Chapter 81: Shall We Settle This as Equals? (1)
Chapter 81: Shall We Settle This as Equals? (1)
“Uwaaaa!”
“Run away!”
The first and third-year students watching from the sidelines hurriedly scrambled to a safe distance.
The ancient artifact was beginning to unleash its true power.
No one wanted to pay for the spectacle with their lives by standing around dazed.
“Hmm…”
Patrick tightened his grip on the twin swords in his hands.
If he wanted to dodge the chaotic blades of ice flying his way, he could have done so easily. However, Patrick chose to face them head-on rather than evade.
Clang! Crash! Boom!
Patrick’s twin swords lashed out, intercepting the blades imbued with extreme cold.
The collision between the spirit power’s frost and Patrick’s blades produced a series of terrifying explosions.
Ho, so my sword qi can only manage to neutralize it?
Patrick was quite surprised.
He hadn’t manifested Aura yet, but his sword qi was no ordinary energy. It was refined to a density that wouldn't falter even against actual Aura, packed with the True Qi he had amplified and drawn up from his two dantians.
Yet, when that sword qi clashed with the ice blades, they merely canceled each other out.
The power is impressive. Does simply holding that sword turn anyone into a master on the verge of the Peak Realm? That’s practically cheating.
In terms of raw power, it wasn't an exaggeration. However, no matter how powerful a sword was…
“Ugh… Uwaaaaaah!”
If the user’s level was lacking, it was nothing more than pearls before swine.
Jordic swung Isis wildly, unleashing waves of frost, but he couldn't gain the upper hand at all. Instead, Patrick was closing the distance, parrying the icy blades step by step.
To Jordic, the sight of Patrick steadily approaching felt like the footsteps of the Grim Reaper.
How could this be?
He was holding Isis. An ancient artifact and his family’s heirloom.
He was confident that as long as he held this, he wouldn't be pushed back even by a 6-Star knight.
But… then why…
“Whyyyyy?!”
Jordic raised his sword high into the air.
Responding to its master’s emotions, Isis unleashed an extreme chill, bolstered by Jordic’s own Aura. A chillingly blue-white blade of light soared upward. And then…
“Die!”
With everything he had, Jordic brought the blade down toward Patrick in a desperate, all-out strike.
“Nooooo!”
Watching from behind, Matthew could see the devastating blade falling toward Patrick more clearly than anyone.
He knew his new friend was strong. But surviving a terrifying attack like that seemed…
“Just watch.”
In that moment, Matthew heard it. Patrick’s voice, sounding entirely too calm for such a desperate situation.
Then, Patrick’s swords moved.
At the same time, the corners of his mouth curled upward.
A blade of destruction imbued with extreme cold?
Strong, wasn't it?
Threatening, surely?
But so what?
A sword is honest.
No matter how much internal energy was poured into it, no matter how miraculous the technique it was based on, a sword wielded with a distracted heart was nothing but a hollow shell.
Patrick’s knees bent slightly forward.
And in the next moment…
“Consider this an honor.”
Twin Dragons Eight Sword Styles (雙龍八劍式)
Third Form (第三式)
Flash Dragon Strike (閃龍擊)
The technique Patrick had favored most since his previous life.
Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, millions of times…
It was a technique he had practiced until his very soul was worn thin, through both real combat and training. In his memories, even in the final moment of his death, he had charged toward his enemy with this very strike.
It was, quite literally, a blow engraved into Patrick’s soul.
In an instant, his body became a streak of light, charging toward the blade of ice.
The moment the small, sharp streak of light collided with the ice blade that looked ready to shatter the world…
Crr-ack!
The massive blue-white blade of frost shattered pathetically.
The streak of light, having pierced through the frost that broke like glass hitting the floor, lost none of its momentum.
And Jordic saw it. The blade of light flying straight at him.
BOOM!
“Aaaagh!”
Jordic was sent flying backward.
Patrick stood where Jordic had been, speaking with a blunt expression.
“I didn't kill you. I already caused an accident recently, and I didn't feel like doing it twice.”
“Guh… ugh…”
Jordic tried to say something, but Patrick had already lost interest. He picked up Isis, which had fallen from Jordic’s hand, and looked at it curiously.
“Hmm… Hmmm… Hmmmm…”
Should he call this a divine weapon? Or a cursed object?
The power was certainly exceptional. It possessed a definitive strength that the so-called divine weapons of the Martial World couldn't even compare to. It was truly a weapon that allowed a novice to take down a master.
So, as a weapon, it was excellent.
