Episode 22: The Duke’s Estate (2)
After dispatching the junior knights, Damian headed straight for the mansion.
To reach it, he had to cross through the garden.
“The garden was the only hobby Mother ever indulged in.”
If the garden at the Haxen Viscount’s estate was the size of a vegetable patch, the Duke’s garden was vast enough to resemble a forest.
He thought his mother would be delighted to hear about the Duke’s garden.
But Damian didn’t have the luxury to admire the scenery.
“There he is!”
“So, this is where you’ve been hiding!”
Knights emerged from various corners of the garden.
Unlike the junior knights he had just faced, these men exuded a different level of energy.
Low-class knights.
The Duke’s official knights had come to stop Damian.
“Whoever you are, attacking the Duke’s estate is a grave mistake!”
“We’ll cut your tendons and throw you in the dungeon!”
The knights drew their swords in unison, their blades shimmering with a dense aura.
Despite the threat from so many low-class knights, Damian’s expression remained unchanged.
“Killing them wouldn’t be hard… but dealing with the aftermath would be.”
On his way to the Duke’s estate, Damian had gathered a considerable amount of magical energy using his power-accumulating technique.
To him, there was little difference between junior knights and low-class knights now.
But spilling blood here would risk making an enemy of the Duke.
“Is there anything useful around here?”
Damian glanced around.
Nearby, he spotted some gardening tools.
He picked up a shovel and struck its head with the edge of his hand.
The blade snapped off, leaving him with a makeshift club of a suitable length.
Damian swung the club experimentally. It felt just right.
“Alright. Come at me.”
He beckoned with his fingers, and the knights’ foreheads creased with anger.
“Do you think we’re a joke?”
“How dare you provoke us!”
“We’ll kill you right here!”
The knights charged, their fury palpable.
The leading knight swung his sword, tracing a half-moon arc.
Damian moved to block the blade with his club.
“Foolish!”
The knight shouted, his sword imbued with aura. Meanwhile, Damian’s club was just a club.
It seemed inevitable that the aura-infused sword would slice through both the club and Damian.
But contrary to the knight’s expectations, the sword failed to cut the club.
Instead, its trajectory veered off course.
“What the…?”
The sword, which had been slicing horizontally, suddenly shot upwards.
Damian seized the opening and struck the knight’s head with his club.
The knight crumpled to the ground.
“Die!”
Another knight followed, swinging his sword down.
Once again, Damian intercepted with his club.
The descending blade veered sharply to the left.
“What the…? Ugh!”
Damian swiftly brought his club down on the knight’s crown. The knight let out a cry and collapsed.
In the blink of an eye, two knights were down.
The other knights hesitated, stunned by the unbelievable sight.
Damian tapped his shoulder with the club and spoke.
“What are you waiting for? Come on.”
The knights exchanged glances, then charged in succession.
The sound of blows landing echoed continuously.
“Just one intruder?”
The Duke asked, incredulous. His aide nodded vigorously.
“What about the knights? What are they doing?”
“Ten junior knights tried to stop him and failed!”
“Ten junior knights…?”
Even a single junior knight was a formidable force. Yet ten of them had failed?
“Not only that, but the low-class knights also couldn’t stop him!”
The Duke felt his head spin.
Could this be true?
Was everyone conspiring to deceive him?
“Don’t worry! A middle-class knight has engaged him! The intruder will be subdued soon!”
The mention of a middle-class knight calmed the Duke.
There was no reason to be afraid.
The estate housed not only low-class but also middle-class and even high-class knights.
The Duke glanced at the old knight standing beside him. The knight’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.
“Your Grace, fear not. I am here by your side.”
Gaul Heimrich.
One of only three high-class knights in the Apple Kingdom.
The greatest force the Goldpixie Ducal House possessed.
“How many casualties?”
“I’ve heard there are none.”
The Duke’s face filled with confusion once more.
“None? What about injuries?”
“Only minor injuries have been reported.”
“What the…?”
An intruder in broad daylight, fighting knights, yet not a single death?
“Hold on.”
A possibility dawned on the Duke.
“I need to meet this intruder myself.”
After defeating all the low-class knights, Damian entered the mansion.
The Goldpixie Ducal House was renowned as the wealthiest in the Apple Kingdom.
The opulence of the mansion’s interior, adorned with expensive artworks, proved the reputation true.
“Stop him! Don’t let him through!”
As soon as he entered, knights rushed at him. All were low-class.
Damian swung his club wildly at the oncoming knights.
They fell like leaves in the wind. Damian stepped over them, advancing deeper into the mansion.
He reached a wide hall and halted.
A knight stood in the center.
“So, you’ve made it this far, you bastard.”
