Chapter 129: Another Woman (1)
Damian and Louise were tailing the pair.
“Being a mercenary isn’t exactly something to brag about. It’s all fighting and getting looked down on by people.”
“Hard to believe. Who would dare look down on someone like Regina?”
“That’s just how it is with mercenaries. The reputation isn’t great.”
The two chatted as they wandered through the city. They started at the night market, then moved to the plaza to watch street performers.
“Look at that, Ballad. They’re singing a song mimicking a siren. Doesn’t sound anything like it to me.”
“You’d know better, having heard the real thing.”
“It was much more beautiful than that. But I never want to hear it again, thinking of all the trouble it caused…”
As the two shared lighthearted moments, Louise’s gaze grew colder. Unlike her, Damian was more focused on observing Regina, deep in thought.
‘She’s no ordinary woman. She’s incredibly skilled.’
Her movements, the depth of her footsteps, and the occasional surge of powerful magic. If Damian’s hunch was right, Regina was undoubtedly a high-class talent.
‘A high-class mercenary?’
Even low-class experts were rare among mercenaries, as few had proper training in swordsmanship and mana techniques. Yet, Regina had reached high-class status as a mercenary, implying she had received advanced training somewhere. And there was only one place in the mercenary world where that was possible.
‘The only place that could train a mercenary to high-class… Could she be related to that man?’
While Damian pondered, the pair stopped in front of a luxurious tavern.
“You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to get a reservation here.”
Regina tugged on Ballad’s arm, but he resisted.
“What’s wrong?”
“Regina, I came here today to ask you a favor.”
“A favor? Can’t we discuss it inside?”
Regina tilted her head in curiosity, and Ballad spoke up.
“I wanted to thank you again for driving away the siren. Without your help, the city would have suffered greatly.”
“There’s no need to thank me. I was paid for it.”
“I know how hard it is to hire a platinum-ranked mercenary like you, even with money. If you hadn’t shown mercy, our city would still be suffering.”
Ballad bowed his head as he continued.
“The mayor instructed me to grant any request you might have…”
“Oh, so meeting me was just an order? That’s a bit disappointing.”
Regina replied with a playful pout. Ballad, however, spoke firmly.
“After today, I would appreciate it if you didn’t seek me out anymore.”
A moment of silence followed.
Regina stared at Ballad, then spoke.
“Oh, I see now. I’ve been a bother, haven’t I? I’m sorry. I won’t call you for work anymore.”
Regina nodded as if she understood.
“And I won’t mind if you see someone else. I won’t interfere…”
“As I mentioned before, I have a fiancée.”
Ballad interrupted Regina.
“I don’t want to do anything I can’t be honest about with her.”
Ballad repeated himself.
“So please, don’t call on me anymore.”
“Ballad…”
Louise murmured, her face blank as she watched the scene unfold. She wasn’t the only one surprised; Damian was too.
‘What a remarkable man.’
Ballad must have known Regina was high-class. Someone of that level could kill with just their presence. Yet, he refused her advances.
‘I see why my sister is so taken with him.’
Ballad might look fragile, like a reed ready to snap, but inside, he was steadfast and unwavering.
“Are you crazy?”
Regina’s sharp voice cut through the air.
“Do you think you can just dismiss me because I’ve been lenient?”
“Not at all. I just—”
“That’s exactly what you’re doing!”
Regina unleashed her magic, a powerful force that sent objects flying.
“Ahhh!”
Screams erupted as people fled, leaving the street deserted. Ballad’s face turned pale, as if he might collapse at any moment.
“After today, I hope we don’t meet again, Regina.”
Yet, Ballad stood firm, finishing his words.
‘He’s enduring this?’
Damian couldn’t help but be impressed. The aura of a high-class individual was a weapon in itself, capable of causing immense pain to an ordinary person. Yet Ballad not only withstood it but remained unbowed.
‘I was wrong.’
Damian had wished for Louise to marry someone better than Ballad. But that was his own misconception. While Ballad might lack in some areas, his heart was true, willing to face any danger for Louise.
‘My sister has a keen eye for people.’
In contrast, Damian had been blinded by his own stubbornness, unable to see a person’s true worth. He felt ashamed and sorry. But at the same time, his mind cleared, and his perspective broadened.
“Sister, please stay here.”
With a sense of repentance, Damian decided to handle the situation himself.
“This is your last warning. If you mention your fiancée again, I’ll really…”
“Your words are quite harsh.”
Regina and Ballad turned, startled by the unexpected voice. It was Damian.
“Damian?”
Ballad asked, surprised, as if questioning why he was there.
“We’ll talk later.”
Damian stepped in front of Regina, who was glaring at him.
“Damian? That name sounds familiar…”
Regina’s eyes widened as she recalled.
“Damian Haxen? The genius from the Apple Kingdom who rose to middle-class in record time?”
Regina looked Damian over with interest.
“I didn’t know you knew Ballad.”
“Now that you do, would you mind stepping aside? He’s going to be my brother-in-law.”
“Ha! Brother-in-law? So you’re that woman’s brother… How annoying.”
Regina’s aura grew more menacing, enough to shake the surrounding buildings.
“A mere middle-class dares to stand up to me?”
