Episode 31: The Leafy Plains (1)
Since that day, Damian had thrown himself into training with unwavering dedication.
Thanks to the Balance Elixir, his physical abilities had improved dramatically, but he knew he still had a long way to go.
Currently, Damian’s physical prowess was at a low-class level. To reach greater heights, he needed to push his body even further.
Most importantly, to fully absorb the benefits of the Magic Crystal Elixir, strengthening his body was crucial.
If magic was like water, then the body was the vessel. A larger, sturdier vessel could hold more water, and the same principle applied here.
“The duke’s estate is well-equipped with training tools.”
The estate had an array of equipment for the knights’ training, a rare opportunity that Damian took full advantage of to hone his body.
However, the training that consumed most of Damian’s time was something else entirely.
It was the sparring sessions, which proved to be the most effective.
“Ugh…”
“Argh…”
In the training grounds within the duke’s estate, five knights lay sprawled out, exhausted.
“What a pitiful sight.”
Damian Haxen looked down at them, shaking his head.
“How can you collapse before me when I’m the one wearing magic restraints?”
Unlike the lightly dressed knights, Damian was adorned with magical devices in the form of bracelets and shackles, designed to increase his weight and hinder his movements, maximizing the training effect.
Initially, he wore only a few, but now he had over ten, increasing the number as his physical abilities improved.
“Get up immediately! Do I need to knock some sense into you?”
At Damian’s threat, the knights scrambled to their feet, as if their previous groans had been a lie.
“You’re getting lazier by the day.”
Damian clicked his tongue, looking at the knights.
“You’re supposed to be knights of the duke’s house. Running away because you’re afraid of getting hit is disgraceful.”
The knights felt a deep sense of injustice.
For over twenty days, they had endured what felt like beatings disguised as sparring with Damian Haxen.
They had tried their hardest to land a single blow on him, but not once had they even grazed his clothes.
It was no wonder their fighting spirit was waning.
“It seems you’ve adapted to the current intensity. From now on, we’ll extend the sparring sessions.”
At Damian’s words, the knights’ faces turned pale. He glanced at them and chuckled.
“Just kidding. Today’s session is over.”
“What?”
One of the knights, taken aback by the unexpected announcement, asked again.
It was Pavel Vermond, the de facto leader among the dueling knights.
“You’re really stopping?”
“Why? Don’t you like it?”
“No, I do! I like it!”
Pavel shouted hastily, and the other knights nodded vigorously, their hair flying.
“It’s just that you ended earlier than usual, so I was curious…”
“We have a duel with the marquis’ house in two days.”
Damian said, looking around at the knights.
“There will be no more sparring until then. Use the next two days to rest and reflect on what I’ve taught you.”
The knights looked puzzled, their thoughts clear: What did we learn? Didn’t we just get beaten up?
‘As expected, none of them have realized it yet.’
Damian smirked inwardly at the clueless knights.
There were two main reasons he sparred with them.
One was to train his body.
If it was just about increasing strength, using equipment would be better.
But sparring allowed him to use all the muscles needed for combat.
Even in his past life as a mercenary, he preferred training through sparring.
The second reason was to win the upcoming duel.
In Damian Haxen’s assessment, the duke’s knights couldn’t defeat the marquis’ knights. The latter were simply too skilled.
To win the duel, they needed to win two out of three matches.
Even if Damian defeated Michael Ryanbloom, if the other knights lost, they would lose the duel.
So Damian trained his body while also preparing the knights.
‘Not a single one has realized the swordsmanship I’ve been using.’
During sparring, Damian used the Lion’s Guard Sword, the style practiced by the marquis’ knights.
Familiarity with the enemy’s swordsmanship would give them an advantage in the duel.
‘At this rate, I’m not sure we’ll win tomorrow.’
While Damian was worrying internally, he noticed one knight, Pavel Vermond, deep in thought, resting his chin on his hand.
‘Oh?’
Pavel stood out among the dueling knights, not only for his leadership but also for his talent.
‘Maybe there’s hope for him.’
A faint smile appeared on Damian’s lips.
After parting with the knights, Damian returned to his room.
He summoned his attendant and gave strict instructions.
“Let no one in from now on. Even if His Grace comes, do not open the door.”
Damian sat in the center of his room and took out a small glass vial from his pocket.
Inside was a shimmering blue liquid, like melted jewels.
A smile crept onto Damian’s face as he gazed at it.
