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[Momentum Slash learned, current level: Lv.1]

Looking at the golden words floating before him, Roland could not help recalling the wondrous sensation of being able to cut through all things.

"Even the impervious scales on that mutated Kobold probably couldn't withstand such power, could they?"

The thought filled Roland with uncontrollable delight.

He fell flat on his back, his chest heaving violently. It took quite some time before he gradually found his breathing rhythm again.

When he finally managed to support his still-trembling legs, he could vividly recall the feeling of his strength being instantly drained from his entire body.

"But with my current strength..."

Roland shook his head helplessly.

"If I don't enter a state of Focus, I probably can't perform a complete Momentum Slash at all. And after each use, I'll fall into a brief period of weakness."

"It seems this skill can only be used as a last resort. I can't use it lightly."

Even so, Roland felt not the slightest bit of regret or dejection.

Mastering this skill meant that his strength had already risen to an entirely new level.

"What I need to do next is practice repeatedly and strive to use Momentum Slash freely even without relying on the [Focus] trait!"

With this resolve, Roland dragged his slightly unsteady steps back to the dormitory.

The moment his body touched the bed, he fell into a deep sleep without even having the energy to wash up.

The next morning, Roland went to the Blacksmith shop as usual and completed the work Mister Hawk had assigned him.

After lunch, he was just about to find Darko and ask about the Adventurer's Guild when the young nobleman came to him first.

"Hey! Roland!"

Although his leg injury had not healed, Darko still looked full of energy.

The sunlight cast a dazzling halo over his golden hair, making his entire person shine.

"Heh."

Seeing Darko's brilliant smile, Roland's mood brightened as well.

"Your injury hasn't healed yet. Why aren't you resting in bed?"

"Don't mention it."

Darko waved his hand, squeezed into the room like an old friend, and plopped down on the edge of the bed.

He casually tossed his oak crutch aside, stretched, and complained.

"I was already going moldy after lying down for just one day. What about you?"

As he spoke, he lifted his chin toward the battle-skill scrolls already packed up on the table.

"How's your study of Momentum Slash going?"

Study? That was putting it mildly.

I can already use it successfully.

Although that was what Roland thought, he did not say it aloud.

After all, he had personally experienced how difficult it was to learn Momentum Slash.

His barely adequate mastery relied to a great extent on the assistance of the [Focus] trait.

So despite having a good relationship with Darko, Roland still chose to keep a low profile.

It was not that he feared Darko's jealousy. Rather, an excessively astonishing talent often attracted unnecessary attention.

This was different from his forging skills and swordsmanship.

The difficulty of those two skills combined was probably not even half that of Momentum Slash.

Therefore, Roland merely shook his head and subtly changed the subject.

"You came at just the right time."

He took out a new cup, filled it with water, and handed it to Darko.

"There's something I'd like to ask you for help with."

"Help? Of course! Just tell me—"

Darko readily agreed, but suddenly stopped halfway through his sentence.

As if he had remembered something, he scratched his head awkwardly and changed his wording.

"Er, why don't you tell me what it is first?"

Although Roland noticed Darko's unusual hesitation, he did not investigate further and spoke directly.

"I'd like you to introduce me to a few experienced veterans so I can learn combat skills from them."

"Combat skills?"

Darko's gaze unconsciously drifted toward the iron sword in the corner.

"If I may be frank, Roland, your swordsmanship is already quite impressive. Even my former swordsmanship instructor probably couldn't match you."

"Not swordsmanship."

Roland poured himself a cup of water as well, sat down on the wooden chair, and calmly explained.

"I mean techniques for using other weapons, such as short-handled weapons like daggers, or long-handled weapons like spears and battle axes."

"This..."

A confused look appeared on Darko's face.

According to the education he had received, these weapons were mainly used on the battlefield.

He could understand using daggers for self-defense, but spears and battle axes...

Could Roland be planning to join the army?

Despite being filled with questions, Darko still slapped his chest boldly.

"Leave it to me! I'll order the servants to find a few experienced veterans right away."

Seeing Darko readily agree, Roland finally relaxed.

At present, he had only two ways to learn combat skills.

The first was to leave the estate and study at Training Grounds run by retired veterans.

But that would not only cost a great deal of money, it would also require him to travel around outside for a long time. It would waste too much time.

The second was to seek guidance from close companions like Peyton and John.

But not everyone possessed a Profession Panel that allowed them to master skills rapidly, as he did.

Though Peyton and John were both highly experienced, a person's energy was ultimately limited.

One specialized in swordsmanship, while the other excelled at archery. They only had a superficial understanding of other weapons, far from being able to teach someone else.

Now that his skill training had been arranged, Roland went on to ask his second question.

