Chapter 76
Seltarion Marquisate.
For Seron, this place was nothing short of paradise.
An illegal gladiator arena.
It was the first world he had seen upon opening his eyes. Countless low-rank gladiators were imprisoned behind the dimly lit iron bars.
He was one of them.
Why had he woken up there?
Why did he have no memories of his past?
Seron had no answers.
Nor did he have the time to dwell on them.
“If you want to live, defeat your opponent.”
That was the only law of this place.
The wardens of the arena.
From the moment they uttered those words, the purpose of life was no longer contemplation—it was survival.
Fighting.
Killing.
Returning to his freezing cell to lay down his battered body.
That was his daily life.
During that time, Seron had come to understand a few things about himself.
For some unknown reason, the moment he held a sword—
He became deeply attuned to the weapon.
His actions became meticulously calculated under the instinct of survival.
One month.
Life in that place was an endless battle for survival.
Whether his opponent was a monster or a human, it made no difference.
Even with trembling hands, he drew his sword.
He had no choice.
The only thing he could rely on was that single blade.
The moment he became one with the sword—
The more blood it was stained with, the more a sensation akin to ecstasy surged through him.
It was terrifying.
After every battle,
Every time he sheathed his sword, he felt an overwhelming nausea rise within him—yet, he continued to endure each day.
He could not afford to sit still and die.
As time passed, his rank increased.
From low-rank to mid-rank, then high-rank.
His body became stronger, but freedom remained out of reach.
The pain persisted.
Would he ever escape this hell?
Would tomorrow bring a life different from today?
That day was the same as any other.
A Shabel Tiger.
He drew his sword against the beast and slew it.
Back in his frigid cell—
As he sat on the edge of his bed, lost in thought, the person who would change his life appeared before him.
Kyle Seltarion.
“Do you like it here?”
“I’ll help you. Of course, in return, you’ll have to swear your loyalty to me.”
Seron did not know why Kyle had chosen to help him.
There must have been a reason.
But that didn’t matter.
The freedom he had longed for—
His lord had promised it to him.
And Kyle had kept his word.
To a gladiator who had nothing, he had bestowed the Seltarion Family’s swordsmanship and Aura Cultivation Technique.
It was an immeasurable favor.
Even without memories of his past, Seron understood that much.
He slowly looked at the sword hanging at his waist.
‘…….’
The moment he unsheathed it—
He would once again become one with the blade.
Every time his sword was stained with blood, it devoured more of him.
At some point—
Only a lifeless puppet remained, swinging the sword without consciousness.
That was why he feared drawing his weapon.
Even as he trained in the Storm Sword and learned the Aura Cultivation Technique, that fear never truly faded.
However—
It had weakened.
Because now, Seron had a reason to wield his sword.
‘To repay the debt.’
Kyle Seltarion.
For the favor he had received,
If necessary, Seron was willing to lay down his life to repay it.
Not long ago, when assassins came—
And threw a hidden blade at Erciel.
The moment Seron realized he couldn’t stop it, he threw himself forward without hesitation.
Because she was one of the people his lord cherished.
Dying was terrifying.
But it was not as frightening as the meaningless, slow death he had once endured.
That was why he had been able to act.
As Seron sat lost in thought, he saw Kyle approaching and immediately bowed his head.
“Take this.”
With those words, Kyle handed him something.
‘……A ring?’
The ring was a soft green hue, intricately engraved with elegant patterns.
At a glance, it was clear it was no ordinary object.
“What is this? It doesn’t seem like a normal ring….”
“It’s an artifact. It’s called the Ten-Metal Ring.”
“……An artifact?”
“Yeah. It’s a good one, so hurry up and put it on. You’ll find out what it does once you wear it.”
An artifact.
Even a low-grade artifact easily cost dozens of gold.
And if his lord had called it a “good one”—
“……If it’s something that valuable, someone else should—”
Kyle grinned.
“No, I had it made just for you. So, you’re the only one who can wear it. It was crafted to help you control your sword.”
“……Understood.”
There was no refusing it.
Seron accepted the ring and slipped it onto his finger.
Thump!
Suddenly, the world became remarkably clearer.
‘What… is this?’
It felt as if he had awakened.
“How is it? Feels different, doesn’t it?”
Seron, momentarily bewildered, soon nodded blankly at Kyle’s words.
“…Yes. I feel like my concentration has increased significantly.”
“It enhances your mental fortitude. But that’s not all. How should I put it… it strengthens your soul. With this, even if you draw your sword, your sense of self won’t be easily devoured anymore.”
“…Is that really true?”
“Try it out.”
Nodding, Seron drew his sword.
At that moment—
He immediately realized just how incredible this ring was.
Unlike before, when he would become deeply attuned to his sword, this time, his sense of self remained vividly intact.
