Chapter 309
Chapter 309
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 309
>Chapter Title: Politely With Both Hands
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Earl Erjin couldn’t collect his thoughts amid the barrage of attacks.
Was this really a human fist?
Blocking with his sword produced a resounding *clang!*, while parrying with the scabbard elicited a sickening *crack* of splintering wood. Naturally, it was the sound of the scabbard shattering.
But what truly drove Earl Erjin mad was something else entirely.
“Politely.”
*Thwack!*
“With both hands.”
*Thwack!*
“With feeling.”
*Thwack!*
That relentless taunting mouth, never ceasing for a breath. His mind reeled in confusion.
Even for a seasoned veteran like Earl Erjin, who had weathered countless battlefields and danced with death, this was an opponent unlike any other. And yet, the bastard’s breathing remained perfectly steady...
“You... you’re no mage!”
Earl Erjin bellowed, igniting his ether. That was why Aster took a couple of steps back.
A knight who hadn’t even ascended to transcendence—yet still a powerhouse knocking on its gates.
The refined ether streaming from his blade wasn’t something Aster could dismiss lightly.
Of course.
‘...That doesn’t mean it can stop my politeness.’
Instead, Aster released his grip on his right wrist and shook out both hands. A clear signal that he’d now fight with both.
“You bastard!”
In the blink of an eye, Earl Erjin charged right up to him.
Aster stared blankly at the blade slicing diagonally toward his shoulder, then raised a force field. Predictably, the earl’s strike was blocked with embarrassing ease—but not without some effect.
*Crack—*
Cracks spiderwebbed across the force field.
This was his chance.
Earl Erjin pressed the advantage, swinging his sword relentlessly.
Left to right, then right to left, sometimes slashing diagonally, other times thrusting at a single point.
“Hah...!”
“Indeed...!”
Nobles gasped in awe at the dazzling display too fast to follow with the naked eye, but to Aster, it was just boring.
Objectively speaking, the earl’s swordsmanship wasn’t dull. It was fiercer and sharper than any knight of the present era.
This wasn’t a matter of realm—it was experience.
No matter what anyone said, the earl was a hero forged in the fires of war, his blade heavy with the weight of blood.
And yet, Aster’s nonchalance stemmed from...
“Ahh, so this is the difference in caliber.”
“I’ll rip that mouth off—!”
*Crash!*
The force field shattered, closing the gap between Earl Erjin and Aster to mere inches. The earl didn’t miss a beat, thrusting straight for Aster’s heart.
“Wha...!”
“Uh-oh!”
A blatant killing blow. Far too vicious for a duel meant to be observed.
But Earl Erjin, rage boiling over, couldn’t care less. No—he didn’t need to in the first place.
This had been the goal all along.
—Your Excellency, I’d appreciate it if you stepped in to confirm. And if possible...
But.
*Boom!*
A sudden shockwave erupted in midair. The earl canceled it out and leaped back several large steps.
“Too slow.”
Aster thought to himself: I’ve always wanted to say that.
Right then, Earl Erjin roared and kicked off the ground.
“You bastard!”
Of course, even in his fury, the earl’s mind stayed ice-cold. In the brief moment of his strike, he heightened his senses, probing the mana all around to brace for spells.
He hated to admit it, but he already had.
The opponent had shown nothing but a few punches—not even proper magic—yet that made him all the more wary.
As expected...
*Shimmer—*
Mana rippled through the air. The earl sensed it instantly and unleashed a slash. It all happened in a fraction of a second, but the exchange didn’t end there.
*Shimmer shimmer crackle—*
*Zip! Zizzip zip—!*
From leaping into the air to swinging once, in just over a second, dozens of spells bloomed and dozens of slashes cleaved the air. To ordinary eyes, it was nothing but an ear-grating cacophony...
And so.
Earl Erjin was certain of victory. He didn’t think this strike would finish the foe outright, but it would lead him to triumph.
Of course, a plain slash like before would just be blocked again. But...
*Click.*
The earl pressed the gem embedded at the sword’s hilt, activating the mechanism.
With a low *hummm—*, the blade vibrated, a magic circle blooming to envelop it. The ether gushing forth began coalescing, absorbed into the sword.
“That’s—!”
“No way!”
Several nobles cried out.
Some in awe of the radiant, concentrated ether; others recognizing the artifact in the earl’s hand.
Amid gasps for varied reasons.
“...!”
“...”
A few faint-hearted nobles squeezed their eyes shut, bracing for the impending carnage.
And...
*Crash!*
The force field broke.
*Slash!*
The air-rending blade carved diagonally across Aster’s body.
“...!”
Even Bellrose’s eyes widened at the sight, as a smile crept across the earl’s wrinkled lips.
*Splatter—*
Blood sprayed.
Aster’s white tailcoat stained crimson.
But.
“Wh-what...?”
Suddenly, Earl Erjin staggered backward, reeling. He let out a hollow gasp, his nostrils twitching as his trembling pupils dropped to his own body.
“I... definitely cut you...?”
Why.
“Why... my arm.”
From the elbow down, the earl’s arm was gone. On the ground lay his gaunt forearms, still clutching the sword despite being severed.
Crimson blood spread across the green grass.
“G-Grandfather—!”
