Chapter 49
Rainen returned to the bench with Calipe holding a new pair of shoes for the god.
However, no matter how much he looked around, Calipe and Noah were nowhere to be seen.
Rainen sighed as if dealing with a disobedient child.
“Where did they go in such a short time?”
As he wandered around looking for the two, his vision suddenly blurred and then cleared repeatedly.
Rainen paused for a moment and rubbed his eyes.
‘I haven’t received my abilities from Calipe for a while.’
It was because he had been too busy with other matters to prioritize it. Today, he absolutely had to receive his abilities.
Just as he was about to continue walking with that thought, Rainen suddenly stopped.
“…….”
His gaze turned cold as he slowly looked back.
It was in the direction of the main temple.
‘It’s the aura of a demon.’
It was such a fleeting sensation that it could have been mistaken for an illusion, but Rainen was certain.
The knights from the north, who had dealt with demons since childhood, were more sensitive to their aura than anyone else.
Rainen was the most skilled among them and had never misjudged before.
If the aura could be felt even from this distance…
‘It’s a powerful one.’
For a high-level demon to appear in the heart of the capital was unusual.
Rainen immediately ran toward the main temple.
“Where are you going now?”
“Just follow me!”
Noah followed Mikhail, who was stomping ahead, step by step. In his hand was the wooden sword Mikhail had tossed to him earlier.
He had been waiting for Calipe-nim when he ran into Mikhail, and somehow ended up in a duel.
“I don’t have a sword.”
“I’ll give you one. Here!”
“I can’t go too far from here.”
“We can do it nearby.”
“I can’t leave my spot for too long……”
“It’ll be over quickly! Just follow me already!”
Mikhail’s face had turned so red that Noah reluctantly followed him.
Eventually, the two children stopped at a grassy field. The very spot Noah had seen from the window earlier.
‘There it is.’
Noah picked up a black stone and put it in his pocket after looking around.
Strangely enough, it looked exactly like the one he had stolen from the viscount in shape and size.
He planned to show it to Calipe-nim later.
Meanwhile, Mikhail, who had kept some distance from Noah, raised his sword.
“Come on, draw your sword!”
“Do you like fighting?”
At Noah’s calm question, Mikhail’s ears turned red.
“What are you talking about? You were acting cowardly earlier!”
“You were the one who cut in line.”
“But calling your parents was cheating! You should’ve settled it with me!”
“…Parents?”
“Yeah! And then you shamelessly came into the main temple— Why are you laughing?”
Parents… he said.
Noah’s lips curled inward as a faint blush spread across his cheeks.
Still, an uncontrollable smile tugged at his lips.
Seeing this, Mikhail thumped his chest repeatedly.
“You… you’re crazy! Laughing at me in this situation… Draw your sword!”
Under Mikhail’s pressure, Noah reluctantly raised his sword.
“The loser has to swear loyalty to the winner. I swear on my honor before God! Got it?”
“What if I don’t believe in God?”
“Aah! You’re really… Fine! Here I come!”
Clash!
Mikhail charged at Noah like a loose screw determined to teach this brat a lesson.
At first, dueling someone younger made him feel guilty, but now annoyance took over.
‘A weakling like him should be eating soup in bed!’
“Hap!”
Mikhail’s textbook-perfect strike aimed for Noah’s shoulder.
But Noah simply tilted his body and dodged effortlessly.
“Huh…?!”
As Mikhail froze in surprise, Noah’s sword slashed toward his midsection.
From there, Noah’s attacks came fast and furious.
Clang! Clash!
The wooden swords clashed repeatedly.
Mikhail barely managed to block them all.
‘What? Why is he so good?’
In truth, Noah’s strength and stamina surpassed his age.
His previous swordsmanship instructor only taught him basic training and conditioning. Proper lessons were few and far between.
But Noah never despaired.
He repeated what little he’d learned over and over again. It was all he knew how to do.
Noah himself couldn’t believe it—others would call it foolish persistence.
