Episode 34: The Leafy Plains (4)
And so, the duel concluded with the Duke’s victory.
The first thing the Duke’s household did after their triumph was…
“Drink and be merry to your heart’s content!”
They threw a grand feast on the plains.
They slaughtered the livestock they had brought along and opened barrels of ale. Soon, the air was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of cooking food.
“We have more than enough meat and drink! So everyone, enjoy yourselves!”
The Duke even invited the Marquis’s men to join the celebration. As a result, soldiers from both the Duke’s and the Marquis’s sides sat together, sharing in the revelry.
The Marquis’s soldiers, forgetting their earlier gloom, indulged in the feast with abandon.
To an outsider, it might have seemed like the Duke was being magnanimous.
‘What a petty man,’ thought Damian, who had seen through the Duke’s intentions. This feast was nothing more than a way for the Duke to mock the Marquis to the very end.
The proof was in the Marquis’s expression as he sat beside the Duke.
“Marquis Lionbloom! Why the long face? We’ve had our little spat, but it’s all over now. Let’s put it behind us and enjoy.”
The Duke poured wine into the Marquis’s cup as he spoke.
“As the victor, it’s only right that I pour first. After all, I am the winner!”
The Marquis’s face twisted as if he’d bitten into something sour.
He clearly wanted to leave immediately, but declining the victor’s invitation would be a breach of etiquette for the defeated.
Moreover, his soldiers were already laughing and enjoying the food and drink.
Ruining the mood was not an option.
“Come on, drink up!”
The Duke was in high spirits, continuously filling the Marquis’s cup with glee.
Damian watched the scene unfold with a wry smile.
‘Well, that’s one problem solved.’
Damian had intervened in the duel to prevent the Duke’s downfall and keep the Marquis in check.
Had the Duke lost, his house would have crumbled.
Damian had thwarted the dark sorcerers lurking within the Duke’s ranks and ensured their victory.
That future was now averted.
‘Now, there’s just Yuran.’
Yuran’s plans to take over the Duke’s house had been foiled, and one of their leaders had been killed by Damian.
Yuran would undoubtedly seek revenge on Damian, and he was counting on it, leaving himself open to their attempts.
‘They might even strike on the way back.’
People are most vulnerable after a major event, when they’re basking in the afterglow of success.
Right now, everyone was in that state.
As Damian pondered these thoughts, someone approached him.
He looked up to see Michael Lionbloom.
“Ah, may I sit here?”
Michael Lionbloom asked stiffly.
Damian was surprised by the unexpected approach.
He had wanted to have a proper conversation, but he hadn’t expected Michael to make the first move.
“Suit yourself.”
Damian agreed readily, and Michael’s face lit up.
Michael quickly took a seat across from Damian, grinning widely.
“May I call you Sir Damian?”
“Sure, and I suppose I should call you Sir Michael?”
“That would be an honor!”
Damian took a sip from his cup. As soon as it was empty, Michael eagerly refilled it.
“I was, um, moved during the duel!”
“Moved?”
Damian couldn’t help but ask at the unexpected word.
“I always thought there was no one like me in the world!”
Michael continued, his face flushed with excitement.
“But Sir Damian, you’re like me… no, you’re far greater than I am!”
Michael had surrendered in the final duel not just because Damian was stronger.
Through his heightened senses, he had glimpsed the talent Damian possessed.
Realizing that Damian’s abilities were on a completely different level, he had immediately conceded defeat.
“The world is indeed vast.”
Michael said, his face full of admiration.
The fact that Michael Lionbloom didn’t despair after witnessing Damian’s prowess showed that he was a remarkable individual.
‘Or perhaps he was just that lonely.’
Damian had been captured by Dorogo before he could fully realize his own talents, enduring a harrowing time.
Thus, he couldn’t quite empathize with Michael’s sense of isolation.
“You’re too arrogant.”
And he had no intention of trying to empathize.
“Wh-what?”
“You just thought to yourself that you’re the second best, didn’t you?”
“How did you know?”
Even after meeting Damian, Michael’s pride remained intact.
Damian was the undisputed number one.
He considered himself right below.
Despite the vast gap, he still thought of himself as second best.
“As you said, the world is vast. Your level of talent might be rare, but it’s not unheard of.”
Michael’s confidence wasn’t entirely misplaced.
In fact, among the master class, Michael was considered quite strong.
Michael Lionbloom indeed possessed a talent that would be remembered in history.
But how many people have left their mark on history?
“In the Empire alone, there are at least three people with greater talent than you.”
In his past life, Michael Lionbloom was defeated at the age of 25 by a girl younger than himself.
That defeat spurred him to train harder, eventually reaching the level of a master.
Yet even as a master, he never managed to surpass that girl.
She would later be known as the Sword Queen in the distant future.
“Michael Lionbloom, don’t be complacent. Don’t be arrogant. Don’t think you’re the best. Always remember that someone could surpass you at any time.”
Michael looked at Damian, shocked. Then, with a cautious expression, he asked.
“Do you live with that mindset too, Sir Damian?”
“No, not at all. I’m the best.”
”…But you just told me to be careful.”
Michael looked at him incredulously.
But what could he do? Damian Haxen was indeed the best, and he had proven it in his past life.
