Episode 209: Astonishment (3)
The interior of the coliseum erupted into chaos in an instant.
“An Aura Blade, you say?”
“Could it be a fake?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. How could there be a fake Aura Blade?”
The knights, faces frozen in shock, stared at the Aura Blade that Damian had conjured.
“A Master Class has emerged in the Kingdom of Apple.”
“The balance of the continent is about to shift.”
“We must inform the homeland immediately.”
Unlike the Empire or the Holy Order, other kingdoms rarely saw the birth of such a rare individual, perhaps once in a century. The emergence of a Master Class had a tremendous impact on neighboring kingdoms.
“But how old is that man?”
“He can’t be older than his mid-twenties at most.”
“A Master Class at such a young age… I can hardly believe it even seeing it with my own eyes.”
The wandering knights, not affiliated with any kingdom, were fixated on Damian’s age. Achieving Master Class in one’s twenties was a rarity even in the annals of history.
“Such talent is hard to find even in the Empire.”
“Only someone like the Empire’s greatest swordmaster or the Sword Saint could achieve this.”
“I’ve heard rumors of a new prodigy appearing in the Empire recently.”
“Perhaps the winner of the tournament has already been decided.”
The once-hostile gazes transformed in an instant. People now looked at Damian with eyes filled with shock, fear, and reverence.
“Since the proof is clear, we shall take our leave.”
Liam Bluegreen led his group out of the coliseum. Even after they left, the coliseum buzzed with talk of Damian Haxen.
Damian and his companions exited the coliseum.
“Did you see that, brother? Everyone was speechless when you showed them the Aura Blade!” Michael exclaimed, as if it were his own victory. He seemed delighted to have silenced those who initially dismissed Damian.
“Can we just go in and rest now? I’m tired,” Veronica yawned, earning a glare from Michael.
“All decisions are made by brother and Sir Liam. Middle-class folks like you should stay quiet.”
“What? Did you just say that to me?”
“No, there’s more. Don’t hold any grudges, middle-class.”
Michael’s taunt made Veronica’s face flush with anger, but she couldn’t muster a retort.
Ignoring the bickering, Damian turned to Liam. “Sir Liam, where should we head next?”
“Just wait a moment. I told someone to come find us once they secured accommodations.”
As if on cue, a soldier in the armor of the Kingdom of Apple came running from afar.
“Apologies for the delay. It took longer than expected to find a place…”
“That’s alright. Did you manage to secure a place?”
“Well…” The soldier’s expression turned grim. “All the high-end inns and even the decent ones are fully booked.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, there are some inns available, but they’re all of low quality…”
Liam’s face showed his concern. Representing the Kingdom of Apple, they couldn’t just settle for any inn. A poor accommodation could hinder their recovery and affect their performance in the Helian tournament.
“What should we do…” Liam pondered deeply. Meanwhile, Damian recalled something he had forgotten.
“Sir Liam, I’ve heard there are many villas owned by the great nobles of the Empire in the capital.”
“That’s true. Many grand estates are built for their visits to the capital… Are you suggesting we borrow one? I’m afraid that’s impossible.”
Liam shook his head. “The great nobles only lend their villas to kingdoms with whom they have close ties. For a small kingdom like ours, it’s out of the question.”
The Empire, the most powerful nation on the continent, had great nobles whose influence rivaled that of entire kingdoms.
“There’s no need to worry about that,” Damian said, retrieving an old silver ring from his spatial pocket.
“What is that ring?” Liam asked, curiosity piqued.
“It’s the ring symbolizing the heir of the House of Lichteauer.”
“Ah, I see. For something so worn, it’s quite precious…” Liam’s eyes widened in shock.
The House of Lichteauer was one of the seven great families symbolizing the Empire, one of the few that could speak frankly to the Emperor.
“How do you have something so valuable?”
“I received it directly from the heir of the House of Lichteauer.”
A few months ago, during a journey to the Holy Order’s headquarters, Damian had met the heir by chance. Her name was Rachel Lichteauer, a figure destined to be known as the Sword Empress in the distant future. After defeating her in a duel, Damian was given the ring as a reward.
“She promised a favor in return for this ring… I think it’s time to use it.”
Damian tossed the ring into the air and caught it again. “Let’s head to the Lichteauer estate.”
