Chapter 25: Proof (3)

Damian's training finally came to an end after an hour.

“Ugh, ugh...”

“S-Someone, help...”

“My a-arm... my a-arm...”

The knights lay sprawled on the floor, groaning.

Damian clicked his tongue as he looked at them.

“What a bunch of pathetic brats.”

He didn’t expect that those who were supposed to participate in a duel would collapse after just an hour of movement.

“I wanted to keep going a bit longer.”

Damian put down his sword and took off all the magical tools he was wearing.

His heavy body instantly became light, and he felt a thrilling sense of liberation.

Damian used his mana to observe his physical condition.

His muscle mass had noticeably increased compared to before the training.

‘This elixir is indeed remarkable, as rumored.’

By combining the elixir, which promotes physical growth just by consuming it, with training, he maximized its effects.

Thanks to this, Damian achieved results that even satisfied himself.

He wanted to take the second Balance Ring right away.

“Ugh... Ugh...”

“M-Mom... Mom...”

However, the situation was far from allowing the training to continue. Damian clicked his tongue again.

“Hey, you there.”

Damian pointed at a small-built knight. It was the same knight who had spoken to him at the beginning.

“G-Grr... Grr...”

The knight was too busy groaning to respond. Damian narrowed his eyes and said again,

“If you don’t answer, I’ll break both your legs.”

“Ugh! W-Why did you call me!”

Startled by Damian’s warning, the knight straightened up.

“What was your name again?”

“P-Pavel Vermund!”

“Right, Pavel Vermund. How do you feel after my training?”

Pavel Vermund’s face twisted as if he had eaten a bug. He kept his mouth tightly shut, but his dissatisfaction was evident.

“Aren’t you going to answer?”

“I-I find it to be a very practical and beneficial training!”

“Good. You’ve got it right.”

Damian nodded in satisfaction. Pavel Vermund’s face twisted again.

“Who are you training under?”

“S-Sebastian Vincenzo!”

Pavel Vermund added, watching Damian’s reaction.

“...B-By the way, Sir Vincenzo is a Mid-Class knight. He is specially guiding us to prepare for the duel. If we come back injured from such a harsh place, he will definitely be furious.”

Pavel Vermund’s speech suddenly sped up. It seemed he was trying to warn Damian.

“So what if that guy is a Mid-Class knight?”

But Damian didn’t care at all.

‘A Mid-Class knight training them like this...’

He had never met the man, but he seemed to be a mediocre knight.

Damian wanted to tell them to quit that training.

‘But then I’d just make another Mid-Class knight an enemy.’

If High-Class knights were strategic weapons, Mid-Class knights were the core that moved the family on the front lines.

They were mainly responsible for getting involved in numerous disputes both inside and outside the family. Therefore, Mid-Class knights were often dispatched outside the family.

That was why there was only one Mid-Class knight, Ernst Witz, in the Duke’s household at the moment.

“After Sir Vincenzo’s training is over, come here. We’ll have a sparring session.”

“Yes, yes?”

Pavel Vermund asked in surprise.

“If Sir Vincenzo finds out that we’ve been beaten up, he won’t just sit there!”

“Take a look at your body. Are there any injuries?”

At Damian’s words, Pavel Vermund looked down at his body.

“What, what?”

He thought he would definitely have bruises or torn skin from being hit by Damian.

But in reality, Pavel Vermund’s body was completely unscathed.

“How... how did you...?”

“I learned how to beat people in detail a long time ago.”

Among the Masters Damian had fought, there was a person called a Personality Corrector.

The Personality Corrector was a very unique individual who had reached the Master level for a very specific reason.

He made a living by traveling around the continent and reforming criminals.

His method of reforming criminals was very simple.

First, he beat them for an hour.

If they didn’t reform, he doubled the beating time.

It started with one hour, then two hours, four hours, and eight hours.

According to rumors, he once beat someone for 512 hours.

During the process of reforming criminals, the Personality Corrector developed compassion for the criminals who were beaten to a bloody pulp.

He pondered how to beat criminals without causing any life-threatening injuries and eventually reached the Master level.

The realm the Personality Corrector attained was called ‘Subdue’ (奄摋), which meant that no matter how hard he hit, he only caused pain without breaking a single blood vessel.

“Let me warn you, if you tell Sir Vincenzo about what happened today, or if you don’t show up here tomorrow, or if anything hinders your training...”

Damian’s eyes glinted with a murderous intent.

Pavel Vermund and the other knights couldn’t withstand Damian’s killing aura.

The weakest knight foamed at the mouth and trembled.

“Then you’ll be dragged here by my hand and beaten all day.”

* * *

After that, Damian’s training with the dueling knights began.

Every day, Damian called the knights and beat them under the guise of training.

“Sir Damian! No, Lord Damian!”

Unable to bear it any longer, Pavel Vermund grabbed Damian’s pants and shouted.

“We were wrong! I apologize for the rudeness I showed you the first time we met! Please forgive us now!”

Damian shook off Pavel Vermund’s hand.

“Hey, why are you talking so strangely? It sounds like I’m tormenting you.”

“No, that’s not what I meant...”

