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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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Chapter 230. Acting So Damn Superior
"Well done, well done. Oh my. Olivier and Jeffrey were focused on work and training until dawn, while someone was snoring soundly and sleeping comfortably."
"Huuung, I'm sorry."
I was changing clothes in the morning while Peter was nagging me.
"Wow, the sunshine is nice."
The room was bright with sunlight reflected off the sea.
"The sky is blue, and the sea is even bluer."
The scenery of a port city filled with sunshine is just this wonderful.
"Our gardener does a good job too."
I nodded while looking at the annex garden. This made me feel like a noble young master enjoying the elegant lifestyle.
"Even the weather is helping the Young Master."
Weather is important when holding significant events like the Personal guard selection. If it rains, the overall atmosphere becomes gloomy.
"Um, by the way, young master,"
"What?"
Peter, who had been watching me nervously, asked.
"Did I really snore?"
"Yes."
"That's strange, I don't usually snore..."
"People usually snore more when they gain weight."
I looked Peter up and down.
"Maybe you've gotten a bit plumper lately because you've been eating well?"
"No! That's unfair!"
I glared at Julia, who was quietly organizing the bedding nearby.
"You two aren't secretly buying and eating snacks all the time, are you?"
"Whaaat? N-no, we aren't!"
"Your strong denial makes you more suspicious."
"But it's really not true..."
Julia wiggled her fingers as if feeling wronged.
"Really?"
"Yeeees."
"If you say so."
"Yeeees..."
"Fine, now go and get ready. You two must show dignity befitting the attendants of Young Master Allenvert."
"Yes, sir!"
Peter answered with an enthusiastic face.
***
"Wake up! Wake up, wake up, wake up! What time do you think it is, and you're still sleeping soundly!"
Jeffrey, who had finally broken through the wall of the 5th tier last dawn under Allenvert's guidance, was running around from early morning as if he felt refreshed even without sleep.
"Captain, don't you need sleep?"
"I slept for an hour."
"That's absurd. You're not a little kid excited about a trip."
"Shut up. I was meditating until late."
Jeffrey poked his own chest proudly.
"Thanks to that, I finally broke through the wall of the 5th tier."
"Wow, really?"
"Congratulations."
"Now you'll have some face in front of the new recruits."
"Who just said 'face'? Come out. How dare a Royal Guard member use such vulgar language like some underworld thug."
Taris raised his hand in apology.
"I'm sorry."
"Pathetic guy."
"Why are you insulting me?"
"Shut up."
Jeffrey gave a final reminder to his team members who were about to face the Personal guard selection.
"Why is not a single one of you training harder than me? Know that if you fail, your relationship with me is over from that day."
The team members responded with faces that suggested they'd heard this a hundred times.
"We know."
"Your response lacks enthusiasm."
"Must be your imagination."
Clicking his tongue, Jeffrey left his team members to find Olivier.
"Butler, have you finished preparations?"
"Not yet."
Olivier had picked out only five sheets from a pile of documents that exceeded a hundred pages, and was carefully examining something while wearing a monocle.
"What are you looking at so intently?"
"Notable applicants."
"Who could they be?"
Jeffrey peeked over from behind.
"Oh, Kaimak has applied."
"He's a man known for his peculiar personality but undeniable skill."
"Good. The military needs some crazy guys too."
"And there are about three individuals who are 'too clean,' which makes me suspect they might be spies."
"!"
Olivier narrowed his eyes.
"After all, many people wouldn't want to miss such a good opportunity, regardless of who sent them as spies."
Surprisingly, Allenvert already had many enemies. Just as he had many allies on his side.
***
"Line up in rows and columns and take your positions!"
"The left column, first row is number 1. Stand according to your number."
While the applicants who had gathered for the selection test were busy finding their positions...
"The Duchess of Lusatia Grunewald has arrived. Everyone please stand!"
