Episode 26: The Impostor (1)
What on earth just happened?
The retainers stared at the two men, their faces a mix of confusion and disbelief.
One moment, it seemed like they were about to shake hands, and the next, Guillaume Blackwing was face down on the ground.
Everyone had seen the outcome, but no one had witnessed the process.
“Impressive…”
Only one person, Gaol Heinrich, had seen it all. He had clearly observed the trick Damien Haxen had pulled off.
“To think he could use his opponent’s strength against him.”
The moment Guillaume Blackwing grabbed Damien Haxen’s hand, he tried to twist and break it.
But Damien had deftly used that force to hurl Guillaume to the ground instead.
This demonstrated that Damien was far more advanced in technique than Guillaume.
“His skills aren’t the only thing that’s impressive. His physical abilities are superior too.”
In terms of raw strength, Guillaume might have the upper hand.
But in agility and reflexes, Damien was unmatched.
That’s why Guillaume was caught off guard the moment Damien made his move.
“In such a short time, he’s achieved incredible physical growth.”
Gaol Heinrich recalled the first time he had seen Damien Haxen.
Back then, he was frail and thin, hardly the physique of a knight.
But now, his body was well-toned with muscle, and he had grown significantly in stature.
“It seems he’s fully absorbed the balance elixir.”
Damien Haxen was a peculiar knight.
His skills were exceptional, but he had always lacked stamina and magical power.
He had compensated for these deficiencies with his techniques.
But now, even his stamina had improved.
This change alone made the aura around Damien Haxen feel entirely different.
“If he manages to overcome his lack of magical power, who knows how strong he could become.”
Gaol Heinrich had thought he would never encounter another monster like Michael Lionbloom in his lifetime.
Yet here he was, witnessing another one so soon.
Even as a high-class knight, Gaol Heinrich felt a chill run down his spine.
“I thought I’d dislocate your shoulder, but it seems to be intact. You’re tougher than I expected.”
Suddenly, Damien Haxen looked down at Guillaume Blackwing and spoke.
“But why so quiet now? Weren’t you boasting about tearing my arm off just a moment ago?”
Gaol Heinrich couldn’t help but chuckle at Damien’s taunt.
“He’s skilled, but he sure holds a grudge.”
It was the same with Ernst Horwitz; Damien Haxen seemed to always repay any slight against him.
“If only he had a bit more humility.”
Gaol Heinrich was musing over this when—
“You… bastard…”
Guillaume Blackwing muttered under his breath, his voice thick with anger and resentment.
“How dare you… humiliate me like this?”
Steam-like energy began to rise from Guillaume’s body.
It was the telltale sign of magic being summoned.
“You… I’ll crush you!”
Guillaume roared, and his magical power exploded, sending shockwaves in all directions.
“I’ll split your skull open right now!”
He yanked the axe from his back and swung it down towards Damien Haxen.
Or at least, he tried to.
A massive surge of magical energy erupted from one side of the chamber. The air was pushed back, creating a fierce wind.
The overwhelming force froze Guillaume Blackwing in his tracks.
“How dare you brandish a weapon in the presence of His Grace.”
A quiet voice cut through the chaos. Guillaume’s head turned slowly, like a rusty hinge.
To the Duke’s right.
An old knight in armor was glaring at Guillaume with icy eyes.
“Do you have a death wish?”
Gaol Heinrich’s eyes glinted menacingly.
“Truly impressive.”
Damien was inwardly impressed by Gaol Heinrich’s presence.
“I wondered why weapons were allowed in the Duke’s presence.”
It was because with Gaol Heinrich around, no one could harm the Duke.
“Ugh, ugh…”
Guillaume Blackwing was drenched in cold sweat, looking as if he were on the brink of death.
Despite his fame, he was only a low-class knight. He couldn’t withstand the pressure of a high-class knight.
“I’ll overlook this once, considering Lady Chelsea’s honor. But remember, there won’t be a second chance.”
Gaol Heinrich withdrew his aura, and only then did Guillaume Blackwing gasp for air.
“There was a bit of a commotion.”
Clap.
The Duke clapped his hands to regain everyone’s attention.
