Episode 23: Proof (1)
The retainers of the Goldpixie Duchy were in a state of chaos and fear.
They had gathered at the duchy for the quarterly grand meeting.
In the midst of discussing business matters with the Duke, news broke that the inner castle had been attacked.
If it had been the outer walls, they might have been shocked, but not terrified.
But the attack had occurred within the inner sanctum.
As if that weren’t enough, the Duke had left to confront the intruder alone, leaving behind his bodyguard, Sir Gaol Heinrich.
“An attack on the duchy… Who could have done such a thing?”
“Attacking in broad daylight, no less…”
The retainers murmured anxiously.
The only solace was the presence of Gaol Heinrich in the meeting room.
Gaol Heinrich was one of only three high-class knights in the Apple Kingdom.
Whoever the intruder was, Gaol Heinrich could surely handle them.
Just then, the door swung open.
“Sorry to keep you waiting!”
The Duke entered, now accompanied by two others.
One was a familiar knight, Ernst Horwitz.
The other was a young man none of them recognized.
“Who is that young man?”
“I have no idea.”
“He’s handsome enough, but there’s something unsettling about his eyes.”
The retainers whispered among themselves.
“I have someone to introduce,” the Duke announced, gesturing to the young man.
“This is the very intruder who attacked the duchy.”
The murmurs ceased instantly.
The retainers looked at the Duke and the young man, Damian Haxen, in disbelief.
“Hello, I’m Damian Haxen,” he said with a casual nod, his demeanor arrogant and disrespectful.
But the retainers were more focused on his name than his attitude.
“Damian Haxen? The infamous rogue?”
“The one who took down the second son of the Lionbloom Marquisate and dismantled a major organization in Landwalk City.”
Damian Haxen’s reputation had reached even the duchy, though no one believed the outlandish tales.
“That rogue is the one who attacked the duchy?”
“So the rumors were true after all?”
“This can’t be. How could someone like him…”
The retainers were visibly shaken, some even in denial.
“The reason he attacked is quite amusing,” the Duke continued, seemingly oblivious to their shock. “He borrowed money from one of my businesses and couldn’t repay it.”
The retainers stared at Damian, dumbfounded.
They had been wracking their brains over who could be behind the attack, never imagining such a foolish reason.
“He even told me he plans to defeat Michael Lionbloom and offer the victory to me.”
Laughter erupted among the retainers.
Michael Lionbloom was a prodigy, expected to reach the rank of master in the near future.
The duchy had exhausted all its resources trying to find a rival for him, to no avail.
And this young man claimed he could defeat Michael Lionbloom?
But as they recalled Damian’s prowess, the laughter began to fade.
“Could he really defeat Michael Lionbloom?”
“It’s not entirely impossible. He did breach the duchy’s defenses.”
“And he took down our knights.”
“Is there another young knight with such skill?”
Considering Damian’s abilities, he seemed a worthy match for Michael Lionbloom.
“I intend to appoint Damian Haxen as our representative to face Michael Lionbloom,” the Duke declared, surveying the retainers.
“Does anyone have a different opinion?”
Silence. A sign of agreement. The Duke nodded in understanding.
“No objections, then. Damian Haxen will be our representative—”
“Your Grace! Please reconsider that decision!”
A voice rang out, drawing all eyes to its source.
Ernst Horwitz stood there, his face a mask of anger.
“Damian Haxen attacked the duchy and assaulted our knights! It’s absurd to appoint him as our representative instead of punishing him!”
Several retainers nodded in agreement.
Though they had remained silent, they were uneasy about the idea of appointing an attacker as their representative.
“Damian Haxen may have tarnished the duchy’s name, but where else can we find such talent?”
“Talent aside, he lacks the qualifications! Appointing someone who attacked our house will make us a laughingstock!”
More retainers began to side with Ernst Horwitz.
“Without Damian Haxen, we have no one to face Michael Lionbloom.”
“Not yet, but we still have Lady Chelsea!”
At the mention of Lady Chelsea, the Duke’s expression briefly darkened.
“Lady Chelsea left a month ago, claiming to have found a knight to face Michael Lionbloom. She should be returning soon!”
“She didn’t tell me who she found. How can I rely on that and dismiss Damian Haxen?”
“Has Lady Chelsea ever disappointed you? She’s intelligent and capable. She’ll meet your expectations again!”
The retainers began to murmur in agreement.
“True, Lady Chelsea has always excelled in your tests.”
“She’ll surely bring back an exceptional knight.”
“We can trust Lady Chelsea.”
The retainers’ opinions gradually shifted towards Lady Chelsea.
The Duke crossed his arms, deep in thought.
