Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Training (2)
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Before his regression, Demian Haksen had caused many incidents.
Among them, the worst by far was slapping Erwin Ryanbloom in the face right in front of everyone.
It escalated into such a grave matter that the entire Viscount Haksen family had to take responsibility.
To smooth things over, his older sister Luise Haksen had been essentially sold off in marriage to the Second Son.
"De, Demian…."
His father, Paul Haksen, approached Demian Haksen and grabbed his shoulders.
"Is it true? Did you really strike this man in the face?!"
Demian Haksen merely nodded.
Rage flickered in Paul Haksen's eyes.
If the Second Son hadn't been there, he would have struck Demian Haksen himself.
"Why on earth did you do such a thing? Why?!"
"Viscount, don't be too harsh on him. If anything, it's partly my fault."
Erwin Ryanbloom interjected.
It wasn't a lack of tact. It was deliberate.
"Who would have known that the woman I was seeing was someone Young Master Demian Haksen had his eye on? And then I went and blabbed about it right in front of him without a clue…."
As he spoke, Erwin Ryanbloom grinned.
"It was quite the fierce punch. My molars are still loose, even now."
Demian Haksen glared at Erwin Ryanbloom.
The Ryanbloom Marquis Family was a renowned house of knights.
Those who inherited their bloodline all possessed exceptional talent.
The Second Son, Erwin Ryanbloom, was no exception.
He wasn't quite on the level of the eldest son, but rumors swirled that he was a prodigy in his own right.
He wasn't someone a nobody like Demian Haksen could just strike.
In other words, Erwin Ryanbloom had deliberately let himself get hit.
To bind the Viscount Haksen family in chains.
"But swinging a fist at me in the middle of a social gathering… My father was furious over this. He said scum like the Viscount Haksen family think they can mock the Ryanblooms."
Paul Haksen's face paled.
The Ryanbloom Marquis was one of the greatest knights in the Apple Kingdom.
There was no way the Viscount Haksen family could withstand such a man's wrath.
"Viscount, how do you plan to compensate my family for this insult?"
"Th-that's…."
Paul Haksen couldn't come up with an answer.
A minor house like Viscount Haksen couldn't offer compensation that would satisfy the Ryanbloom Marquis Family.
Even selling off all the family's assets wouldn't be enough.
"It seems you have no real solution after all."
Erwin Ryanbloom sneered, as if he had expected as much.
"Then, Viscount, how about this?"
"What are you getting at?"
"The truth is, I've admired Lady Luise for a long time."
Erwin Ryanbloom shifted his gaze to Luise.
She turned her head slightly at his sticky, leering eyes.
"I've confessed my feelings to Lady Luise multiple times, only to be rejected every time."
"What does that have to do with this incident?"
"You and Lady Luise will marry."
The room fell silent at his words.
Erwin Ryanbloom continued undeterred.
"Then we can reduce this to a family matter. The insult I received would naturally be overlooked, and no one else would gossip about it."
"That's impossible."
Paul Haksen rejected Erwin Ryanbloom's proposal without a moment's hesitation.
"Luise already has a fiancé she's seeing. So…."
"Then how do you plan to take responsibility for the insult I suffered?"
The smile vanished from Erwin Ryanbloom's face. He stared at Paul Haksen with cold eyes.
"This isn't something a couple of apologies can brush off. The Viscount Haksen family must take responsibility somehow."
"You…."
"Choose. Pay the price for mocking me. Or choose me."
Paul Haksen bowed his head at Erwin Ryanbloom's declaration.
He hesitated, unable to act either way.
"…All right."
Suddenly, a voice came from behind.
Luise Haksen was looking at Erwin Ryanbloom as she spoke.
"I'll accept that proposal."
A broad smile spread across Erwin Ryanbloom's lips at her words.
In contrast, her father, mother, and younger brother's faces crumpled.
"Luise! What on earth are you saying?!"
"W-wait just a moment, dear! Mom and Dad will think of another way!"
"Exactly! Why should you take responsibility for what my brother did?!"
The family began trying to persuade Luise Haksen.
But Luise Haksen wouldn't budge.
This was the only way for the Viscount Haksen family to escape the Ryanbloom Marquis Family's wrath.
"Lady Luise, how wise of you."
