Chapter 300: translated
I Killed the Demon King. It was a Mistake.
Chapter 300
Count Vex prided himself on being quite meticulous.
This meant that he always made judgments and took actions based on clear evidence and information.
So, as soon as the duel was finalized, Count Vex began to thoroughly investigate Gloria.
Gloria was a knight who had just completed her first year, and it had been less than two years since she seriously started learning the sword.
Although she had participated in several battles in the demon realm alongside Caesar, there were no notable achievements, and instead, rumors circulated that she had become mentally unstable after being kidnapped by a devil.
However, Count Vex could not be satisfied with just these rumors.
Needing more accurate data, Count Vex sent people after Gloria when she went on her journey.
He planned to secretly hire mercenaries or assassins to confront Gloria, gather combat data, and verify whether she truly had mental illness symptoms, among other things.
However, Raven and Gloria disguised themselves with fake identities and moved around, and even if they were discovered, Raven would step forward to handle the situation instead of Gloria, making it nearly impossible to gather information about Gloria.
Eventually, as a last resort, Count Vex sent Ascension Knights to assess Gloria's combat abilities, but even that was thwarted when they encountered Drake, leaving Count Vex unable to grasp Gloria's true capabilities in detail.
- Lord Halschmidt, what do you think of Lady Gloria's abilities?
- She is powerful enough to pierce Drake's skull in one strike, but that was thanks to Raven's buff magic. It would have been impossible for her alone.
- Assuming there is no buff magic, do you think Lady Gloria could defeat Lady Aurora?
- I think it would not be easy.
- Why is that?
- Because the opponent is Lady Aurora.
Aurora is not just exceptionally beautiful.
Her swordsmanship skills were renowned even among knights.
This is because Aurora had participated in nine wars, including the demon realm wars. The swordsmanship masters who taught Aurora were all highly skilled and well-known by name.
The 'Star Rain Reception' technique, created by Aurora herself, was highly refined, influenced by her father, who was a knight of the Steel Lion Order from the Friedrich Margrave family.
In terms of skill and experience, there was no reason for Aurora to fall behind in any aspect, and all the spectators gathered here also believed that Gloria would lose.
However, for Count Vex, who would win or lose in this duel was not that important.
What Count Vex aimed for was not Gloria but Caesar, and beyond Caesar, Arch Duke.
Count Vex believed that he needed to make people think not just that Gloria would lose, but that she absolutely must lose.
So, during yesterday's party, under Count Vex's direction, a gambling table was set up to make the spectators bet on Aurora's victory.
He also instructed the journalists to write editorials about the duel between Aurora and Gloria in a way that was unconditionally favorable to Aurora.
As a result, most of the spectators believed that this duel would be Gloria's execution.
Therefore, if Gloria were to win this duel, the spectators would be outraged, and if she were to win by inappropriate means, Count Vex was certain that a riot would break out.
But……
‘Is this what it means to be a disciple personally raised by Caesar?’
Count Vex had already heard that Gloria wielded a blood-stained armor and an exploding greatsword.
He had also heard that the destructive power of that exploding greatsword was so great that it could blow away a fully armored paladin.
Although its exact origin was unclear, the prevailing opinion was that it was made by a blacksmith from Shalibi and that Raven had imbued it with unique magic.
However, neither Count Vex nor the other Ascension Knights believed that Gloria, despite being quite strong, could effectively wield such a furious artifact like a raging bull.
It was too wild for a first-year knight to handle.
But to Count Vex, Gloria seemed to wield that wild greatsword quite skillfully.
When she swung the greatsword, her lower body and waist did not collapse.
The greatsword flew precisely where Gloria's gaze was directed.
Despite the rough wind resistance, the tip of the greatsword did not waver.
And finally, when the explosion occurred, she did not panic but instead knew how to utilize its power.
Gloria was controlling that greatsword almost perfectly.
‘She’s not just an 11-sword collector.’
Although it was already late, Count Vex sent some quite capable knights to assess Gloria's abilities, but none of them could draw out the explosive magic within Gloria's greatsword.
Assuming Gloria were to use that explosive magic, Count Vex thought she would have to fight a knight with at least 50 swords.
"Lady Gloria's abilities are beyond imagination, aren't they?"
