When someone is consumed by desire, they often ignore their instincts and fail to make rational judgments. Right now, Zvalter and Randolph were doing just that. Faced with the discovery of a new breakthrough that could elevate them to greater heights, experience and intuition were of no use. The two excitedly summoned their knights at once. "I've heard that Ghislain has recently gained new insights and improved the family’s mana cultivation technique. It's said to be more effective than the previous method, so let's all train together and give it a try," Zvalter announced. At his words, the knights murmured amongst themselves, displaying signs of unease. Everyone now knew that the Grand Duke was quite formidable. However, the fact that he was known for his eccentric and extreme behavior raised doubts about whether he could be trusted. Mana cultivation is a delicate process, where even the slightest misstep could lead to significant trouble. Hearing that someone as reckless as the Grand Duke had modified the technique made it hard not to feel uneasy. Sensing the knights' apprehension, Randolph confidently stepped forward and said, "Don’t worry! Both the lord and I have thoroughly reviewed it. We're going to conduct the training safely, so there’s no need to be scared!" Only then did the knights seem somewhat reassured. If both the lord and the captain of the knights had reviewed it, they could be trusted. Such is the power of credibility. However, there was one knight who did not trust the reassurances of either the lord or the captain. It was none other than Scoban, the commander of the Beast Forest’s guard. “What? The Grand Duke improved it? Well, that man might be capable of that, but are they seriously going to try this out? Are they all crazy? Haven’t they learned anything?” Scoban had come to the northern fortress on Homern's orders to deliver supplies and news that Ghislain had "devoured" an entire forest. Though he had arrived at the fortress a while ago, Randolph had kept him there, asking him to help with patrols. The estate was so short on knights that everyone was forced to take on various tasks outside their regular duties, so he had reluctantly agreed. But he had never imagined that in the meantime, he’d be confronted with Ghislain’s ominous behavior. "Sure, the technique may have improved, but there's bound to be some kind of side effect," Scoban thought. Among the knights of Ferdium, Scoban had the most experience dealing with Ghislain. Each time, he had personally experienced the pain of Ghislain's actions, and he was convinced that the mana cultivation technique Ghislain had left behind wouldn’t be any different. “I’ll just wait until everyone else tries it and the issues are resolved. I’ll sit this one out!” Scoban resolved. With his decision made, Scoban raised his hand and said, "My lord! I must return now! We are too short on knights back at the estate. And honestly, shouldn't we verify this a bit more?" Randolph, not Zvalter, responded to him. "Hey, you’ve been lazing around pretending to guard the Beast Forest all the time. Where do you think you’re going? You need to learn this technique and then pass it on to the knights in the estate. And I've already verified it—what more verification do you need? Just do as you're told, you idiot." At Randolph’s harsh words, Scoban immediately lowered his head in defeat. Although Randolph wasn’t as impulsive as Ghislain, he was just as foul-tempered and unreasonable. If a mountain blocked his path, he’d simply hand a shovel to his knights and have them dig through it. That was the kind of man he was. With such a command, Scoban knew there was no escaping. Reluctantly, he joined the other knights in learning Ghislain’s modified mana cultivation technique. The knights were already trained in various forms of mana cultivation. Some had mastered Ferdium’s mana techniques, while others followed their family’s or mentor’s teachings. However, Ghislain had even included instructions on how to smoothly transition from older methods to the modified one in the manual. By following the steps, each knight, though at different speeds, gradually grew accustomed to the new mana cultivation technique. "Wow, this isn’t bad at all." "It doesn’t conflict with my old technique, and the transition was surprisingly easy. How is this even possible?" "The speed at which I absorb and release mana is way faster. This is nothing like before!" Even though they had only just begun, the results were clear. Seeing no issues, the knights gradually intensified their training. The excitement of improvement made it hard to stop. Especially when their power was so visibly enhanced, they couldn’t help but become addicted to the training. "If I