"Darko, that Adventurer's Guild you mentioned earlier..."

"Ah, that!"

Darko was clearly pleased to have been able to help. He tipped his head back and drained the water in his cup.

"But I only heard about it from the estate guards."

"They say that, a few years ago, monster disturbances became frequent in various places. Although lords like my father sent troops to exterminate them, their forces were limited, so they inevitably missed some areas."

"Then, at some point, an organization called the Adventurer's Guild suddenly appeared."

"They specialized in issuing bounties and gathering idle mercenaries and adventurers to hunt down monsters."

At this point, Darko rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I really wonder who's behind the Adventurer's Guild. Paying people to exterminate monsters must cost a fortune."

"I heard that when the Adventurer's Guild was first established, many people made fun of it. The merchants even declared that it would go bankrupt sooner or later."

"But no one expected that after all these years, the Adventurer's Guild would not only survive, but appear throughout the entire country. It's truly intriguing."

Roland was not interested in why the Adventurer's Guild had survived until now or how it had spread throughout the country. He merely memorized this information and nodded slightly before continuing.

"Darko, do you know which places in Blackwater Territory have Adventurer's Guild branches?"

Although he did not understand why Roland had suddenly asked about this, few people at the estate chatted with him about such matters as friends would.

Therefore, after thinking briefly, Darko eagerly held up two fingers.

"As far as I know, because Blackwater Territory is so remote, there are only two Adventurer's Guild branches in the entire territory."

"One is in Mist Creek Town, near the Black Fir Forest. The other is in Pine Wood Town, not far east of the estate."

"Mist Creek Town... Pine Wood Town..."

Roland repeated the two place names under his breath and quickly made his decision.

Although his strength had greatly increased after learning Momentum Slash, he ultimately could not compare with powerful figures like knights who possessed supernatural abilities.

And even with Knight Beckham stationed there, the monster disturbances near Mist Creek Town's Black Fir Forest had not subsided. They had even reached a stalemate.

This alone was enough to show how dangerous the area was.

Roland only wanted to complete his Warrior class advancement, not seek death.

Therefore, after briefly weighing his options, he made his decision.

Over the following period, Roland asked Darko in detail about the area around Pine Wood Town.

Fortunately, Darko was an out-and-out hunting fanatic. He often went hunting near the estate with his guards and was quite familiar with Pine Wood Town, which was not far away.

Through their back-and-forth questions and answers, Roland quickly gained a preliminary understanding of Pine Wood Town. Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened.

"All right, Roland."

Darko, whose mouth had gone dry from talking, drained the water in his cup and wiped the droplets from his chin.

"It's getting late. If I don't go back soon, my father will get angry."

At the thought of Baron Foslin's furious appearance, he could not help shivering.

"As for finding veterans to teach you combat skills, don't worry. If all goes well, I'll have it arranged within the next couple of days."

"Then thank you, Darko."

"Hey! Don't be so formal between friends!"

Darko stood up with the support of his oak crutch, patted Roland firmly on the shoulder, and beamed with a sincere smile.

After sending Darko away, Roland closed the door and sat before the wooden table, sinking into thought.

As the saying went, to do good work, one first needed good tools.

Weapons were manageable. At least he still had an iron sword he could use.

But knowing that he would be fighting monsters, he absolutely could not go adventuring in these ragged cloth clothes.

Of course, he could ask Darko to help him get a suit of armor.

But first, Baron Foslin's territory was limited, and fine armor was precious.

Second, the fighting in the Black Fir Forest was intense. Even the equipment at the front line was in short supply, so how could they possibly allocate any extra to him?

Even with Darko pleading on his behalf, it would probably be useless.

Through his observations during this period, Roland knew very well that although Baron Foslin lived extravagantly, he never acted carelessly when it came to important matters. Otherwise, he would not have continued supporting Knight Beckham's campaign to exterminate the monsters.

Moreover, the reward for rescuing Darko had already been given in the form of a battle skill. Baron Foslin would never grant him armor for no reason.

With that thought, Roland began considering the matter carefully.

"As for the knowledge of forging armor, Mister Hawk hasn't taught me yet, and ore has been in short supply recently."

"But... perhaps I could sew a suit of leather armor?"

"I can ask Mister Hawk for advice tomorrow. If it's too difficult to make, I'll think of another method."

After making up his mind, Roland cast aside his tangled thoughts, picked up the iron sword beside him, deactivated the [Focus] trait, and repeatedly practiced Momentum Slash. He did not fall into a deep sleep until he was utterly exhausted.

The next morning, just as he was preparing to head to the Blacksmith shop, Matthew brought him some news.

Bronson was back.

However, the scholar's condition looked rather terrible.