Episode 39: Aftermath (2)
Damian returned to the duke’s estate with the knights in tow.
As soon as they arrived, Damian and Sebastian Vincenzo went to see the duke.
The two of them recounted their harrowing experiences in detail.
”…A mere dark sorcerer dared to commit such atrocities?”
The duke’s face flushed with anger.
“Sir Sebastian, I can’t thank you enough for risking your life to protect the knights.”
The duke clasped Sebastian’s hand tightly, leaving Sebastian overwhelmed with emotion.
“It was nothing more than my duty.”
“Yet so many fail to do even that.”
The duke showered Sebastian with praise, as if this one act had redeemed all his past mistakes during the duel with the marquis.
“And I must also thank you, Sir Damian. Thanks to you, my honor remains intact.”
Had the dark sorcerer attacked and the knights perished, the duke’s reputation would have been in ruins.
But thanks to Damian, not only were the knights saved, but the beasts were vanquished as well.
For the duke, it was a stroke of immense fortune.
“Sir Damian, could you stay at the estate for a while longer? The church might launch a thorough investigation into this incident.”
The duke spoke with an apologetic expression.
Dealing with the church was a delicate matter, even for a duke.
The estate was already deeply entangled with dark magic due to Chelsea Goldpixie.
Though they were victims, there was a risk of the entire family being scrutinized for heresy.
“You’re the only one who directly confronted the dark sorcerer. It might be a hassle, but could you handle the church for us?”
“Very well, I’ll do it.”
In truth, Damian longed to return home immediately.
But this was an opportunity to earn the duke’s favor. It was worth the time.
“Thank you, truly!”
And so, Damian once again became a guest of the duke’s estate.
The church didn’t come for Damian Haxen right away.
They sent investigators to meticulously examine the battle site before meeting with him.
It was two days later when Damian finally met the inquisitor.
”…What?”
He was taken aback the moment he saw the inquisitor’s face.
It was a familiar face.
“Sir Damian Haxen, it’s been a while.”
Agnes.
The first disciple of the Blue Flame and a holy knight he had met during the Black Serpent incident stood before him.
“Agnes, what brings you here? Weren’t you headed to the church headquarters?”
“I volunteered after hearing about you and the duke’s estate.”
As always, Agnes’s expression was stern, but her eyes were filled with warmth.
“Please, have a seat.”
Agnes offered Damian a chair and even poured him tea.
For a meeting with a notoriously ruthless inquisitor, the atmosphere was surprisingly cordial.
“It seems you have quite the connection with dark sorcerers, Sir Damian.”
Agnes’s jest brought a wry smile to Damian’s face.
Indeed, it was a persistent and tiresome connection.
“Did you manage to find out which faction the dark sorcerers belonged to before you killed them?”
“I didn’t get that far. Judging by their lack of skill, I suspect they were unaffiliated.”
Damian concealed the fact that the sorcerers he killed were from Yuran.
Revealing too much might expose that they were the leader and deputy leader of Yuran, which would be problematic.
Given Damian’s known abilities, defeating those two should have been impossible.
“I see…”
Agnes’s face showed a hint of disappointment.
“You seem let down.”
“Ah, was it that obvious?”
Agnes sighed briefly.
“The truth is, I’m tracking Yuran. Specifically, a dark sorcerer affiliated with them.”
“May I ask who it is?”
Agnes nodded at Damian’s question.
“A dark sorcerer known as ‘Corpse Dance.’”
Damian’s eyes widened slightly. Agnes noticed his reaction and gave a bitter smile.
“So you do know. Well, it’s hard not to, given the massacre of thousands.”
Corpse Dance.
No one knew the real name. The bizarre moniker became known through a certain incident.
One day, a noble’s territory turned into an undead lair overnight.
Knights clearing the undead stumbled upon a shocking scene in the village center.
The words ‘Corpse Dance’ were spelled out in the bodies and entrails of the villagers.
All the people of the territory were slaughtered just to announce a name.
But Damian’s surprise wasn’t due to Corpse Dance’s past.
Corpse Dance Delant.
In the distant future, he would rise to the rank of legion commander under Dorgo’s favor.
Supported by Dorgo, Delant would grow into a grand dark sorcerer, commanding an undead army of hundreds of thousands.
And he would brutally massacre humans ten times that number.
“If you learn anything about Corpse Dance… please, let me know.”
Agnes’s eyes burned with hatred as she spoke.
The investigation was brief.
After concluding the inquiry, Agnes sent Damian on his way.
Once Damian left, a holy knight entered the interrogation room.
“Agnes, do you really trust that man’s words?”
“What a peculiar question.”
The holy knight looked frustrated at Agnes’s response.
“There are too many suspicious aspects to take his words at face value.”
The knight vividly recalled the shock of first arriving at the scene.
