Return of The Unrivaled Spear Knight

uipment is prepared.”

Each word shocked him more than the last.

One of the Duke’s largest training halls, located in the most remote region of the Duke’s mansion, was built solely for training the soldiers.
Dozens of his centurions were gathered there.

“Hey, did you hear?” A soldier in light leather armor ventured.

“What are you talking about?”

“The stable bastard—No, the Duke’s second young master!”

“Ah, that!” The soldier next to him clapped his hands in apology.

“I heard he was actually a great talent? Rumor has it he even beat ogres with his bare hands?” This came from a young soldier to his other side.

“Hey! Even the knights would be mincemeat if they attacked an ogre with their bare hands.
What is that child? Say something that makes sense—”

“Wasn’t there even a rumor that the boy was already using mana?”

“This dumbass, really… You mean to tell me a bastard of less than ten years can become a mana user? What? Then I’m a Master—No, I’m one of the Nine Stars!”

The soldiers around them burst into laughter.
Most of them dismissed the rumors as nonsense – they simply sounded too absurd to be true.
Any reasonable person wouldn’t believe it—except…

“Hey Rols! Answer us! Where did Roid and Gort get off to?”

“Yeah, Rols! You said you’re going to trash that Lucia girl! Didn’t the three of you always bully that kid?”

“Well, with that face and body, of course she’s going to catch someone’s eye… Ah, shoulda slept with that maid—”

“You’re so small, you can barely get yourself off.
It should be me.”

“What?”

The centurions bantered on, but Rols couldn’t say anything.
After what he saw that day, Rols was quiet as if his tongue was cut off.

“You’re such weird bastards… I have no words.”

“Did you really ravage Lucia, after all this time? Women of Lucia’s age are hungry – I bet Rols was so small, Lucia was disappointed—”

“This idiot talks with his crotch.
When’s the last time you got laid?” Again, the centurions’ laughter filled the hall.

“By the way, who called us today?”

“I think it was a Red Knight.” At the mention of the Red Knights, Rols slumped and his eyes lost focus.

“The Red Knights… Hahhh, it’s going to be a long day.”

“Does sparring take days or something? Let’s just finish this quickly and go get a drink.” All of the centurions wore a resigned expression.

The centurions’ training was unusual; they were expected to lead 100 soldiers, so they were directly trained by knights with command experience.
The Duke’s three great orders of knights took turns training them; among them, the Red Knights were famous for being the most difficult.
Given their relative influence, the Red Knights worked the centurions hard to avoid being underestimated by the other orders.

“Attention!” At the cry of the 1st Battalion leader, the most senior of the centurions, all of the centurions stood to attention.

Small footsteps echoed in the silence.

“…Rols? Are you okay?” Rols shuddered uncontrollably when he saw the knight arriving.
The reaper of that day—that terrible day—appeared before him once more…

“Hmm? Why did the knight bring a child with him?”

“Wait.
Isn’t that the kid from the stable? Why is Lucia’s kid—”

Rols, rattled by each passing word, managed to slowly raise his head.
He met someone’s eyes and groaned.

“Young master… Joshua.”

“Young Master, today’s training will be useful to you.” Cain, clad in iron plate engraved with the symbol of the Red Knights, looked around.

Why is a Knight of the Red using honorifics for such a child? The centurions’ ranks rippled.

“I am Joshua von Agnus.”

“…Hey, that kid—”

Joshua could hear the centurions muttering, but continued.

“Everyone here is a loyal servant of the Duke, yes?”

The silence was suffocating.

“Your skills are probably good, if not great.” He looked around, eyes lingering on Rols.
“All of you… come at me.”