Chapter 33: The Leafy Plain (3)

"Pavel Vermont."

The Duke knew the names and skills of all the knights participating in the duel.

Thus, when he heard the name Pavel Vermont, he immediately recalled who the knight was.

"He is said to be quite outstanding among the candidates for the duel."

"Most likely, you have heard correctly."

"If Sir Damian recommended him, his skills must be certain, but..."

The Duke trailed off.

As revealed in the duel with Fabian Vincenzo, the viscount's knights were far superior to the duke's.

The Duke could not be confident of victory even if he sent out Pavel Vermont, so he had to hesitate.

"Your Excellency, the knights of the ducal family are strong, but they are still of the same low class. There is no reason to be at a disadvantage."

Sir Damian Hassen began to persuade the Duke.

"Sir Pavel Vermont and I have prepared a lot for this duel. He will not lose to anyone."

If the knight sent out this time loses, the defeat will be confirmed.

Despite the risk of being blamed as the cause of the defeat, Sir Damian Hassen did not seem to care at all.

His attitude brought a strange sense of trust to the Duke.

"I will trust your words. Pavel Vermont, come forward."

At the Duke's command, Pavel Vermont stepped forward. His face was pale from the tension.

"Pavel Vermont, Sir Damian Hassen has recommended you. Do you have the confidence to meet this expectation?"

Pavel Vermont could not answer immediately. After a moment of thought, he finally spoke.

"...Yes, I will bring victory at the cost of my life."

The Duke smiled in satisfaction at this answer.

"Very well. Go and fight."

Pavel Vermont took his sword and walked out to the plain.

* * *

The cheers from the viscount's side continued until Pavel Vermont stepped out.

When Pavel Vermont reached the center of the plain where the duel was to take place, the viscount raised his fist.

The soldiers' cheers abruptly stopped. It was a remarkable display of control.

A moment later, a knight walked out from the viscount's camp.

He was a handsome knight with a bronze complexion, carrying a greatsword on his back and exuding confidence.

"...He is stronger than me."

Pavel Vermont instinctively realized this as soon as he saw the knight.

"I am Hui Selection. What about you?"

The viscount's knight asked Pavel. Pavel Vermont took a deep breath and replied.

"...I am Pavel Vermont."

Upon hearing the name, Hui Selection sighed deeply.

"What, I've never heard of you. I was hoping for someone more famous. Even if I win against someone like you, no one will acknowledge it."

Hui Selection shook his head. Unlike the first knight, his manner was very casual.

"Can't it be Sir Damian Hassen? That guy is quite famous, and it would be a good fight."

At the mention of Damian Hassen, Pavel Vermont couldn't help but chuckle.

Hui Selection tilted his head and asked.

"What's so funny?"

"It's amusing to hear a dog mention a tiger."

Hui Selection is strong, but not as strong as Damian Hassen.

Damian Hassen's strength was beyond the norm. There couldn't be another monster like him.

"You can provoke someone even though you're not famous."

Hui Selection lifted the greatsword he had on his back.

The long and thick greatsword came out easily, like a branch.

At the same time, Hui Selection summoned his mana. A powerful aura rushed over, like a heatwave.

"...Damn."

Pavel Vermont muttered under his breath.

I had a feeling, but indeed, he is stronger than me.

Can I really win if we fight? A deep sense of despair and doubt filled Pavel Vermont's heart.

"Hey, why are you so pale? You should be on high alert. Otherwise... you'll end up like this!"

Suddenly, Hui kicked the ground and charged at Pavel with incredible speed, aiming to stab Pavel's chest with the hilt of his sword.

Just before the attack, Pavel Vermont blocked it with the blade of his longsword. His body was pushed back.

"Oh... You have some skills, I see?"

Hui Selection said in admiration, as if praising a subordinate.

"Why are you so quiet? Are you too surprised?"

As Hui Selection said, Pavel Vermont was too surprised to speak.

But what surprised him was not being ambushed by Hui Selection.

"...It's similar."

The technique Hui Selection showed was the same as what Damian Hassen used.

Whenever Pavel approached, Damian Hassen would often strike his chest with the hilt of the sword.

"...Is it a coincidence?"

Using the hilt of the sword instead of the blade is a common technique in many sword styles.

Therefore, Pavel Vermont couldn't be sure.

"I can have some fun with you!"

Hui Selection charged at Pavel Vermont, closing the distance in one swift move and raising his greatsword.

Hui Selection brought down his greatsword. The air tore with the speed of the strike.

Pavel Vermont instinctively stepped back. The greatsword fell to the ground, narrowly missing him.

The greatsword struck the ground, digging into it and sending dust flying over the two of them.

"Let's see if you can dodge this!"

Immediately, the greatsword cut through the dust, aiming for Pavel Vermont's side.

But Pavel Vermont was already in a defensive stance. He blocked the incoming greatsword with his blade.

