"Hahaha, I nearly died there, huh? But to think I am already in a perfect condition after a few hours by just the commander's healing prowess."

Laughing without fear, Ark expressed delight as his body not only didn't pain, but also never felt better.

(Urg, to think I got caught. Bad. Really bad.)

Now he was in a room with the 10 commanders of all the knight orders in the kingdom.

And they are pissed at him for cheating.

"You got one wrong, boy."

"Hmm? What?"

The woman that looked like a little girl who was in charge of healing him, Elizabeth Avalon, corrected Ark.

"You slept for three days."

"Three days!?"

It was a number far exceeding his previous guess. To think sleeping so much was possible.

"What about the tournament?"

"In light of your defeat over the Sylphid, we gave you respect and claimed you had quitted as your goal for participating was accomplished."

That was very considerate, but it was mainly because of Elizabeth herself pushing. She used the fact that the commanders didn't intervened in the fight as proof showing Ark is far more interesting than a normal knight and protected his public image before the trial.

It should be obvious as most commanders scowled at her words.

The commander of the Jupiter Knight Order, Julius Eston, scruitinzed Ark with a cold gaze.

"So, Ark, do you admit to have cheated during this sacred tournaments of knighthood?"

"Yep."

Without hesitation, nor a drop of remorse, Ark confesses.

The commanders themselves know, so it is pointless to deny.

"Hmm... do you feel sorry for cheating?"

"Not really, if I'm honest."

(I am sorry for getting caught, though.)

"Then your sentence would be... how about 50 years in jail?"

Commander Julius looked at the others. All but four nod.

"Hey, wait! This is too unfair! You can't lock me for 50 years just for cheating like that!"

However, Julius sharpen his gaze in front of the protests.

"Your actions dishonored all what we knights believe in. Letting you go after you violated these beliefs is unacceptable."

Since Commander Julius is even willing to talk, it means there is room for negotiation. Ark only needs to present his reasons and sentiment well enough and he may reach an agreeable compromise.

"Who cares about the stupid code and beliefs!?"

Unfortunately, Ark was pissed and couldn't think straight.

"You all powerful knights with code think you're so much better than me, and in fact you goddamn are!" Ark pushed momentum and disregarded their expression of discontent. "I am not weak, but just average. I can't rely on a stupid code to outperform my enemies, I have to cheat so well everyone would recognize my cheating as strength."

The reality of being so weak means fighting fair is just death.

Declaring your name. Fighting straight. Honoring the enemy. As he looked at the code of knights, Ark realized it was foolish beyond doubt.

It only meant for those strong. Those who has leisure in battle, and that had Ark none.

He realized that if cheating means survival, he should grasp it. The alternative doesn't lead him to honor, but futile death.

"Miss Commander, is there anyone with my magic power and ability capable of replicating my feat of defeating the Sylphid?"

"No. I have never met anyone who could defeat her in spite of such difference."

"If I were to fight her to the death, I don't care if I have to cheat, because I can't afford othwrwise."

A touching speach. Ark had poured his heart to his words, persistently expressing his sentiments. He even managed to warm the commanders.

"20 years, then?"

However, most of the commanders were just as stubborn.

(F*cking #%&@! Old farts like you should perish already!)

Ark refained from showing his agitation, luckily, but if he doesn't do anything, he is doomed.

"How about I take the boy in?" Commander Elizabeth calmly suggest as such.

(Huh? Letting me join a knight order as punishment for cheating, there is no way they will let it pass.)

Julius scanned Elizabeth. "...Okay."

"No objection."

"Same here."

"I mean, it's that knight order..."

All the commanders voiced their agreement, except for those who supported Ark before.

(Eh!? Why has the situation flipped so drastically... wait, Solitary Wolves is...)

Having resided in the country for years, Ark knows a lot about all the orders... with the exception of one order.

That's right. For some unknown reason, the Solitary Wolves is a mysterious order with little to no information about the members.

"What kind of place...?"

"See for yourself. Teleport."

Without letting Ark to react or even agree, Elizabegh grabs his shirt and used the superlative magic of teleportation instantly.

Being lept to another location far away, nausea assailed Ark without delay.

"Hmm, your mana control is worse than I thought." The culprit responsible for his condition merely shrugged with disappointment as Ark vomitted his soul with a foul expression.

"How are you okay? I mean, doesn't it consume a large amount of mana?"

Teleport is an expensive spell. Only those with colossal magic power like Silvia and Commander Elizabeth could pull the magic off effortlessly.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Fivefold of your own capacity, for each person."

Meaning she had used ten times more magic at once than he could ever use normally.