“Sir Ernst Horwitz’s points are valid.”
The Duke turned to Damian Haxen.
“Damian Haxen, I’m sorry, but we’ll have to postpone appointing you as our representative.”
Ernst Horwitz’s face brightened noticeably.
In contrast, Damian felt a surge of irritation.
‘That boneheaded fool just had to ruin things at the last minute.’
Damian hadn’t come here just to repay a debt.
The Marquisate would grow significantly stronger after winning a duel against the duchy.
Damian Haxen was here to prevent that future.
‘No matter who Lady Chelsea brings, they can’t defeat Michael Lionbloom.’
For the duchy to win, Damian Haxen needed to face Michael Lionbloom.
After some thought, Damian spoke up.
“I can’t accept that decision.”
All eyes turned to Damian Haxen.
“I came here not only to repay my debt but also to fight Michael Lionbloom. I have no intention of giving up the representative position.”
An outsider had just rejected the Duke’s decision outright. The retainers were not pleased.
“How dare he defy His Grace’s decision!”
“Arrogant fool, thinking he’s above everyone!”
“He should be punished immediately!”
Ernst Horwitz’s anger was particularly intense.
“What did that brat just say?”
He ground his teeth, a murderous aura emanating from him.
“Your Grace, give the order. I’ll bring him to his knees!”
But the Duke didn’t respond to Ernst Horwitz’s request.
Instead, he looked at Damian with an expression of interest.
“Damian, I do apologize. But with the retainers’ opinions as they are, what can I do?”
The Duke shrugged, his demeanor exaggerated, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Damian realized the Duke was testing him.
‘He’s curious to see how I’ll handle this.’
He recalled hearing about the Duke in his past life.
The Goldpixie Duke was a notorious meritocrat who enjoyed testing his retainers.
He favored those who passed his tests and dismissed those who didn’t.
‘He’s a troublesome type to work for.’
To pass the Duke’s test, Damian would have to persuade the retainers.
But he had no intention of going through that hassle.
He planned to show them through action, not words.
To prove who he was and why they needed him.
“You’re all gravely mistaken.”
Having decided on his course, Damian Haxen spoke up.
“If you want to win the duel, you must appoint me as the representative. No matter who Lady Chelsea brings, they won’t compare to me.”
“Such arrogance is nauseating. How can you make such claims without knowing who Lady Chelsea will bring?”
Ernst Horwitz sneered.
Damian Haxen pointed at Ernst Horwitz.
“As proof, I’ll withstand a strike from Sir Ernst.”
Did he just say what I think he said?
The retainers couldn’t believe their ears. It was an unbelievable situation.
Ernst Horwitz was a seasoned member of the middle class.
He had been in that position for quite some time, accumulating a wealth of experience and achievements.
And now, someone thought they could withstand an attack from him?
“Ah, I said a single strike, but feel free to use any technique you like. Tricks, special moves, anything goes,” Damian Haxen declared.
The more Damian spoke, the more the retainers were left in shock.
Typically, when a higher-ranked knight faced a lower-ranked one, the higher-ranked knight would be given several penalties.
Yet here was Damian Haxen, suggesting they remove all restrictions instead.
“If you could block a special move, that would be even better. It would demonstrate my skills more convincingly.”
Damian’s words were cut short by the intense, murderous aura emanating from Ernst Horwitz.
“Follow me. I’ll put a hole in that smug face of yours,” Ernst growled at Damian.
Damian and Ernst Horwitz headed straight to the training grounds.
The duke and the retainers followed, surrounding the area to watch the two men.
“If you lick my boots now, I might just forgive you,” Ernst taunted, twirling his spear.
Damian responded with a long yawn instead of words.
“I’m tired. Let’s get this over with.”
”…You’re really asking for it, aren’t you?” Ernst gripped his spear with both hands.
Damian didn’t bother to take a stance.
“What are you doing? Get ready,” Ernst urged.
“You’re quite the busybody. Stop worrying about me and focus on yourself,” Damian replied, planting his sword in the ground and leaning on it.
The blatant disregard made Ernst’s face tense with anger.
“As I said, any attack is fine. Use tricks, special moves, whatever you want.”
Damian had started addressing Ernst informally, further provoking him.
Ernst’s eyes were bloodshot with rage.
“You… brat, I’ll tear you apart.”
Ernst summoned his magical power.
Middle class.
A superhuman capable of taking on a thousand foes.
The immense power befitting such a rank began to swirl around Ernst.
“You said any strike would do, right?”
Aura flared at the tip of Ernst’s spear, so vivid it looked like flames rather than a mere shimmer.
“I’ll pierce that annoying face of yours.”
Ernst lifted his foot and stomped down hard.
