NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 25
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Demon God’s male Disciple]
[Quality Checker – Kawaii]
Chapter 25: Proof (5)
Damien’s training didn’t conclude until an hour had passed.
“Ugh…ugh….”
“S…Save me….”
“My…my arm… my arm….”
The knights lay strewn on the ground, groaning in pain.
Observing these knights, Damien clicked his tongue.
“These pitiful fools.”
They hadn’t anticipated that participating in the duel would leave them unable to move after just an hour.
“I wanted to keep going a bit longer.”
Damien sheathed his sword and removed all the magical artifacts he was wearing.
In an instant, his heavy body felt light, accompanied by an exhilarating sense of liberation.
Using mana, Damien assessed his body’s condition.
His muscle mass had noticeably increased as compared to what it was before the training.
“It’s indeed an incredible elixir, as rumored.”
By combining the effects of an elixir that caused bodily growth just by its consumption with his training, Damien maximized its efficacy.
Thanks to this, Damien achieved results satisfying even to himself.
In his heart, he wanted to immediately consume a second Balancing pill.
“Uwaaah… Uwaah.”
“M…Mom… Mom….”
However, it was not feasible to continue the training. Damien clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
“Hey, you.”
Damien pointed to a small-built knight—the one who had initially spoken to Damien.
“Kuuh… Kuwee….”
The knight was in no condition to answer due to his groaning. Damien narrowed his brow and spoke again.
“If you don’t answer, I’ll break both your legs.”
“U-ugh! Why…why did you call me!”
Startled by Damien’s warning, the knight hastily corrected his posture.
“What was your name?”
“P…Pavel Vermound, sir!”
“Right, knight Pavel Vermound. How do you feel after undergoing my training?”
Pavel Vermound made a face as if chewing on a bug. He tightly sealed his lips, but his dissatisfaction was evident.
“No answer?”
“I…I think it was an incredibly practical and beneficial training, sir!”
“Good. You’ve assessed it accurately.”
Damien nodded contentedly as Pavel Vermound’s expression twisted again.
“Who trained you guys?”
“W…We are being trained by Sir Sebastian Vincento!”
Pavel Vermound glanced at Damien and added,
“B…By the way, Sir Vincento is a Mid-Class knight. He is specially guiding us in preparation for the duel. If we return injured from such strict training, he will surely be greatly displeased.”
Pavel Vermound’s words suddenly accelerated, seemingly meant as a warning.
‘What’s the big deal if that guy is a Mid-Class knight?’
However, Damien couldn’t care less.
‘This kind of training, huh.’
Though Damien had never met him, the knight seemed incompetent to him.
Inwardly, Damien wanted to dismiss that training.
“If I did that, I’d just create another enemy out of a Mid-Class knight.”
While High-Class knights are strategic weapons, Mid-Class knights can be considered the core of a family at the frontline.
They primarily intervene in numerous disputes within and outside the family. Hence, Mid-Class individuals are often dispatched outside their lineage.
This was also why there was only one Ernest Horowitz from the Mid-Class within the Duchy.
“When Vincento’s training ends, come here. I’ll have a duel with you.”
“Y…Yes?”
Pavel Vermound replied in surprise.
“If I return beaten up, sir Vincento won’t stay quiet!”
“Check your body. Are there any injuries?”
At Damien’s words, Pavel Vermound inspected his body.
“Huh?”
Previously, he had thought that he’d have bruises or broken bones from being hit by Damien.
But Pavel Vermound’s body was perfectly fine without a scratch.
“H…How?”
“I learned how to beat people up a bit more thoroughly back in the day.”
Among the masters Damien had fought, there was a figure known as the Personality Adjuster.
The Personality Adjuster had reached the status of a master for a very peculiar reason.
He traveled the continent and made it his profession to reform criminals.
His method of reforming criminals was very simple.
First, he beat them for an hour.
And if the correction didn’t take effect, he doubled the time for the beating.
At first, it was one hour, then it increased to two hours then four hours then eight hours and so on.
According to rumors, there were criminals who have endured his beatings for up to a maximum of 512 hours.
