The Duel Behind the Curtain

“Creak…”

A slightly rusty iron door was quietly pushed open by Ken.

He carefully peeked his head inside.

Caution was the best strategy, after all, his mission was not to clear out the entire trading post.

“Excuse me…?”

Out of habit, Ken cautiously greeted the room.

But he immediately remembered that he was infiltrating and quickly held himself back.

By then, it was already too late.

After all, this was a forbidden place.

This specially designed room was still guarded by soldiers.

Three soldiers leaning against a round wooden table were clearly alarmed.

“Who’s there?!”

The lead soldier in armor reacted first.

“Charles, go check it out…”

The leader shouted at Charles.

“All right…”

Charles slowly drew his rapier and cautiously walked toward the door.

He maneuvered around the large cages, moving along paths cleared for transport.

With each step closer to the small door, his tension increased.

With heavy guards stationed downstairs, ordinary people could not enter.

His superiors had said that apart from the three of them, no one was allowed in this room.

“Huh?!”

No one?!

Impossible!

“Who! Come out quickly!”

Charles shouted around, attempting to scare the intruder out.

But shouting at Ken hiding in the shadows was utterly pointless.

Who would really come out?

The surrounding cages were like giant birdcages, making the room resemble a maze.

Perhaps a guard from downstairs accidentally entered… maybe I’m overthinking it.

Charles retracted his rapier and turned back to the round table.

“Bang!”

A loud crash.

Before Charles could react, someone pinned him to the floor.

“You called me out, huh? Not my problem~”

Charles felt a sharp pain in his head.

Pain and anger surged through him.

He shouted furiously at the boy.

“Ah! You #&! I *#&!!”

“Huh?! You’re still not out cold.”

Ken was surprised.

This guard’s endurance was incredible.

“Ah!”

With a roar, Ken grabbed Charles’ head and slammed it down.

After two or three consecutive hits, Charles was completely dazed.

He felt blood surge from his nose and then blacked out.

As a warehouse guard, Charles had the skills of a junior swordsman.

Thanks to Ken’s use of “mad energy,” Charles’ body became extremely resilient.

Without using mad energy himself, Ken’s attacks only rendered Charles unconscious after four blows.

Having knocked out Charles, Ken quietly hid again.

A few hours later, Charles woke up.

Around him, soldiers in standard combat armor were moving unconscious boys and girls from the cages.

He was dragged to the side of the corridor, lying on the floor.

He stared blankly, thinking: Who am I? Where am I? Why am I here??!!

………………………………………………

“Charles hasn’t returned?!” the armored leader asked.

“Yes! Could something have happened?!” another guard replied nervously.

With a loud bang, the room returned to silence.

Only faint sounds of chaos could be heard from outside.

“Full alert!”

The captain said calmly.

He slowly drew his rapier.

He was well aware of the darkness of this work.

If there was suddenly complete silence, something was definitely wrong.

Charles was likely dead, or at least crippled.

Looking at the cages covered in crimson silk, he sighed.

“Frequent travelers along the river always get their shoes wet. Even if I don’t want to, as a mercenary, money comes first. I cannot resist this huge bounty.”

“My heart does not wish to do such things, but my greed compels me,” he often comforted himself.

“Lorren! Stop panicking! Draw your sword!!”

The captain shouted.

Lorren was flustered and clearly panicking.

“Clack.”

He dropped his sword in a hurry.

“Idiot…” the captain muttered.

Although dissatisfied, he assumed a combat stance as a middle-level swordsman instinctively.

“Intruder! Come out! I know you’re in the dark! If you have the courage, come out like a knight! Don’t hide!”

The captain held a ready stance, prepared to strike a deadly blow.

“If we’re talking about hiding, you’re the one hiding,”

Ken said calmly.

He stepped out slowly from the shadows.

Seeing the vague silhouette, the captain’s tension rose.

He gripped his rapier tightly.

Someone strong enough to take out Charles in one strike was clearly superior.

Charles was only a junior swordsman, so this person must be at least above that level.

This man was formidable.

The captain thought silently.

The shadow revealed itself.

“Wh…what?”

“Such a young person?”

The boy exuded a unique confidence.

