Chapter 198. The Beginning of a Plan (7)

Desir let out a sigh. “Haah……”

Desir had modified some magic spells to maintain their normal level of mana consumption while increasing the attack power and range to the highest efficiency, but the resulting spell arrays had become complicated and massive.

This was why modified magic was a bigger burden than regular magic, and after multicasting such spells, it was no surprise that he was left exhausted as a result.

As Desir was overwhelmed with exhaustion, an excited woman’s voice reached him. “Seems like the renovation fees will be quite expensive this time!”

At Swan’s words, Desir examined his surroundings. Only then did he notice the terrible state the drill hall was in.

‘Did we go too far?’

The floor had been utterly shattered and the aftermath from the battle had even broken through the drill hall’s defensive system to the point where it could be felt outside. What remained could no longer be referred to as a drill hall.

Swan started patting the distressed Desir’s back.

“There’s no need to worry about it. Having to repair the drill hall after it’s been destroyed is a common occurrence. Right, Raphaello?”

Raphaello smiled slightly as he glanced around the drill hall.

“Well, I’m sure his Majesty will tolerate this much. I should use this chance to properly revamp it for battles that involve magic.”

In the past, this rendition of the Royal Guard had never included magicians as an element in their planning. After all, until Desir stepped into their drill hall, they only had to focus on mitigating damage from physical attacks and aura. The fact they had changed their tune and acknowledged the need to accommodate magicians’ destructive power spoke volumes about the outcome of the battle.

Raphaello reached out.

“Welcome to the Royal Guard, Desir Arman.” “Thank you Sir Raphaello.”

As the head of the Royal Guard, Raphaello Cheringer, had acknowledged Desir’s skills, the procedure to join had now been completed.

“Is that it? Why don’t you give a speech or something after beating the Sword Grand Master?” Desir shook his head.

“I don’t think I’ve won. You were fighting at a clear disadvantage during this battle.”

Maybe if they were fighting under the same conditions he would have felt differently, but the battle was structured so that the attacker had a far greater advantage.

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If it had been a simple battle of knocking the other down, Desir might have been splayed across the drill hall’s floor by now.

That wasn’t all.

Desir glanced at the sword Raphaello was holding. The sword was so cracked that it was a surprise it hadn’t broken yet. A mere iron sword wasn’t enough to hold a Grand Master’s aura.

‘If he had used his usual weapons… ’

Raphaello normally wielded a weapon that could handle Desir’s full power with no problems. If he had used that today, the result may have been different.

In truth, Desir already felt rewarded. The results of his hard work had come to fruition; he was able to match Raphaello. ‘Have I really come this far?’

Desir was overwhelmed that he had progressed so much. He was already able to give his all and battle against the greatest swordsman of his era.

But he didn’t intend to stop here. He still felt that he had more room to grow even stronger. “Someday I hope we can compete on equal terms.”

“You’re welcome anytime. If it’s you, I should be able to have some fun.” Swan pulled Desir’s arm as she spoke.

“So, is there anything you want to eat?” “Excuse me?”

“I promised I’d treat you grandly, remember?”

Right before Desir and Raphaello’s battle started, Swan did say something like that. Desir had taken it as a joke, but apparently, she was being serious.

But he didn’t want to eat anything right now. Desir shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I don’t have anything in particular I want to eat either.”

“If you don’t want anything to eat, something else is fine too. Think of it as a reward for showing me a good fight.”

“I’m really oka… … ”

Just as he was about to decline, Desir abruptly cut his words.

Swan Katarina.

He frequently forgot due to her light tone and carefree actions, but she was also a talented individual that had reached the King Class.

Desir determined that it would be a good opportunity to resolve the problems he had been keeping to himself thus far.

“In that case, I have one request.”

* * *

After Swan and Desir left, Raphaello remained alone in the drill hall.

The drill hall that had been devastated by terrifyingly powerful magic.

Looking at the damage, Raphaello got lost in his thoughts.