can clearly see myself getting stronger, how can I stop? I need to surpass that guy," they thought. Strength was the virtue of a knight. Once competition began, the pace of improvement only accelerated. Soon, the knights were training with such fervor that it was impossible to stop them. Zvalter and Randolph watched the scene with satisfied smiles. "Haha, it’s been so long since everyone was so engrossed in training like this. Ghislain has really accomplished something big. I didn’t think it would be this effective. I’m quite proud," Zvalter said, pleased. "Ha, brother! I’m itching for a fight with those barbarians already. Why haven't they attacked recently?" Randolph added, his excitement barely contained. Both men, being high-ranking knights, progressed more slowly than the others. However, they could still feel the barriers breaking down little by little, which was enough to satisfy them. Breaking through even a small obstacle was a world of difference from being completely stuck. A month passed with everyone fanatically dedicated to their training. Then, problems started to arise with the weakest knights. “Uuurgh!” “Cough!” The more they used their mana, the more knights began collapsing, coughing up blood. They recovered after a brief rest, but when they stopped training, the accumulated mana was forcibly expelled from their bodies, causing them to cough up blood again. Under normal circumstances, mana consumption wouldn’t lead to such symptoms. But the immense power they were now generating was too much for their bodies to handle. Unable to properly control their mana expenditure, the knights’ conditions grew increasingly severe. “What is going on?!” As more and more knights collapsed, chaos erupted in the northern fortress. Randolph, pale-faced like Zvalter, stammered out his suspicions to his lord. "Brother... I think we’ve been deceived by Ghislain." "Deceived? What do you mean?" Confused, Zvalter listened as Randolph explained his theory. "That bastard has tampered with the mana cultivation technique. He’s trying to kill us all!" "Kill us? But why?" "Because if we all die, he’ll be the only heir left to claim Ferdium! He’s the only legitimate successor now! That bastard!" Zvalter, stunned by the revelation, clutched his forehead and staggered. The reasoning made too much sense. The plan was perfect. It wasn’t poisoning—it was them dying from overexertion while training, which would make it an untraceable crime. He wanted to weep in frustration. To think that the son he had even slightly trusted would commit such a heinous act. While Zvalter was despairing, he suddenly realized something odd. “But we’re still fine, aren’t we?” Though they weren’t entirely unscathed—they did occasionally cough up a bit of blood when releasing a large amount of mana—they didn’t appear to be in immediate danger. “The internal injuries could just be a backlash from the sudden increase in mana.” Zvalter wasn’t fully convinced that the mana cultivation technique was to blame. After all, he was still getting stronger, even if only slightly. However, Randolph disagreed. "We’re high-ranking knights! We have more mana than the others, so we’re holding out longer. But eventually, we’ll collapse too!" At Randolph's cry, Zvalter couldn’t argue and closed his eyes. No matter how important power might be, the thought that his son was willing to kill off the family’s knights was terrifying. “Does he really need to take over the estate so urgently? I raised him wrong. Ah, my dear wife, I’ll be seeing you soon,” Zvalter thought miserably. But they couldn’t simply sit around waiting to die. It was time to give that insolent boy a harsh lesson. They needed to gather their forces and strike Fenris with the hammer of justice... “Lord! Lord!” Just then, a servant came running in, breathless, handing over a letter. “What is this?” “It’s from the Grand Duke. He said it contains important information, so you should check it immediately.” “Has that bastard declared war on us?” “No, I didn’t hear anything like that... I’m not sure what’s in it either.” Zvalter hurriedly opened the letter sent by Ghislain. As he read through it, his expression gradually grew more peculiar. The letter outlined the exact problems they were currently experiencing with the mana cultivation technique and offered a solution. In summary, it stated that if they accumulated mana diligently and surpassed a certain level, the issues would resolve themselves. [Also, everyone has been neglecting their physical training lately. If you want to endure for a long time, you should work on your physical strength as well.] In other words, if they didn’t want to die, they had to train both their mana and their bodies until they were on the