Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Rest (1)
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Three days later, Demian was able to arrive at the Viscount Haksen estate.
“Demian! Abel!”
Having heard that Demian was coming, Viscount Haksen and his wife rushed out in a heartbeat.
“We heard rumors that a black mage appeared at the jousting tournament, and we were so worried. Thank goodness you’re both safe!”
Viscount Haksen pulled Demian and Abel into a hug with both arms.
“Demian, did the jousting tournament end safely? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Viscountess Haksen examined Demian with a worried face.
“Safe? Of course I’m safe. Not only that, but I even won the tournament as a bonus.”
They hadn’t held the award ceremony, but he had demanded that Count Copperhead officially declare Demian the winner.
In terms of scores, Demian was the de facto winner anyway, and numerous nobles and spectators had witnessed it with their own eyes, so there were no issues.
“W-what? You, you won? Is that true?”
His father asked in surprise. Demian replied playfully.
“Huh? You’re reacting too strongly. Did you not believe in my skills?”
“Of course not! Haha, well done. Truly well done!”
His father pounded Demian’s shoulders and rejoiced loudly.
“But I don’t see Sis around.”
“If it’s Luise, she sent a letter saying she’d rest a bit more before coming.”
Demian made a dissatisfied face.
Luise had left the territory to meet her fiancé.
Demian didn’t like Luise’s fiancé at all.
Compared to Luise, he fell short in both looks and ability.
He wished Luise could meet someone better.
But since their relationship was so solid, all he could do was watch quietly.
“By the way, Abel, how did the proposal to the young lady go?”
At his father’s question, Abel blushed as he answered.
“I-it succeeded.”
“Is that true?”
A smile spread across his father’s face.
“Then we’ll have to visit the earl’s family soon.”
“T-that… I don’t think there’s any need for that…”
“What are you talking about? How complicated and tough wedding preparations are!”
“Exactly. Just thinking about our own wedding… We almost didn’t finish preparations by the wedding day.”
The couple laughed as they reminisced about the past.
“Father, Mother, that’s not it…”
“Can I come out to greet you now?”
Suddenly, a voice came from inside the carriage. Viscount Haksen and his wife’s eyes widened.
“O, Olivia… W-wait a…”
Before Abel could stop her, the carriage door opened. Olivia stepped down the carriage stairs with her back straight.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Olivia Copperhead.”
Olivia greeted them lightly by holding the hems of her skirt.
Upon hearing her name, the couple’s mouths fell open.
“A-Abel… D-did I just hear what I think I heard…?”
“O-Olivia Copperhead? Why is the earl family’s young lady here…?”
Abel glanced at Olivia.
He asked with his eyes if he should tell the truth. Olivia nodded.
“Father, the thing is…”
Abel explained in detail from start to finish what had happened at the Copperhead earl family.
As the story progressed, the couple’s mouths gaped even wider.
“So to sum it up, there was a dispute between Demian and Sophia’s lover?”
“Yes.”
“Sophia’s lover held a grudge against Demian and tried to use black magic?”
“Yes.”
“Olivia reported it, so Demian called the Church in advance?”
“Yes.”
“The Church raided the jousting grounds and occupied the earl family?”
“Yes.”
“Demian demanded your marriage to Olivia and half the family’s wealth in exchange for defending the earl?”
“…Yes.”
Viscount Haksen rubbed his face with his palm.
“Demian!”
His father shouted loudly. Demian, mid-yawn, jumped in surprise and looked at his father.
“What is it?”
“You, you rascal! Didn’t you promise me? That you’d behave!”
“…Oh, right.”
Feeling his neck stiffen at Demian’s reaction as if he’d just remembered, Viscount Haksen clenched his fist.
“Father, I feel wronged too. I really tried to behave. But they started it first. What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t just take it.”
Demian sighed as he spoke.
Viscount Haksen clenched his fist tighter. It was all true, which only made him angrier.
“Because of this incident, the Viscount Haksen family has drawn too much attention. Do you know how dangerous that is?”
The Church had ruined the jousting tournament, so the Copperhead earl family lost its reputation.
Noble guests invited had suffered at the Church’s hands, costing them prestige too.
On top of that, they now had to hand over half their wealth to Olivia Copperhead.
The Copperhead earl family would no longer be called a great noble house.
Essentially, a great noble house had fallen due to Demian.
Now, the name Viscount Haksen would spread across the entire west.
Fame wasn’t always good. It made scandals easier too.
“Many will attack the Viscount Haksen family from now on. Because they dislike our sudden fame, or they want our prestige, for various reasons, enemies will swarm.”
Would people leave a protruding stone alone?
It’s an eyesore, dangerous, might trip someone later.
They’d find excuses to smash it.
That was what worried Viscount Haksen.
“You don’t need to worry about that. If any fool acts up, I’ll make an example by smashing them. Then everyone will get the hint and bow their heads.”
Demian said nonchalantly. The viscount sighed deeply.
“Dear…”
The viscountess placed her hand on the viscount’s shoulder. Viscount Haksen gratefully grasped that hand.
As expected, only his wife understood his heart…
“Abel and Olivia are getting married, and Olivia will inherit half of the Copperhead family… Our Viscount Haksen family will grow huge, right?”
The viscountess said with sparkling eyes.
“We’ve had so many mocking us for being small or not matching their level whenever we went to gatherings. This is our chance to break their noses!”
“M-Madam… That’s not the important thing right now…”
“The Viscount Haksen family has grown. We need to think about what to do next. What could be more important?”
At his wife’s words, Viscount Haksen snapped to attention.
She was right. What happened had happened. No turning back.
While the attention on Viscount Haksen was concerning, they had gained far more.
