Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: Athena Hopper (2)
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The next day, Demian began investigating the mercenary group.
Truth be told, he didn't know much about the Pafnir Mercenary Corps either.
He only knew that in the not-too-distant future, internal strife would greatly diminish their power, and that a black mage was behind it.
"You said you're curious about the Pafnir Mercenary Corps?"
As his method of investigation, Demian had chosen to befriend the regular mercenaries.
By reviving his experiences from his past life as a mercenary, he quickly grew close to them.
"Yeah, isn't the Pafnir Mercenary Corps known to be stronger than the forces of most major powers?"
Demian sat by the bonfire the mercenaries had lit and tossed out the question.
"Even you know it well, Sir Demian! Our corps is pretty impressive, huh."
"Requests pour in from across the continent. And they're all ones only we Pafnir can handle."
The mercenaries burst into loud laughter, delighted by Demian's praise.
"Being such an impressive group, I have to be cautious. Are there any rules I need to keep in mind?"
"Nothing much. Our corps isn't that strict on discipline."
"If you skip training, you get beaten half to death. My cheek from yesterday still stings."
"Hey, that's because you're lazy."
Nothing but trivial chatter came out, but Demian listened intently to the mercenaries.
He knew from experience that important information often slipped out precisely when their guards were down like this.
"Oh, right. If you head north, there's another fenced-off area—don't go in there."
"Any special reason?"
"That's where the Mercenary King's lovers are."
It sounded like quite an intriguing story.
"The Mercenary King is a kind man, but when it comes to women, he's utterly merciless."
"Well, any man would react that way if someone touched his lover... but the Mercenary King takes it to extremes."
"Yeah. He's great and all, but his one flaw is that he's too fond of women."
"Is it okay to say that so openly?"
"It's fine. Even the Mercenary King admits it."
Seeing how casually they spoke, it seemed the lax discipline was indeed true.
"It's not like it's a flaw, right? There's that old saying: heroes are lechers."
"Not a few heroes have fallen because of women. That's why I'm a bit worried."
Another mercenary spoke up while roasting jerky over the bonfire.
"The influence of those women in our corps is getting too big. A few years ago, they started forming factions and checking each other."
"Hey, hey, watch your mouth. You say anything."
His comrade nearby clamped his mouth shut. Only then did the mercenary realize his slip and glance nervously at Demian.
*Interesting. So the Mercenary King's lovers are forming factions?*
Sorry to say it, but Demian had already pieced together the precarious situation the Pafnir Mercenary Corps was in.
*The Sacred Bloods must be helpless against those factions too. A child can't defy their mother's orders.*
The Sacred Bloods were the core of the Pafnir Mercenary Corps. Naturally, the lovers' authority would grow stronger as a result.
"So all the Sacred Bloods are aligned with factions?"
Demian asked the mercenaries. They exchanged glances before answering.
"Most of them, so you'd better be careful. Mess with the wrong one, and you'll make an enemy of the whole faction."
"Most?"
"There are exceptions. Like... Lady Athena Hopper, for instance."
The unexpected name piqued Demian's curiosity.
"Lady Athena Hopper has the Mercenary King's exclusive favor. She doesn't need to join a faction."
"The Mercenary King might ignore others, but not when it comes to Lady Athena."
"Sir Demian, you'd better watch out for Lady Athena Hopper more than the factions..."
"Demian Haksen! So you're here!"
Someone approached Demian. He shifted his gaze to check the face.
Gray hair and a lanky build like a reed.
It was one of the first-generation Sacred Bloods he'd seen yesterday.
The mercenaries jumped to their feet in shock upon recognizing the man.
"L-Lord Nil Hopper!"
"What brings you here?"
Nil Hopper raised a hand as if it was no big deal.
"I never imagined I'd run into a famous person like you here!"
Nil Hopper approached Demian closely, his face full of smiles.
"I was so curious when I first heard the rumors about you. Since we've met like this, by fate, let's get along well from now on."
Nil Hopper extended his hand to Demian.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Demian Haksen."
With those words, Demian grasped Nil Hopper's hand.
At that moment, a massive surge of mana flooded in through Nil Hopper's wrist.
* * *
Even though they'd agreed to forbid direct combat, Nil Hopper wasn't particularly worried.
