Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Came for Revenge (3)
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The distance between Demian Haksen and Ted was roughly ten meters.
Ted leaped over that distance in a single bound.
‘His leg strength is pretty impressive.’
As the gap closed, Ted immediately swung his longsword.
The blade, over a meter in length, flew toward Demian Haksen’s neck.
Demian Haksen took one step back.
The longsword grazed the tip of his nose by a hair’s breadth.
‘Even with such a large motion, the blade tip doesn’t waver. That’s quite a high level for an apprentice knight.’
Even though his first slash missed, Ted didn’t falter and pressed the attack.
A series of slashes targeted Demian Haksen.
Demian Haksen dodged them by retreating exactly one step at a time.
‘His physical abilities are strong, his swordsmanship is top-notch, and his reaction speed is sharp.’
It was proof that he never skipped training.
Demian had looked down on him for being hired by trash like the Black Snake, but the guy actually had some real skill.
‘It’s starting to get tiring.’
Demian Haksen’s swordsmanship had long surpassed the realm of masters.
But his physical condition was another story.
His breath was already growing ragged, sweat pouring from his entire body.
‘If I really go back in time, I need to build up my stamina first.’
If he kept dodging until his stamina ran out, things could get dangerous.
Demian Haksen decided it was time to counterattack.
“You rat bastard!”
Ted shouted in anger as he raised his longsword high.
“Let’s see if you can dodge this!”
He positioned his hand gripping the longsword next to his face, aiming the tip at Demian Haksen.
A classic thrusting stance.
But Demian Haksen read Ted’s intent immediately.
‘He’s planning to use a secret technique.’
Secret technique.
It referred to ultimate moves that renowned martial artists possessed, one or two each.
A secret technique fused with aura could shave off a mountain or shatter a castle wall in a single blow—power on the level of a natural disaster.
As just an apprentice knight, the young man’s technique would surely be nothing more than ordinary.
But even that could be lethal.
After all, secret techniques originated from an era before aura, designed specifically to kill opponents without fail.
“Haat!”
The young man lunged forward, thrusting his sword.
As Demian Haksen moved to parry, the young man twisted his body.
His straight-accelerating form spun half a turn.
The following longsword sliced toward Demian Haksen’s nape.
It was an astonishing linked attack.
However, Demian Haksen’s impression of it was extremely brief.
‘Not bad, but nothing special.’
Demian Haksen casually arched his back to evade the longsword.
The blade whistled through empty air.
In that instant, Demian Haksen raised his dagger.
He positioned it right where the young man’s hand would pass.
The wrist split open, muscles severing.
Fingers went limp, and the longsword clattered to the ground.
Ted clutched his wrist and groaned.
“Th-this can’t be! How did you… read my technique…?”
Demian Haksen drove the dagger into the young man’s throat. The young man’s body crumpled to the floor.
“Not bad. That was somewhat enjoyable.”
Demian Haksen shook the blood from his dagger and turned to Andersen Home.
“With your trusted guy dead, what are you going to do now?”
Andersen Home froze mid-motion as he reached for a cigarette.
His body trembled as he pointed at Demian Haksen.
“D-do you know what you just did? That apprentice knight was a favorite underling of the Black Snake boss! If you kill him, the Black Snake will…”
Demian approached Andersen Home and spoke.
“You’d be better off worrying about yourself than the Black Snake.”
Demian Haksen placed the dagger on Andersen Home’s shoulder.
Only then did Andersen Home recall the warning about losing an arm, his face turning pale.
“L-look, I think there’s been a misunderstanding between us.”
“Misunderstanding? Before we sort that out, don’t you have something to do first?”
Andersen Home immediately prostrated himself before Demian Haksen.
Demian Haksen smiled in satisfaction at the action.
“You catch on quick. I like that.”
Demian Haksen patted Andersen Home’s head with his palm.
Andersen Home wore a bitter expression, like he’d bitten into a bug.
“What’s with that dissatisfied look?”
“N-no, not at all.”
“Your words are too curt.”
“N-no, of course not, sir.”
“That’s better. Now you’re starting to please me.”
Demian Haksen sat in the chair Andersen Home had been using.
It was plush and quite luxurious.
“Victor. Why are you standing there like an idiot? Come sit down.”
Demian Haksen called to Victor, who stood by the door.
Victor shuffled inside awkwardly.
“Y-Young Master… Wh-what did I just see? H-how did you beat an apprentice knight…?”
