What is a knight?
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This was the question Hegrion pondered throughout his life.
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He was the heir to the cold, northern country of Oben.
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The guardian of a vulnerable land constantly under attack.
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Born with an incredibly heavy burden, this was the question he always thought about, and the answer was always the same.
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‘A stronger power.’
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Someone with a strong body, an unbreakable will, and someone who took pride in their duty.
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In his mind, these three things were what a knight needed.
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Therefore, he never neglected his training, and he was proud of himself.
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That was why he was so displeased with Albrecht.
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— Nice to meet you! I am the Commander of the Imperial Knights, Albrecht van Freich!”
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He had unattractive muscles, wore a flirtatious smile fit for enchanting a girl, and donned armor laden with too many ornaments that seemed superficial.
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And his personality?
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He had a weak spirit that could crumble at the slightest flaw, and narcissism that took pride in himself rather than his duties.
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He felt despair at the fact that such a person would be the next generation’s leading figure.
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In Hegrion’s eyes, Albrecht lacked everything needed to be a knight and was a fool he could never acknowledge.
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— I have reached the next stage!
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Even at that moment, nothing changed.
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Hegrion could not acknowledge him.
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He only had questions.
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How could such a fool reach the realm of Intention before him?
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Was he inferior to him?
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It would have to be called jealousy, and also a sense of shame.
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“Klugh…!”
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A bloody cough burst out of Hegrion’s lips.
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He looked down at his stomach and his expression crumpled.
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‘I dodged a fatal blow.’
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Although he couldn’t completely dodge it, the sword that was aiming for his heart stopped at his abdomen.
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Pain surged and his vision started to blur, but he was still okay.
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Hegrion twisted fully and swung his claymore.
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In response, Albrecht quickly stepped back.
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The hole in Hegrion’s abdomen was being healed by Theresa’s divinity.
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After recognizing all this, he looked at Albrecht with a bated breath.
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“What happened to you…?”
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It was a sight beyond description.
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Nothing about the Albrecht he knew could be seen in those frenzied eyes, the blood-stained body, and the blazing blade.
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His usual dignified demeanor was replaced by a manic gleam in his eyes.
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It was a sight Hegrion didn’t want to see.
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— Get out! You have to report to the barracks!
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The sight of Albrecht, who reached enlightenment before him and shone brightest in times of crisis, now ravaged by madness was unbearable.
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And he couldn’t shake off the thought that it was his fault.
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Hegrion tightly gripped his claymore with both hands and swung it towards the charging Albrecht.
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Clang!
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There was a dissonance.
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Refusing to harmonize with Hegrion’s sword, the red-blazing sword twisted itself and shot at him again.
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Fortunately, Hegrion wasn’t caught off guard this time.
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Swish—
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The pure white mane around his body deflected the sword. Albrecht’s sword bounced off with a thud, but even that was a momentary event.
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It was only natural.
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The sword he wielded governed the flow of space, and the Intention that he reached shaped a reality only for himself.
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Swoosh!
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An indescribable sword stroke from Albrecht struck Hegrion’s body, too fast to be perceived. His body soared upwards before crashing back down.
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Theresa was about to step forward when Hegrion raised his hand to stop her.
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“Please wait.”
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“You…!”
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“I can handle this.”
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Hegrion got back up.
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His gaze was fixed firmly on Albrecht.
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“...I will handle it.”
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Hegrion couldn’t accept it.
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‘Yes...’
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I couldn’t do what even that fool did.
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I fled in a moment of crisis, pretending to be rational.
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I found myself trying to erase the shame that emerged with the thought of saving him.
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That shallow heart of mine.
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Woooong—
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A silver aura enveloped Hegrion’s body.
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His finely honed physique made his silver mane bristle.
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Albrecht’s sword shone mysteriously, distorting the flow of space once more according to his Intention.
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If this continued, he would get caught up in it again and be hit by his attack.
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Hegrion gritted his teeth and raised his sword.
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Then, he planted his feet firmly on the ground.
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He looked not just at the source of his simple aura, but at something deeper.
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He confronted himself and exposed his weaknesses.
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An unidentifiable wind wrapped around him.
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Following that wind, a red sword shot towards him.
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Hegrion swung down the claymore he had raised high.
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Clang—!
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The flow became broken.
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His mane blocked the aura fragments scattering in all directions.
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A long breath hissed out of Hegrion’s mouth.
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‘I can see it.’
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Although blurry, he could now see the flow.
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Hegrion could tell.
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He was now standing in front of the narrow door that led to the realm of Intention.
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However, he felt no joy.
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What came instead was a bitter laugh.
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He was disgusted by the self he finally confronted. It was just a pitiful, unremarkable man, one who sought the reasons for his inadequacies outside himself.
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‘Damn you.’
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Hegrion now understood.
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The reason he had not reached Intention, and why only Albrecht had, was because he lacked the eyes to see himself.
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Until now, he had been focusing on the burdens he carried rather than on himself.
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‘You wretched fool.’
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Albrecht’s sword created another flow.
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Hegrion felt like his body was being sucked into the tip of Albrecht’s sword, and then he scattered it.
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Clang—!
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The clash of swords was accompanied by a dull noise.
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Standing before the narrow door, Hegrion tensed his muscles and blocked all incoming sword strikes.
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Then, he peered into that door.
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What he saw in the reflection was himself, and also his opponent.
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No, it was himself, who was clinging somewhere in the world of his opponent.
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He was an ordinary person struggling in the world of a genius.
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Hegrion finally accepted it.
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Everything he had ignored was rooted in Albrecht’s talent, and his refusal to acknowledge it was mere jealousy.
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He didn’t want to acknowledge himself as an insignificant figure lost in the vast world.