However…
“Giving this to growing brats is nothing but poison.”
Power obtained easily can never truly be one’s own. Like this fledgling, being blinded by immense power and mistaking it for his own was like a cat growing wings and putting on airs.
One could never obtain true strength that way.
A swordsman’s strength is meaningless unless it is earned through one’s own blood, sweat, and effort.
The conclusion was…
“A double-edged sword.”
Powerful, but a hindrance to growth. It was hard to say if it was good or bad. Patrick’s evaluation of the artifact was lukewarm.
And then…
“Everyone, stop!”
People began to flock to the scene, drawn by the destructive sounds of Patrick and Jordic’s clash.
Patrick nonchalantly tossed Isis aside and muttered.
“Looks like I’ll have to owe Professor Late another favor.”
*
Patrick Schneider.
Six weeks of confinement.
It was a much longer period than when he had nearly beaten Royist to death. But it couldn't be helped…
“I mean, how long has it been since the last incident for him to cause another one?”
“This is unacceptable. No one but a total delinquent who doesn't care for the Academy’s discipline would do this.”
“He’s crazy. He must be insane.”
Correct!
Well, something like that…
The professors of the Knight Department, and even professors from other departments, were severely condemning the situation. Normally, he should have faced at least suspension, if not expulsion. However…
“There is clear evidence that Jordic Panola challenged him to a duel first.”
“No, but that’s…”
“An upperclassman challenged a freshman to a duel. It’s even reported that in the process, he assaulted other freshmen and threatened their lives.”
“Umm…”
“That may be true, but…”
“Can you still say the fault lies solely with Mr. Schneider?”
While every other professor was clamoring for Patrick’s expulsion, only one man stood up for him with the truth. Naturally, it was Professor Justin Late.
In fact, looking at the sequence of events, the cause of the incident was clearly Jordic.
Challenging someone to a duel for revenge over an injury sustained during class? This was a clear and serious violation of school rules. To begin with, the Academy strictly forbade duels between students unless there were special circumstances.
The other third-years involved, excluding Jordic himself, were already receiving severe punishment from the school.
As for Jordic?
He wasn't exactly in a state to be punished. Currently, he was holed up in his family home, huddled under the covers just like his younger brother, biting his nails and muttering…
“Why… why… why… why…”
The brothers had become shut-ins together.
Naturally, the one most enraged by this situation was Marquis Panola himself.
His two precious sons had been beaten up. And they weren't just beaten; they were both practically broken. He didn't know what they had gone through, but both had suffered severe psychological trauma.
“Patrick… Schneider, was it?”
“……”
His loyal butler didn't answer. It wasn't because he had nothing to say. He simply couldn't open his mouth while enduring the killing intent a 6-Star knight was radiating in earnest.
Then, Marquis Panola spoke.
“He seems confident in his skills. I’ll show him that this world isn't a place where you can survive on meager talent alone.”
It was the worst for an adult to intervene in children’s squabbles, but if Marquis Panola set his mind to it without caring for his reputation, there was much he could do.
First, he could apply political pressure on the Schneider Barony in the East, or more directly, he could work to bring about the barony’s ruin. It was possible to make Patrick regret his actions bitterly as he watched his family’s downfall.
Well, if he actually started something, he would find out why Patrick was called the Radiant Dragon (狂龍) in his past life—not by the Unorthodox Faction, but by his own Orthodox Faction.
But the Marquis didn't know that. Because he didn't know, he was about to make an irreversible choice.
“First, I must take action in the East. Butler, summon the knights immediately.”
“Yes, Master.”
The butler responded instantly to the Marquis’s decision to dispatch the family’s knights to the East. Just as Marquis Panola was about to cross a line he should never cross…
“Master. You have a visitor.”
“I don't care who it is, tell them to leave.”
He was in no mood to meet anyone. However…
“Professor Justin Late from the Academy is here. He says he has important business. He… also said he has something to return.”
“…Damn it.”
Regrettably, this was a guest he couldn't refuse.
*
Ogre vs. Saber Tiger.
Kraken vs. Sea Serpent.
Yupinel, the Goddess of Harmony, vs. Kalaron, the God of Destruction.
The world is full of countless rivals and enemies. And if one were to think of the most famous enemies in the Atronia Kingdom, these two men would surely come to mind.
Justin Late, the Indomitable Knight.
Antonio Panola, the Royal Guard’s Sword.
These two were famous for having the worst relationship within the royal court. It wasn't just a matter of being in opposing political factions; they truly loathed and despised each other.
