A Dragonslayer’s Peerless Regression

Chapter 20

Upon acquiring the Swift Wind Technique, a special skill category appeared.

‘Special skill? Does it mean a secret technique?’

As Duke approached, Zeke closed the message window.

“It’s hard to believe even after seeing it.”

Duke was genuinely astonished.

It had already been over ten years since he retired from being a Black Knight and secluded himself at the academy.

Although he stayed to find a successor, that was now just a nominal reason. In truth, he had practically given up on that goal.

The Swift Wind Technique he had created was a skill with far too many restrictions to pass on to future generations.

Duke, who had only average talent with Aura, had developed it by pushing his physical body to the extreme in order to surpass his limits.

However, the academy’s promising talents focused more on honing their Aura power than their physical strength.

He had tested it with several talents, but none could keep up, and they all quickly gave up.

Naturally, he had nearly abandoned the idea of finding a successor, but he happened to catch a glimpse of Zeke, who showed potential for inheriting the Swift Wind Technique.

Unbelievable resilience and stamina, combined with an unwavering will.

He fit the exact profile of the kind of talent Duke had been seeking.

‘And he’s even being called an unparalleled genius? Ha, fortune must have smiled on me in my twilight years.’

As Zeke watched Duke quietly staring at him, he opened his mouth to speak.

“What is it, Master?”

“……”

Everything was good, but this disciple had a bit of an attitude problem.

Still, Duke was satisfied with the prospect of passing down the Swift Wind Technique.

He grinned widely.

“Heh heh. My dear disciple. Let’s work well together from now on.”

Zeke shivered at the sudden display of affection.

And so, from that day forward, hellish training began in earnest.

Overjoyed at having found a true successor, Duke poured out his knowledge without reserve.

If it had been anyone other than Zeke, they would have quit and fled within a day due to the sheer intensity of the training.

“From now on, during the training period, you’re prohibited from using Aura.”

For Zeke, who had not yet undergone Aura awakening, this was actually a blessing in disguise.

Since the foundation of the Swift Wind Technique lay in developing pure physical strength, Zeke relied on his Healing Factor and Endless Stamina to keep up with Duke’s training.

In truth, before his regression, Zeke had briefly worked as a swordsmanship instructor in the North.

Based on that experience, Duke’s teaching methods were utterly unrefined.

‘This is complete overwork. I can manage it, but if it were anyone else, their body would break down from this kind of training.’

Having risen to the rank of Black Knight purely through his own efforts, Duke had a strong tendency to push forward with the belief that hard work alone would suffice.

Zeke recognized the shortcomings of Duke’s crude, perseverance-based training methods and adjusted them as needed to fill in the gaps.

Thus, except for the common classes of the special section, Zeke spent the entire day receiving private training from Duke in the greenhouse training hall.

Around the time Zeke had been under Duke’s intensive training for about a month, rumors began to circulate in the academy.

The rumors claimed that Zeke was receiving private training from a high-ranking knight of his family.

Since Zeke had no intention of making friends at the academy, he was completely unaware of these rumors.

Moreover, he was already overwhelmed just keeping up with Duke’s excessively demanding training, leaving him no room to concern himself with gossip.

After starting his Swift Wind Technique training, Zeke’s appetite had noticeably increased. Today, too, he filled his tray with about three times the amount of food a normal cadet would eat and devoured it in the academy dining hall.

At that moment, someone approached and sat down across from Zeke.

Zeke, uninterested in whoever it might be, focused solely on eating.

“Zeke Draker.”

Hearing someone call his name, Zeke finally lifted his head and looked at the person before him.

‘Andre?’

A young man with delicate features, more fitting for a mage than a knight.

Andre Draker spoke in a low voice.

“Could you spare a moment?”

Since Zeke had been exempted from the basic Dragonslaying Art class, he hadn’t had any dealings with Andre.

Zeke, however, could sense the unease hidden beneath Andre’s stern expression.

‘He must have heard I became Duke’s disciple.’

Picking up his tray, Zeke stood up.