The forest was utterly devastated.
Evidence suggested the use of advanced dark magic beyond the dreams of a low-level sorcerer.
A low-class knight defeating such a sorcerer without a scratch?
It was implausible.
“Have you forgotten that dark sorcerers, like the spawn of demons, use bizarre methods to wield magic beyond their abilities?”
“Even so, there’s a limit. There’s never been a case of a low-level sorcerer wielding such powerful magic.”
“Just as we advance, so do they. That’s why the church remains vigilant against dark sorcerers.”
The holy knight spoke with exasperation.
“I’ve heard he killed a Yuran officer. But Agnes, have you forgotten the inquisitor’s creed?”
Question relentlessly, verify continuously.
Doubt is like a weed, sprouting unexpectedly.
“I haven’t forgotten.”
“Then why do you trust his words so easily?”
“Let me ask you in return. Did you sense any dark magic in the forest?”
When a powerful dark sorcerer dies, dark magic lingers in the area.
This residual magic causes various issues and must be purified.
But the forest where the sorcerers died showed no trace of lingering dark magic.
“That supports Damian Haxen’s claim that the sorcerers he faced were weak.”
“But…”
“Moreover, I have a reason to trust Damian’s words. He’s strong.”
The holy knight, newly advanced to the low-class rank, couldn’t perceive Damian Haxen’s strength.
But Agnes could. She immediately recognized how much stronger Damian had become.
The pure magic emanating from him, even from a distance.
The well-honed aura flowing through his entire body.
In just over a month, Damian Haxen had grown unrecognizably powerful.
“I vouch for Damian Haxen’s innocence.”
With Agnes’s assurance, the holy knight could no longer argue.
After his meeting with Agnes, Damian prepared to return home.
This time, the duke personally assisted him.
“Are you sure this is enough?”
The duke asked, looking skeptical.
Five wagons were lined up outside the estate.
Each was loaded with various goods.
All gifts Damian had prepared for his family.
“This is more than enough.”
The duke not only helped acquire the gifts but also generously paid the duel’s reward.
Damian needed nothing more. He just wanted to see his family’s faces as soon as possible.
“If you say so, I won’t argue.”
The duke reluctantly nodded.
“This is truly goodbye, then. It’s been a pleasure.”
“I feel the same way.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
The duke pulled something from his pocket and handed it over.
A ring engraved with the duke’s crest.
“Show this ring at any business run by the Goldpixie estate, and you’ll receive free services.”
Damian’s mouth fell open slightly at the offer.
With a bit of exaggeration, there was nowhere in the Apple Kingdom where the Goldpixie estate’s influence didn’t reach.
The number of businesses they operated was staggering.
“Compared to what you’ve done for us, it’s a modest gift. If you ever need my help, don’t hesitate to ask.”
The duke insisted several times.
“Sister, are you outside again?”
Abel Haxen, the youngest of the Haxen family, spoke with a voice full of complaint.
Louise, who had been standing at the mansion’s entrance gazing into the distance, turned at Abel’s voice.
“Oh, Abel. What’s the matter?”
“What’s the matter? I came looking for you because you suddenly disappeared.”
Abel replied with a dissatisfied expression.
“Do you think standing out here will make him come any faster? Just go inside and wait.”
“I’ll come in soon, just a little longer.”
Abel let out a deep sigh in response to Louise’s answer. He knew all too well how stubborn Louise Haxen could be.
“Are you really that worried about him?”
“Yes, I am. He’s such a gentle soul. I wonder if he’ll manage to fit in at the duke’s estate.”
Abel nearly choked on his own breath. Gentle? The same person who single-handedly stormed a city and dismantled an entire organization?
“The duke’s estate is full of knights, isn’t it? They must be quite intimidating with their territorial behavior…”
Abel recalled the image of Damian Haxen effortlessly taking down the knights of the Marquis of Lionbloom. There was no way Damian would be bullied.
“I just hope he comes back safely…”
Just then, Louise’s eyes widened as she looked into the distance and shouted, “Damian!”
Abel turned to see Damian riding towards them from the horizon. Recognizing them, Damian waved.
“Thank goodness he’s safe,” Louise sighed in relief. But then, strange figures began to appear behind Damian—knights and soldiers in full armor.
Louise and Abel’s faces turned to stone.
“Abel, what on earth is that?”
“I… I have no idea.”
Following the soldiers were carts piled high with something. Louise and Abel gaped in astonishment.
“Sister, I’m back. Abel, how have you been?” Damian greeted them with a broad smile. The two of them, still in shock, asked, “Damian, who are all these people?”
“Oh, they’re my escort, sent by the duke himself.”
“Escort?” Louise looked utterly baffled.
“And what’s with all these carts, brother?”
“Well, I couldn’t return empty-handed from my travels, could I? I brought some gifts.”
