The merchant Lawrence couldn’t stop.
He was a merchant who had traveled far and wide.
He knew exactly how much a dead manticore was worth.
He knew in his heart.
The fur, the wing membrane, the fangs, and the venom glands on the tail… all were priceless treasures.
Then, there was the wound.
“This wound is good,” Lawrence praised.
“This gash isn’t even. The weapon used was terrible, but it still cleanly severed the manticore’s neck, killing it in one blow.”
“Luo Yi cut it down himself with a greatsword!” Xue La defended.
Lawrence scratched the back of his head.
“Hmm… a half-grown child, lifting a greatsword?”
He was a merchant who had traveled far and wide, not an idiot who believed everything he heard.
But still… Lawrence also knew that the wound on Luo Yi’s leg was bandaged with Xue La’s clothes—if Luo Yi hadn’t done anything, would the young lady of House Linde personally do such a thing?
“Ah, you make a valid point.” Lawrence changed his tune.
“I’m not a professional warrior, so I might misjudge—once that greatsword arrives, I’ll re-examine it.”
Yes, as long as Luo Yi could swing that greatsword on the spot, all doubts would dissipate.
Xue La shot Luo Yi an encouraging look.
‘You can do it!’
Carlos returned, with the guards and that greatsword: a greatsword that required two people to carry.
‘The blacksmith brother is too strong…’ Carlos laughed bitterly in his heart.
He really did disassemble the hilt and poured heavy lead water into it, going overboard to the point that now it took the strength of two men to carry it.
‘But that’s fine too! That little bastard Luo Yi will definitely not be able to lift it and will make a public fool of himself!’
“Come on!” Carlos threw down the harsh words and signaled his men to thrust the greatsword into the ground.
“I want to see how you pull out this greatsword!”
Count Brian also stroked his chin with his fingers, watching the show.
The manticore had caused enough trouble; it would be good to have a glimmer of hope.
This kingdom desperately needed a glimmer of hope.
In the past, people had placed their hopes on Bali Saihe, because he was…
But the kingdom was defeated.
The allied forces of the four kingdoms couldn’t withstand the Southern Demons, and then came the attacks in the court.
The demons’ victory seemed to have also stirred up monsters everywhere.
The tragedy of the manticore was probably not an isolated case—but admitting that would make the lord seem incompetent.
‘If… the red-haired brat before him could really lift a greatsword?’
Luo Yi glanced at his grandfather, Roderick.
“Go on, you deserve it, you little brat.”
His grandfather patted him on the back.
“I have no idea how you managed to swing a greatsword and chop up a manticore? I’ve lived sixty years, and I want to see too!”
“Alright then!”
Luo Yi finally made up his mind and stepped forward, ready to draw the sword.
Xue La stared at him.
Count Brian stared at him.
The merchant Lawrence stared at him.
Grandfather Roderick stared at him.
Carlos and those guards also stared at him.
At first, it was like loosening soil; the blade trembled slightly.
Luo Yi gritted his teeth and gripped the hilt tightly.
“This sword feels wrong.”
“Liar, you’ve never touched a sword before, what do you know about wrong?” Carlos mocked directly.
Lawrence frowned, looking at the hilt as if he had something to say.
“Luo Yi! You can do it!” Xue La shouted loudly.
The tip of the sword rose high, soaring into the azure sky.
Luo Yi really did pull out the sword.
Count Brian’s eyes shifted and saw Knight Carlos’s expression, pale and purple, as if he had swallowed something worse than a fly.
‘It seems… this farce can end?’
The count knew it in his heart.
‘His daughter wouldn’t be so good to a strange boy for no reason unless…’
“Let me see this sword,” Lawrence said.
“The blade is frightfully rusted, no wonder the wound was so ugly, but did you really strike that blow?”
Luo Yi nodded.
“Can I take another look?” Lawrence spoke.
“This hilt… is not right.”
“Lifting the sword is one thing; actually killing a manticore with a swing is another!”