“It seems best to keep the current representative. I find Sir Damien far more reliable than Sir Guillaume.”
He was about to dismiss the meeting when—
“Your Grace! This was not a fair contest!”
It was Ernst Horwitz who shouted at the Duke.
“Sir Guillaume Blackwing hasn’t fully recovered from his travels. This was an unfair advantage for Damien Haxen!”
Ernst Horwitz defended Guillaume, but none of the retainers seemed to care.
“Wasn’t the duel agreed upon by Sir Guillaume Blackwing himself?”
“He was too easily defeated to blame it on travel fatigue.”
Ernst Horwitz’s face turned crimson at the murmurs around him.
“Moreover, Sir Guillaume is a knight who fights with weapons! We can’t assess his true skill with bare hands!”
He protested stubbornly.
“Sir Ernst is right.”
Chelsea Goldpixie chimed in, as if on cue.
“It’s only proper to compare the knights’ skills through an official duel, not this child’s play.”
“I doubt the outcome would change.”
The Duke’s response was indifferent, and Chelsea bit her lip.
“Your Grace! That’s too hasty a decision! Sir Guillaume is a renowned knight abroad…”
“Chelsea, stop your nonsense.”
The Duke cut her off sharply.
“Your Grace!”
“I’m telling you to stop flaunting your incompetence.”
The cold tone shocked not only Chelsea but the other retainers as well.
”…I apologize for my rudeness.”
Chelsea quickly bowed and stepped back.
“Your Grace, may I say something?”
At that moment, someone raised a hand.
“I’ll accept Lady Chelsea’s proposal.”
Damien Haxen’s words left everyone wide-eyed.
In truth, Damien Haxen had another reason for accepting the duel.
“I definitely sensed dark magic from Guillaume Blackwing.”
When Guillaume had summoned his magic, Damien had clearly felt it.
The dark magic operating within him.
It was so well concealed that even Damien had to scrutinize closely to detect it.
“To think I’d encounter a fake knight so soon.”
Fake knights.
A nickname for knights who had been enhanced through dark magic.
“They’re vermin who rely on dark magic for strength, but they’re said to be unmatched in their class.”
Fake knights gained superior physical abilities and vast magical power through dark magic.
They were considered the strongest in their rank.
But they had significant drawbacks.
First, they paid for dark magic with their lifespan. As far as Damien knew, no knight had survived more than five years after the procedure.
That wasn’t all. Dark magicians secretly cast a spell of obedience on the knights during the procedure.
As a result, fake knights became lifelong slaves to the dark magicians in exchange for their meager strength.
“Fake knights are like ticking time bombs. They’ll be exposed soon enough.”
The church would launch a massive search operation to capture and execute all fake knights.
Given the Duke’s involvement, the duchy wouldn’t be spared from the church’s scrutiny.
“The church’s search is relentless and brutal. The duchy will suffer significant damage.”
For Damien, who intended to use the duchy to counter the marquisate, this was an undesirable situation.
“I have no choice but to intervene.”
It wasn’t just for practical reasons that he decided to get involved.
“I can’t just stand by and watch those filthy cockroaches crawl around in front of me.”
Damien Haxen despised dark magicians. If he could, he would eradicate them from the world.
“Should I expose him right here? No, it’s too soon.”
Damien’s goal was to maintain the duchy.
To do that, he needed to find out how deeply Lady Chelsea was involved in this matter.
“Are you saying you want to duel Sir Guillaume Blackwing?”
The Duke asked, looking puzzled.
“It seems they weren’t satisfied with the outcome, so I don’t mind granting them a rematch.”
“Since it’s a request from Sir Damien, I can’t refuse. I’ll allow the duel.”
The Duke readily agreed to Damien’s request.
“Listen, retainers. The knight who wins tomorrow’s duel will be appointed as the representative.”
Chelsea’s face showed a hint of relief at the announcement.
“Now that I think about it, defeating Sir Demian Haxen doesn’t really offer much gain. It just means maintaining the status quo.”
The Duke fiddled with his ring, then opened a small pocket of space to retrieve something.
It was a tiny glass vial filled with a vivid blue liquid.
