Chapter 152: Welcome, Double Dragon (3)
Chapter 152: Welcome, Double Dragon (3)
Matthew shook his head slowly.
"I’m telling you, I’ll never understand that guy."
Three years.
Matthew had been with Patrick for over three years now.
But he felt that even if thirty years passed instead of three, he would never truly understand the creature known as Patrick Schneider.
Last night.
While having a drink in the hall of the inn they had taken as lodging, they overheard the villagers talking.
[Dammit, life is just too hard.]
[Did those bastards get to you too?]
[They took my goods and called it 'credit,' then never paid a cent. Rotten scoundrels.]
[Watch your mouth. Don't you remember what happened to Tom from the smithy when he talked trash about them?]
Listening to the conversation, it was a fairly common story.
A group of retired mercenaries had settled in the village, formed a gang, and were tormenting the locals with all sorts of illegal acts.
They took goods without paying, extorted protection money, and harassed the village girls.
From the sound of it, they were typical thugs.
Matthew had whispered at the time.
[What are you going to do?]
[What do you mean? Just leave it.]
[You’re not going to help?]
[Too much hassle.]
[But their situation is so pitiful.]
[Get a grip, man. This is strictly a matter of public order within the fief. It’s the responsibility of the lord who rules this land.]
[Mmm...]
[If I stepped in for every little thing like this, there’d be no end to it. Just leave it be. If it gets too out of hand, the guards will handle it.]
After saying that, Patrick had gone up to his room.
But the next morning.
[Goddammit.]
Patrick woke up with hollow eyes, grinding his teeth.
[Where are those thugs?]
[Why are you looking for them?]
[To crush them.]
[I thought you weren't interested.]
[I’m not. I really aren't. But...]
Patrick stopped mid-sentence and let out a deep sigh.
[Dammit, even in my dreams, the nagging...]
[Huh?]
[Never mind.]
Patrick left the inn, still grinding his teeth.
And now...
"You bastards! Do I have to lose sleep because of you? Do I have to get scolded even in my dreams!?"
"W-what did we even do—Gah!"
"Shut up! Just die!"
"Aaaargh!"
That was the current situation.
Afterward, the thugs, who had been brutally trampled by Patrick, were dragged along to apologize to every single villager and had their pockets emptied to pay reparations.
Then, they were made to go to the guard post of their own accord to confess all the crimes they had committed against the villagers.
Watching this series of events, Matthew shook his head.
"I wonder how many times this makes..."
If there were thugs in a back alley, he'd wreck them.
If there were bandits in the mountains, he'd go smash them.
If there was a loan shark in a city making people cry, he'd beat them until they cried tears of blood.
At first, he always acted like he didn't care, but in the end, he’d grumble his way through helping everyone and even made sure the aftermath was handled perfectly.
Since he repeated this behavior every time they stopped at a village or city...
From an observer's perspective, it made no sense.
"Does he want to do good deeds or not?"
"Don't ask me. How should I know?"
"He's your friend, isn't he?"
"And you're his fian—I'm sorry."
Matthew hurriedly bowed his head as Isabella reached for her sword with a murderous expression.
Sometimes, this senior was scarier than that madman.
"Ugh, why are there so many pieces of trash causing trouble in the world? Can't a guy just have a quiet trip?"
Matthew spoke as he watched Patrick return, complaining after dealing with the thugs.
"If it's that much of a hassle, why don't we take a path that's less populated?"
"Sleeping outdoors is a huge pain in the ass, isn't it?"
"Well, that's true, but..."
"Besides, we're almost at our first destination. Why would we go anywhere else?"
"First destination?"
Matthew showed interest.
Whenever Patrick had set the course and Matthew asked where they were going, the only answer he got was...
[Somewhere good.]
That was it.
And he had vaguely led the group toward the northeast.
I’m worried. I have a bad feeling about this.
A place Patrick Schneider would like?
Nothing came to mind except Hell or the Demon World.
At any rate, it certainly wouldn't be a "good" place.
But what could he do?
As long as that madman had decided on the destination, they had to follow...
What’s around here? If we go north, it’s the border of the Decatur Kingdom, so we can’t go there. It’s either west or east...
As the son of the Elvador Merchant Group, which engaged in international trade, Matthew was well-versed in geography.
To the west is the Haldern Fief. And to the east is the Great Forest. Is he planning to hunt monsters in the Great Forest?
It made sense.
They could gain practical experience by hunting monsters there and make money by selling the materials.
It was exactly the kind of place Patrick would like.
However...
Will that guy really move according to my expectations?
Matthew watched Patrick with a gaze full of anxiety.
Feeling that gaze, Patrick shrugged and said, "Don't worry, just follow me. Have you ever lost out by following your big brother?"
"You bastard, because I've been following you..."
"You've become a magnificent 4-Star Swordsman."
