Episode 81: The Uninvited Guest (2)
Liam Bluegreen.
The head of the prestigious Bluegreen Marquis family, renowned throughout the Apple Kingdom for their knightly lineage.
He was one of only three High-Class individuals in the kingdom, known for his unwavering loyalty to the royal family.
Beyond that, Damian knew little about Liam Bluegreen. By the time Damian had been transformed into a Death Knight, Liam was already deceased.
“Why would someone of your stature resort to such antics?”
Now that the man had revealed his identity, Damian couldn’t afford to be disrespectful. Instead, he fixed Liam Bluegreen with a look that clearly conveyed his displeasure.
“I wanted to see your true abilities for myself.”
“Then why not just arrange a duel?”
“I said ‘true’ abilities, didn’t I? A lukewarm duel wouldn’t reveal that.”
Damian’s brow furrowed even more at the absurdity of it all.
“So you staged this farce, pretending to take my family hostage?”
“Don’t be too upset. I explained everything to your father and got his permission.”
At that, Damian couldn’t help but run a hand over his face in exasperation.
“What if your subordinate had died in the process?”
“That’s why I intervened at the right moment. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Liam Bluegreen chuckled, his smile wide. Damian had to stifle a laugh of disbelief. Did this man realize that if Damian had wanted, he could have killed the subordinate before Liam even had a chance to step in?
“And he’s not just a subordinate. He’s my son and my apprentice. He’s tough enough that he won’t die easily.”
Liam laughed heartily, turning to the man beside him.
“Dover, isn’t that right?”
But the man just trembled silently. Only then did Liam notice something was amiss.
“Dover?”
“F-Father… a potion, please… ugh!”
The man managed to croak out before his head drooped.
“What on earth is wrong with you all of a sudden? Dover! Get a hold of yourself!”
Liam hurriedly pulled a potion from his coat and poured it into the man’s mouth. Deciding that wasn’t enough, he began to massage the man’s body, infusing it with magic—a technique known as blood circulation therapy.
“Come on, you fool. Why can’t you pull yourself together?”
But the man’s complexion didn’t improve. It was no wonder. When Damian had kicked him in the stomach, he had released magic to inflict internal damage. It wasn’t life-threatening, but it would take weeks of recovery to heal completely.
Eventually, the man regained consciousness and sat up. As soon as he lifted his head, his eyes met Damian’s, who was watching him intently.
“Greetings! I’m Dover Bluegreen!”
Dover immediately bowed deeply. His sudden change in demeanor left Damian speechless.
“Sorry for the harsh words! Father told me to provoke you as much as possible!”
Dover scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
“You fool, how could you lose so easily? What does that say about me?”
“I’m sorry! I’ll train even harder from now on!”
“You’d better. I’ll double your training regimen.”
“Yes, sir!”
Dover replied loudly, his enthusiasm reminiscent of a large, eager dog.
“Now that I’ve seen your skills, Damian, shall we get down to business?”
Liam Bluegreen’s eyes turned serious.
It was clear that someone of his stature hadn’t come just to test Damian’s abilities.
“Let’s go inside and talk.”
Damian followed the two men back to the drawing room.
The atmosphere inside was completely different from before. His family and the intruders were now sitting together, enjoying tea and desserts, chatting amiably.
“Oh, Damian. You’re back.”
His father waved. Damian shot him a glare.
“Father, you seem awfully relaxed for someone who worried his son.”
“You’re one to talk, sneaking around behind my back.”
Damian was at a loss for words. If they were to argue about who was in the wrong, Damian would clearly be at a disadvantage.
”…I’ll let it go this time.”
“Stop with the nonsense and have a seat.”
Damian took a seat in the empty chair. Liam Bluegreen and Dover also sat down.
“Sir Liam, is your business concluded?”
“Thanks to Lord Haxen here. Your acting was top-notch. Even the capital’s theater troupe would have to bow to you.”
The two men laughed heartily. Damian could only look at them incredulously.