“Do you know what this is?” he asked, shaking the vial slightly. Neither Demian Haxen nor the other retainers had any idea.
“This is the Elixir of Mana Crystals.”
The moment the Duke uttered its name, everyone was taken aback.
It was one of the legendary elixirs created by Azoth Arkelthius, the head of the Arcane School.
The elixir was crafted by further refining the mana extracted from spirit plants that contained magical power.
In truth, the amount of mana one could gain from the Elixir of Mana Crystals wasn’t substantial—only about ten years’ worth.
However, its true value lay elsewhere. It significantly enhanced one’s mana sensitivity.
With increased sensitivity, not only did one’s ability to wield mana improve, but their natural recovery rate also accelerated.
Because of this unparalleled effect, it was proudly listed among the twelve must-consume elixirs by the Empire’s greatest swordsman.
“I shall award this elixir to the victor of tomorrow’s duel.”
The Duke’s declaration caused a stir among the retainers.
The Duke adjourned the meeting.
Chelsea Goldpixie was the first to leave the chamber with her entourage, which included Ernst Horwitz.
Next, the retainers began to move. Demian Haxen was about to blend in with them and exit the room.
“Sir Demian, a moment, please.”
The Duke called out to him. Demian turned back, puzzled.
“I just remembered, didn’t your longsword get damaged because of Sir Ernst last time?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Then you don’t have a weapon for tomorrow’s duel, do you?”
“I was planning to use a training sword,” Demian replied nonchalantly. With his skills, he could easily defeat Guillaume Blackwing barehanded.
“That’s unacceptable.”
The Duke shook his head.
“A knight’s weapon is like his face. Carrying a training sword to a formal duel is akin to smearing dirt on your own face.”
The Duke had a point.
There was a reason knights went to great lengths to find a fine sword.
“Moreover, you can’t use a training sword in a duel with a marquis’s house, can you? There’s a workshop managed by the Duke’s estate in the outer castle. Have a sword made there.”
Demian was surprised and asked the Duke again.
“Is that really possible?”
“Of course. I’ll inform them in advance, so feel free to visit anytime.”
Demian felt a surge of excitement.
A workshop managed by the Duke’s estate would undoubtedly be of exceptional quality.
The opportunity to have a weapon crafted there was a dream come true for any knight.
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
Demian expressed his gratitude, and the Duke waved it off as if it were nothing.
The Duke summoned a steward to guide Demian Haxen.
Following the steward, Demian arrived at the workshop and couldn’t help but be impressed.
“This is incredible.”
The walls were high and long, with black smoke billowing from five chimneys.
He had rarely seen such a large workshop in his life.
“The previous Duke put a lot of effort into building this workshop. He brought in renowned craftsmen of the time to lay its foundation. It’s exclusively for the knights of the Duke’s estate.”
The steward introduced the workshop with pride.
Unable to wait any longer, Demian opened the workshop door and stepped inside.
Inside, many craftsmen were wrestling with metal in front of their forges.
“Hmm? Who’s here?”
“Isn’t that someone from the Duke’s estate?”
A few blacksmiths glanced at Demian and the steward.
“We’re here on the Duke’s orders. We’re here to have a sword made for this gentleman.”
The steward’s explanation caused a buzz among the craftsmen.
“If it’s a guest of the Duke, we can’t be careless.”
“Chief! Where are you? You need to handle this!”
From among the craftsmen, a stocky man stepped forward.
“I’m Brody, the head of the workshop.”
Brody led the way as he spoke.
“Please follow me. I’ll take you to the armory.”
Demian and the steward followed Brody deeper into the workshop.
Upon entering the armory, Demian was once again taken aback.
“Impressive.”
Perfectly crafted weapons were displayed everywhere. Not a single one was lacking.
Demian eagerly explored the armory, examining each weapon.
“Hmm?”
Amidst his inspection, an unusual item caught his eye.
At first glance, it resembled a longsword.
However, its blade was slightly longer, and the center of the blade was hollow.
Two blades extended from the hilt and converged at the tip.
It was a design that would make anyone question the sword’s durability and performance.
“What’s this?”
But Demian’s reaction was different.
“Why is the unique weapon of the Sword Musician here?”