The knight muttered quietly, his voice dripping with malice.
“You’ve caused chaos in the Duke’s estate. I’ll personally tear you apart and feed you to the rats.”
The knight pulled a spear from the ground. A sharp aura filled the hall.
“Impressive.”
Damian murmured, genuinely impressed by the knight’s presence.
“I’m Damian Haxen. What’s your name?”
It seemed a shame to fight without introductions.
The knight scowled but answered reluctantly.
“Ernst Horwitz. Middle-class.”
A formidable opponent had appeared.
To become a knight, one must progress through the ranks of trainee, junior knight, and official knight.
Official knights are further divided into four levels.
Low-class, middle-class, high-class, and finally, master.
The gap between each level widens significantly as one advances.
Reaching low-class from junior knight is challenging, but ascending to middle-class is even more so.
Even low-class knights are considered formidable warriors.
So what about middle-class knights, who are even harder to reach?
They are regarded as natural disasters in human form.
“This is going to be troublesome.”
Damian tapped his shoulder with the club.
“Troublesome?”
Ernst Horwitz frowned, clearly irritated by the comment.
“Are you so scared that you’re babbling nonsense? You should be saying you want to run away.”
Ernst Horwitz’s aura surged.
The ground cracked beneath him, the fissures spreading throughout the room. The walls and ceiling began to fracture.
“If you wreck the building like this, I won’t be able to face the Duke.”
To be honest, Damian didn’t want to fight Ernst Horwitz.
He had been back for less than a month. His stamina and magical energy were still lacking.
While he could fight, it would be an exhausting battle.
“Besides, only low-class knights can participate in duels.”
To participate in a duel, he had to pretend to be low-class.
But fighting a middle-class knight like Ernst Horwitz might raise suspicions about his true level.
“If you’re going to keep stalling, I’ll make the first move!”
Ernst Horwitz lowered his stance, ready to charge.
Damian clicked his tongue.
It seemed he would have to engage briefly and then make his escape.
Just then, the door behind Ernst Horwitz swung open.
“Both of you, stop!”
A middle-aged man strode in, shouting. Ernst Horwitz looked surprised.
“Your Grace?”
“You’re supposed to catch the intruder, not demolish the building.”
The middle-aged man patted Ernst Horwitz’s shoulder.
Ernst Horwitz immediately bowed his head.
“My apologies. I was careless.”
“It’s alright. We can always call the mages to repair it.”
With that, the Duke approached Damian.
“Your Grace, it’s dangerous!”
“It’s fine.”
Despite Ernst Horwitz’s protest, the Duke continued.
“Young man, what’s your name?”
Just a few steps away.
Close enough that Damian could draw his sword and strike, the Duke asked.
He was a man with the courage befitting his title.
Damian lowered his club and replied.
“I’m Damian Haxen, Your Grace.”
“Damian Haxen? The notorious scoundrel of the Haxen Viscount’s house?”
“Thank you for recognizing me.”
The Duke’s expression shifted subtly.
“I thought the rumors were exaggerated or false… but it seems they were true.”
“That’s the frustrating part. Because of those rumors, everyone underestimates me.”
The duke burst into laughter at Demian’s words.
“You managed to get here without killing a single one of my knights. Not even a serious injury among them.”
“I had to put in some effort to hold back.”
“What? Hold back? You’re quite the amusing fellow.”
A smile played on the duke’s lips.
“So, what is it you want from me? Surely you didn’t cause all this commotion without a reason.”
Finally, the moment Demian had been waiting for arrived.
“I owe you a debt, Your Grace.”
“A debt?”
The duke looked puzzled, unable to fathom what Demian meant.
“I borrowed money from the lending company you run. I owe 30 gold, including interest.”
“Ah, so that’s what this is about. You came all this way for that?”
“I don’t have the money right now, so I propose to repay the debt in another way.”
The duke nodded, intrigued by Demian’s response.
“Another way?”
“Instead of repaying the debt, I’ll defeat Michael Ryanbloom and offer you the victory.”
The duke’s eyes widened at the mention of Michael Ryanbloom.
Someone had finally come forward to deal with that troublesome figure.
”…Interesting. Very interesting.”
The duke stroked his chin, sizing up Demian.
He was likely comparing Demian to Michael Ryanbloom in his mind.
“Michael Ryanbloom is considered a monster, destined to become a master one day. Are you confident?”
“If I lose, you can take my head.”
Demian replied without a moment’s hesitation.
The duke laughed heartily, forgetting his composure as he threw his head back.
“Hahaha, I’ve never met someone so bold.”
The duke extended his hand.
“Let’s see if I can trust you.”
Demian grasped the offered hand firmly.
“You won’t regret it.”