“Let’s have a cup of tea.”

Zeke led Andre to the Platinum Floor Lounge.

They found a seat in the sky lounge, which offered a view of the entire academy. Soon, attendants brought tea to their table.

Zeke, who had enjoyed tea in his previous life, savored the fragrance of the finest tea, which was not easily available outside.

In contrast, Andre didn’t even touch his cup.

“How did you persuade him?”

Zeke took a sip of his tea and replied.

“What are you talking about?”

Andre’s eyebrows twitched.

“Are you going to play dumb?”

The fact that Andre, a knight of the main household, had come to personally question Zeke, a far junior member, spoke volumes about his desperation.

Watching Andre, Zeke shook his head.

“I never persuaded my master.”

At the word “master,” Andre bit his lip.

“You’re saying you didn’t persuade Duke to take you as his disciple?”

“No. If anything, I think I was the one persuaded.”

It wasn’t a lie.

Though Duke had fallen for Zeke’s scheme, it was ultimately his own decision to believe that Zeke was the right talent to inherit the Swift Wind Technique, and he had continued to linger around him.

Andre was left speechless by the unexpected answer.

Though he had become a knight of the main household through exceptional talent, Andre realized his limits during his time at the Four Constellations.

Among his peers, no one could match him, but the continent was vast, and the Four Constellations were teeming with monsters beyond imagination.

That was why Andre had volunteered for the unpopular academy instructor position instead of taking on knightly missions that would bolster his reputation.

It was an open secret among the Four Constellations that Duke Draker, the former Black Knight, had secluded himself at the academy.

Duke Draker, a commoner and an ordinary awakened individual who had risen to the rank of Black Knight, was a legendary figure within the Four Constellations.

Andre believed that inheriting Duke Draker’s *True Mountain Severance Technique* was the only way to overcome the wall of Pureblood Awakening.

He had persistently followed Duke, pleading to be taken as his disciple, but was repeatedly refused.

Then, out of nowhere, Andre heard the news that Duke had taken a first-year cadet as his disciple.

He stared at Zeke with a mix of despondency, jealousy, and curiosity.

And of all people, it had to be a Pureblood Awakened who had gotten on his nerves from the very first day of the basic Dragonslaying Art class.

Grinding his teeth, Andre’s frustration was palpable.

At that moment, Zeke spoke.

“Instructor, why do you seek to master the Swift Wind Technique?”

Andre’s face stiffened further as he slowly responded.

“It’s only natural for a knight to seek strength. Is there something wrong with that?”

Zeke shook his head at those words.

“No, you’re absolutely right, Instructor. However…”

Zeke looked directly at Andre and continued.

“I think your method is flawed.”

Hearing what felt like a reprimand from someone much younger, Andre’s insides burned with anger.

‘These Pureblood Awakened bastards…’

Suppressing his fury with difficulty, Andre asked Zeke.

“What do you mean by flawed, cadet?”

“The Swift Wind Technique doesn’t suit you, Instructor. If you want to become stronger, learning a different skill would be better.”

Upon hearing Zeke’s words, Andre shot to his feet.

“I cannot tolerate further insults.”

Zeke fixed his gaze on him and replied calmly.

“I never intended to insult you. If you feel insulted, it’s likely because of your inferiority complex toward Pureblood Awakened.”

Zeke’s blunt remark didn’t just sting—it shattered Andre’s composure, leaving his face flushed red with embarrassment.

Zeke was the first person to openly call out Andre’s inferiority complex.

“Are you done talking, cadet?”

“No, I’m not finished yet.”

“Go ahead, then. Let’s see how far your arrogance can go.”

“Tell Master that it’s enough for you to simply stay by his side, not as a disciple.”

Andre’s face twisted at the utterly unexpected remark.

“Are you telling me to become a squire?”

“No. You’re overestimating yourself. I was thinking more along the lines of a servant.”

Andre’s blood boiled.

Deciding there was no point in listening further, Andre clenched his teeth and stormed off.

At that moment, Zeke called out from behind him.

