Endless Leveling Done Right!

Chapter 34 -   I Donʼt Chase Glory, I Hold The Line So Others Can Claim It [Part 2]

”Stop laughing!” Lavinia demanded. ”You really are a coward. Instead of answering my question, you just hide behind your laughter.”

”Iʼm sorry about that,” Alex replied with a smile. ”Do you use any weapons, Lavinia?”

”Of course,” Lavinia answered. ”Everyone in the Hartwell family is a warrior. I am a sword whip user.”

”A sword whip?” Alex nodded. ”That means that you are a very talented person. Only versatile people could master such a weapon. Then, which weapon is better? The sword or the sword whip?”

”Isnʼt it the same?” Lavinia sneered. ”A sword whip is still a sword.”

”Then, let me change the question.” Alex smirked. ”Does everyone in the Hartwell family only use a sword?”

Lavinia frowned, but she eventually replied. ”Not everyone uses the sword. My grandfather wields the spear. Let me guess, youʼre going to ask me if the spear is better than the sword, right?”

The disdain in the young ladyʼs voice was very evident, prompting those who were secretly eavesdropping on the conversation to regard Alex with contempt.

”Why not?” Alex grinned. ”Which is better, the sword or the spear?”

”Both of them are good!” Lavinia, who had expected this question, already had her answer prepared. ”Both of them are weapons that can kill their enemies. The point is, my grandfather and brother fight at the frontlines and donʼt run away from the enemy!”

Alex clapped his hands and nodded in agreement.

”Youʼre right, both swords and spears are meant to attack and deal as much damage as possible.”

Lavinia felt more confident after hearing the young manʼs reply. She thought that the young man would downplay the sword and the spear, which would make him an enemy of the Hartwells.

ʼI hope he messes things up,ʼ Lavinia thought. ʼThat way, my brother will understand that he has made a mistake in choosing this coward as his disciple.ʼ

She believed that as long as she was able to see an opportunity, she could make this young man understand that he had come to the wrong place.

However, just as she was thinking along these lines, the young man raised a finger.

”But a sword and spear can still be stopped by a shield,” Alex asserted. ”You say those who use shields are cowards, right?”

”I do.” Lavinia nodded. ”Itʼs the truth!”

”Well, let me tell you that you are wrong,” Alex stated firmly. ”Those who use shields are not cowards. Why? Because they are the ones who take the hits that are meant for others.

”A sword and a spear are meant to attack and kill, while a shieldʼs purpose is always to protect. Those who wield it donʼt chase glory. They hold the line, so others can claim it.”

”What nonsense are you talking about?” Lavinia scoffed. ”Why take hits if you can just dodge? Are you a masochist?”

Alex decided to side-step the question, as if dodging the arrow with the label ”masochist” that Lavinia had shot in his direction.

He wasnʼt a masochist, so he refused to be called one!

”Not everyone is as strong as you, Lavinia,” Alex said before glancing in the direction of Etherion Village, where the rest of the Clawford Tribe lived. ”Some people donʼt have the strength to protect themselves. Evading isnʼt always an option, so they just take hits.

”And, you see, the Clawford Tribe wasnʼt founded by sword or spear. It was founded by a shield.”

”Again, what nonsense are you talking about?” Lavinia asked.

Last night, before sleeping, Alex had asked Dim Dim if it knew anything about the Clawford Tribe.

When it came to the game, Dim Dim was like a walking encyclopedia who knew almost anything about the history of Arcana.

And just as he had expected, the Dim Sum God told him the story of how the Clawford Tribe and Etherion Village came to be.

The village was founded over a thousand years ago by a Catkin who had been exiled from his tribe.

Along the way, he met several outcasts just like him.

Unlike Cairo and Lavinia, who were both talented, their ancestor had just been an average Catkin.

He didnʼt have any redeeming features, aside from the fact that he was a very stubborn person.

Just like a school of small fish, the outcasts banded together, forming a group.

None of them wished to become the leader, so they decided to hold an election.

Unfortunately, the one who was chosen to become their leader was Leonard Hartwell.

This ragtag group traveled across the land and faced many dangers together.

And... none of them was a warrior.

They were just a ragtag group of people who barely knew how to fight.

However, if there was one thing that humans and beastkins both had in common, it was their ability to adapt to their environment.