As Damian and his group prepared to move to the Lichteauer mansion, the door of a nearby tavern burst open, and a man was thrown out. His hair was disheveled, and his clothes were little more than rags. He reeked, as if he hadn’t bathed in ages.
“What kind of fool drinks without money? If you come back here again, you’ll get a beating!” the tavern owner shouted, slamming the door shut.
“Water… someone, please give me water…” The middle-aged man lay on the ground, mumbling drunkenly. Naturally, no one offered him a drink; they merely passed by with disgusted looks.
“What a pathetic sight,” Liam Bluegreen muttered, clicking his tongue.
“Sir Damian, shall we… where are you going?”
Damian approached the middle-aged man, bending down to look at his face.
”…Sigh.”
Damian let out a long sigh. He recognized the man. Taking a canteen from his spatial pocket, he handed it to the man.
“Water! Water!” The man opened the canteen and gulped down the water, then lay back down and fell asleep.
“Sigh…” Damian sighed again and called over a soldier.
“Carry this man.”
“What? This beggar?” The soldier asked, startled. Damian nodded.
“Yes, carry him. Treat him with respect.”
Reluctantly, the soldier hoisted the man onto his back.
“Sir Damian, why are you taking care of this beggar?” Liam asked, puzzled. Damian replied nonchalantly, “You’ll find out soon enough.”
“Bored…”
Rachel Lichteauer, the future Sword Empress, was battling intense boredom.
“It’s an honor to meet you!” stammered the man sitting across from her.
With a bear-like build, overly muscular arms, and a face full of beard, he looked like a bandit. Yet, he was blushing in front of Rachel.
“You are as beautiful as the rumors say!”
“You’re too kind.”
“No, really! I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you! Not that I’ve seen many women…”
Rachel suppressed the urge to leave immediately. Normally, she wasn’t one to exercise patience, but with this man, she had to.
Bradley Heath. The second son of the Marquis of Heath and a Master Class swordsman in his late twenties. Such a figure couldn’t be ignored even by the House of Lichteauer.
“Miss Rachel… do you have a man you’re seeing recently?”
“No.”
“Really?” Bradley’s face lit up, and Rachel could only offer a wry smile. His intentions were all too clear.
Most men who met Rachel reacted the same way, so she could easily tell. But she had no intention of reciprocating Bradley’s feelings. Not only was he not her type, but she had no interest in marriage at all.
“I’m too busy training with my sword to think about marriage.”
As Rachel pondered how to politely dismiss Bradley, a man entered the drawing room.
“Miss, may I come in?”
It was David, Rachel’s attendant.
“David, can’t you see we have a guest?” Rachel said sternly, though inwardly she was grateful.
‘Thank you for the timely interruption, David.’
‘You’re welcome.’
Rachel and David exchanged a quick glance. Having been together for so long, such communication was easy.
“I’m sorry, but a very important guest has arrived…”
“An important guest?”
“A knight from the Kingdom of Apple has brought a ring bearing the Lichteauer family crest.”
A knight from the Kingdom of Apple, with a ring bearing the Lichteauer crest.
The moment those two words came together, a single figure sprang to mind.
“No way…?”
“That’s right. Sir Damian Haxen has come to visit.”
A radiant smile spread across Rachel’s face. She jumped up from her seat without even realizing it.
Bradley Heath looked at her in surprise.
“Miss Rachel?”
“I’m sorry. A very important guest has arrived.”
Rachel offered a quick explanation before dashing out of the room.
How could she ever forget the name Damian Haxen?
He was the man who had defeated her, the one hailed as the greatest talent in the history of the Lichtauer family.
Since then, Rachel had dedicated herself to training, driven by a single goal: to surpass him. She had reached the high-class level with that determination alone.
“Finally, I can settle the score!”
Rachel practically flew down the stairs to the first floor. As soon as she spotted Damian Haxen, she shouted out loud.
“Damian Haxen! You haven’t forgotten our promise! Let’s duel right now…”
But the moment she saw Damian’s face, Rachel was at a loss for words.
It was the aura emanating from him.
Just approaching him made her feel weighed down. Her instincts were screaming warnings at her.
She had felt something similar a few times before, back home, from her father and the other knights.
“Master class…?”
Shock washed over Rachel’s face.