Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

Back in the days when he still walked in the light, the Great Knight's Territory was a city full of honor. Solemnity, majesty, and the weight of history were people's first impressions of the city, unlike now, where even the night, which should be quiet, is so noisy that it is difficult to find peace.

He wasn't saddened, but rather his emotions were complex. What he saw before him, hailed as a symbol of civilization, was built by the very tenant farmers and slaves of the knights he had once helped. Those who had struggled to survive now sat atop these towering buildings, oblivious to the weeping people in the shadows, complacently boasting of progress. If economic wealth alone constituted progress, then Rembiton, the land's mine, should be the most advanced nation on earth.

They moved too fast, forgetting to look back and see where they started and what their original intentions were.

The Unarmored Alliance aims to correct this situation, just as they once corrected the mistakes of knights and nobles who abandoned their honor and only knew oppression and pleasure.

"Go to the Supervisory Council. Your first objective is to control the energy agency. Leave the rest to me."

A deep, subwoofer-like voice, amplified by a voice changer, rang out. The "Fuse" squad behind Old Xuan Tie quickly dispersed, disappearing into shadows in the night. Only the old man remained, head held high, walking towards the square where the Supervisory Council was located.

He also had his own mission: to keep the Grand Knight Commander and the Dark Knight who might get involved in the matter in check.

According to Platinum's report, Roy seemed to have arranged an assistant for him beforehand. But Old Xuan Tie simply laughed it off. He would remember Roy's good intentions, but he didn't really trust the assistant Roy had found. Leaving aside the issue of loyalty, he knew Roy's interpersonal relationships well. Where could he find someone capable of fighting the Grand Knight Commander and Marna in such a short time? Did he really think experts were as common as cabbages, something he could just snag anytime?

Shaking his head helplessly, he turned the last bend toward the Jianzhenghui Square, only to be greeted not by the brightly lit Jianzhenghui building, but by a clear blade of light.

"Den!"

WTF.

With utterly lacking in moral character, he uttered a universal exclamation. Old Xuan Tie reacted with lightning speed, leaping to the side and falling to the ground, barely managing to dodge the oncoming attack.

A sharp, rain-like blade of light flew past him and backward, severing a roadside tree in the square before stopping. Forcibly suppressing his lingering shock from the sudden attack, he stared at the direction where the light blade had disappeared, his brows furrowed deeply.

He recognized the spell and was very familiar with it.

There is only one swordsman in Kazimierz who can unleash such a powerful yet incredibly restrained sword aura—Marna.

Was that sword energy aimed at me? How could this be? Someone leaked the plan, attracting Marna's attention, and he intervened?

That's impossible. Whether it's Roy, that little platinum girl, or even my own daughter, their actions and who they've been in contact with are all under my control. There shouldn't be any possibility of leaks.

Moreover, there was no follow-up attack after that sword energy. Could it be that Marna's target was not me?

Who is it that can make Marner, who has been hiding his skills for more than ten years, draw his sword again?

Carefully raising his head from behind the flower bed where he was hiding, Old Xuan Tie looked at the scene of the conflict and couldn't help but open his mouth wide again.

Not only Marner, but also his biggest target on this trip, the war hero of the same era as Cyril Nearl, the Grand Knight Russell who was in charge of the Council of Justice, was also present. Moreover, he had already drawn his sharp rapier!

Who is this person who simultaneously drew the swords of the Dark Knight and the Grand Knight Commander, and yet did not suffer a defeat?

Old Xuan Tie's gaze slowly moved towards the direction opposite the Grand Knight Commander, but what came into view was a girl who looked unremarkable except for her unique hair color and outstanding beauty.

There were no fluctuations from Originium Arts, no support from others, and the girl didn't even have a weapon in her hand; she stood bare-handed in front of the two.

"who is she?"

Just like the Grand Knight Commander and Marna, the same question popped into Xuan Tie's mind. However, he knew more than the two of them. An incredible thought flashed through his mind, and he looked at the girl, exclaiming in surprise:

"Is she Roy's accomplice?"