"Indeed, who would have thought she could wield such a heavy greatsword so well?"
"The reason explosive magic isn't usually added to swords is that it's difficult to handle, but Lady Gloria handles it exceptionally well."
"From the looks of it, she could hold her own against the Ascension Knights, couldn't she?"
"Then, could it be that even Lady Aurora……?"
This place was not just filled with vain nobles; there were also knights who knew how to appreciate swordsmanship.
The longer the duel went on, the more Gloria's reputation grew.
Yes, fine.
It’s clear that Gloria is unexpectedly formidable.
But the important thing is not just seeing Gloria's abilities with one's own eyes.
‘When on earth will this end?’
Count Vex's gaze turned to Aurora.
Aurora was flustered by the unfamiliar combat situation but was calmly receiving Gloria's attacks.
No, it seemed that she had adapted and was blocking them more comfortably than at the beginning.
‘What’s going on?’
Aurora had clearly drunk the Dinon's Tears in front of Count Vex.
Count Vex had personally confirmed that the aura in her dantian was disintegrating and her magic circuits were becoming tangled.
So why is she holding up so well?
Was Aurora a more remarkable knight than Count Vex had thought?
No.
Aurora's 'Star Rain Reception' is a swordsmanship that requires delicate aura control.
By now, she should be vomiting blood or showing signs of delirium due to the Dinon's Tears.
At that moment, Aurora softly received Gloria's greatsword as if catching a cotton ball and pushed it aside.
And then…
Thud!
Aurora struck Gloria's chest with her pauldron.
Drip, drip!
Gloria was pushed back by the deep counterattack.
When Aurora landed a blow on Gloria, gasps erupted from the spectator seats.
"That's it! Lady Aurora!"
"Crush that Gloria who uses such bizarre techniques!"
Count Vex's eyebrows twitched. Something was wrong here.
Count Vex reflexively looked at Caesar.
Caesar smiled leisurely at Count Vex.
"That… Damn bastard."
Count Vex's neck veins bulged.
***
‘It’s more destructive than I imagined.’
Aurora barely managed to deflect Gloria's greatsword, but her entire body felt numb.
Especially her palms, which were so numb that she couldn't even feel if she was properly holding her sword.
But thanks to enduring somehow, Aurora became familiar with Gloria's attack patterns.
Aurora deflected Gloria's horizontal slash.
Kwaaaang!
An explosion that seemed to tear the eardrums occurred, but Aurora knew that the greatsword's explosion spread in a conical shape.
Aurora twisted her body to escape the explosion radius and then looked at Gloria.
Gloria raised her knee.
But this was also a pattern Aurora had seen before.
Aurora deflected Gloria's attack with her pelvis, shaking her balance.
Normally, the opponent would panic and try to regain their stance, but Gloria was different. Gloria was not a knight who would lose her momentum.
Without adjusting her stance, Gloria swung her greatsword. The direction of Gloria's attack was predictable. Gloria spun her body in a large arc and slashed diagonally upward.
This was the attack Aurora had been waiting for.
Aurora smoothly deflected Gloria's greatsword as if she had been waiting for it.
Until now, every time Aurora had received Gloria's greatsword, her joints had felt numb, but this time was different.
It was thanks to Aurora's secret swordsmanship, 'Star Rain Reception,' being perfectly executed.
Aurora's father was a knight of the Friedrich Margrave.
Not just any knight, but a member of the Friedrich Margrave's personal guard, the Steel Lion Order, who had learned swordsmanship directly from the Friedrich Margrave.
The name of that swordsmanship was 'Lightning Reception.'
Of course, even as Aurora's father, he could not teach Aurora 'Lightning Reception' without the Friedrich Margrave's permission.
But when her father taught Aurora swordsmanship, the essence and principles of 'Lightning Reception' naturally seeped in, and eventually, Aurora was able to create her own defensive swordsmanship based on her father's teachings.
Its name was 'Star Rain Reception.'
A swordsmanship created with the meaning of being able to receive hundreds of falling meteors, it was the reason Aurora had been able to achieve victory in all the wars and duels she had fought so far.
As Gloria's greatsword was smoothly pushed aside, leaving her body open, it was Aurora's turn.
Aurora thrust her greatsword toward Gloria's exposed flank.
