Chapter 17: TBSL

Chapter 17

If someone asked about Lilith’s swordsmanship, Sion could calmly answer that it was nothing special.

Her “main attack” was something that shook the mind; physical combat for her was at best a finishing move or a last-ditch struggle.

Of course, she was still stronger than ordinary knights, but compared to Kim Yuhyeon, she was nowhere near his level.

‘Lilith can be handled somehow if I just step in at the right time. The problem is Kim Yuhyeon.’

From the moment they met, he had singled her out as a sparring partner, and even after coming to the training ground, he ignored all the other knights and pointed directly at her.

There was no way the great Kim Yuhyeon would randomly choose someone without a reason.

He had definitely noticed something. He had definitely felt something.

‘This is insane, seriously.’

Lilith, the Succubus Queen, was an extremely important asset—an irreplaceable rare card.

And in a situation where they hadn’t even entered the main story yet, if she ended up dying in a duel with Kim Yuhyeon, or if her identity was exposed and hostility arose, it would be an absolute disaster for Sion.

It would be like pouring sugar thinking it was MSG, or pouring cooking oil thinking it was vinegar.

Swish!

Lilith took the initiative.

Or rather, Kim Yuhyeon might have intentionally allowed her to.

But for now, what mattered was that she held the initiative.

At first, Kim Yuhyeon avoided Lilith’s attacks with footwork alone.

But soon he raised his wooden sword and began blocking her attacks in advance.

Clack! Tap!

The wooden swords collided, producing dull sounds. If they had been real swords, sparks would have flown as steel clashed against steel.

Sion, imagining Kim Yuhyeon wielding a real blade, trembled and almost wet himself.

He only had one life, yet death felt too close.

‘Shit! Lilith, fight on! Hang in there, noona! Even if you can’t win, at least hit him once!’

Cheering internally, Sion watched the duel between the two “men” with great interest.

He had no idea that the Lichten Margrave sitting beside him was watching him more closely than the duel itself.

“Hm.”

Meanwhile, Kim Yuhyeon concluded that his opponent’s swordsmanship was better than expected.

Her stance was slightly awkward, but she aimed at vital points without hesitation and showed no fear. She must have seen real combat experience.

‘Still not enough.’

The moment he met her eyes in the reception room earlier—

His body had suddenly tingled, every cell trembling. A pressure unique to a strong opponent had flowed through him.

Of course, the sensation vanished quickly, like smoke.

But Kim Yuhyeon had already confirmed it.

That knight called “Nos” was hiding her true skill.

‘I don’t know how long you can keep it up, but you’ll have to show your real ability.’

Thinking that, Kim Yuhyeon shifted from defense to offense.

‘What is this guy…? He’s pretty good for a human?’

Lilith was also surprised.

From the beginning, she had known his skill and movement were no ordinary matter, but she hadn’t expected him to read her movements this quickly and break them apart in return.

She hadn’t planned to go all out, just to match him lightly—but instead, he was provoking her as if telling her to “perform more.”

‘…That bastard. And Sion is watching.’

She had bragged in front of her contractor, and if she lost badly to a mere human, her pride as the Queen would be completely shattered.

Biting her lip, she began mixing in feints.

In just a short exchange, he noticed that her weight was centered on her left leg and kept targeting it to break her stance.

Then she would simply give him what he wanted—and take something bigger in return.

She quickly decided and slightly loosened her balance as Kim Yuhyeon’s attack unfolded.

Her left leg was exposed.

As expected, he moved in immediately.

‘Just as planned!’

Lilith swiftly rotated her sword.

She aimed the handle of the wooden sword at his exposed side.

Thud!

‘…Huh?!’

A sudden pain struck her, and she frowned.

Before her eyes, something unbelievable had happened.

He had pretended to fall for her feint—then struck her arm instead.

Just as she had intended, the handle of the wooden sword slammed into her forearm.

“Ugh!”

It was a heavy blow at the worst possible timing, throwing her balance off.

That was a fatal opening in a duel.

And Kim Yuhyeon was not the kind of person to let such an opening pass.

Thwack!

With a smooth motion, he struck her shoulder hard.

Then he stepped back lightly, adjusting his stance again.

“Don’t do such useless tricks.”

At those words, sparks flared in Lilith’s eyes.

How dare a mere human speak to her, the Succubus Queen, like that?

And in front of her contractor Sion, no less.

‘That arrogant bastard.’

For a moment, she wanted to possess his mind, break him completely, and make him kneel while licking her feet.

Her anger erupted like a volcano, and her disguised eyes briefly began to turn red again.

‘Hm?’

Kim Yuhyeon noticed the change.