"Uh... well... uh..."
That was true.
As Matthew stood speechless, Patrick put an arm around his shoulder and said in a friendly voice, "Just trust your big brother and follow me. Then, reaching the 7-Star Realm won't be a dream for you either."
"Uuuugh..."
Matthew had no choice but to shut his mouth.
Do you know what the saddest part of this situation was?
The fact that what that devil said was right.
Dammit...
Even if he had to go through mental and physical hell, staying with Patrick guaranteed an increase in skill.
So, what else could he do?
He had to follow...
* * *
Two days later.
"Let's go back."
Matthew spoke firmly.
Beside him, Isabella also spoke with a desperate expression.
"This is madness."
Unlike the two of them, April didn't protest Patrick's decision, but she looked quite shocked.
What stood before her eyes now was a massive wall, three times higher than a standard castle wall.
It was a gateway fortress on the border of the Atronia Kingdom and the Decatur Kingdom, a bastion of humanity designed to hold back the monsters overflowing from the Great Forest.
It was the iron wall that the Decatur Kingdom boasted of: Raines Fortress.
Once they crossed this, it would no longer be the Atronia Kingdom, but the Decatur Kingdom.
Fine, that was okay. Crossing borders for knight training was a common occurrence.
As long as they went through the legal procedures to pass the border, it was fine.
The problem lay in Patrick's objective.
The moment they heard that objective, Matthew and Isabella had no choice but to try and stop him.
"There's a branch of our merchant group nearby. Let's go there. I'll treat you to the very best."
"I think that's a great idea."
The two of them tried desperately to dissuade him, but what could they do?
"Ah, let go!"
He wasn't the type of person who could be stopped...
Patrick shook them off and headed straight for the border fortress.
"Halt! State your identity and purpose of visit!"
As Patrick approached, men who appeared to be soldiers of the fortress stepped forward to stop him.
Patrick smiled brightly and said, "Oh, thank you for your hard work. I am Patrick Schneider of the Atronia Kingdom."
"Patrick... Double Dragon?"
"Oh, it seems I'm famous even in the Decatur Kingdom."
Patrick's fame had already spread far and wide across the continent.
Once the soldiers realized Patrick's identity, they adopted a more polite posture.
"I am Ralph of Raines Fortress. Please state your purpose of visit."
"I'm a fourth-year at the Academy, currently on knight training. I'm planning to cross over into the Decatur Kingdom."
"Ah, I see. Welcome to our country."
"Hahaha, thank you. By the way, is the Lord here right now?"
"Yes. Of course."
Marquis Adolf Raines.
The man responsible for defending Raines Fortress and one of the three 7-Star Knights in the Decatur Kingdom.
He was also the reason Patrick had come here.
"Good to hear he's in. Tell him Patrick Schneider has come to have a go with him."
"Yes. Underst—wait, what?"
From behind, the voices of Matthew and Isabella lamenting could be heard.
"That madman..."
"He finally did it."
* * *
Radiant Dragon Hero Jincheon.
When did that name truly begin to make waves?
Usually, rising stars of the younger generation distinguish themselves through martial arts tournaments.
Tournaments where the young talents raised with heavy investment from prestigious Orthodox sects gather to compete.
Those who win there gain fame and make a name for themselves in the Jianghu.
However, for Jincheon, who was a disciple of a small sect like the Twin Dragon Sect, even that opportunity was not given.
Even when he went to participate, they wouldn't accept his application.
And even if they did, they demanded an exorbitant participation fee.
[Do these bastards take me for a pushover!?]
In the end, Jincheon didn't participate in any tournaments.
While the brats of the prestigious sects were being called 'Dragons' or 'Phoenixes,' Jincheon hadn't even been given a chance.
[So this is how these bastards want to play it, huh?]
So, the path Jincheon chose was real-combat duels.
The Nine Great Sects, the Five Great Families, the Four Paths and Eight Gates, and so on.
As long as they were big names, he didn't care; he went and challenged them to a duel.
When he achieved a record of a hundred battles and a hundred victories in those duels, everyone in the Jianghu came to know Jincheon of the Twin Dragon Sect.
To become a big shot, you ultimately had to take down a big shot.
There was no better proof than that.
Patrick knew this better than anyone.
Even if it was called 'knight training,' the point was ultimately to gain real-combat experience and increase one's fame.
It was no different from traveling the Jianghu.
That was why Patrick had come looking for the nearest big shot. And that was...
* * *
"It was Marquis Raines. Do you understand now?"
"Do you think I would!?"
The one shouting at Patrick's 'kind' (in his own mind) explanation was the Knight Captain leading the knights of House Raines.
Currently, Patrick and his companions were surrounded by over a hundred knights and thousands of soldiers.
It could be seen as an overreaction, but since Patrick's public level was known to be 7-Star, this was by no means excessive.