“Save the pointless questions for later.”
Demian Haksen turned to Andersen Home and asked.
“So, shall we continue our earlier conversation? What happened to me in this tavern has ruined my face and our family’s reputation. How do you plan to compensate?”
Andersen Home swallowed hard.
“P-please wait a moment.”
Andersen Home approached the safe in one corner of the manager’s office.
He opened the door and pulled out a few gold bars.
“I-I’m sorry for the harm lowlifes caused the Viscount Haksen family. Is this amount sufficient compensation?”
“Not enough.”
“Pardon?”
“There’s more inside. Bring it all out.”
“B-but if you take all this, I won’t have tribute money for the Black Snake.”
“That’s your problem. If you don’t like it, I’ll just kill you and take it.”
Andersen Home bit his lip.
At that, Demian Haksen flicked his dagger with his fingers.
“I-I’ll bring it!”
Andersen Home emptied the safe of all gold bars and coins, laying them out.
Only then did Demian Haksen show satisfaction.
“Victor. Take it all.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
Victor hurriedly gathered everything.
Andersen Home stared at the sight with a dazed expression.
“Now, let’s settle the remaining bill.”
“R-remaining bill?”
“I told you. I’m cutting off one of your arms.”
Demian Haksen stood from the chair.
Andersen Home cried out in horror.
“W-wait! I gave you the money!”
“That was payment for the insult to me and my family. This is separate.”
Demian Haksen approached without hesitation.
Andersen Home’s face drained of color.
“P-please spare me! At my age, losing an arm will kill me!”
“That’s your problem.”
“P-please, I beg you!”
Andersen Home looked ready to lick Demian Haksen’s shoes.
“If you don’t want it, pay the arm’s value with something else.”
“I-I have no money left.”
“Then I’ll have to cut it off.”
Demian Haksen raised his dagger.
Andersen Home thrust out both hands and shouted.
“W-wait! Just give me a moment!”
Andersen Home dashed somewhere.
He shoved aside a drawer in the manager’s office.
This revealed a small safe hidden in the wall.
“H-here, p-please take it.”
What Andersen Home brought from the safe were ten vials of potion.
“What’s this?”
“Secret elixirs made by the Elixir Refining School!”
Demian Haksen examined the vials with curiosity.
The Elixir Refining School was famous—no need to dig through memories.
It was an alchemist group specializing in elixir production.
They were currently the only ones who could produce the miracle cure known as the Elixir.
Elixirs from the Elixir Refining School were said to trade for their weight in jewels.
“What are the effects?”
“Knights use them during training. They greatly boost stamina and vitality.”
He’d heard of it.
Some knights consumed them to maximize training results.
A luxury only the wealthiest families could afford.
“Why do you have something like this?”
“I’m getting old, so I bought them to take occasionally for my health.”
“You’ve lived enough. Moderation.”
Demian Haksen clicked his tongue.
Andersen Home clenched his fist secretly.
“This should cover the arm.”
“Th-that’s a relief.”
“So I’ll just take an ear instead.”
“Pardon?”
Before Andersen Home could comprehend, Demian Haksen slashed down with the dagger.
The blade grazed his ear. The severed ear fell to the floor.
“Gaaah! You green brat!”
Andersen Home clutched his ear in agony.
He glared at Demian Haksen with bloodshot eyes.
“You bastard! You think you’ll get away with this? The Black Snake will definitely…”
“Tell them.”
“W-what?”
“Tell them clearly that Demian Haksen trashed this place and took your money.”
Demian Haksen continued in a flat tone.
“I know your kind of thugs well. If you don’t crush them thoroughly, they forget their place and get even cockier, right?”
During his mercenary days, Demian Haksen had learned much about the world.
One lesson: when an enemy appears, crush them completely.
“Soon, I’ll come to the Black Snake. No matter how big your gang is, I’ll kill every last one of you swaggering bastards.”
Demian Haksen tossed the dagger.
It grazed Andersen Home’s nose tip and embedded in the floor. A shrill scream erupted.
“If you understood, repeat my words back without missing a single one.”
With that, Demian Haksen left the tavern. Victor followed behind.
* * *
On the way back to the Viscount Haksen estate.
Inside the carriage, Victor asked with a worried face.
“Young Master, is it really okay to just head back like this?”
“What do you mean?”
“You killed so many people. They won’t leave you alone in Landwalk City, right?”
To Victor’s question, Demian Haksen replied nonchalantly.