Regina smiled, her expression full of malice.
“Are you relying on your noble status? You’re mistaken if you think that will protect you. Even if I kill you here, the Apple Kingdom can’t touch me.”
“I’m aware.”
Damian replied nonchalantly.
“If you’re the granddaughter of the Mercenary King, you could easily cover this up.”
Regina’s eyes widened in shock.
“How do you know?”
“No one but the Mercenary King’s kin could reach high-class as a mercenary at such a young age.”
The Mercenary King. A name always mentioned when discussing the strongest humans. His personal strength was legendary, but even more impressive was the organization he built. His mercenary group was vast and renowned for the skill of its members, with many high-class and even master-class individuals among them. His ability to lead such a powerful force without discord earned him the title of Mercenary King.
“Knowing that, you still dare to act like this?”
Damian had to suppress a laugh. In a past life, he had defeated the Mercenary King, cutting him down and absorbing his skills. Now, facing his granddaughter’s threats, he found it amusing. Though Regina was high-class, she was still far from her grandfather’s level. He was tempted to correct her misconceptions right then and there.
“If you don’t back down, you’ll find yourself in trouble.”
However, Damian was in a reflective mood. He didn’t want to ruin this newfound clarity. He preferred to resolve this peacefully. So he reached for the emblem of an honorary knight, which would grant him protection from the church. Not even the Mercenary King could oppose the church, a power rivaling the empire.
“You think I’ll just kill you? I’ll hunt down your sister and kill her too.”
Regina’s words were directed at Damian.
“Do you think I’m bluffing? If I can’t have something, I destroy it. Just watch. I’ll scour the Apple Kingdom to find her.”
Regina’s voice dripped with venom.
“So, I’m going to slit that woman’s throat right in front of the ballad. Got it?”
Damian tucked the necklace back into his shirt.
The lightness he’d felt from his moment of reflection vanished like smoke. In its place, anger surged, filling the void. A deadly aura emanated from Damian’s entire being.
“Oh, really? You think you can take me on?”
Sensing Damian’s lethal intent, Regina slipped a ring off her finger. It transformed into a sword—a saber with a thin, slightly curved blade.
Regina gripped both the hilt and the scabbard, her presence becoming sharp and menacing. Approaching her felt like stepping into a storm of impending doom.
“I’ll make you pay for not knowing your place.”
Regina’s smile was cruel, as if she intended to kill Damian right then and there.
Damian let out a dry laugh at her display.
‘How am I supposed to kill her?’
Using dark magic would end things quickly, but with so many eyes watching, it wasn’t an option.
‘This body is still too weak.’
Though Damian’s skills were high-class, his physical strength and magical power were not. He couldn’t be sure of victory against Regina, as there were realms that skill alone couldn’t conquer.
‘Well, if I’m lacking, I’ll just have to make up for it.’
Damian opened a pocket dimension, reaching inside to pull out a spirit’s heart and a serpent’s core. He shoved them into his mouth, swallowing them with barely a chew.
“What… what are you doing?”
Regina shouted in shock. Consuming items like elixirs or cores required careful preparation. Without it, not only would the magic not be absorbed properly, but it could also cause severe internal damage.
Swallowing more than one, as Damian did, was akin to swallowing a bomb.
“You’ll die if you—”
Before she could finish, an explosion erupted from Damian’s body. The magical blast shattered the windows of nearby buildings.
The explosions didn’t stop at one. They came in waves.
With each blast, Damian’s veins bulged, and blood trickled from his eyes as the vessels burst.
‘I’ll use the Starburst Elixir and the Power Accumulation Technique simultaneously.’
The Starburst Elixir was a mana cultivation method that used magic to strengthen the body. The Power Accumulation Technique excelled at absorbing magic.
When these two methods combined with the magical explosion, something extraordinary happened.
“This is impossible…”
Regina, being high-class herself, quickly realized what was happening to Damian’s body.
With each explosion, his muscles and organs strengthened rapidly, as if being reforged like steel. The amount of magic he held within him also increased dramatically, like air filling a balloon.
‘If I’m lacking, I’ll just make up for it.’
To Damian, anything below the master class was nothing special. It was merely a level one naturally reached by increasing physical ability and magic capacity.
So he forcibly elevated both.
Using the Starburst Elixir to grow his body, he absorbed all remaining magic with the Power Accumulation Technique.
Damian Haxen spat out a mouthful of blood, yet his gaze remained undiminished, even more intense.
Seeing that gaze, Regina felt a chill run through her entire body. Her instincts recognized it before her mind could comprehend.
The man before her had reached the high-class level.
“This is impossible…”
Yet Regina couldn’t help but deny it.
Surviving the consumption of two cores, using the magical explosion to strengthen his body, and reaching high-class? It was more believable to hear that a master-class goblin had appeared.
“Never doing that again.”
Damian spat out the remaining blood in his mouth and drew his sword, Dawn.
In that moment, the world seemed to fill with the deadly aura he exuded.
Faced with this unbelievable phenomenon, Regina swallowed hard without realizing it.
“Prepare yourself.”
Damian’s voice was icy, enough to freeze the air.
“I’ll make you pay for the nonsense you spewed.”