‘I managed to stop him this time… … ’

At the end, Raphaello had managed to cut down what was likely Desir’s strongest spell. If this had been a battle to the death, Raphaello surely would have been the victor.

But even so, he felt that he was lacking.

‘If he becomes even stronger than he is now, will I be able to stop him again?’ Raphaello had participated in the battle without any of his usual weapons. But a question lingered at the front of his mind.

If he wielded his usual weapons and showcased his full power, if he competed without any conditions set on him, would he be able to beat a Desir that has had more time to grow? Raphaello shook his head.

He imagined that in the near future, Desir was sure to surpass him, bringing him to his knees for failing to stop his magic.

‘So far, I’ve thought that there was no reason to get any stronger.’

Raphaello had been bestowed the title of Sword Grand Master. A title only awarded to the best swordsmen of an era, and he had also been acknowledged by the emperor as the strongest shield in the Empire.

No one could surpass him one-on-one.

There was no shield he couldn’t pierce through, and there was no spear that could pierce his. At such a ridiculous level of strength, with no one that could face him equally, his life had become somewhat tedious. Years had rolled past. Today, he finally met someone who had the potential to surpass him.

And that meeting had brought about a huge amount of change within him. ‘I must not remain idle.’

Raphaello clenched his fist.

He resolved himself to go further than ever and reach what had been impossible.

* * *

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“The last man to hold the position of staff amongst the Royal Guard was killed during the revolution.”

Desir’s guide, Alfred, was an elderly man. He belonged to the Side Guard: a group formed to support the Royal Guard.

“Since then, the position has been vacant. It’s been thirteen years since someone new has appeared. I’m deeply moved that all of the Royal Guard’s positions have been filled.”

The Side Guard supported the Royal Guard’s missions and their overall activities. The repair of the drill hall was also taken care of by the Side Guard’s magicians.

“Congratulations on joining the Royal Guard, Sir Desir Arman.” “Thank you.”

“Sir Desir, I’ll give you a brief explanation of the Royal Guard.” Alfred sat Desir down and started his explanation.

The history of the Royal Guard.

The Royal Guard’s course of action.

It was all basic knowledge.

Other than the fact that it was a fancy title carrying a great deal of honor, it was safe to say that there were very few restrictions that would be placed on him after joining the Royal Guard. This was because as long as the Royal Guard continued to accomplish their missions, they had the right to act however they wanted to.

But Raphaello was an exception to this. As the shield, his main duty was to escort the Emperor. He had to always remain in the imperial palace.

“The most important part of your role is to remain loyal to His Majesty. The Royal Guard must obey only the Emperor’s orders and take care of anything he commands. His Majesty is looking forward to your loyalty, Sir Desir.”

From Alfred’s explanation, his strong sense of loyalty to the Emperor could be felt. “Sir Desir, one thing that you must pay special attention to is your conduct.” “Because of the nobles.”

“That is correct. Many nobles will pay attention to you, Sir Desir, as the first commoner to join the Royal Guard. Please keep in mind that even a small action could undermine His Majesty’s dignity.”

It could have sounded offensive, but as Desir was already aware of this fact, he was not affected by Alfred stating what was simply a fact. He nodded his head in response.

“Alright. Now let me explain the Royal Guard’s privileges. First, I’ll guide you to the imperial warehouse where we store the artifacts. I’ll finish explaining on the way.”

Alfred guided Desir to the imperial warehouse. As they walked down the hallway, Alfred listed and explained each and every privilege of the Royal Guards. Desir had already gotten a rough overview from the Emperor, so what he was hearing now was just supplementary information.

It took them quite some time to reach the imperial warehouse. This was due to the tight security they had to go through on their way.

The constant stream of security almost seemed too excessive. “We’ve arrived, Sir Desir.”

But the moment Desir set foot into the warehouse, his mind changed instantly. The moment anyone saw the vast array of artifacts in this room, they would have no choice but to acknowledge the necessity of such security.