And now, those two were sitting across from each other at a table.
“It’s been a while, I see.”
“Indeed. I believe it’s the first time since you were kicked out of the Royal Knight Order?”
“That’s right. It’s been quite a while since I left after headbutting that obnoxious senior of mine.”
“……”
There was no need to ask who that obnoxious senior was. Professor Late continued with a smile.
“Ah, I don't regret it. That incident was one of the top three most satisfying moments of my life.”
“I, too, have always thought it a blessing that a delinquent who tarnished the dignity of the Royal Knight Order disappeared.”
“Is that so? From what I’ve heard, the biggest problem with the Royal Knight Order is the rumor of a rotten Knight Captain.”
“What did you say?”
“Why are you looking at me like that? It’s just a rumor. A rumor. About taking bribes here, giving special favors there… it’s all just talk. Just talk.”
Watching Professor Late trail off with a mutter of, “Though they do say there’s no smoke without fire,” a vein throbbed on Marquis Panola’s forehead.
This was why he hated the man. From the moment he joined the Royal Knight Order as a low-ranking member, he had that barbaric streak of headbutting anyone he didn't like, regardless of rank or orders.
And his way of speaking, as if he were the only clean person in the world while looking down on and despising everyone else. Everything about him clashed with Marquis Panola.
To make matters worse, despite his attitude, he was talented enough to reach the 6-Star realm, one of only five in the royal court.
Deciding that a long conversation would lead nowhere good, Marquis Panola spoke.
“If you have business, state it quickly.”
“Let’s do that. Well, to put it bluntly…”
Professor Late’s expression crumpled as he spoke.
“Don't even dream of touching my student, Marquis Panola.”
“And why should I listen to you?”
“The Academy is my domain. As long as they are students, they are my kids.”
“My sons are also Academy students.”
“Strictly speaking, they were students. Formal notices of expulsion will be sent out soon.”
“What?”
“Did you think we’d just let it slide after what happened? A third-year challenging a freshman to a duel and committing attempted murder?”
“……”
This was a point where he had no defense. As Marquis Panola bit his lower lip, Professor Late spoke with a blatant sneer.
“Maybe you should have raised your children better. I could have at least served as a cautionary tale.”
“Justin Late.”
Grind!
Marquis Panola ground his teeth, his entire body radiating pressure. A powerhouse who had reached the 6-Star realm was pressuring his opponent with blatant intent.
And Professor Late…
“Why…”
With a thick smile on his lips, he said,
“Shall we settle this as equals?”
“……”
In an instant, Marquis Panola’s blood ran cold.
This… this man… could he be…
Marquis Panola was more shocked now than when he had learned his two sons had become shut-ins.
Right now, he was pressuring his opponent with his full might. An ordinary person would find it hard to even breathe under such pressure. Even knights who had reached a certain level would find it difficult to speak.
Of course, Justin Late was a 6-Star knight like himself. If he resisted by radiating his own pressure, he should be able to act normally. But the problem now was…
“This tea is excellent. I don't know much about it, but I guess it’s good because it’s expensive, right?”
He was completely at ease. He wasn't radiating pressure to counter the Marquis, nor was he intimidated. His acting as if nothing were happening meant only one thing.
Justin Late was stronger than Marquis Panola himself. And to be stronger than someone who had reached the mature 6-Star realm meant…
No way. Could it be… could it be?
Marquis Panola didn't want to admit it. He really didn't, but no matter how much he thought about it, there was only one answer.
“You… could you possibly be…”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“……”
Seeing Marquis Panola unable to finish his sentence, Professor Late grinned. Then, he picked up a butter knife from the table in front of him. After grabbing that dull blade meant for spreading butter on scones, what he did was…
Vroom!
“Ah, did an Aura Blade just manifest by mistake?”
How could that be a mistake?
But the moment he saw the vivid Aura Blade blooming from Professor Late’s fingertips, Marquis Panola couldn't even breathe.
It was real. A real Aura Blade. The symbol of absolute power that only those who had stepped into the Supreme Realm could manifest.
It was blooming right now from Professor Late’s fingertips. The undeniable, perfect proof that the opponent he least wanted to lose to had surpassed him was right before his eyes.
Is this… a nightmare?
Despite being a 6-Star knight, Marquis Panola wished at this moment that he was having a nightmare because his energy was weak.
And Professor Late, seeing the Marquis’s expression, spoke.
“Senior, what do you think would happen if I quit being an Academy professor right now and returned to the Royal Knight Order?”