Even facing a drawn sword, he showed no panic.

Moreover, he had no weapons with him.

“Lorren, give it to him…”

“Wait?! Boss, what’s going on?”

“Give it to him!”

The captain said impatiently, with a tone filled with gravity.

From the old captain’s usual muddled conduct, there was a rare glimpse of justice.

“I never draw my sword on the unarmed.”

“Captain, I’ll ring the bell!”

Perhaps out of conscience, seeing the cages, the old captain felt a twinge of mercy.

“Slow! No need to ring the bell.”

“Boy, I’ll give you a chance. If you defeat me, I’ll let you rescue these slaves.

If you lose, I’ll hand you over to my employer.”

The boy said nothing.

He stepped forward and drew the sword from the floor.

He pointed the blade at the captain.

“Then let’s go!”

“I am Icarus. Watch out!”

Icarus removed his useless armor.

The boy had already unleashed his mad energy.

Orange flames flickered.

He, too, was a middle-level swordsman.

Only by removing the useless armor could he exert his full power.

This old man… is skilled…

Ken thought silently.

Almost habitually, Ken charged at Icarus with a swift strike.

Icarus reacted instantly, raising his sword above his head and cleverly redirecting the force.

Ken’s fully powered strike was repelled, and he stumbled two steps back.

Not done yet, Icarus adjusted his stance and kicked Ken’s side.

The yellow flow of energy shot out.

Ken was caught off guard and could only brace for impact.

“Hiss…”

Ken was flung to the wall, slightly dizzy.

Perhaps Icarus realized Ken could not truly oppose him, for he began to speak calmly.

“It’s not my fault. The reward is simply too tempting…”

“I am old. I only want to earn enough in the next decade for my family.

Though against my conscience, my greed compels me.

You shouldn’t be here. This is your own doing.”

Both were middle-level swordsmen, but Icarus’ experience made him far more difficult to deal with.

Ken had intended to test the captain first, but the man showed no mercy and went all out.

Ken decided to fight with full strength as well.

He flipped, stood, and adjusted his sword stance, looking for an opening.

Ken swung at Icarus, who skillfully blocked and thrust at Ken’s head.

Ken reacted quickly, tilting his head to avoid a lethal strike, but still received a scratch across his handsome face.

Icarus then aimed a quick kick at Ken’s calf, attempting to knock him down.

Ken stepped back and quickly considered how to counter.

Icarus’ attack and defense were highly skilled, beyond Ken’s abilities.

But Ken’s youth and strength gave him an advantage over the aging Icarus.

He knew a prolonged duel of attrition was unwise.

He had to go all out.

Ken gripped his sword and charged again.

“Boy, you know, not everything can be solved with brute force…”

Icarus smiled faintly.

Lorren watched helplessly from the side.

Icarus found an opening, blocked Ken, and prepared to counter.

Unexpectedly, Ken withdrew and slid toward Icarus’ calf.

Icarus lost balance and fell.

Ken quickly rose, locked Icarus’ throat, and pressed his sword against it.

“I lost…”

Icarus said calmly.

“Well fought.”

“I will honor my promise.”

Icarus steadied himself and sheathed his sword slowly.

“But…”

Icarus paused.

Ken tensed.

“We can’t report this as is…”

“What are you planning?!”

Ken grew nervous.

Icarus glanced at Lorren.

“Apologies…”

Icarus struck Lorren, knocking him unconscious.

“Please, ‘Arian,’ give me a punch too.”

Ken was shocked.

“Apologies then…”

Ken struck Icarus with full force, and Icarus took it.

Honestly… in his years, Ken had never seen anyone ask to be hit.

People of the Imperial Capital were truly strange.

Ken thought silently… the people here really like to play…

He also reflected on his three years in the capital.

He wondered how his foolish master was doing.

Recalling those slightly silly words, Ken covered his face with one hand, feeling embarrassed.

He lifted the cage curtains one by one.

He used the scroll to document the cages.

At Ross’ cage, the boy in the water-blue dress seemed asleep from the sedative.

Ken felt relieved and left.

Though Ross was a boy, he looked surprisingly cute…

Ken covered his face with one hand.

“What am I even thinking?!”