I Became A Thief Who Steals Overpowered Skills

At the Green Pine Mansion’s training ground, Kraush stood alone, eyes quietly closed.

Since returning from Danphelion, he had significantly increased his training hours and was now focused on delving into his inner self. With the increased total aura quantity, he felt the need to become even more adept at handling it.

‘Expert high-level is now just on par with the Belorkin standard.’

In Balheim terms, it was a mid-level standard. Kraush wanted to reach at least the threshold of a master before entering the academy. To achieve this, training his aura was essential.

“Master Kraush.”

However, his concentration was disrupted before long, as Aliod appeared at the training ground. And Kraush knew well why his butler would come, interrupting his own training session.

“The Head Butler is here?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

The Head Butler had come to retest Kraush. The Head Butler’s examination was akin to a test that could alter one’s future in the direct line of Balheim. Kraush had his reasons to properly take on this test.

“Yes, Master Kraush.”

Aliod bowed and left. As Kraush finished checking his aura, two figures appeared at the entrance of the training ground.

White hair and a face marked by wrinkles. This was clearly an aged person, yet the intensity in her deep blue eyes did not match her age, burning fiercely. Those eyes were identical to Kraush’s, which was not a surprise since she was none other than Kraush’s great-grandmother, Keselin Balheim.

“It’s been a while, Kraush.”

Keselin greeted him with a kindly smile. However, Kraush knew well that her kindness was feigned. Behind that smile, she had always been calculating his value from the beginning to end.

“You have been briefed by Aliod, I assume.”

“Yes, you must have come for the re-examination.”

“I’m glad you are aware.”

She said so and, tapping the ground with her cane, approached Kraush.

“I’ve heard of your recent actions. They say you’ve taken down the Butcher Dog that caused trouble in the Empire.”

“It was simply good fortune.”

“Good fortune is also part of one’s skill, as you well know.”

That was indeed the case. It was that sliver of luck he needed to be born more than a half-penny, which was Kraush’s life.

She had always been the kind to relentlessly probe where it hurts.

“Let’s skip the pleasantries.”

Keselin pointed the cane at Kraush, her gaze fixed upon him. Before those eyes, any of the Balheim direct line would instinctively shrink. But Kraush simply met her gaze head-on.

“If you cannot stand on equal ground with Charlotte, you should abandon the position as the head of the family.”

At those words, Kraush blinked. Then slowly, a smile began to creep across his face.

Seeing his smile, Keselin wondered if he had lost his mind.

“Why fuss over the head of the Balheim family? No need to talk of giving up.”

But the reply that came next caused Keselin’s eyebrows to twitch.

“One’s rank naturally follows the strong.”

Just like Arthur, who was not of royal blood, was absurdly elevated to Emperor, in a world where power defines ones rank.

“Isn’t it far too early to discuss such matters?”

Kraush said with a relaxed smile. Realizing something, Keselin thought.

‘The reports weren’t exaggerations after all.’

Kraush had changed. He was entirely different from the person she had met a year ago.

What had changed him, she did not know. One thing was certain: a new turmoil was about to rise within the Balheim direct line ranking.

“Let us proceed with the examination.”

His response held an arrogant readiness. Keselin snorted and spun her cane before drawing a sword from it.

“Just one step.”

She issued a challenge as the blade slowly emerged.

“Drive me back merely one step, if you can.”

Hearing this, Kraush made a strange expression.

“Are you really sure that’s all?”

“Feeling scared now?”

Keselin taunted. She was a master-class fighter. Though age had prevented her now from facing the World Erosion directly, her skill had not waned. To Keselin’s eyes, Kraush was only just reaching expert high-level.

‘It would be a mistake to allow me time.’

Unfortunately for her, Kraush’s inner thoughts were entirely different. His reaction wasn’t due to fear. After all, executing an attack with just one strike was Kraush’s area of expertise.

He rubbed the back of his neck for a moment.

“I guess that will have to suffice.”

After all, it was Keselin. No issue handling it, presumably.

Kraush pulled his sword at his waist. And slowly, he shifted his back foot behind and extended the front foot.

A stance taken with the sword sheathed. Keselin’s eyes sparkled with intrigue as she observed.

‘A sword-drawing technique?’

A sword-drawing technique is learned to draw one’s sword swiftly whenever necessary. There was no reason to use such technique here.

‘A feint, perhaps.’

Interest appeared in Keselin’s eyes. She had once met a master of such technique.

‘That old master is long gone.’

Yet his sword-drawing remains vivid in her memory, for the scar left on the left side of her neck was his doing.

‘Let’s see if this will be worth watching.’

She spun her sword cane, waiting for Kraush’s attack. However, Kraush didn’t draw his sword but stood still, his eyes now closed, breathing deeply.

Keselin’s eyes filled with confusion. What exactly was he planning?

That’s when it happened.

Thump!

Keselin’s gaze snapped towards Kraush’s sword. A sword firmly planted in the sheath. She felt the aura resonating from it.