*Still, I have no choice but to win.*
Those who inherited the Mercenary King's bloodline were superior to ordinary people in every way.
Mana sensitivity, purity of mana, physical abilities, acuity of senses—all of it.
It wasn't just a slight edge. It was so profound it almost seemed like a different species.
Among them, Nil Hopper possessed exceptional talent in mana control.
The higher one's mana control, the greater the power one could wield with even a small amount of mana.
That was precisely why Nil Hopper chose mana injection as his means to subdue Demian Haksen.
Injecting mana into the opponent's body could inflict immense pain and even rob them of control over their own body.
Of course, the opponent wouldn't just take it lying down. They'd resist with their own mana.
A contest of mana strength.
The one with superior mana control and greater mana reserves held the advantage.
Nil Hopper was confident he could subdue Demian Haksen right here.
No one could handle mana more delicately than he could.
But something was off.
Even as he poured mana in, Demian Haksen's expression didn't change.
"Interesting."
Suddenly, Demian Haksen smiled. Nil Hopper scowled at the sight.
*He's smiling? I'll snap him out of it.*
Nil Hopper ramped up his mana even further. It turned into a torrent surging into Demian Haksen's body.
"You've prepared such an amusing little trick for me. Guess I should show you something in return?"
Abruptly, the speed of the mana injection accelerated.
"Wh-what?"
Startled, Nil Hopper tried to pull his mana back.
But the flow didn't stop. It was as if it was being sucked in.
"Wh-what is this...?"
Nil Hopper desperately tried to regain control of his mana.
But the situation remained unchanged. No, the suction speed was increasing even more.
*Th-this is dangerous.*
Mana was like water.
A certain level was essential to sustain life.
What if it dropped below that level?
It could cause internal injuries, or in severe cases, even death.
"Could you let go of my hand now?"
Nil Hopper forced a smile as he spoke. Demian responded by gripping his arm even tighter.
The mana was sucked in even faster. Nil Hopper felt blood welling up inside him.
"St-stop..."
Finally, words of plea escaped Nil Hopper's lips. Still, Demian Haksen didn't release his hand.
In that instant, Nil Hopper's mind went blank. When he barely came to, both knees were on the ground.
"L-Lord Nil Hopper is kneeling!"
"A Sacred Blood kneeling before an outsider..."
The other mercenaries cried out in shock at the sight.
Any more loss of mana here could cost him his life.
Feeling humiliated by their reactions, Nil Hopper had no choice but to beg.
"P-please... I'm begging you... l-let go of my... hand..."
Demian released his hand. Thanks to that, Nil Hopper was barely freed from his hell.
"Ugh... urk... bleeech..."
Nil Hopper vomited blood while on his knees on the ground. Looking down at him, Demian said curtly.
"Get lost."
Nil Hopper's face flushed with humiliation, but he had no choice but to obey.
As he fled far away, Nil Hopper unexpectedly ran into someone.
Athena Hopper had been watching him from afar.
Nil Hopper's face burned even deeper with shame. Of all people, it had to be the one he least wanted to see.
"What are you looking at!"
Nil Hopper yelled furiously and stormed past Athena Hopper.
Athena Hopper glanced at his retreating back for a moment, then shifted her gaze back to Demian Haksen.
"...How did you do that just now?"
She let out a short murmur of admiration.
* * *
The humiliation Nil Hopper suffered spread through the entire mercenary corps in an instant.
"Did you hear? Lord Nil Hopper challenged Demian Haksen and lost."
"Does that even make sense? He's the Mercenary King's son."
When second-generation Sacred Bloods had lost to Demian Haksen, everyone had found it surprising but not shocking.
The world is wide, and geniuses abound. Among the geniuses who'd visited the Pafnir Mercenary Corps, more than a few had bested the second-generation Sacred Bloods.
But first-generation Sacred Bloods had never lost.
To the Pafnir Mercenary Corps, the first-generation Sacred Bloods were practically sacred.
Yet one of them had been subdued and defeated by Demian Haksen.
"You fool."
The Mercenary King looked down at Nil Hopper with contempt in his voice.
Nil Hopper's face turned beet red. But he couldn't dare lift his head.
"It's only been a day since I ordered you to subdue Demian Haksen. And you come back already beaten?"
The Mercenary King's face twisted like a demon's in extreme humiliation and rage.
