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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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Chapter 198: Duel (1)
***
“You’re being a bit too harsh.”
Joshua said, trying to maintain his composure. However, Veronica’s tirade continued towards Joshua.
“What kind of swordsmanship does a newborn baby have? You must have just been staring at something moving in front of you because it was new.”
“Ah, no… that’s not it, I really…”
“Let’s just say you started learning around the age of 8. That means you’ve been training with a sword for at least 15 years, right? So it took you at least 15 years to become a High Class?”
“You could say that…”
“But Damien didn’t even take a year?”
At that moment, Joshua’s face contorted.
“That’s ridiculous…”
“Damien became a High Class in less than a year.”
Joshua’s face began to crumple gradually.
“I’ve heard rumors about that, but… I didn’t believe it.”
“Why?”
“Isn’t it too absurd? It’s hard to believe that he became a Middle Class in a year, let alone a High Class? Rumors are always exaggerated, so it’s foolish to accept them blindly…”
“But it’s true?”
Veronica said bluntly.
“I know it well because I saw it myself. When I first fought with him a few months ago, he was a Middle Class, right? But when I met him again, he was a High Class.”
“If you keep saying such nonsense…”
“Believe it or not, it’s up to you. But don’t act strong when you’re weaker than Damien. It’s annoying to watch.”
There were gasps from all around. It was clearly a line that had been crossed.
The problem was that Veronica’s words were not over yet.
“Damien is my target. How would you feel if someone like you looked down on my once-in-a-lifetime prey?”
“…Someone like me?”
Joshua’s face gradually began to turn red with anger.
“You insolent woman… I gave you a little respect, and now you’re talking nonsense without even knowing what you’re talking about!”
Killing intent emanated from Joshua.
The killing intent of a High Class was a weapon in itself. The horses were all startled and prancing around because of the spreading killing intent. Some soldiers even spat out blood from their mouths.
“Draw your sword now. I’ll show you myself whether I’m weak or strong!”
“Why should I?”
Veronica said without hesitation. Joshua’s expression was momentarily blank as if the answer was unexpected.
“I’m a Middle Class and you’re a High Class, so why should I fight? Am I crazy? Are you an idiot?”
“You dare to mock me when you’re just a Middle Class! Do you really want to die!”
Unable to contain his rage, Joshua grabbed the hilt of his sword.
However, he couldn’t draw the sword. Something was preventing him from drawing the weapon.
A Sword.
To be precise, a sword covered in a scabbard was now pressing down on Joshua’s hilt.
Joshua looked along the scabbard with a bewildered expression.
At the end of it, Damien was gripping the hilt.
“Let’s stop there,”
Damien said in a calm voice.
***
Joshua looked back and forth at Damien and the sword in surprise.
He hadn’t noticed.
He hadn’t noticed Damien picking up the sword or extending it to block his wrist.
He hadn’t even noticed the moment the sword was drawn.
Was this really the same High Class? Joshua felt goosebumps all over his body.
“My companion may have spoken harshly, but it’s still inappropriate for a High Class to draw a weapon against a Middle Class.”
Damien spoke as he sheathed the sword he had extended.
“I will apologize for my companion’s outburst. But you were the one who tried to swing your sword first, so how about we both back down at this point?”
Joshua almost nodded.
This was because the move Damien had shown was beyond his level.
“That can’t be.”
However, his father, Javier Silva spoke before him.
“That young woman insulted my son. Honor is as important as life to a knight. How can we just let this pass?”
“Even so, it doesn’t look good for a High Class to draw a weapon against a Middle Class.”
“What’s the problem with that?”
Damien initially thought that Javier was being unreasonable.
However, looking at Javier’s expression, he seemed to genuinely believe that.
“Didn’t my son get ‘insulted’? What’s the problem with paying him back for that?”
Damien clicked his tongue inwardly at the arrogant attitude. He had no idea that Javier would act so brazenly.
The problem was that this shameless person was a Master Class.
“Then what do you want to do?”
“I must get compensation from that woman. If she cuts off even one finger, I’ll be satisfied and let it go.”
“I can’t allow that.”
Damien said without hesitation.
Veronica’s remarks may have crossed the line a bit, but that didn’t mean she could have her finger cut off.
“I was trying to be generous… you won’t accept my offer?”
Javier’s eyes narrowed slightly.
At that moment, an overwhelming aura surged towards Damien.
A sense of oppression like being trapped in the deep sea weighed down on Damien’s entire body.
‘I can still endure this.’
However, Javier’s aura had no effect on Damien.
When Damien didn’t react at all, Javier’s expression changed.
Javier looked at Damien with an intrigued expression.
“…I’ve changed my mind. Let’s just let this go.”
Damien almost burst out laughing at the attitude that seemed to say he was doing a great favor.
“Instead, we need to see if what that insolent woman said is true.”
“Verify?”
“Let’s decide who is stronger between Joshua and you through a duel.”
