Silver arcs reflecting the moonlight flashed above the Aracnum Forest. It wasn't graceful, but methodic and mechanical, just like an illustration from the textbooks.

By utilizing the Void Spirit, the transparent aura cladding Ark resisted gravity and created a temporary state of levitation.

He wasn't just slashing at the air; he targeted a wyvern that just happened to pass by. The barrage of sword swings was handled with brute force and precision, which caused the wyvern's organs to spill and blood to rain until its eventual collapse.

“Next.” Ark eyed the wyvern's fellow companions, but noticed they had already managed to escape.

Maybe because he was too focused on the prey in front of him, Ark didn't realize he had unleashed an intimidating aura that frightened the beasts away.

It was not like him to make such a mistake, and it was clear he currently had no control over his emotions as his frustration grew.

“How dare the punching bags run?”

That's right; Ark is just venting now.

A sure-fire method to unload accumulated stress is to slaughter monsters... It was a psychotic mentality that Ark had.

He had been weak all his life, and the feeling of being strong was like a drug. At the same time, the feeling of helplessness lingered as he recalled the times he was suspended between life and death. This vicious cycle continued ceaselessly, and there was no end, but for now, Ark was satisfied.

“Shit!”

Or not.

The problem was that now it wasn't the usual troubles and feelings. Ark struggled to deal with this unfamiliar situation, at least mentally. It made him miss the times when he didn't need to mind those so-called nobles and their idiotic society.

A flicker of killing intent stabbed Ark's nape. “Don't bother to hide. You can't.”

Realizing it had been noticed, the monster sneaking around revealed itself.

Surprisingly, it was a mere goblin. It was a mutant, naturally. A black skin different from the usual green, with a build only slightly more bulky than Ark. There was a sword with black marks of curses infesting it, giving it an ominous air.

A mere goblin trying to compete with Ark at swordsmanship? He found it laughable.

With an arrogant smirk, Ark drew Silverstar and let the colorless aura clad him and the weapon.

“Mana Drain.”

The rich mana of the forest was quickly imprinted by Ark's intent, becoming his.

“Boost.”

A strengthening spell inferior to the Potentia series by several fold. Although it was weaker, Ark was more proficient, so he tended to rely on this spell whenever finesse was required.

Rage fueled his every swing. When he fought against the Calamity, the sword style was that of parry and counterattack. It was based on using big techniques to match the overwhelming force. Now, Ark had the advantage, and the anger had caused his style to regress back to the basics.

The iron-sword style. Ark had practiced every technique hundreds of thousands of times. The complete mastery he'd achieved allowed the user to somewhat break out of the mold and show an incomparable level of swordsmanship.

Well, incomparable was relative. It was still by far the weakest set of sword techniques he had, but it was enough to deal with the current enemy.

Downward slash, repeated three times. Diagonal slash, one from top right, one from top right. 10 lateral slashes, from right to left, and repeat. Finished by a single thrust concentrated on the center. It was like a melody, finished with a high-pitched note.

Unable to withstand the brute force Ark had packed every strike with, the goblin quickly loses his posture and fails to defend from the thrusted Silverstar. Pierced in the heart, the black goblin soon bled to death.

Taking the cursed weapon, Ark attempts to remove the curse by casting a few spells.

“So the curses made it durable, huh?”

As soon as he finishes, the sword crumbles to dust. It must have been pushed past its limits and couldn't take it anymore once the curse was lifted.

Securing the magic stone in his pocket, Ark burns the corpse. The other parts weren't without value, but transporting an entire body is always troublesome.

“Anyways, how long do you plan on staying hidden? This is the second warning.”

Waiting for the second, who tried to hide, to come out, Ark stood still until the rustle of leaves revealed Silvia.

“How did you know I was there?”

“I can always sense when you're around.”

(Because your senses might be a little superior, but I have a sensory skill; that's why.)

It was an incredibly specific way to phrase this, but it wasn't an accident. The twitch in her face satisfied Ark, as it was what he aimed for.

Silvia steeled her expression. “I wanted to apologize. Imperial nobles are always arrogant, and it isn't your duty to deal with them, but mine.”

“It's fine. That silver-spooned punk wasn't the one who pissed me off the most anyway.”

“As for the guard, I will definitely—”

“It was you.”

The words were said in a harsh tone, and Ark's eyes were very cold. He usually puts on a facade of a nice guy, especially around Silvia, but this time he didn't bother at all.

