Episode 16: Warning (2)
“Doesn’t this seem a bit suspicious?”
The young investigator asked his senior as they sifted through the debris of the underground hideout.
The senior investigator, rummaging through the scattered remains, replied with a hint of irritation.
“What nonsense are you spouting now?”
“Think about it. Who is Agito? He’s a high-ranking member of Yuran who has evaded the church’s pursuit multiple times.”
Yuran wasn’t just any group of dark sorcerers. Though small in number, each member was exceptionally skilled. Even the holy knights dispatched by the church often found themselves outmatched.
“Sure, Agito might be from the curse school, which isn’t known for combat prowess.”
Compared to the necromancers who commanded the undead or the berserkers who enhanced themselves for battle, the curse school lacked direct combat strength.
“But still, does it make sense for a high-level dark sorcerer like Agito to be killed by a rural noble?”
Yet, even relatively speaking, taking down a curse master like Agito head-on was a challenge even for a seasoned knight.
“Could it be that this Damian Haxen is actually a spy for Yuran? Maybe he disguised someone else’s body as Agito’s and handed it over to the church.”
The senior investigator nodded at the junior’s suspicion.
“I had a similar thought.”
“So, I’m not the only one who found it odd!”
“But what can we do? Lady Agnes hasn’t said a word about it.”
Agnes was a holy knight who had dealt with countless heretics. The young investigator knew she wouldn’t overlook something suspicious.
“Shouldn’t we at least bring it up to her?”
“Finish the investigation first, then report it. For now, focus on the task at hand…”
“Damian Haxen is not a spy.”
A voice from behind startled the two investigators. Agnes stood there, her face as unreadable as ever.
“I understand your doubts, but Damian Haxen isn’t that kind of man.”
The investigators blinked in surprise at her certainty.
“But how did he manage to kill Agito? It doesn’t make sense.”
The young investigator mustered the courage to ask.
Agnes answered without hesitation.
“You’ve already heard how he did it.”
“What? We did?”
The young investigator suddenly recalled Damian Haxen’s words.
“I just dodged a bit and then took his head off.”
A look of disbelief spread across the young investigator’s face.
“So, when he said he just dodged and killed him… he was serious?”
Agnes nodded.
“When his servant brought Agito’s head, I watched him closely without intervening.”
In truth, Agnes had initially suspected Damian Haxen. It seemed impossible for someone like Agito to be defeated so easily.
“It was truly… terrifyingly impressive.”
But after witnessing Damian Haxen in action, all her doubts vanished.
“He faced dozens at once without a scratch. He overwhelmed them.”
Agnes couldn’t forget it. Damian Haxen dodged attacks by mere inches, cutting down his foes with precision. Every move was meticulously calculated. It was so unreal, it felt like watching a well-rehearsed play.
“The most astonishing part was… he deflected magic.”
At first, the investigators didn’t grasp the significance of her words.
“One of the Black Serpent’s members used a magical device to launch a fireball. Damian Haxen swung his sword and redirected it.”
Only after hearing Agnes’s explanation did they begin to understand. Or rather, they still couldn’t fully comprehend it.
“Is that… even possible?”
Most people struggle to fend off a sword right in front of them. Redirecting magic? It was unbelievable.
“It is possible. I’ve heard that the Empire’s Swordmaster, the ‘Sword Saint,’ is a master of deflection, capable of countering any attack, even magic.”
The investigators’ jaws dropped. It was a feat only a master could achieve.
“If that’s true, then Damian Haxen is…”
“An extraordinary talent, a genius beyond compare. Such a person wouldn’t be used merely as a spy. Even as a combatant, he’d be a significant threat to the church.”
Agnes spoke with utmost seriousness.
“Is that why you came here personally, Lady Agnes? Because of him?”
“I followed you here because of Yuran,” Agnes replied firmly. Everyone in the church knew of her deep-seated grudge against Yuran.
“But I do have business with that man. I want to bring him to my master. If I miss this chance and the other Five Saints learn about him, it could be disastrous.”
The Blue Flame Brigandine held a position within the church akin to that of a king. Agnes was the most outstanding among the Blue Flame’s disciples. For someone of her stature to speak so highly was unprecedented.
“So, set aside your doubts and focus on the investigation.”
The investigators could only nod in agreement.
The investigation concluded four hours later. Unfortunately, the aftermath of the battle left little information to glean from the ruins.
“Thank you all for your hard work.”
Despite the lack of findings, Agnes encouraged the investigators without a hint of disappointment.