brink of collapse. “Argh! He should’ve told us this earlier!” Zvalter grumbled as he read the next line. [If I had explained it earlier, no one would’ve bothered to learn the improved technique. Since the situation demands rapid growth, I had no choice but to withhold it.] As if anticipating his complaint, the letter explained why Ghislain had kept the truth hidden. Zvalter clicked his tongue and stood up. “Damn it! Everyone, get up! If you don’t want to die, you’ll have to train like hell! Otherwise, you really will die! Randolph, stop crying and get up!” Even the usually composed Zvalter started speaking roughly, his urgency breaking through. If they just lay around, they would truly become weak and die. He had never encountered such a ruthless mana cultivation technique in his life. Though relieved that Ghislain hadn’t started a rebellion, Zvalter’s anger still simmered within him. Now the knights of the northern fortress would have to train to the brink of death while still fending off the barbarians. They had fallen into the ultimate extreme training environment, one that could never be found again in this world. Scoban, lying on the ground, coughing up blood and shedding tears, thought to himself, “I knew this was going to be awful... I told them not to drag me into this...” Sadly, regret always came too late. While chaos reigned at the northern fortress, the Fenris estate was in an uproar over the outcome of a wager. The retainers of the estate began gathering one by one at the demonstration grounds. The steward, Claude, nervously bit his nails, unable to hide his anxiety. He asked Wendy, who was standing beside him, “This is impossible, right? How long does it usually take to master mana?” “Unless you're a genius, it takes at least a few years,” Wendy replied. “Exactly, right? And none of the mercenaries or the newcomers were geniuses. It’s impossible by common sense, isn't it?” “Common sense says it’s impossible, but... everything Lord Ghislain has done so far has been far from common.” That was exactly why Claude was so anxious. Ghislain always accomplished the impossible, making those with common sense look like fools. Claude closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. “No, it really is impossible this time.” From what he had seen while observing the knights, they all looked like walking corpses. It was obvious that their bodies had deteriorated due to excessive training. Once all the retainers had gathered, Ghislain arrived last at the demonstration grounds. He glanced around leisurely before raising his hand to make an announcement. “As promised with the steward, I will now verify whether the knights can use mana. After this, I will no longer accept any objections to our departure. Bring in the knights.” At Ghislain’s command, the knights, who had been in training, slowly filed into the demonstration grounds. The retainers gasped in shock upon seeing them. “What... how is this possible...?” “How can they be in such a state...?” It wasn’t shock from admiration. They were horrified by the sight of the knights, who looked like nothing more than skeletons. The knights were all emaciated and haggard. Though everyone knew they had been overtraining, their condition now seemed even worse. Ignoring the reactions of the crowd, Ghislain continued, “The steward will call out names for the demonstration.” Claude had been assigned the task of selecting knights and weapons for the demonstration. Known for his skepticism, Ghislain had willingly entrusted him with this responsibility. After some deliberation, Claude chose someone he was sure about. As far as he knew, Gordon had a strong physique but wasn’t particularly quick to grasp mana cultivation techniques. “Gordon! Gordon, step forward for the demonstration!” At the sound of his name, a thin, bald man stumbled forward. Claude looked the man up and down several times before speaking. “What’s this? Not you, Gordon! I meant the beefy Gordon who always wets his pants!” “But I am Gordon...” On closer inspection, it was indeed Gordon. Claude, momentarily at a loss for words, finally found his voice. “Why... what happened to your body?” Gordon whimpered, “It hurts so much I lost all my muscle...” “...” Displaying a brief look of pity, Claude handed Gordon a sword. “Use this and strike that object over there.” Claude pointed to a long, thick iron ingot, specifically made for the wager. Everyone in the demonstration grounds tensed up, holding their breath as they focused on Gordon. Taking a deep breath, Gordon raised the sword before the iron ingot. “Hup!” As he concentrated, a faint blue light appeared on the blade of his sword. And in one swift motion, he swung the blade down on the iron ingot. Ka-ka-ka-kang!