But what kind of helper could remain undefeated against these two, and who knew nothing about her?

When did such a powerful guy come to exist in this tiny corner of Kazimir?

As Xuan Tie was surprised, Marna's expression also turned grim. He gripped his long-neglected sword, looked at Skadi, and said:

"Skadi, why are you only defending and not attacking? Where are your weapons? Show them to her."

However, Skadi simply replied calmly:

"Did not bring."

You think you can stop me without even bringing weapons?

A visible # mark appeared on Marna's forehead. After several rounds of fighting, they had almost torn down the walls of the Supervisory Council building, yet Skadi remained unscathed. He had to admit Skadi's strength; if she was truly focused only on defense and dodging, even he and the Grand Knight Commander combined wouldn't be able to subdue her in a short time.

This woman's skin is terrifyingly thick; it's as if even a Lateran cannon could only peel off a layer of skin!

Most importantly, even now, he still doesn't know what Skadi's purpose is. What exactly does she mean by "stopping him"?

"Besides, I don't need weapons."

Seemingly sensing Marna's displeasure, Skadi added, clenching her fists.

Marner's brow twitched.

Trying to block my sword with your fists? That's a huge underestimation of me.

Taking a deep breath, Marna took a step forward, and in a flash, she appeared in front of Skadi. And just as she had said, this time, Skadi not only didn't dodge, but instead met the punch head-on.

[A million horsepower of magnetic field rotation, the Whale-Slaying Overlord Fist!]

"boom!"

It was clearly a clash of flesh against steel, yet it produced a sound like weapons clashing. Marna felt a sharp pain in his hand, and his arms gripping the sword went numb from the impact, forcing him to take several steps back. Skadi fared the same way; even though her feet didn't move, she was still thrown backward by the immense force, leaving a long drag mark on the ground.

However, both of them were unharmed.

"It's troublesome."

Marna spat.

"Goodness, this girl." At the same time, Old Xuan Tie spat and muttered, "It seems like they don't need me anymore. Shall I leave?"

Volume 1: Chapter 109 The Power Was Pulled Out, Children

“Marna, this girl is not simple. I can’t tell which system her moves belong to, nor have I seen her use any Originium Arts.”

Russell, standing beside Marner, frowned slightly, his tone tinged with doubt.

"However, I didn't sense any hostility from her. She seemed to really just want to stop you, just as she said."

The phrase "I'm just stopping you" can be interpreted in many ways. Perhaps Skadi's backers are deeply wary of Marner and don't want Skadi and Marner to fight to the death, to prevent any unforeseen events. Alternatively, it's possible that Skadi's backers greatly respect Marner and are forced to act this way for some reason, hence the specific order for Skadi to hold back.

Judging from the current situation, the mastermind's goal is clearly the latter.

Otherwise, Skadi wouldn't have refrained from actually drawing her weapon until now, and instead of retaliating against his and Russell's attacks, she would have simply dodged and defended, only trying to hinder his departure.

But who exactly is this person who is friendly to me, yet has to stop me for some purpose?

He had lived in anonymity in the Great Knights' territory for over a decade. The wandering knights who had accompanied him back then had either retired to the mountains or joined the war knights to guard the borders; all of them were now scattered to the four winds. The only one he still kept in touch with was Toran, and Toran couldn't possibly have such a fierce warrior under his command. Otherwise, given that kid's personality, he would have already settled his scores and caused a great disturbance.

Such a strong person couldn't possibly grow out of the ground, spring out of a rock, or swim out of the water, could they?

A blue figure flashed through his mind, and Marner frowned slightly, but quickly dismissed the idea. Roy was still playing; what could he possibly do even if he stalled him? Marner couldn't find a reason for him to do this. He could only say:

"Whatever her purpose may be, Russell, I'm going to give it my all."