“It’s finally time to take this.”
He had held off on consuming the Magic Crystal Elixir given by the duke, waiting until his body was ready to absorb it fully.
“The magic from this elixir is worth ten years.”
For a famous elixir, the amount of magic it provided wasn’t much.
But its true advantage lay elsewhere: it heightened the body’s sensitivity to magic.
With increased sensitivity, the use, accumulation, and recovery of magic all improved.
It was truly an extraordinary elixir.
“Let’s give it a try.”
Damian drank the elixir. It felt more like swallowing thick honey than liquid.
He could vividly feel it sliding down his throat and into his stomach.
Once there, the elixir ignited, spreading warmth throughout his body.
The flames burned away impurities, seeping into his muscles and organs.
‘I wondered how it increased sensitivity. I never imagined it would be like this.’
Just as clay becomes pottery when fired, the elixir’s effect was similar, using pure magic to strengthen the body.
‘Most would just sit back and let it happen.’
Damian began to circulate his internal energy technique.
He absorbed external magic to fuel the elixir, intensifying the flames.
Time passed, though how much was unclear.
”…Phew.”
Damian exhaled deeply and opened his eyes, a blue light flashing momentarily.
He stood, and gray ash-like residue fell from him.
The impurities burned away by the elixir had been expelled.
“Impressive.”
He manipulated his magic. Previously, it felt like running on gravel.
Now, it was as smooth as gliding on ice.
The speed of his magic manipulation had increased significantly.
“Let’s test it.”
He slowly reached out into the empty air.
As he grasped at nothing, blue wisps began to gather around his hand.
Soon, they formed the shape of a sword.
Anyone witnessing this would have been shocked.
Typically, aura was overlaid onto a weapon. Condensing it into a shape was unheard of.
Mid-class warriors could project aura to attack distant foes.
But creating a weapon form with aura alone, as Damian did, was unimaginable.
It was a feat only high-class warriors could achieve.
“This will do.”
Damian swung the intangible sword lightly.
He could feel the air being sliced.
Satisfied, he smiled at the sword.
“Just one step away from an aura blade.”
Two days passed quickly.
On the day of the duel, Damian Haxen rode with the duke to the Leafy Plains.
“We’re a bit late.”
Upon arrival, the duke looked across the plains and remarked.
The marquis’ forces were already assembled and waiting.
“Damian Haxen, what do you make of them?”
Damian rode beside the duke, treated as a close confidant despite being an outsider.
He squinted, assessing the marquis’ soldiers.
“They’re a well-trained army.”
The quality of their equipment and the aura each soldier exuded was impressive.
True to their reputation as the kingdom’s top knightly house, the marquis’ soldiers were formidable.
“Indeed. I envy those soldiers. If only I could learn how to train such men.”
The duke chuckled.
Damian thought it was just a polite remark.
A proud man like the duke wouldn’t truly envy the marquis’ house.
Even if he did, he’d deny and ignore it.
Noticing the duke’s arrival, a messenger from the marquis’ side rode out.
Dismounting before the duke, the messenger spoke.
“Your Grace, the Marquis proposes a meeting between the representatives on the plains before the duel begins!”
After delivering the message, the messenger returned to the marquis’s camp.
The duke glanced between Damian and Gaol Heinrich before speaking.
“Since the marquis insists, we have no choice but to go. Will you both accompany me?”
Damian and Gaol Heinrich nodded in agreement.
The three of them mounted their horses and headed toward the center of the plain.
Meanwhile, a commotion was brewing in the marquis’s camp.
“Michael! Get up this instant!”
The marquis stormed into the tent, his voice booming.
Despite its size, large enough to accommodate dozens, the tent’s interior was starkly bare.
A single bed.
A lone sword.
That was all.
Someone lay on the bed, snoring under a heap of blankets.
“The duke’s party has arrived! We need to greet them, so why are you still asleep?”
Despite the marquis’s repeated shouts, there was no sign of movement.
The marquis’s face began to flush with anger. Unable to contain himself, he kicked the bed.
“Get up now!”
His voice, charged with magical energy, reverberated through the tent and the ground.
“Ugh, fine.”
Finally, the boy on the bed stirred and sat up groggily.
The marquis, Ryanbloom, looked at the boy with a mix of exasperation and disappointment.
The boy’s name was Michael Ryanbloom.
He was the eldest son of the Ryanbloom family, currently gaining quite a reputation.
