Chapter 246: 246 ’Thunder Light Sword Saint
Three days had flown by in the blink of an eye.
The royal capital of Yaruf remained as bustling as ever, a thriving spectacle of comings and goings, truly living up to the name of the capital city of the Ginas Kingdom, the very image of a great metropolis.
However, the hot topic that had taken over the streets was almost entirely about the youngest Sword Saint in history.
For example...
"It seems like another ring was set up outside the Marquis of Franzel’s manor today."
"Are there still so many people challenging the Thunder Light Sword Saint?"
"There’s no helping it. As long as one performs well enough to catch the attention of the Thunder Light Sword Saint, it could lead to guidance from him, a truly rare opportunity."
"The swordsmen must be thrilled, right? On a normal day, it’s difficult enough just to catch a glimpse of a Sword Saint, but now there’s one who’s indicated that he’s ready to accept challenges at any time, even occasionally offering tips. For senior swordsmen, that’s a reason to be happy."
"Especially those who come from humble beginnings who have never had any guidance. Now they finally have the chance to be mentored by a Sword Saint, they are more excited than anyone else."
On the streets, people discussed such topics while walking along, clearly enjoying the conversation.
Alongside them, individuals dressed like swordsmen moved in groups toward a certain direction, their expressions as excited as the passersby’s discussions.
"Today, I must receive guidance from that great person!"
"Who doesn’t think that way? But the question is, can you grab that great person’s attention?"
"Weren’t there a lot of people who received guidance yesterday?"
"True, but it seemed like the majority of them were senior swordsmen. If one isn’t at least a senior swordsman level, and without a couple of unique tricks, they’d practically be defeated instantly upon entering the arena, with no chance to receive guidance from the esteemed Sword Saint."
"If that’s the case, then how many of those senior swordsmen weren’t instantly defeated?"
"Do you think the title ’Thunder Light Sword Saint’ came out of nowhere? It’s because each challenger, upon entering the field, only has time to see a flash of lightning before losing. That’s why the newly anointed Sword Saint was dubbed the Thunder Light Sword Saint."
"If you want to receive the great person’s guidance, then first think about how to survive the initial instant kill, and then talk about it."
The swordsmen had such conversations and made their way to the front of the Franzel manor.
There, as the previous passersby had discussed, a ring had indeed been set up.
The arena was simple: it was just a vast open space outside the manor enclosed with iron rods.
But around this modest ring, there had been countless people gathering each day.
Some came to watch, while others came to be challengers.
Different from three days ago, these challengers no longer had looks of skepticism and disdain. They only had excitement and expectation.
In these days, the place was always like this, packed with people every day.
"Newly ordained Sword Saint Reiger Brillhaut sets up a ring outside the Franzel manor, proclaiming he will accept challenges from anyone, turning away no one."
This topic had become the most popular subject throughout the entire royal capital.
Especially since someone claimed that if one performed well enough in the ring, the newly ordained Sword Saint Reiger Brillhaut would provide guidance. This caused even more swordsmen to come seeking fame, becoming challengers.
They didn’t expect to defeat Reiger; they only sought to perform well before him.
As long as they achieved this, they wouldn’t just receive personal guidance from a Sword Saint, but their names would also be known throughout the capital.
At least, in these three days, all the swordsmen recognized by Reiger and who received his guidance, had all become famous.
Everyone knew that these people performed so well even in front of a Sword Saint that they received personal guidance, which made them celebrated swordsmen throughout the streets and alleys.
Among them were some swordsmen who were once obscure and ignored, but who now became famous overnight, even catching the eyes of some nobles, being recruited into their service, henceforth receiving generous treatment.
Such rumors made Reiger’s spot even busier.
Thanks to this, Reiger successfully completed his earlier conception; every day brought him a stream of free ’experience packs’ for him to defeat, for him to gain experience points from, and even for him to test his sword moves and develop new sword techniques, making these three days quite delightful for Reiger.
Thanks to this, the ring outside the Franzel manor also became thoroughly renowned throughout the capital.
Similarly, Reiger’s ability to consistently deliver instant defeats to his opponents, allowing them to only catch a glimpse of a flash of lightning, became a legend spread throughout the entire kingdom.
Thus, Reiger earned the universally acknowledged honorific title — ’Thunder Light Sword Saint.’
"With the appearance of the lightning, defeat is ensured."
This commendable reputation was bestowed upon Reiger, becoming the first impression recognized by everyone seeking information about him.
Today, Reiger was still welcoming challengers.
"Boom!"
As the sound of thunder rang out, the lightning that had become Reiger’s symbol immediately appeared, slicing through the air, bringing him behind his opponent.
"Click..."
