Chapter 44: The Doomsday Death Knight Returns

Chapter 44: Jackson Cutter (2)

While following the two priests, Sophia Russell felt a great deal of confusion.

‘...Is that really Damian Hassen?’

At first, she thought she had seen wrong. He had changed too much.

Originally, Damian Hassen did not like exercise, so his body was very thin.

Moreover, due to his daily drinking, his face was always sallow.

But what about now?

His well-trained pectoral muscles were pushing against his clothes from the inside.

The sleeves were stretched to the point of tearing, and his broad shoulders were intimidating.

Most of all, his eyes had changed.

His previously nervous and gloomy eyes now emitted a sharp gaze.

The change was not just in appearance.

‘Damian Hassen... defeated Jackson? Is this even possible?’

Jackson Cutter was strong.

Sophia Russell, who had observed him closely, knew this better than anyone.

He was so skilled and powerful that he could hunt an ogre alone.

He had never lost in any of the many duels he had participated in.

Damian Hassen had toyed with Jackson Cutter like a toy.

‘Am I dreaming?’

Sophia Russell pinched her cheek. She pinched it so hard that her face turned red, but she did not wake up.

This meant it was reality.

‘...But why did he pretend not to recognize me?’

The two had only broken off their engagement a few months ago.

There was no way he could have forgotten her face in such a short time.

Moreover, Damian Hassen had been so obsessed with Sophia Russell that he constantly clung to her.

‘Could it be... he's still mad at me?’

Their breakup was not pleasant.

Sophia Russell had unilaterally declared the end of their engagement.

Not only that, she had even asked Jackson Cutter to beat up Damian Hassen.

‘Yeah, he's definitely mad. That's why he pretended not to recognize me.’

Sophia Russell chuckled. She found Damian Hassen's behavior cute.

Why else would he express his anger in such a childish way?

It meant he still had feelings for her.

He was clearly trying to get her attention through such immature actions.

‘Men...’

Still, she did not feel bad.

Regardless of the past, Damian Hassen had become an extremely talented and famous knight.

It felt good to know that such a man was paying attention to her.

‘But it doesn't matter. I have Jackson.’

Sophia Russell lifted her head and looked at Jackson Cutter.

But for some reason,

The broad back that had seemed so impressive just a moment ago now looked insignificant.

Compared to Damian Hassen, it was too different...

‘Oh, what am I thinking... I only have my own husband!’

Sophia Russell shook her head vigorously to clear her mind.

* * *

“Master, please give me one more chance.”

On the way back to the tent, Jackson Cutter pleaded.

“Give up. Damian Hassen is stronger than you.”

“It was just a moment of carelessness. I can win if we fight properly.”

“Do you not trust my judgment?”

Jacques Noire's voice lowered. Jackson Cutter quickly shut his mouth.

“Don’t provoke me. Considering that you disobeyed my orders and contacted Damian Hassen, I could have your arm cut off right here and it would still be insufficient.”

The threatening tone made Jackson Cutter shudder.

His master did not make idle threats. If he said he would do it, he would.

“An unexpected variable. I didn’t think Damian Hassen would be such a formidable opponent. It will be difficult to win the championship now...”

Jacques Noire muttered to himself.

Hearing this, Jackson Cutter's expression crumpled.

‘Damn, why can’t I beat Damian Hassen?’

Jackson Cutter could neither accept nor believe that Damian Hassen was stronger than him.

It was true that Damian Hassen had improved. He had taken a hit, after all.

But he was confident that he could win if they fought with weapons.

‘I’ll prove it in the jousting match.’

They were supposed to fight in the jousting match anyway.

Jackson Cutter intended to defeat Damian Hassen in the jousting match and prove his superiority.

Damian Hassen was not his match.

“Still, I can’t understand how he became so strong in just a few months.”

Jacques Noire muttered. Jackson Cutter was also curious.

Regardless, it was clear that Damian Hassen had reached the Low-Class level.

Reaching Low-Class in just a few months was impossible.

“...Is he a genius?”

Jacques Noire hesitated at Jackson Cutter's question.

“It’s not impossible. The Empire's First Sword reached the Low-Class level before he had even held a sword for a year.”

“Then, do you think Damian Hassen is a genius on par with the Empire's First Sword?”

“Do you think Damian Hassen is such a genius?”