He was the strongest ranger of the old days of Kazimierz, a legendary figure who could intervene in a large-scale battlefield like the Uka War with just a band of outlaws. Perhaps in terms of command and military talent, he was not as good as his brother, but in terms of martial prowess, he believed he was second to none. Even within the city, wielding a worn-out sword that hadn't been maintained for years, Marna was still invincible!

The silver light gradually shed its ordinary appearance, and an extremely clear and sharp edge gathered on the blade. Marner's sword, like himself, had been gathering its strength for ten years, just waiting to be unleashed. When it did, it was astonishing.

Skadi became cautious for the first time.

The sword light, now revealing its true power, was far too sharp. Its dazzling silver light differed from the majestic sun's glow, possessing instead the blinding intensity of a drawn sword. The deep-sea hunter's powerful intuition told her that she couldn't take this attack head-on; otherwise, she would either bleed or be severely injured!

The price she paid for bleeding on land was deadly. It would attract something terrifying that was still too early for land dwellers to comprehend.

But she didn't have a suitable weapon with her. She wasn't lying; she really didn't bring one.

She had underestimated the land dwellers. Since coming ashore, the enemies she had encountered, whether bounty hunters or wilderness bandits, were all child's play. Forget about using both hands for offense and defense; even a direct charge would be too much for their frail bodies. But this time, she miscalculated.

Whether it's Marna, the target of the mission, or Russell, the distraction, their strength should not be underestimated. Several times, Marna's blade flashes forced Skadi to dodge rather than defend, and Russell, without exaggeration, just standing aside with her rapier, maintaining a deterrent presence, was enough to make Skadi feel like she had a thorn in her side.

It wasn't that she was afraid of the two of them; if they fought to the death, the outcome was uncertain. But Skadi didn't want to invite disaster. And without a weapon, Skadi lacked the confidence to withstand the sword strike with her bare body.

A bead of cold sweat dripped from Skadi's forehead. Just as she was hesitating whether to tear a marble pillar off the gate of the Imperial Household Agency and use it as a makeshift weapon, a cold light descended from the sky and headed straight for Marna.

"Roy?"

His momentum had to be interrupted. Marna swung his sword to block the sniper shot, and just as he was about to question it, a sudden burst of golden light from the arena in the distance made him stop talking.

The spell that lit up the night sky was undoubtedly the Great Wilderness Starfall, so this sniper shot, which also came from the stars, could only have been the work of those three.

"Mysterious Iron".

"Marnah murmured, her gaze sweeping across him."

Xuan Tie interrupted his fight with Skadi. Was he there to help Skadi? What was Roy's stance? What role did the Unarmored Alliance play, and why did they stop him?

While pondering, Skadi picked up the heavy black iron greatsword from the ground, a satisfied look on her face.

Although not as advanced as the superalloy weapons crafted by the deep-sea hunters, this Xuan Tie Greatsword is still a rare and valuable weapon.

With this, she was confident that she could hold out for another hour until the sword could no longer withstand Marna's attacks.

"...Are you a member of the Unarmored Alliance?" Russell asked.

“No.” Skadi shook her head, her expression making it hard to believe she was lying. “I’m a bounty hunter. What is the Unarmored Alliance?”

Russell shook her head helplessly, the light of Originium Arts shining on her staff, which she called the Western Sword.

After observing for so long, she finally couldn't resist and decided to take action.

Faced with yet another force locking onto her, one whose aura was no weaker than Marna's, Skadi pursed her lips, slightly lowered her center of gravity, and raised her sword horizontally.

No one noticed that Old Xuan Tie, with his masterful stealth skills, had quietly infiltrated the Jianzhenghui building.

"Phew, finally we're in. That girl is something else, she actually managed to push Marna to get serious."

Xuan Tie clicked his tongue and shook his head slightly.

"Unfortunately, her skills and mindset are too immature. She doesn't even know why she didn't bring a weapon, and her fighting style left her no way out. If I hadn't shot that sword just now, she probably would have dared to take Marna's serious attack with her bare body. In that case, Roy would probably be crying and complaining to me."

"We need to find out from him where he found this kind of foreign aid."