“So, what’s the main issue?”
“Ah, I almost forgot.”
Liam Bluegreen set down his teacup as he addressed Damian’s question.
“Damian, would you consider joining the White Horse Knights?”
A knight order is a combat group composed solely of knights.
Considering the cost and procedures involved in training a single knight, it was nearly impossible for individuals or private organizations to maintain a knight order.
For that reason, only major nobles like the Goldpixie Dukes or the Lionbloom Marquises could afford to run one.
Among them, the White Horse Knights was a royal order directly managed by the Apple Kingdom, with a long and storied history.
It was also a key military force for the kingdom, receiving substantial support.
For any knight in the Apple Kingdom who aspired to martial excellence, joining the White Horse Knights was a dream.
“I’m sorry, but I’ll have to decline.”
Damian refused without a moment’s hesitation.
Liam Bluegreen’s face froze, as if he hadn’t anticipated a refusal. The rest of the family reacted similarly.
“May I ask why?”
“I don’t wish to be affiliated with any organization at the moment.”
Though he said that, the truth was that Damian simply wasn’t interested in the White Horse Knights. There was no real benefit for him in joining.
“Haha, I didn’t expect to be turned down. I certainly didn’t expect to have to persuade you.”
Liam scratched his cheek, looking flustered.
“The White Horse Knights are the finest in the Apple Kingdom. Joining would grant you numerous benefits, including weapons and elixirs.”
Elixirs.
They were what Damian needed most at the moment.
But while they were necessary, they weren’t essential. There were plenty of ways to acquire elixirs.
Most importantly, Damian still had the opportunity to visit the Holy Order’s vault.
The vault was filled with extraordinary elixirs that couldn’t be bought for any amount of money.
Compared to that, the elixirs from the knight order didn’t even register.
“There’s another reason you should join the knight order.”
Liam continued in a serious tone.
“Right now, there are many in the Apple Kingdom who are suspicious of you. I was one of them. Of course, anyone who meets you would be convinced… but rumors spread slowly, especially unbelievable ones.”
Considering Damian’s rapid progress, it was only natural for people to be skeptical.
He had reached the level of a Middle-Class knight in just a few months.
“There will be those who test you, envy you, try to use you… all sorts of troublesome pests will swarm around you. Getting rid of them won’t be easy.”
Damian nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Liam’s expression brightened.
“It seems you understand. So, shall I take it that you’ll join the White Horse Knights?”
“No, I still have no intention of doing so.”
Liam let out a groan at Damian’s response.
“Do I need to explain it again?”
“I understand your point, Sir Liam. But I’m not inclined to join any organization.”
Receiving support from an organization comes with its own set of obligations and responsibilities.
Damian had a crucial mission to stop Dorgo’s plans. He couldn’t afford to be tied down by the Apple Kingdom.
“You mentioned worrying about pests swarming around. It might be a hassle, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
Once he dealt with a few, people would start to believe the rumors about Damian Haxen were true.
“Well, this is a headache. I thought I had a winning lottery ticket in my hands.”
Liam stroked his chin, deep in thought.
“Alright. If you join the knight order, I’ll teach you everything I know. Does that change your mind?”
“No, it doesn’t.”
Damian’s firm refusal left Liam looking even more shocked.
“Do you… not realize who I am? I’m a High-Class…”
“I know. But I’m still not interested.”
Liam’s face showed even more disbelief at the repeated refusals.
“At least I’m relieved. It seems you have no intention of joining any other knight order either.”
Losing someone like Damian would be a significant loss for the Apple Kingdom.
But as long as he didn’t join another order, they wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.
“Then, Damian Haxen, would you consider serving as a knight of the Apple Kingdom and taking orders from His Majesty?”
“I’ll consider it.”
Damian replied vaguely.
If the conditions were right, he wouldn’t refuse. Conversely, if they weren’t, he had no intention of accepting.
“The truth is, His Majesty the King has a particular mission he wishes to entrust to you. That’s why he insisted I bring you along this time.”