Erwin Ryanbloom sent Luise Haksen a tender gaze, thick as butter.
"Then I'll send someone formally soon. We can discuss the details then."
Erwin Ryanbloom moved to leave.
Someone blocked his path.
"Hm? Young Master Demian, do you have something to say?"
Erwin Ryanbloom asked with a grin.
"Or should I call you my brother-in-law now?"
* * *
Demian Haksen let Erwin Ryanbloom's nonsense flow in one ear and out the other.
Instead, he looked at his family, their faces dark.
'It's only been a few days since I vowed to make them happy, and this happens….'
He felt anew how deep his karma ran.
His past self had truly been a piece of trash.
'What a mess.'
He couldn't just hand his sister over to the Second Son like this.
The Second Son was a reliable lord to his subordinates, but a tyrant at home.
He often wielded violence against his wife and children under the guise of "education."
He even had a jealous streak, constantly suspecting and striking his wife.
'That's why the bruises on my sister's body never faded.'
Even enduring such cruelty, Luise Haksen never once blamed Demian Haksen.
Not even in the moment when Demian Haksen attacked Ryanbloom Castle and killed her.
'Right now, I have no way to stop Erwin Ryanbloom's nonsense.'
Demian Haksen was merely the eldest son of a minor viscountcy.
He lacked the power to oppose the second son of the Ryanbloom Marquis Family.
'Annoying. Should I just kill them all and be done with it?'
Demian Haksen sized up Erwin Ryanbloom and his escort knights.
'Erwin Ryanbloom plus three escort knights. All four are junior knights.'
To become a knight, one progressed through trainee, apprentice knight, junior knight, and full knight.
Even an apprentice knight had few peers among commoners. They possessed superior skills and could enhance their physical abilities with mana.
A junior knight, one step above, was several times stronger.
To become a junior knight required manifesting Aura.
Aura was an intangible blade formed by condensing mana.
A weapon coated in it could slice through rock like water or tear steel shields like paper.
Even ferocious monsters were like cattle in a slaughterhouse before Aura.
The knight's ultimate weapon, attainable only by knights. That was Aura.
'If it comes to a fight, I'd have to face all four at once.'
From junior knight onward, they were worthy of being called monsters.
Bodies capable of slaying beasts barehanded, and Aura that could cut anything.
Transcending human limits with both superhuman physique and ultimate weapon—that was a junior knight.
If Demian fought, he'd face four such monsters at once.
'And among them, Erwin Ryanbloom is especially strong.'
Erwin Ryanbloom wasn't just any junior knight. He stood at the pinnacle of that level.
A little more progress, and he'd be a full knight.
By any common sense, it was an unwinnable fight.
'Five minutes should do it.'
Of course, that was by common sense.
Demian Haksen had reached divine heights with the sword.
Not four, not a hundred junior knights could defeat him.
'But if I actually kill them all, the Ryanbloom Marquis Family won't sit idle.'
Killing them wasn't the issue.
The aftermath was.
Demian alone was one thing, but he couldn't endanger his family.
'No choice. Annoying as it is, I'll take the long way around.'
* * *
"You cowardly bastard!"
Demian Haksen bellowed out of nowhere.
"Dragging my family into this between you and me? Is that what a marquis's son does?!"
Demian Haksen stomped around, jabbing his finger accusingly.
Erwin Ryanbloom smirked at the sight.
"Then maybe your brother-in-law should have handled it himself sooner? Since he couldn't, Luise has to take responsibility."
"Sh-shut your mouth!"
Demian Haksen flew into a rage.
The angrier he got, the broader Erwin Ryanbloom's smile grew.
Erwin Ryanbloom was already the victor, having achieved all his goals.
The loser's fury was nothing but entertainment.
"F-fight me! A duel!"
"A duel?"
"Yeah! We duel, and if I win, you drop this whole thing!"
"Hm."
Erwin Ryanbloom looked less than thrilled.
"If I win?"
"Uh, huh?"
"What do I get if I win?"
"Th-that… Wh-what for?! I'm obviously gonna win!"
"Tsk tsk."
Erwin Ryanbloom clicked his tongue.
"If you want a duel with me, you need to offer fair stakes."
With that, Erwin Ryanbloom tried to brush past Demian Haksen.