Sensing the rising aura, he stepped back slightly and prepared to attack again.

‘Should I kill him?’

Lilith hesitated.

Normally, she would have killed anyone who insulted the queen.

But now she was bound by a contract.

And her contractor had clearly told her:

“Do not reveal your true self or your power.”

‘Ah, why~ I can’t even deal with annoying guys?’

“Yes. Absolutely not.”

‘Why, why, why! I want to go wild sometimes!’

“I don’t want to lose Lilith.”

“…Huh?”

It had hit her like a 300 km/h straight punch she never expected.

She had just stood there blankly, looking at Sion holding her shoulders, unable to respond.

“Please promise me. That you’ll listen to me.”

“U-uh…”

“Say it. Say you promise. If I lose you, I’ll die.”

“O-okay… I promise.”

She had answered while twisting awkwardly, and only then did Sion smile.

Even now, she hated how stupid she had looked.

She was a succubus, so why was she the one being led around?

‘Damn it… I ended up contracting with a weird guy.’

She sighed and moved again.

‘What.’

The opponent’s killing intent, which had seemed like it would swallow her whole, suddenly disappeared.

Even the terrifying glare, even the murderous pressure—it was all gone.

Kim Yuhyeon clicked his tongue, irritation rising.

Not only was she hiding her skill, she was also trying to look down on him.

‘Fine. I’ll push you to your limit.’

In an instant, his movement changed.

Now even the knight commander of the Margrave’s forces could barely follow him.

‘What… is that man?’

Even the knight commander of the Lichten Margrave could not track his movements.

He let out a hollow laugh.

Where had such a monster come from?

“…Ah, no! Sir Nos!”

The knight realized Nos was in danger.

As expected, she was being overwhelmed.

He was about to intervene when—

“…!”

Kim Yuhyeon’s sword suddenly stopped midair.

And in front of it stood a young man.

“L-Lord!”

“Brother!”

Even with a wooden sword, at that speed, it could easily cause broken bones—or even death.

Yet Sion Clausen, the young lord who had never shown interest in martial arts, stepped into the center of the duel.

“Stop.”

Kim Yuhyeon’s sword was right in front of him.

One wrong move and he would die.

But Sion remained calm.

No—calm was not enough to describe it.

He was cold, noble, confident, and overwhelming.

“…What is this?”

Even Kim Yuhyeon was surprised.

If he had been even a moment later, he would have died.

Yet the young man only looked at him with cold eyes.

“When Sir Nos’s feint was blocked and your counterattack landed, the result was already decided. Continuing like this is excessive.”

“It’s a duel.”

“And you already won. So stop.”

“It’s not over yet.”

“It is. That’s enough.”

Kim Yuhyeon’s lips twitched, his eyes turning sharp.

Killing intent rose, heavy enough to make breathing difficult.

“……”

But Sion did not look away.

They stood in silence, neither moving.

“Why are you doing this?” Kim Yuhyeon finally asked.

“You were the one who suggested this duel to prove my worth to the Margrave’s knights. And now you’re stopping it.”

“She’s already proven enough. There’s no need for more blood.”

“Someone who wields a sword shouldn’t decide whether drawing it is meaningful or not. That’s foolish…”

“It’s not foolish, Kim Yuhyeon. Those who wield swords must understand their weight.”

Kim Yuhyeon flinched.

That voice—it sounded exactly like someone he once admired deeply.

“Killing. Taking a life. It’s not something light. Once you get used to it, you become nothing more than a tool for killing.”

“So…”

He swallowed dryly.

“…Stop being foolish and calm down, Yuhyeon.”

Sion pointed at Nos—Lilith.

“She’s mine. I said before, a master protects his own people. Same this time. Let’s end it here.”

Kim Yuhyeon looked at him for a moment, then nodded.

He apologized to Nos and stepped back.

‘…Fuck. That was close.’

If it had gone a little further, Lilith’s head would have been crushed, or her identity exposed—or he would have died.

And in that moment, the phrase from Kim Yuhyeon’s older brother had saved him.

“Are you alright, Sir Nos?”

“Yes… I’m fine. Sion.”

Lilith stood up awkwardly, still embarrassed.

Sion, feeling disgusted inside but keeping a calm face, helped her up.

He then turned to the Lichten Margrave, who was watching in relief.

“Father, I believe this is enough for everyone to recognize Kim Yuhyeon’s skill.”

“…Yes. Even the knight commander seems to agree.”

The knight commander nodded, still stunned.

And so Kim Yuhyeon would stay at the Clausen Margrave’s estate for a while.

Two days later, at dawn, the day of the preemptive expedition arrived.