FL - Chapter 92: Consecutive Breakthroughs!

Barnes dropped to one knee beside Weir. "Don't move! Cross your legs, shut your eyes! Follow the breathing method I taught you! Steady your energy. Don't let the Battle Aura run wild!"

Weir forced himself through the searing pain, sat cross-legged, and began cycling the Breathing Art. Each breath drew the rampaging energy into an ordered circulation.

"Good… feel it. Don't resist," Barnes murmured, exhaling in relief.

Louis stood to the side, watching the meditating boy.

Of the three Frostmane Tundra Hares, Louis had taken one himself. The second had gone to Lambert, Crimson Tide Territory's strongest fighter. The third now belonged to the boy before him.

Weir. Crimson Tide Territory's brightest rising star.

As for why he hadn't kept all three for himself—the answer was simple. The Frostmane Tundra Hare's medicinal potency was extraordinary, but its effects diminished sharply with each dose. The first could remake a man. The second was little more than a minor tonic. The third would be a complete waste.

Louis had no desire to hoard all three. Investing the last hare in loyalty and a promising subordinate offered far greater returns than a fleeting personal boost. In the long run, he needed people he could trust.

Of course, there was considerable risk involved. He could only hope this boy wouldn't let him down.

Weir's entire body burned red, but he maintained control and guided the Battle Aura along the familiar circulation pathway.

With every breath, the wild energy entered his bloodline and changed into a warm, clear current flowing through his body.

Then his frame gave a subtle tremor. A faint but unmistakable presence rose from his chest and shot straight up his spine. A red glow of Battle Aura shimmered into view around him, vivid and sharp.

Barnes, watching from the side, shouted, "He's already breaking through?!"

Low-rank Formal Knight!

"That much was expected." Louis nodded, unable to suppress his satisfaction. Weir had crossed the great divide between Apprentice and Formal Knight in a single leap.

But just as everyone assumed Weir had absorbed the full essence of the rabbit soup and would now stop the Breathing Art, he didn't move. His breaths grew deeper, longer. The aura cycled on like a tide.

Unease spread through the room. Had something gone wrong?

Then, in the next instant, a denser ripple of Battle Aura burst outward from his body.

Barnes's eyes flew wide. "Again?! He's going again?!"

Louis's eyes narrowed.

"He's trying to break through two ranks in a row?! That's not something luck alone can pull off! Don't get greedy, kid!" Barnes shouted.

But Weir paid no heed to the noise outside. The Battle Aura fluctuations kept climbing sharply. The aura around him—still immature just moments ago—had suddenly sharpened like a whetted blade.

The rhythm of his Breathing Art changed from steady to forceful, each breath striking like a war drum and condensing his power further. Faint currents began circling him.

Soon enough, a second layer of Battle Aura radiance emerged—denser, more grounded than before.

Mid-rank Formal Knight!

Barnes's jaw hung loose. "You've got to be kidding me! This kid… he just jumped two ranks in a row!"

The words had barely left his mouth when he realized that Louis, beside him, hadn't said a word. He glanced over—and found the lord still standing with his hands behind his back, his expression as composed as ever.

*That's the lord for you. Noble blood really is different. A miracle like this plays out right in front of him, and his face doesn't even twitch.* Barnes thought to himself in admiration.

What Barnes didn't see was Louis's fingernails biting deep into his own palms.

*He jumped two ranks in a row…* The shock surging through him far outstripped the calm on his face.

And Weir still had his eyes shut tight. The Breathing Art hadn't stopped for a second.

His momentum continued to build toward an even greater leap. Battle Aura flushed his face crimson, and sweat gathered across his forehead.

Louis's gaze suddenly sharpened. He now understood what the boy was aiming for.

*Don't tell me… he's trying to push straight through to high-rank? Does he have a death wish?!*

But right at the moment when the momentum seemed to be reaching its breaking point, Weir's body jolted—and the Battle Aura fluctuations cut off abruptly.

No breakthrough. But no catastrophic backlash, either.

He opened his eyes, clear-headed but visibly disappointed.

"Just a little short," he murmured. "Such a shame. So damn close."

For a moment, the office went so quiet even the wind seemed to hold its breath.

Barnes stood frozen in place, his mouth half-open like he'd been struck by lightning.

Beside him, Louis maintained the expression of a man who had expected everything.

Except—the corner of his mouth twitched.

And inside, he was already cursing up a storm.

Louis had begun as a high-rank Apprentice Knight and spent nearly ten years training, suffering, and fighting his way to mid-rank Formal Knight.

And this kid?

The boy drank a bowl of soup, sat down, and took a few breaths.

*Bang, bang.* Two ranks.

And he had the gall to look regretful?!

Louis took a deep breath, silently lifted his gaze to the ceiling, and suddenly felt very, very tired.

*Nothing makes you miserable faster than comparing yourself to others.* He ground his teeth inwardly.

Weir opened his eyes. The power inside him still surged like a flood tide, but the excitement in his heart surged even harder.

Weir opened his mouth, desperate to express his gratitude and loyalty, but the words refused to come.

But due to his limited education, all he managed to force out was: "My lord… I, I will definitely… definitely…"

And then he jammed.

Louis looked at the sight of him and the corner of his mouth curled upward. "Alright, save what's left of that brain of yours."

He paused, and his tone shifted. "Starting tomorrow, in addition to your basic training with Barnes, you'll stay by my side. You'll be my guard knight."

"G-guard knight…" Weir's eyes widened, his thoughts grinding to a halt.

It was something he had dreamed of countless times. He'd never imagined that dream would come true today. To personally follow this lord, to become his close-in strength, to walk every battlefield and witness every glory…

He was so overcome he didn't know what to do with himself. All he could do was drop to his knees with a thud, his forehead practically aimed at the floor.

"Enough of that." Louis grimaced. "I don't take men who do nothing but kowtow as guards. Do it again and I'll make you a stable boy instead."

Weir froze mid-motion, not daring to move another inch. But his face was still blazing red, and his eyes were shining.

He got to his feet, his voice trembling. "I… I won't let you down!"

Louis patted him on the shoulder. "I hope you live up to that."

Weir nodded like a woodpecker, pouring every ounce of his resolve into the motion.