“I consider myself the best, but I never let my guard down. I’m always prepared and vigilant. Do you know why?”
“I don’t.”
“Because you never know when, where, or what kind of danger might strike.”
In his past life, Damian Haxen had accidentally encountered the archlich Dorogo, becoming a death knight and bringing about the world’s end.
In the process, he had committed the atrocity of killing his own family with his own hands.
That’s why, when Damian Haxen returned, he made a vow.
To always prepare for the worst.
“If even I, the best, do that, what do you think will happen if you let your guard down?”
Damian added as he took another sip.
“Michael Lionbloom, don’t be complacent. Work harder. Become stronger than you are now.”
Damian was telling Michael this to prepare for the future.
What if Damian Haxen couldn’t find Dorogo in time?
And if Dorogo attacked the world with an undead army?
Having Michael Lionbloom’s strength to rely on would be a great help.
“I’ll keep that in mind…”
Michael nodded.
“But… I have one request.”
“I said it for your own good.”
“Y-yes, but still…”
“Let’s hear it first.”
When Damian asked, Michael immediately replied.
“Can I call you my brother?”
Damian Haxen was momentarily stunned by the request.
“Uh… do as you like.”
And so, he found himself agreeing without thinking.
Michael’s grin stretched from ear to ear.
“Looking forward to it, Brother Damian!”
“Oh, I didn’t expect you two to become so close so quickly.”
As Damian unwittingly gained a younger brother, the Duke and the Marquis approached them.
“It’s always wonderful to see young people forming bonds of friendship, isn’t it?”
The Duke laughed heartily, glancing at the Marquis. The Marquis still wore a scowl.
“Your Grace, what brings you here?”
Damian stood up as he spoke.
Since the Duke was his employer, he needed to maintain decorum in public settings.
“Relax. Stay seated. I can’t have the hero of our victory standing up, can I? Right, Marquis?”
The Marquis grimaced at the Duke’s question.
‘What a petty man.’
Damian clicked his tongue inwardly at the Duke’s continued teasing of the Marquis.
“Sorry to interrupt your drinking. But as they say, strike while the iron is hot. The Marquis and I have come to an agreement.”
“An agreement?”
“We decided to grant you access to the Marquis’s vault as a reward for the duel.”
Because Michael Lionbloom had drawn his sword first during the meeting, the terms of the duel’s victory reward had been slightly altered.
If the Duke’s house won, they would gain the gold mine and the adjacent territory, and Damian Haxen would be allowed to take one treasure from the Marquis’s vault.
“This fellow was being stingy, so I had to persuade him.”
“Stingy? Do you even know the value of that item?”
“If you’re opening the vault, you should at least offer something of that caliber.”
A lighthearted argument ensued between the two.
“Damian Haxen.”
The Marquis ended the banter and looked at Damian.
“First, I must apologize to you.”
If the Marquis’s retainers had heard, they would have been shocked.
The Marquis was a man of great pride and rarely apologized first.
Especially since Damian Haxen had embarrassed his son.
“I also apologize for sending knights to make a show of force.”
Damian could guess why the Marquis’s attitude had changed.
He had realized that having Damian Haxen as an enemy would bring no benefit.
Killing him was out of the question. After all, Demian Haxen had the backing of a powerful duke’s family.
If you can’t eliminate someone, the next best thing is to befriend them.
And so, the marquis decided to bow his head.
“Of course, I don’t intend to settle this with mere words. As an apology and compensation for the duel, I offer you this.”
The marquis pulled out a small box from his coat.
The leather box exuded an air of luxury.
However, the item inside was surprisingly modest.
It contained a single, unadorned gray ring.
“It’s a ring imbued with spatial magic.”
Despite its humble appearance, the ring’s true value was beyond imagination.
Spatial magic.
A type of magic that twists space to store various items.
This secret storage could only be accessed by its owner, making it the safest vault in the world.
“It was crafted by the White Tower and can hold up to 100 kilograms.”
Spatial artifacts come in different grades.
Demian had heard that the lowest grade could store up to 10 kilograms.
Even such a basic artifact was worth as much as a small castle.
A capacity of 100 kilograms was ten times that. Its value was unimaginable.
It was indeed a treasure worthy of a place in the marquis’s vault.
‘With 100 kilograms, I could easily carry a decent set of armor, a few spare weapons, provisions, potions, and even some gold coins.’
Traveling would no longer require lugging around a heavy backpack.
“Thank you, Your Excellency.”
Demian accepted the spatial ring with both hands.
He slipped the ring onto his finger and infused it with his magic. The ring recognized Demian Haxen’s magical signature.
From now on, only Demian Haxen could use this ring.
“If there’s anything else you need, just let me know. I can’t offer anything else from the vault, but the marquis’s house has plenty of fine weapons.”
The marquis’s family was the most prestigious knightly house in the Apple Kingdom.
Their collection of exceptional weapons was enough to make other families envious.
“Ah, then may I ask for one more thing?”
“Go ahead.”
At the marquis’s prompt, Demian quickly replied.
“I’d like a bow.”
“A bow?”
The marquis raised an eyebrow at the unexpected request.
Demian shrugged it off casually.
“It’s for my brother’s wedding.”