At that moment….
"Ugh…. Aaaaah!"
"Aaaaaah!"
The soldiers charged at Patrick, screaming as if having a collective seizure.
Simultaneously, for the first time, Patrick began to truly swing his wooden swords.
Until now, even when he struck the soldiers, he had only used his fists, feet, or the pommels of his swords.
But now.
For the first time, Patrick began to wield both wooden swords in earnest. And they saw it.
They saw the sight of two wooden swords lashing out in all directions like a localized storm.
"Uh… Huh?"
"Aaaaah!"
"What the hell is thiiiiis?!"
It didn't take long for admiration to turn into horror, and horror into pain.
The wooden swords in Patrick's hands blurred into countless forms, beginning to thresh the surrounding soldiers like grain.
Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack….
How many strikes were landing per second?
It was impossible to even count the number of times the swords were swung.
Countless sword forms were drawn with Patrick at the center, relentlessly battering the soldiers without a moment's rest.
Even the soldiers who had shown such fighting spirit could only gape at the overwhelming spectacle.
The area around Patrick was like a small typhoon made of sword strikes.
"…To think I actually challenged a monster like that."
Brian, watching the scene from a step away, realized just how insane his actions had been.
* * *
"Uuugh… Uuuuugh…."
"Gaaah…."
"Dammit…."
Two hundred soldiers lay sprawled out—not dead, but looking very much like corpses—while a ten-year-old child looked down at them with a bored expression.
It was a surreal sight, yet it was the reality of what had just transpired.
"Tsk, tsk. Look at that lack of grit. Aren't you grown men being a bit too dramatic after getting beaten by a ten-year-old?"
His words were technically true.
If someone who didn't know the context heard that, they would say, 'That's true. How much could a ten-year-old's hitting hurt? They're being oversensitive.'
That only made it more sorrowful.
'You monster.'
'You demon.'
'You're worse than a monster….'
Until just a few days ago, Patrick had been the Young Master to these soldiers—the heir to their respected lord.
But in an instant, that evaluation had plummeted to "monster," "demon," and "something worse than a monster."
Regardless of their thoughts, Patrick spoke to the soldiers.
"Well, don't worry too much. I'll make sure to properly develop both your skills and your grit from now on."
"Young… Young Master, are you going to teach us yourself?"
"I told you I would. Are you going to tell me even now that I'm too weak to train you? Is that it?"
"No, sir."
"Right. I thought not. Tsk."
Why did he look disappointed?
The soldiers trembled at the sight of him looking like someone who had failed to find an excuse to start trouble.
At the same time, they wondered.
How were they supposed to endure training from a monster like him?
'He's going to grind us into the dirt, isn't he?'
'Should I quit being a soldier and just go farm?'
'Should I just leave for another territory?'
As the soldiers were lost in these thoughts, Patrick spoke.
"Well, it can't be helped that your skills are lacking right now. After all, the guy who was training you until now is a total mess."
As he shot a glare at Brian, the man hurriedly bowed his head.
Patrick clicked his tongue and continued.
"Tsk. But things will be different from now on. If you receive systematic training from me, all of you will become much stronger than that Youngest Brother over there."
The "Youngest Brother" Patrick was referring to was Brian, who until recently had been lording over the territory as a 2-Star Knight.
The moment they heard those words, the soldiers' eyes sparkled.
'We can become stronger than a 2-Star Knight?'
'Is that really possible? If it's true….'
'With a monster like the Young Master, it might actually be possible.'
'Does that mean I could become a knight too?'
The moment Patrick saw the yearning in their eyes, he gave a smirk.
"As you all know, there are currently no knights in our territory."
Everyone nodded instinctively.
Patrick continued.
"Normally, in a situation like this, one would invite outside knights or request the commission of a newly graduated knight from the Academy. But I don't want to do that."
'Because it costs money.'
Patrick spoke while hiding his true thoughts.
"Why would I recruit outsiders when there are so many hidden gems right here in our territory?"
'It's a waste of money.'
He figured it was best to keep his inner thoughts hidden until the end.
The way Patrick impressed his absolute superiority through brutal violence and then promised sweet rewards was so skillful it was hard to believe he was only ten.
And it was working.
Yearning and emotion began to well up in the eyes of the soldiers listening to him.
"Do you mean to say, Young Master, that you intend to raise us as knights?"
"That's right. You have all shed blood and sweat to protect this territory. You are more than qualified to receive my teachings."
He meant this sincerely.
Patrick had already experienced it once.
When teaching someone, what mattered more than talent was 'how much loyalty and devotion do they have?'
'Ugh… thinking back on it, I was so naive and ignorant of the world.'
The Twin Dragon Sect.
Originally, it was a pathetically insignificant, third-rate rural sect.
That was, until a once-in-a-century genius named Jincheon appeared.
But once Jincheon emerged and began to make a name for himself, the status of the Twin Dragon Sect changed.
People flocked from all directions to learn martial arts from the Twin Dragon Sect.
From those with significant martial talent to the children of influential families who came carrying bags of money.
It was a time when he truly felt that 'a sect can only prosper if it has a master.'
His good-natured Master was also overjoyed, and Jincheon taught the new disciples quite diligently.
But did that lead to a good result?
Not at all.
The Righteous-Demonic Great War twisted the fate of the burgeoning Twin Dragon Sect.
When the war broke out, a leader of the Unorthodox Faction led his disciples and invaded the Twin Dragon Sect's territory.
It happened to be while Jincheon was away.
