Chapter 166
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 166
Aslan burst into a boisterous laugh the moment I confidently proposed a duel with Crossen.
“Bwahahaha!”
As Aslan roared with laughter, the other family members followed suit.
“Pfft.”
But while Aslan’s laughter was genuine—pleased by my bold decision—the others’ was closer to mockery.
After a long, hearty laugh, Aslan pulled me closer with the hand still resting on my shoulder. “Good, good. I like it, Roen. You’ve returned a real man. But you’ll have to take responsibility for those words, won’t you? A man who’s all talk is no man at all—just a pathetic loudmouth.”
“Of course. I’m ready.”
Just as Aslan said, running your mouth for a hundred days wouldn’t get you anywhere in House Devalis. The only way to gain recognition here was to prove your strength through a duel. That was exactly why I had requested this in front of everyone.
When I answered without hesitation, Aslan turned to Crossen.
“Alright, Crossen! Will you accept Roen’s challenge?”
“Of course, Your Grace. I shall teach him a lesson.”
Crossen bit his lip slightly, glaring at me. It seemed his pride was wounded at being singled out for a duel by someone like me.
“Alright, move these tables aside! A banquet needs a good sword fight to liven things up, doesn't it?”
‘...He probably means a sword dance, not a brawl.’
At Aslan’s command, the banquet tables were pushed to the left and right, clearing a wide open space in the center. One might wonder what kind of noble family starts a duel in the middle of a meal, but this was House Devalis. This was practically a Tuesday for them. Even if the previous head, Kaiser, had been here instead of Aslan, he would have permitted it.
Before the duel began, Aslan gave Crossen a casual warning.
“Hey, he’s still my brother, so don’t kill him. Don’t worry if you take a limb off, though. We can always reattach it.”
“...”
‘Is leaving me breathing his idea of brotherly consideration?’
How terrifying. Of course, even without such ‘consideration,’ I wouldn’t go down in a single blow. I had the Silver Dragon Gauntlet Freya gave me; it would allow me to survive at least one fatal strike.
“I’ll be the judge. I’ll step in when the time is right.”
Aslan pulled up a chair, sitting where he had a perfect view of the clearing. With a wine glass in one hand and his legs crossed, he looked like he was settling in for a show.
“Ah, where’s my head? You’ll need a blade for a duel, won’t you?”
Aslan was about to offer his own sword, but I refused flatly.
“It’s fine. I have my own.”
Shing—.
Aslan frowned as I drew the Azoth Sword and held it in one hand.
“What’s with that toy? It looks damn expensive, though.”
“A toy...”
It seemed that even a Legendary Grade Artifact looked like a plaything in Aslan’s eyes. The others murmured as they looked at my weapon. Since this was a family of pure warriors, I couldn't expect them to have any deep knowledge of magical artifacts. Given the circumstances, it was only natural for them to gossip; to them, it looked like madness to face a knight’s longsword with what appeared to be a decorative dagger.
My opponent, Crossen, also warned me with a stern expression.
“Lord Roen, I have no intention of going easy on you. The Family Head has ordered me to teach you a lesson, so I will give it my all. I suggest you withdraw now.”
“I have no intention of playing around either. It would be best not to underestimate me. Take this seriously.”
My confident response set the crowd whispering again. They looked at me as if I’d gone to the Union only to learn how to bluff. However, Freya, who knew my true skills, and Ciel, who had fought fiercely alongside me against the fishmen, didn’t look worried at all. After all, the abilities I’d shown so far were more than enough to subdue an average knight.
“...”
Aslan glanced at Ciel and Freya’s calm reactions before signaling the start.
“It seems my brother has an ace up his sleeve. Crossen, go all out.”
“Understood.”
Crossen paid his respects to Aslan and dropped into a fighting stance.
Shk—.
He turned his body slightly to reduce his profile, prepared to dodge or counter at a moment's notice. It was a textbook stance—the very model of a knight. In contrast, I only knew what I’d learned in basic swordsmanship class, so I just took a passable, generic stance.
“Hmph.”
“Tsk, tsk.”
Seeing my awkward posture, the onlookers sneered. It couldn’t be helped; to those who had held a sword their entire lives, I must have looked utterly pathetic.
“...”
However, a few people, including Aslan, watched me silently with their arms crossed. Perhaps they had sensed the energy radiating from my Mana Heart. After all, Roen had chosen the path of a mage, not a swordsman. They were anticipating what kind of fight a mage would put up in a duel of blades.