Wielding stones and wooden spears, they fought against the monsters that blocked their way.

Many died during those battles, and those who survived always feared that they might be the next ones to perish.

In the end, the people asked Leonard to join the battle and not just command from the back.

Left with no choice, the Catkin agreed to take the lead. But since he didnʼt know how to use swords, spears, bows, or any other weapons, he decided to choose the only thing that could preserve his life.

And that was none other than a shield.

Leonard and his small tribe went to the nearest town to take shelter for a few days.

Using that as an opportunity, the Catkin looked for a blacksmith who could forge him a shield.

Maybe he had been lucky, for the shop he entered was actually owned by a soon-to-be legendary blacksmith, who was in a bit of a slump.

No matter what kind of weapon he forged, he just couldnʼt seem to feel any inspiration from it.

Because of this, his talent stagnated, and his confidence hit rock bottom.

When Leonard entered his shop, he asked the Dwarf if he could forge something for him.

Feeling irritated that another client who wanted a custom-made weapon had come, the Dwarf asked Leonard to leave and told him that he no longer crafted weapons.

”Iʼm not here for a weapon. Iʼm here for a shield. The strongest and sturdiest shield that you can give me.”

The Dwarf looked at the Catkin in disdain and was about to send him out of the shop when he realized something.

He had crafted more weapons than he could count. But he had yet to craft a shield or a suit of armor.

Intrigued, the blacksmith decided to take on the Catkinʼs commission.

For him, making a shield was just lumping hard metals together and trying to make them look decent.

At least, that was what he thought at that time. But as he started to forge the shield, the passion he had forgotten came back to him.

Slowly but surely, the shield took form. After the Dwarf finished his craft, he added runes on the shield, giving it special abilities.

The runes made the shield sturdier, and it also allowed its wielder to resist a blow that could potentially take their life.

But, still unsatisfied with the results, he put a special rune that allowed the shield to harness the willpower of the person wielding it, raising its defense even further.

The Dwarf, who would later be known as Marcus, named the shield Everguard.

He hoped that the first shield he crafted would continue to guard its wielder, as well as those whom its bearer wished to protect.

After gaining the shield, Leonard stood at the front lines, fearing for his life.

But with Everguard by his side, he managed to turn the tide in their favor.

He would simply taunt his opponent, and the rest of the Clawford Tribe ganged up on whatever they were fighting.

Beaten and battered, Leonard and his tribe arrived at the foot of Mount Etherion.

It was a good place to settle down as it was surrounded by lush forests, rivers, and lakes.

Until the end of his life, Leonard stood at the front of any danger that their tribe was facing.

And because of this, the tribe members treated him and his family as their protectors, for they allowed the Clawford Tribe to survive.

This was why, even after hundreds of years, it remained a tradition for the Clawford Tribe to bow to the Hartwell Clan. It was a gesture of respect for the sacrifices their ancestor had made for their people.

”I donʼt chase glory,” Alex repeated. ”I hold the line, so others can claim it. Those were the words your great ancestor had said before he drew his last breath. As his descendant, you mustnʼt look down on those who wield the shield. After all, it was a shield that made all of this possible.”

Dim Dim, who was now perched on top of Alexʼs head, nodded because what the young man had said was the truth.

”They spoke of heroes in legends, but the Clawford Tribe needed no myths,” Alex said softly. ”Leonard the Everguard was neither the strongest nor the swiftest, but in the moment of reckoning, he was the one who stood when no one else could.”

Alex stood up, dusted off his pants, and walked down the stairs in a carefree manner.

Lavinia watched him go with a conflicted look on her face. However, the wind carried his words, allowing her to hear them.

”Everyone has something they hold sacred,” Alex stated. ”Regardless of whether we hold a sword, spear, stone, stick, or shield, there are times when we canʼt take a step back or dodge because behind us are things that we will risk our lives to protect.”

Those secretly eavesdropping on the conversation didnʼt know how to feel about the young man who knew about their villageʼs history.

At first, they had secretly ridiculed him when he had said he wished to be a Shielder instead of picking a Warrior Class.

But after hearing his tale, the contempt they had felt for him disappeared without a trace.

Cairo smiled faintly as he gazed at his grandfather, who was currently playing with his beard as he eyed the young man thoughtfully.