"...You blocked that too?"

For the first time, a look of surprise appeared on Hui Selection's face.

"...This is impossible."

But Pavel Vermont was even more surprised.

"Is this also similar?"

Damian Hassen would always follow up a downward strike with a horizontal slash.

During training, the ground was made of stone, so no dust was raised.

Still, it was a move he had faced so many times that his body reacted instinctively.

At this point, it wasn't just similar; it was exactly the same.

"I heard that the viscount's knights learn a sword style called Lion's Roar... How did Damian Hassen learn Lion's Roar?"

Suddenly, a possibility came to Pavel Vermont's mind.

Spy.

Perhaps Damian Hassen was a spy sent by the viscount?

"...What a ridiculous thought."

But Pavel Vermont quickly dismissed this idea.

Two days ago, after the training ended, Damian Hassen told the duel knights:

- Spend the next two days resting and reflecting on what I taught you.

Damian Hassen's advice was very helpful. Thanks to repeatedly reviewing Damian Hassen's movements, Pavel could dodge Hui Selection's attacks.

"A spy wouldn't reveal their family's secret techniques to the enemy."

Then there was only one possibility.

"...He learned it by stealing."

He had heard of it before.

Some geniuses can mimic an opponent's movements just by watching them.

For a genius like Damian Hassen, it was entirely possible.

"No, Damian Hassen didn't just mimic... "

While the same Lion's Roar, Damian Hassen's level was much higher. Hui Selection's swordplay seemed like a child's play in comparison.

"Did he not only steal the viscount's secret techniques but also surpass their knights?"

A chill ran down Pavel Vermont's spine, causing his body to stiffen for a moment.

"Focus!"

Hui Selection didn't miss this opportunity. He brought down his greatsword at Pavel Vermont's head.

This was another technique Pavel had faced countless times from Damian Hassen.

Pavel Vermont blocked the greatsword with his blade and deflected it skillfully.

"You...!"

Hui Selection attacked Pavel Vermont even more fiercely. The greatsword moved without pause.

But none of the strikes landed on Pavel Vermont.

Pavel Vermont dodged the greatsword so naturally. He parried the final attack with his sword.

The sharp sound of the blades clashing echoed as the greatsword was deflected backward.

"Ugh?"

Hui Selection's face showed confusion. Pavel Vermont didn't miss this chance.

Since the duel began, Pavel Vermont had been retreating. Now, for the first time, he moved forward.

He began to pressure Hui Selection with his swordplay.

"Ugh, ah!"

Hui Selection struggled to block Pavel Vermont's attacks, unable to resist.

He was being pushed back by someone he considered inferior.

Humiliation made Hui Selection's face turn red.

"Can't you just back off!"

Hui Selection put more force into his greatsword. Pavel Vermont immediately noticed this.

The longsword and greatsword intertwined in a complex dance. Pavel Vermont exerted strength in his hand and knocked the greatsword away.

The greatsword slipped out of Hui Selection's hand and flew far away.

Hui Selection looked at his empty hand in a daze. At that moment, a blade touched his neck.

"My victory."

Pavel Vermont declared calmly, his sword pointed at Hui Selection.

"Wow!"

"Wow!"

Thunderous cheers greeted Pavel Vermont.

The deafening cheers made Pavel Vermont's body tingle.

Pavel Vermont sheathed his sword and turned to the ducal side.

The cheers grew even louder. Pavel Vermont felt something welling up in his chest.

At that moment, he noticed Damian Hassen in his field of vision.

Unlike the jubilant people of the ducal family, Damian Hassen wore an extremely calm expression.

As if he had expected this result.

'Damian Hassen...'

The elation quickly subsided.

A sense of unease and fear filled the void.

'What are you... really?'

Pavel Vermont trembled, asking a question he would never get an answer to.

* * *

"Who would have thought Sir Pavel Vermont would win so splendidly."

The Duke of Goldfex spoke.

A smile he couldn't hide spread across his face.

"Sir Damian's judgment was accurate."

"It was only because Sir Pavel Vermont did well."

"You were the one who recognized and recommended Sir Pavel Vermont, weren't you?"

The Duke nodded and added.

"Unlike someone who lacked discernment and cost us a defeat."

Sebastian Vincenzo lowered his head at the Duke's pointed words.

"So now, only the representative duel remains. Are you confident?"

The Duke asked, and Damian replied nonchalantly.

"Well, I'll do my best."

* * *

"...Please kill me."

Hui Selection said, prostrating himself before the viscount.

"How can you say such a thing? You did your best. It's just that the knight on the other side was stronger."

The viscount consoled Hui Selection.

It was unthinkable to punish a knight who had fought for the family.

"And don't be too disheartened. After all, victory is ours."

The viscount turned his head.

A little distance away, Michael Ryanbloom stood, quietly looking at the plain.

Michael Ryanbloom stood still, gazing at the plain.