The ground of the training area shattered, and Ernst shot forward like an arrow.
The speed was incredible, the air cracking in his wake. Ernst broke through the air’s resistance and reached Damian in an instant.
Ernst thrust his spear.
A storm raged, and a hidden flash of light aimed straight for Damian.
Even before Ernst thrust his spear, Damian had already read the trajectory.
‘The chest.’
Ernst’s stance and gaze revealed everything.
Despite his words about piercing Damian’s face, Ernst was aiming for the heart.
‘A straightforward thrust.’
No tricks, no special moves. Just a pure, direct attack.
But because he was using his full strength, the speed and power were terrifying.
‘Did I provoke him too much? This is getting dull.’
It seemed Damian’s taunts had struck a nerve, challenging Ernst’s pride as a knight.
Trying to kill Damian with such an honest attack showed as much.
‘When it’s this obvious, countering is easy.’
As Ernst thrust his spear, Damian raised his longsword to block it.
The moment the spear struck, it felt like a boulder had slammed into the blade.
His entire body creaked under the pressure. He could feel the fibers in his arms and legs tearing.
‘As expected of a middle class.’
While Damian’s experience and technique were superior, Ernst’s physical abilities and magical power were several times greater.
In truth, blocking such a powerful attack wasn’t Damian’s style.
But Damian had to play the role of a lower class.
It would be strange for a lower class to dodge or deflect a middle class’s attack.
‘So I have to block it.’
Unable to withstand the attack, his feet slid back, carving two grooves into the ground.
He could have stopped there, but Damian let himself be pushed back.
Eventually, his back hit the wall, shattering it with a loud crash.
The intense impact concentrated on his internal organs.
With his skills, Damian could have used magic to protect his insides.
But he let himself suffer internal injuries for the sake of a more convincing performance.
“Cough.”
Damian spat blood from his mouth, staggering deliberately as he walked out.
Looking up, he saw Ernst Horwitz’s face, frozen in shock.
It wasn’t just Ernst. The duke and the retainers wore the same expression.
Suddenly, Damian realized his hand felt light.
He glanced down to see the shattered remains of his longsword.
It was a gift from his father, but it wasn’t of high quality or a family heirloom, so he had no attachment to it.
“Your Grace, as promised, I have withstood Sir Ernst Horwitz’s attack,” Damian said, tossing the sword’s hilt to the ground.
“The position of representative is now mine.”
No response came. Only a heavy silence filled the air.
“Ha,” the duke finally broke the silence.
“Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha!”
The duke laughed heartily, slapping his thigh with his palm.
“He withstood it! He really withstood a middle class’s strike!”
The duke rushed over to Damian, patting him on the back.
“Cough.”
The force made Damian cough up blood again.
Though it was an act, the internal injuries were real.
“Ha ha ha! Sorry! My apologies!”
Even seeing this, the duke couldn’t stop laughing.
“Listen, everyone! Damian Haxen has proven his skills admirably! As promised, I will appoint him as the representative!”
At that moment, Ernst Horwitz snapped out of his daze.
“Y-Your Grace!”
“Silence.”
The duke’s tone turned icy, a stark contrast to how he spoke to Damian.
“I’m in a good mood right now. Don’t ruin it.”
At the duke’s words, Ernst Horwitz broke into a cold sweat and bowed his head.
‘He must be disappointed.’
The duke was a staunch meritocrat.
That’s why he favored Damian Haxen, who met his expectations, and disregarded Ernst Horwitz, who did not.
The duke’s goodwill didn’t end there.
“It seems you’ve suffered internal injuries. I can’t just stand by.”
Suddenly, the duke fiddled with the ring on his right hand. A black void appeared in the air.
‘A spatial artifact?’
A top-tier magical tool that twisted space to serve as a storage.
The duke retrieved a box from within.
“A gift for you.”
Damian accepted the box and opened it.
As soon as he lifted the lid, a refreshing scent wafted out. Inside were five pills.
“They’re called Balance Pills. I wonder if you’ve heard of them.”
Damian’s ears perked up.
How could he not know? They were said to enhance physical abilities just by consuming them.
There was even a story about a sickly imperial prince who took twenty Balance Pills and then defeated a bull with his bare hands.
“I acquired them at a high price from the Alchemy School.”
Moreover, these Balance Pills were made by the Alchemy School.
The Alchemy School specialized in creating elixirs for growth.
Their products were far superior to those made by other schools.
“Consuming a Balance Pill enhances the body and replenishes magical power. They’re typically used by knights during training, but they’re also excellent for treating internal injuries.”
The duke patted Damian on the shoulder.
“I look forward to working with you.”