“You thought I would just shut up and say nothing as you go marry some punk against your will?”

“It isn't against my will. I have agreed to this as well.”

“Then, do you want to get married?”

If a third party watched from the sidelines, they would think of Ark as someone who held special feelings for Silvia. But among those two, the latter wouldn't presume as such.

As for the former, he wasn't thinking of anyone other than himself, even in this political situation.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“I... have to.”

“So you don't.”

Ark now spoke without giving her a glance, even though he had looked at her intently before. It's as if he lost interest.

Perhaps seeing the heartless reaction, the surprised Silvia tried to explain herself.

“I have no choice! We need the empire's support, and I'm the only bargaining tool we have. It's my duty as the daughter of Clarent, a proud ducal house of Arcadia! Please understand—!”

“Shut up already.”

There was no interest, just a cold dismissal. As it was vastly different from the image of Ark that was in her mind, Silvia was astounded.

Her reasons for agreeing to this marriage are nothing but honorable and selfless. That's why she thought someone as noble as Ark would be the one to understand Silvia, even as her comrades couldn't. She was clearly mistaken.

It's safe to say that this mistake was made because she didn't really know Ark at all.

“I admired you. From the moment I first glimpsed at you, the same way I did to the Hero. Do you know why?”

There was no falsehood in his words. For Ark, who admires the Hero as the greatest human and a personal idol, Silvia was comparablely admirable. It was ridiculous, as he never even respected people of his age, often mocking them at heart or referring to them as children.

Due to many experiences, Ark has grown a lot and knows how to handle threats. In comparison, kids his age lacked that experience. They were weak, regardless of talent, and couldn't even kill without hesitation. He could only feel disdain for those who heavily relied on others and put in half-hearted effort.

But Silvia was the sole exception.

She was held in the same contempt back when Ark only heard of her through rumors. She was someone of great talent, but she lived a sheltered life and didn't achieve anything noteworthy. Familiar with talent, Ark wasn't impressed.

“...Why?”

If someone said they admired Silvia, it was usually due to her talent or lineage.

“Because you enjoy battles, but you enjoy the end of the battle even more.” Ark recounts an old story of the two's first encounter.

The first time Ark had seen Silvia, she was exploring the Aracnum Forest with her classmate. It was half a year after relocating to the capital, and Ark was still struggling to survive in the dangerous forest.

He was chased by a mutant wolf monster, and he got ready to ambush it. There were two, and he had managed to kill one, so Ark was confident as long as he could lure it into a trap he'd prepared beforehand. Unfortunately for the students who were present, such a monster is an insurmountable wall.

At that time, with the spirit enhanced by Phantom, Ark was considered above average. In terms of strength, he was powerful and could hold his ground against B-class monsters. However, the mutant was A-class, and losing his life would've been easy were he to face it.

To take down the first wolf, he had already exhausted the slash that cuts everything. The mental and physical exhaustion was severe. That's why he simply hid and watched, hoping the students would at least inflict a wound.

The battle was different from what he imagined. Silvia alone quietly stood up to the monster and fought by herself. Even a talent like her was about to lose, but Ark secretly used Phantom to confuse the beast and create an opening, allowing Silvia to finish it off.

Throughout that exchange, Ark monitored the phantom of Silvia. It was out of curiosity—an attempt to peek into the mind of a genius. It was something he had never seen before.

Fighting spirits without killing intent turned into a strike containing only mercy. It fascinated Ark to see someone enjoy not only his survival but the end of the violence itself.

“There are two types of people capable of killing without killing intent: the crazy type, those who kill others as if they are insects.”

Even Ark wasn't like that. People who treated others as insects were psychopaths and serial killers.

“The second type are those who feel no resentment for their enemy. It's the type of individuals so rare; they are like the sun.”

She was a sun to him.

Something unique and good, something resembling a Hero or a Saintess.

For that reason, even though she was inexperienced, even if she acted naively, and even as someone who had never dealt with hardships, Ark only respected her.

She was born with something he desperately wanted.

“I never knew you valued me that much,” Silvia said with a touched expression.

“I can't respect others who didn't go through real hardship. My comrades are different, but other knights and adventurers seem so spoiled, I can't help it. But I still admired you.” He looked at her with searing rage. “I shouldn't have.”

The warm moment passed.

“You are worthless.”

Like nails, Ark aims for every word to cause the most pain.

“You will never accomplish anything great because you are less than a person. Even if you did, it will always be pointless.”