But now he vaguely realized:
No effort is ever wasted.
His dull green eyes sharpened as they sought openings in Mikhail’s defense.
“Ugh!”
Whoosh! The sound of slicing air accompanied by a burning sensation on Mikhail’s ear.
If that had landed properly, Mikhail would’ve lost.
But.
“Now it’s my turn.”
Mikhail launched an all-out assault. The momentum shifted instantly.
“…!”
“I’m training to be a holy knight!”
Clash!
“I’m the best among all trainees. Even my grandfather—the high priest—brags about me everywhere!”
“Ugh…”
“You’re still far behind me!”
Crack! Thud!
A heavy blow that would stagger even an adult finally sent Noah tumbling backward.
Blood trickled from where Mikhail’s sword grazed his cheek, but Noah ignored it and sprang back up.
“Useless!”
Mikhail surpassed Noah in age, size, strength, and swordsmanship skill.
Every time Mikhail swung his sword, Noah fell.
But each time he got back up without hesitation.
“Huff… Huff…”
By the time Noah’s face was smeared with sweat and blood, Mikhail finally grew tired too.
The exhausted boy asked:
“Still want to continue? You’re covered in wounds. Aren’t you scared of getting hurt?”
“…Don’t know.”
Noah just found what Mikhail said earlier extremely irritating.
“I’m the best. Even my grandfather brags about me everywhere!”
He hated hearing that.
It made him envious yet strangely angry.
That unfamiliar emotion suddenly reminded him of what the maids had said:
“But if those two get married—what will happen to that sponsored child?”
“Once they have their own real child—they’ll probably send him away for adoption since he’d just be in the way.”
That made him determined not to lose no matter what.
He wanted to tell Calipe-nim that he’d won.
That way…
‘She’ll be proud of me.’
Seeing Noah stubbornly raise his sword again actually calmed Mikhail down.
He sheathed his weapon.
“Let me heal you first.”
“We’re still fighting.”
“Stop being so stubborn—you stubborn brat.”
Frowning, Mikhail approached and grasped Noah’s injured arm—channeling divine power.
That’s when it happened.
Black mist gathered behind Mikhail—gradually taking the shape of a grotesque wolf.
“…?!”
“You’re stronger than you look. If you were a trainee too—you’d probably be second only to me. But seriously—you don’t believe in God? Why?”
Mikhail looked up at Noah as—almost simultaneously—the wolf fully materialized.
Noah thrust out his sword toward Mikhail without even thinking.
Shocked, Mikhail’s head jerked back as Noah’s blade intercepted the monster’s fangs.
Crack!
Only then did Mikhail realize a demon was there.
If not for Noah, he would’ve had his shoulder torn out by now.
The wooden sword slowly bent under the pressure of the demon’s teeth.
Yet Noah held on despite his efforts.
Mikhail paled and shouted:
“What are you doing?! That’s not something you can win against!”
“I-I know…”
Noah’s exhausted gaze met Mikhail’s.
“So just run away already!”
“…!”
You tried to save me? How could someone weaker than me do something like that?
But Noah’s scream cut off Mikhail’s thoughts:
“Aaaah!!”
The massive wolf’s jaws snatched up Noah in one bite and violently shook him.
Noah’s head hit the ground hard with a thud.
“Ugh!!”
As Noah’s body went limp, the satisfied demon leapt upward and disappeared into the air.
Frozen in fear, Mikhail finally snapped out of it and stood up—shaking violently:
“It’s my fault. What do I do—how… Ah—grandfather! I need to tell grandfather quickly!!”
His legs shaking, Mikhail fell several times but clenched his teeth and ran.
Finally, he collided with someone:
“Ah!!”
The person firmly caught him before he could fall.
Looking up, Mikhail’s eyes shot wide open:
“Ah—that kid’s father… right? It’s a big problem—a huge problem!!”
From those words, Rainen roughly understood the situation.
His voice coolly lowered:
“Where is Noah?”
