"Pak! Pak! Pak!"

As the evening sun began to set, Lynn found himself struggling to fend off the relentless assault of a young girl armed with a wooden sword in the backyard of the estate.

Despite having steeled himself for the confrontation, Lynn had not anticipated the sheer ferocity with which Iverin fought. She attacked with ruthless abandon, each blow aimed at vital points as if it were a matter of life and death, rather than a mere practice bout.

As Lynn stumbled backwards, trying to regain his footing, Iverin pressed her advantage. She lunged forward, bringing her wooden sword down towards Lynn's head with a fierce yell.

"Haap!"

But Lynn was not so easily defeated. He gritted his teeth as he managed to twist his body at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the strike and counterattacking with a swift punch to Iverin's stomach.

The girl doubled over, the breath knocked out of her, and Lynn seized the opportunity to grab his own wooden sword. He spun around, bringing the weapon down in a powerful arc towards Iverin's back.

But the brunette was not finished yet. She rallied, using her own sword to block Lynn's attack and then launching a series of rapid strikes that forced him back on the defensive.

Sweat dripped down their faces as they fought, both of them determined to emerge victorious. Finally, after the twenty-first exchange, the brunette girl succeeded in knocking Lynn's wooden sword from his grasp with a horizontal slash.

Both fighters, gasping for breath, had reached the limits of their endurance after several rounds and almost an hour of combat. Bruises marred their arms and shoulders beneath their clothing, and their physical strength was almost depleted.

Though not particularly skilled in close combat without Overload, Lynn was unable to best Laut's record. But Pedroral, who had been watching from the sidelines, was unconcerned. He could see that Iverin's swordsmanship had improved slightly, so it was only natural that she should emerge victorious.

What truly delighted Pedroral, however, was that Lynn had finally heeded his advice and fought with greater finesse and determination, rather than being hobbled by hesitation as he had been in the past.

"Cease, that shall be sufficient for the day." Lord Pedroral gestured with his hand, bringing the combat to a close, and a glimmer of a smile finally graced his somber countenance.

"Well done, my son. You have at long last begun to comprehend something. If you persist in practicing and battling in this manner, you stand a seventy percent chance of passing the knight examination."

This year, there are two or more additional spots in the knight examination, and the standards will undoubtedly be lowered substantially. Moreover, he has generously donated a multitude of funds to the local church priests, thus ensuring a smooth resolution to the matter.

Contemplating this, Lord Pedroral's mood improved somewhat, and then he turned to his daughter and spoke,

"Iverin, your swordsmanship is exceptional, but perhaps you could take a respite from practice for a time and devote your energy elsewhere."

"The son of the Earl of Nordland is indeed enamored with swordsmanship, but if you exhibit too much strength, it may offend others..."

Lord Pedroral was quite thorough in instructing Iverin on how to utilize the same interest to attract the attention of the Earl's son and preserve his fragile self-esteem.

This noble lord was highly content with his daughter. Not only was she physically attractive, but she also possessed an exceptional talent for swordsmanship. If this could be used as an opportunity to marry the eldest son of the Earl of Nordland, then their family would have a chance to regain their former grandeur.

Listening to her father's words, Iverin clenched her teeth and her delicate face was filled with resentment and frustration.

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However, the Baron did not notice the young girl's expression, and after a brief lecture, he left without further delay.

Due to the chaos caused by those devil worshippers, many of the bigwigs who rarely appeared in public had come to the port town, providing a good opportunity to show themselves!

After the Lord Pedroral left, Lynn looked at the brunette girl in front of him with a slight hint of pity.

To have such strong swordsmanship skills at the age of sixteen, Iverin was surely hardworking, perhaps trying to earn her father's recognition and change her own fate.

Unfortunately, Lord Pedroral only saw his daughter as a tool to curry favor with the powerful.

Maybe after he was gone, Iverin's situation would improve somewhat.

Lynn weighed his options before carefully stowing away the wooden sword he held. He then considered his words, determined to offer a few comforting phrases in his capacity as Iverin's brother.

