Chapter 3

If Joshua showed his mana technique right now, his plan for quiet revenge would go down the drain.

However, he also knew that there was no meaning in hiding his power, especially in critical situations.

I had no intention of being dragged around by anyone anymore.

Maybe it would be better to show a little bit of power here…

On average, a noble Knight takes about 5 years to form his mana hall, with constant training. And then it takes another three years to draw mana back out from the mana hall and use it in combat, earning them the title of “C-class Knight”.

Therefore, a Knight who can form a mana hall around the age of 15 and manipulate mana would be known as a genius, and was sure to leave their mark in the history of the kingdom. At that age they are sure to master their mana technique by the time they’re 20. It was a very long and tiring process.

However…

If you look at Joshua right now, he’s undoubtedly a 10 year old boy. He is at least half the age of the idiot centurions in front of him. Imagine the attention he’ll draw when everyone knows that at his young age, not only could he form his mana hall but he could also use it effectively in battle.

The Dukedom will be turned upside down.

No… the whole world will be turned upside down.

At his age and with his level of mastery, he would be the youngest and greatest genius not only in the Kingdom, but in the entire continent.

Last time, I started with nothing. Actually, it’s not a bad thing to gain recognition early.

If he was acknowledged as the best at a young age then Kaiser, the fox, would surely bow before him.

He would find Joshua because he was more focused on recruiting outstanding people more than anyone else. He was sure that Kaiser would be the same as before.

I was thinking about a lot of things, but only a moment has passed. A hundred thoughts in a fleeting breath.

Gort’s club was about to smash into his nose. However, Joshua’s quick reflexes let him dodge the fist with flawless posture and short, concise movements, causing the club to miss by a hair’s breadth. ⁽¹⁾

It was a simple action, but its speed and power were anything but.

Joshua took a single step to the side, avoiding the punch, and clenched his right fist.

Whump!

Gort’s body made a sound like ripping leather when Joshua’s fist struck home.

“Eu—!”

He couldn’t even manage a groan and collapsed to the ground, eyes rolling back into his skull.

“What?”

Rols’s eyes went wide with bewilderment. Gort stood with his back facing little Joshua, obscuring what happened behind him.

After a moment, Gort’s unconscious body fell to the ground with a thud. The next moment, his silent whimper of defeat faded along with his consciousness.

“This bastard!”

Roid, who was more hot-tempered than Rols, drew his sword.

It made a resounding Chaang! as he unsheathed it. It was a common longsword that could easily be found on the street. Joshua noticed the rust speckling the sword here and there but it was plenty sharp.

This is dangerous.

Immediately after using the technique, Joshua felt something strange inside his body. He could feel something lumpy and unpleasant in the pit of his stomach which he wasn’t familiar with.

Just one more time.

His head was ringing, but he didn’t pay it any mind.

If I defeat Roid, the probability of Rols attacking me is very low… since he’s the most cautious of the three.

“Look here!”

Roid approached him and swung his longsword at Joshua’s neck.

Whik!

The longsword swung right over Joshua’s face with a ripping metal sound. Joshua neatly avoided it by leaning back.

Right now, he had the body of an untrained child, but he knew that as he gets older his muscles will harden and his flexibility will be improved.

He bounced back up like a spring, and was greeted by Roid’s surprised bunny eyes.

“…!”

Whoosh!

It was definitely weaker than before, but clear mana appeared on Joshua’s fist once again.

It was so close that Roid saw it too.

“No. Mana 一!” Roid muttered in astonishment.

Crack

It was not the sound of tearing leather like before, but a light thump sound.

“Finished.”

Dump.

Roid fell to the floor after being hit with a 100-point uppercut, shattering his jaw. Rols saw the situation unfold and gasped in surprise.

“You’re crazy!” Rols spat a cuss and backed away.

Am I seeing this for real? The mute idiot is speaking, and he pummeled my friends with his tiny fist!

It was too much to be a coincidence. Now, it’s safe to say that the peasant asshole had been hiding his skills for a long time now.

Well…

While Rols’s brain was in turmoil, Joshua staggered.

Obviously something was wrong.

Such pain from using only this much mana!

A cold sweat trickled down his temple. He knew he couldn’t afford to show his weakness now. He needed to cement his victory. And he was sure that he would be.

Rols was as quick-witted as he was cautious. He was a person who had risen to the rank of centurion using his eyes rather than his skills. However, in Joshua’s current state, even someone of Rols’s level was dangerous given his rapidly fading consciousness..

Joshua desperately straightened his unsteady body.

“I’ll tell you this.”

“…!” For a moment, Rols was stunned.

“You, you, you… ! Spoke… Did you always know how?” Rols’s looked wide enough to pop out of his skull at any moment.

“From this moment on, anyone – including you centurions – who insults my mother 一”

The more Joshua’s youthful voice continued, the faster Rols retreated.

“一 I will never let go.”

Blue flame flashed between Joshua’s two eyes as he finished speaking.

“Ah ah ah ah ah!” Startled, Rolls screamed and turned away. His many sins rattled his head as he ran.

Joshua was dangerous. The child was no longer the dumb asshole he knew: he was a predator.

The Battle of Kraden Plains was one of the worst battles I ever experienced. That kid felt like one of the first nine stars of the Empire I saw there.

“He’s a monster!”

Rols did his best to flee, kicking up a cloud of dust behind him.

Joshua stared at his silhouette until it disappeared.

Thump.

With a small noise, Joshua’s small body collapsed.

Oh, shit.