Guards in gray armor escorting Lusatia entered the training grounds as the duke's personal guards.
"Woooow..."
"So that's the 4th Duchess Lusatia."
"She's truly beautiful."
"Blood doesn't lie."
"I saw her from afar when I was a new recruit, but to think she hasn't changed at all after 7 years."
While the applicants were admiring Lusatia's beauty...
"Show proper respect. The Duchess has arrived."
At the heavy voice of Kvisling, a renowned warrior who was once the 5th Squad leader of the Royal Guard, the applicants all gave military salutes.
"We greet the Duchess Lusatia!"
The sound of salutes resounded loudly.
"Everyone, I wish you success."
As Lusatia gently gestured in the air, a warm aura enveloped the tense applicants.
"Ooooh...!"
"I feel my tension easing."
Lusatia smiled softly.
"It's nothing special, just a power that helps recover accumulated fatigue."
"It's an honor, Your Highness!"
A power too refined to be called magic, too dignified to be called sorcery.
When Lusatia's true abilities as a former apothecary and priestess of the Eisenach were revealed...
"Isn't healing ability hard to find even among mages?"
"Almost nonexistent. Unless it's renowned priests..."
"Actually, I hadn't slept well yesterday, but now my headache is completely gone."
"Mine too."
Faces that had initially focused on her visible beauty now showed reverence.
Add to this the extraordinary Royal Guards escorting her...
People were reminded once again of their respect for the 4th Duchess of the Grunewald ducal clan, which they had forgotten as she had been out of sight for 7 years.
"Young master, they all look so cool."
Peter, who had been staring blankly at the guards, quietly admired.
"Of course. They are father's personal guards."
Allenvert replied.
"They're called Personal Guards, but in reality, each one is stronger than Jeffrey."
"Woooow..."
"They're also veterans of reversals."
"But," Allenvert said.
"After about 20 years, the next generation of the Grunewald duke will also have such reliable and revered vassals."
Jeffrey chuckled.
"That would be me."
"Indeed, Sir Jeffrey, the future commander of the Personal guards."
Jeffrey gave a military salute.
"Did you call, future Duke Grunewald?"
"Oh my."
When Olivier sighed, Allenvert asked with a playful face.
"What's wrong, future Head Butler Count Olivier?"
"The title of count belongs to my cousin, not me."
"So you're saying you won't give up the position of head butler?"
Allenvert clapped his hands.
"Turns out you're a man with ambition."
"Ahem."
Meanwhile, some were looking at Allenvert, who was exchanging conversation comfortably, with envious gazes.
"I can't read the young master's aura at all. Just how strong has he become?"
"They say he mastered the Ink Soul Sacred Shadow Technique, could he have really reached the 6th tier?"
"That's an impossible speed. Even Young Master Verdzig or Young Lady Ulbhild couldn't do that."
"Even Lord Leszek, the elder of the sword, couldn't."
"The Duke must be quite fond of him. Looking at how he entrusted him with the confrontation against Valkenhain and allowed him to have his own Personal guard..."
"It's a life-or-death gamble. He must succeed."
The applicants each wanted to grab hold of Allenvert's string for their own reasons, but...
"Captain, haven't you been showing off too much since earlier? Your expression still looks arrogant..."
"Who said otherwise?"
Jeffrey's team members, who had been escorting Allenvert all this time, stood with somewhat relaxed faces.
This was because they simply wished to continue following Allenvert himself, rather than seeking success, promotion, or admiration.
'Well, the level of the gathered men is quite good.'
Their preparation was by no means lacking, as they had trained repeatedly not to fall behind.
"Yaaaawn."
Among them, Taris, who had been standing with particularly little tension, let out a yawn.
'There's hardly anyone stronger than me here? I should pass comfortably.'
He was a man who had also been assigned to protect Gemini and escort Evan, earning Jeffrey's trust.
And the reason for this was, of course, that he possessed both skill and talent.
