A Dragonslayer’s Peerless Regression

Chapter 85

Sieg remembered the twins, Al and Jeff, for a reason.

"In my past life, those eccentric guys made the cure for the Crimson Blossom Disease."

As the disease spread, many people died, throwing the continent into chaos. During this time when no one could create a cure, it was none other than Al and Jeff who succeeded in its development.

Even more astonishing was that these quirky twins openly shared the formulation method for free, spreading it widely across the continent.

Thanks to them, the disease was quickly eradicated.

Sieg had also taught the cure for the Crimson Blossom Disease, which he had remembered from his past life, to Melissa Alencia. He recalled the information he had heard about the twins back then.

"After the cure, they received much funding and developed various things, but being eccentric, they ended up with almost nothing useful."

Al and Jeff, being the eccentrics they were, focused only on their favored research, creating new drugs closer to pranks than practical potions.

Potions that halted hiccups instantly, eyedrops that immediately cleared eye crust, or remedies for those with stomachaches from drinking milk.

They developed hundreds of such new drugs, but only a handful became marketable.

Sieg asked Feynon, "How are those twins' skills?"

"Their personalities are a bit unique, but they're certainly excellent alchemists."

If Feynon, whom Sieg recognized for his skills, said this much, it was undoubtedly true that their alchemy was genuine.

He said to Feynon, "So, what are their demands?"

"They requested various alchemy materials, but many seem unrelated to their current new drug research. Although I don't specialize in alchemy, I can tell how ingredients should be combined, and there were quite a few completely disparate materials."

Knowing the twins, they could easily use new drug development as an excuse to create their desired concoctions.

"Do you have any guesses about what they are trying to make?"

Feynon shook his head at Sieg's question, "I couldn't guess at all. So I cut the budget for what seemed like unnecessary expensive materials, and they immediately went on strike."

Sieg roughly understood the situation and said to Feynon, "Provide them with the materials they request."

Feynon was startled by his words, "Really? But that could be quite costly."

Sensing Feynon's intense reaction, Sieg hesitated as he asked, "... How much are we talking about?"

"Roughly estimated... around a hundred thousand gold."

"A hundred thousand gold? What materials are they requesting for such an amount?" he inquired.

"There are many, including golden hawk droppings that only inhabit the northern ice mountains, golden Komodo dragon droppings from the swamps, and Kraken King droppings found only in the Death Seas of the southern waters...,"

Feynon listed.

Sieg grimaced, "Why is it all droppings?"

Contemplating for a moment, Sieg nodded, "Get whatever you can. But make sure to emphasize that they must complete the new drug using Soma."

Feynon's face brightened at Sieg's permission, "Understood, master."

Beside him, Kay asked with a worried expression, "Are you sure it's okay to invest so much as a hundred thousand gold in those eccentric guys?"

"If a proper new drug emerges, a hundred thousand gold won't matter."

Sieg clenched his fist with a crackling sound, "If they don't produce the right results, I'll confront them personally for a warning."

Kay broke out in a cold sweat at his response, and Feynon awkwardly smiled.

* * *

"The Draker Martial Tournament quarterfinals begin!"

The large stadium set up in Atlas was packed with spectators. Banners from the sponsoring families cheering for the participants filled the front.

Among them, the large emblem of the Agamemnon family supporting Sieg and the incredibly ornate Graham family emblem stood out the most.

On the opposite side, families allied with the Zimmens family, who gathered their connections, cheered for Edward with a marching band.

In this lively arena, the participants made their appearances. Sieg's group, along with eight other third-round contenders, greeted the audience from the arena.

At first, Felix, who had refused to participate, was the most excited, waving to the audience.

Soon, Gareth appeared and announced the first match contenders.

"Felix Valencia, Morton Heros."

Realizing he was first, Felix was taken aback, glancing around nervously.

Sieg patted Felix's back with a loud slap.

"Aagh! That hurts, master."

"Stop dawdling and get up there. If you lose, you'll have to go into closed-door training."

Intimidated by Sieg's threat, Felix grumbled as he stepped onto the arena.

His opponent, Morton Heros, sneered at Felix. Morton was one of the notable vassals of the Zimmens family from the esteemed eastern region.

Morton, hearing Felix's unfamiliar name as his opponent, inwardly rejoiced.

"The quarterfinals will be a cinch," he thought.

"Begin the match!"

Zzzzzing!

With the referee's whistle, the tournament commenced. Morton approached Felix slowly, wielding his sword.

Smirking, he swung his sword at Felix.

Whoosh!

It was a clean overhead strike, befitting a dignified family. Felix subtly moved backward, dodging Morton's strike.

Morton snickered, "So he's not entirely clueless."

He adjusted his grip and charged at Felix.

"Ha-a-ah!"

With a shout, Morton swung his sword powerfully as if to slash Felix's waist in a single blow.

Clang!

However, Felix effortlessly parried Morton's sword.

Morton stepped back, smirking bitterly, "Lucky."

Felix, without responding to his mockery, took a step toward Morton.

Unlike his lighthearted demeanor outside the arena, Felix wielding his sword exuded an inexplicable intimidation.

Unconsciously, Morton flinched and backed away, "W-What's this? I'm getting intimidated by this guy..."

Suddenly, Felix lunged forward, swiftly closing the distance.

He raised his sword and executed a vertical slash. It was a clean and precise cut as if it came straight out of a swordsmanship manual.

"Haah!"

Morton barely managed to lift his sword to block Felix's attack. The force of the strike left his wrist tingling.

Felix continued to swing his sword in all directions without pause: vertical slashes, horizontal slashes, diagonal cuts downward, diagonal upward cuts, and more.