"F-Father... give me one more chance..."
"Shut up and get out! Before I lay hands on you myself!"
At the Mercenary King's bellow, Nil Hopper hurriedly fled the tent.
"Damn... that filthy..."
The Mercenary King exhaled roughly, suppressing his anger.
"Who's next?"
The Mercenary King asked the two.
Maxwell Hopper and Vanessa Hopper glared at each other before shouting simultaneously.
"I'll do it this time!"
"No! Give me the chance!"
"I'll take it."
An unexpected voice chimed in. The Mercenary King and the two turned their gazes.
A short distance away, Athena was eating apple pie.
"I want to fight Demian Haksen this time."
"Athena, what are you saying? Until yesterday, you showed no interest."
The Mercenary King had promised to pass on his ultimate technique to whoever subdued Demian Haksen.
But Athena had reacted indifferently even upon hearing that.
For the Mercenary King, her sudden declaration to duel Demian Haksen was bewildering.
"I'm a little interested in that man now."
At those following words, the Mercenary King's face hardened instantly.
"Int-interested...? Interested...?"
"Yeah, he seems more fun than I thought. I want to test him myself."
"O-Our daughter... interested in a man... Impossible..."
Overwhelmed by shock, the Mercenary King staggered and slumped into his chair.
"Athena, why are you butting in all of a sudden?"
"Yeah, we've already agreed among the three of us!"
Maxwell Hopper and Vanessa Hopper scowled in protest.
The Mercenary King, still reeling from the shock, had no spare moment to rein them in.
"Agreed? I never agreed to that. Just yield to me a bit."
"What if we don't?"
Maxwell Hopper's scowl deepened. Vanessa was the same.
Neither imagined they could lose to Demian Haksen.
The first to fight him would not only learn the Mercenary King's ultimate technique but claim all the glory.
Naturally, Athena's declaration was unwelcome.
"In my opinion, you two don't have the skill to beat that man. Wouldn't it be better to give up than get chewed out by Dad for nothing?"
Athena said to the two. In that moment, Maxwell Hopper's expression grew even fiercer.
"...The more I listen, the more nonsense I hear!"
Maxwell Hopper reached to grab Athena's shoulder.
Athena caught his hand mid-air.
"I don't like people touching my body."
"I hate it when someone steals my prey too. Wait your turn nicely. Otherwise, I won't hold back."
Maxwell Hopper tightened his grip. Athena pushed back without yielding.
At her action, Maxwell Hopper smirked.
"You want to test your strength against me now?"
If Nil Hopper excelled in mana control, Maxwell Hopper was born with monstrous strength.
From childhood, he'd lifted heavy iron weapons with ease, and as a boy, he could crush stones barehanded.
Now as an adult, no high-class member of the mercenary corps surpassed Maxwell Hopper in physical prowess.
"How could I beat my big brother with strength?"
"Then let go of this hand nicely..."
"But I'm faster, aren't I?"
Athena's body vanished. So quickly that even Maxwell Hopper lost track of her.
"What?"
In his moment of fluster, Athena appeared behind him and locked his neck with her arm.
"You... damn it!"
Maxwell Hopper tried to pry her arms off, but to no avail. Athena's hold was unyielding.
Ultimately, with his carotid pressed, Maxwell Hopper blacked out and collapsed in seconds.
"You!"
"You wanna block me too, sis?"
Athena turned to Vanessa Hopper, killing intent rising.
Fierce murderous aura engulfed Vanessa Hopper. In that instant, she hallucinated her body being torn apart.
"H-Huh... haa...!"
Vanessa collapsed to the floor unbidden, trembling and gasping for breath.
"Why no answer?"
Vanessa shook her head frantically. Only then did Athena withdraw her killing intent.
"Now that you two have yielded, no problems, right?"
Athena asked the Mercenary King. He asked back with a look of astonishment.
"...Since when did you get this strong?"
Though all high-class, until recently Athena had been weaker than the two.
Her talent was clear, but she was too young. Athena hadn't even reached adulthood yet.
Yet she'd subdued them both in an instant. Growth beyond the Mercenary King's expectations.
"Who knows?"
Athena replied indifferently. From her perspective, the gap with the two wasn't particularly important.
"Anyway, no issues, right?"
At Athena's words, the Mercenary King had no choice but to nod.