Episode 42: Diverging Dreams (3)
Three days later, the carriage carrying Damian arrived at the Copperhead estate.
The jousting tournament was set to take place on a vast plain near the Copperhead manor.
Temporary arenas and tents for guests had been erected there.
“They must have spent a fortune.”
The makeshift arena, built with wooden fences, was impressively large.
There were dozens of tents set up to accommodate the guests.
“Stop right there.”
As the carriage reached the entrance, a middle-aged man stepped forward to halt it.
“Where are you coming from?”
“We’re from the Haxen Viscounty,” Victor promptly replied.
The middle-aged man began to scan a list he held in his hand. Suddenly, his eyes widened in surprise.
“Could it be that Sir Damian Haxen is with you?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“My apologies for the oversight. I am Connor, the head butler of the Copperhead estate.”
The man quickly straightened his posture.
“We’ll take care of the carriage. Please, follow me.”
A servant led the three of them to a tent inside.
“This will be your accommodation.”
The tent they were shown to was quite spacious. Plush carpets covered the floor, and there were two beds.
“The tent next door is for your attendants.”
Even the servants had their own quarters, a luxury indeed.
“A banquet is prepared for this evening. Please rest until then. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call for me.”
The servant bowed and exited the tent.
“This is quite the accommodation. The Earl of Copperhead must be a generous man,” Abel remarked, admiring the tent.
Damian, however, remained indifferent. In his past life, the Earl had insulted Abel and mocked the Haxen family.
“They’re only treating me well because of my reputation.”
The reason for the lavish accommodation was purely due to Damian’s fame.
He had experienced something similar before. The mercenary group he was part of had been small and unknown, often receiving poor treatment. They were sometimes chased away without a penny after completing a job. But once Damian’s exploits made them famous, everything changed.
It was then that Damian realized the immense power of reputation.
“Victor, take a look around the accommodations. Let me know if there’s any issue.”
“Yes, sir!”
Victor replied energetically and left the tent.
Abel flopped onto a bed, clearly exhausted from the long carriage ride.
“Rest up. I’m going to take a look around outside.”
“Yes, understood…”
Suddenly, Abel sprang up from the bed.
“I’ll come with you.”
“What? Why? Just rest.”
“I can’t. I promised Father.”
“A promise?”
“He told me to stop you if it looked like you were going to cause trouble.”
Damian laughed heartily at Abel’s words.
“Trouble? I’m not a child. What trouble could I cause? Just relax.”
“No, I’m coming with you.”
Seeing Abel’s determination, Damian sighed inwardly.
‘Damn, Father must have caught on.’
Damian’s real reason for going out was to scout the tournament grounds and the knights. If he happened to run into Sophia Russell and her lover, he intended to deal with them swiftly.
“Let’s go, brother.”
”…Alright.”
Damian replied, his voice lacking enthusiasm.
Damian and Abel wandered around, observing the knights.
“Most of them are junior knights.”
The Earl of Copperhead had limited the tournament participants to young adults, so most were only at the level of junior knights.
“Though there are a few low-class knights.”
About one in five was a low-class knight, indicating exceptional talent at such a young age.
“Look, brother. There’s the arena.”
Abel pointed ahead. The Copperhead estate had set up a temporary arena.
Despite being temporary, it was quite large, with the ground evenly leveled.
“Do you think the tournament will be a team event?”
Jousting tournaments had various formats. Some were one-on-one duels, while others were team battles. As long as the knights competed on horseback, it was considered a joust.
“Or it could be a monster hunt.”
As Damian and Abel discussed the arena, a voice interrupted them.
“Wait, isn’t that Damian Haxen over there?”
“Hmm? He does look like the portrait I saw.”
A group of five or six approached Damian.
With their sturdy builds and swords at their waists, they were clearly knights here for the tournament.
“Are you Damian Haxen?”
One of the knights, the only low-class among them, asked Damian.
“And if I am?”
The knights exchanged knowing smiles, full of hidden intentions.
“It’s an honor to meet the famous Damian Haxen.”
“They say you defeated a dark sorcerer and bested the heir of the Marquis of Lionbloom.”
“Those are some incredible stories. Almost hard to believe.”
The knights began to encircle Damian.
“But I’ve heard some things about your past… Weren’t you a notorious troublemaker just a few months ago?”
“Causing scenes in taverns and borrowing large sums against your family’s estate.”
“Surely those are just baseless rumors. The great Sir Damian couldn’t possibly be such a scoundrel.”
Their words dripped with mockery.
“But there are so many rumors. I’d like to see for myself.”
