The sight of Iverin's terrified countenance left Lord Pedroral to offer words of solace.

"You need not be too concerned, either. According to Archbishop Anthruk, the majority of devil worshippers have already been put to death, and the Holy See has surreptitiously summoned a force of 3,000 guards to be stationed in the port town."

'3,000 people!? Are they going to war or something!?' Lynn's brows involuntarily furrowed. That's far too many.

In general, during peacetime, towns like the port town typically only have a few hundred soldiers quartered there. The Church's secret dispatch of such a large number of troops to this place must have some ulterior motive.

Lynn couldn't help but wonder if Old Lard's identity had been revealed and the Church was planning to annihilate the entire "Einhorn Ship Guild".

"Father, what does Archbishop Anthruk mean? Is he planning on going to war?" Lynn tentatively inquired.

Lord Pedroral shook his head. "It doesn't seem to have anything to do with war, but I don't know much about it. All I've heard is that Archbishop Anthruk captured the runaway wizard apprentice on his way back to the port town and has detained there, set to be executed publicly later."

Upon hearing this, Lynn's face turned grave at once.

Could it be that Aubrey and Dove have been apprehended?

Lynn couldn't help but consider this possibility. When he had bidden the two witches farewell previously, they were in an especially poor state, and it was even uncertain whether they had been forced apart in the tumultuous waters.

If the Church had immediately mobilized a great number of people to search after the great battle, it would not be unimaginable that they could have captured them.

"Father, do you know who these imprisoned devil worshippers are?" Lynn couldn't help but inquire.

After saying this, Lynn immediately realized he was too anxious and hastily added, "I have heard that witches are generally very fair of face, though I know not if it be true or not."

"Absurd!" Lord Pedroral rebuked, "Who told you this!? It is all just rumor! Listen to me, under no circumstances should you have any connection with these devil worshippers!"

In the Empire of Sika, wizards are an absolute taboo. These devil worshippers wield many peculiar spells and cause chaos everywhere, they are living calamities!

Amid Lord Pedroral's reprimands, Lynn had no choice but to suppress the doubts in his heart for the time being. It was evident that this was not the moment to pose queries.

After chiding sternly for a few moments, Lord Pedroral once more spoke of the subject at hand.

"This time, in the battle against those who worship the Devil, two priests were unfortunately slain. This is surely a cause for grief, but it is also our opportunity!"

"In other words, there will be at least two or more openings in this year's knight exams!"

Upon uttering these words, Lord Pedroral looked at Lynn expectantly. In two months' time, the official exams would be held. If Lynn could pass them successfully, there might yet be an opportunity for the Pedroral family to rise anew.

"After you have finished eating, you and Iverin will spar again and let me see the improvement you have made over the past few months." Lord Pedroral stated straightforwardly.

Spar? Lynn turned his head to regard Iverin, seated across the table from him.

The young woman was attired in a sleek, black dress that clung to her form, revealing a pale, slender neck and collarbone through its slightly open neckline. Her shoulder-length hair was swept back, leaving only a single, red ribbon cascading over her shoulder, giving her a poised and formidable appearance. But it was her eyes that were particularly chilling, piercing like a sharpened blade.

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As he readied himself, Lynn couldn't help but consider holding back slightly. After all, according to Laut's journal, he had never managed to defeat Iverin, despite having possessed a clear advantage in strength and stamina just a few years prior. In fact, the gap between their abilities seemed to be rapidly widening.

His best record to date was a defeat in under twenty-three moves...

....

"Here we are," Lord Pedroral declared, leading the two to the training grounds in the manor's rear courtyard. "You may begin."

Lynn donned a wooden training sword and adopted a standard stance, while Iverin charged forward the moment Lord Pedro spoke.

She's fast.

Lynn's pupils narrowed, only just in time to bring his sword horizontally to block Iverin's wooden sword, which had already cleaved through the air!

"Pak!"

