A Dragonslayer’s Peerless Regression

Chapter 75

As the warrior from the Achilles family emerged into the dueling arena, he spoke his name.

"Pharel Achilles."

In response, Sieg also introduced himself.

"Sieg Draker."

Introducing oneself before a duel was a sign of respect and respect towards the opponent.

Sieg sensed something different from the Achilles family warrior compared to the previous two opponents.

'There was no wavering in his demeanor.'

This implied deep mental discipline.

Sieg slowly approached Pharel, carrying his shield and sword.

At that moment, Pharel lunged forward first.

Whoosh!

A massive shield collided with Sieg's front.

The shield's hefty impact shook Sieg's body.

Bang!

Sieg deflected the shield, reducing the impact from Pharel's attack.

Despite this, a considerable shock still penetrated him.

Sieg realized, as he sensed earlier, that Pharel was not an easy opponent.

Pharel did not miss an opportunity.

He maneuvered to the side and swung his sword towards Sieg's waist.

Whoom!

The sword sliced through the air.

Clang!

Sieg parried Pharel's sword with Bahamut.

Pharel frowned slightly at the sword's recoil caused by Sieg's counter.

The rebound force was intense enough to make his wrist ache.

Pharel admired Sieg's swordsmanship.

'His fundamentals are solid. And he's experienced in real combat.'

Sieg maintained his balance without faltering from any attacks and found the most suitable paths for counterattacks when openings appeared.

Sieg and Pharel stood close, engaged in intense close-quarters combat.

Clang!

Clash!

Whoom!

The sound of shields colliding and swords clashing resonated in a tense exchange of blows.

The local lords and family heads gaped in surprise as an unexpectedly high-level duel unfolded.

"My, my, there exists a knight who can contend evenly with Pharel Achilles!"

"The undefeated Pharel Achilles has truly met his match!"

Pharel Achilles held the champion title in the regional knight duel league, maintaining an undefeated legend.

As a direct bloodline member and a warrior representative of the Achilles family, he significantly contributed to the family's honor and achievements.

Whoom!

Amid the audience's admiration, Pharel's sword barely grazed past Sieg.

Sieg stepped back slightly, then accelerated forward, deflecting Pharel's sword with his shield before spinning around and swinging his sword.

BOOM!

It sounded like an explosion from Pharel's shield.

Simultaneously, Pharel's body was shaken vigorously.

"Huff. Huff."

Ragged breaths could be heard from inside his helmet.

In contrast, Sieg's movements remained mostly the same as at the beginning.

Pharel had to acknowledge that Sieg had a superior stamina to him.

'He's an incredible monster.'

He resolved to make the last blow the deciding factor.

Swish!

Pharel stepped forward with his left foot, focusing all his strength on it.

Bang!

With an incredible leap, Pharel's body launched forward like an arrow.

Hiding his body behind the shield and using the sword firmly was his ultimate technique.

Achilles-style Shield Spear Art

Ultimate Charge Technique

Rage of the Black Spear

It seemed as if Pharel's body had transformed into a massive black spear capable of piercing through anything.

Sieg aimed his sword at the approaching Pharel, likewise using his ultimate technique.

Agamemnon Golden Swordsmanship

Ultimate Counterattack Technique

Majesty of the Golden Sword

Sieg extended his shield forward and raised his sword above his head.

He then collided with Pharel's ultimate attack using his shield.

Crash!

The Rage of the Black Spear completely shattered Sieg's shield to pieces.

Sieg spun around, bringing the sword that was above his head down towards Pharel.

Pharel, too, raised his shield to block Sieg's golden sword.

Crash!

Pharel's shield also shattered completely under Sieg's sword strike.

BOOM!

With tremendous noise, both were simultaneously knocked back.

Thud!

Standing in the center of the arena, they now faced each other with broken shields.

It was then that,

"Stop!"

Rufus rose and halted the match.

He spoke towards the lords and family heads.

"I propose this match be declared a draw! It's meaningless to declare a winner and a loser in such an outstanding duel!"

At Rufus's words, those watching the match stood up.

They erupted in cheers and applause.

"Pharel! Pharel!"

"Sieg! Sieg!"

Chanting the names of both, they lauded the remarkable skills displayed in the duel.

Sieg and Pharel removed their helmets and approached each other.

"It was an excellent match, Sir Pharel."

Pharel grasped Sieg's hand and spoke.

"... It's my loss, Sir Sieg. Thank you for your consideration."

Pharel had sensed that during their final clash, when Sieg dodged his attack and countered, he held back his strength in his sword to only break the shield.

And indeed, it was the truth.

It was a friendly match more akin to a friendly bout, and Sieg saw no need to bestow defeat upon a remarkable knight like Pharel.

Pharel was greatly impressed by the young Sieg's magnanimity and composure.

Simultaneously, the heads of the three families in the spectators' seats rose.

"The Aegis family acknowledges Sir Sieg Draker's successor qualification."

"The Hectro family also acknowledges Sir Sieg Draker's qualification."

Finally, the head of the Achilles family spoke.

"The Achilles family, too, acknowledges Sir Sieg Draker's successor qualification."

With unanimous agreement from the three families, Sieg was now officially qualified as the successor to the Agamemnon family.

"Blessings to the new successor of the Agamemnon family!"

The arena filled with enthusiastic cheers and applause.

"Whew. That was tiring."

After the match concluded, Sieg finally managed to remove his armor and take a break.

Felix brought Sieg a cold drink.

He, too, was in a state of excitement.

"Master, it was an amazing match. I didn't know you had learned the traditional duel style. My goodness, a draw with the league champion!"

