Return of the Fallen Nobleman With an SSS-Rank Talent-Chapter 71: Novice Knight

The next day, Adam was at the training camp completing the system’s daily mission. He hadn’t slept well.

The image of Alfred kept coming back to him.

He had been a traitor even before Adam was born... and yet, for years, he had been one of the pillars of the House of Hall. Now Adam knew the truth: Alfred had been working for Kamelot from the very beginning.

That discovery raised a much bigger problem.

How could he—the heir to a mere barony—stand up to a count who had been consolidating his power for years?

Adam knew what the future held, but he couldn’t openly act on that knowledge. If he began to act too precisely or revealed things he shouldn’t know, he would arouse suspicion... and that would be tantamount to courting his own death.

He would have to justify every step.

Every decision.

And he’d rather avoid all those annoying questions.

He finished the last rep of his workout just as the system responded.

[You have completed the daily quest]

[You have received 1 stat point]

[You have received 1 EXP]

Adam glanced at the notification windows for a moment before closing them. He had already gotten used to seeing them, so he barely paid them any attention.

Then he went back to his routine.

He combined fencing with mana, repeating the movements over and over. His timing had improved considerably; each movement flowed more naturally than before. Still, the mistakes were still evident.

That didn’t stop a faint smile from forming on his lips.

Nor had he neglected the fencing style Asterin had taught him. With his SSS-rank talent, Adam could sense the greatness of that style: every movement eliminated the unnecessary, every strike was designed to achieve maximum effectiveness with minimal effort.

After an hour and a half, Adam finally finished his workout. He looked at his hand and clenched his fist; he could feel himself getting stronger every day, even as new challenges arose.

He left the training camp; he needed to talk to his mother.

...

Once he finished showering to wash off the sweat from his workout, Adam headed to the dining room.

As he walked through the mansion’s hallways, his heightened senses picked up on the servants’ whispers.

"It’s been a while since I’ve had such a long night... the screams were too loud."

"Screams? I didn’t hear a thing."

"That’s what the maids on duty last night say. Apparently, they caught a rat and tortured it for hours."

"I had no idea... I’m a pretty heavy sleeper. But now that you mention it, I haven’t seen Alfred the butler either. He always comes to greet us in the morning."

Adam could hear their conversation clearly as he walked past them. A few servants greeted him briefly when they saw him, and he responded with a slight nod before continuing on his way.

He finally arrived at the dining room.

There, his fiancée, Selene, and his mother, Alisha, were waiting for him.

A smile formed on his lips.

"Good morning, Mother. Good morning, my dear Selene."

"Good morning, son."

Alisha gave a sweet smile.

"It looks like everything’s finally settled, doesn’t it?"

Adam nodded. Then he leaned in slightly and kissed Selene on the cheek; she didn’t pull away.

"Alfred was the traitor."

The silence that followed was heavy.

Adam could see his mother’s eyes beginning to fill with tears. From what he’d heard from his father, they’d met thanks to Alfred. To learn that he had been the traitor...

Adam couldn’t even begin to imagine what his mother was feeling at that moment.

"So... the screams we heard last night..."

Alisha didn’t finish her sentence.

Adam lowered his head, unable to look at his mother, and said quietly:

"Yes... They were his."

She looked down.

"I see..."

"..."

Adam remained silent. Under the table, his hands clenched tightly into fists.

Seeing his mother in that state filled him with a silent rage.

Then he felt a hand on his.

It was Selene.

The mere fact that she touched his hand calmed him down a little.

Adam let out a long sigh and finally said,

"You don’t have to worry. I know how to heal my father."

Alisha looked up immediately.

"Really!? Can he be saved?"

"Yes."

Adam squeezed Selena’s hand tighter, but then loosened his grip.

"But I can’t say much yet. When I’m completely sure, I’ll tell you. So, Mom... don’t lose hope."

Alisha began to cry quietly.

"Thank you... thank you..."

Her sobs filled the dining room.

...

After having breakfast with his mother and Selene, Adam returned to the training ground.

