Chapter 163: Riedhart
His movements.
His breathing.
His mana.
None of them were fighting each other anymore.
The clearing echoed with another sharp crack.
Clack!
The Knight’s sword stopped a finger’s breadth from his neck.
Silence.
Denzel blinked.
"...Did I lose?"
"You did."
She lowered her sword.
"...But not in the way I expected."
He looked down at himself.
His mana was still circulating.
Steady.
Unbroken.
Even after the spar.
"...It’s still there."
"It is."
The Knight’s usually composed expression softened into a faint smile.
"When I began attacking..."
"I expected your mana to collapse within three exchanges."
She met his eyes.
"It didn’t."
Denzel let out a slow breath.
"So..."
"I finally got it?"
"You’ve crossed the first threshold."
The words hung in the quiet clearing.
"There are many more ahead."
"But this..."
She gave a small nod.
"...is the foundation."
Denzel rolled his shoulders, surprised by how light his body felt.
Not stronger.
Just...
Efficient.
As if he’d been wasting energy his entire life without realizing it.
The sun had already dipped low, painting the sky in shades of orange and crimson.
The Knight looked toward the horizon before turning back to him.
"...That’s enough for today."
Denzel frowned.
"We’re done?"
"You’ve accomplished what I wanted you to."
He picked up the towel lying beside a rock and wiped the sweat from his face.
"So what now?"
The Knight began walking toward the path leading out of the clearing.
"Rest."
She answered without looking back.
"You’ll need it."
Denzel followed a few steps behind.
"For tomorrow?"
A small smile appeared on her lips.
"...Yes."
She glanced at him over her shoulder.
"Tomorrow..."
"We’ll register you for admission."
Denzel raised an eyebrow.
"The academy?"
"The academy."
She faced forward again.
"...Your real training begins there."
Denzel looked toward the fading sun, then at the road stretching ahead.
A quiet smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
’Looks like village life is over.’
He adjusted the practice sword resting on his shoulder and followed after her as the last rays of sunlight disappeared beyond the trees.
***
The walk back was quieter than the walk there.
The forest that had witnessed hours of relentless training was beginning to settle as evening descended over the village. Golden sunlight filtered through the trees, painting long shadows across the narrow path.
Denzel walked a step behind the Knight, the practice sword resting across his shoulder.
His breathing remained slow.
Even.
Without thinking about it, he noticed his mana continuing to circulate through his body.
Not because he was forcing it.
It simply... flowed.
Like breathing.
He flexed his fingers once before letting out a quiet breath.
’I really crossed the first threshold...’
The Knight hadn’t exaggerated.
His body didn’t feel stronger.
It felt... connected.
As though every movement wasted less effort than before.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
The only sounds came from rustling leaves and the occasional chirping of birds preparing for the night.
Eventually, his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
The village chief.
His expression hardened almost imperceptibly.
’If what Maria said was true... then I’ve already made an enemy without realizing it.’
He replayed everything that had happened over the past few days.
The chief’s strange requests.
His interest in Maria.
The questions that never quite made sense.
None of it looked innocent anymore.
He didn’t know what the man was planning.
Maybe nothing would happen.
Maybe something would happen tomorrow.
Either way...
’Waiting around to be caught off guard isn’t an option.’
If someone intended to move against him...
He would be ready.
Even if he didn’t know when the first move would come.
The Knight glanced at him briefly.
"...Thinking."
It wasn’t a question.
Denzel smiled faintly.
"Trying to."
"Hm."
She faced forward again.
"Keep doing that."
He raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you’d tell me not to overthink."
"Overthinking creates hesitation."
She paused.
"Thinking keeps you alive."
That was all she said.
For some reason...
Those words stayed with him for the rest of the walk.
By the time they returned, the last traces of sunlight had almost disappeared.
Warm light spilled through the windows of the small house.
Before Denzel even stepped inside...
He smelled dinner.
"...We’re back," the Knight called casually.
The sound of hurried footsteps came from inside.
Maria appeared first, wiping her hands on a small cloth before breaking into a smile.
"You’re finally back."
She looked Denzel up and down before shaking her head.
"You look terrible."
"I’ll take that as a compliment."
"It wasn’t."
A laugh escaped her as she stepped aside.
"Come in already."
Sophia peeked out from the kitchen a second later.
"Oh."
Her eyes landed on Denzel.
"You survived."
"Barely."
"I was expecting you to crawl back."
"I considered it."
She giggled.
"I would’ve paid to see that."
Denzel chuckled softly.
Outwardly...
Nothing had changed.
