On August 13, 5581 of the Dragon Calendar, the Gloomlight River Valley Knight Order set out once more, advancing toward the snowfields where wind and snow howled without end.
With his previous experience, Russell had already adapted to fighting on the snowfields.
However, he was still assigned to the support formation, responsible for picking off whatever the Knight Order missed during battle. This was Baron Roman's way of protecting him.
After all.
Russell was only sixteen this year and had just held his coming-of-age ceremony. Making him face the icy blades of Snow Ghosts head-on was indeed rather cruel.
Another young man might have felt stifled and ashamed, then desperately tried to prove himself by rashly charging at the Snow Ghosts.
But Russell would not.
He honestly and happily accepted the care of being allowed to pick up the scraps, slaughtering the scattered Snow Ghosts missed by the Knight Order with great enthusiasm.
Occasionally, he would even have Eric and the others let a Snow Ghost through for him to duel alone.
The tiny imprint of the Sword Butterfly Amber Bug burned in his palm. Every sword move Russell used in battle became its nourishment, silently accumulating strength for it. Once that strength reached its limit, perhaps it would molt and evolve like the Mushroom Bug.
As for what it would evolve into, that was still unknown.
"Done!"
After he finished a full set of the Radiant Sword Technique, the Snow Ghost before him was instantly carved into dozens of chunks of flesh, which continued to writhe across the ground.
Russell did not need to make another move. Knight Retainer Jack crouched down, crushed the Snow Ghost's head, and picked out the Hail Bead inside.
The Hail Beads of ordinary Snow Ghosts were all more or less the same.
Whether