This time, he wasn’t alone.

Zev was waiting for him in the center of the training ground, his sword hanging at his waist and an indifferent expression on his face.

Adam approached slowly and pointed at the ground.

"Sit down."

Zev obeyed without saying a word. He sat cross-legged, trying to steady his breathing.

Adam stood behind him.

He placed both hands on Zev’s back and closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating.

Shortly afterward, he began to transfer mana to him.

Every living being originated from the Omnimana, the Creator God. For that reason, even the most ordinary person possessed a small amount of mana within them.

The difference lay in how much they could use.

Soldiers had more than ordinary citizens. Knights had more than soldiers.

And mages existed on an entirely different level.

But quantity wasn’t the only thing that mattered.

The mana channels had to open properly.

Otherwise, the flow would be unstable... or even dangerous.

Adam guided the energy carefully.

Small streams of mana began to flow from his hands into Zev’s body, moving slowly through his internal channels. It was a delicate process that required patience and absolute control.

The wind blew gently across the field as the minutes passed.

Zev clenched his teeth.

Adam could feel his body struggling to adapt to the new flow of energy.

He continued to channel the mana with precision, opening the necessary channels one by one.

Time passed slowly.

An hour.

Then another half hour.

Then Adam felt it.

The mana in the surrounding area reacted.

Small, invisible currents began to swirl around Zev, as if responding to his presence for the first time.

Adam slowly withdrew his hands.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Zev had crossed the threshold.

From that moment on, officially... he had become a novice knight.

Not long after, Adam noticed Zev slowly opening his eyes. The young man looked down at his own hands, studying them intently. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Surprise? Excitement?

Adam wasn’t sure. Zev’s usually indifferent expression made it hard to tell what he was feeling at that moment.

With this... everything is ready.

Adam approached him and spoke in a calm tone.

"Congratulations. You’ve officially become a novice knight."

"Thank you"

Adam just smiled.

Zev looked at him for a moment. Then he took the sword and began to perform a series of movements, letting the mana slowly flow through his body as he executed simple cuts.

"Hmm..."

Adam watched for a few seconds before reacting.

He took a wooden sword from the nearby rack. Although it was a training sword, it felt just as heavy as a real one.

With it in his hand, he walked toward Zev.

After all, with his fencing talent, Adam was one of the best at spotting mistakes.

And Zev had plenty to correct.

Adam raised the wooden sword and held it with one hand.

"Come on."

Zev didn’t hesitate. He took a step forward and swung a somewhat clumsy but mana-charged horizontal cut.

CLACK!

Adam blocked it with ease and forced him back.

"You’re wasting too much mana and..."

He attacked quickly, striking at the leg and arm.

"You’re leaving yourself wide open—it could cost you your life."

Zev frowned and attacked again, this time with a faster downward slash.

Adam twisted his wrist slightly and deflected the blow to the side.

Zev’s sword sank a few inches into the ground.

"Another mistake."

Zev quickly withdrew his weapon, breathing a little heavier than before. Mana was still flowing erratically through his body.

Adam took a step forward.

This time, it was his turn to attack.

The wooden sword came down with speed.

Zev managed to block it... But his feet slid back several inches.

Adam paused and looked at him.

"Not bad. Your body is already circulating mana well."

Zev gripped the hilt of his sword tighter.

"But..."

Adam continued.

"If you keep moving like that, you’ll die in your first battle."

Zev fell silent.

Adam lowered his sword and pointed out his stance.

"Your feet are positioned incorrectly. Your center of gravity is too high. And your swings are too wide."

Then he raised his sword again.

"One more time."

This time, Zev nodded more seriously.

The training had only just begun.

...

The carriage moved slowly along the stone road leading out of Arkham.

The wheels creaked in a steady rhythm as the afternoon sun illuminated the city walls, which gradually receded behind them.

Adam watched silently from the back of the carriage as the common people went about their business on their way to other cities.

The massive city gates stood open, and several guards saluted respectfully as the carriage crossed the main bridge.

It was time to start looking for allies.