Jackson Cutter shook his head.

A genius? The guy who got beaten up and begged for his life? No way.

“I think he must have had a stroke of luck.”

In the past, someone had obtained a weapon imbued with the thoughts of a Master.

Through the weapon, that person inherited the Master's skills and knowledge, reaching an incredible level.

Of course, inheriting a Master's memories did not make one a Master.

But reaching Low-Class was easy.

Damian Hassen must have had a similar stroke of luck.

“Jackson, we need to add another goal.”

Jacques Noire turned to Jackson Cutter, who quickly composed himself.

“Another goal?”

“We need to obtain the luck that Damian Hassen has.”

At that moment, Jackson Cutter felt a chill run down his spine.

A smile spread across Jacques Noire's lips.

It was a terrifying sight, like a doll smiling.

“Treasure should be in the hands of those who can appreciate it.”

* * *

“Brother, how can you break the promise you made with Father...”

As soon as they returned to the tent, Abel sighed.

“I’m not at fault. The other party started it, didn’t they?”

Damian Hassen said with a brazen face.

Abel tried to argue but... gave up.

After all, Damian's words were partly true, and he knew Damian would not stand idly by if provoked.

“...But you did well.”

“What? Beating up Jackson Cutter?”

“Yes, to be honest, I didn’t like those two either.”

Abel's eyes darkened.

The Russell family had not only unilaterally broken off the engagement but also insulted the entire Hassen family.

Even the gentle Abel could not help but feel angry.

“Good boy. Are you taking my side?”

Damian put his arm around Abel's neck. Abel struggled to get free.

At that moment, Victor entered the tent.

“Young Master, a banquet will be held in an hour.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Damian Hassen decided to temporarily forget about Jackson Cutter.

He had to focus on something truly important now.

Connecting Abel with Lady Copperhead.

“Abel, let’s get ready to go out.”

“Yes.”

Abel opened his travel bag and took out a tuxedo.

Seeing the tuxedo, Damian frowned. It was so old and shabby that he couldn’t tell when it had been bought.

“Hey, what’s with that old tuxedo? You’re not going to wear it, are you?”

“It’s old... I borrowed it from Father.”

“Why borrow an old tuxedo?”

“...The family doesn’t have money, you know.”

Abel looked at Damian reproachfully. Damian realized his mistake from the look.

The Hassen family's financial situation had deteriorated significantly due to the accidents Damian Hassen had caused.

As a result, Abel had to borrow an old tuxedo from his father.

“I forgot... I’ll give you the reward from the Duke...”

Damian scratched the back of his head.

“Don’t worry. I bought you a new tuxedo.”

“You bought it?”

Damian Hassen opened a large bag. Inside were various tuxedos.

Not only were the colors of the fabrics beautiful, but the designs were also sophisticated.

They were clearly high-quality, hard-to-find clothes.

“Brother, where did you get such tuxedos?”

“There’s a tailor shop called Moonlight Wave in Landwalk City. I bought them there.”

“Really?”

Abel was amazed.

Moonlight Wave was a famous tailor shop in the west, known to every noble.

It was said that one had to wait at least three years to have a suit made there.

“When did you make the reservation? It’s not easy to make a reservation...”

“I didn’t make a reservation.”

“Then how did you get the tuxedos?”

“I bought the tuxedos that other nobles had ordered. Don’t worry about the size; I had it adjusted to fit you.”

“...”

Abel was speechless. Damian added, as if to reassure him.

“Do you not trust my judgment? Come on, my sense of style is very sharp. I can accurately...”

“Brother! How can you just buy tuxedos that are already reserved!”

In response to Abel’s protest, Damian replied with a nonchalant expression.

“Anyone would think I stole them. I paid five times the production cost.”

When he offered to pay five times the production cost, the shop owner even recommended other tuxedos.

Damian had plenty of money from the Duke, so paying for the tuxedos was no problem.

“No matter what...”

“Then wear that old tuxedo.”

Damian pointed to Abel’s old tuxedo.

Abel looked back and forth between the old tuxedo and the new ones Damian had bought.

The old tuxedo, made long ago and out of fashion, and the new tuxedos, made with great care by a famous tailor.

The difference was stark.

“...I will wear them with gratitude.”

“Good, you made the right choice.”

Damian smiled and handed the tuxedo to Abel.