He recalled that, in his diary, Laut had always shown a great deal of concern for his sister.

However, before Lynn could even open his mouth to speak, Iverin had already raised her head, her voice cold and distant as she said,

"Are you finally going to attack me, my brother?" Iverin stared at him and without waiting for his reply, turned around and left.

...

As the full moon's radiant glow once more illuminated the night sky, Lynn returned to his chambers in a daze, accompanied by a servant. He spent the entire journey trying to understand the true meaning behind Iverin's final words, yet remained baffled.

He hadn't expected the relationships within such a small noble's household to be so complex.

He was thankful that he was only temporarily borrowing Laut's identity, rather than serving as a mediator for the family. Otherwise, he knew he would have a headache on his hands. With a shake of his head, Lynn lay down in his bed and muttered to himself, "Forget it. This isn't something I need to worry about."

As Lynn lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought. His mind kept returning to the fights he had experienced ever since he transmigrated, both physical and magical. The physical fights had been exhilarating, his blood boiling with excitement as he battled his opponents with fists and weapons. The rush of adrenaline, the taste of victory, the sting of defeat - all of it made him feel alive.

The magical fights were even intense. There was a certain thrill that came with wielding powerful magic, feeling the energy pulse through his veins as he conjured spells and sent them hurtling towards his enemies. Yet, studying and researching the spells as he tries to make improvements to it is even more exhilarating. The mental exertion was just as tiring as the physical, but the sense of accomplishment was unparalleled.

He would never be able to live such spectacular experiences if he was still in his old world. Lynn turned his head and gazed at the scenery outside.

The full moon hung low in the night sky, casting a pale, ghostly light over the landscape outside the window. The air was warm and humid, filled with the sound of crickets and the soft glow of fireflies.

The shrubs below the window were a tangle of shadows, their leaves rustling in the gentle breeze. The grass was damp with dew, glistening in the moonlight.

As he watched, a firefly fluttered by, its tiny light flickering like a miniature star. I marveled at the creature's beauty, so fragile and fleeting. Sighing, Lynn thought, 'Although this world is dangerous for me as a wizard, i'd still chose to live here than go back to my previous world.'

'I wonder what the land of the wizards - Gremmier, would look like'

As Lynn let his thoughts wander, he thought about his conversation with Lord Pedroral earlier. The injured Archbishop, the three thousand strong soldiers hidden in the dark, examination and....

What truly concerned Lynn, however, was the mention of the devil worshipper captured by the Church on their return journey. He couldn't determine whether it was Aubrey or Dove, or if both had been apprehended by the Church.

What he did know, however, was that Anthruk, who had suffered a significant defeat at his hands, had made thorough preparations. The entirety of their 3,000 strong soldier had secretly stationed themselves within and without the port town, likely targeting him.

It was likely that in the coming days, the Church would announce their public execution of the devil worshipper, drawing him to attempt a rescue.

At the thought of recklessly stumbling into the Church's trap without preparation, Lynn couldn't help but shudder. Even a single round of simultaneous shooting from 1,000 archers would turn him into a hedgehog.

Infiltrating the prison beforehand was actually a sound strategy; after all, he could utilize transformation magic and makeup techniques to infiltrate unseen.

As long as he could accurately know who had been arrested and in which cell of the prison they were being held, Lynn was confident that he could save the person... Then there was the problem of how to escape from the port town. The more Lynn thought about it, the more headaches he had. He wasn't really Karl, and he didn't have any emotional attachment for Aubrey and the others, but at least they had experienced life and death together, so if possible, he still planned to save them. Also Aubrey said she once went with their mentor, Kelu, in the land of the wizards.

"071, is there something that can help me against 3,000 soldiers?" Lynn asked in his mind. The next moment, a whole list appeared in his eyes.

[East Wind 180 missiles, plasma railguns, antimatter bombs, high-energy rays, galaxy-class long-range battleships...]

"I only have a few days, give me something reliable!" Lynn muttered speechlessly. If he could put together these things, he would have long ago thrown the Pope off the throne and transformed this dark alternate world into a bright medieval world.