Chapter 26: 26 - Spar
Baron Pedrol noticed that Lynn and Ivana remained silent and anxious for a long time. After some thought, he spoke to reassure them.
"You don't need to worry too much. According to Archbishop Anluke, most of the devil worshipers have been executed, and the Church has secretly stationed three thousand guards in the Harbor town (its a port)."
"Three thousand?" Lynn's eyebrows furrowed. That seemed like an excessive number for a small town like the port town. In times of peace, towns like this usually had only a few hundred troops stationed. The sudden influx of so many troops raised suspicions.
Lynn couldn't help but wonder if Lame Laut's identity had been exposed, and the Church was planning to wipe out the entire Gang of Ships.
"Father, what does Archbishop Anluke mean? Is he preparing for war?" Lynn inquired cautiously.
Baron Pedrol shook his head. "It should have nothing to do with war, but I have limited information. I've heard that on his way back to the port town, Archbishop Anluke captured a wizard's apprentice who had escaped before. They're currently imprisoned in the port town and scheduled for a public execution on Monday."
Upon hearing this, Lynn's expression became grave. Could it be that Jenny and Dove had been captured? Lynn couldn't help but consider this possibility. When he had parted ways with the two witches, their conditions were far from ideal. He couldn't even be certain if they had stayed together amidst the swift currents.
If the Church had immediately organized a large-scale search after the recent battle, there was a chance they could have been caught.
"Father, do you know who these imprisoned devil worshipers are?" Lynn couldn't contain his urgency. He quickly added, "I've heard that witches are usually very beautiful. Is it true?"
"Nonsense! Who told you that?" Baron Pedrol scolded. "These are all rumors! Listen to me, under no circumstances should you be associated with these devil worshipers in any way!"
In the Sekas Empire, wizards were an absolute taboo. These devil worshipers possessed numerous strange magical abilities and had caused chaos everywhere, akin to living disasters.
Under Baron Pedrol's stern reprimand, Lynn reluctantly suppressed his doubts for now. It wasn't the time to ask questions.
After delivering a few more harsh words, Baron Pedrol returned to the main topic. "This time, to deal with these devil worshipers, two priests lost their lives in battle. While that's certainly a cause for mourning, it's also an opportunity for us!"
"In other words, there will be at least five slots available in this year's knight assessment!"
At this point, Baron Pedrol looked at Lynn with great anticipation. The formal assessment was just two months away, and if Lynn could successfully pass it, there might be a chance for the Pedrol family to rise once again.
"After we finish eating, you and Ivana should spar again. I want to see how much progress you've made over the past few months," Baron Pedrol said straightforwardly.
Spar again? Lynn couldn't help but glance at Ivana, who was sitting across from him at the dining table.
The young woman wore a fitted black dress with a slightly open neckline, revealing her fair neck and collarbone. Her shoulder-length hair was pulled back, leaving only a red ribbon to cascade down her shoulder. She looked quite composed, but her eyes were ice-cold, as sharp as knives.
Maybe he should hold back a little this time, Lynn thought silently. After all, apart from having had an absolute advantage in terms of strength and stamina a few years ago, he had never defeated Ivana once. On the contrary, the gap between them seemed to be widening rapidly.
His best record so far was losing within twenty-three moves...
.
.
.
"Right here!" After dinner, Baron Pedrol led the two to the practice grounds in the backyard of the estate and gestured for them to begin.
Lynn changed into a training uniform and assumed the standard sword-fighting stance.
However, the moment Baron Pedrol spoke, Ivana had already dashed over.
So fast!
Lynn's pupils contracted, and he only had time to block her incoming strike with his wooden sword.
But unexpectedly, when their wooden swords clashed, a sound reminiscent of metal striking metal resonated.
The young woman shifted her body, and her dress swayed as she executed a whip kick.
Lynn tried to dodge, but Ivana was faster. She followed up by spinning her wooden sword, sending Lynn's wooden sword flying before bringing hers down from above.
The sharp sound of the wind in Lynn's ears made him sense a hint of danger, which meant that her attack was far from holding back.
If he got hit, it wouldn't be a simple injury...
[Right hand up at a 37-degree angle, grab the wrist, take the sword back...]
Lynn's gaze became serious. Thanks to his brain's analysis, he almost instantly identified the flaw in her attack. Faced with her vertical strike from above, he chose to meet it head-on instead of dodging.
"That's enough!" Baron Pedrol bellowed, interrupting Lynn and Ivana's duel.
Both of them stopped simultaneously. Lynn's right hand extended forward, and his wooden sword was now hanging above his head.
Baron Pedrol first gave Ivana a harsh glare and then turned to Lynn, clearly irritated. "Lotte, what's gotten into you? Concentrate during battles! If you stay in this state two months from now, you won't even pass the first round of the knight assessment!"
Lynn silently retracted his hand, realizing that he had underestimated her strength. Even though Lotte referred to himself as "useless" in his diary, he had undergone more than a decade of rigorous training. Ivana, who could easily defeat him, was undoubtedly stronger.
"Get back to your positions and continue!" Baron Pedrol said darkly, his expression extremely displeased.
Ivana remained motionless as if she hadn't heard Baron Pedrol's words. Lynn took a few steps back, intentionally creating some distance.
At the same time, the notification from his brain sounded in his mind.
[Do you want to activate overload mode?]
No! Lynn didn't hesitate to decline. This wasn't a life-or-death battle, and there was no need to waste energy here. Although the brain's analytical function was useful, its effectiveness ultimately depended on his own abilities.
Ivana wasn't like Archbishop Anluke or the witch hunter he had encountered before. She was far from reaching the level required to overwhelm him.
This was merely a suitable whetstone.
The battle quickly resumed, and with the foundation laid by his original self, along with the experience from numerous life-and-death duels, Lynn successfully blocked Ivana's surprise attack.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone