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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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Chapter 104: Explanation (2)
***
After that, the paladins arrived from the Church.
It was a formidable force, including two 1st-class paladins who were said to be on par with high-class.
“Your Majesty! Where is the heretic who uses the demonic sword?”
“He’s… already dead.”
“?!?!?”
The paladins were greatly surprised by the king’s words.
“Take a look at this.”
The king showed the body of Alexander Apple to the two 1st-class paladins.
The two paladins frowned at the intense dark mana they felt from the corpse.
“This much dark mana… It’s clear that he used the demonic sword.”
“Who on earth fought this guy?”
At the question of the two paladins, the king gestured. Damien, who had been waiting, appeared before the paladins.
“Sir Damien?”
“Isn’t he the guy who killed the Corpseplay and saved the entire crusade?”
Since they were in the Church, they couldn’t have not known.
“Are you saying that you killed him?”
“No matter how much, that’s…”
According to the information the two paladins received, Alexander Apple was not only a high-class, but also a user of the demonic sword.
In that case, he was as good as having a power above that of an ordinary high-class. A middle-class had defeated such a person?
“I didn’t kill him.”
“I see! So what happened?”
“Alexander Apple was already seriously injured by Sir Liam Bluegreen. So he was consumed by the power of the demonic sword and self-destructed while fighting me.”
The two paladins, who had heard Damien’s explanation, had confused expressions on their faces.
“…Isn’t that what you call defeating him?”
“…Anyway, the fact is that the enemy is dead, isn’t it?”
Damien shook his head at the question of the two paladins.
“I can’t say I defeated him because I didn’t fight him fairly. I just stalled for time until the enemy self-destructed.”
The two paladins looked at each other.
It was true that he had not won a formal victory, as Damien had said.
However, it was still shocking that a middle-class had held his own against a high-class, even one who was a user of the demonic sword.
“To think that he defeated the Corpseplay alone… He must have been quite a skilled person.”
“It’s a shame to leave such a talented person alone in the world.”
The two paladins looked at Damien with glittering eyes. Damien felt a great deal of pressure.
‘Why does every paladin want me to join the Church when they see me?’
Damien took out the core of the demonic sword to change the subject.
“I found this in Alexander Apple’s body.”
The eyes of the two paladins widened as soon as they saw the core.
“This is… the core of the demonic sword!”
“This is the first time I’ve seen such a large core!”
The paladins were greatly surprised as they examined the core of the demonic sword.
“Sir Damien, where do you plan to use this item?”
One of the paladins asked with an anxious face. The core of the demonic sword contains the power of the demon.
It could be used in many ways, and if Damien used the core in the wrong place, there was a high possibility of a big problem.
“I plan to leave it to the Church to dispose of.”
As soon as they heard Damien’s answer, the two paladins breathed a sigh of relief.
“To think that you would think of the Church first…”
“How faithful. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such devout faith.”
The two paladins gave him another burdensome look. Damien broke out in a cold sweat.
“I plan to visit the Church soon. I plan to donate this item at that time.”
“That’s a great idea! The Church will be very happy!”
“The Church rewards those who prove their faith in God. The more you donate the core, the more you will be rewarded.”
It was a very welcome sound.
“Please visit the Church as soon as possible!”
“The core of the demonic sword is no different from the power of the demon. There’s no point in keeping it for long.”
The two paladins added quickly, for fear that Damien’s mind would change.
Damien nodded.
***
After the meeting with the paladins, Damien was summoned by the king.
“It’s a shabby place, but please bear with it.”
The king’s study had been destroyed, so he had no choice but to use another place.
“Sir Damien, I… no, the kingdom owes you a debt that we can never repay. I don’t know how to express my gratitude.”
The king’s eyes were filled with gratitude and affection as he looked at Damien.
“The reason I called you here is because I have something to give you.”
The king held out a rolled-up piece of parchment to Damien.
The parchment was snow-white.
“This is a decree to raise Viscount Paul Haksen to the rank of Count and grant him a County.”
This was one of the reasons Damien had agreed to become the Crown prince’s swordsmanship instructor.
The title of Count and County would be of great help to his family.
“I would like to hold a grand ceremony for your appointment, but… the situation in the capital is not good.”