The overwhelming exhilaration he had always felt upon drawing his sword was now significantly subdued.
And yet, his composure remained unwavering!
For Seron, this was an entirely new experience.
“How is it?”
“…Amazing. With this, I feel like I can maintain control for much longer, even while holding my sword.”
“There are still a few more effects. Try channeling your Aura into the ring.”
“Yes.”
The faint Aura within his core—
As he guided it toward the ring, a golden light began to emanate from the engraved patterns.
And then—
‘…….’
The Aura started gathering at an astonishing speed.
Far faster than anything he had experienced before.
“What in the world…?”
“You haven’t been able to gather much Aura yet, have you?”
“…No, that’s true.”
“With this ring, you’ll be able to absorb Pure Mana much faster than before. It’ll help you in both training and real combat.”
Kyle.
His lord spoke casually, as if it were no big deal.
But Seron understood just how astonishing this effect was.
Natural energy—
To gather it, one either had to invest an immense amount of time or rely on wealth to acquire resources.
Even then, there were limits to both the quantity and quality that could be obtained.
But with this ring—
‘…….’
He could gather Pure Mana far more efficiently than ever before.
Especially in his current state, where his Aura reserves were still lacking, this was an incredible boon.
“…Are you certain it’s alright for me to have this? It’s far too valuable…”
“I gave it to you so you could use it. And there’s still one more function. This ring has a special ability.”
“…There’s more?”
“Yeah. The ring itself is incredibly durable. Even a high-rank knight wouldn’t be able to break it easily. You can transfer that durability to a part of your body for ten seconds, once per week.”
“Transfer… its durability?”
“Yeah. But the area of effect is small. And for those ten seconds, the ring itself will become extremely fragile. If you don’t want it to break, you’ll have to protect it during that time.”
Hearing that, Seron finally realized just how priceless this artifact was.
It already looked solid and unyielding at a glance.
But if he could transfer that durability to his body—?
It would allow him to use his own flesh as armor.
If an enemy aimed for his neck, he could activate the ring’s ability—
And in that brief moment of their complacency, he could strike a decisive blow.
‘Just what…’
Why was he being given something this incredible?
Seron couldn’t suppress his curiosity any longer.
“…Young Master. Why are you being so generous with me? I haven’t even served you for long. There’s no reason for you to grant me such a treasure. Wouldn’t it be better suited for Leonhardt instead…?”
Kyle smirked.
Then—
“It’s just an investment for myself. And Leonhardt doesn’t need something like this—he’s already strong enough.”
He gave a simple answer.
To bestow such an artifact so casually—!
To an outsider, it might have seemed like Kyle was handing over a mere low-grade artifact.
But this was something that even the Alton Empire wouldn’t easily come by.
“…An investment, you say?”
“Yeah. With this, I can make better use of you. So it’s not like I’m losing anything.”
Kyle then looked at Seron and added—
“So just accept it. If I want to make you completely mine, I need to give you enough to make that decision for yourself, don’t I?”
Words were easy.
But acting on them was far more difficult.
Seron understood that better than anyone.
If he had an artifact of this caliber—
Would he so readily hand it over to a subordinate?
He couldn’t say for sure.
Especially not to someone he had only recently met.
But Kyle was different.
Despite their short acquaintance, Kyle showed unwavering trust in him.
‘…….’
Seron quietly gazed at the ring.
Kyle.
He had already received too much from him.
Even if he devoted his entire life, would he ever be able to repay this debt?
He didn’t know.
But one thing was certain.
Perhaps—
He had truly met a lord worth dedicating his life to.
At this moment, Seron reached a firm decision.
‘For a lord like this—’
It was no longer just about repaying a debt.
He was willing to offer his entire life.
Perhaps it was because he had drawn his sword—
Even in a moment when his emotions would have normally been in turmoil, his mind remained utterly still.
There was no hesitation.
Seron.
He knelt before Kyle.
“…Young Master.”
“Yeah?”
“I am still lacking. I am merely an unrefined warrior who has much to learn.”
Kyle chuckled at that.
“I know.”
Even that response was reassuring.
Because this man—
Was his lord.
“If that is the case… would you allow me to devote my life to you?”
“Of course. That’s why I gave you the ring.”
Then, there was only one thing left to do.
Seron.
He drew his sword and respectfully presented it toward Kyle.
“…Then I, Seron, wish to become your blade.
Until my bones turn to dust, I shall serve you.
Please accept my vow—my lord.”
At that moment—
Kyle smiled radiantly.
“Good. Seron, I accept your vow. From this moment forward, you shall be my blade.
Until the day one of us closes our eyes—forever.”
Kyle Seltarion.
With those words, he took Seron’s offered sword.
Two months had passed since rumors of a change in the so-called wastrel had begun to spread.
And now, he had gained a knight who had sworn his unwavering loyalty.
—
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