“When we left that tavern, did any guards block our way?”
“No, they didn’t.”
“An organization as big as the Black Snake always has arrangements with the guards. Even if something happens in their turf, they ask them to look the other way.”
Originally, it was a plea so they wouldn’t get caught no matter what they did.
This time, it worked in Demian Haksen’s favor.
“B-but what if they put out a wanted notice on you later in Landwalk City…?”
“What’s left for thugs after you strip their pride? Their whole tavern got robbed by one guy. Do you think they’d beg the guards to catch me, with their egos?”
That was precisely why Demian Haksen had spared Andersen Home.
The Black Snake needed to grasp the situation quickly to even think of bribing the guards, right?
“The Black Snake will definitely want to kill me with their own hands. They might even raid our territory.”
Victor’s expression darkened at those words.
“Don’t worry. I’m here, aren’t I?”
Victor’s face brightened a little at Demian’s reassurance.
“But Young Master, when did you learn the sword? I knew you could handle the tavern guards, but beating an apprentice knight too? I had no idea your skills were that good.”
“I trained in my spare time.”
Demian Haksen brushed it off vaguely again.
Coming up with a plausible excuse was too much hassle.
“Why not just wipe out the Black Snake today instead?”
“Heh, look at this scary guy. Just uproot them all?”
“N-no, I mean, after seeing your skills today, the Black Snake seems no threat.”
“You’re right.”
But Demian Haksen chose to withdraw for today.
His weak stamina kept holding him back.
With this low-level body that got winded after a few swings, fighting the entire Black Snake carried too many risks.
“No rush. We can take it slow.”
Demian Haksen muttered as he pulled out the elixirs he’d obtained.
Elixirs from the Elixir Refining School. What a huge score today.
Consuming these during training would let him temper his body much faster.
Just a little.
Just a bit more stamina, and he’d be good.
Then he’d head straight to Landwalk City and exterminate the Black Snake.
“W-we’ve arrived.”
Victor said, peering out the window.
The two disembarked from the carriage.
“Demian! You bastard!”
As soon as he got out, his father came running from afar.
His mother, older sister, and younger brother were there too.
“Where the hell have you been, coming back now! I was so worried about what mess you’d cause this time…”
His father’s voice trailed off.
He’d spotted the blood on Demian Haksen’s clothes.
“You… What the hell did you do…?”
“Victor, show him.”
Demian Haksen said to Victor.
Victor grunted as he set down a large sack in front of his father.
When Victor opened the mouth of the sack, gold bars gleamed inside.
His father let out a strange, shocked noise.
“Huh-heup! Wh-what is this?!”
“I went to the tavern that kicked me out and got an apology. This is the compensation.”
“C-compensation?”
“Yes. Soon, all the bad rumors about our family will be gone.”
Even the Black Snake couldn’t stop rumors.
Within days, word of today’s events would spread throughout the city.
“I’m tired, so I’ll head up for today.”
Demian Haksen walked away. His father couldn’t continue.
“…What just happened?”
His father asked his wife and daughter.
They were just as baffled.
* * *
“…Brother!”
As Demian Haksen headed to his room, his younger brother Abel Haksen grabbed him.
“What you said earlier—is it true? You went to the tavern and got compensation?”
“True.”
“How did you get it? Did you kill the guards there?”
“Yeah, I did.”
Abel Haksen’s expression hardened.
“…Did you stab them in the back?”
“Do you think I’d do something that cheap? I went in the front door and killed them all.”
“I’m not joking!”
Abel Haksen didn’t believe Demian Haksen.
It was hard to believe, after all.
The family’s wastrel who only squandered money suddenly killing dozens.
“Do you know what’s happening in Landwalk City right now? A new group called the Black Snake has taken over everything. If you pull something like that, they won’t let it slide!”
It was the harsh reality of the Viscount Haksen family that they had to fear mere underworld thugs.
Their territory was small, the population few, and they had fewer than ten soldiers guarding the mansion. It was a natural worry.
“Why do you keep causing trouble! How much more danger do you plan to put our family in?!”
“Looks like I can trust you with the family after all.”
“Huh? What did you just… St-stop! Don’t do it!”
Demian Haksen ruffled Abel Haksen’s hair wildly.
Abel resisted with both hands, but Demian Haksen deftly dodged.
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle everything.”
Leaving those words, Demian Haksen climbed the stairs again.
Abel Haksen watched him with a confused expression.