As Agnes and the investigators emerged from the hideout, they were met with an unusual sight.
“Huh?”
“What is that?”
The air was swirling, causing the surrounding leaves to rustle. At the center of it all was Damian Haxen, sitting on a rock with his eyes closed. With each breath, the flow of air quickened and then slowed.
“What is that?”
“Incredible.”
The investigators watched in awe, unable to comprehend what they were witnessing. They were ordinary people, after all.
’…Oh, my God.’
Only Agnes understood the magnitude of what Damian Haxen was doing. He was drawing in the scattered magical energy around him, absorbing it.
‘What am I witnessing?’
Agnes was well aware of the technique she had given Damian Haxen. She knew its immense value, which is why she had entrusted it to him.
The technique itself wasn’t extraordinary. But the method of gathering and absorbing magical energy was something anyone would covet.
‘To have mastered it to such an extent in the time we were investigating…’
The technique allowed one to gather and absorb magical energy at a much faster rate than other methods. Once mastered, it enabled the user to not only draw in magical energy but also control it.
Damian Haxen was doing just that—dominating the surrounding magical energy and absorbing it.
“Hoo…”
Damian Haxen stopped his breathing exercise, and the flow of air ceased.
“Is the investigation complete?”
Damian Haxen asked Agnes and the investigators.
Agnes nodded, still in a daze.
“It seems you’ve made some progress, Damian.”
“Yes, I’ve had some fun,” Damian replied with a satisfied grin.
He seemed pleased with his own achievements.
“It’s already evening. Let’s head back. My father is preparing dinner…”
Suddenly, Damian’s expression hardened. He turned his gaze toward the direction of his estate.
“Vermin have come.”
Agnes was taken aback by his sudden harsh words. Damian bowed slightly to her.
“I have urgent matters to attend to. Please take your time returning.”
Without waiting for a response, he leaped away, disappearing into the distance before Agnes could react.
His speed left Agnes astonished once more.
‘Is he moving with magic?’
Using magic could amplify one’s physical abilities. Damian Haxen’s superhuman speed was thanks to magic.
‘But he didn’t have that kind of magic before.’
In the city of Landwalk, Agnes had once infused Damian Haxen with holy power to examine his body. At that time, his magical reserves were minimal.
With such a small amount of magic, moving at that speed should have been impossible.
‘Is it because of the technique? No, even with that, he couldn’t have accumulated so much magic in such a short time.’
Even if Damian Haxen had mastered the technique, he had only had 3-4 hours to gather magic. Yet his movements were faster than most trained knights.
‘Could it be… he’s using magic with such precision?’
The more precisely magic is used, the more efficient it becomes, reducing waste. The Sword Saint, a genius among geniuses, was known for achieving double the efficiency with the same amount of magic.
To Agnes, Damian’s efficiency seemed beyond that.
‘Just how far does this man’s potential go?’
Faced with such limitless talent, Agnes felt a chill run down her spine.
The Haxen estate.
Three men appeared on the road leading to the estate. Clad in full plate armor, they rode horses that spoke of noble lineage.
At a glance, it was clear they weren’t ordinary people.
“Ah, finally here,” one of the knights said, stretching his arms.
After two days of relentless marching, fatigue had piled up considerably.
“Hey, Olphis. What’s that smell? It’s awful,” another knight grimaced.
Olphis, the knight who had just stretched, smirked. “Lavender, you country bumpkin, that’s the smell of cow dung. It’s a rare scent, so take it in.”
“This is dung? Ugh,” Lavender, as he was called, began brushing off his armor with his hands.
Olphis burst into laughter at the sight. “Idiot. You think that’ll get rid of the smell?”
“Damn it, don’t you have any perfume? What if the smell sticks to me?”
As the two knights bantered, the remaining knight spoke curtly. “Quiet.”
At the low, commanding voice, Olphis and Lavender immediately fell silent.
The knight who silenced them gazed at the Haxen estate without a word.
“Is that the Haxen estate?” he asked.
“Yes, Sir Garrick,” Olphis replied in a serious tone, a stark contrast to his earlier demeanor.
It was only natural. Unlike Olphis and Lavender, who were junior knights, the man before them was a full-fledged knight, one entrusted with missions directly from the Marquess of Lionbloom.
“Finally, we get to meet the scoundrel who insulted Lord Erwin and tarnished the Lionbloom name,” Garrick said, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Olphis and Lavender swallowed hard, feeling the intensity of Garrick’s presence.