Thud!
Aurora did not simply strike to inflict damage.
In the case of classic knights like Gloria, who wore sturdy armor, ordinary attacks would not deal much damage.
So, instead of trying to damage Gloria with her pauldron, Aurora aimed to knock her down.
Normally, a knight wearing such heavy armor would find it very difficult to get up once knocked down, so knocking them down was almost equivalent to winning.
Therefore, instead of a short strike, Aurora pushed deeply to disrupt Gloria's center of gravity, but…… Gloria chose to slide back instead of falling.
‘Is this really just a first-year knight?’
Her situational response ability is on par with a veteran knight.
Instinctively recognizing that Aurora was not just trying to inflict damage but to knock her down, Gloria leaned forward and lowered her stance to stabilize her center of gravity.
She even switched her greatsword to a mid-guard stance in preparation for Aurora's follow-up.
This is not just a matter of sense.
This is clearly the result of training.
Normally, since Gloria's offensive had been broken, it would be Aurora's turn to take the initiative.
But Aurora did not rashly approach.
No matter how you looked at it, Gloria did not seem to have shown everything yet.
When Aurora did not come forward, Gloria charged toward Aurora.
Bang!
Using the explosive power of her greatsword, Gloria closed the distance in an instant, just as before.
Aurora already knew that the attack following this unique maneuver would be a diagonal upward slash.
Aurora calmly observed the movement of Gloria's greatsword and her gaze, then deflected the attack.
Thud!
With a sound like hitting an empty can, Gloria's greatsword was deflected and soared high into the sky.
Confirming that Gloria's forward momentum was still intact, Aurora turned her body and hooked Gloria's ankle.
This was a classic knight's response to an opponent charging in like a wild boar.
But Gloria countered Aurora's move in a completely unexpected way.
Bang!
Gloria detonated her greatsword in mid-air. And used the explosive force to halt her body.
"What the……!"
Gloria struck Aurora's back foot, which was extended, disrupting her balance, and then swung her greatsword toward the off-balance Aurora.
Clang!
Aurora barely managed to raise her sword to block Gloria's greatsword.
The powerful downward strike was so strong that her knees nearly buckled, and her teeth gritted involuntarily.
At that moment, blood flowing from her armor seeped into the blade of the greatsword, staining it crimson.
‘It’s going to explode……!’
Aurora reflexively deflected Gloria's greatsword.
Baaang!
She barely escaped the explosion radius, but because she dodged so hastily, she was too late to notice Gloria's knee coming from her blind spot.
Bang!
Gloria's knee struck precisely into Aurora's forehead.
Even though she was wearing armor, the impact was not completely absorbed, and her waist bent.
Following that, Gloria's greatsword came flying.
The greatsword, like a guillotine aimed at Aurora's neck, showed no signs of stopping.
An angle and timing that were impossible to block.
As the spectators screamed and jumped to their feet, Aurora's left hand moved.
Thud!
Aurora's left gauntlet suddenly transformed into a round shield and deflected Gloria's greatsword.
Bang!
As Gloria's greatsword slammed into the ground, causing a massive explosion, smoke billowed up.
A clean flash of light flew through the smoke toward Gloria's neck.
Gloria quickly blocked it with her greatsword and emerged from the smoke.
As the thick fog, laden with moisture, flew away with the wind, Aurora appeared.
Aurora's armor had changed from when it was first seen.
Aurora's left gauntlet had transformed into a flexible, curved shield, a silver helmet that covered her eyes was on her head, and her sword, though shorter and blunter than before, emitted a faint turquoise light from its tip.
Her appearance was mesmerizing yet simultaneously terrifying, like an angel descended to punish evil.
“……Didn’t you say you couldn’t afford a helmet?”
Aurora swung her shortened sword once.
The turquoise light flowing from the tip left a long trail.
"Sorry, I lied a little."
Aurora leaned forward, leading with her shield.
And then, with astonishing speed, she closed the distance to Gloria.
Gloria reflexively swung her greatsword downward.
Thud!
When Aurora's curved shield met the greatsword, the greatsword slid off and slammed into the ground.
It was a perfect parry.
Soon, Aurora's blunt sword flew like a flash toward Gloria's forehead.