Living as a Butler to the Northern Duke chapter 35

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When Irtel greeted the grand duke as he entered the training grounds, the grand duke nodded lightly and then walked over to the weapon rack lined with various arms.

“Well prepared.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Sener and Asler, who had been polishing the weapons they selected yesterday, exchanged glances.

As the grand duke casually asked if they were ready, they were unsure if he was here to assess their skills, so Sener nervously responded.

“Huh? Oh, yes, Your Grace. We are deeply grateful for your generosity.”

Asler also spoke up.

“I apologize for not thanking you sooner. Thanks to Your Grace’s consideration, we were able to pick weapons that we’re truly satisfied with. Thank you so much.”

As Sener and Asler bowed in gratitude, Telon quickly followed suit, bowing his head.

“Th-thank you so much, Your Grace!”

It only occurred to him now that, in his excitement over cleaning his weapon all night, he hadn’t properly thanked the grand duke.

“Is that so?”

The grand duke chuckled softly, toying with a weapon from the rack.

“Then, shall we begin the entrance exam?”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“I, Asnel Linden, the Captain of the Northern Royalte Knights, shall now stand before you as the examiner for this test…”

As the grand duke pulled out a large spear from the rack, he continued.

“And evaluate your performance.”

As soon as the grand duke finished his declaration, Asler rolled his eyes and glanced toward the exit.

‘It looks like they’ve locked the only exit from the inside.’

At that moment, a large spear whizzed past Asler’s face.

‘Gasp.’

Asler inhaled sharply as the spear’s shaft nearly grazed his cheek.

The spear flew through the air, lodging itself into a pillar in the training grounds, trembling violently as it reverberated with a loud twang.

“Where are you looking? Your eyes should be on me.”

Asler gulped and took a step back as the grand duke’s voice commanded his attention.

The spear, still quivering from the force, seemed to remind him of just how formidable the grand duke was.

‘This is bad… I didn’t realize how serious this was when he kept addressing us so politely.’

Asler, who had always chosen the safest path, not by mastering excellent swordsmanship but by instinctively finding a way out like a slippery fish, felt a chill run down his spine.

‘This is definitely a trap!’

The image of himself rolling away, crumpled like a sheet of paper under the Grand Duke’s attack, flashed through his mind.

Having relied on luck to survive as a knight, Asler turned and ran.

He heard a startled gasp from behind, but he ignored it, focusing solely on his feet.

The only door that led out of the training ground felt like his lifeline, the one thing that could save him.

‘If I can just grab the weapon I bought yesterday and leave Count Herins’ estate, there’s no way I’ll starve, right? I’ve already secured some expensive weapons, so there’s nothing to worry about!’

“Argh!”

At that moment, a powerful force struck Asler’s back.

The momentum from his sprint combined with the heavy blow sent him flying forward, and he crashed face-first onto the ground.

He continued to roll across the polished floor until his head slammed into a sturdy ironwood pillar with a resounding “thud”.

The loud, chaotic noise echoed through the training ground, drawing the attention of Sener, who had been watching the Grand Duke’s movements closely.

Telon, overwhelmed by the situation, froze in shock.

In the blink of an eye, Asler, struck by the ebony wooden sword the Grand Duke had grabbed and thrown, was flung into the air and knocked unconscious after rolling across the floor.

Irtel, who had been standing behind the Grand Duke, retrieved the spear embedded in the ironwood pillar.

His brow furrowed in concentration as he pulled the spear, which had penetrated deeply into the solid wood. He also collected the blunt ebony wooden sword from the floor.

As the Grand Duke moved back toward the weapons rack, he spoke.

“Oh, my apologies. When I saw your back, my hand moved before I even realized it. After fighting monsters that don’t understand words, I’ve gotten into the habit of thinking I need to attack when someone shows their back. I made a mistake without thinking.”

“…”

“…”

The unconscious Asler remained silent, while Sener and Telon exchanged glances.

“Well, since it was clearly my mistake, should we consider Asler passing the Northern Knights’ entry test?”