Thump!

Inside Kraush’s sheath, massive aura gathered like a storm, the growing aura seemed so chilling that even Keselin felt a shiver.

The problem was that she had seen this flow of aura before.

“Huh?”

A deflated sound escaped her as Kraush had already completed the process and drawn his sword in one swift motion.

But despite being slower, the technique was practically identical.

‘Sword Demon’s sword-drawing?’

The owner of the scar on her left neck – the Sword Demon’s sword-drawing.

Keselin’s eyes wavered involuntarily, having not anticipated that Kraush would use the technique.

‘Where on earth did he…’

While Keselin was still in a state of dismay, Kraush did not stop. His mind had already invoked an unwavering focus, drawing lines of a lake.

The Sword Demon’s sword-drawing yields explosive destructive power upon being drawn, akin to sword-body unity. The sword-drawing too required one to become the sword, and a sword to become oneself, to be successfully executed.

And within that technique, Kraush added a martial art from his own arsenal – a sword technique with his strongest destructive power.

One Sword.

Drop!

A falling raindrop echoed sharply within Kraush’s mind. With rising dragon-like vigor, the aura of One Sword whipped through his sheath.

Keselin, noticing this too late, widened her eyes as the air around Kraush seemed to flow in reverse, converging upon him.

Crrrack!

Teeth collided in that very moment. It was substantial.

One Sword and a sword-drawing technique. At the convergence of the two, Kraush felt the weight of the sword to be of a different dimension – far too heavy even to draw.

A flash of red streaked across Kraush’s eyes. As he bit down, faint steam escaped. Every muscle and nerve ending in Kraush unleashed the absorbed Annihilation Erosion in a blast of explosive vigor.

At that moment, even Keselin could not help but gasp.

And then.

His sword was unsheathed like lightning.

Rumble, crackle, snap, boom!

The storm of black flames that consumed the aura and erupted from the drawn sword sliced through the atmosphere, revealing its fangs to Keselin.

In the face of an even stronger strike than before, amplified by the Nine-Weeps Transformation Pill, Keselin’s aura blossomed from her body.

A master-class aura contains the person’s life experiences and essence.

Perhaps that was why, in front of Kraush’s strike, Keselin seemed far larger than before.

Her eyes holding the sword shone clearly.

Though she hadn’t planned to show off such skill before a boy of merely fourteen years, it seemed unlikely that she could block that attack with ease.

“I don’t know where you’ve snatched such a chance from.”

As Keselin drew breath, an illusion of petals scattered from her sword seemed to blow away.

The blue petals swiftly covered her blade and thrust out towards Kraush’s approaching sword.

The two collided amid Keselin’s smirk.

“It seems you really intend to become a dragon.”

Boom!

With her words, a tremendous roar rang out.

The billowing smoke muffled sight and sound simultaneously.

In the midst of this, Kraush, maintaining his precarious stance, heavily gasped for air.

And slowly, as the smoke cleared, there stood Keselin, significantly pushed back from her initial position.

Her blade, met head-on with Kraush’s attack, quivered – too overwhelmed to take the full impact.

Crack!

A fracture started to form along her sword.

Clang!

And with that, the blade shattered, clattering to the ground.

Keselin reached out, lifting the broken blade.

‘An old blade, yes, and my response was somewhat sluggish from the shock, but for it to break…’

A hollow chuckle escaped her lips.

Though his total aura was still a fair distance from reaching master-class, that strike alone seemed worthy of the rank.

“The examination…”

Keselin glanced at her original position.

More than ten steps were between her and that spot.

The result went without saying.

“You’ve passed.”

Since she became the Head Butler, had any direct descendant driven her back this much before adulthood?

Regretfully, even Charlotte had only managed seven steps.

Kraush had managed to drive her back three steps further.

Keselin turned to look at Kraush. That strike was clearly one that could only be executed with his full power.

Honestly, it wasn’t far from self-destructive.

But a result was a result.

“Take some rest.”

“Just a moment, please.”

As Keselin prepared to leave to report back, Kraush, still catching his breath, called to her with effort.

“I would like to join the Red Tower’s Sea of Balheim Knightly Order.”

As the Head Butler, she could pass a direct word to the general of the Balheim Knightly Order.

“…Why the Knightly Order of the Sea, specifically?”

The Sea of Balheim Knightly Order was only of moderate status within Balheim itself.

If it were to gain support for a future as the family head, then perhaps a higher-ranked knighthood to build credibility, but the Sea of Balheim seemed an odd choice even to Keselin.

“Yes, particularly.”

Since he insisted so, she begrudgingly nodded. It was also her role as the Head Butler to facilitate the growth of the direct lineages.

“Understood. I will relay your message.”

“Thank you.”

With that, Kraush collapsed in a sprawl onto the ground. Standing was at its limit for him.

‘Such an odd one.’

Thinking that the latest in the Balheim succession was quite a peculiar individual, Keselin left Green Pine Mansion.

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