Chapter 235: 235 ’Sword Saint Family
The royal palace had prohibited the use of magic, but this didn’t mean there was no way to employ magic within its walls.
Gaining the royal family’s trust and having them lift the prohibition was one method.
Another method was to use magic in some special areas, such as dedicated arenas and training grounds.
These areas were specifically designed for duels and competitions and were among the few places within the palace where magic restrictions did not apply.
At this very moment, Reiger and his company were moving towards such a place.
"Be careful."
Walking beside Reiger, Yuri wore an unusually solemn expression and whispered to him.
"Albert Bolei is no mere knight."
Yuri’s caution didn’t come as a surprise to Reiger.
"I can see that," Reiger casually said, looking ahead. "Bolei, I remember that’s the Sword Saint family you mentioned before, right?"
There were a total of six Sword Saints within the Kingdom of Genas.
This was something Yuri had told Reiger on the way back to the capital.
As a result, while Reiger didn’t have an exhaustive understanding of the Sword Saints within the Kingdom of Genas, he did have a certain level of awareness.
The first Sword Saint was said to be the oldest of them all, originally an attendant to the king before the last one, and at the time of the former king’s death, he was merely a veteran True Knight. However, he stayed in the palace and only earned the title of Sword Saint several years after the current king ascended to the throne. He still remained within the palace, in charge of its defense, rarely taking action and scarcely seen in public. Due to seniority, people who knew of his existence referred to him as the Old Sword Saint.
The second Sword Saint was the one the current king had expended resources to foster, thereby earning fierce loyalty from the Sword Saint. In return, the king trusted him greatly, even multiple times appointing him as his Shadow Warrior to impersonate the king and enter dangerous situations. The leader of the royal assassination unit "Shadow" was also this Sword Saint, hence he was named the Shadow Sword Saint.
The third Sword Saint was a noble of the kingdom, formerly a wandering swordsman that the kingdom had recruited over ten years ago, granting him the title of Viscount. After continuously distinguishing himself on the battlefield, his title rose again and again. Now, not only is he a Marquis, but he’s also been awarded territory bordering foreign lands by the kingdom and is always stationed at the borders, guarding against foreign adversaries. He’s known as the Border Guardian Sword Saint.
The fourth Sword Saint is the one mentioned before, who was recruited into the Codelion Family by Saint Nidor Kedalion. Rumored to be a slave by birth, he had to practice the sword vigorously to survive, and ultimately, achieved the title of Sword Saint. Saint Nidor saved him and took him under his banner to fight his battles. Known as the One-eyed Sword Saint due to the loss of an eye during his enslavement.
The fifth Sword Saint was a Sword Saint of a noble title, coming from a noble lineage as well, but his family was as fallen as the once-great Franzer family. Only when he became a prominent Sword Saint did his family rise again. However, he showed little interest in noble affairs, preferring to travel abroad with a carefree love for freedom. Known for appearing before people’s eyes one moment and disappearing as quickly as he came, like a fleeting meteor, he earned the title Meteor Sword Saint.
As for this sixth Sword Saint, he was related to Albert.
The Bolelei family of Albert’s lineage was a noble family that emerged at the founding of the Kingdom of Genas.
Generation after generation of knights came from the Bolelei family, making it a family of legend within the kingdom.
The reason this family became legendary was for one cause.
That is, every generation of the Bolelei family had produced a Sword Saint.
Indeed, each generation of this family had its Sword Saint.
Starting from the Bolelei family’s first ancestor, the lineage had spanned seven generations, with every generation achieving the title of Sword Saint.
Therefore, the Bolelei family boasted a legendary status across the entire continent of Acacia, universally known and revered, even celebrated as the Sword Saint Family.
Among the six Sword Saints of the Kingdom of Genas, only the Bolelei family’s Sword Saint had the most significant background; the others were either attendants, or royal groomed, or wandering swordsmen, or outright slaves, or descendants of fallen nobility. Only the Bolelei family had the best origins and the most renown.
Remembering this, Reiger understood why Yuri looked so seriously concerned.
"So this Albert Bolei is the eighth generation?"
Reiger uttered this statement.
Yuri first nodded, then shook her head.
"Albert is indeed the eighth generation, but he hasn’t become a Sword Saint yet," Yuri said to Reiger. "However, he is considered a swordsman with more talent than any of the Bolelei family’s past Sword Saints."
"He’s only 27 this year, but he has already successfully challenged and defeated 982 True Knights."
There are broadly three paths to becoming a Sword Saint, as previously mentioned.
The first is to challenge other True Knights after becoming one yourself. If one manages to defeat a thousand True Knights consecutively, they can be knighted by the kingdom and awarded the True Knight Medal, thus becoming a Sword Saint.