“Miss Olivia, sorry for keeping you standing so long. Come inside.”
“Please call me comfortably. Mother.”
“Oh my, oh my, she called me Mother.”
The viscountess was overjoyed.
“Please treat me comfortably too, Father.”
“Ah, Father…!”
Hearing the new title for the first time, Viscount Haksen’s face melted.
“My dear daughter-in-law! Come inside quickly!”
“What’s your favorite food? Just tell me. I’ll prepare it for dinner tonight!”
The couple took Olivia into the mansion.
The suddenly forgotten brothers looked at each other.
“Let’s go in too.”
“…Yes.”
The two brothers also headed into the mansion.
* * *
Olivia Copperhead adapted to the Viscount Haksen family faster than expected.
She endeared herself to the viscount couple and broke down walls with the servants by helping with the territory’s labor shortages.
“The windmill blades are worn out. It’d be good to repair them this winter.”
“I heard the wife of the Silence family is pregnant. How about sending nourishing food?”
“In winter, nomads from the north come to sell sheep and goats. Buying cheap then could yield big profits later.”
Before long, Olivia was taking charge of the Viscount Haksen family’s affairs.
She roamed the territory solving residents’ inconveniences and offering helpful suggestions.
“Thanks to Olivia, things are much easier.”
At dinner, Viscount Haksen said with a satisfied face.
Olivia lightly bowed her head in thanks.
“The servants say the same. They’re grateful for your attention.”
The couple praised her repeatedly; Olivia’s abilities were outstanding.
‘As expected of a capable woman.’
Demian also rated Olivia highly.
He’d noticed at the jousting tournament, but she was not only decisive but exceptionally skilled.
‘Abel got a good partner.’
Though the eldest, Demian had no intention of inheriting the Viscount Haksen family. He planned to leave it to Abel.
He had no great ambition for territory management and had things to do. He couldn’t be tied down.
When Abel took over, Olivia would be a great help.
As Demian thought that,
“Demian, don’t you think it’s time you found someone good too?”
At his father’s words, Demian choked.
“Cough, cough, what’s that out of the blue?”
“Did I say something wrong? You’re at marriageable age now.”
“Matchmaking offers keep coming from everywhere… Why don’t you pick one?”
His mother urged with a subtle face.
“I think marriage is too early for me…”
“What nonsense. There’s no such thing as too early a marriage, only too late.”
“Above all, a man needs to settle down. That gives stability.”
As soon as Demian showed refusal, his parents unleashed words like machine guns.
“You need to meet someone good soon too. With Abel marrying, if you stay single, others will see the eldest brother as…”
“The eldest daughter of the Children barony is so modest and hardworking. I’ll set up a meeting, so at least see her…”
Demian let his parents’ words go in one ear and out the other.
* * *
After dinner, Demian headed to the forest.
He planned to dedicate the day to training.
But upon arriving at the forest, Demian couldn’t focus on training.
His mind was cluttered.
“…Marriage, huh.”
Demian murmured, looking up at the sky.
He had never thought about it once. Getting married, starting a family.
“I have no intention of marrying. Or rather, before that.”
Demian quickly concluded.
“…A murderer like me doesn’t deserve it.”
In his previous life, as a Death Knight, Demian had massacred many.
Someone’s child, sibling, husband, wife, parent.
He turned them all to corpses.
Of course, it wasn’t by choice. It was under Dorgo’s control.
But the fact that he killed them remained.
“Worrying about this is a luxury for me to begin with.”
He had too much to do to fret over marriage.
“I need to tear that bastard Dorgo apart.”
Demian’s face twisted demonically. Rage boiled up, grinding his teeth involuntarily.
“This time, I won’t let him die easily.”
Killing Dorgo would complete his revenge. It would atone somewhat for the sins of his past life.
Demian sharpened his goal anew.
With the goal set, it was time to work. Demian stood for training.
He opened his sub-space and took out the Bulseongji Gwangyak potion.
The Bulseongji Gwangyak potion was a movement-based mana accumulation drug. It also enhanced muscle levels.
Its downside was the limited mana it could absorb. Demian planned to overcome that with the Tyrant’s Power Accumulation Technique.
“Combining the two mana cultivation methods should make something pretty good.”
To reach mastery, Demian needed a special mana cultivation method.
A mana cultivation method was a knight’s core.
Without a proper one, advancing to higher realms was impossible.
“Right, almost forgot.”
Demian also took out the spirit’s heart from his sub-space.
To absorb the spirit’s heart, he needed to steadily infuse it with mana to melt it.
From today, Demian planned to keep the spirit’s heart on him, infusing mana continuously.
“Time to move my body after so long.”
Demian drew the Thousand-Li Sword. He swung it while operating the Bulseongji Gwangyak.
Demian quickly immersed himself in training.
* * *
Demian’s training ended only at evening.
As he stored the Thousand-Li Sword in his sub-space and headed home,
“Young master! Young master!”
Victor came running from afar, panting. Demian asked curiously.
“What’s up?”
“A guest from the Church has arrived!”
At Victor’s words, Demian looked puzzled.
“From the Church?”
“Yes! The Holy Knight who helped us in Landwalk City last time came in person!”
Disciple of Azure Flame, Agnes.
At the news of her arrival, Demian stored his Thousand-Li Sword.
Demian returned to the mansion with Victor.
Agnes stood in front of the mansion. But her atmosphere was different from usual.
“I’m sorry to visit so suddenly, Sir Demian.”
Agnes spoke. Her voice was deeply somber and dark.
“I came today with a difficult request.”
“A request?”
“The dungeon of corpse play has been located.”
Demian’s eyes widened at those words.
“Please lend your strength to subjugating that evil.”