Inwardly...
Everything had.
His gaze lingered on Sophia for only a fraction of a second.
She looked exactly the same.
Same easy smile.
Same relaxed posture.
Same playful expression.
No signs of nervousness.
No signs of guilt.
Nothing.
’She’s good...’
Or maybe...
She genuinely had nothing to hide.
He couldn’t tell.
That uncertainty bothered him more than certainty ever could.
So he smiled back naturally.
"I’ll disappoint you another day."
"I’ll hold you to that."
She disappeared back into the kitchen as though nothing in the world was wrong.
Denzel watched her leave.
’Whether she’s innocent... or whether she’s simply better at hiding it than I expected...’
He still didn’t know.
Until he did...
Nothing about his behavior could change.
Dinner wasn’t ready yet.
Maria busied herself setting bowls onto the table while Sophia stirred something inside the pot.
The house felt... ordinary.
Comfortably so.
Maria glanced toward Sophia.
"So..."
"How was your day?"
Sophia didn’t look up immediately.
"It was alright."
"Just alright?"
"Mhm."
She shrugged casually.
"I found a new job."
Maria’s eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Yep."
"When were you planning on telling me?"
"I just did."
Maria laughed.
"That’s wonderful!"
"What kind of work is it?"
Sophia scratched her cheek.
"Nothing exciting."
"Mostly helping with deliveries and running errands."
"They said they’re a little short on people, so I’ll probably be busy for a while."
Maria smiled warmly.
"I’m happy for you."
"Congratulations."
"Thanks."
Sophia answered with an easy grin before returning her attention to the food.
Denzel quietly reached for a cup of water.
His expression remained perfectly calm.
Inside...
His thoughts were anything but.
’A new job...’
Maybe.
Maybe not.
After what he’d learned...
Every answer had become impossible to take at face value.
The frightening part wasn’t that Sophia might be lying.
It was how naturally she did it.
If he hadn’t already known there were things she was hiding...
He would’ve believed every word without question.
He took a slow sip of water.
’Guess I’ll have to get used to hearing half-truths.’
Just then, Maria placed the last bowl onto the table and clapped her hands together with a bright smile.
"Alright."
"Dinner’s ready."
As everyone naturally began moving toward the table, Denzel’s eyes briefly swept across the empty seats before he quietly made his choice.
Denzel’s gaze lingered on the chairs for only a moment before he walked over and pulled out the one beside Sophia.
The movement was so natural that no one paid it any attention.
No one except him.
’If she’s hiding something... acting differently now would only tell her I know.’
Sophia looked up as he sat down.
"Oh?"
"I thought you’d sit beside Maria."
Denzel shrugged.
"Closest seat."
"Lazy."
"Efficient."
She rolled her eyes, though the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her amusement.
"I’ll let you call it that."
Maria carried the last plate over before taking the seat across from them.
"You two are starting already?"
"We haven’t even eaten."
"He started it," Sophia replied immediately.
"I answered a question."
"Barely."
The exchange earned a small chuckle from Maria.
Even the Knight, seated at the head of the table, silently reached for her food with what looked suspiciously like the corner of a smile.
The atmosphere settled into something peaceful.
Ordinary.
Almost enough to make Denzel forget everything outside these walls.
Almost.
As everyone began eating, Maria glanced at Denzel.
"So..."
"Did training finally get easier?"
He nearly laughed.
"Easier?"
"The Knight has a very different definition of that word."
Sophia snorted into her drink.
"I knew it."
"I told Maria you’d come back looking half-dead."
"You were optimistic."
"I should’ve guessed worse."
Denzel looked toward the Knight.
"You hear this?"
Without looking up from her meal, she answered calmly.
"They’re being generous."
Sophia burst into laughter.
Maria followed soon after.
Even Denzel couldn’t stop the smile that escaped him.
For a brief moment...
It felt normal.
Comfortable.
Like this was simply another evening shared between people under the same roof.
Then his eyes drifted toward Sophia again.
She laughed so easily.
Without hesitation.
Without restraint.
’How much of this is real...?’
The thought came uninvited.
He hated it.
Because regardless of the answer...
It had already changed the way he looked at her.
He quietly lowered his gaze back to his food.
’Until I know the truth...’
’Keep acting the same.’
’Watch.’
’Listen.’
’Don’t assume.’
That was all he could do.
By the time dinner ended, the sky outside had turned completely dark. Maria gathered the empty bowls before Denzel could stand.
And in time the home soon came to a silent end for Riedhart family. However, it was not over for Denzel’s crooked motives.