“Begin.”
Once both sides were in position, Aslan drained his glass and gave the word.
Fwish—!
The moment the duel began, Crossen’s sword lunged forward in a swift thrust. He intended to end it in a single blow. Perhaps not wanting to actually cut me in front of Aslan, Crossen aimed his blade directly at the Azoth Sword in my hand. He meant to win by either shattering my weapon or disarming me.
Whoosh—.
‘Naive.’
Ignoring Crossen’s attack, I ducked low and plunged the Azoth Sword into the floor.
“...!”
Because I suddenly dropped my stance, Crossen’s thrust inadvertently became a strike aimed at my head.
“Kgh!”
Crossen hastily tried to twist the trajectory of his sword, worried he might actually kill me, but before he could, the Aegis had already deployed.
Clang—!
With a sharp metallic ring, Crossen’s sword was forcefully repelled by the invisible barrier.
“Tch.”
He finally realized I was using a protective artifact and immediately retreated to reset his stance.
Watching this, Aslan commented, “Oh, using an artifact, are you? But that won’t be enough to block a Sword Aura.”
Crossen was an elite knight of House Devalis. He was at least an intermediate Sword Expert, so of course he could manifest aura. Just as Aslan said, the Aegis wouldn’t be able to withstand a direct hit from a concentrated Sword Aura.
But.
‘Not if I don’t give him time to use it!’
Crackle—!
The moment I infused it with mana, blue lightning crackled from the Azoth Sword embedded in the floor.
Fshhhk—!
The black bricks of the banquet hall floor were instantly transmuted, rising up like a forest of sharp thorns.
“Kgh!”
Crossen batted away the stone thorns with his sword as he scrambled backward. I could have pressed the advantage, but I withdrew my mana and halted the attack.
As I stood up, Crossen asked, “...What is this?”
“You just twisted your blade to avoid harming me, didn’t you? Consider this my repayment for that debt. From now on, I’m coming at you for real.”
An easy victory wouldn’t earn me anyone’s respect. Here, I needed to show a bit more of my skill and character. When I mentioned his hesitation, Crossen smiled.
“So you do understand the basics of a duel. Your sense of fair play is admirable. However...”
Fwoosh—!
“That will be your mistake, Lord Roen!”
Vwoom—!
Flames of blue Sword Aura erupted from Crossen’s blade. This was on a completely different level of refinement and power compared to the clumsy aura Karon had shown before. One wrong move, and my limbs really would go flying.
Pabak—!
Crossen kicked off the floor and charged. Space seemed to blur, and in an instant, he was right in front of me.
‘Body enhancement using mana.’
The way he channeled his energy was as fluid as flowing water. He was a knight forged in real combat. Blocking that attack was impossible; I had to dodge.
Pajik—!
I stabbed the Azoth Sword into the floor at my feet, transmuting the bricks to shoot upward.
Shwoop—!
The floor rose like a pillar, instantly lifting me into the air and allowing me to evade Crossen’s strike.
CRASH—!
Crossen’s Sword Aura shattered the stone pillar where I had just been standing. As I leaped from the crumbling debris, I launched the mana chains stored within Millia’s gauntlets.
Clatter—!
The mana chains snaked out, binding Crossen’s right arm—the one holding his sword.
“Hup!”
Crossen reinforced his arm with mana and tried to snap the chains with brute force. Having been dragged around by Ciel’s monstrous strength before, I knew better than to play tug-of-war; I simply ejected the rest of the chains and let them go.
CLANG—!
Crossen batted away the loose chains and charged again.
Hap—!
This time, perhaps having no time to re-summon his Sword Aura, he swung his blade as it was. He must have judged that he could slice through my golden sword with raw physical power. But the Azoth Sword was only gold on the surface; it was a Legendary Grade alloy.
I raised the Azoth Sword to meet the strike.
CLANG—!
A tremendous shock traveled up my arm.
‘Kgh...’
The sword’s durability was fine, but it didn’t absorb the kinetic energy. I felt a jolt of pain as if my entire arm was shattering, but I didn't let go.
“!”
Crossen was stunned when his sword failed to break or bypass mine. I seized that opening. While our blades were still locked, I triggered my magic.
‘Transmute.’
Crackle—!
With a flash of blue lightning, Crossen’s sword began to warp.
