When his name was called, Julien’s mind went into chaos. “Why me!” He hadn’t expected this. Ghislain hadn’t given him any prior notice. Leo, equally surprised, looked back and forth between Ghislain and Julien. As people started murmuring at the mention of a name they hadn’t heard before, Ghislain stepped forward and loudly introduced Julien. "Now, behold the one who will become a legend before your very eyes! His name is Julien! His sword will cleave the sky, his bravery will shake even the stars of heaven, and all the monsters and demons of the world will tremble before his might! Never forget his name! The name of the hero who will save the world! Everywhere he passes, history will be written!" "Bu-but ahhhh!" The grandiose introduction caused Julien’s face to twitch uncontrollably. He was so embarrassed he could barely hold it in. On the other hand, Ghislain bit his lip and tried to suppress his laughter, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Ha ha ha!" Kyle and Dara couldn’t hold back their laughter, clutching their stomachs. But the others watched Julien with eager eyes. Even though they could tell it was an exaggeration, the grandiose phrasing made them waver, unsure whether to believe it or not. Ghislain, taking it further, adopted a dramatic expression and pointed at Bendore with his finger. "Those who stand before Julien will have the result decided before even drawing their swords! All of them!" "No!" Julien, startled, grabbed Ghislain. But Bendore’s face was already twisted with fury. Ghislain shouted even louder. "You challenged our leader! You asked for the magic and the alchemy to be separated!" "Stop! Don’t back out again!" Julien panicked and covered Ghislain’s mouth. But by now, Bendore’s eyes were filled with anger. "How dare these weaklings mock me..." How could the greatest knight of Baron Magvel let himself be humiliated by these fools? But the atmosphere in the arena had completely changed from earlier. The heavy silence was broken as the spectators erupted in cheers. "Wow! Amazing!" "Is this really the Yellow Dragon Team? The lowborn are incredible." "Let’s see the Wind Phantom!" The crowd cheered, and the entire venue was filled with laughter and joy. Julien stood there, a stiff expression on his face, biting his lip to hold back his laughter. He had to maintain the dignity of a Dragon Knight. But at this moment, he couldn’t help but think back to his mercenary days, when he had lived freely without any responsibility. Actually, hadn't he just returned to his mercenary life? Now, without anyone to talk to, he felt like a wild stallion without reins. Of course, Leo, who had to deal with this crazy situation, wasn’t enjoying it at all. With a sour look on his face, Leo spoke up. "Brother, are you sure you’re not going out yourself?" "Oh, no, the leader has to go out personally for this one." Leo didn’t have a comeback. He hadn’t seen Julien’s skills yet. But honestly, there was no need to. "Wh-what should I do?" Julien himself was nervously sweating. But Ghislain spoke calmly. "Don’t worry. If he’s the leader, he’ll handle it just fine." Without waiting for anyone else to speak, Ghislain gave Julien a light shove on the back. Julien, in a somewhat awkward stance, took a few steps forward. His face was completely pale. “I... I’m supposed to fight the best knight in the region?” He had never faced such a duel before, not once in his life. Julien knew full well that he wasn’t a terrible fighter, and it was rare for someone his age to even use mana, but he wasn’t sure exactly how strong he was. He had only tried a few challenges here and there. He’d heard that there were knights among his opponents, but he had no idea what their skill level was. ‘I’m... I’m nervous!’ The biggest ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) issue was the pressure. Julien had never fought with anyone’s hopes and expectations weighing on him before. If he lost the duel, the entire Raks family would fall apart. And the lives of all those connected to the Raks family would be ruined. He couldn’t handle this kind of heavy burden, especially not against the greatest knight in the region. "Gh, Ghislain..." Julien turned his eyes to Ghislain, hoping for some kind of reassurance. He might have even wanted to cry if he was forced to continue. Deneb and Kyle exchanged worried glances, also looking at Ghislain. But Ghislain didn’t flinch. "Don’t worry. You can do it." Julien took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. This situation was just too overwhelming. Seeing Julien hesitating even after stepping forward, Bendore spoke up. "What are you doing? Get into position." And like a true knight, he waited for Julien to take his stance before making his move. Of course, as soon as Julien was ready, he planned to strike immediately. Ghislain spoke quietly to himself. This won’t do. The momentum has to be established when the time comes, but this situation has become too awkward. ‘I can’t criticize Julien in front of everyone.’ If that happened, Julien’s physique would be criticized, and that wasn’t something Ghislain wanted. He needed to make Julien the center of attention, but he couldn’t train him in public. Instead, Ghislain used another tactic. He pointed at Bendore and shouted. "Bendore! Are you already scared in front of our leader? You can’t even move a step! If you don’t want to die, you should just surrender now!" Bendore, unable to hold back any longer, swung his sword at Julien. He planned to take down the leader in an instant and then deal with the second-in-command. "Ha!" Bendore’s sword was infused with blue mana. Anyone who got hit by it would be torn in half. "Eh?" Bendore was shocked. The person who hadn’t even taken a stance managed to block his strike. Julien, too, was momentarily surprised. "Ah?" Without thinking, his body reacted on its own to the attack. "Whoa!" The crowd cheered, witnessing the unexpected scene with excitement. Julien had slightly turned his body, but somehow, his sword naturally raised to block the attack. He exuded a presence as if he were a seasoned fighter, and his physique seemed more imposing than expected. Bendore’s face turned bright red with anger. "What...! A mercenary...!" He had intended to demonstrate his strength by cutting Julien down immediately, but the strike had been blocked. This was a major blow to his pride! Even Baron Magvel, watching from the sidelines, furrowed his brow. He had expected to secure the entire wealth of the Raks family with a dominating victory. He had planned to show the true might of his nobility. But now, these lowly mercenaries were shaking up the atmosphere. "Bendore! Kill him now!" Baron Magvel shouted, not caring about the etiquette of the duel. His command was a clear sign of his frustration. For Bendore, having his lord reprimand him during the fight was not only rude but a great insult. "Ha!" Bendore yelled and swung his sword again. Clang! Julien stepped back and deflected Bendore’s strike. Bendore didn’t stop. He continued swinging his sword wildly, like a raging bull charging at its target. Clang! Clang! Clang! Julien focused on defense, moving cautiously. But as time passed, his expression began to steady. ‘I can do this.’ He was being pushed back, but he forced himself to focus. The pressure of being responsible for so many lives had started to feel overwhelming, but it was also starting to fade. Bendore’s reputation as the greatest knight in the region had made him hesitate, but with every clash of swords, his body and mind slowly became more fluid. Clang! Clang! Clang! "Bendore’s weaker than Ghislain." Bendore’s sword was heavy, precise, and perfectly executed, as befitting a knight. He was definitely stronger than any bandits Julien had fought. But for some reason, Julien didn’t find it difficult to handle. Compared to Ghislain’s quick commands and unpredictability, Bendore’s attack patterns were easy to read. Still, Julien remained calm, looking for an opening. ‘The fate of the Raks family is riding on this.’ He couldn’t let his guard down. No mistakes. Right now, he was carrying the fate of countless people on his shoulders. Clang! Clang! Clang! Bendore grew more frustrated. As the region’s greatest knight, he couldn’t believe he was struggling against a lowly mercenary. His lord was surely disappointed in him. No, he was probably furious. Julien could feel it even without seeing it. The spectators began to mock him, questioning the validity of his fame. "Ahhh!" Bendore, losing control, swung his sword with wild abandon. This time, he used a more aggressive attack, aiming to overpower his opponent. He had been saving his more refined skills for the right moment. But Julien blocked it easily again. His stance hadn’t changed, and his movement remained calm. Bendore’s anger only grew. His opponent wasn’t counterattacking, merely dodging and blocking every blow. ‘Is he mocking me? Is he playing with me?’ Rage and a thirst for revenge flooded Bendore’s mind. Meanwhile, Julien was patiently waiting for his opportunity. Fighting with the expectations of others on his shoulders was a first for him, and it was an immense burden. That was why he was waiting for the perfect chance to strike. Clang! Clang! Clang! The exchanges continued. The spectators watched intently, gripped with anticipation. "That mercenary is amazing! It’s not all bluff!" "To think he can fight on par with Bendore, the greatest knight in the region!" "The Raks Merchant Guild is incredible. Where did they find such a person?" "Great! Keep fighting! You’ve got this!" The crowd’s excitement grew louder. Bendore gritted his teeth. In just a short time, this mercenary had become his equal. This was something he couldn’t tolerate. How could a nameless mercenary mix swords with him, someone of such high status? Bendore summoned all his mana, aiming for a decisive blow. His sword, now powered by every ounce of his energy, swung with great force. It was a powerful strike, but it was a mistake. ‘Now.’ Julien stepped forward at the perfect moment. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎 His strength wasn’t enough to cut through Bendore’s sword, but he spotted a small opening at Bendore’s neck. The small gap in the armor around his neck was just big enough to exploit. As Bendore’s sword cut through the air, Julien’s sword moved faster, slipping through the gap. "Wh..." Bendore’s eyes widened, not even realizing what had happened. “Phew...” Julien took a deep breath, stepping back. Bendore looked at Julien in disbelief as blood began to trickle from his neck. "You... you..." Bendore stumbled slightly, his body swaying. Soon, he dropped his sword and knelt. Thud. "Whooaa!" The spectators erupted in cheers. Leo, who had been anxiously watching, raised both hands and shouted. With the duel decided, the crowd surged with excitement, hugging each other and celebrating. "Julien, the leader of the mercenary group, won!" "He beat the greatest knight of the region!" "Julien! Julien!" The crowd cheered, their voices full of exhilaration. Bendore had tormented and killed many people, but now his defeat brought the people great satisfaction. And the tyrannical lord, who had oppressed the region, had been defeated in the duel. It was a victory everyone celebrated. The nobles who had come to watch also expressed their admiration. "Ha, so this is the greatest knight of the region." "To think a mercenary we didn’t even know could do this." "Young too. He’s going to be great. It’s a waste for him to be a mercenary." It was a mercenary group that truly had a lot of openings. They were now thinking of ways to recruit this mercenary group for themselves. "Ha, ha..." Julien, who had been tense throughout the fight, let out a sigh of relief only after Bendore had collapsed. He wasn't a difficult opponent. The real challenge had been the responsibility and the pressure he had to bear. "Impressive." Ghislain smiled at him, offering praise that was not just for his skill but for his mana control as well. Moreover, Julien could clearly feel that his abilities had improved drastically through training alone. When he had first trained under Ghislain, it had been painful, and he hadn’t realized just how effective it would be. He looked at Ghislain in awe. "How did you do it?" Ghislain smiled as if it was obvious. Julien, without realizing it, smiled back. Deneb and Kyle were also delighted. They had been worried just a moment ago, but now Julien had won the duel brilliantly. Leo, who had been dragging his feet, was in a state of shock. It had truly been a satisfactory first mission. But one person— Baron Magvel, with his burning eyes, was glaring at Julien. "Tch, ha... These worthless mercenaries..." He wanted to call in his army and kill them all right away. However, he couldn’t act out in front of so many people. Having lost in an honorable duel, he had no choice but to retreat for now. The Raks Merchant Guild had now secured a victory. "Let’s go." Baron Magvel gritted his teeth and stood up. For now, he couldn’t do anything, but he would soon find another reason to strike back. Just then, Ghislain stepped forward and shouted at Baron Magvel. "Wait! Give me that!" Baron Magvel, startled, turned around to look at Ghislain. Ghislain winked at Leo, who was standing calmly, wearing a confident expression. "This isn’t enough. Let me give you a surprise gift." Baron Magvel glared at Ghislain, his face twisting with displeasure. The atmosphere around him was also sour. "What’s this about?" Ghislain looked around at everyone, then shouted loudly. "Julien, the representative of Raks Merchant Guild’s leader, Leo Raks, has been granted full authority to represent the guild by the deputy leader, Astion, and will announce it here today!" Everyone turned their attention to Ghislain. They wondered what kind of speech would come next. With confidence, Ghislain continued. "Perhaps we’re a bit of a weak cluster, but we haven’t fully regained everything yet!" His strange words and tone caught everyone off guard, and the crowd looked at him with confused expressions. Ghislain suddenly issued an order, pointing directly at Baron Magvel. "So this time, we’ll request a new kind of duel from the Baron!" The people around them gasped and stared with wide eyes. They had barely gotten through the crisis, and now Ghislain was talking about another crazy challenge. Baron Magvel’s face twisted with anger. His expression was a strange mix of fury and laughter. "So, what kind of duel are you talking about? What do you want?" Ghislain smiled mischievously and replied, "Everything up until now." "What?" "We’ll stake everything of the Raks family." Ghislain’s surprise gift to Leo was none other than a challenge to Baron Magvel. "Do you think you’ll like it enough?" And then... The timid Leo was completely stunned and, overcome by fear, fainted right where he stood.