Reborn as a Useless Noble with my SSS-Class Innate Talent-Chapter 149: Ch : Killing him is not easy - Part 1

A week after the recruitment deadline passed, Kyle decided it was time to see the fruits of his efforts.

Early in the morning, with Queen perched quietly on his shoulder, it flapped its wings once before settling down, as if sensing that today would be important.

’It is time. Let’s see what fruits are born by the seeds I sowed before.’

Kyle called Bruce and Melissa to accompany him and together they headed toward the grounds where the applicants were gathered.

As they walked, Kyle asked casually.

"How many do you think applied?"

Bruce chuckled, glancing toward the growing noise in the distance.

"Young Master, with the kind of benefits you’re offering… I wouldn’t be surprised if the entire adventurer’s guild packed up and joined you."

Melissa nodded in agreement, a little smile tugging at her lips.

"At least half the town must be here. They all must realize how great you are before they join."

Melissa’s blind worship was something Kyle ignored as he walked in front of her.

When they finally reached the grounds, Kyle found himself facing a massive sea of people—over a thousand individuals, from grizzled veterans to green rookies, all waiting eagerly for his arrival.

There were fighters, mages, archers, craftsmen—men and women of every age and build.

Kyle’s brows rose slightly in surprise.

He hadn’t quite expected this many. Still, the more the better. The town and his future armies would need strength.

Since his recruitment had not demanded prior adventuring experience, the skill level of the applicants varied wildly.

Some looked like they could barely swing a sword straight, while others held themselves with confident, steady stances.

Kyle turned to Bruce and Melissa.

"Separate them. Basic to one side, intermediate to another."

Bruce and Melissa immediately got to work, issuing orders and helping the applicants form two large groups.

Kyle watched carefully as the masses shifted around. After the sorting was done, there was a small third group left: those who were considered experts.

Only about two dozen people remained.

Kyle’s sharp gaze swept over them. Unlike the others, these experts all radiated traces of mana, some stronger, some weaker.

It wasn’t surprising—true experts were always more than just physically strong; they had to command mana to survive at higher levels.

However, something else caught Kyle’s attention immediately.

Among the experts, one individual stood out—not because he was more powerful, but because of the slight tension in his stance, the flicker of impatience, the sharp, calculating look in his eyes when compared to the calm readiness of the others.

A tiny crack in his facade—but enough for someone like Kyle to pick up on.

Kyle didn’t react outwardly, but he quietly marked the man in his mind.

’Potential trouble.’

Meanwhile, one of the experts, a tall, burly man who looked to be around his late fifties but still carried the vitality of someone half his age thanks to mana, stepped forward and asked respectfully.

"Young Lord, will my age be a problem for you?"

Kyle shook his head slightly.

"Age doesn’t matter. Only ability does. You’ll all have to prove yourselves in a test of skills."

Excited murmurs spread among the experts.

Many straightened their backs, eager for the challenge. They turned their attention to Kyle, awaiting his instructions with bright eyes.

Kyle scanned them one more time before locking eyes with the suspicious man. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and pointed directly at him.

"You. You’ll be first."

The man stiffened slightly, a flicker of something dark passing through his expression before he masked it behind a smile.

He stepped forward, trying to look composed, but Kyle didn’t miss the way his hand twitched near his weapon.

Bruce and Melissa, standing nearby, immediately tensed.

Queen shifted slightly on Kyle’s shoulder, letting out a soft but sharp screech—as if it too sensed the underlying hostility.

Kyle smiled faintly, but there was no warmth in it.

In truth, he already suspected that this man wasn’t an ordinary applicant.

After all, an assassin sent after him would hardly pass up the chance to get close during a recruitment like this.

It didn’t matter, though.

This was a good opportunity. Not only could he weed out threats early, but he could also show the crowd exactly what sort of leader they were going to follow.

Kyle stepped into the center of the sparring grounds, his mana gently pulsing through the air around him, calm and measured.

"Come."

He said simply, his voice steady.

The so-called applicant smiled, but this time, there was a gleam of malice in his eyes as he drew his weapon and lunged forward, aiming directly at Kyle’s heart.

It was a mistake.

A very, very fatal mistake.

The assassin stiffened the moment Kyle pointed at him, his mind racing.

’How did he notice me?’

He thought, cold sweat beginning to bead at the back of his neck.

He had blended in perfectly—or so he had believed. There had been no mistakes, no slips, no open hostility shown. Or at least, nothing a normal person would have caught.

But the young lord had seen through him with ease.

The assassin’s thoughts churned, but he quickly calmed himself.

’It doesn’t matter.’

Being singled out just meant he needed to act faster. If he succeeded now, he could claim it was the heat of the moment—an unfortunate accident during the test the young lord had demanded himself.

No one would blame an applicant for going a little too hard when proving their skills.

His plan felt foolproof.

The assassin tightened his grip around his blade and sprang into action.

His mana flared, his body shooting toward Kyle with deadly precision.

He poured everything into his strike—his strength, his speed, and his intent to wound fatally.

A flash of cold steel cut through the air toward Kyle’s heart.

But then—

Something impossible happened.

Before his weapon could land, the assassin’s entire body seized up. His limbs locked, his muscles frozen in place.

A crushing, suffocating pressure slammed into him, forcing his knees to buckle and his head to bow down against his will.

It felt like the weight of the heavens themselves were pressing down on him.

The blade slipped from his trembling hands and clattered uselessly onto the ground.

’What is this?!’

Panic flooded him. He tried to resist, to lift his arms, even to twitch a finger—but nothing answered his commands.

His entire body refused to move, like an invisible mountain pinned him in place.

Kyle stood calmly a few steps away, completely unbothered.

There was no dramatic surge of mana around him, no fiery aura or outward sign of strength.

Yet the assassin knew with absolute certainty that it was Kyle’s doing.

It was Kyle who was controlling this overwhelming force.

Queen, perched quietly on Kyle’s shoulder, let out a sharp cry that cut through the stunned silence of the gathered crowd.

Its wings twitched once, but it did not take flight—only watched with intelligent eyes.

The assassin’s heart sank lower and lower as realization dawned.

This wasn’t just some pampered noble’s son playing at leadership.

This was someone whose strength vastly exceeded what rumors said—someone who could kill him without lifting a finger.

And he had just made himself an example.

’B-But I am not done.’