Episode 20: The Debtor (2)
“You pathetic fool. Instead of begging for your life, you still have the nerve to show off.”
Orlan D’Mishi flicked his fingers, and three bodyguards drew their swords.
“Make him come to his senses. But don’t kill him.”
The bodyguards surrounded Damian, chuckling to themselves.
They were full of openings, clearly not the most skilled. Yet, their aura was heavy and menacing, the kind that comes from having taken lives.
“Hey, young master. Want to see something special before you die?”
One of the bodyguards brandished his sword in front of Damian’s face.
A blue aura enveloped the blade, and the bodyguard waved it around, boasting.
“See this? This is aura. I bet you’ve never even—”
Before he could finish, Damian swung his sword upward in a diagonal slash.
His longsword sliced through the bodyguard’s neck, and the head fell to the ground with a thud.
The body remained standing for a moment before collapsing.
No one realized what had happened, not even the dead bodyguard.
“You shouldn’t let your guard down with an enemy right in front of you.”
Damian swung his sword in the air, scattering blood across the ground.
“You bastard!”
Another bodyguard, finally grasping the situation, erupted in anger.
“I’ll kill you!”
He charged, sword raised high, aiming to split Damian’s skull in one blow.
Damian swung his sword with indifference.
First, he severed the raised arms, then slashed the chest, and finally cut through the waist.
Three strikes.
The bodyguard didn’t see a single one before he died.
“Slow and clumsy.”
Damian turned his gaze to the last remaining bodyguard.
The man’s eyes were wide with fear.
“Ah, ahhh!”
He threw his sword aside and turned to flee, aiming for the window.
But Damian was faster, darting past him.
A thin line of blood appeared on the bodyguard’s neck, and his head fell to the ground.
“If you’re a coward, you should never have picked up a sword.”
Damian turned to face Orlan D’Mishi.
Orlan was utterly stunned.
“Im-impossible… How could the notorious wastrel of the Haxen family have such skill…?”
Damian approached Orlan.
Finally snapping out of his daze, Orlan screamed.
“Ahhh! No, no!”
He flailed in his chair, toppling backward in his panic.
Orlan struggled on the floor, trying to prop himself up with his hands.
In that moment, Damian’s sword came down on his wrist, severing it.
”…Ah.”
Orlan stared in disbelief at his severed wrist.
“My hand! My ha—”
Damian kicked Orlan’s jaw, cutting off his scream.
“Shut up. You’re too loud.”
Damian pressed his sword to Orlan’s neck.
Orlan’s face turned ashen.
“Da-Damian H-Haxen! No, no, Lord Damian!”
Fear of death overpowered his pain. Orlan groveled at Damian’s feet.
“I-I was foolish, not knowing the value of my life, and spoke out of turn!”
In that moment, all Orlan could think about was survival.
“P-please, spare my life! I’m begging you!”
“No, if you want to live, you need to say something else.”
Damian pressed the blade closer, drawing blood.
Desperately, Orlan’s mind raced.
In a flash, thousands of thoughts crossed his mind.
“I-I’ll serve the Duke’s family with all my might!”
Orlan shouted desperately.
“Smart choice.”
Only then did Damian withdraw his sword.
After sending Damian off, Baron Haxen couldn’t sit still for a moment.
He paced the room, sighing heavily.
It wasn’t just him. His youngest son, Abel, mirrored his father’s actions.
“Sigh.”
“Sigh.”
The two sighed in unison, their expressions identical, unmistakably father and son.
“Honey, please sit down and rest. You’ll wear a hole in the floor.”
“Abel, come sit with us.”
Lady Haxen and their eldest daughter, Louise, spoke up.
Unlike the men, the women were calmly enjoying their tea.
“How can I sit and rest when the family’s future is at stake?”
“Yes, sister. How can we stay calm when the fate of our family hangs in the balance?”
To their protests, Lady Haxen and Louise replied with serene faces.
“Damian said he’d handle it.”
“Exactly. Let’s trust Damian and wait.”
Baron Haxen and Abel looked bewildered.
“How can you be so calm?”
“Sister, do you really believe what he said?”
Lady Haxen took a sip of her tea, savoring the aroma before speaking.
“Has Damian ever failed when he took charge? No, he hasn’t.”
“That’s because of his exceptional sword skills. But negotiating is a different matter.”
Indeed, Damian possessed incredible skills.
But those were only useful in combat.
Negotiations required wit and eloquence, skills that were useless in a fight.
“Father, let’s go to him now.”
Abel’s suggestion tempted Baron Haxen.
Yes, perhaps they should go and help Damian…
“You said you’d trust him, and now you want to interfere?”
“Father, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
The women’s pointed remarks made Baron Haxen flinch.
To intervene after saying he’d trust Damian?
That would be a complete disregard for Damian.
As Baron Haxen stood there, unable to decide, the door burst open, and Damian entered.
“Father, I’m back.”
The family lit up at Damian’s arrival.
Especially his father, who rushed over.
“Damian! How did it go? Did you resolve it?”
“Yes, it’s resolved. I even got a promise that they won’t ask for the debt again.”
A bright smile spread across Baron Haxen’s face.
But then he realized something was odd. The outcome was too favorable.
Not just an extension or reduction, but a complete dismissal of the debt?
“Is that true?”
“Yes, and to prove it, I brought someone with me.”
Damian gestured, and a man walked in from the doorway.
Though well-dressed, his clothes were disheveled, and his hair was a mess, making him look pitiful.
“Go ahead, tell them.”
“Y-yes!”
The man nodded, trembling.