Though often mistaken for a boy due to his small stature, he had long since reached adulthood.
“Father, you’re so loud.”
Michael’s words made the marquis’s temple throb with frustration. His fists clenched involuntarily.
“Why do you have to wake someone who’s sleeping so well?”
“Didn’t you hear me? The duke’s party is here, and we must go greet them!”
“What does that have to do with me? Call me when it’s time for the duel.”
The marquis suppressed his anger and spoke with restraint.
“This duel is your chance to make a name for yourself. It’s an opportunity others would pay dearly for.”
“I’m not interested.”
With that, Michael Ryanbloom attempted to lie back down.
The marquis sighed and added, “Damian Haxen will be there.”
Michael, who had been about to recline, paused.
“Why is that guy with the duke’s party?”
“You probably missed it while you were sleeping, but the duke chose Damian Haxen as their representative.”
“Oh, really? That’s perfect. I’ve been itching to avenge Erwin.”
For a brief moment, a murderous glint flashed across Michael’s usually languid face.
Though typically lazy, Michael was like a raging bull when it came to family matters.
“There’s talk that he fended off an attack from the Middle Class.”
“So what?”
“Isn’t it impressive? A guy who was once considered a mere squire has taken down a Low Class and even repelled a Middle Class attack.”
“Impressive, sure.”
“Aren’t you curious about what he looks like? He might even become your rival…”
“Father, please don’t say things like that.”
Michael sat up, his expression serious.
“Do you know how many times I’ve been disappointed after getting my hopes up from hearing things like that?”
“This time might be different.”
“It’s always the same. The rumors are always exaggerated, and when I finally face them, they’re nothing.”
Michael Ryanbloom’s eyes were clouded, as if shrouded in mist.
His exceptional talent and strength had left him without a worthy opponent for too long.
Ironically, Michael Ryanbloom was drowning in ennui because he was too gifted.
“Well, now I’m wide awake.”
Michael rose from the bed.
“Let’s go meet him.”
The marquis and Michael mounted their horses and headed toward the center of the plain.
The duke was already waiting there.
As soon as the duke saw the marquis, he twisted his lips into a smirk.
“Inviting someone and then being late? Still lacking in common sense, I see.”
The marquis responded with a similar smile.
“Getting angry over nothing, are we? Not only do you look like a prude, but you also show how narrow-minded you are.”
The two laughed loudly, though their eyes were anything but friendly.
“Sir Gaol Heinrich, it’s been a while.”
“Indeed, it has.”
The marquis turned to Gaol Heinrich, who nodded in acknowledgment.
In terms of age and experience, Gaol Heinrich had the upper hand.
However, since they were both High Class and the marquis held a higher rank, he usually spoke down to him.
“Aren’t you bored at the duke’s place? Why not join our family instead?”
“I intend to remain with the Goldpixie dukedom.”
“That’s a shame. A real shame. Like pearls before swine.”
The marquis clicked his tongue and shifted his gaze.
To the duke’s right stood Gaol Heinrich, and to his left was a young man the marquis had never seen before.
“If I’m not mistaken, this young man must be Damian Haxen…”
The marquis glanced at the young man without much thought.
But the moment he locked eyes with him, it felt like a hammer had struck the back of his head.
’…What is this?’
The marquis had no fondness for Damian Haxen.
He was the wretched enemy who had humiliated his beloved second son and the cherished knights of his family.
Yet, he was also curious.
Damian Haxen’s actions had been so extraordinary that the marquis wanted to see for himself what kind of person he was and how remarkable his talents might be.
Perhaps he could even provide the stimulation that the jaded Michael Ryanbloom needed.
’…What kind of monster is this?’
The moment he saw Damian Haxen, the marquis felt a chill run down his spine.
It was absurd for a High Class to feel fear toward a mere Low Class knight.
The reason for the marquis’s fear was the talent Damian Haxen possessed.
Damian Haxen was not just a knight who would serve as a mere challenge for his eldest son.
He might even be a monster capable of matching his eldest son.
‘Damn it.’
The marquis quickly turned to Michael.
If he was this shocked, there was no way Michael hadn’t sensed anything.
”…”
Michael was staring at Damian Haxen with a dazed expression.
He hadn’t even blinked, as if doing so would be a waste of time.
”…Ha.”
A gasp of exhilaration escaped Michael Ryanbloom’s lips.
In that moment, Michael’s hand gripped the hilt of his sword.
The blade began to emerge.