That was when it happened.
"Where do you think you're running?!"
Demian Haksen swung a fist.
Erwin Ryanbloom tilted his head to dodge.
"Oh? Dodged it?"
Demian Haksen swung again. The escort knights stepped forward.
"Don't interfere."
Erwin Ryanbloom ordered them back.
It wouldn't do for his face to rely on help against a nobody like Demian Haksen.
"He needs a good beating to come to his senses."
Erwin Ryanbloom was skilled not just in swordsmanship but bare-knuckle fighting, easily handling Demian Haksen's sloppy punches.
"Still, since we're family now, I'll go easy."
Demian Haksen thrust another punch.
Erwin Ryanbloom caught the fist and twisted the arm to subdue him.
That was when it happened.
A sudden impact struck his face. Erwin Ryanbloom's head snapped back.
"Gah!"
Struck in the face, Erwin Ryanbloom toppled backward.
He wore an incredulous expression.
"…Did you just hit me in the face?"
For a fleeting moment, he wondered how, then pure rage surged.
There was supposed to be a vast gap between him and Demian Haksen.
Last time, he'd let himself get hit on purpose.
But this time, despite no intention of allowing it, he'd taken a hit to the face.
Erwin Ryanbloom's pride shattered.
"Yeah! I hit you! What're you gonna do about it?!"
Demian Haksen charged again.
Erwin Ryanbloom sprang up.
"I was going to stop at subduing you, but looks like that's not enough."
Erwin Ryanbloom assumed a stance.
As the fist flew, he wrapped both hands around it.
This time, he put strength into breaking bone.
But first, Demian Haksen's knee slammed into Erwin Ryanbloom's gut.
"Guack!"
The surprise blow to his abdomen drained all strength from Erwin Ryanbloom's body.
Demian Haksen didn't miss the opening, driving another fist into his face.
"Guh!"
Erwin Ryanbloom clutched his face and staggered back.
But it didn't end there.
"You bastard! You dare touch my sister?!"
Demian Haksen lunged, slamming a fist into Erwin Ryanbloom's side.
His bones rang out in agony.
"There! I hit you! What now?!"
Demian Haksen's fists didn't stop.
He battered Erwin Ryanbloom's body relentlessly.
Erwin Ryanbloom tried to counter, but it was futile.
Demian Haksen's punches struck from unexpected angles.
Face, side, gut, solar plexus—everywhere.
In the end, Erwin Ryanbloom had to abandon countering.
He curled up to take fewer hits.
"Wh-what?"
"I-is that…?"
The knights were too stunned to intervene.
"Th-this worm!"
That was when it happened.
Erwin Ryanbloom, under constant assault, lashed out wildly with a fist.
Demian Haksen easily dodged.
Then he swept Erwin Ryanbloom's leg.
Erwin Ryanbloom's body flew into the air before crashing down.
His head struck the edge as he fell.
Erwin Ryanbloom's eyes rolled back white.
"S-Second Son!"
"Are you all right?!"
The escort knights panicked, shaking him frantically.
But Erwin Ryanbloom didn't regain consciousness.
"Whew."
Demian Haksen wiped the sweat from his brow, looking refreshed.
"Now I feel a bit better."
* * *
Demian Haksen felt deep satisfaction.
He had thoroughly thrashed Erwin Ryanbloom. Even after the intense exertion, his breathing was steady.
These two facts filled Demian with great contentment.
'The results of my training are showing.'
As Demian Haksen basked in pride,
Erwin Ryanbloom, who had passed out, came to.
Grind.
The moment he regained consciousness, Erwin Ryanbloom ground his teeth and rose.
"Demian Haksen!"
Radiating thick killing intent, Erwin Ryanbloom roared.
"You filthy worm! You dare lay hands on me without knowing your place?!"
Erwin Ryanbloom pulled a glove from his pocket.
He threw it at Demian Haksen's face.
"I challenge you to a duel!"
"Finally accepting, are you."
Demian Haksen snatched the glove from his face.
"If I win, don't hold me accountable for what I did."
"Fine! But you accept my condition too!"
"What is it?"
"In the duel, no one takes responsibility even if one side dies!"
Demian Haksen twisted one corner of his mouth at those words.
"You'll regret it."