Chapter 21
Chapter 21
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Duke's House (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“...Even if you take me, you won’t be able to meet His Excellency the Duke.”
Olan Demisi said with a face filled with terror.
Demian sat across from him.
Demian gazed leisurely out the window.
“...I’m just a branch manager at best. Not even the president of Dash & Cash.”
“I know that, so can you shut up already?”
At Demian’s single remark, Olan clamped his mouth shut.
Fear seemed to take shape in his eyes and face, dripping down in drops.
“You just need to get me to the duke’s residence. I’ve never expected more than that.”
Demian didn’t know the way to the duke’s house. He also wasn’t prepared for a long journey.
That was why he had brought Olan Demisi along.
“...Are you really planning to participate in the duel?”
Olan Demisi asked cautiously. Demian just nodded slightly.
“...Th-then, you mean to make the duke’s house win the duel?”
Demian nodded once more.
Strong disbelief appeared on Olan Demisi’s face.
“D-do you know who’s coming from the Ryanbloom Marquis Family? The eldest son, Michael Ryanbloom.”
The Goldpixie Duke didn’t raise knights directly like the Ryanbloom Marquis Family.
Instead, he received knights from knightly families loyal to the ducal house.
Thanks to that, the quantity and quality of knights under the Goldpixie Duke were no less than those of the Ryanbloom Marquis Family.
The reason the duke’s house was recruiting knights for the duel was precisely because of Michael Ryanbloom.
“M-Michael Ryanbloom is a monster who became a low-class knight before even reaching adulthood. There are even rumors he’s aiming for mid-class now.”
Olan Demisi had seen firsthand how strong Demian Haksen was.
But even Olan Demisi couldn’t imagine Demian beating Michael Ryanbloom.
“You’re being noisy.”
Demian tossed out a single word. Olan Demisi covered his mouth with his remaining hand.
“I never asked you to worry about me.”
“S-sorry.”
Olan Demisi bowed his head until his forehead nearly touched the floor.
“If you get it, be careful from now on.”
Olan Demisi trembled violently.
* * *
The journey to the duke’s house was comfortable.
Thanks to Olan Demisi sparing no expense.
In every village they passed, they secured the best lodgings, and the food was top-grade.
He even used expensive magic tools without hesitation.
Thanks to that, Demian enjoyed the luxury of bathing in hot water even when camping outdoors.
‘It’s more comfortable than being at home?’
Demian didn’t waste this time.
He invested all his rare rest time into building up his mana.
Except for sleep, he operated the Tyrant’s Power Accumulation Technique every moment.
‘What I need most right now is mana.’
No one could match Demian in techniques and knowledge.
But he had far too many external shortcomings.
His body wasn’t fully tempered yet. His mana capacity was too low.
‘If I could just get enough mana for a junior knight level, I could do so much more.’
Like that, five days passed.
The carriage arrived at the duke’s territory.
* * *
The Goldpixie Ducal House stood atop vast plains.
No matter how massive the castle was, there were eight gates just to enter the outer walls.
Lines of people waiting to enter stretched before every gate.
Thanks to Olan Demisi, Demian didn’t have to wait.
Being a branch manager of Dash & Cash granted authority to bypass the outer wall inspections.
The carriage carrying Demian passed through the residential and commercial districts and reached the inner walls.
“Halt.”
Soldiers guarding the inner gate blocked the carriage.
Olan Demisi said to Demian, sweat pouring down his face.
“Th-this is as far as I can guide you.”
Beyond the inner gate lay the Goldpixie Ducal House’s mansion.
Even Olan Demisi had never entered it.
“Then I’ll have to go the rest on foot.”
At those words, Olan Demisi let out a sigh of relief.
Then he realized. Demian was staring right at him.
“I’ve been thinking about it the whole way.”
“Y-yes?”
“Killing you would soften my heart too much.”
“Th-then you’ll spare me?”
“But forgiving you for insulting my family is hard too.”
Demian stood from his seat. The sunlight entering the carriage was blocked by him.
A dark shadow enveloped Olan Demisi.
“So I’ll just cut out your tongue.”
“P-pardon? W-wait...”
The sound of a sword being drawn rang out.
Soon, a scream like tearing eardrums spread in all directions.
The ducal soldiers blocking the carriage jumped in surprise and raised their spears.
A moment later, the carriage door opened, and Demian Haksen stepped out.
“Up close, it’s really huge.”
Demian said, looking up at the inner gate.
The inner gate was far taller than the outer ones. He had to tilt his head back fully to see the top.
“What are you doing!”
“Do you know where you are, causing a commotion!”
The soldiers aimed their spears at Demian and shouted.
Demian ignored their threats and asked.
“I have business with the duke. Could you open the gate?”
At Demian’s question, the two soldiers bellowed.
“What nonsense! Of course not!”
“Now we see—you’re after His Excellency’s life!”
From the soldiers’ reactions, it seemed peaceful entry wasn’t possible.
“Then I have no choice but to force my way through.”
Demian recalled past memories.
He had never met the Goldpixie Duke in person. But he had heard plenty of rumors.
A thorough meritocrat.
He ruthlessly cast out even his own children if they lacked ability.
Conversely, he was generous even to enemies if they had talent.
“Anyway, to join the duel, I need to prove my strength. Better to show it directly than talk.”
Having decided, Demian nodded.
The soldiers were dumbfounded by his relaxed attitude.
