The courtyard, not particularly spacious, was filled with an oppressively heavy air, gradually elevating everyone’s heart rate.
Gejiev, Gegran, Ivey, and Clem, a group of four, couldn’t interject a single word anymore, just staring at the two confronting each other in the courtyard, seemingly holding their breath unconsciously.
Reiger and Brian stood facing each other, one standing casually, the other crouching slightly, body lowered, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword at his waist, ready to draw at any moment.
From the outside looking in, many would likely believe that Brian would be the victor of this contest, right?
Brian, having cast aside all distraction and returning to the demeanor of a swordsman, not only exuded an imposing aura without any hint of vulnerability, the compulsion emanating from him was formidable. His extremely calm expression and eyes perpetually oozed the vibe of a warrior tempered through countless battles. No matter from which angle one viewed, one could easily discern the strength and concentration he possessed.
In contrast, Reiger had a casual stance, his movements sloppy, not even gripping the handle of his sword, leaving him full of openings. Coupled with his overly youthful face, it gave others the impression he was blissfully ignorant of the depth of the sky or the vastness of the earth, leading them to have no doubt that facing Brian, he would meet defeat in a brief second.
Yet, despite appearances, it was Brian who wore a serious countenance, not Reiger.
Reiger, just casually standing there, had already brought an intense pressure upon Brian.
"Who exactly is this guy...!?"
That was the sole question in Brian’s mind.
He racked his brain, trying to recall information from his memory that matched the young man before him, but however much he pondered, he could not think of any human warrior so young and yet so formidable.
Could it be the leader of "Pale Rose"? The Priest Warrior who entered the Heroic Domain at just 19 years old?
But wasn’t that leader a woman?
And although they had achieved entry into the Heroic Domain, they wouldn’t be as strong as the young man before him, would they?
At least, Brian didn’t believe a Priest Warrior who had just stepped into the Heroic Domain could exert such pressure on him, even if he himself hadn’t yet entered the Heroic Domain.
So, who was this young man in front of him?
No matter how much Brian thought, he could not come up with an answer.
"Now’s not the time to think about this, right?"
Brian suppressed the astonishment in his mind, focusing on the impending battle.
If not, he would stand no chance of winning, his warrior’s keen intuition telling him so.
Thus, Brian further cleared his mind of distractions, concentrating even more.
At that moment, Reiger, who had been watching him, inexplicably spoke up.
"Before you draw your sword, why not tell me what you’ve encountered first."
This sudden inquiry caused Brian to start, then fall into a prolonged silence.
After a lengthy pause, Brian finally spoke.
"...I suppose there’s no harm in telling you."
Perhaps because he found a bit of his warrior’s dignity again, Brian eventually began to talk.
In full view of everyone, he started to narrate his own experiences.
"After losing to Strogonov during the royal tournament, in pursuit of greater strength and skill, I joined a band of thieves."
It was to gain opportunities to kill, to hone his skills amidst life and death.
"The origin of this band of thieves was a mercenary group which fought wars for nations and, during times of peace, would attack rich merchants or nobles for their wealth."
Brian’s words made many in the audience frown.
Clearly, the job wasn’t particularly honorable.
But Brian seemed indifferent.
"I joined them not for wealth or to commit violence, but simply to maintain my skills and to have legitimate opportunities to kill. That was my only thought, so it didn’t matter to me what kind of mercenary group it was."
"Then, I encountered ’that’ incident."
It happened over two months ago in the fortress city of Yelanter.
At that time, Reiger had just become a Mithril-ranked adventurer, and neither Feifei nor Nabell had begun to make a name for themselves.
In the forest north of Yelanter, a powerful vampire appeared.
"At the time, the mercenary group I was with happened to be settled in that area, directly in those woods."
"They set their sights on a supposedly rich merchant’s daughter from the Empire, who was squandering money lavishly in Yelanter’s most luxurious inn, the Golden Shining Pavilion, and was very wealthy. Unfortunately, she was marked by the mercenaries we sent to shadow her."
"I still remember, it was a very calm night. The rich merchant’s daughter had to leave Yelanter overnight due to an unexpected fire at the Golden Shining Pavilion and was lured into the forest by the people we dispatched."
"What followed was horror."
Brian’s voice began to tremble.
"As I did not take part in the plunder myself, I’m not very clear on the exact details of what happened."