"Why are you yawning like that? Isn't your swagger a bit excessive?"
"Huh?"
The white-robed knight standing next to him suddenly picked a fight.
"Mister, who are you?"
"Mister? How dare you use such an expression towards Sir Kaimak?"
Taris tilted his head sideways as if the name was completely unfamiliar.
"Kaimak? Who's that?"
"Let me introduce myself!"
The knight shouted in a spirited voice as he swept back his bangs.
"Speaking of me, I am a promising young knight, the third son of the Viscounty of Schwarzenfeld, 'The White Prince' Kaimak!"
"...Is he crazy?"
Taris muttered.
"By the way, the surname Schwarzenfeld means 'black field,' but I took the brilliant white color, opposite to my clan's symbol, as my own symbol to declare my independence from the clan. In other words, becoming 'Schwarzenfeld of Kaimak' rather than 'Kaimak of Schwarzenfeld' is the path of destiny that I, a shining man, must walk throughout my life. For that, I need to serve Young Master Allenvert Grunewald as my honorable lord, and the reason for this is..."
"Hey, you there! Stop talking! Did you come here to play?"
Only after hearing Jeffrey's stern command did Kaimak finally close his mouth.
"...I thought my ears were bleeding."
Taris rubbed his right ear.
"I really hope you fail."
"What did you say?"
He had no confidence in listening to that babbling anymore.
"Is that the famous Kaimak?"
"It seems so."
"He talks even more than I heard."
Jeffrey frowned as if he was already exhausted.
"They don't call him 'Blabbermouth Kaimak' for nothing."
I nodded.
"He calls himself 'The White Prince,' though."
"Prince my ass."
I snorted at Peter's words.
"He acts just like that guy I sparred with last time."
"Oh, you mean Keseg?"
"Yeah."
"But he seems much more skilled than him..."
Peter was right about that. When I carefully examined the guy's aura with my senses-
"He's no worse than most squad leaders? Maybe he missed promotions because he talks too much?"
"Wow, that makes sense. So maybe he's transferring to the young master's Personal guard for a fresh start?"
Jeffrey slapped his knee.
"What an insolent bastard. Shall we see if his skills match his ambition?"
"Sure. That's why we gathered all these people."
"Understood. Shall we begin?"
I snapped my fingers.
"Act with dignity."
"I obey your command."
With those words, Jeffrey's aura changed.
'Oh, not bad.'
Whoosh!
A powerful pressure enveloped the over 100 applicants.
"...!"
The condition of the 5th tier is intimidation.
Jeffrey, who had finally crossed that threshold, demonstrated his presence as a squad leader and the commander of my newly formed Personal guard without reservation.
"From now on, the selection test will begin."
Jeffrey, who controlled the atmosphere with a presence no less than my father's Personal guards, held up three fingers.
"From now on, you will go through a total of three stages. In the 1st stage, we will check whether your rough standing exceeds the 'minimum threshold'."
Then someone raised a hand.
"Do you have a question?"
"Yes."
"I allow it."
The questioner carefully asked.
"Um, what exactly is this minimum threshold you mentioned...?"
"Late 3rd tier or above."
"Huh...!"
Exclamations burst out among some applicants.
This was because the difference between early and late stages within the same tier was very large.
"Of course, those at 4th tier or above can hold higher positions later. If there's anyone of 5th tier or above, they are welcome to challenge me. If someone is stronger than me, they don't need to follow my orders."
Everyone cheered at Jeffrey's magnanimous words.
"Oooohhh!"
"Though that's unlikely, of course."
"Indeed, Captain!"
"We will follow you, Captain!"
'Oh good grief, what bullshit.'
Watching this scene, I whispered quietly into Olivier's ear.
"Yet he just barely broke through at dawn today and is acting so damn superior."
"I think so too."
"I can hear you, young master."
"..."
Jeffrey pretended not to hear our words.
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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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