“What crazy talk have you been spouting since earlier!”
“You need a beating to come to your senses?”
Demian’s knees bent slightly.
Right after, with the sound of air bursting, Demian’s body vanished.
“...Huh?”
“...What?”
The soldiers instinctively looked up. And they saw it.
Demian floating midway up the inner wall.
“W-what’s that!”
“Gasp!”
Demian kicked off the inner wall. His body leaped upward once more.
He kept kicking the near-vertical wall, climbing higher.
In the blink of an eye, he reached the top of the wall.
“Yawwwn...”
“Hey, you’ll get bugs in your mouth.”
Soldiers stood atop the wall too. Demian landed between the two.
“H-huh?”
“W-what?”
The two soldiers looked at Demian in confusion.
Ignoring them, Demian looked down from the wall in admiration.
“Wow, what a view.”
Then, the soldiers who had regained their wits thrust spears at Demian.
“Intruder!”
“Die!”
Demian leaped once more. He dodged the spears and threw himself down from the wall.
The two soldiers peered down in shock.
Falling from such a height, yet Demian was unharmed.
“Where’s the ducal mansion? That way?”
Demian strolled leisurely. The soldiers’ eyes widened in disbelief.
“Intruder! Sound the alarm!”
“He’s no ordinary guy! Call the knights!”
A noisy bell rang throughout the ducal house.
* * *
Even as the alarm blared, Demian didn’t hurry.
He walked leisurely, as if out for a stroll.
Instead, the ducal side moved busily.
“There he is!”
Over ten knights came rushing. They surrounded Demian.
“Reveal your identity at once!”
“Who sent you?”
“What’s your purpose!”
The knights shouted one after another.
Demian scanned them. All junior knights.
“Tsk tsk, what good are fledglings charging first.”
Fledglings.
At the word, the junior knights were stunned. Then they burned with rage.
“How dare you look down on us!”
“Shall we cut off an arm?”
Demian shook his head.
“Where’s the duke? I have urgent business.”
At that, the knights’ faces flushed red with fury.
“...So you’re after His Excellency!”
“I said I have confidential business.”
“Shut up!”
The knights drew their swords in unison. Gleaming blades aimed at Demian.
“We’ll make you pay for your crimes right now!”
The knights charged all at once. Demian scratched the back of his neck.
Right now, Demian could slaughter them all with one swing.
But junior knights were valuable forces ready for immediate combat.
Killing ten of them?
That would be tantamount to declaring war on the ducal house.
So Demian didn’t draw his sword.
He deflected all the incoming blades barehanded.
Bewilderment appeared on the junior knights’ faces at the sight.
“Huh?”
“What?”
Demian’s body vanished.
He closed in on the junior knights and struck each jaw once.
At a speed leaving afterimages.
The junior knights fainted without even realizing they’d been hit.
“Ah, I didn’t hear where the duke is.”
As Demian regretted it, one knight he thought had fainted groaned.
“Uh... uhhh... ughhh...”
Not fully unconscious, out of his mind.
Demian brightened and approached the knight.
He grabbed the knight’s hair and lifted his head.
“Where’s the duke?”
“H-His Excellency is... in the meeting room right now...”
Half out of his mind, he spilled it easily.
Demian set the knight’s head down and looked at the mansion.
“So he’s there.”
Demian moved again.
* * *
Recently, the Goldpixie Duke had one headache plaguing him.
“Have you still not found a knight to face Michael Ryanbloom?”
The retainers seated in the meeting room all bowed their heads. The duke sighed deeply.
“I said money is no object, even bring one from abroad.”
Not one raised their head. The duke sighed again.
In truth, the duke was the root of all this trouble.
The Goldpixie Duke and Ryanbloom Marquis had been bitter enemies since their youth.
Ever since the marquis snatched the dancer the duke had his eye on.
No matter how much time passed, the resentment only grew stronger.
Then, a gold mine was discovered on the border between their territories.
To decide ownership, the duke and marquis met.
But no matter how long the talks dragged, ownership remained undecided.
-Why not settle it with a duel? That’d be much cleaner.
The duke refused the marquis’s proposal. He knew well how terrifying the marquis’s eldest son was.
-Running away like a man again. That’s why Elise chose me.
Elise was the name of the dancer the duke had supposedly lost.
At that moment, the duke lost his reason. When he came to, he had already accepted the duel.
It was too late to take back his words. The duke hurriedly sought a knight to face Michael Ryanbloom.
But finding such a knight was incredibly difficult, domestically or abroad.
“What a pain.”
The duke pressed his forehead with his hand.
Then, a commotion sounded from afar.
The duke lowered his hand and asked a servant.
“What’s that noise? Go find out.”
The servant went out and returned immediately. His face was ashen.
“Y-Your Excellency! An intruder!”
The duke felt more puzzled than surprised.
“An intruder?”
“Yes! The intruder is turning the grounds upside down! You must evacuate now!”
Dozens of thoughts flashed through the duke’s mind about how sturdy the ducal castle was and how thorough its defenses.
Intruders were realistically impossible. But denying what had happened was pointless.
“Who dares touch the Goldpixie Ducal House!”
“W-we haven’t identified him yet!”
“Summon the knights at once! Exterminate that vile scum!”
The duke naturally assumed multiple intruders.
But the servant denied it.
“It’s n-not a group!”
What nonsense is this?
To the frowning duke, the servant said.
“There’s only one intruder!”