soon, Reiger’s voice rose again.
Calm and cool.