The Grand Duke glanced around, pondering which weapon to use next.

“Now, who’s up next to take the Northern Knights’ entry test?”

Telon, clutching his weapon, let out a small hiccup. Sener, holding his breath, quietly surveyed the situation.

Irtel, who had finished cleaning up the training ground, crouched down beside the unconscious Asler, lightly tapping his cheek before grabbing him by the scruff and dragging him toward the door.

Sener kept a close eye on Irtel.

As Irtel opened the door and handed Asler over, Sener noticed hands waiting outside to receive him.

‘…Are the Northern Knights surrounding this place?’

“Click.”

Sener clicked his tongue as he slightly unsheathed the sword at his waist, nudging Telon forward with the handle.

Startled by the sharp atmosphere, Telon jumped forward in fright.

“Oh!”

The Grand Duke turned his gaze toward Telon and asked, “Is Sir Telon the next candidate for the test?”

“Uh, well, that is…”

“Or both you and Sir Sener?”

As the Grand Duke’s gaze shifted behind Telon, Sener stepped back and replied, “No, Telon will take the test first.”

Sener pressed himself against the wall, signaling that he wouldn’t interfere with their duel.

The Grand Duke’s eyes fell on Telon, who stood dumbfounded.

“Is that so? Then, since it looks like Sir Telon will use a sword and axe, I’ll choose this.”

The Grand Duke picked up a longsword from the weapons rack and gave it a light swing.

It fit perfectly in his hand, its well-maintained blade gleaming.

“Is that your starting stance, Sir Telon?”

“Y-Yes?”

“If you’re ready, we’ll begin the test.”

Telon, who had been silently cursing Sener for pushing him into this, turned his attention to the Grand Duke approaching with his weapon.

Each time the Grand Duke lightly shook the sword, Telon’s confidence wavered, his eyes catching glimpses of the Grand Duke’s bulging muscles beneath his loose shirt and pants.

Telon’s shoulders slumped as he bit his lip.

‘Sener’s probably hoping to observe the duel between me and the Grand Duke to find his weakness.’

But isn’t this a losing game from the start? How long can I even last against the Grand Duke…?

The weapon in his hands felt unbearably heavy as Telon let out a long sigh.

Just then, the Grand Duke lightly tapped the tip of Telon’s axe with his sword, causing Telon’s hands to tremble from the small movement.

‘…I can already feel the difference in our skills, even without crossing swords.’

“Or are you surrendering without even trying?”

Telon’s eyes darted around.

‘If I surrender, would they just let me walk out of the training ground?’

As he turned to check the door behind him, the image of Asler, who had been struck down for showing his back, flashed in his mind. He quickly straightened up and faced the Grand Duke again.

He could see it clearly in the Grand Duke’s expression—a calm yet sharp gaze.

‘No, they won’t just let me walk away.’

In that case…

Telon gripped his weapons tightly.

He was terrified, but this was a rare chance to cross swords with the Grand Duke, the highest authority in the Northern Knights, whom he had always admired.

He resolved to give it a try, even if he couldn’t win.

‘I may not be able to defeat him, but I won’t run away like a coward.’

As he lightly parried the Grand Duke’s sword that tapped his axe, the Grand Duke stepped back.

Telon bowed politely, signaling his readiness.

With that, the duel began.

Telon swung his sword and axe alternately, trying to create distance between him and the Grand Duke.

But the Grand Duke, sensing Telon’s intention, dashed forward, closing the gap.

The Grand Duke instinctively read the speed and trajectory of Telon’s weapons and slashed with his sword.

In an instant, the sharp blade stopped just below Telon’s throat.

A cold shiver ran down Telon’s spine.

He felt as if he was standing on the razor-thin edge between life and death.

Panting heavily, Telon swallowed hard and took a small step back, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand as he thought.

‘I… I couldn’t even see the Grand Duke’s movements just now.’

He could have struck or slashed at any moment, but he didn’t…

Does that mean he’s not intending to kill me?

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