After recovering, they had walked toward the headquarters of the Solitary Wolves on foot. Well, Ark did. Elizabeth simply floated with magic.

He gave up resistance as he has yet to forget his original goal. He got a little astray with Silvia, but that was all to defeat her and become a knight.

Knights are the next level. Having been an adventurer for years, Ark keenly knew the difference between the two occupations was great. If he surrounded himself in such strong people and trained with them, he might also be able to become as strong as he hopes.

"I am surprised though. You used a four elemental spell, but you're not a quadra."

"Eh? No, I'm not. Still, I needed the power of four elements combined if I wanted to rival the Primordial Wind's output."

It's a small detail, but Ark was impressed how she had noticed so easily. He isn't hiding it though.

The adventage of lacking affinity to any element is that no other element is weighing down the process of learning and using a variety of magic. Since combining elements grant more power, he does so often.

"Don't do it again. Your body can't handle the burden."

"Okay!"

(What a useless warning. I ain't no masochist to enjoy that painful magic. If I do use it again, that just means I was left with no other choice.)

Is a person like him seriously becoming a knight? Lying to his commander before even reaching the HQ so brazenly is not a sign of a promising potential.

"This is it, the HQ of the Solitary Wolves." Elizabeth points on the large grounds a head. Several buildings were present and it surprisingly seemed like a proper, normal knight order HQ.

But under the surface, it wasn't any normal place. An eerie feeling crept to Ark as he viewed the place.

He recognized it in an instant, but seeing his unfazed commander caused him to shut his mouth and follow quietly.

"Kristan!"

"Welcome back, commander. Is that a new recruit?" Emerging from nowhere, Kristan appears to greet them.

(Don't scare me! What is it, an assassin!?)

Bullseye. At least that was Kristan's class, and his skill was stealth. He could erase his presence to easily reach his target unnoticed, like he did now.

"Ark, this is Kristan Tenebris. He will supervise you as you acclimate to the order. Try to get along." Saying her piece, Elizabeth teleported away.

Left alone with a creepy stranger, Ark mustered his politeness and greeted his new senior.

"H-hi. It's n-nice meeting you, Kristan."

"Hmm, the commander brought a strange one with her."

(I am the strange one!? Your creepy smile can make children cry!)

If our trash protagonist were to meet a mind reader, he might just as well meet his end. But Kristan had no such ability, and Ark was safe for the time being.

"Now then, Ark, right? Let us go and do our famous initiation rite."

"What famous? This place is completely under wraps..." following behind, Ark mumbled in wonder.

Entering a cubic room, Kristan took a pair of daggers from the side, and handed Ark a sword.

"These weapons are coated with dulling magic. We don't want to injure each other, do we? The initiation rite of the Solitary Wolves is simple: defeat me." Without letting Ark comprehend his words, Kristan charged to attack at frightening speed.

With no other choice, Ark activates his sword spirit to boost himself. Receiving the daggers, he parry and distance himself.

(It's fast but weak, relatively. As expected, that guy is really an assassin specializes in speed. Head on confrontation against him would just get me injured. If that's the case—)

"Boost."

"Oh, strengthening magic. Swordmages are rare so I didn't expect you to be one."

Albeit incompetent, Ark is still a swordmage. He had cleared the minimum requirements by developing a weapon spirit and learning intermediate rank magic.

But then again, he is thoroughly talentless. Becoming a swordmage was born of his realization that he needed to muster everything he had to be stronger. Though most swordmages are formidable, he is nothing special.

And Kristan knew it.

"Stone Bullet Shower." Activating the extensive version of the elementary earth magic, dozens of sharp rocks poured down on Ark.

"Anti... Shit! Shield!"

Unable to activate the anti magic, Ark was left with no choice but to defend against the barrage with only his sword and a protective spell.

Normally, Ark could easily cancel the basic magic, even with the variant form. It was just that the crucial condition of feeling the enemy's magic power wasn't cleared.

(He... is he using stealth on the magic? The mana fluctuation is completely blocked!)

Without the ability to sense the magic power inside, anti magic became useless. Furthermore, unlike Ark, Kritstan possessed a fair bit of magic power. It does not reach the levels of Silvia or Elizabeth, but it was much more than Ark's.

"But still, I can take advantage if I close the distance."

Taking distance was a mistake. Kristan is a magician, as prooved in their brief exchange. There was no spirit, so as long as Ark reaches Kristan, he could win.

As bullets of stones kept pouring down like rain, Ark strengthened his sword spirit to the limit. He executed the [Iron-Sword Style: Parry] technique to intercept the attacks.

