A Dragonslayer’s Peerless Regression

Chapter 74

Dudududu!

Dozens of carriages entered the tranquil city of Mycenae.

These were no ordinary carriages, each adorned with the emblem of a family.

The citizens of Mycenae murmured as they watched the carriages heading towards Agamemnon Castle.

"Whoa, could the rumors actually be true?"

"Could it really be that the curse on the castle has been lifted?"

"If not, why would those families suddenly gather in one place?"

The citizens recalled the sacred golden wave that had engulfed Agamemnon Castle a few weeks prior.

A hill that once seemed eerie and grotesque was now beautifully covered with roses.

As a result, a rumor spread among the citizens that the long-standing curse of the Agamemnon family had finally been lifted.

Of course, Sieg spreading the word through the syndicate played a role in its rapid dissemination.

The fact that the carriages of the lords were flooding into the castle only added credibility to the rumor.

* * *

The Agamemnon Castle, having regained its original appearance, was nothing short of elegant and sophisticated.

As the servants who had left long ago, as well as their descendants, returned, the castle quickly restored its former glory.

The bloodline families of Agamemnon and the lords of the surrounding regions were astonished at the sight of the restored Agamemnon Castle.

Among them, some shed tears of emotion, while others, having witnessed the passage of generations, showed no particular sentiment.

Still, a common thought echoed in the minds of most of them.

"Is it true that the family's curse is broken?"

The lords whispered among themselves in hushed tones.

That the Agamemnon family, which had locked the castle for 50 years, preventing anyone from approaching, suddenly summoned all the bloodline families was hard to believe at first.

Among the lords, there were those with dark expressions, bewildered by what had transpired.

Some families had prospered from the ban on external activities due to the Agamemnon family's curse, fearing that their vested interests would be taken away.

In the banquet hall, the genuine welcomers of the Agamemnon family's return were mingled with those not so pleased, creating a peculiar atmosphere.

Then it happened.

Bang bang bang baaaang!

Lively fanfare rang out, and Rufus Agamemnon, the host of the banquet, appeared.

The lords and family heads were amazed at Rufus Agamemnon, who had regained his original form after breaking the curse.

With a burly physique and tall stature, Rufus was a perfect fit for the traditional aristocratic attire.

Lords and family heads flocked to Rufus.

Through Rufus, everyone realized that the curse on the Agamemnon family had been lifted.

What remained to be seen was how they would react.

"My goodness, family head! To see you return in such robust health... I can hardly believe it!"

Whether genuinely feeling that way or not, most of the bloodline families exaggerated their expressions and movements to curry favor with Rufus.

The great power once at the heart of Central Continent could be seen.

Lords and family heads approached Rufus, placing kisses on the back of his hand.

Rufus accepted their kisses with noble grace and restrained movements.

When everyone had finished, Rufus spoke to them.

"I extend my gratitude to the bloodline families who have filled the void left by the Agamemnon family for so long!"

Those who harbored separate thoughts internally felt slightly shamed by Rufus's resounding voice.

"Could the central continent's conqueror be revived once more?"

As everyone gathered in the banquet hall gulped nervously, Rufus spoke again.

"The reason I've invited you all here today is to announce that the curse on the Agamemnon family has ended!"

As soon as he said this, cries of astonishment and relief escaped from the lords' mouths.

Simultaneously, Rufus continued.

"Furthermore! Today, the Agamemnon family will introduce the formal successor to the gathered bloodlines!"

At the mention of a formal successor, the family heads began whispering anew.

The return of the Agamemnon family and the appointment of a formal successor were two very different matters.

Even if they had once been the continent's conquerors, fifty years of seclusion couldn't be reversed instantly.

Yet here they were, unexpectedly presenting a successor.

The family heads waited with bated breath for Rufus's next words, feeling increasingly tense.

Then Rufus clapped his hands.

Fanfares resounded again as someone walked into the banquet hall.

Thud, thud.

Sieg, wearing the formal attire of the Agamemnon family, appeared.

Having turned seventeen, Sieg's physique had grown substantially, making him appear almost like an adult.

At that moment, one of the family heads exclaimed at the sight of Sieg.

"Zi, Sieg Draker!"

It was a noble who had attended Sieg's promotion party.

As Sieg Draker's name was mentioned, the family heads whispered amongst themselves.

"Sieg Draker? Could it be the continent's youngest to achieve blue rank?"

"Is it the genius who graduated from Valhalla as the youngest recently?"

As the banquet hall buzzed with excitement, Rufus raised his hand, calming the crowd.

Once silence fell, everyone on the dais looked at Sieg.

Sieg began to speak.

"My name is Sieg Draker. As a direct descendant of the Agamemnon family, I hold the rightful position as the successor."

Once again, sighs of awe emanated from here and there.

A direct descendant of the Agamemnon family and a pureblood awakener of the Draker family.

In addition, he held the title of the continent's youngest blue rank achiever and the youngest graduate of Valhalla.

If Sieg Draker was to be the successor of the Agamemnon family, regaining lost power and prestige would be a matter of moments.

Just then, someone raised a hand.

Rufus's gaze lit up.

It was from Achilles, one of Agamemnon's long-time vassal families.

Serving both as the strongest ally and, at times, the most fearsome adversary, the head of the Achilles family addressed Rufus.

"Honored Rufus Agamemnon. As your long-standing ally and loyal vassal, may I say a few words?"

"My most ancient friend, Arnold Achilles. Your sincere words have always enlightened me. Please, speak your mind."

Arnold Achilles stepped forward.

Pointing at Sieg, he said, "It is indeed a joyous occasion for the Agamemnon family to have a designated successor. However, according to the laws of representation, the Achilles family is obliged to verify the successor's qualifications for the Agamemnon family."