In the process of reforming criminals, the Personality Adjuster developed empathy for criminals who were beaten to a pulp by him.
Thus, contemplating how to discipline criminals without causing harm to them, he ascended to the level of mastery. The state of mastery he attained was called ‘Superficial Pain’ where no matter how hard he struck, it only inflicted pain without causing a single drop of blood.
“Let me warn you in advance. If you report today’s events to Sir Vincento, or not show up here tomorrow, or do something else that would disrupt the training… then”
Damien raised his eyebrow, and his aura flared.
Pavel Vermound and the other knights couldn’t withstand Damien’s aura.
The weakest knight has foam coming out of his mouth, trembling all over.
“Prepare to be at my mercy all day long.”
Since that day, the training of Damien and the dueling knights began.
Every day, Damien called the knights and used the guise of training to subject them to beatings.
“Sir Damien! No, Lord Damien!”
An impatient Pavel Vermound grabbed Damien’s sleeve and exclaimed.
“We were wrong! I apologize for the rudeness I showed to you when we first met! Please forgive us now!”
Damien brushed off Pavel Vermound’s hand.
“Hey, your words sound a bit off, don’t they? You’re speaking as if I’m tormenting you lot.”
“N…No, it’s not like that…”
“I didn’t say anything. I’m in the middle of training you guys right now.”
Pavel Vermound had much to say but kept a restrained expression.
‘Blind fools even if gold is placed before their eyes, they would ignore it because of their short sightedness.’
Damien inwardly clicked his tongue.
Unbeknownst to them, when Damien engaged in duels, he used a specific swordsmanship.
It was the Lion’s Swordsmanship technique used by the knights of Marquis Ryanblum.
Elevating the skill of knights within a month was challenging.
Therefore, Damien decided to acclimate them to the Lion’s Swordsmanship technique.
‘I thought maybe one or two would recognize it.’
Yet not a single knight recognized it. It was evidence of their lack of experience.
“You rested enough, spewing useless words, now get up quickly.”
Damien Haksen spoke while striking the ground with the training sword.
Five days passed in this manner.
During this time, Damien successfully absorbed all the Balance pills while he trained with the knights.
The transformation he experienced was truly dramatic.
Originally, Damien’s body had lean muscles, but when he dressed up, he appeared slightly thin. But now, his physique had changed to a robust build. It was all thanks to the Balance pills, which significantly increased his muscle mass.
“It’s not just an external change.”
Damien swung his training sword. With a crisp sound of wind, the sword penetrated deep into the ground of the training area.
“The quality of my muscles has changed. They are much sturdier and are overflowing with strength.”
There’s no need to ponder over the fact that a tiger’s muscles are superior to a dog’s.
The Balance pills had developed Damien’s muscles to a higher level.
“Truly the elixirs of Azort Archaeus.”
Damien was greatly satisfied with his transformation.
“Ugh… Aaah…”
Knights lying on the ground groaned in pain.
Damien glanced at them.
“They’ve also grown a lot.”
Initially, they couldn’t resist Damien’s attacks and only took hits. But after ten days, they had come to a level of somewhat responding to his attacks. It meant they were gradually adapting to the Lion’s Mane Sword.
While it was due to Damien’s leniency, it was also because of their exceptional talent.
‘They weren’t chosen as dueling knights for nothing.’
If this continued for another month, they would easily won the duels against Marquis Ryan Bloom .
“What’s wrong with you all! Get up right now! The training isn’t over yet!”
Damien shouted loudly. The knights continued lying on the ground.
“If you don’t get up, I’ll beat each one of you to death!”
After Damien threatened once more, the knights sprang to their feet.
At that moment,
“Sir Damien! There you are.”
The Duke’s attendant rushed into the training area.
“His Excellency is looking for Sir Damien.”
“What’s the matter?”
“That… ”
The attendant’s expression stiffened, as if he was in trouble.
“Duchess Chelsea Goldpixie will return shortly.”
[TL/N- Chelsea is a name not a title as stated previously]
[PR/N- That is why I told you to drink ‘apple juice’ less
Damien immediately headed to the conference room.