Most sword styles require the user to declare the name of the specific technique as a method of evocation. This naturally leads to lags between techniques as one could only speak so fast.

On the other hand, Ark had practiced day and night to invoke all the techniques without chanting the names. He kept it as a surprise attack as the Iron-Sword produced no illusory images.

Hence, it was possible to use the basic techniques with various modification. One such is using Parry without any lag. Making it into a new variant called Continual Parry.

Moreover, even the incompetent Ark could use high rank techniques.

"Wind Cutter!"

Generating multiple blades of wind, the density of the stone barrage diminished and a path was created.

It was the same insta-multicast used by Silvia. His only applied to beginner magic, which is far more simplistic compared to higher tier magics, but it was impressive enough for someone like Ark.

"This is getting bad. What should I do...? I know: Sand Spear."

With calm expression calm incorgruous to his words, three spears of hardened and compressed sand materializes above his head. It was an intermediate magic, and even a single hit from one of these spelled death.

(Isn't this too much for an initiation rite!?)

However, having no leisure to express his protest, Ark was forced to proceed.

Then, the spears were launched with unstoppable momentum.

"Aqua Vortex!"

"What?!"

Intermediate magic: [Aqua Vortex]. Sending mass of water spiraling at high speed, the sand spears are fully blocked.

Kristan was surprised as he did not expect Ark to be capable of activating intermediate spells with only the name. In reality, his estimation is abolutely correct.

It was just that Ark is so used to voicing words different from his actual thoughts simultaneously, that he easily mastered another advanced technique: silent cast.

"This is the end, Kristan!"

Reaching the senior who was taken by surprise, Ark boosted himself to the limit with all the remaining mana and used all the spirit he had in that sword strike.

Naturally, the winner should have been decided. With Ark's momentum, simple spells won't stop him, and casting high rank spells inside a building with no natural soil is difficult.

Right, with common sense, you'd think it's Ark.

"Shadow Coat."

A single mutter.

And the situation was instantly reversed.

Kristan delivered a sharp kick, blew away the sword with his left hand, and grasped Ark's neck with his right hand. All as thick shadows claded Kristan's whole body. It was at a speed many times greater than Ark could react to.

Noticing Ark is suffocating, he released him and let the shadows disperse.

"D-demon blood, huh?"

Coming from the Demon Realm, a different realm altogether, there was a race in this world that was stronger and more sinister than any race: the demonkin.

Despite coming from a perfectly livable world, the demon race continued to invade this realm under the leadership of the Demon King for thousands of years.

The last demon king was subjugated 20 years ago by the [Hero] and his companions. And the repelled demons are now a rare sight.

Demon blood are those who have demon blood in them, but not full demons. Ark recognized Kristan as demon blood as he appeared like human, but possessed the shadow magic that no human could learn.

"My father is a demon. My mother is human. None of them accepted me, so I ran and ended up here." Kristan shrugged, as if his story wasn't special.

But Ark was aware there's no way it was as simple as it sounds. Many people persecuted demon blood as monsters and tried to kill them.

"Could it be? The other members...?"

"Except the commander herself, all the members of Solitary Wolves are demon blood."

There was no doubt Commander Elizabeth was fully aware of Kristan's and the other's origin as she took them in. Meaning she is purposely taking demon blood to the order.

Those persecuted. Unwanted by the world.

"I have felt the air is almost corrupted. I thought it was only a demonic treasure, though."

"We do have a bunch of demonic items."

So this is the mystery of the Solitary Wolves. Demon blood are mostly alone, like a wolf banished from its pack. It was as if Elizabeth Avalon tried to create a place for them. It was honestly noble.

"But then, why am I here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't share the sentiments of demon blood persecutors, but I'm the furthest away from being a demon."

There was no way he had even the slightest bit of demon blood in his veins. Ark knew for a fact that both his parents were humans, not doubting it for a second.

Why is a human being brought to the place of demon blood?

(Especially me, who is...)

Yes, Ark wasn't a normal civilan. In fact, he is hiding a big secret from the world.

(The next hero to subdue the demon king! I will have all the riches and fame, and getting tangled with demon blood would slow me down.)

He is an idiot!

Wishing for power only for these petty reasons. The world is doomed if he is the next hero.

"Are you sure about that, Ark?"

"Huh? What kind of question is that?"

"Your body is far too acclimated to dark magic power for a mere human."

Being exposed to abnormal levels of magic power with dark attribute, a normal person usually shows terrible consequences such as corruption and weakness.

In other words, even the helplessly average Ark isn't normal.