Though the moves were simple slashes, the relentless series of strikes left Morton's head spinning.

"Haah, haah."

Panting, Morton tried to regain his stance. His hand gripping the sword now trembled involuntarily.

"I'm being pushed by someone like this...?"

Despite his shock, Felix continued to advance half a step further.

Morton, growing anxious, retreated without realizing it. Before he knew it, he found himself cornered in the arena.

Seeing Morton's position, Felix raised his sword and bent his body like a bow, launching himself forward.

Then, he swung his sword powerfully at Morton.

Whoosh!

Morton tried to lift his sword to block Felix's strike. However, Felix's sword knocked Morton off his feet along with his weapon.

"Argh!"

The force sent Morton flying out of the arena, landing outside the boundaries.

"Felix Valencia wins!"

At the end of the announced match, Felix lowered his sword and returned to his usual expression.

"Phew, lucky the opponent was weak. I almost ended up in closed-door training."

In truth, Morton Heros was by no means a weak opponent. However, Felix, strengthened by following Sieg and being conditioned among the strong, had not realized how much he had grown.

The next match was between Reina and Liam, rivals who used to compete for first and second places at the Academy and now clashed again in the martial tournament.

"Please take care of me, Reina Draker."

In response to Liam's words, Reina nodded.

After the whistle signaled the start, both wielded their weapons, facing off against each other.

Yet they remained still, merely observing each other, familiar with each other's moves from their countless confrontations in the academy.

Spectators held their breaths, watching the intense standoff. As the tense stalemate continued, Liam was the first to disrupt the balance.

Whoosh!

Lowering his stance, he targeted Reina's legs.

Swish!

Reina leapt into the air, attempting to slash Liam's back. But with his long arms, he defended by swinging at an odd angle, intercepting Reina's sword.

Clang!

They separated once more, cautiously assessing each other. With aura powers restricted, they could rely only on their physical strength to wield their swords.

Reina had the unique strength and elasticity characteristic of the Turunn family, while Liam's long reach and flexibility allowed him to make unorthodox attacks.

This time, Reina initiated the offensive, incorporating the advice Sieg had given her. She executed attacks leveraging her whole body's elasticity.

Swish!

The swordplay was almost unbelievably sharp, despite not using any aura. Liam retreated and swung quickly, blocking Reina's assault.

Then he swung his long leg in a low kick.

Bam!

Caught off-guard by the unexpected kick, Reina received a blow. As her balance faltered, Liam seized the opportunity to close in.

Swish!

He swung his sword as if to slash her waist. Just then, Reina's eyes gleamed momentarily as her entire body's muscles came alive, surpassing her physical limits.

To her, it felt as if time had stopped.

'What is this sensation?'

It seemed like Liam's sword was approaching her slowly. Reina avoided his sword and twisted her body, closing in on him from the side.

She then swept his legs out from under him.

Whoosh!

Time resumed its flow, and Liam lay sprawled on the ground, bewildered as to how he had ended up there.

Reina felt intense pain as if her entire body's muscles were screaming. Enduring the agony, she poised her sword at his neck.

"Reina Draker wins!"

Breathing heavily to steady herself, Reina thought, 'I found a new way forward.'

The confrontation with Liam had ultimately become a stepping stone for Reina's growth.

Observing this, Sieg allowed himself a wry smile, 'Flash Technique. Indeed, a genius is a genius.'

In Sieg's previous life, the Knight of Lightning Reina's adaptations seemed to be gradually shaping up.

Watching from the side, Felix nudged Sieg and asked, "Master, since Liam lost, does he have to go into closed-door training too?"

Without answering, Sieg simply smacked Felix on the back and slowly ascended the arena. It was his turn next.

"Sieg Draker, Edward Zimmens!"

Sieg glanced at Edward Zimmens, carrying a spear in the arena.

'Hah, this bastard. Brought a magic spear, huh?'

While aura attacks were prohibited, Edward had secretly brought a magic-infused spear. With the ability to sense the source of aura and magic, it was evident to Sieg that the spear was enchanted.

Edward addressed Sieg, "Remember this well. Strategy ultimately overpowers strength."

Edward's attempt to justify his sly maneuver seemed pathetic. Without a word, Sieg lifted Bahamut.

The whistle blew to announce the start of the match.

With a shout, Edward charged at Sieg with the spear in hand, moving at a remarkable speed and strength akin to utilizing aura, thanks to the haste and strength-enhancing magic cast on the weapon.

Unperturbed, Sieg swung Bahamut at the incoming spear.

Swish!

"What?"

With a single stroke, the spear's blade was sliced clean off. Edward was left bewildered, failing to grasp what had just transpired.

Instantly, Sieg swung his sword at him.

Whoosh!

Edward attempted to block with the remaining shaft of his spear. However, Sieg was quicker.

He struck Edward with the flat of his sword.

"Aaagh!"

Edward, attempting to dodge, took a full hit on the back and emitted a bizarre noise as he crumpled onto the ground.

Seeing Edward knocked out cold from just one blow by Sieg, the spectators were left slack-jawed.

Even the referee took a moment before proclaiming, "Z-Sieg Draker wins!"

Medical personnel rushed in to carry away the foam-ladened Edward Zimmens. His numerous planned strategies were unused, resulting in his unceremonious exit from the tournament.

Sieg sheathed Bahamut and gracefully descended from the arena.

"Whaaaaaa!"

"Sieg! Sieg!"

The stadium erupted in cheers.

TL's Corner:

Any stragegy is meaningless in front of overwhelming strength.