“Eh? Nothing really. Maybe I’ll find something interesting here. How about you?” Catalinna lied with a smile

“The same reason as you. Though you can help me find some reliable body art. At least, it would ease my pain in you wasting MY! money” Lawrence replied as Catalinna smiled awkwardly before nodding.

“Of course, i’ll find you the best body art you can find!” she declared confidentially.

“It would be best if I can find the double body art but I’m not sure if they have it….wait.” Lawrence interrupted himself before thinking about it, he remembered that his father gave him the double body art book already. The problem is that he forgot about it as he only trained in the light sky step movement art. So it’s probably in his bedroom. Lawrence can’t help but facepalm. Meanwhile, Catalinna was confused about what was happening, Lawrence’s face cycled through different emotions before facepalming. A sigh escaped from his mouth as he stared at Catalinna.

“Just help me find some spear art”

“Uh, sure. Are you alright?” she asked

“Yeah..I’m fine.” He replied before starting to look around at the piles of scrolls and books as Catalinna can only shrug it. If he wouldn’t tell, she wouldn’t ask anymore. She also started looking around for anything with Asura written them. The fisherman’s family is still safe right now but she decided to help them after finding the flaming asura’s manifestation.

The noble who fell in love with a commoner is part of the Mokusei Family, the strongest and regal noble family in the Sekai Kingdom. His name is KaiMokusei, the future traitor of mankind with the nickname Corrupted Knight. A kind and hardworking man with no ambition for power or riches. Still, a kind man like him forsakes all of mankind for the promise of reviving his lover. Together with the fisherman named Arnold, with the moniker of the Asura. Both of them slaughtered and destroyed the Sekai Kingdom under flames and miasma.

“I guess it’s my job to save those who became a future traitors of mankind to lessen the burden of the heroes.” Catalinna snickered while opening the scroll in her hands. After finding out that it wasn’t the one she was looking for, she throws it away before grabbing another scroll.

While Lawrence decided to read each scroll meticulously before deciding if it was worth it or not. He arranged everything that he deemed worthless on the side to avoid it mixing into the pile of scrolls under his feet. An hour passed but there wasn’t a single one that satisfied him. Luckily the basement has no time limit, so he can spend most of his time here as he shakes the space ring as a simple sandwich appeared on his hand before biting into it. Grabbing another scroll, he opened it to find the name to be interesting. Flame Asura’s Manifestation. After reading it for 20 minutes, he grasp the basic concept as he decided that it is too risky

“Hmm..it spends a lifespan every time they use this art..Though it’s minimal, a lifespan is still a lifespan. At best, someone can only live for 10 years while using this art before succumbing to death and illnesses.” Lawrence muttered before stuffing it into the neatly piled scrolls where he puts the arts that he sees as too risky to use.

“What did you just say?” Catalinna asked while looking over his arms as she peeked at what he was holding. Upon noticing what it was, she immediately grabbed it as Lawrence was surprised why she did that. He turned around and he looked at her suspiciously.

“What are you planning with that art? That art is dangerous even by my standards” Lawrence responded

“Don’t worry. Trust me, I know what I’m doing. you have to remember that I know more than you. I have a plan for this” she tried sounding that can be trusted but Lawrence still eyed her suspiciously.

“Oh, then tell me.”

“Fine, but later when we’re alone” Catalinna replied as Lawrence nodded. He decided that she has a reason for picking this dangerous art. Still, he wanted to hear her out. She has a reckless type of fighting and this art would surely improve her power and deadliness in a battle. No matter how aloof and calm he acts, he still cares. That’s why most of their battle resulted in him having the most injuries. He would rather be burdened and reckless than anyone near him. Lawrence wondered if this was his earth’s personality or Lawrence’s personality as he doesn’t see a line separating any of them anymore. It’s as if both personalities have merged. He shakes his head to remove that thought as there are more important things to do.

“Though, you better not use that without my permission” Lawrence warned

“Why would I need your permission? I have a brain to think for myself. Besides, you are the one who’s the most reckless out of all of us. Every time, we’re gonna lose, you whipped out your moonlight powers to deal with the problem and push yourself to the limit.” Catalinna retorted. That’s why she decided to be someone who can kill enemies fast with a combination of attacks. The fact that they have to charm Lawrence to stop him from using the moonlight beam and Lucarius’s spear art to win against the old man is borderline stupid in her eyes.

“Since I would rather die knowing that I did everything I can.” Lawrence shrugged

“See! That’s why you are reckless, you treat every fight as if it’s your last. What would happen if you get crippled? Too injured to continue?”

“Then I would blame myself and my weakness” Lawrence simply replied

“Fine if that’s how you want to live your life. I’ll discuss my plan later with you but I’ll use this art whenever I want.” She glared at Lawrence before walking away towards the stairs. Lawrence can only sigh.

He spent about 5 hours on the basement floor of the martial library with piles upon piles of scrolls neatly arranged all around him. Still, he stretched his back before bagging the scroll that he found. It’s the perfect spear art for him as he decided to take it with him. The elf wouldn’t care even if someone stole art on the basement floor. It was worthless for the empire anyway. Still, if a knight found out that he’s carrying an art from the basement, he can still be jailed. It’s a weird system in the Kingdom but what can Lawrence do. He puts the scroll into his space ring before heading upstairs. He noticed that the elf is sleeping on the counter as it was already nighttime. There are fewer people walking around as he decided to look around where the Duke is. Heading back to the inn where a knight nearly found him, he spots the same knight once again snooping around the inn.

“Mr. Knight?” Lawrence asked politely as the knight winced before turning around with his hand on the pommel of his sword.

“Who are you?” Lennon asked warily. Looking at the brown-haired man in front of him, he has no idea who it is.