Liam Bluegreen shouted in surprise at these words.
“A duel before the tournament? That’s out of the question. Can’t we just solve this situation in another way? What if something dangerous happens…”
“Dangerous? What’s dangerous with me here?”
Javier scowled as if he was displeased. Liam Bluegreen couldn’t argue any further.
“Sir Damien.”
Liam Bluegreen looked at Damien with his last hope.
“That sounds interesting.”
However, Damien betrayed Liam Bluegreen’s expectations.
He felt sorry for Liam Bluegreen but Damien had a reason to do this duel.
‘When that bastard tried to draw his sword… I felt something.’
When Joshua couldn’t contain his anger and tried to draw his sword, Damien felt a strange aura.
It was too faint to know anything from it alone, so he accepted the duel to find out more.
“Joshua, what will you do?”
Javier asked his son, looking back at him. Joshua thought for a moment and said.
“I accept.”
“Hahaha, good. That’s like my son.”
Javier laughed out loud and shouted at the soldiers.
“What are you all doing? Hurry up and prepare the dueling ground!”
***
The soldiers began to turn over the field. They tamped down the ground to make it flat and firm.
After an hour of this, the dueling ground was finally completed.
‘What a waste.’
Damien thought to himself, tapping the ground that the soldiers had tamped down with the tip of his foot.
Is a duel such a big deal that they have to turn the ground over like this?
That was when Damien was thinking that.
“What the hell are you thinking?!”
“What did I do?”
“You caused my brother to be in a difficult situation!”
“So I should just listen to that?”
“Well, that’s not it, but…”
He heard Michael and Veronica arguing. Damien looked back at them and said.
“Both of you, stop.”
Michael immediately shut up at Damien’s words. But Veronica did not.
“Damien! He’s blaming me for everything! Say something! Don’t You feel offended too!”
“Well, I was offended.”
Damien nodded.
Damien was also annoyed by the way Javier and Joshua talked.
“See? I did well, right? I knew you would think that too… why are you taking out that club?”
As soon as Damien took out his club, Veronica hid behind Michael’s back.
Damien tapped his palm with the club and said.
“Just in case, I’m warning you in advance. Don’t get ahead of yourself from now on… If something like this happens again, I’ll really ‘rehabilitate’ you.”
“You said you were offended too. You could have just said what you wanted to say, right?”
Veronica’s eyes were full of innocence as she spoke. She seemed to genuinely think that way.
Suddenly, a headache hit him. Damien was pressing his temples with his hand.
“Sir Damien, thank you for making a difficult decision.”
Joshua, who was approaching the dueling ground, thanked Damien.
“Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t that difficult a decision.”
Joshua’s expression hardened slightly at Damien’s words.
“…It’s okay to use real swords, right?”
“Do whatever you want.”
Joshua ominously drew the sword from his waist.
Strangely enough, the blade was glowing red. It was clearly not an ordinary weapon.
“It’s a sword made of rare metals, I see.”
“You’re perceptive, as always. It’s a sword made of a rare metal alloy, to be precise.”
Joshua swung the blade in a circle. The blade sliced through the air smoothly, bending softly.
“It’s not just any alloy either. It’s made of dwarven alloy. It’s a perfect sword for me, isn’t it?”
Show-off.
Damien clicked his tongue briefly and gripped the hilt of the Dawn. Then, a sudden thought crossed his mind.
‘Judging by his personality… he’s going to act like high and mighty all the way to the empire with his father.’
Just imagining it made him feel nauseous. He needed to make sure Joshua’s arrogance was properly subdued for a comfortable journey.
“Michael.”
“Yes, brother.”
“Bring me a branch. It doesn’t matter if it’s thin.”
Everyone was bewildered by the out-of-the-blue request, except for Michael.
Michael silently looked around for a branch.
However, since they were in the middle of a field, there were no branches readily in sight.
Then, a tree caught Michael’s eye.
Michael immediately swung his sword towards the tree.
A sharp aura grazed the branch at the very top of the tree and passed by.
Even though it was cut by the aura, the branch didn’t fall off right away. It slid down slowly as if coated with sticky liquid, before finally falling.
“…Wow.”
The eyes of all the knights around widened at the move Michael had shown.
It was because his swordsmanship was so clean and sharp, even for a Middle Class.
“You could have just broken it with your hand…”
Only Veronica clicked her tongue as if she wasn’t satisfied.
“Brother, I brought it.”
Michael handed the branch to Damien. He took the branch and swung it a few times.
It was about the thickness of an index finger and about two spans long.
[TL/N- Avg span is 18-20 cm.]
It was a perfect branch to hold and swing with your hand.
“…Why did you ask him to bring that?”
Joshua asked Damien with a trembling face. To that question, Damien stretched out the branch and said.
“We can’t fight barehanded, can we?”
In that moment, Joshua’s expression froze.
“Wow. You’re going to fight me with this?”
Immediately after, Joshua’s face twisted into a grin.
***
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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