The knight who first spoke placed a hand on his sword hilt, ready to act as the only low-class knight.
‘Of course, there’d be guys like this.’
Rumors spread quickly, but acceptance takes time. Damian had gained immense fame in a short period, so he expected challengers at the tournament.
“Perfect timing. I was feeling stiff from the long carriage ride.”
Damian stretched his arms.
“Brother, you can’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“You promised Father… that you wouldn’t cause trouble.”
“But they started it. How can I just let it go?”
“Well… still…”
Abel sighed.
“Please, try to end it peacefully…”
“Alright. I won’t kill them.”
“That’s not what I meant…”
The knight frowned at their conversation.
“What are you two babbling about…”
“Is that really Damian Haxen?”
Another voice called out from a distance.
“I came over because of the noise, and it really is him. Didn’t expect to meet him so soon.”
A young man approached, accompanied by a young woman.
“Nice to meet you, Damian.”
The young man grinned wickedly.
Damian stared at the young man’s face, trying to recall who he was.
“Who is this guy acting all familiar with me?”
“Who am I? You don’t remember getting beaten by me?”
“Beaten?”
Damian tilted his head in confusion. The woman beside the man spoke up.
“Hmph, embarrassed about what happened back then? It won’t help to pretend. We remember everything.”
“And who are you to butt in?”
Damian frowned. He was already annoyed by the knights’ mockery, and now this unfamiliar woman was looking down on him.
“Brother, what’s gotten into you?”
“What do you mean?”
“That’s Sophia Russell. And the man next to her is her lover, Jackson Cutter.”
Damian’s eyes widened at Abel’s words.
He had vague memories of Sophia Russell, but he hadn’t expected not to recognize her right in front of him.
‘So that’s Jackson Cutter.’
Damian scrutinized Jackson Cutter. He had sharp features and piercing eyes, more handsome than expected.
‘No wonder Sophia Russell was smitten.’
With his good looks and low-class knight status, it made sense why the Russell family had broken off the engagement with Damian.
“What are you looking at? Remembering the past and feeling weak in the knees?”
Jackson Cutter sneered, and Damian mirrored his smile.
What the hell is this bastard saying?
“Hey, what are you doing?”
The knight who had arrived first spoke irritably.
He glared at Jackson Cutter.
“Whoever you are, we found Damian Haxen first. So back off.”
“You’re saying what I was going to say. I have business with Damian too, so why don’t you back off?”
“You’re a funny guy.”
The knight approached Jackson Cutter menacingly.
“Some people only learn after seeing blood.”
“Yeah, yeah, just get on with it.”
“You little…!”
The knight, seething with rage, grabbed Jackson Carter by the collar.
In that instant, Jackson Carter delivered a powerful punch to the knight’s abdomen.
“Ugh!”
The knight doubled over, staggering backward, even retching from the blow.
“Sir Berry?”
The knights standing behind were taken aback.
Sir Berry was a knight of the esteemed Lowclass rank.
How could a knight of such stature be brought to his knees with a single punch?
‘He released his magic at the moment of impact.’
Damian understood precisely why Sir Berry was in such agony.
By releasing magic at the moment of the punch, Jackson had inflicted internal damage.
‘To think he could use such an advanced technique.’
Knights were accustomed to channeling magic into their weapons, but magic had limitless applications.
‘He’s quite skilled.’
Not only did Jackson know such a technique, but he could also wield it with finesse. It was a testament to his formidable abilities.
“You scoundrel! How dare you attack Sir Berry!”
One of the group reached for his sword hilt. At that moment, Jackson Carter’s gaze turned icy.
“Draw if you want… but it might be your last.”
The knight’s face turned pale under Jackson’s murderous intent.
The knight’s skill was barely that of a squire. With such meager ability, enduring Jackson’s killing intent was impossible.
“We’ll see you later!”
The knights hurriedly fled, dragging Sir Berry with them.
“Now that the nuisances are gone… let’s settle this between us… what the—”
Jackson Carter turned to look at Damian, only to flinch in surprise.
Damian Haxen was watching his brother with an impossibly bright smile.
“Brother…”
“Hey, I didn’t start it.”
“Well… that’s true, but…”
Abel let out a deep sigh.
“If possible… try to handle things quietly.”
“Of course.”
Damian approached Jackson Carter and extended his right hand.
“What kind of trick is this?”
“Why? Just offering a handshake.”
Jackson Carter’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“Fine. I suppose I can do that.”
As soon as Jackson took Damian’s hand, his body was lifted into the air.
”…Huh?”
Before he could grasp the situation, he was slammed headfirst into the ground.