Carlos couldn’t hold back anymore and directly drew his longsword.
“Can he swing a blow at a manticore, or will he become a living target?”
‘He’s panicking; he’s panicking.’
Xue La didn’t expect there were people so shameless in this world.
‘Not even pretending anymore, directly going for the knife, huh?’
Unfortunately, she couldn’t stop him.
Carlos launched a shameless sneak attack toward Luo Yi.
Just like how her count father couldn’t stop the manticore that descended from the sky.
The magic is high, but there’s always something higher.
Clang—
Xue La didn’t blink, but she still saw this scene.
Luo Yi spread his legs and lowered his center of gravity, as if by instinct, or like he had been taught.
Then, he executed a beautiful slash, sending the longsword flying!
Carlos was terrified, standing there dumbfounded.
Yes, Xue La had forgotten one thing: Luo Yi, as the Brave, really did have a protagonist halo.
The grandfather of the Brave, as a subordinate of Old General Bali Saihe, truly had experience in military drills, knowing how to maximize the potential of the body and weapons…
He must have taught his grandson, but Xue La had forgotten.
As a speedrun player, she actually knew this, but had overlooked the key to the greatsword style while busy considering her own assassin build.
Xue La instinctively opened her panel.
[Name: Luo Yi]
[Class: Quasi-Hero]
[Passive Skill: Military Drill (Remnant)]
[Description: Having been taught by a grandfather who once served in the military, he knows how to cleverly maximize combat effectiveness… When equipping weapons and armor, requirements are always calculated at 90%. When calculating damage and defense, extreme minimum or maximum values are always avoided.]
Theoretically, once this passive was maxed out, one wheel of the greatsword style wheelchair would be added.
Therefore, Luo Yi could steadily lift the greatsword and then turn the tables.
Count Brian roared angrily, “Carlos, what the hell are you doing, you dirty dog!”
‘Good scolding!’ Xue La thought.
‘Dad finally said something human.’
Knights working for nobles were essentially hounds.
What was Carlos doing?
“I…” Carlos quickly put on a smile.
“I was just testing his ability! Didn’t my sudden attack resemble the manticore’s, and little brother Luo Yi counterattacked fiercely…”
The more he explained, the more he looked like a clown.
“I think you’re due for confinement!” Brian spoke.
“Instead of practicing your sword diligently, you play these tricks.”
‘Dad is amazing!’ Xue La thought.
‘Although he was a cheap dad after her transmigration, considering that before transmigrating she was just an orphan apprentice at a Western restaurant… Well, having a home felt good too.’
Carlos’s legs went weak, and he was forcibly carried away.
“I need to take a look at this greatsword,” Lawrence reiterated—Carlos was completely disrupting things.
Take a look?
Xue La quickly opened another panel.
[Xue La: Identification Skill Level 0]
[Lawrence: Identification Skill Level 4]
‘No wonder; Mr. Lawrence must have noticed something—while Xue La was an idiot in this regard.’
Luo Yi handed the sword over—it fell to the ground with a thud.
“This sword is so heavy!” Lawrence laughed bitterly.
“Help me lift it—I want to see the hilt part.”
What’s wrong?
Brian clearly cared about this very much.
“The blade is rusted—but the hilt is wrong, so new…” Lawrence pursed his lips.
“I understand—I’ll go ask the blacksmith later,” Brian said, then looked at the pair of grandfather and grandson, Luo Yi and Roderick.
“You… are good,” the count said.
“Stay for dinner tonight.”
For a busy local count, such an opportunity was truly rare.
Xue La was very happy—although Count Brian had some noble arrogance, at least he was friendly to the Brave and his grandfather.
‘This way, her future was safe.’
“You too…” Brian also invited Lawrence.
“Although some changes happened at home, I can’t make the good stew that Mr. Lawrence wants, but there’s plenty of steak and bread…”
‘Can’t make stew?’
Xue La suddenly realized that her opportunity had come.
‘Before transmigrating, she had been an apprentice at a Western restaurant!’