Ro-Lente Castle.
Nestled at the heart of the Royal Capital, this fortress perched atop a hill, its silhouette dominated by over twenty circular towers linked by towering walls.
These walls separated the city's populace from the castle, and the hill's elevation imbued Ro-Lente with an air of supremacy over all below.
To the west, at the hill's base, sprawled a massive arena where the Royal Tournament was held each year.
This contest was more than a grand spectacle; it was a stage for the Re-Estize Kingdom to flaunt its martial prowess to outsiders.
"WHOOOOOA!"
"WHOOOOOA!"
Amid the clamor of the raucous crowd, Adam, wincing at the cost, settled into a seat on the arena's outermost tier.
His gaze fixed on the massive stage at the arena's center. From his distant perch, he could only make out the vague shapes of figures on the platform.
This lousy spot had cost him 5 silver coins!
"What a racket." Adam muttered, scanning the sea of heads filling the stands, his heart sinking.
Witnessing a historic event might satisfy some thrill-seekers' curiosity.
But knowing the outcome already, he regretted coming. The price was steep.
With a resigned sigh, Adam noted that neither Gazef nor Brain had appeared yet. A few figures moved on the stage below, likely inspecting it.
To the north, a single elevated platform, resembling a circular tower, loomed above the rest.
No guesswork needed, that was the exclusive viewing area for the kingdom's nobles and royals.
Unlike the boisterous energy elsewhere, an eerie quiet hung over the noble's platform, chilling the fiery atmosphere like a splash of cold water.
The crowd's chatter gradually softened under its influence.
Adam tugged at the collar of his coarse linen shirt, shrugged boredly, and watched the scene with a calm gaze.
Others might not grasp the source of this peculiar tension, but he had an inkling.
On the surface, the Royal Tournament sought to identify powerful warriors and project the kingdom's strength.
In truth, it was a stage for nobles to parade their retainers and flex their own might.
Commoner participants were mere stepping stones for the aristocracy.
This stemmed from the kingdom's noble system.
Beyond the eldest son, noble heirs couldn't inherit titles, leading to the creation of the "Knight" rank, a non-hereditary noble title without land.
Despite its limitations, it was a coveted prize for noble second sons, granting not only status but also a generous royal stipend, ensuring a comfortable life.
This was a deliberate royal strategy to cultivate a new generation of loyalists among noble offspring.
The Royal Tournament existed as a public means to this end. Exceptional noble scions who shone in the contest were awarded the "Knight" Title.
But in recent years, noble participants and their retainers had been increasingly bested by commoner adventurers, sparking aristocratic discontent.
Now, Gazef Stronoff and Brain Unglaus had stormed through the ranks, turning the tournament into a clash of commoners.
Adam smirked. He could imagine the nobles' sour faces.
After Gazef's victory, he should've been granted a "Knight" Title. Instead, the new "Warrior Captain" position was created under these very pressures.
This duel was dubbed a "legendary battle" Among commoners because it led to the tournament's cancellation.
No noble wanted a second Warrior Captain to emerge.
None of this concerned Adam. Compared to the looming threat of Nazarick, these were petty squabbles.
No matter how disgruntled the nobles were, they couldn't stop or cancel this match.
About ten minutes later, Adam's demeanor sharpened, his eyes locking onto the stage as the future Warrior Captain and future Shalltear's Nail Clipper stepped forward.
They clasped hands, exchanging a few words.
From his distant seat, Adam could barely discern their figures, let alone hear their conversation.
Soon, they parted, stepping back to face each other across the stage.
At that moment, the arena's clamor fell silent. Every eye fixed on the two combatants, wary of disturbing the duel.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In an instant, Gazef and Brain sprang into action. Despite the roughly twenty-meter gap between them, a brief charge brought them crashing together.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Their swords collided, sparks flying in a frenzy.
"So fast." Adam murmured, eyes wide with awe. He could barely track their movements, their blades a blur.
All he saw were the relentless sparks erupting around them.
Leaning back, Adam marveled. These two were on another level from ordinary humans!
The raw power of their clashes was something the anime couldn't capture.
Witnessing this caliber of combat firsthand, Adam felt the unbridgeable chasm between regular people and such titans.
This was only around level 20?
A sudden pang hit him as he glimpsed the despair Brain must've felt facing Shalltear.
The "Nail Clipper" Moniker was no insult.
Whoosh,
On the stage, a faint blue glow flickered around Brain's body.
In the next instant, he vanished, reappearing behind Gazef like a teleport.
But Gazef, as if anticipating it, rolled forward, re-establishing distance.
"That's a Martial Art." Adam said, eyes widening.
Martial Arts, absent in YGGDRASIL, were a New World-exclusive technique, akin to magic for warriors.
They consumed a resource called "Focus." essentially mental stamina. The more Martial Arts used, the greater the mental fatigue.
This was a stat foreign to the game, grounded in reality.
In both the anime and novels, Martial Arts were formidable, their perceived weakness due only to human level caps.
Suddenly...
Buzz!
Adam's status panel flared to life.
[Detected Skill: Flow Acceleration. Requires Basic Fighter Job. Current Conditions Not Met…]
[Genius Job Activated. Conversion Successful. Learning Conditions Met. Spend 1 Skill Point to Learn?]
Reading the panel, Adam's eyes lit with surprise and realization.
"So that's how skill points work!"
***
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