“The King himself?”
The fact that the King had specifically singled out Demian gave him a slight sense of foreboding.
Demian kept his expression neutral and focused on what Liam Bluegreen was saying.
“Originally, the plan was to have you join the knights and then assign you this task…”
At those words, Demian couldn’t help but frown.
To think they intended to give him a task right after joining the knights. It seemed wise not to have joined after all.
“Given the circumstances, I hope you’ll at least take on the mission.”
“What kind of mission are we talking about?”
“Would you be willing to serve as the swordsmanship instructor for the Crown Prince?”
For a moment, Demian couldn’t believe his ears. The words were completely unexpected.
“Swordsmanship… what did you say?”
“Swordsmanship instructor. Simply put, a fencing teacher. All you need to do is stay at the palace for a while and train the Crown Prince.”
It sounded like a much easier task than he had anticipated. Yet, Demian couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
“Why specifically invite me? Surely there are plenty of skilled instructors in the capital.”
“From here on, it’s a bit of a confidential matter… not something I can discuss with outsiders.”
In other words, if he wanted to know more, he’d have to accept the mission.
Demian looked at Liam Bluegreen with an even more suspicious expression.
“Oh, right. I almost forgot. If you accept the position as the swordsmanship instructor, His Majesty will ensure you receive a fitting reward.”
“A reward?”
It was the only word from Liam Bluegreen’s mouth that truly piqued his interest.
“Originally, if you were to join the knights, His Majesty planned to elevate the House of Haxen to an earldom.”
At this, the Viscount of Haxen looked at Liam Bluegreen in surprise.
The Kingdom of Apple had a relatively strong monarchy. The titles granted by the King could significantly alter the rights of the nobility.
An earldom, in particular, was a prestigious title with greatly expanded rights compared to a barony or viscountcy. It was not a title commonly held.
It was no wonder that all the great nobles held the rank of earl.
“Of course, you have no intention of joining the knights. But if you accept the position of swordsmanship instructor, I’ll speak to His Majesty to ensure you receive the earldom.”
An earldom.
In truth, it wasn’t something that would directly benefit Demian himself.
But it would certainly benefit his family. That alone made the offer worth considering.
The question was why the King had attached such conditions to the offer.
“The Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Apple… if I recall correctly, his name was Oliver Apple?”
He tried to recall his past, but nothing specific came to mind.
During his reckless youth, he was too busy indulging in pleasures to pay attention, and when he lived as a beggar, he was too preoccupied with survival. As a mercenary, he was constantly busy.
Thus, Demian knew little about the Apple royal family.
But there was one incident involving the Apple royal family that he did remember.
“If I remember correctly, the palace was attacked around this time.”
It wasn’t an external enemy that invaded, but suddenly the palace was under attack.
The staff inside the palace fled in haste, leaving only the knights and soldiers to fight off the intruders.
“Although the royal family managed to repel the invaders, the King was killed.”
The late King died, and the Crown Prince Oliver Apple ascended to the throne.
Despite being hailed as a genius by Liam Bluegreen, Oliver Apple struggled to govern effectively.
“Perhaps it was because he inherited the throne so suddenly.”
The unprepared young King led the Kingdom of Apple into decline.
As a result, during the war with Dorgo, the Kingdom of Apple was quickly overrun.
“It would be problematic if the Kingdom of Apple were to falter.”
Demian had no intention of preventing every future event. He lacked the sense of duty, and it was an impossible task.
But the attack on the Apple palace was different. The Kingdom of Apple was where his family had settled.
If the kingdom wavered, his family would suffer. He couldn’t just stand by and watch.
“Thinking simply, being called in as a swordsmanship instructor shouldn’t be too difficult.”
In truth, even if it were difficult, it didn’t matter. Demian had a good way to rehabilitate people.
“Sir Liam, I will honor His Majesty’s wishes.”
At Demian’s response, Liam Bluegreen grinned.
“Welcome to the palace.”