The palace where the king lived had been completely destroyed by the Alexander.
It was impossible to hold a banquet in such a situation.
“And this is the core of the Sea Serpent that I promised you.”
The king held out a box. Inside the box was the inner core, which emanated a strong mana.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Damien said, bowing his head. But the king’s rewards didn’t end there.
“And this is a small token of my appreciation for your help in resolving this situation.”
The king held out a round silver plate.
“What is this?”
“With this, you can commission the Alchemist guild to create potions.”
Damien’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the silver plate again.
The Alchemist guild was the oldest and largest guild of alchemy in existence.
It had many famous alchemists, and the types and effects of the potions it created were numerous and outstanding.
It was so famous and popular that even the king of a country had difficulty meeting them.
“I kept this for a time when I would need it. It seems that time is now.”
The king said, looking at the silver plate.
“With this silver plate, the Alchemist guild will create any potion you need. The kingdom will cover the cost of all the materials needed to create the potion.”
The potions created by the Alchemist guild were no ordinary potions. The cost of the materials alone would be astronomical.
The king was offering to pay for all of that. It was an incredible gift.
But Damien couldn’t just accept the silver plate.
The Alchemist guild was a place that could create elixirs that could even save a dying person.
A token that allowed him to commission them without having to wait was a gift that was too great to accept.
“Don’t worry.”
The king said as if he had seen through Damien’s heart.
“It is only a small gift compared to what you have done for our kingdom.”
After much deliberation, Damien accepted the silver plate. Only then did the king look relieved.
“I feel like I have finally repaid you a little for your kindness.”
***
After the meeting with the king, two guests came to see Damien.
“Sir Damien! It’s been a long time!”
It was Duke Goldpixie’s high-class knight, Karl Heimlich, who had come to see Damien in person.
The old knight shook Damien’s hand as soon as he saw him.
“I rushed here because the royal family asked for help, but you had already finished everything.”
“I was just lucky. If not, things would have been bad.”
“Surviving a fight against a high-class is not luck. It’s all your skill.”
Karl Heimlich looked at Damien with burning eyes.
It was a look very similar to that of the paladins.
“Duke was very disappointed. He said you haven’t visited him since then.”
“I was too busy with work.”
“I’m getting old now… It’s time for me to retire. I’d feel better if I had a solid successor.”
“I see. I’m sure a good person will come along soon.”
“I would like you to take on that role.”
“I’m busy with family matters…”
The duke’s knight was very persistent.
Having seen Damien’s talent early on, he seemed determined to bring him into the duchy in any way he could.
“You’re a young man with strong principles. It’s hard to find these days.”
He said with a sigh when Damien didn’t seem to be coming around.
“But be sure to come visit the duchy. Duke will be happy to see you.”
With that, the Karl Heimlich left.
***
The next person to visit Damien was Marquis Ryanbloom.
“Hahaha, Sir Damien, it’s good to see you. Good to see you.”
Marquis Ryanbloom greeted Damien with a welcoming face.
However, unlike the Marquis, Damien couldn’t smile. It was because of Michael, who was being held by the Marquis.
“brother! Sa, save me… Ughhh!”
“Don’t worry about this guy.”
The Marquis said, covering Michael’s mouth.
“Um… I apologize for involving your son in such a dangerous matter.”
“What are you talking about? This is all this guy’s fault! He should be grateful that he learned a lot from being by my side.”
The Marquis said with a hearty laugh.
“However, I think this guy needs some punishment. I told him not to go out saying that I had other things for him to do. He disobeyed my orders.”
“Ugh! Ughhh!”
Michael looked at Damien with pleading eyes. Damien had no choice but to ignore him.
It was not something an outsider like Damien could interfere in, as it was a family matter.
“Well, let’s go then. Oh, and Sir Damien.”
Marquis Ryanbloom’s eyes changed. The friendliness disappeared and shone sharply like a predator facing an enemy.
“I can’t help but be amazed at your growth.”
High-class.
The stage is just below the master class, which is called the superhuman class.
Damien’s performance was so great that even a strong person in that position felt a sense of crisis.
“You may soon be on an equal footing with me. I hope we can maintain a good relationship even after that.”
This was both a request and a warning.