The Duke was already present in the room along with his entourage. The number of people present were fewer than when Damien had attacked the Duchy. Back then, there was a discussion about the tournament hence attendants from other regions had also gathered, incomparable to the current situation.
Damien glanced around. Judging by the absence of any women, it seemed that Duchess Chelsea hadn’t entered the conference room yet.
“Oh, Damien.”
The Duke waved his hand, and Damien went to stand beside him.
“I heard that Duchess Chelsea will be returning soon.”
“Yeah, she sent a message to inform us beforehand. She said she’s on her way back.”
The Duke smiled broadly, but his eyes didn’t share the same expression.
“It would have been better if she hadn’t returned after going abroad.”
His words were so severe that it was hard to believe a father would say that to his daughter.
“I don’t know what knight Chelsea will bring back. But let me tell you this, if the knight she brings is better than you, then I would change the representative position.”
Contrary to the demeanor he had shown so far, the Duke’s attitude was remarkably harsh.
“Your Highness, seems like you’ve already forgotten what I said last time.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“No matter whom she brings, He won’t be better than me.”
The Duke had a moment of bewilderment before bursting into loud laughter.
“Hahaha! I like this attitude of yours! Always full of confidence.”
The Duke patted Damien’s back vigorously.
At that moment, footsteps were heard outside the door.
By the sound of it, there were over a dozen people approaching, if not more.
As the noise drew closer, the guards at the conference room opened the door.
More than ten men, led by a young woman, were approaching.
They all seemed to be warriors, exuding a fierce aura.
“Father, it’s been a while.”
The young woman knelt on one knee, and the men behind her replicated the gesture.
“I, Chelsea Goldpixie have returned.”
A clear voice echoed throughout the conference room.
Damien stood beside the Duke, observing Chelsea Goldpixie.
She was quite different from the noble ladies Damien had seen until now, in many aspects.
First was her attire. She wore simple and practical travel clothes. They appeared worn-out, indicating they had been worn for a long time.
Her hair was modestly tied back, exposing her neckline.
‘Above all, her gaze is different.’
It seemed to hold a small spark, a look filled with ambition, something only those brimming with ambition had.
‘Is this why the Duke seemed displeased?’
Conflicts between parents and children in noble families were quite common, where one seeked a swift succession to power, while the other wanted to firmly hold on to the power.
“Chelsea, you’ve returned safely.”
Despite his inner thoughts, the Duke warmly welcomed Chelsea, extending his arms to her.
“So, have you brought the knight to participate in the duel?”
Chelsea gestured, and someone from the group stood up and walked forward.
He was a man of considerable stature, reminiscent of a black bear with abundant fur on his body.
His eyes were rather small, while his black mustache was so large that the white one was barely visible.
He carried two axes on his back, clean but emitting a faint scent of blood.
“Greetings, your Highness!”
The man spoke with a booming voice that echoed in the conference room.
“I am Guillaume Blackwing!”
As soon as his name was mentioned, the conference room buzzed with noise.
Damien had no prior knowledge of who Guillaume Blackwing was.
Most of the knights he remembered were mostly Master Class. He wouldn’t bother remembering anyone from the Low Class stage.
“Guillaume Blackwing… the man famous as a Freelancer knight?”
“He was involved in the conflict in the Eclairean Kingdom and almost massacred the Low Class knights there…”
“He’s considered unmatched among the Low Class stage.”
However, understanding who Guillaume Blackwing was posed no problem.
Just by listening to the conversation among the entourage was enough.
“Ah, I see.”
Even the Duke showed interest in Guillaume Blackwing. The Duke carefully examined him and asked,
“I’ve heard much about you. They say you’re called ‘Wild Beast’ due to your ferocity on the battlefield?”
“It seems my reputation has spread to the Apple Kingdom as well.”
Guillaume Blackwing chuckled roughly, pleased with the recognition.
Though referred to as a knight, he lacked any understanding of manners.
“Father, Guillaume Blackwing has graciously pledged allegiance to me and has agreed to participate in this duel.”
Chelsea Goldpixie stepped forward and spoke.