“How… how did you…?”
“Somehow.”
“……”
“Why? Do you think I couldn't?”
How could he not? If someone who had reached the 7-Star realm wanted to join the Royal Knight Order, who would stop him? Rather, they would try to grant him whatever conditions he wanted. For example, the position of Royal Knight Captain.
Seeing Marquis Panola visibly tense, Professor Late chuckled and said,
“Don't worry. I have no intention of doing that.”
“Is that true?”
“It is.”
“……”
“For now, at least.”
Grind.
Marquis Panola wasn't stupid enough not to know what Professor Late wanted here.
“I will leave the fledgling named Patrick Schneider alone.”
“Why are you being so difficult? I told you.”
“……”
“I said don't touch any of my students.”
He meant not just Patrick, but the other first-years involved in this matter as well. Since Matthew and the other freshmen were caught up in this whether they liked it or not, he had to protect them all.
“…I understand.”
“You mustn't take action against their families either, not just the individuals.”
“Didn't I say I understand?”
At the Marquis’s irritable response, Professor Late chuckled.
“Well, I’ll trust you to keep your word.”
“Hmph…”
“And, I’ll return this to you.”
What Professor Late held out was the Panola family’s heirloom, the ice sword Isis.
“This is…”
“I haven't publicly announced yet that your son caused an incident while holding this. I’m not fond of unnecessary trouble myself.”
The weight of these two was completely different. If handled poorly, it could be seen as Marquis Panola himself being involved in the matter.
Well, it was true, but still…
Tsk, if it were up to my temper, I’d just… sigh, what can I do? I have to do as I’m told.
Professor Late returned Isis to Marquis Panola and said,
“Let’s just let this matter slide as an unfortunate incident.”
“……”
“You’re good at that kind of thing, aren't you, Senior?”
You damn bastard…
Marquis Panola ground his teeth inwardly as he stared blankly at Isis held out before him. He had been worried about how to get it back, but he hadn't expected it to return to his hands so easily.
But was it really okay to take it? The moment he accepted this, Professor Late’s proposal became not a threat, but a mutually beneficial deal.
In fact, this was strange. For anyone else, it might be normal, but for a man like Justin Late, this was definitely strange.
This isn't the way this rigid man does things.
Marquis Panola realized instinctively. There was someone else behind this deal, not Professor Late. Because the Justin Late he knew didn't know how to make a deal that secretly contained political intent like this.
If he were a man who knew how to do such things, he would be holding a high position in the Royal Knight Order, not being an Academy professor.
Who is it? Who is behind this man? The Noble Faction? Or a foreign power? Could it be the Temple?
Marquis Panola’s mind raced. What force could possibly tame the rigid Justin Late enough to make him run such errands?
Several factions came to mind, but he couldn't be sure of any of them. What was certain was that someone sitting behind Justin Late was making him an offer.
Stop here? Or see it through to the end? The choice is yours.
“……”
Marquis Panola pondered while breaking into a cold sweat, then carefully opened his mouth.
“I will accept all the terms.”
“A wise choice, Senior.”
In the end, Marquis Panola had no choice but to accept. Setting aside whether the person across from him was strong or weak, he didn't even have a clue who they were.
Sharpening his blade and blindly resisting would only increase his enemies. In politics, the best move wasn't to defeat an enemy. It was to not make an enemy in the first place.
“Then, I’ll take that as your word and be on my way.”
As Professor Late stood up with a relaxed attitude, Marquis Panola spoke.
“Let me ask one thing.”
“What is it?”
“The person who led you to the 7-Star realm and the person who returned Isis to me…”
“Shh.”
Before Marquis Panola could finish, Professor Late cut him off with a serious expression. He looked around and spoke with an extremely grave attitude.
“Watch your mouth, Senior.”
“……”
“That person is not someone you can casually judge.”
Shiver!
In that moment, goosebumps erupted all over Marquis Panola’s body.
This confirmed it. The figure who had perfectly subdued the rigid Justin Late, led him to the 7-Star realm, and was now making a sophisticated political proposal to him had become a reality.
He was likely a titan who possessed individual strength, vast influence, and profound schemes all at once.
‘He’s not from within the kingdom. In that case, he’s either from abroad or the Temple… But who? Could it be…?’
Marquis Panola’s mind raced as one question led to another, weaving a complex web of suspicion.
Professor Late looked at the Marquis and gave a thin smile.
“If you value your life, you would do well to mind your tongue. Now, I shall take my leave.”
“Ugh…”
With that, Professor Late exited the Marquis’s estate. He pulled his robe low over his face to avoid being recognized, and only after he was a significant distance away from the mansion did he stop.
He slumped against a wall, propping himself up with one hand while his shoulders began to heave.
“Pfft… Hahaha! I told him he’d fall for it, but I didn’t think he’d actually take the bait! Bwahahaha!”
Late looked as if he might die from laughter.
At this very moment, Marquis Panola was likely tearing his hair out, desperately trying to deduce the identity of the person pressuring him.
And in that list of potential candidates, there was no way an academy student would ever be included.
“Hehe… Go ahead, search for ‘That Person’ all you want. Search for a hundred days, you slippery little rat! Hahahaha!”
Professor Late’s boisterous laughter was filled with the catharsis of a decade-old grudge finally being settled.
“Mom, that mister is acting weird.”
“Shh, it’s rude to point at the less fortunate.”
He really should have paid more attention to his surroundings.
* * *
Meanwhile, at that very hour.
What was ‘That Person’—the one Marquis Panola was so diligently investigating—actually doing?
“My dear friend Matthew. So, how are things at home lately?”
“Just… the usual.”
“Is your father in good health? What’s the Elvador Merchant Group’s flagship product these days? Is he perhaps interested in the apparel industry?”
“I don’t really know much about my father’s business…”
“Tsk, tsk. That won’t do. As his son, you should take an interest in your parents’ work. That’s what true filial piety is all about.”
“…….”
“Shall we go out together next time? I’d like to pay my respects to your father. Oh! Does he have anything he particularly likes as a gift?”
Patrick had summoned Matthew to his quarters to share some "quality friendship" time.
As for Matthew…
‘What is wrong with this guy?’
The naïve boy had no idea how to respond.
Of course, he was the son of a wealthy family. To be precise, he was the son of the wealthiest man in the Atronia Kingdom.
The Elvador Merchant Group had amassed a colossal fortune over three generations, and its influence stretched beyond the borders of Atronia into neighboring kingdoms.
Because of that, there were plenty of people who flattered him to get close, but they were almost always fellow merchants.
Nobles, even those from the most obscure and impoverished families, never bowed their heads to Matthew.
Even if it was just for the sake of their noble pride and "face," it was unthinkable for them to flatter a commoner like Matthew. Perhaps because their status was the only thing they had over him, they clung to it even more desperately.
Among them were those like Royist Panola, who treated him like a walking wallet.
[Just stay quietly under my thumb. Then you won’t have any problems.]
That had been the "command" Royist issued under the guise of a proposal when he first met Matthew.
Matthew had been targeted for bullying by Royist as a price for refusing that offer.
To Matthew, that was simply what nobles were.
People who looked down on him, stayed wary of him, and tried their best to ignore him—or people who tried to forcibly subjugate him and treat him like a cash cow to be milked dry.
That was all. And yet…
“Oh, hey, friend. You’ve got something on your shoulder. Let me get that for you.”
This was truly a first.
Does this guy have no shame?
He had never met a young lord from a noble family who acted so blatantly sycophantic toward him.
The Schneider Baron’s family might not be the most prestigious, but weren't they landed nobility who had managed their territory for generations?
If so, shouldn't he have some kind of family pride? Honor? The kind of spirit where he’d rather starve to death than yield?
“When should we go out? Today? I’ve got a whole stack of leave permits I got from the professor.”
…He was supposed to have that kind of spirit.
Wait, was it even possible to get a "whole stack" of leave permits?
The more they talked, the more new and baffling sides of Patrick emerged.
Matthew cautiously spoke to this strange new friend(?).
“Um, Patrick.”
“Yeah? What is it, friend?”
“Aren’t you worried?”
“Huh? About what? Is someone bothering you again? Which bastard is it? Do they have a death wish?”
Seeing Patrick’s eyes flash with a hint of madness, Matthew felt that if he even jokingly pointed at someone, there would be a funeral held the next day.
“Ahem, no, not that. I mean, once our confinement is over, the Panola family might try something, right? Are you going to be okay?”
“Oh? Ahhh… that?”
Patrick gave a short laugh.
“It’s fine. I’ve already set up some appropriate threats and a bit of a smoke screen.”
“Huh?”
Friend, what on earth does that mean?
To the confused Matthew, Patrick gave a wide grin.
“You don’t have to worry about a single thing. Whether it’s Marquis Panola or Marquis Whatever-ola, that man won’t be able to lift a finger for a long while.”