Reiger skillfully sheathed his sword and turned around, making his opponent fall almost simultaneously.
The opponent sat slumped on the ground, gasping for air, unharmed but with their sword broken, and a strand of hair floated to the ground, still smoking from being singed.
There was no doubt; this was the aftereffect of being struck by "lightning."
"You’ve lost," Reiger said, looking at the swordsman collapsed on the ground. "Your foundational skills are solid, but too rigid. Battle will not unfold as you imagine, allowing you to unleash the sword techniques you’ve practiced one by one. So, you shouldn’t fill your head solely with the sword techniques you want to perform; instead, you must think."
"In face of any battle situation, you must consider how to respond and learn to swiftly think through these issues in the midst of rapidly changing combat, reaching conclusions quickly."
"Alright, you may step down now."
As soon as Reiger finished speaking, the swordsman immediately struggled to his feet and bowed deeply to him.
"Thank you for your guidance, Sword Saint!"
Having said that, the opponent left in high spirits, showing none of the dejection that usually accompanies defeat.
"Alright, next."
Reiger had grown accustomed to this and, without paying further attention, simply made his declaration.
However, as soon as he announced this, the swordsmen did not scramble to take the stage but instead turned to look to the side.
There, Ian was maintaining order among the knights while holding a piece of sheepskin paper, writing and drawing on it with a quill pen.
"Next up is you."
Ian pointed to a swordsman in the crowd who had just signed up to challenge him.
"Haha! It’s finally my turn!"
The swordsman, as delighted as a two-hundred-pound man, eagerly jumped onto the platform.
And so, a new round of challenges began.
"Boom!"
Thunder Light flashed again, the roar of thunder resounded for what must have been the umpteenth time, echoing in the sky, lasting a long time.
At that moment, Yuri seemed to have just finished her work, walking out of the office to take a leisurely stroll, to clear her mind.
"How many rounds have there been today?"
Yuri looked at the lively scene outside the gate, with constant flashes of Thunder Light, and sighed softly.
"This is the hundred and eighth round,"
Marilyn supplied the data without expression, standing beside Yuri.
"...So you’re saying, he’s already taken on a hundred and eight challenges today?" Yuri spoke with a sense of disbelief, "I really don’t understand where he gets the energy and interest from. What’s the point of tirelessly accepting so many people’s challenges every day?"
Clearly, Yuri failed to understand why Reiger insisted on taking up everyone’s challenges daily and offering them guidance, attracting an ever-growing throng of challengers.
In her opinion, this kind of challenge was practically meaningless for someone of Reiger’s stature as a Sword Saint.
You could say it serves as training,
but Reiger defeats his opponents instantly, every time.
You could argue it has a deterring effect,
but then Reiger would offer advice, resulting in challengers not dwindling but instead arriving in an unending stream.
This left Yuri truly baffled as to what Reiger saw in doing this.
"Perhaps, it’s a special type of cultivation?"
Marilyn’s voice even took on a note of uncertainty.
"Really now." Yuri finally started to show some discontent, muttering, "If it’s going to be like this every day, then doesn’t that mean he won’t even have time to join me for a cup of tea?"
...So, miss, your complaint is that he doesn’t have time to keep you company?
Marilyn felt like she had stumbled upon the truth.
"By the way, where are Mistis and Isu?" Yuri finally remembered her younger siblings and asked, "Where did they go?"
Marilyn didn’t answer but silently pointed towards the direction of the entrance.
Following Marilyn’s finger, Yuri looked over and immediately saw the following scene.
"Go on! Take him down!"
Isu was blending into the crowd, much like a hooligan, swinging his little fists and making punching and kicking gestures, all the while yelling excitedly.
"Go for it, Mr. Reiger!"
Even Mistis was quietly mixed in among the crowd, offering words of encouragement unnoticed and looking at Reiger’s magnificent display on the platform, her beautiful eyes filled with stars.
"......"
Yuri watched, astonished, as her siblings—who she hadn’t seen in days—had completely abandoned their usual demeanor and transformed into little fans, cheering for Reiger, almost short-circuiting on the spot.
"Is that the same Isu who declares every day that he won’t become a swordsman, refuses to practice swordsmanship, and wants to be a great magician?"
"And is that the same Mistis who is always polite, reasonable, conscientious, and never a worry to anyone?"
"Are they really my siblings?"
Yuri was in shock.
And then, Marilyn delivered the final blow with a casually devastating remark.
"They’ve been like this for three days."
At those words, Yuri fell completely silent.
......
Meanwhile, unknown to everyone, a person arrived at the Franzer residence.
"Is this the place?"
The somewhat childish voice sounded, lingering for a moment before slowly fading away.