“Does that damn pride of yours make you stronger? Stop being stubborn about something that doesn’t suit you and think about what you truly need!”

Andre paused for a moment.

He turned to look back at Zeke, staring at him without saying a word. Then, without responding, he turned away again and left the lounge.

Watching Andre leave in silence, Zeke shook his head.

“Phew, I’ve done all I can.”

In his previous life, Andre received Duke’s teachings and later earned the title of the *Red Eye Knight*.

Feeling some responsibility for altering Andre’s future, Zeke had offered advice out of a sense of conscience. But if Andre couldn’t accept it, there was nothing more Zeke could do.

Draining the rest of his tea, Zeke stood and left.

The next day, Zeke headed to the greenhouse for training, only to be left speechless at the sight before him.

“Huff… huff…”

Andre was drenched in sweat, running laps around the greenhouse training field.

With a bewildered expression, Zeke turned to Duke.

“What… what’s going on, Master?”

Duke, picking at his ear with an annoyed expression, replied.

“That leech of a brat begged to at least be allowed to stay nearby, even as a servant. I told him I’d accept if he could run 300 laps without using Aura.”

For the knights of the Draker Household, being told not to use Aura was akin to being told to stop breathing.

Andre, who already lacked stamina, was pale-faced as he struggled to run.

“How many laps is he at now?”

“This is his 298th. Hah, that guy’s as stubborn as they come.”

Andre, his face turning a sickly blue, was using every ounce of willpower to suppress his Aura and complete the laps using only his raw physical strength.

“Huff… huff…”

By the time he reached the final lap, his stamina was entirely drained. He staggered, practically crawling as he dragged himself to finish the last lap around the field.

Seeing Andre in such a state, Zeke realized he had misjudged him.

‘I thought he was just a sheltered noble, but it turns out he’s got some grit.’

Andre, nearly a walking corpse, dragged himself through the final lap and crawled over to Duke.

Panting heavily, Andre managed to speak.

“I… I finished… all of them.”

Duke clicked his tongue as he looked at him.

“A knight of the main household wheezing like that after just running those laps? Seems the Four Constellations is doing real well these days. Back in my time, we’d wake up at dawn and run 500 laps around the central training field of the Four Constellations without using Aura!”

With a face that looked like death itself, Andre gasped out.

“You… you must… keep your promise…”

Duke frowned in annoyance but nodded begrudgingly.

“Ugh, you annoying brat. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but do as you like.”

Hearing those words, Andre finally collapsed, losing consciousness.

Duke clicked his tongue again and shook his head as he looked at Andre.

“Young knights these days, I tell you. Back in my day…”

“Enough already. What are we learning today? I’ve already finished all the advanced movements last time.”

“You cheeky little brat. The Swift Wind Technique has infinite variations, so you’ll never be done with its applications. Someone who’s barely taken their first steps shouldn’t be acting so full of themselves.”

Zeke’s rapid learning speed had prompted Duke to reprimand him deliberately.

It had taken less than a week for Zeke to master all the basics of the Swift Wind Technique.

Flustered, Duke had moved on to teaching advanced movements, but Zeke absorbed everything like a sponge, mastering each technique as soon as it was taught.

Worried he might run out of material to teach in less than a month, Duke had started dragging out the lessons intentionally.

“So, what are we doing today?”

Duke clicked his tongue at Zeke.

“You overconfident rascal. Today, we’ll review what you’ve learned.”

“What? Suddenly, a review?”

“Something’s come up, and I need to step out for a bit.”

“You’ve got other responsibilities here, Master?”

As Duke raised his hand to smack Zeke’s head in annoyance, Zeke quickly dodged using footwork.

“That brat, always full of tricks!”

Duke, watching Zeke dart around like a mischievous monkey, muttered with a displeased expression.

“A troublesome guest is coming tomorrow. What a pain.”

“Who’s coming that even you have to prepare for it?”

Duke scratched his ear roughly and replied.

“Who else could it be? The head of the great Draker Household himself, Arthur Draker.”