Mehode screamed, rushing to support Earl Erjin. Or trying to.
“That’s far enough.”
“The duel’s over!”
Mehode froze, shrieking hysterically. And in his eyes... fear.
The young knight dubbed the Tiger of the Frontier glared wide-eyed at the man in the bloodied tailcoat.
But.
“ Duel? Was this farce even worthy of the name?”
The overwhelming pressure pinning his shoulders rooted Mehode in place. Like a mouse before a serpent.
Brushing past Mehode, Aster approached the dazed Earl Erjin.
*Squelch, squelch.*
Blood thinned against his pristine white shoes as Aster halted right before the earl.
“You crossed the line a bit. You know that, old man.”
“...”
The earl didn’t reply. He merely stared vacantly at his severed arms behind Aster.
“N-No—!”
Mehode screamed, drawing his sword—but earth surged up, binding him in that instant.
*Crunch, crunch!*
“...!”
Mehode writhed helplessly, his face contorted in agony.
A voice rang out right then.
“Young man, stay put. Didn’t you hear? He crossed the line.”
For a moment, nobles’ gazes flooded toward Mayselrn. Shock flickered in their eyes.
How could it not?
Earl Erjin had lost both arms to a mysterious group no one had heard of... and the Tiger of the Frontier was subdued like a child.
Both without the foe lifting much of a finger.
As nobles reeled in shock.
“Old man, that’s checkmate. You know it?”
Aster’s hand clamped around Earl Erjin’s throat.
Nobles watched the scene with trembling eyes.
Meanwhile.
A voice whispered in Bellrose’s ear.
[...Hey, aren’t you gonna stop him? He’s really gonna snap it? Huh? Snap it?]
In an instant, Bellrose’s overwhelmed gaze turned icy.
‘How...’
Just a few words, and the pressure vanished entirely. If that was a talent, it certainly was.
*Hoo.*
Bellrose exhaled softly, unheard by all, then stepped onto the blood-soaked grass.
“Enough. That’s plenty.”
*Poof—!*
The moment she spoke, the oppressive aura blanketing the area melted away like snow. The masked mage—Wyvar—released Earl Erjin’s throat without a word and retreated.
Wyvar bowed politely, the scene like a painting.
The savage mage tamed like a lamb by the Third Princess.
An image seared indelibly into the nobles’ minds...
“Yessir, as ordered.”
“...”
“...”
Bellrose fell silent.
The nobles fell silent.
And amid it all, Mayselrn was convinced.
‘...Something’s definitely wrong with the input.’
Calling human learning ‘input’ felt a tad off, but for Aster, nothing fit better.
Anyway.
“Earl Erjin.”
“Y-Yes... Y-Your... Highness...”
Earl Erjin was still out of it but managed to pull himself together and respond to Bellrose’s call.
Bellrose regarded him and spoke before turning away without a backward glance.
She left him with this.
“I won’t ask your intentions or whose bidding you did this on. But... if someone put you up to it, make sure to deliver this message loud and clear.”
A message straight to the Second Prince...
“If you wish to break me, you’ll have to stake everything.”
And so, the Third Princess and the 72-Man Council became known to the world.
* * *
After the Third Princess departed.
The chaos lasted only a moment before the banquet resumed.
It should have ended there, but a few nobles—her oldest loyalists—took the lead to continue.
Of course, those spearheading the revival were her closest aides from way back.
“Hoo, did you know, Baron? That...”
“The 72-Man Council? First time seeing them myself. But one thing’s clear.”
“What’s that...”
“They’re Her Highness’s blade.”
The loyalists scattered, soothing nobles and steering the mood to their advantage.
And pitifully, the defeated Earl Erjin was ignored by all.
They might have extended a hand before, out of respect for his house’s prestige—but he’d been utterly crushed by Wyvar and the Third Princess.
As the banquet carried on.
In a separate private chamber.
The moment the Third Princess entered, she leaned back on the sofa and let out a deep sigh.
“Good grief...”
Her heart had nearly stopped.
When Earl Erjin first bared his fangs, the chill had been spine-tingling. She’d thought they were done for.
She knew Aster was skilled, but the earl was a battle-hardened veteran.
Yet.
‘Who’d have thought it’d end like this.’
The overwhelming victory had blindsided even Bellrose. At this point, a thought crept in.
‘Has Aster really reached transcendence...?’
Bellrose pondered that far when.
“Tch.”
Aster entered late, cleaned his clothes with a spell, but still grimaced at the lingering grime.
Pale skin, eyebrows like brushstrokes. A sharp nose. An everyday sight she’d normally brush off—but why now.
*Gulp.*
Bellrose swallowed dryly without thinking.
For some reason, her heart fluttered...
“Ugh, damn it.”
“...”
“Why’s it still feel sticky after washing? And these shoes—why’re they so damn uncomfortable? Nearly got stabbed.”
Aster kicked off his heeled shoes, shrinking a bit in height. Complaints poured nonstop from his mouth, and Bellrose smiled warmly at the sight.
“It’s a good thing you’ve got that sharp tongue of yours.”
“...?”
Aster tilted his head.
“Praise?”
“Probably.”
“Then we’re good.”
But why.
Did her fist clench.
...Probably something Aster would never understand in his lifetime.