The Knight Captain spoke with an expression full of hostility.
"Go back. If you leave now, we won't turn this into an international incident."
"You're a strange fellow."
"What?"
"I just came to have a go, so why are you bringing up international incidents? Is this really something to be so sensitive about?"
At Patrick's words, the man looked dumbfounded.
Does this guy even know what he's trying to do?
A 7-Star Knight is an existence that can serve as a measure of a nation's military power.
And he's saying it's no big deal for such beings to duel each other?
"...You madman."
"What? I've been listening, and you've got a lot of nerve."
The moment Patrick started rolling up his sleeves, Matthew and Isabella rushed in.
"Hey, calm down!"
"Let's endure it. You can endure it, right? Patrick?"
But Patrick dragged Matthew and Isabella, who were holding him from both sides, and stepped forward.
"Madman? You bastard. Calling me a madman to my face is the eighteenth thing I hate most in the world!"
"Aaaah! Stop it!"
"You, apologize first. Quickly!"
The Knight Captain watching this chaos didn't back down at all.
"If you approach any further, we will respond with force. Everyone, prepare for battle!"
At that, knights stepped forward from all sides, and soldiers aimed their weapons.
The sound of archers drawing their bows could be heard from a distance, along with the chanting of those who appeared to be mages holding staves.
Then, the corners of Patrick's mouth curled up.
"You want to do this? Fine. You guys ready?"
"Yes, Young Master."
"Ready for what!?"
"Ace, why are you being like this too!?"
One madman, one obedient kid, and two normal people.
This was the very definition of a total mess.
At that critical moment...
"Stop!"
A thunderous voice rang clearly in everyone's ears.
It wasn't just a loud voice.
It was a voice that carried power, like the roar of a predator.
At that voice, Patrick's mouth curled into a wide grin.
"Looks like he's here."
The soldiers forming the encirclement split to the left and right, and a man walked through.
He was a tall man with a sharp impression, wearing a cloak made from the hide of a Saber Tiger.
Marquis Adolf Raines.
A 7-Star Knight had appeared.
As soon as Marquis Raines appeared, he looked around and shouted, "What on earth is all this commotion?"
"My Lord, this is..."
"Explain yourself."
At Marquis Raines's command, the Knight Captain, who had been glaring at Patrick until a moment ago, spoke with difficulty.
"We were in the middle of repelling an intruder."
"An intruder..."
Marquis Raines's gaze fell upon Patrick and his group. Then, with a faint expression of admiration, he spoke.
"Impressive. As expected of the Double Dragon."
"Oh, you know me?"
"Twin swordsmanship has become a trend lately, but there couldn't be another person of your age who shows such spirit."
"You've got a good eye. I'll give you a passing grade."
At Patrick's words, sparks flew in the eyes of the knights of Raines Fortress.
"How dare you speak to..."
To the knights of House Raines, their lord was both an object of loyalty and an idol.
Yet, no matter how high his realm was, for a green youth to speak in such a manner...
If the opponent hadn't been the Double Dragon, they would have launched an all-out attack right then and there.
But Marquis Adolf Raines himself didn't look offended. In fact...
"Judging by my subordinates' reactions, it seems you weren't just passing through for no reason."
"I came to have a go."
"......"
The moment he heard Patrick's words, Marquis Raines's body trembled.
But it was a tremble that was far from anger. Rather...
O Yupinel, I thank thee.
It was a feeling of pure joy.
Patrick looked at Marquis Raines, smirked, and thought:
Yeah. I understand that feeling.
* * *
In this world, a 7-Star Knight was equivalent to the top master of a sect in the Jianghu.
And it was rare for such top masters to cross swords and compete in martial arts.
It made sense when you thought about it.
Being the top master of a sect meant being the symbol and the military power of that sect itself.
Even if they wanted to fight, the sect wouldn't allow it.
It would be great if they won, but if they lost, even by some small chance, the damage would be immense.
Not only for the current generation, but if things went wrong, it could be a source of shame for generations to come.
In fact, the anecdote of the former-former head of the Hebe Peng Family losing a duel to the former-former head of the Namgung Clan was still being talked about in the Jianghu even after three generations.
Thus, it was rare for the strongest of different sects to compete for supremacy.
If it were between the Orthodox and Demonic factions, they might clash in real combat, but it was even rarer between fellow Orthodox sects.
Perhaps that was why?
By the time he had surpassed roughly seventy battles, there were even elders of the Nine Great Sects who sent invitations requesting a duel.
There was the sect's calculation that they could increase their fame by taking down the Radiant Dragon Hero, but more than that, they individually desired it.
A sincere duel with a master of the same level, or higher.
* * *
Marquis Raines spread his arms wide and said with a bright smile, "Welcome, Double Dragon."
"Thank you, Marquis Raines."