“I told you, I’m training you right now.”

Pavel Vermund’s face showed that he had a lot to say but was holding back.

‘Even if I dangle gold in front of them, they wouldn’t recognize it.’

Damian clicked his tongue inwardly.

They didn’t realize it, but Damian was using a specific sword technique during sparring.

The Lion’s Roar Sword Technique used by the knights of the Ryanbloom Marquessate.

It was difficult to improve the knights’ skills in just a month.

Therefore, Damian decided to adapt them to the Lion’s Roar Sword Technique.

‘I thought at least one or two would recognize it.’

Not a single knight recognized it, evidence of their lack of experience.

“Are you done with your useless talk? Get up quickly.”

Damian tapped the ground with a training sword.

* * *

Five days passed.

During this time, Damian successfully absorbed all the Balance Rings while mingling with the knights.

The changes he experienced were nothing short of dramatic.

Originally, Damian’s body had some muscle, but he looked frail in clothes.

Now, his physique had become robust, thanks to the significant increase in muscle mass from the Balance Rings.

‘It’s not just the appearance that has changed.’

Damian struck the training sword. A clean sound of wind accompanied the sword as it deeply pierced the training ground floor.

‘The quality of the muscles has changed. They are much faster and stronger.’

It’s obvious that a tiger’s muscles are superior to a dog’s, without any need for deliberation.

The Balance Rings had elevated Damian’s muscles to a higher level.

‘Indeed, a remarkable elixir from Azoth Arkelus.’

While Damian was greatly satisfied with his transformation,

“C-Cough...”

“Ugh...”

The knights lying on the ground groaned.

Damian glanced down at them.

‘They’ve grown a lot, too.’

At first, they couldn’t even resist Damian and just got beaten.

But after ten days, they had reached a level where they could respond. It meant they were gradually adapting to the Lion’s Roar Sword Technique.

This was possible because Damian held back, but also due to their exceptional talent.

‘They weren’t chosen as dueling knights for nothing.’

If this continued for a month, they could expect victory in the duel.

“What’s this? You scum! Get up immediately! The training isn’t over yet!”

Damian shouted loudly. The knights continued to crawl on the ground.

“If you don’t get up, I’ll beat each of you one by one!”

Only after Damian’s second threat did the knights jump up.

At that moment,

“Sir Damian! There you are.”

The Duke’s attendant was running towards the training ground.

“His Excellency is looking for Sir Damian.”

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s...”

The attendant’s face hardened, looking troubled.

“Princess Chelsea is returning soon.”

* * *

Damian immediately headed to the conference room.

The Duke and his retainers were already gathered there. There were fewer of them compared to when Damian had attacked the Duke’s household.

At that time, it was a grand assembly with retainers from other regions, which was incomparable to the current situation.

Damian looked around.

There were no women, indicating that Princess Chelsea had not yet entered the conference room.

“Oh, Damian.”

The Duke waved his hand. Damian stood beside him.

“I heard that Princess Chelsea is returning soon.”

“Yes, I sent a subordinate to inform us first. She is on her way back.”

The Duke smiled, but his eyes did not.

“It would have been better if she had stayed abroad and not returned.”

It was a brutally harsh statement, hard to believe it was said by a father to his daughter.

“I don’t know what knight Chelsea will bring. But let me warn you, if the knight Chelsea brings is far superior to you, the representative position might change.”

The Duke’s attitude was unusually cruel, unlike his usual demeanor.

“Your Excellency, have you already forgotten what I said last time?”

“Hm? What are you talking about?”

“No matter who she brings, they won’t be better than me.”

The Duke was momentarily stunned. Then he laughed loudly.

“Hahaha! I like your attitude! You’re always full of confidence.”

The Duke patted Damian’s back.

At that moment, footsteps approached from outside the door.

Judging by the sound, at least a dozen people were approaching.

As the sound grew closer, the soldiers guarding the conference room door opened them wide.

A young woman led more than ten men.

They all exuded a fierce aura, clearly warriors.

“Father, it’s been a long time.”

The young woman knelt on one knee. The men with her did the same.

“Chelsea Goldfex. I have returned.”

Her clear voice echoed throughout the conference room.

Damian Hassen, standing beside the Duke, observed Chelsea Goldfex.

She was different from the noble ladies he had seen before in many ways.

First, her attire was simple and practical, a travel outfit. It was torn in several places, indicating it had been worn for a long time.

Her hair was tied back simply, revealing her slender neck.

‘Most importantly, her eyes are different.’

They seemed to hold a small flame.

It was the look of someone filled with ambition.

‘This is why the Duke was displeased, I suppose.’

Power struggles between parents and children are not uncommon in noble families.

Conflicts arise between parents who are still in their prime and children who want to inherit power quickly.

“Chelsea, you’ve returned safely.”

Despite his true feelings, the Duke welcomed Chelsea with open arms.

“So, have you brought the knight to participate in the duel?”

Chelsea gestured. One of the group stood up and walked forward.

A man as large as a black bear, with a lot of body hair.

His eyes were very small, and his irises were so large that the whites of his eyes were barely visible.

He carried two hand axes on his back, clean but reeking of blood.