He strikes the hammer.

“Insignificant; that's what you are and what you will always be. Pathetic tool. Nothing.”

(A rival? What a joke. I wasted my time on this pathetic brat for too long.)

There was nothing else to say. He felt disappointed and angry. In the end, it was the consequence of expecting too much from a sheltered child.

Ark snorted in contempt. “What a fool.”

And he left just like that.

“Should I abandon the whole thing?”

The sun had just emerged as Ark woke up. He camped in the forest, trying to avoid people whispering about him. It meant he hadn't gotten a good sleep as he tensed his senses, though it might have been pointless with the barrier he had erected. Unfortunately, habits die hard.

And breaking the barrier seven times also didn't help. It was very peculiar since the barrier zone was concealed. It was supposed to be an area with weak monsters, so it was a mystery how B-rank and above monsters stumbled into that place...

Anyway, Ark was starting to lose motivation. The talk with Silvia affected him too much. It felt pointless even trying to mess with them.

“No, I will definitely regret it.”

If he could make Gideon's pretentious smile crumble, then it was worth it.

Ark headed for the ducal mansion of Clarent as he pondered. By the time he reached it, he had only affirmed his resolve.

“Will the Duke meet me today?” he asked the butler. Even at this early hour, the household of a ducal family was running in earnest.

“The duke is currently sleeping. He will meet you in a few hours.”

“Ah, yes. It is common for people to pace around in their sleep.”

“...”

“When it comes to plain natural senses, I'm a bit below the Sylphid. But when I use my sensory Skill, I'm the world's best.”

There were soundproof barriers and other protective measures against intruders and spies. Being able to bypass them all from the gate showcased extraordinary skill.

The butler was perplexed but remained firm in his position.

An intense light was emitted from his pocket, and the butler took out a bead. After tapping at it twice, the light subsides.

“The duke will see you. This way, please.” The butler showed him the way politely.

(Tsk, you should have done that in the beginning.) He didn't feel any shame walking into the luxurious mansion.

The duke looked the same as last time, with a trimmed golden beard and an expensive suit. This time, however, he was visibly tired. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, and his expression was fierce without any delicacy.

“You managed to bypass the barriers?”

“Explaining exactly how is bothersome. Don't worry, there's no form of protection from my senses.”

That had only increased his wariness, but Gabriel didn't say anything. Ark was rarely at the capital, and most of the important documents were stored at the main house in their territory. He wasn't a bother so long as he stayed within his bounderies.

'Let's keep the conversation for now from straying into unwanted ways.' Gabriel thought in his mind to delay the inevitable topic for as long as possible.

“It was the Phantom skill, right? A rare, yet not so useful, illusionist skill. You claim to use it in many ways, yet I could not confirm that the power truly comes from this skill.”

He took out a sheet of paper and started reading the content. “We asked five illusionists with the Phantom skill; at least that's all we could find, as they are rare. They said, 'Reading what? Phantom only allows me to mistake my presence.' That particular individual was very polite. Most actually said, 'stop messing with me', 'is this a joke?', 'as if that's remotely possible' and 'that's not the same skill'. Do you see what I am trying to say?”

Ark was uninterested in what he was trying to say. He had met other Phantom skill holders and knew they were pathetic. He believed that every skill had infinite potential and wouldn't care for those who had yet to realize it.

There was no urge to prove the power of his inborn skill, since he was someone who cared only for himself.

Instead of focusing on Gabriel's words, he focused on the intent, which paid frantic attention to the west, where the Valencia Empire was.

“I cheated in my fight against your daughter. I used a ritual prepared in advance to gather magic power and match her level. It wasn't my own power.”

The change in subject caused Gabriel's brows to burrow. “I didn't like that, because it would have crushed her to discover the rival she had found was a sham.”

As if on a mark, Ark unleashed a wave of killing intent, causing the duke to tense and reach for the closest weapon.

“Don't joke around. You threatened me with death, and now you sell your daughter? My life is more significant than a tool!”

Don't treat your daughter as a tool, is what he should have said...

“She isn't a tool!”

“Then why are you selling her? It is the aristocratic way to sell the daughters for politics, no?”

Gabriel scowled at that. “You understand nothing.”

“Then explain it to me! Just why are you doing something so pointless?”

The duke's face twitched in anger, but he gnashed his teeth and took deep breaths. His raging fury slowly subsided, replaced by bitterness.

“So that my daughter would live.”