Extra in a Romance Fantasy

165 – The Swordsman (5)

Dreyer was born into a martial family with quite a long history.

However, unlike that long history, the family’s status was not particularly special.

It was merely a family that wielded some influence in the region.

Despite such a scale, everyone in the family, as if it were a matter of course, held a sword, and that included even newborns.

Dreyer had to grasp a sword at a ridiculously young age, not long after he had taken his first steps, that is, shortly after he had begun to recognize the world.

—

Before wielding a sword, Dreyr received much expectation.

It was the way of the children of noble families.

It was only natural to be expected to possess some special talent.

If one had the talent to meet those expectations, they would be met with anticipation; if not, the gaze of expectation would turn to disappointment.

In a way, it could be said to be an exceedingly harsh situation for a young child.

However, Dreyr lightly fulfilled those expectations.

No, he surpassed them entirely.

“…This child will make our family the greatest in the Empire.”

So remarked the head of the family upon seeing Dreyr hold a sword for the first time.

He recognized that Dreyr’s talent was a gift from the heavens.

Thus, Dreyr became the embodiment of his family’s expectations.

The hope that he would one day become the greatest warrior in the Empire, the hope that he would elevate Hekslur to the Empire’s foremost family.

It was an expectation far too heavy for a child who had yet to live even a decade.

Yet, Dreyr paid it no mind.

He simply swung his sword with indifference.

As time passed, Dreyr stepped beyond his family and into the world.

And he proved his talent.

Not the heir of a noble family, nor the disciple of a famous warrior, nor even a talent deemed a genius—none could stand against Dreyr.

Dreyr knew no defeat.

At that point, he began to think.

That his talent was indeed more special than anyone else’s, that he would one day become the strongest warrior on the continent.

It was an arrogance that was truly boundless, yet if it was Dreyr who harbored such confidence, the story was different.

He actually possessed such talent and ability.

As time went on, Dreyr’s skills developed, and with them, his fame grew.

While Dreyr was growing smoothly, an incident occurred.

A full-scale war against the monsters broke out, and until it reached its conclusion, disturbances caused by monsters had been quite frequent.

Monsters would raid villages, and attacks on cities occurred with alarming regularity.

Moreover, there were times when incidents of a scale that could only be described as disasters took place.

The raid that occurred when Dreyr had just come of age was one such case.

A large group of monsters suddenly appeared and attacked the Empire.

If left as it is, it would undoubtedly shake the Empire, and even if the army were to move, it would have to endure significant losses.

At that moment, warriors from all corners of the Empire rose up.

They volunteered to join the fight against the monstrous beings.

However, not all of their intentions were pure.

While not everyone harbored ulterior motives, most warriors had their own agendas.

They sought to enhance their reputations by defeating the monsters.

Dreyr was no exception.

To elevate his family’s standing and further his own fame, Dreyr took it upon himself to battle the monsters.

At that point, Dreyr was already a celebrity.

As a young warrior destined to lead the Empire, he was shining a light on his family’s reputation.

Because of this, he naturally drew the attention of those around him.

Most were curious about what kind of talent and skill he possessed to receive such praise.

Dreyr did not find these gazes uncomfortable.

He was confident he could surpass their expectations once again.

Dreyr was determined to prove himself.

To show that he was more special than anyone else.

However.

“Oh, so you are Dreyr Hexler.”

As he encountered a man, cracks began to form in his plans.

The man was the child of a lesser-known family from the rural outskirts of the Empire.

Like Dreyr, he had just come of age.

Initially, Dreyr held no interest in the man.

He couldn’t even remember his name.

He thought he was just another nobody, existing anywhere and everywhere.

But soon, that perception had to change.

When the first battle against the monsters broke out.

The man shattered Dreyr’s understanding without mercy.

With a single sword, he gracefully felled the monsters.

That sight, that skill, was on a level incomparable to the surrounding warriors.

Dreyr recognized that skill at a glance and could not tear his gaze away.

In that moment, a single emotion was born in Dreyr’s heart for the first time.

An emotion named rivalry.

With a heart that could not accept defeat, Dreyr also plunged into battle.

And as he swung his sword, he revealed his skills to the fullest.

However. While Dreyr’s momentum and skill were indeed formidable,

from an objective perspective, there was a slight edge that the man possessed.

Dreyr himself was aware of this.

At first, he thought it was merely coincidence.

That the man was just a bit lucky, that the circumstances were slightly in his favor.

Dreyr gritted his teeth and swung his sword with all his might.

Yet, after several fights, no matter how fiercely he wielded his sword, he could not catch up to the man’s visible prowess.

Around that time, whispers began to circulate.

Perhaps the man was superior to Dreyr Hexler.

That his talent was greater.

When those words first reached Dreyr’s ears, he felt as if his blood had turned to ice.

In Dreyr’s life.

In nearly twenty years of living and growing up.

He had always been the best.