"...Your Excellency is right."

Hui Selection said with a face full of respect.

To the knights of the viscount's family, Michael Ryanbloom was a symbol of invincibility.

"Go back and rest now."

Hui Selection bowed and retreated.

The viscount approached Michael.

Even as his father approached, Michael Ryanbloom continued to look at the plain.

"Michael."

Even when the viscount called, Michael remained the same. The viscount sighed deeply.

Just as he was about to call his son's name again,

"Father, isn't it strange?"

Michael suddenly spoke.

"Hui was stronger than the duke's knight. Two, no, three levels above, I'm sure of it."

The viscount agreed with Michael. Even by his high-class standards, Hui Selection was stronger.

Physically, in mana, skill, and experience.

He was in a different league from the unremarkable knights of the ducal family.

"Yet, he lost. Not just lost, but was overwhelmed."

The knight of the ducal family blocked all of Hui Selection's strikes, took the upper hand, and secured victory.

It was like a dog eating a wolf.

"The knight of the ducal family must have completely mastered Lion's Roar. But it's strange. He didn't seem that talented."

The viscount nodded at his son's words.

"I thought the same. Perhaps Lion's Roar was leaked. We should thoroughly investigate when we return..."

"Father, that's not it."

Michael contradicted the viscount.

"Lion's Roar wasn't leaked. That man discovered it. He discovered it and taught it."

Only then did the viscount realize what Michael was looking at.

Damian Hassen.

He was looking only at that man.

"Isn't it amazing? Lion's Roar is not a low-level sword style. It's a sword style that our ancestors continuously developed and improved. Not only did he master it, but he also taught it to other knights."

It was something an ordinary talent could never achieve.

It was something even a genius of average caliber could not do.

"Father, this is the first time in my life my heart has raced like this."

Michael placed his hand on his chest. His face was slightly flushed.

"Finally, I've found someone like me."

The viscount looked at his son with a complex expression.

Originally, he was going to strongly urge him to win at all costs.

But he couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of his son, who was filled with anticipation.

Besides, it seemed unnecessary to say such things.

"Michael, go and enjoy yourself."

At the viscount's words, Michael picked up his sword.

* * *

As Michael Ryanbloom walked to the duel ground, he could feel his heart pounding fiercely.

'Finally, I've met him.'

Michael Ryanbloom's life could be summarized in one word.

Boredom.

When he first held a sword, he was filled with anticipation.

When he first learned swordsmanship from his father, it was so exciting he thought he would go mad.

When he met senior knights, he was so curious he thought he would burst.

But as the days of wielding a sword increased, his excitement and interest quickly faded.

In short, it was too easy.

The sword techniques his father taught, he could mimic after seeing them once.

The knights said to be stronger than him were nothing when they fought.

At some point, Michael Ryanbloom stopped going to the training ground.

He put down his sword and began to suffer from boredom and apathy.

'I found him.'

He never thought he would meet a worthy rival or a match.

But today, in an unexpected place, he met someone.

Someone with talent equal to his own.

A knight who could be his match.

Michael Ryanbloom stood in front of Damian Hassen.

"I am Michael Ryanbloom."

Michael greeted, suppressing his excitement. Damian Hassen yawned and replied.

"I am Damian Hassen."

Michael Ryanbloom felt a smile escaping his lips.

"I've been waiting for someone like you for a long time."

He wanted to draw his sword immediately.

But the opponent was a precious match he had just met.

He wanted to fight with proper form.

"I've been waiting for someone who can fight me on equal terms."

Michael Ryanbloom gripped the hilt of his sword. His heart was pounding fiercely.

"I beg you, please don't disappoint me."

Michael Ryanbloom drew his sword. The blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

"On equal terms?"

Damian Hassen said casually.

"Have you not fully realized your talent? Otherwise, you wouldn't say such a thing."

The words from Damian Hassen were completely unexpected by Michael Ryanbloom.

"Guess I have no choice. I'll have to come down to your level."

What are you talking about?

Just as Michael Ryanbloom was about to ask, a chill ran down his spine. It felt as if a rough hand was grabbing the back of his neck.

Fear, danger, and terror surged explosively.

Without realizing it, Michael Ryanbloom drew his sword and pointed it at Damian Hassen.

Or rather, he tried to.

The tip of the sword wouldn't rise. It remained pointed downward, frozen.

He couldn't even look at Damian Hassen properly, let alone point the sword at him.

His whole body trembled. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead to the ground.

"Michael Ryanbloom."

Damian Hassen spoke softly.

To Michael Ryanbloom, it felt like a needle piercing his ear.

"Do you still see me as your equal?"

The sword fell to the ground.

Before Michael Ryanbloom realized he had dropped his sword, he was already on his knees.

"Lost..."

His mouth moved on its own. Michael Ryanbloom couldn't even think to cover his mouth.

"I have lost..."

The third duel.

The winner was decided.