It was a situation where commoners were bound to suffer immense damage, and Jincheon's Master, the Leader of the Twin Dragon Sect, could not stand by and watch.
[I will never allow the blood of commoners to be spilled as long as I draw breath!]
With that cry, he gripped his twin swords firmly and led his disciples out to stop the Unorthodox leader.
But the result was disastrous.
'Most of those bastards who had recently joined as disciples ran away.'
Out of the three hundred new disciples at the time, fewer than ten were willing to fight to the end alongside their Master.
Realizing that the odds of victory were slim without Jincheon, they prioritized their own lives and fled rather than face mutual destruction with their Master.
Fortunately, Jincheon heard the news late and rushed back to lop off the Unorthodox leader's head.
That incident was a huge shock to Jincheon.
The new disciples all ran away.
Then they slinked back later, rubbing salt in the wound by saying, 'We were wrong. Please take us back.'
And the Master was actually trying to forgive them and take them back.
'Ah, thinking about it makes me pissed off again. And what was with that one bastard who asked for a refund on his training fee in the middle of all that?'
Anyway, it was a total mess.
Of course, Jincheon personally smashed the faces of those who returned with such thick skin.
However, the emotional wound his Master received was significant.
Afterward, Jincheon thought long and hard.
Even though they were both part of the Orthodox Faction, the prestigious sects with long histories were different.
If their leader said, "Let's go fight," most disciples followed, no matter how reckless the battle.
But in the Twin Dragon Sect, most disciples fled despite the leader's command.
Why did such a difference exist?
To that question, Zhuge Hyeon—one of Jincheon's few friends—replied.
[It's because they have no sense of belonging.]
The man, whose ugly appearance didn't suit his neatly worn scholar's robes, spoke cynically.
The Dragon-Chasing Scholar, Zhuge Hyeon.
The maverick of the Zhuge Clan.
One of the "Five Great Fierce Dragons," known as the headaches of the Five Great Families.
However, he and Jincheon got along quite well, so they often drank together and shared advice.
Back then, he had said….
["Keep the grace you have received from the sect in mind and do your best to repay it." That's the teaching most prestigious Orthodox sects instill.]
["Aren't we the same? We taught them martial arts. Doesn't that mean they received grace from the Twin Dragon Sect? It's no different from what you guys do."]
["Well, in a broad sense, yes… but a sense of belonging isn't created just by learning techniques. The educational process of instilling a sense of 'us' and making the group a priority over the individual is what's important."]
["What kind of trickery is that?"]
["You teach them consistently from a young age. 'Remember the grace of the family. Repay the grace of the family. Do not tarnish the honor of the family.' You hammer it into them like brainwashing before they can even walk."]
["Tsk, tsk. What a thing to do to kids."]
["Tell me about it."]
["But friend."]
["Yeah?"]
["Why aren't you like that?"]
["Ah, I've been insulted for being ugly since I was a kid. Thanks to that, the brainwashing didn't take as well."]
["...."]
Thinking back, he was a truly pitiful friend.
Zhuge Hyeon was one of the top talents in the Zhuge Clan, especially regarding formations; his ability was among the top five in the world.
However, because of his unattractive appearance, he grew up facing discrimination within his family, and even as an adult, he was abandoned by his fiancée, leading him to become rebellious.
Thanks to that, he became close with Jincheon and a few other rebels of the Orthodox Faction, but for the Zhuge Clan, it was a case of losing a precious talent.
Even after he was fully grown, the fact that he chose "Ugly Dragon" as his own moniker suggested the wounds he received from his family were substantial.
'Friend. Even so, what kind of nickname is "Ugly Dragon"? "Ugly Dragon"?'
Even though he himself was the "Mad Dragon"….
Anyway, he realized it then.
To create true comrades who could share meals and face life and death together, one had to look at a person's character and loyalty, not just their talent or background.
And in that sense….
'Our soldiers more than pass the test.'
Was it any ordinary thing to serve as a soldier in this land teeming with monsters?
They served amidst the constant danger of being killed by monsters at any moment, receiving a pittance for pay—and even then, Brian had been embezzling part of it.
The fact that they had done their best to serve as soldiers in such a situation was because they had a sincere will to protect the territory.
Ten years since being born into this world.
Patrick seemed to be watching indifferently, but internally, he had been observing and evaluating the people within the territory.
Father = Pushover
Mother = Difficult
Brian = Son of a bitch
Butler Lawrence = Trustworthy
Soldiers = Loyalty is top-notch, skills are pathetic
…and so on.
That was why, as soon as he dealt with Brian, he stepped forward to tell his father that he would train the soldiers himself.
Patrick spoke with a serious expression.
"Trust me. Right now, you before me are two hundred soldiers. But if you trust and follow me, I will turn you into two hundred knights."
At those words, the soldiers thought seriously, and Sanson was the first to kneel and speak.
"I, Sanson, swear my loyalty to Young Master Patrick Schneider, the heir of this territory."
As one person stepped forward, the others looked at each other and nodded.
They, too, knelt and bowed their heads.
"I, Paulo, also swear."
"I am Kenesi. I will follow you to the end."
"I am Alex. I swear my loyalty."
All two hundred soldiers knelt and swore their loyalty to Patrick.
Seeing that sight, Patrick smiled with satisfaction and spoke.
"I thank you for your loyalty. In return for that loyalty, I promise to do my absolute best to reward you."
Years later, the soldiers would say:
'Ah, I shouldn't have done that back then.'