Drip—.
His blade melted under the transmutation magic, dripping to the floor like liquid wax.
“...!”
The sword vanished. Taking advantage of his shock, I grabbed Crossen’s arm with my free hand. The stun effect from Millia’s gauntlets instantly surged through him, freezing his body.
“Ugh.”
It was only for a second, but that was all I needed. I activated the electric shock function in my boots and kicked Crossen’s leg.
BZZT—!
“Keuk!”
Although he didn’t pass out like a normal person, his leg was temporarily paralyzed, and he dropped to his knees. Having seized the advantage, I transmuted the floor again, trapping him within a cage of sharp thorns.
SHIIINK—!
A dense wall of stone rose up, leaving him no room to move. I leveled the Azoth Sword at Crossen’s throat.
“My victory, I believe.”
“...”
Defeated, Crossen stared up at me blankly. He looked utterly dumbfounded, as if his brain couldn't quite process what had just happened.
A victory against an intermediate Sword Expert. It was the moment that announced to the world that the scoundrel Roen had changed.
*
“...”
As the onlookers stood in stunned silence, Aslan drained his glass, rose from his seat, and declared the result.
“What are you all staring at? It’s Roen’s victory! Everyone, applaud!”
Clap, clap—.
Aslan led with a round of hearty applause. Starting with Freya and Ciel, the others gradually joined in.
Clap, clap, clap—!
Soon, the sound of applause filled the banquet hall. Even those who despised me clapped, albeit with reluctant expressions. Listening to the rhythm of the applause, I withdrew the transmutation magic. Then, I offered my hand to the kneeling Crossen.
“Well fought.”
“...Yes, Lord Roen. You’ve grown a great deal.”
Grip—.
Crossen took my hand and rose to his feet. After he returned to his place, a few people raised questions about my use of artifacts.
“Roen used artifacts. Isn’t that against the rules of a duel?”
“And it looked like he used more than just one or two.”
But Crossen gave a firm answer.
“It is true that Lord Roen used artifacts, but I, too, was given a chance by him.”
Crossen didn’t seem to mind his defeat; instead, he defended me. It seemed he didn’t appreciate the group trying to use technicalities to belittle the result.
“You all saw it with your own eyes. Must you really make me say it out loud?”
When Crossen openly rebuked them, they backed down.
“Ahem. Well, if the one involved says so...”
Those who had been trying to find fault tucked their tails and fell silent. With the duel concluded on a high note, the atmosphere of the banquet grew even more lively.
A drunken Aslan excitedly shouted, “Alright, who else wants to fight? I’ll give the winner a vacation!”
“I’ll do it!”
“No, me!”
At the mention of a vacation, the knights raised their hands one after another. It was only natural; a vacation was like rain in a drought for those living the arduous life on the Wall.
“Good! Then we’ll proceed in order. Fernandez, go get some more wine!”
“Yes, Family Head!”
The banquet deepened with the knights’ sword dances and endless wine. I returned to my seat and smiled as I watched the boisterous scene. It was only the first step, but proving myself through a duel in a family that worships strength was a good start.
*
Late that night, after the banquet ended.
“Good night, Lord Roen.”
“Yes, you too, Ciel. And Freya. Rest well.”
We each retired to our own rooms. I was staying in the lavish quarters that the original Roen had once used.
‘So this is Roen’s room.’
The room was incredibly luxurious, a stark contrast to the dreary black bricks of the Black Keep. A collection of artifacts and alchemy ingredients—even more varied than the one in my lab in the Student Council office—was neatly organized here. At a glance, it looked like it would be worth billions if sold.
‘I should pack all of this into my subspace pouch.’
I looked around, searching for any useful artifacts, enhancement stones, or ingredients. Upon closer inspection, there were quite a few valuable items, but most were luxury goods like paintings, sculptures, and jewels rather than practical tools. It seemed Roen had taken all the truly useful stuff with him to the Union.
I packed the moderately valuable items and continued my search.
‘There must be something here.’
I sat at Roen’s solid wood desk and examined it thoroughly. I was hoping to find clues about Roen’s past activities or other hidden information. After rummaging through the drawers for some time...
“This is...”
My eyes widened as I discovered a notebook hidden deep inside the desk. It was a thick volume bound in high-quality leather, with ornate gold foil lettering engraved on the cover.
[Diary]
It was Roen’s personal diary.