The second path is to challenge an existing Sword Saint after becoming a True Knight. Winning against such an opponent allows one to be knighted and awarded the True Knight Medal, earning the title of Sword Saint.
The third way is general public recognition, where one is acknowledged to possess the strength of a Sword Saint and has another Sword Saint to vouch for and introduce them, thereby earning royal approval. This way, one can be officially knighted and become a Sword Saint.
Albert Bolei, beyond a doubt, was pursuing the first path.
This was the hardest route to take, requiring endless challenges and victories over others, with no room for a single defeat.
Moreover, the challengers couldn’t be repeated, couldn’t include one’s own family or relatives, couldn’t be deeply related subordinates, and not even individuals from one’s own domain or hometown. Challengers had to be outsiders, strangers from afar.
Those who became Sword Saints by this path often needed to travel extensively, constantly issuing challenges to strong individuals from different lands and cultures.
This demonstrates just how difficult this path truly is.
The Bolelei family’s Sword Saints from generation to generation have all followed this path.
They believe that constantly challenging the strong is the only way to sharpen a swordsman’s blade, to make it more lethal and powerful.
With this philosophy in mind, every generation of the Bolelei family’s offspring embarks on the journey of challenging the mighty after obtaining the True Knight Medal.
Many believe that the reason this Sword Saint family continues to produce Sword Saints generation after generation lies precisely in this practice.
Members of the Bolelei family either die in battle or emerge victorious after defeating countless formidable opponents, ascending to the pinnacle of honor as a Sword Saint.
This has led countless swordsmen to eagerly emulate them, indeed allowing many who were dissatisfied with mediocrity to forge a bloody path, strengthening themselves through battle and, ultimately, becoming Sword Saints.
Albert was clearly such a person, and he was close to his goal.
Having successfully challenged and defeated 982 True Knights, this meant that once 18 more True Knights fell to him, he would become the veritable eighth-generation Sword Saint of the Bolelei family.
"Many people believe that before the age of 30, Albert will certainly become a Sword Saint," Yuri said solemnly, "This is also why he is seen as more gifted than any Sword Saint in the Bolelei family’s history."
Becoming a Sword Saint before the age of 30 was extremely rare on the entire continent.
At least, among the six existing Sword Saints of the Kingdom of Gunias, not one became a Sword Saint before reaching 30.
"Albert is now hailed as the foremost among all beneath the Sword Saint, recognized as the strongest True Knight in the kingdom," Yuri said, looking at Reiger as she spoke.
"People like Gil Datis wouldn’t last more than ten rounds against him."
Reiger believed this.
He reckoned that a Sword Saint was probably equivalent to Lv.7; in the Earth Mistake World’s Maze City Orario, there was only one person known as the ultimate weapon.
If Albert was the first beneath the Sword Saint and was not far from the position of Sword Saint, then he must be at the peak of Lv.6, or even half a step into Lv.7.
Gil Datis, in Reiger’s eyes, was about Lv.6, but not very strong, roughly mid or even lower-mid level, not even comparable to Kibutsuji Muzan, who had devoured thousands.
A lower-mid Lv.6 facing an entity close to half of Lv.7, would undoubtedly be defeated within a few rounds without any trump cards or secret weapons.
Albert Bolei might just be the strongest opponent Reiger would encounter in this world.
"The King is planning to use Albert to test you, to gauge your true strength before deciding on how to deal with you," Yuri said seriously, emphasizing every word to Reiger.
"You need to be careful."
Upon hearing this, Reiger nodded, the corners of his mouth rising subtly.
"The number one person beneath the Sword Saint, huh?"
If that was the case, then he would give him a surprise.
......
The palace, the arena.
This was a vast area, not as grand as the Wendini where the Festival of War was held, but still comparable to a football stadium.
There weren’t many seats for spectators here, one could tell it wasn’t meant for many onlookers, only a high stand set up to accommodate about a hundred guests had been established.
Nobles, civil officials, and knights all gathered around King Hemulinp at a certain moment, arriving on this high stand and seating the King in the most spacious seat in the center.
Yuri was among them, sitting close to the King, her eyes fixed tightly on the arena below, revealing a slight unease.
Reiger and Albert had already entered and stood facing each other.
"Let’s begin directly," said King Hemulinp to an official nearby.
The official obeyed, stepping forward.
"Now begins the duel between Sir Reiger Brillhaut and Knight Captain Albert Bolei!"
"Draw your swords!"
Following the official’s announcement and shout, Albert was the first to draw his sword.
Straightaway, a sword also appeared in Reiger’s hand.
However, the appearance of his sword caused many to pause in surprise.