“Your Excellency! Greetings!”

The man spoke. His booming voice echoed through the conference room.

“I am Guillaume Blackwing, the Wild Beast!”

The moment his name was heard, the conference room became noisy.

* * *

Damian knew nothing about Guillaume Blackwing.

Most of the knights he remembered were Masters. He had no reason to know about Low-Class knights.

“Guillaume Blackwing... Isn’t he a famous free knight?”

“He participated in the conflict in the Eclaire Kingdom and practically massacred Low-Class knights...”

“I’ve heard he has no equal among Low-Class knights.”

But understanding who Guillaume Blackwing was posed no problem.

He could gather enough information from the retainers’ conversations.

“Oh ho.”

Even the Duke showed interest in Guillaume Blackwing. He scrutinized him carefully and asked,

“I’ve heard a lot about you. You earned the title of Wild Beast for your ferocity on the battlefield, didn’t you?”

“My reputation has reached as far as the Apple Kingdom.”

Guillaume Blackwing laughed roughly, pleased.

He seemed to be a knight who knew nothing about etiquette.

“Father, Sir Guillaume Blackwing has graciously pledged his loyalty to me and agreed to participate in this duel.”

Chelsea Goldfex stepped forward and said.

“Sir Guillaume Blackwing is more than capable of facing Michael Ryanbloom. If you provide support, the chances of success will be even higher.”

The retainers nodded in agreement.

“With Guillaume Blackwing, it might really be possible.”

“Michael Ryanbloom is called a genius, but in terms of current reputation, isn’t Guillaume Blackwing superior?”

“While Michael Ryanbloom is still developing, Guillaume Blackwing is already complete.”

The retainers’ opinions were very positive. However, the Duke was not.

“This is going to be a headache.”

The Duke stroked his chin, muttering. Chelsea tilted her head.

“Pardon? What do you mean...?”

“You haven’t introduced him yet.”

The Duke pointed to Damian Hassen.

“This is Sir Damian Hassen. He has been chosen as the representative for the duel.”

Chelsea’s eyebrows twitched.

“What do you mean? I asked you to wait for me.”

“You did ask, but I never said I would wait.”

Chelsea’s mouth opened in disbelief.

“...Then you can change the representative now.”

“I need to think about it.”

“Isn’t this a no-brainer? I’ve never heard of Damian Hassen. Isn’t it obvious to choose Sir Guillaume Blackwing over a knight with no background?”

Chelsea glared at the Duke and spoke.

“That’s true. Sir Damian Hassen is excellent, but... Sir Guillaume Blackwing is more reliable.”

“Let Sir Guillaume Blackwing face Michael Ryanbloom, and Sir Damian Hassen can face another knight.”

The retainers agreed with Chelsea.

To them, Guillaume Blackwing clearly seemed stronger than Damian Hassen.

But the Duke’s opinion was different.

“Sir Damian Hassen here broke through the Duke’s household’s defenses alone and even blocked Sir Ernst Witz’s attack. While Sir Guillaume Blackwing is indeed formidable, I don’t think Sir Damian Hassen is to be underestimated.”

Chelsea Goldfex gritted her teeth at the Duke’s words.

“...You emphasize ability, but you acted differently when you dismissed Mother.”

At that moment, the Duke’s face hardened. His hand on the armrest tightened.

“You’re speaking too freely.”

“Forgive me. I’m not in my right mind due to the fatigue of travel.”

Chelsea countered without hesitation.

“The decision to change the representative will be made after consulting with the retainers. Stop arguing and step back.”

The Duke waved his hand.

At that moment,

“Your Excellency, what’s the point of a conference if it’s just a bunch of men talking?”

Suddenly, Guillaume Blackwing spoke. Chelsea Goldfex, startled, tried to stop him.

“What are you doing? I told you to stay quiet...”

“Isn’t the representative just the strongest one? Let’s settle it with a fight.”

Guillaume Blackwing pointed at Damian Hassen and said.

Damian let out a hollow laugh.

He wanted to knock out that arrogant guy right away.

But doing so would put him on the same level as that ignorant brute.

So he decided to seek the Duke’s permission first.

“Your Excellency, is it alright if I damage the conference room a bit?”

“Hmm? Do as you please.”

Damian approached Guillaume Blackwing, getting so close that he could see the hair in his nostrils.

“Are you suggesting we settle this like men?”

“Oh, you agree with me?”

“Agree or not.”

Damian extended his hand to Guillaume Blackwing.

“There’s no need to fight. Let’s just test our strength here.”

The retainers were greatly perplexed by this.

Guillaume Blackwing was at least a head taller than Damian Hassen and had arms three times as thick.

It wasn’t just a matter of appearance; Guillaume Blackwing was a knight famous for his immense strength.

“Don’t blame me if your arm gets pulled out?”

“You’re cruel.”

Damian glanced at Guillaume Blackwing’s arm and said,

“I’ll just dislocate your shoulder and call it a day.”

“Shut up.”

Guillaume Blackwing grabbed Damian Hassen’s arm.

Immediately after, Guillaume Blackwing was slammed into the ground, headfirst.