At this, two other heads of the families stepped forward, saying their piece.

"The Hector family is the same."

"The Aegis family wishes to fulfill its duties as well."

Upon hearing from the three families, Rufus nodded.

"I fully understand the duties and rights of you, my old and loyal vassals. Very well. How do you propose to verify the successor's qualifications?"

Arnold Achilles, taking the lead, responded.

"We shall adhere to the age-old tradition."

This ancient tradition referred to a knightly tournament.

A duel dating back to the Holy Empire, where combatants, clad in full plate armor, would engage in battle wielding shields and swords.

Rufus then spoke to Arnold.

"So be it. I shall verify the successor's qualifications through the knightly tournament, according to your ancient tradition."

The mention of the knightly tournament filled the faces of other family heads and lords with anticipation and excitement.

Rufus declared, "The champions who will participate in the knightly tournament should prepare and assemble in the arena in one hour!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the banquet hall erupted in cheers.

* * *

Precisely one hour later, people flocked to the dueling arena prepared at Agamemnon Castle.

The champions prepared by the Achilles, Hector, and Aegis families donned full plate armor, equipping kite shields, before entering the arena.

Thanks to prior notification from Rufus to these three families about the successor verification, they had prepped for the knightly tournament in advance.

The participants in the dueling arena were official knights of each family, well-acquainted with the format of the knightly tournament.

Each family brought champions well-versed in this knightly duel, aiming from the start to undermine the young successor, Sieg.

Finally, Sieg himself entered the arena.

Thud, thud.

He was clad in full plate armor and kite shield provided by the Agamemnon family, not Hersion.

Seeing Sieg, the champion from the Hector family spoke up.

"Are you sure about that sword?"

He offered unsolicited advice, observing Bahamut, a claymore longer than a typical sword.

Without answering verbally, Sieg responded by simply closing his helmet.

The first duel commenced immediately.

Sieg's first opponent was the champion from the Hector family.

Familiar with knightly tournaments, the Hector's champion displayed his sword, performing for the spectators.

Enthusiastic cheers erupted from the lords and family heads in the stands.

In contrast, Sieg calmly prepared, positioning his shield forward to minimize exposure while aiming his sword.

The Hector's champion beckoned to Sieg.

"O Successor of Agamemnon! Do your utmost!"

He taunted Sieg, spreading his arms wide.

Then it happened.

Kwa kwa kwa kwa!

Sieg dashed with incredible speed into the champion's embrace.

Then, with a heavy shield infused with momentum, he struck the champion's full plate armor head-on.

Bang!

A tremendous sound echoed as the Hector's champion was sent flying with a single blow.

Momentarily, the nobles, who were cheering, did not fully comprehend what had just occurred.

They stood in stunned silence, staring at the Hector champion crumpled against one wall.

Having lost consciousness from a single shield charge, the Hector's champion showed no intention of getting up.

The judge, equally dumbfounded, eventually caught his breath.

"Z-Sieg Draker wins!"

Despite the victory announcement, no cheers or applause ensued from the stands that still reeled in shock.

"Hmmm! Hem hem!"

Embarrassed by the completely unforeseen outcome, the head of the Hector family coughed awkwardly.

With tensions running high, the second duel began immediately.

This time, the champion from the Aegis family took the field.

Unlike the Hector's champion, he resolved not to underestimate his foe, fully intending to bring his best to the duel.

He carefully approached Sieg, shield and sword in hand.

Then it happened.

Whuuum!

Sieg's sword struck the champion's shield.

Bang!

Despite holding his shield, the Aegis champion faltered under immense force, losing his balance.

"Ugh!"

He quickly attempted to regain his footing, but Sieg offered no quarter.

Wham!

Sieg's heavy kite shield struck the champion's flank.

The Aegis champion was sent flying.

Crash bang!

The heavy full plate armor made it nearly impossible to regain one's footing once balance was lost.

The Aegis champion, however, was a seasoned knight with ample experience in knightly tournaments, swiftly regaining his feet.

"Heavy. Heavy."

He felt increasingly overwhelmed by the aura exuding from Sieg.

"Is this truly the spirit of a seventeen-year-old?"

Though he had heard of Sieg being the youngest knight to reach blue rank, he assumed Sieg to be a fledgling lacking practical experience.

Yet, face to face, Sieg seemed as impervious as a veteran of countless battles.

Sieg advanced with using agile movements, undeterred by the heavy armor and holding the kite shield, akin to wielding light armor.

"Ugh!"

The Aegis champion struggled to match Sieg's swift progress.

Employing Agamemnon's golden swordsmanship, Sieg engaged the Aegis champion in a fierce duel.

"I'm gradually adjusting to the armor now."

Initially intending to conduct some exchanges in the first duel, he inadvertently overpowered the first challenger due to unfamiliarity with the armor and shield, knocking him out in one fell swoop.

Sieg skillfully deflected the attacks and exploited openings, remaining perfectly composed in the close combat battle.

Utilizing the extraordinary senses of the Empyreal Constitution, he moved with astonishing agility even in exceedingly close combat situations.

"Whoa!"

Spectators erupted with excitement at Sieg's near-supernatural maneuvers.

Sieg sensed the moment to conclude the duel was imminent.

Whoosh!

Adopting the stance of Agamemnon's golden swordsmanship, Sieg shifted his center backward.

He swung his shield to disturb his opponent's balance.

"Ugh!"

The opening at the center was exposed.

Sieg immediately thrust his sword.

BOOM!

As with the Hector champion, the Aegis champion was hurled backward.

This time, cheers and applause resonated throughout the arena.

At last, the final contender, the champion from the Achilles family, stepped into the dueling ground.