“If it’s Guillaume Blackwing, he should be able to adequately compete with Michael Ryan Bloom. If father supports us, our chances will increase significantly.”
The attendants nodded in response to her words.
“Guillaume Blackwing might truly make it possible.”
“Michael Ryan Bloom is known as a genius, but judging their reputation, isn’t Guillaume Blackwing more famous than him?”
“Whilst Michael Ryan Bloom is still evolving, Guillaume Blackwing is already a veteran.”
The opinions of the attendants were highly positive. However, the Duke did not share their sentiment. “This has become quite a headache.”
The Duke massaged his temple, muttering. Chelsea tilted her head in response to his words.
“Yes? What do you mean?”
“I haven’t introduced him yet.”
Pointing towards Damien Haksen, the Duke spoke.
“He’s Damien Haksen. He’s become the representative for this duel.”
Chelsea’s eyebrows twitched.
“What do you mean? I asked you to wait.”
“I did say that. But did I ‘promise’ to wait?”
Chelsea’s mouth twitched slightly, appearing bewildered.
“…Then, change the representative now.”
“I need to consider that.”
“Why do you need to consider that? I’ve never even heard of a person named Damien Haksen. Choosing someone like him, who seems utterly insignificant, over Guillaume Blackwing is not logical, is it?”
Chelsea glared at the Duke, pouring out her words.
“That’s true. While Damien Haksen may be exceptional… Guillaume Blackwing is more reliable.”
“If Michael Ryan Bloom faces Guillaume Blackwing, Damien Haksen can duel another knight.”
The attendants seemed to align with Chelsea’s viewpoint. To them, Guillaume Blackwing appeared far stronger than Damien Haksen.
However, the Duke’s opinion differed.
“Damien Haksen here alone breached the Duchy’s security and even blocked Ernest Horowitz’s attack. While Guillaume Blackwing’s prowess is impressive, Duke Haksen is no pushover,”
The Duke remarked.
Chelsea Goldpixie sneered at the Duke’s words.
“…You claim importance for skills, yet when it came to rejecting Mother, the situation becomes different, huh?”
At that moment, the Duke’s face stiffened. His grip on the chair’s armrest tightened.
“You speak too boldly.”
“Forgive me. I’m fatigued from the journey; my mind isn’t clear.”
Chelsea responded while lowering her head.
“I’ll consult with the attendants before deciding on a representative. Withdraw without further argument.”
The Duke gestured, speaking firmly.
Just then,
“Your Highness, what’s the fuss about choosing the representative?”
Suddenly, Guillaume Blackwing spoke up. Startled, Chelsea Goldpixie tried to restrain him.
“What are you doing now? I told you to stay put…”
“Anyway, isn’t the representative supposed to be the strongest? Let’s just have a fiery fight and let the winner take it,”
Guillaume Blackwing pointed at Damien Haksen.
Damien let out a wry laugh.
In his mind, he wanted nothing more than to knock down that arrogant fellow on the spot. However, doing so would undoubtedly equate him to an ignorant man.
Hence, he decided to first seek permission from the Duke.
“Your Highness, may I slightly damage the meeting room?”
“Hmm? Do as you please.”
Damien approached Guillaume Blackwing, getting close enough to see the hair on his nose.
“Let’s solve this like men”
“Oh, seems like you’re agreeing with me over there?”
“Agreeing or not.”
Damien extended his hand to Guillaume Blackwing.
“Is there really a need to fight? Let’s just test our strength right here.”
The attendants were greatly perplexed by this statement.
Guillaume Blackwing had not just a visible physical advantage over Damien Haksen, being over a head taller and with arms three times thicker, but he was also renowned for his raw power.
“Would you still be this oblivious even if your arm got torn off?”
“You’re quite ruthless.”
Damien glanced at Guillaume Blackwing’s arm.
“I’ll just tear off your shoulder blade moderately and leave.”
“Stop the crap.”
Guillaume Blackwing grabbed Damien Haksen’s arm.
Right after that, Guillaume Blackwing was slammed headfirst into the ground.
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Demon God’s male Disciple]
[Quality Checker – Kawaii]