His talent was more special than anyone else’s.

Naturally, Dreyr could not accept this fact.

He could not accept it.

Thus, Dreyr requested a duel with the man.

He acknowledged the man’s exceptional skill.

But he did not truly believe he was inferior.

He was convinced that the man was simply specialized in dealing with monsters, and that things would be different if they clashed swords directly.

The man did not refuse Dreyr’s request.

He smiled and accepted the duel, saying it would be a good experience.

And so, the two engaged in a duel in a place where no one was watching.

And.

For the first time in his life, Dreyr was defeated by a peer.

It was not an overwhelming defeat.

The duel was tense, and by a very narrow margin, by a difference of less than a single step, Dreyr lost.

However. Even so, a defeat was a defeat.

“It was a pleasant duel.”

The man who had defeated Dreyr extended his hand to him, a bright smile of satisfaction on his face as Dreyr lay on the ground.

Seeing that smile, Dreyr felt something twist within him.

For the first time in his life, tasting defeat, Dreyr did not despair or stop.

Instead, he became even more engrossed in his sword, in martial arts, in battle, unable to accept his loss.

The more he trained, the more his skills grew remarkably, but the same was true for the man.

As Dreyr improved, so did the man.

In fact, they had several more duels, but the outcome never changed.

Dreyr could never defeat the man.

Rumors about him were increasingly gaining traction.

The way people looked at Dreyr had also changed slightly.

In that moment, without thinking, Dreyr found himself contemplating.

Perhaps the man’s talent was superior to his own.

Perhaps the man might be more special than he was.

From the moment he was born, Dreyr had always been the best.

In his world, he was someone special, and he had to be special.

Yet, with the existence of the man, Dreyr’s world was shaking.

The incident occurred around that time.

It was during a battle with monsters that had become a part of daily life.

That day, there were more monsters than usual, and as a result, most of the warriors were struggling.

In that already difficult situation, another group of monsters appeared, causing Dreyr’s team to scatter.

Amidst that chaos, Dreyr found himself left alone with the man.

Surrounded by monsters, with only the two of them remaining.

To survive, Dreyr and the man swung their swords with all their might, without rest.

It was a dangerous situation where even a moment’s pause could cost them their lives.

In the midst of such urgency…

Suddenly, a man’s back came into Dreyr’s view.

The man was so focused on the monster in front of him that he couldn’t pay any attention to what was behind him.

It was even more so because it was Dreyr behind him.

The monster behind him believed that Dreyr would protect him, fully concentrating on the threat before his eyes.

As Dreyr looked at that back, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.

Vulnerable.

So utterly defenseless that, at this moment, it felt like he could pierce that back with just an outstretched sword.

And then.

Whoosh—

“…Huh?”

By the time he regained his senses, Dreyr’s body was already in motion.

“What… is this…?”

He stared intently into the eyes of the man, filled with questions.

Dreyr recognized the situation.

He understood what he had just done.

And then Dreyr—

Slash!

With his own hands, he ended the man’s life.

It was an act committed in a moment of impulse, yet there was no shock or guilt.

Instead, all he could think was that he must not leave any aftermath.

In the end, the man’s breath was completely extinguished, leaving only Dreyr alive in that place.

Leaving behind the man’s eyes, which remained filled with unanswered questions, Dreyr departed.

The last image of the man that Dreyr saw was him surrounded by countless monsters.

Thus, Dreyr returned to the camp alone.

And with a sorrowful expression, he conveyed the news of the man’s death.

He was a person of both skill and reputation, so many lamented his passing.

However, no one suspected Dreyr.

Given the circumstances and Dreyr’s reaction, there was no room for doubt.

Even if someone were to suspect, there was no evidence.

No one knew where the man had died, and by that moment, his body had already been devoured by monsters, leaving no trace behind.

—

Thus the man died, and the rumors subsided.

Dreyr had become unshakable.

And his world regained its stability.

Thus, the monster’s attacks came to an end, and Dreyr once again gained renown.

Time passed.

Dreyr aged, transforming from a promising warrior into a formidable power within the Empire.

His family, the Haxler, also gained influence beyond comparison to what it once was.

In that process, Dreyr met countless people and witnessed numerous talents.

Most of them were hardly worth a glance, but there were, very rarely, exceptions.

Brilliantly shining, perhaps a talent that could change the world.

Even with such talent before him, Dreyr no longer wavered.

He had learned how to respond to that talent.

How to protect his world.

Once again, time flowed on.

A war against the monsters erupted.

Dreyr displayed unparalleled prowess there, finally becoming the Empire’s greatest warrior.

Thus, decades had passed since Dreyr first encountered the man.

During those decades, a multitude of talents, reaching into double digits, vanished from the world without anyone knowing.

By none other than Dreyr’s hand.

And now, another talent was cast into shadow.

Wade Hebron, perhaps the most extraordinary talent in history.