The wooden swords clashed, producing a sound akin to the collision of lumber and timber. The girl spun on her heel, and as her dress billowed, she unleashed a roundhouse kick. Lynn leaned back, but Iverin was faster, using a circular sword strike to send Lynn's wooden sword flying from his grasp. Without pause, she seized her sword and swung it downward in an overhead chop towards Lynn's head.

The keen whistle of wind in his ears alerted Lynn to the imminent danger, signifying that the girl was not holding back with this strike! If he were hit, it would be far from a mere injury... [Raise right hand at 37 degree angle, grasp wrist, twist and pull to the left, and a hard frontal kick in the mid-section...]

Lynn's gaze became grave as he swiftly discerned the flaw in the sword move and planned a counter attack through the analysis of 071. Confronting the vertical chop from above, he faced it head-on, unflinching.

"Enough!"

Lord Pedroral bellowed, interrupting the duel between Lynn and Iverin. The two on the field simultaneously ceased their actions, with Lynn extending his right hand and the wooden sword already hovering above his head. Lord Pedroral glared at Iverin with anger before turning to Lynn with frustration.

"Laut, what's wrong with you? Concentrate during the battle! If you're still in this state in two months, you might not even pass the first round of the knight examination!"

Lynn withdrew his hand silently, realizing that he had underestimated the other's ability. Though Laut referred to himself as useless in his diary, he had actually undergone a decade of grueling training. Therefore, Iverin, who could easily defeat Laut, must be even stronger!

"Return to your original position and continue!" The baron said in a dark tone, his expression extremely unpleasant.

Iverin stood motionless, as if she had not heard her father's words, while Lynn retreated several steps, actively widening the distance between them. Simultaneously, the notification from the brain implant sounded in his mind.

[Do you wish to activate overload mode?]

'No need.'

Lynn declined without hesitation. This was not a life-or-death battle, and there was no need to waste energy on it. Furthermore, while the analysis function of the auxiliary intelligence was useful, its ultimate effectiveness still relied on his own ability. Iverin was not as formidable as Anthruk or the wizard hunter he had encountered before, nowhere near strong enough to overpower him. She was a suitable sharpening stone...

As the battle resumed, Iverin charged at Lynn with her wooden sword held out in front of her in a piercing motion. She fiercely jabbed out twice, aiming for Lynn's head and neck.

Thanks to Karl's foundation and 071's calculations, Lynn was able to avoid the jabs by tilting his head to the side and ducking. As he felt the wooden sword pass above his head, he pushed off with all his might from the ground, aiming his shoulder towards Iverin's chest and charging at her like a bull.

Iverin, caught off guard and too close to dodge, took the full blow and was sent flying a short distance, skidding along the ground and creating a small cloud of dust. As she lay there, struggling to catch her breath, Lynn was already above her, raising his wooden sword in a downward strike. Iverin quickly rolled to the side and sprang to her feet, agile like a cat.

"Poomf!" Lynn's sword hit the ground, and as he straightened up and faced Iverin, who was panting and rubbing her chest with one hand while holding her sword horizontally in front of her with the other, he realized she was baiting him to charge.

Iverin glared sharply at Lynn, her mind a mess as she tried to catch her breath and figure out what was going on. Lynn's fighting style was different from what she was used to, more calculating and barbaric. She had never experienced or seen someone who used their own body to attack in a sword fight. Even so, she was confident in her ability to defeat him, as she had done so countless times in the past.

"Huff...huff...phew" She exhaled as her breathing calmed down, and she slowly raised her hands, holding her sword horizontally and aiming the tip at Lynn. She spread her feet and bent her knees, ready to spring at any moment.

Lynn stared at "his sister", sword at the ready in a defensive position, thinking to himself, "I should use this moment to strengthen my close combat technique and coordination based on Karl's memories. Without using Overload, I'm just a peaceful, loving citizen of the federation, with Karl's inherited sword technique and muscle memories..."