Chapter 81: Uninvited Guest (2)

Liam Blugreen.

The head of the Blugreen Marquess family, a renowned knightly family in the Apple Kingdom.

At the same time, he was one of only three High-Class individuals in the Apple Kingdom, a figure who pledged loyalty solely to the royal family.

Apart from this, Damian knew very little about Liam Blugreen.

This was because, when Damian was active as a Death Knight, Liam Blugreen had already passed away.

"Why would such a distinguished person do something like this?"

Now that the other side had revealed his identity, Damian could not be disrespectful.

Instead, he looked at Liam Blugreen with a face that clearly showed his displeasure.

"I wanted to see your true abilities."

"Then why not just have a sparring match?"

"I said 'true' abilities. A tepid sparring match wouldn't reveal your true strength."

Damian's brows furrowed even more at the absurdity of the statement.

"So, you staged this farce of taking your family hostage?"

"Don't be so angry. I explained everything to your father and even got his permission."

At this, Damian involuntarily swept his hand over his face.

"What if your subordinate had died?"

"That's why I intervened at the right moment. There's nothing to worry about."

Liam Blugreen smiled genially. Damian had to suppress a derisive laugh.

Does he know? That if Damian had wanted, he could have killed the subordinate before Liam Blugreen stepped in.

"And this fellow isn't a subordinate. He's my son and my top disciple. He's so tough that he won't die easily."

Liam Blugreen chuckled and said to the man.

"Dovre, isn't that right?"

However, the man remained silent, trembling uncontrollably. Only then did Liam Blugreen realize something was wrong.

"Dovre?"

"Father... p-please... give me a potion... ugh!"

The man managed to utter a few words before dropping his head.

"What's wrong with this guy all of a sudden? Dovre! Pull yourself together!"

Liam Blugreen hurriedly took a potion from his pocket and poured it into the man's mouth.

Judging it insufficient, he massaged the man's body and infused it with mana, a healing technique called "Blood Purification."

"Come on, why can't you pull yourself together!"

Despite his efforts, the man's complexion did not return to normal.

It couldn't. When Damian kicked him in the abdomen, he had released mana to strike internally.

While it wouldn't be fatal, it would take at least a few weeks of rest to fully recover. It wouldn't heal easily.

After a long while, the man finally regained consciousness and sat up. As soon as he lifted his head, his eyes met Damian's.

"Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Dovre Blugreen!"

Dovre immediately bowed deeply. Damian was taken aback by the sudden change in attitude.

"I apologize for my harsh words! Father told me to provoke you as much as possible!"

Dovre scratched the back of his head with an innocent look.

"Son, if you lose so easily, what will become of my reputation?"

"I'm ashamed! I'll train even harder from now on!"

"Of course, you should. I'll double the intensity of your training, so be prepared."

"Yes, sir!"

Dovre responded loudly, looking as energetic as a large dog.

"Damian, now that I've seen your abilities... let's get down to business, shall we?"

Liam Blugreen's eyes turned serious.

Indeed, a High-Class individual like him wouldn't have come just to test Damian's abilities.

"Let's go inside and talk."

Damian returned to the reception room with the two of them.

The atmosphere inside the reception room was completely different from before.

The family and the intruders were sitting together, chatting and enjoying tea and desserts.

"Oh, Damian. You're here."

Father waved his hand. Damian glared at him.

"Father, you're in a good mood, considering how worried you made me."

"You're not the only one. You've been sneaking around outside, deceiving your own father."

At this, Damian was speechless. In terms of right and wrong, he was at a significant disadvantage.

"...I'll let it slide this time."

"Don't talk nonsense and sit down."

Damian sat down in an empty chair. Liam Blugreen and Dovre also took their seats.

"Liam, are you done with your business?"

"Thanks to Lord Haksen. I saw his acting skills earlier; even the actors in the capital would have to bow to him."

The two laughed loudly. Damian could only look at them in disbelief.

"So, what's the main topic?"

"Right, I almost forgot."

In response to Damian's question, Liam Blugreen put down his teacup and said,

"Damian, would you like to join the White Horse Knights?"

* * *

A knightly order refers to a combat group composed solely of knights.

Considering the cost and process of training a single knight, it was no easy task for individuals or civilian organizations to operate a knightly order.

For this reason, it was common knowledge that only great nobles like the Goldflicks Duke family and the Lyonbloom Marquess family could operate a knightly order.

Among them, the White Horse Knights were a royal knightly order directly managed by the Apple Kingdom, with a long history.

Additionally, it was a core military force of the Apple Kingdom, receiving substantial support.

For any knight in the Apple Kingdom who had a passion for martial arts from a young age, the White Horse Knights were a dream order to join.

"I appreciate the offer, but I must decline."

However, Damian rejected it without a moment's hesitation.

Liam Blugreen's face hardened, as did the faces of the other family members.

"May I ask why?"

"I don't want to belong to any organization right now."

While he said this, the truth was that he didn't find the White Horse Knights particularly interesting. Joining wouldn't provide any significant benefits to Damian.

"Hahaha, I never thought I'd be turned down. I certainly didn't expect to have to persuade you."

Liam Blugreen scratched his cheek, looking flustered.

"The White Horse Knights are the best knightly order in the Apple Kingdom. If you join, you'll receive many benefits, including weapons and elixirs."

Elixirs.

The most needed item for Damian at the moment.

However, while he needed them, they weren't essential. There were many ways to obtain elixirs.

Most importantly, Damian still had the opportunity to access the Sacred Order's archives.

The archives were filled with extraordinary elixirs that couldn't be obtained even for a fortune.

Compared to this, the elixirs provided by the knightly order were insignificant.

"Besides, there's one more reason you should join the knightly order."