Sieg told Felix.

"Don't make a fuss."

"Sir Pharel Achilles is a famous great warrior, even I know! He has many fans in Atlas too."

"Sir Pharel saved my face. Besides, the Achilles family is known for spears rather than swords."

"Spears? But Sir Pharel always used only swords during the matches."

"That's what makes him a remarkable knight. Learn from it, Felix. Stop trying to run away all the time when the elders are training you."

"Ru, running away, no way!"

"Stop with the nonsense and go make some tea."

Felix grumbled as he went to brew tea.

However, the temperature was off, and Sieg scolded him again.

'At first, I thought he'd be quick, but he's getting lazier. At least it means Felix isn't a spy.'

While sipping the awful tea Felix made, one of the attendants approached Sieg.

"Young Master. Sir Pharel of the Achilles family has requested to meet you."

Pharel Achilles, who had just participated in the match, had come.

"Sir Pharel? Please escort him to the parlor."

Sieg dressed appropriately and went to the parlor.

Pharel, having removed his armor and dressed in Middle Kingdom nobility attire, was sitting neatly.

His prominent jawline and deep sideburns made him a striking figure.

He greeted Sieg with a polite gesture.

"Sir Sieg. I apologize for the sudden request to meet you."

Sieg looked at Pharel and spoke.

"It's an honor for a distinguished knight like Sir Pharel to visit. Please have a seat."

Soon, a maid brought tea.

Pharel was the first to speak to Sieg.

"Sir Sieg. I've learned a great deal from today's knight duel."

"The same goes for me."

Pharel spoke in a solemn voice.

"I have a request."

"Please, tell me. Anything within my capacity, I will do."

"Please allow me to assist you."

Surprised by this, Sieg asked.

"What do you mean, Sir Pharel?"

With a determined gleam in his eyes, Pharel replied.

"I've heard you'll participate in the Draker Martial Tournament soon."

As always, news traveled fast in the Central Continent.

Sieg nodded.

"Yes. I thought it was just a test of skills, but it seems I'm wrong after hearing more."

Pharel nodded in agreement.

"As you've correctly guessed, Sir Sieg, the Draker Martial Tournament is akin to a battlefield."

"My mentor, Duke, also described it that way. He mentioned it would be difficult without a supporting family, but he didn't elaborate. Could you tell me why?"

Pharel answered Sieg's query.

"The Draker Martial Tournament is a very peculiar event. Every tournament, the competition categories and rules change."

"Categories and rules change?"

"Yes. They're determined by the tournament preparation committee, consisting of officials. These officials also change each time, mostly consisting of elders from influential central continent families."

Hearing this, Sieg's expression shifted.

"Then does it mean these elders become officials who set the categories and rules?"

"Precisely. Soon, the preliminary and final categories will be announced. Starting from the round of 16, the categories and rules are disclosed one day before the match."

"Then if those officials support a particular candidate, they could set favorable categories and rules for that candidate."

"Exactly. Given equal skill levels, the more favorable the category is, the higher the chances of winning. Supposedly, if the rule says 'No aura usage in this tournament,' it must be followed."

'What kind of tournament is this?'

In his past life, being expelled from the Draker family, Sieg hadn't even had the chance to partake in the tournament, so he had no idea such absurd rules existed.

Sieg finally understood why the Duke mentioned it would be challenging to win the tournament without a supporting family.

'If there were collusion among them to set the categories and rules targeting the strongest candidates, there's a risk of elimination in the preliminaries.'

Pharel spoke earnestly to Sieg.

"Sir Sieg! Please permit me to be at your side as you prepare for the tournament!"

Once again, Sieg was surprised by the offer.

"You mean to act as an assistant, Sir Pharel?"

Pharel nodded with a dignified expression.

'Why is he suddenly doing this?'

Having suffered much in his past life, often being stabbed in the back, Sieg's first instinct upon receiving others' kindness was suspicion.

He stared into Pharel's earnest eyes.

'It is a bit overwhelming, but with the assistance of a renowned knight like Pharel, I would have an advantage.'

Sieg nodded towards Pharel.

"It would be an immense honor to have a noble knight like you aiding me."

At Sieg's approval, Pharel's face lit up with happiness.

Immediately, Pharel started to lay out what he had prepared.

The table quickly became crowded with a vast amount of documents.

"What is this, Sir Pharel?"

"A basic manual for preparing for the Draker Martial Tournament. I've told my attendants to fetch the advanced strategy guide from my home shortly."

Having a manual, not to mention a strategy guide for the tournament, was unheard of.

'I might have reconsidered entering the tournament if I'd known it was this complex.'

If Sieg had known it was this complicated, he might have considered refusing, even at the risk of angering Arthur Draker.

Then, Pharel again addressed Sieg with solemnity.

"Sir Sieg. Truthfully, one month remains, making it quite late to begin preparations for the tournament. Ideally, preparations should start two years in advance, as early as three years sometimes."

"Is that so?"

Pharel nodded affirmatively.

"In this situation, the most crucial aspect is the broker."

"A broker? Is it the meaning of broker I'm familiar with?"

"Yes. More elegantly put, a lobbyist."

A broker or lobbyist, it was the same essence.

Pharel took out a file from the stack of manuals and opened it.

The page detailed one individual's profile.

"In the Central Continent debutante circle, it's said nothing proceeds without this person. An individual tightly holding the reins of the social circles."

Sieg glanced at the photo and read the name on the profile.

'Katherine Graham. Duchess of the Graham family.'

Pharel addressed Sieg, stating,

"To prepare for the tournament, we must align Duchess Katherine Graham with our side."