Abel’s jaw dropped. The sheer volume of “gifts” was overwhelming.
“Go fetch Father and Mother. They need to see this,” Damian instructed, and Abel hurried inside the house.
Outside, Viscount Haxen and his wife were speechless at the sight of the gifts Damian had brought.
“Did the duke really buy all of this for you?” the viscount asked incredulously.
“Yes, indeed.”
“You’re not pulling a fast one on us, are you?”
“I’m telling the truth.”
The viscount pinched his cheek and rubbed his eyes repeatedly.
“Enough of that. Come and take a look. I stopped by the duke’s library and brought back all the books. There are even the latest bestsellers from the capital.”
“What? Really?” The viscount rushed to the carts, flipping through the books and exclaiming in delight.
“This is Lady Delphinel’s new poetry collection! And this is the latest novel by Viscount Attic! Incredible!”
He was lost in the world of books, while Damian turned to his mother.
“Mother, your gift is here. You mentioned the furniture at home was getting old, so I bought the finest pieces I could find.”
Her face lit up as she approached the carts.
“Oh my, this is cedarwood furniture! And this is a rosewood table. How wonderful!”
She was overjoyed, examining each piece with delight.
“And for you, sister,” Damian said, turning to Louise.
“You got me something too?”
“Of course.”
Louise had been the one who cared for Damian until the very end in his past life, so he had put special thought into her gift.
“It’s a grand piano handcrafted by Master Buckley himself. The duke personally gave it to me.”
Louise covered her mouth with her hands. She was a music enthusiast and well aware of Buckley’s legendary status, with a ten-year waiting list for his instruments.
“Ahhh! My dear brother!” Louise squealed, hugging Damian tightly.
“The soldiers will help move everything inside,” Damian assured her, having brought extra soldiers for this very purpose. They efficiently began transporting the items into the house, while Damian watched with satisfaction.
Then he noticed a gaze from the side. It was his youngest brother, Abel, looking at him.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing,” Abel replied with a sullen expression.
It was anything but “nothing.”
“Go on, help with the moving.”
“I was just about to,” Abel retorted gruffly, prompting Damian to burst into laughter.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t get you a gift?”
Damian reached into a spatial pocket, and Abel’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Brother, is that…?”
“It’s called a spatial pocket. Here, catch.”
Damian tossed a bow to Abel, who looked at it in disbelief.
“Doesn’t Lady Copperhead like archery? I got this especially for her.”
The bow was no ordinary item. It was crafted from a minotaur’s horn, a gift from the Marquis of Lionbloom himself.
“Brother, you were serious about what you said before you left?”
“Of course, I was.”
Damian patted Abel on the shoulder.
“If my little brother wants to get married, it’s my duty to help.”
“Who said anything about getting married?” Abel protested, his face turning red.
Damian raised an eyebrow. “What, were you planning to just have fun with Lady Copperhead and then leave?”
“No, it’s not like that…!”
Abel waved his hands in denial.
“But how am I supposed to give her this gift? Lady Olivia doesn’t even know who I am!”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ve got a plan.”
“What?”
Damian explained, “While I was at the duke’s estate, I heard that the Copperhead family is hosting a jousting tournament for Lady Olivia’s birthday soon.”
A jousting tournament was a grand event where knights competed in various challenges, drawing nobles from all around and becoming the talk of the region.
“Go to the tournament, give Lady Olivia the bow, and win her heart.”
“But… how?”
“You’re not thinking of refusing, are you? After all the trouble I went through to get you this gift?”
Faced with Damian’s not-so-subtle pressure, Abel fell silent.
“Is that true, Damian?” their father asked, having overheard the conversation.
“A jousting tournament, you say? That’s just like the Copperhead family.”
Such events required significant resources, and while the Copperhead family wasn’t as wealthy as the Goldpixie dukedom, they were still a prominent noble house.
“Father!” Abel pleaded with his eyes, hoping for intervention. But his father was fully on board with Damian’s plan, leaving Abel deflated.
“Are you planning to participate in the tournament too?” the viscount asked.
“Yes, and I intend to win.”
Damian wasn’t interested in fame. The tournament was a small affair in his eyes, but he had two reasons for participating.
“In my past life, the winner of the tournament became the son-in-law of the Copperhead family.”
It was a future Damian was determined to prevent for Abel.
“And that son-in-law became a formidable knight thanks to the prize.”
Rumor had it that the prize from the Copperhead family played a significant role in the winner’s rise to high-class knighthood. Damian wanted to see if the rumors were true.
“Hmm…” Their father seemed concerned.
“If the Copperhead family is hosting, Sophia will be there too… Are you okay with that?”
Damian tilted his head in confusion. “Who’s Sophia?”
“Your former fiancée.”
Damian’s eyes widened in surprise.