**Chapter 110: I Partnered with the Strongest of the Knight Department**
As Rest beheld the figure of the man before him, his eyes widened in astonishment.
“Wilhelm Lyubeth. What are you doing here…!?”
The one who had appeared was the strongest first-year student of the Knight Department. Known as the “Woman-Hating Sword Saint,” Wilhelm Lyubeth’s unexpected arrival left Rest momentarily stunned, caught off guard by the unanticipated assistance.
In that brief moment of distraction, a Corruption Beast lunged at him.
“GYAO!”
“Ugh…!”
Rest attempted to counter the attacking Corruption Beast with magic, but before he could act, Lyubeth moved.
“Armakain Sword Dance… ‘Sanka’!”
In an instant, a flurry of slashes was unleashed. The Corruption Beast was disassembled mid-air, its pieces raining down to the ground.
“Fast…!”
Lyubeth’s movements were astonishingly swift, rivaling even Rest’s use of the High Accelerator. Moreover, he effortlessly sliced through the Corruption Beast’s tough, bristly hide.
(That sword… it resembles a katana. Is it a blade specialized for slashing?)
“You are… Rest, right? A friend of that girl?”
That girl referred to Yuri Cattleya, who had been trailing Lyubeth during their swordsmanship class.
“Yeah, that’s right… Yuri is my friend.”
“Why are you here? This isn’t a battlefield for first-years.”
“I could say the same to you…”
Lyubeth was also a first-year. What was he doing on the front lines?
“If you’re just going to stand there, you should head back. I’ll handle this.”
“There’s no way I can entrust an important battle to someone I’ve just met. I appreciate the help, but… wouldn’t it be better if you left?”
Rest retorted. Although he had been saved, he could have defended himself with magic even without Lyubeth’s intervention. As a swordsman, Lyubeth was at a disadvantage against the Corruption Beasts, which could dissolve weapons, and Rest genuinely advised him to retreat.
“GYAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
“GYAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
While they spoke, several Corruption Beasts launched their corrosive saliva at them.
“Star Devourer!”
“Sky Slash!”
Rest absorbed the approaching saliva with the Dark Star, while Lyubeth cleaved through the streams with his sword. The split saliva sprayed off in different directions, dissipating harmlessly.
“He cut the liquid…?”
Despite slicing through the corrosive saliva capable of melting metal, Lyubeth’s sword showed no signs of breaking or melting. It seemed he was enhancing its strength by enveloping it in a high density of magical energy. This technique was commonly used by knights and warriors, but Lyubeth’s execution was far more refined than that of other Knight Department students, including Danira.
“He nullified the enemy’s attack…? What an unusual magic you use.”
On the other hand, Lyubeth frowned, perplexed by Rest’s unfamiliar spell.
“This isn’t exactly a situation for calm conversation…”
Determined to silence the enemies, Rest unleashed a wide-area spell.
“Thunder Storm!”
Lightning rained down like a torrential downpour, striking the foes. It was a high-level area spell; while its range was extensive, its power was relatively low. Against the magic-resistant Corruption Beasts, it served merely as a deterrent.
“Good job.”
Lyubeth kicked off the ground. Seizing the opening created by the lightning magic, he closed in on the enemies and began to slice through the Corruption Beasts.
“Magic is quite convenient. That was good support.”
“I wasn’t trying to provide support, you know…”
“GYAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
As a Corruption Beast attempted to attack Lyubeth, Rest fired a spell from a distance, obliterating the attack before it could land.
“Armakain Sword Dance… ‘Breaking Chapter’!”
Lyubeth continued to slice through the Corruption Beasts. His sword was incredibly fast and powerful—a pinnacle of swordsmanship that one would not expect a teenager to achieve.
(He truly is a genius swordsman… like a protagonist from a story.)
Rest cast spells while Lyubeth swung his sword. Although the situation was unexpected, it was now much easier to fight alongside someone else. He had never realized how much easier it could be with the support of a partner.
(I may need to reevaluate how important teamwork is… there’s a lot to reconsider.)
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
As Rest and Lyubeth battled the Corruption Beasts, a Subnock lumbered away, seemingly disinterested, ambling across the plains. Ignoring the two, it headed toward the entrance of the plains.
If it was retreating deeper into the area, that would be fine, but the Subnock was moving in the opposite direction.
“This is bad… I can’t let it escape!”
“Hey, you…!”
“I’ll leave this to you! Handle these guys!”
The number of Corruption Beasts had already dwindled to less than half. Lyubeth alone could manage them without issue.
“I’m counting on you! I’m going after that thing!”
Activating the High Accelerator, Rest kicked off the ground and dashed away at breakneck speed. He felt a twinge of guilt toward Lyubeth, but there was no other choice. Rest pushed the responsibility onto someone he barely knew and chased after the Subnock.