“I want to meet Duke Leonard. Don’t worry, he knows me” he smiled as Lennon raised his eyebrow.

“Forgive me young man but I can’t help you with that. You should talk with the head butler if you want an appointment with the Duke. Though, it’s not guaranteed that you will meet him.” Lennon looked around the quiet neighborhood to see if he can defend himself just in case this man is an assassin, as he doubts this man knows the Duke personally.

“Tell him that I know where his son is” Lawrence offered the knight a piece of paper with his signature on it. It’s a unique signature that he imbued his mana with it. His father would immediately know it’s him upon sensing it. The knight grabbed the paper before tucking it in his pocket.

“Can you please follow me Mr?”

“Evan..Evan Everlock” Lawrence replied

“Please follow me, Mr. Evan, I’ll see if I can help you meet the Duke. . Though if you do anything suspicious, i trust that you know what will happen” Lennon warned

“Of course”

Arriving at a mansion, Lennon and Lawrence stared in front of the gate. Lawrence decided that the fewer people who know that someone visited the Duke the better. Lawrence used the ring of teleportation to appear inside one of the rooms in the mansion as Lennon looked around. Panicking if he just told someone the place where the Duke stays. Cursing himself, he opens the gate and immediately headed toward the mansion. Ignoring the knights guarding the place, he dashes inside only to find that the alarms didn’t ring. He breathes a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that the man got scared or something. Still, he shakes his head, he has to tell the Duke. He was about to head upstairs only to be stopped by the captain knight.

“Whatever you found out, don’t interrupt the Duke. He’s currently meeting a couple of sword saints and their heirs. Also, the crowned princess is here so keep whatever you want to say to the Duke and leave. This is an order” the captain knight warned as the Lennon can only stop himself from overthinking about the mysterious man.

In one of the rooms, Lawrence looked around to find himself in a luxurious bedroom but it was obvious that no one used it. Opening the door outside, he spotted a few maids and butlers carrying trays of food somewhere. He left the door ajar and once a butler went near the room he was in, an audible sound of a tray hitting the ground gently was heard. He immediately neck-locked the butler before pulling him inside while blocking the butler’s mouth with a small cloth he found laying around. The butler tried to remove Lawrence’s wrist only to fail and flail his hands around. Once the butler stopped struggling, he gently laid him on the bed before removing the butler’s clothes. Lawrence closed the door before taking his shirt off and instead wore the butler’s vest. After making sure that there are no imperfections in his disguise. He walked outside to find a metal tray on the floor. Picking it up, he followed where the other butler and maids are heading.

The large door of the dining room is closed as a knight is stationed in front of it. Checking everything and everyone that enters the room with trained eyes. Lawrence calmly went next to the butler and maids lining up as the knight eyed him suspiciously. Facing the knight, Lawrence smiled and nodded only to be stopped by the knight’s arms.

“What are you carrying?” The knight asked. Lawrence is clearly carrying a wine bottle with wine glasses as he looked at the knight as if he’s stupid for asking.

“It’s an expensive wine harvested in Rebia Kingdom. It contains the pure extract of the violet fruit and crystallized mana-enhanced sugar to give its sweet yet intoxicating taste.” Lawrence replied. Luckily, the knowledge of Lawrence’s drinking spree and splurging in bars helped him identify this wine.

“I see, you can enter. After putting the wine on the table, stay on the side near the pillars and don’t speak a word” the knight reminded Lawrence who smiled sweetly before entering the dining room. Inside, a large golden table is located at the center of the room as different kinds of luxurious food and drinks litter the table before he saw someone he didn’t expect. The crowned princess is sitting at the head of the table while the five sword saints sat next to their heir except for his father who’s beside him is his wife who silently ate the food in front of her. Lawrence saw her thin and sick figure and he can’t help but worry about her. As Lawrence grabs the wine bottle before serving one of the sword saints and carrying the trey around. After that, he laid the wine bottle near the burly man who seemed to be drinking all of the wine. He immediately walked back towards the pillar with the rest of the butlers.

“The food is amazing Duke Leonard.” one of the sword saints wearing a red robe replied with a bright smile and beside him is someone he didn’t expect. The damned black-haired swordsman who nearly killed him is beside the sword saint and eating the food with an aloof expression.

“Of course, Sword Saint QuinyangFeng” The duke replied with a polite smile. The black-haired swordsman looked around to find a brown-haired butler eerily smiling at him. He was about to open his sixth sense only to be stopped by his father as a small knife is inserted into his thigh. He didn’t even wince as he continued on eating the food in front of him. There wasn’t any blood leaving his thigh as it was a special blade.

“I agree, especially the wine. I have to visit the Rebia Kingdom in the future” the burly man said with a full bottle nearly emptied by the side of his table. The woman elbowed his father who was drinking a ton as he was embarrassing her.

“You can, I can even offer you a few jugs for free” the duke boasted proudly

“I’ll take that offer!” The burly man laughed joyously despite his daughter’s complaining. The remaining two sword saints nodded in agreement as their heirs are eating the food sternly, probably nervous about being surrounded by all these powerful people. There are indeed about forty 6-star warriors in the continent of humanity but only 8 sword saints exist among them. To become a sword saint, someone must reach an apex level in one sword art which is near impossible without immense talent and monstrous hard work. Saying that two sword saints working together can kill a 7-star warrior or mage is entirely possible. That’s how strong they are.

“In regards to the choosing of the future candidates for the order of swords. I decided that it would be best to make a tournament in this kingdom. To alleviate the fear of the citizens and distract them from the outbreak of red rot and maleosis in my kingdom.” the crown princess declared with a determined expression. The sword saints nodded in agreement. It would make the choosing of candidates more interesting unlike before when they have to go through hundreds upon hundreds of sword warriors who have mediocre skills showing their shoddy sword arts to them.