“Olphis, what was the mission His Excellency gave us?”
“Yes! We are to capture Damian Haxen!”
“Capturing that piece of trash is easy enough… but that’s not enough.”
Garrick’s aura grew even more menacing.
“Not just Damian Haxen, but the entire Haxen family must pay. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Absolutely, sir!”
The two knights quickly responded.
Garrick was known for his loyalty but also for his fierce temperament. He had once whipped a commoner for not showing proper respect to the marquess’s banner.
Given Garrick’s nature, they had to agree, whether they truly did or not. Otherwise, they might find themselves in trouble before the Haxen family did.
“Let’s go.”
The three knights headed toward the Haxen manor. At the entrance, a servant was sweeping.
“Hey,” Lavender called out to the servant.
The man stopped sweeping and looked up.
“Ah! You startled me!” he exclaimed, causing Lavender to jump as well.
“What brings knights to our estate?” the servant asked, trembling.
Lavender felt a slight sense of superiority at the servant’s submissive demeanor.
“We’re here to see Damian Haxen. Tell him to come out immediately,” Lavender demanded.
The servant’s eyes widened in surprise. “Why are you looking for the young master?”
“That’s none of your business. Just relay my message to Damian Haxen.”
“I can’t do that,” the servant replied, causing Lavender to frown.
“What did you just say?”
“I can’t just summon the young master without knowing who you are. I won’t do it.”
The servant shook his head firmly.
“If you wish to see the young master, state your names and where you’re from. Then I’ll inform him.”
Lavender let out a dry laugh and glanced at Garrick. They had been itching for a reason to crush the Haxen family, and now they had one.
“What’s your name?” Lavender asked.
“Victor, sir.”
“Victor, huh.”
Lavender approached Victor, who instinctively stepped back, sensing trouble.
“Why are you coming closer—ugh!”
Lavender punched Victor in the stomach with his gauntleted fist.
Victor doubled over, retching.
“Why are you doing this all of a sudden—ugh!”
This time, Lavender struck Victor’s head, sending him sprawling to the ground.
“You worthless scum! When you’re told to do something, you do it!”
Lavender kicked Victor, who curled up in vain. Against a trained knight, an ordinary person’s body was far too fragile.
“What’s going on here?”
“Victor! What’s happening?”
Servants rushed out of the manor, but they froze at the sight of the knights.
“Fetch the baron! Get the baron here!” one of the maids cried, rushing back inside.
Soon, Baron Haxen and his family emerged.
“Stop this at once!” the baron shouted, and only then did the knight cease his assault.
But Victor was already a bloody mess.
“So, you’ve finally come out,” Garrick said.
Baron Haxen’s face twisted with rage at the sight of Victor’s condition.
“What is the meaning of this? How dare knights assault a commoner like this!”
“Considering what the Haxen family did to the Lionbloom family, this is nothing,” Garrick replied.
At the mention of the Lionbloom family, Baron Haxen’s expression hardened.
“Gilbert Haxen, the marquess demands Damian Haxen. Hand him over peacefully, and your estate will remain unharmed.”
“Damian? You’re here for Damian?” the baron asked, his voice trembling.
“Yes. He must pay for insulting Lord Erwin.”
Baron Haxen’s eyes wavered, and he bit his lip. “I cannot hand over my son!”
Garrick showed no surprise. “Are you sure you won’t regret it?”
“Of course not!”
“Then we have no choice. Tear it all down.”
At Garrick’s command, Lavender and Olphis drew their swords eagerly.
A blue aura began to emanate from the blades.
“Is that… aura? Are you really planning to kill us?” Baron Haxen shouted in shock.
Garrick replied calmly, “No one will die. But everything will be destroyed.”
With aura-infused swords, even stone could be sliced like water. Combined with the knights’ physical prowess, this small estate would be reduced to rubble in no time.
Garrick’s words were neither a bluff nor an exaggeration.
“What are you waiting for? Get started,” he ordered.
“Yes, sir!”
Lavender and Olphis spread out, starting with the nearby doors and walls.
Baron Haxen cried out in panic, “Stop this madness!”
But the knights paid no heed to his pleas.
“You scoundrels! Stop this at once!” the baron shouted, rushing toward the knights.
“Have you lost your minds, you vermin?” a third voice cut in.
Garrick and the knights turned to see who had spoken.
A young man with disheveled brown hair and unsettling eyes was approaching them.
“Didn’t you hear me? I said stop,” Damian Haxen said, walking toward the three knights.