Liam Blugreen continued in a serious tone.

"There are many people in the Apple Kingdom who doubt you. I was one of them. Of course, anyone who has seen you in action would understand, but rumors spread more slowly than you think, especially unbelievable ones."

Given Damian's rapid growth, anyone would have doubts.

He had reached the Middle-Class level in just a few months of wielding a sword.

"Those who want to test you, envy you, or use you... all sorts of troublesome people will come after you. It won't be easy to get rid of them."

Damian nodded in agreement. Liam Blugreen's expression brightened.

"It seems you understand. So, I'll take it that you'll join the White Horse Knights."

"No, I have no intention of joining."

At Damian's words, Liam Blugreen groaned.

"Do you need me to explain again?"

"I understand everything you've said, but I'm not interested in joining an organization."

Joining an organization meant taking on obligations and responsibilities, which came with the benefits.

Damian had an important mission to stop Dorgo's plan. He couldn't be tied down to the Apple Kingdom.

"I was worried about the troublemakers. But I can handle them."

After dealing with a few, people would start to believe the rumors about Damian Haksen were true.

"Hehe, this is a headache. I thought it was a sure thing, like picking up a winning lottery ticket."

Liam Blugreen stroked his chin, deep in thought.

"I see. If you join the knightly order, I'll teach you everything I know. Even then, do you still not want to join?"

"No."

Damian's firm response left Liam Blugreen in shock.

"Do you not know? I'm a High-Class..."

"I know. But I still don't want to join."

Liam Blugreen's shock deepened with each rejection.

"...At least I'm relieved. It seems you have no intention of joining any other knightly order."

Losing a talent like Damian would be a painful loss for the Apple Kingdom.

However, if Damian remained unaffiliated, at least there would be no loss.

"Then, Damian Haksen, are you willing to accept the King's command as a knight of the Apple Kingdom?"

"I'm considering it."

Damian gave a vague answer.

If the conditions were right, he could accept. Conversely, if they weren't, he wouldn't.

"Actually, His Majesty has a specific task he wants you to handle. That's why he asked me to bring you here."

"His Majesty?"

The fact that the King had specifically chosen Damian gave him a slight sense of foreboding.

Damian focused on Liam Blugreen's words, not showing his concern.

"Originally, I planned to have you join the knightly order and then take on this task..."

At this, Damian involuntarily frowned.

The idea of joining the knightly order and immediately being assigned a task confirmed his decision not to join.

"Since things have turned out this way, I hope you'll at least take on the task."

"What kind of task is it?"

"Would you be willing to serve as the sword instructor for the Crown Prince?"

For a moment, Damian doubted his ears. The request was too unexpected.

"Sword... what?"

"Sword instructor. In simple terms, a sword teacher. You just need to stay in the castle for a while and guide the Crown Prince."

The task was much easier than he expected. However, Damian couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"Why specifically me? There are many excellent teachers in the capital."

"From here on, it gets a bit confidential... It's difficult to explain to outsiders."

In other words, if Damian wanted to know more, he had to accept the task.

Damian looked at Liam Blugreen with even more suspicion.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot. If you accept the position of sword instructor, His Majesty will provide a suitable reward."

"Reward?"

The only word that caught Damian's attention among Liam Blugreen's words.

"Originally, if you joined the knightly order, His Majesty planned to grant the Haksen Viscount family a Marquess title."

At this, the Haksen Viscount was surprised and looked at Liam Blugreen.

The Apple Kingdom was a country with a strong monarchy. The rights of nobles varied depending on the titles granted by the King.

The Marquess title, in particular, was a prestigious title with significantly expanded rights, unlike Viscount or Baron. It was rare for a noble to hold a Marquess title.

It wasn't for nothing that all the great nobles held the title of Marquess.

"Of course, you don't want to join the knightly order. But if you accept the position of sword instructor, I'll speak to His Majesty to ensure you receive the Marquess title.

Marquess title.

While it didn't directly benefit Damian, it would certainly benefit his family. This alone made the offer worth considering.

The question was why the King was offering such conditions.

'The Crown Prince of the Apple Kingdom... Wasn't his name Oliver Apple?'

Recalling his past, Damian couldn't think of anything specific.

During his wild days, he was too busy enjoying himself to pay attention. As a beggar, he was too focused on begging. As a mercenary, he was too busy.

Thus, Damian knew very little about the Apple Royal Family.

However, he did know one thing about an event in the Apple Royal Family.

'Certainly, the castle was attacked during this period.'

It wasn't an external invasion, but the castle was suddenly attacked.

The servants fled in a hurry, leaving only the knights and soldiers to fight the intruders.

'The royal family managed to drive the intruders away, but the King died.'

The previous King's death led to the current Crown Prince, Oliver Apple, ascending the throne.

Despite being called a genius by Liam Blugreen, Oliver Apple struggled to govern the country.

'Probably because he inherited the throne so suddenly.'

The young, unprepared King severely weakened the Apple Kingdom.

As a result, during the war with Dorgo, the Apple Kingdom fell quickly without much resistance.

'While other countries might be fine, it's problematic for the Apple Kingdom to be in turmoil.'

Damian didn't intend to prevent all future events. He lacked the sense of mission and it was impossible.

However, the attack on the Apple Castle was different. The Apple Kingdom was where his family had settled.

If the kingdom was in turmoil, his family would suffer. He couldn't just stand by and watch.

'Simply put, it's just a job as a sword instructor, so it shouldn't be too difficult.'

Even if it were difficult, it didn't matter. Damian had a good way to reform people through conversation.

"Liam, I will accept His Majesty's command."

Damian's response made Liam Blugreen smile.

"Congratulations on coming to the castle."