From the Marquis’s point of view, Damien was too dangerous to be left alone.
If he couldn’t be made an ally, he had to be crushed now.
“If what happened between your second son and me doesn’t happen again, I will remain your ally.”
Damien said in a calm tone.
Erwin Ryanbloom, the second son of Marquis Ryanbloom, had once visited the Viscount of Haksen and caused trouble.
In other words, Damien’s words meant that he would stay still if he was not touched first.
“That’s good to hear.”
The Marquis smiled broadly. And then he left the capital.
With Michael Ryanbloom in tow.
“Ah, that kid… He left without even finishing our fight properly.”
Veronica said, looking at Michael being dragged away by his father.
“Sir Damien, you know, right? That I actually won? That guy is no match for me.”
Veronica said proudly. Damien looked at her with pity.
In terms of pure talent, Michael was slightly ahead of Veronica.
On top of that, Michael was the eldest son of the Marquis Ryanbloom, a family known for its knights.
In terms of both talent and background, Michael was ahead.
“Then I’ll go now too. Thanks to you, I didn’t have to be bored.”
“Yeah, go well. Don’t kill people and stay quiet in the future.”
“You don’t have to worry about that! I realized it for sure this time! The only person worth killing is you!”
She was talking about the same headache-inducing nonsense.
“You survive against that high-class knight! I’ve never seen someone as tenacious as you! It would be so thrilling to kill a difficult opponent like you!”
“Shut up and go away.”
“Got it! See you next time!”
Veronica ran from the spot to the city gate. She hadn’t even packed her things.
“She’s really like a dog.”
Damien clicked his tongue as he watched Veronica.
With everyone gone, there was no need for Damien to stay in the capital any longer.
It was time to go back to his family.
***
A few days later, Damien left the castle early in the morning.
He had to leave secretly because the king kept trying to stop him from returning to his family.
Just as Damien was about to leave the castle gate,
“It’s a cold night for a walk, isn’t it?”
Oliver was waiting for Damien.
“How did you know I was going out?”
Damien couldn’t help but be genuinely surprised. How did Oliver know he was coming out when no one else knew?
“I asked the guards to monitor Sir Damien’s movements. Thanks to them, I was able to know when you would be leaving.”
Damien was amazed inwardly. He had even won over the guards to his side in the meantime. The wastrel had changed so thoroughly in such a short time.
It seemed that the experience he had gained while preparing for the Orc expedition had changed Oliver in this way.
“Sir Liam asked me to give you a message. He said he was sorry he couldn’t come see you because he was so injured. He asked you to be sure to visit the Bluegreen Marquisate later.”
Liam Bluegreen has been under the care of doctors ever since. The wounds were so severe.
“You can’t order me to stay in the castle and help you, can you?”
“You already know the answer, so why do you ask?”
Oliver laughed at Damien’s words.
“Thanks to Sir Damien, I was able to change. I will live my life with a grateful heart.”
Oliver said with a determined face. Damien spoke to the prince.
“You don’t have to say that. I don’t trust your promises.”
Oliver was greatly embarrassed by those words.
“Yes?”
“I know very well because I have the same past as you. How weak and treacherous the human heart is.”
In his wastrel days, Damien couldn’t come to his senses even with his family’s pleas.
After being kicked out of the family, he reflected on his actions a little bit. But it was only a little bit.
More than regret for his family, he felt sorry for not being able to enjoy pleasure anymore.
It was the same when he worked as a mercenary. He came close to falling back into debauchery several times.
“The human heart is weak. It is designed to seek pleasure rather than hardship.”
So was Oliver Apple. He seemed like a new man now, but he didn’t know when he would go back to his old life.
“De, Damien Sir… I, I never…”
“You may think so now, but you never know about tomorrow. There is an old saying that a man’s heart is different when he is hungry and when he is full.”
Damien looked at Oliver with a cold gaze. Oliver Apple swallowed dry saliva.
“So doubt and be wary of your own heart. Beware of desire. And when you have shown me meaningful results, then I will believe you.”
Oliver fell into thought.
His eyes were a lot deeper than before.
“I will always keep Sir Damien’s words in my heart.”
Only then did Damien show a satisfied expression.
***
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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