“Y-you must be Baron Haxen? It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Orlan D’Mishi, the branch manager of Dash & Cash’s western office.”
“Yes, but…”
Baron Haxen was taken aback. This wasn’t what he had expected.
“You said you wouldn’t pursue the debt… Is that true?”
“Yes, absolutely! From today, we won’t bother the Haxen family about money matters! Not at all!”
Orlan shouted, his voice loud and clear. Baron Haxen’s confusion deepened.
“What did Damian say to make you agree to that?”
“T-there’s an upcoming duel between the Duke’s and Marquis’s families! Lord Damian Haxen agreed to participate in the duel instead of repaying the debt!”
Baron Haxen had heard of the duel between the Duke’s and Marquis’s families.
With a gold mine and family honor at stake, it was a crucial battle the Duke’s family couldn’t afford to lose.
“I never imagined he’d propose such a condition…”
In other words, Damian intended to repay the debt with his martial prowess.
This explanation made sense to Baron Haxen.
“Damian… you really handled it all by yourself.”
“I told you to trust me.”
Baron Haxen felt a bit sheepish. He hadn’t fully trusted Damian.
“Well done. Now go and rest…”
At that moment, something caught Baron Haxen’s eye.
Orlan’s wrist was bandaged, stained red with blood.
”…Damian?”
“Yes?”
“I have to ask… did you do that to his wrist?”
“There was a bit of a disagreement during negotiations, and it couldn’t be helped.”
Suddenly, Baron Haxen felt dizzy. He pressed a hand to his forehead.
“Oh, and you might want to send some servants to clean the parlor.”
“Why? What happened?”
“There was a bit of a scuffle with his bodyguards while resolving the disagreement.”
Damian made a slicing motion across his neck.
“I might have made a bit of a mess.”
Baron Haxen ran his hands over his face.
Taking a deep breath, he shouted.
“Damiaaan! What have you done this time?!”
Damian explained the details to Baron Haxen.
At first, Viscount Haxen was furious, but his demeanor changed completely upon hearing that Orlan D’Missy had harassed Louise.
“What a scoundrel!”
The family had to restrain the enraged Viscount, which was the only reason Orlan D’Missy remained unharmed.
“So, the debt isn’t settled yet, is it?”
Orlan D’Missy was merely a branch manager. The real negotiation was with the Duke.
“Your skills are undoubtedly exceptional, but I’m not sure the Duke will entertain you.”
Viscount Haxen’s concern was understandable. The Duke was surely surrounded by renowned knights. To participate in a duel, one would have to surpass them.
“Are you confident?”
Without hesitation, Damian nodded in response to the Viscount’s question.
The next day arrived.
Damian, ready for his journey, stepped outside. His family and Agnes were waiting for him at the estate’s entrance.
“Lady Agnes, thank you for all your help.”
Damian first expressed his gratitude to Agnes, who had not only prevented a war with the Marquis’s family but also healed Victor. Thanks to the sacred magic used by a priest in the investigation team, Victor had recovered from his severe injuries.
“It was the least I could do,” Agnes replied nonchalantly to Damian’s thanks.
“The investigation is nearly complete, so we plan to return the day after tomorrow.”
Damian was leaving today. This would be their last meeting.
“I wish you a blessed journey, Damian.”
Agnes made the sign of the cross, and Damian mirrored her gesture.
“Oh, and if you ever change your mind…”
“I’m not interested in becoming a holy knight.”
Damian cut her off sharply, anticipating her suggestion. Agnes’s face fell slightly.
“Well then, take care.”
Next, Damian turned to his family to say goodbye.
“Damian, take this with you.”
His mother handed him something—a potion with a gold rim.
“It’s a high-grade potion I was lucky enough to acquire. They say it can heal even life-threatening wounds quickly. Keep it safe and use it if you’re in danger.”
His mother’s explanation went on, but Damian heard none of it. He had seen this potion before, when he was forced to kill his brother under the orders of Acrich Dorgo. His mother had poured it over his brother’s decapitated body, her screams and curses still echoing in his ears.
Unwelcome memories and emotions resurfaced—hatred for Dorgo, anger at his own powerlessness, despair at the horrific reality.
“Damian?”
His mother’s voice snapped him back to the present. He carefully tucked the potion into his coat.
“Thank you. I’ll make sure to return this to you when I come back.”
Finally, Damian looked at Louise and Abel. His sister wore a worried expression, while Abel avoided his gaze.
“Damian, please be careful, alright?”
He nodded, then turned to his brother.
“Abel.”
”…Yes?”
“When I return, let’s practice archery together.”
Abel looked puzzled by the sudden suggestion.
Damian leaned in and whispered, “Doesn’t the Countess of Copperhead enjoy hunting? You’ll need to be a good shot to impress her.”
Abel’s face turned beet red.
“H-how did you know about that…?”
In his past life as a mercenary, Damian had gathered information about the Haxen family. He knew that Abel had once proposed to the Countess of Copperhead and been rejected, insulted for his lack of wealth and status.
“There are ways to find out.”
Leaving a flustered Abel behind, Damian approached the carriage.
“Ah, you’re here.”
Orlan D’Missy opened the carriage door with his one remaining hand.
“It’s quite spacious.”
Damian peered inside.
“I can’t stand discomfort, so I made sure to get something expensive.”
“With a carriage like this, the journey should be enjoyable, right?”
“Of course! I’ll make sure there are no inconveniences.”
Orlan D’Missy forced a smile.
“That’s the spirit.”
Damian tapped Orlan D’Missy on the head and climbed into the carriage. Victor quickly followed him.
The carriage set off down the main road.