Chapter 197
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
Chapter 197: Strange Encounter (2)
***
Liam Bluegreen couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.
‘Travel together? What on earth is his ulterior motive?’
Even in the Apple Kingdom, Javier Silva was a well-known figure.
A figure of authority who rose to the rank of Master Class from a humble knightly family.
A power that stood higher than the king in the Dophlin Kingdom.
Are they supposed to believe that such a figure came to visit them just to accompany them?
‘Could it be that he’s trying to gather information about Damien?’
Damien’s fame had already spread widely to other kingdoms. He was known as a rare genius and a formidable powerhouse.
From Javier Silva’s point of view, he would have no choice but to be wary of Damien.
After all, his son was also a High Class, so there was a high probability that he would face Damien in the Helian Tournament.
So, could it be that he offered to accompany them in order to find a way to defeat Damien?
After all, with the eyes of a Master Class, he should be able to figure out all of Damien’s weaknesses.
‘If that’s really what he’s thinking… I have to refuse.’
The honor and pride of the kingdom were at stake in the Helian Tournament.
That’s why the king of the Apple Kingdom was looking forward to Damien’s victory.
So, he couldn’t allow Damien to be put at a disadvantage from the start.
“I’m sorry, but I think that would be difficult.”
After making up his mind, Liam Bluegreen spoke.
“Since we are both participating in the tournament, I don’t think there would be any benefit to either of us if we traveled together.”
Hearing this, Javier silently stroked his chin.
“My son, Joshua is a very talented child from a young age.”
Liam Bluegreen’s eyebrows narrowed slightly at the out-of-the-blue remark.
“He was so talented that he didn’t make friends easily with other children. Geniuses don’t understand mediocrity, do they?”
“Oh, yes…”
“It’s inevitable, but I worry about him as a father. I wanted Joshua’s relationships to be a little broader. That’s why I came to you.”
Javier continued, stroking Joshua’s head.
“So, I thought that knights good enough to participate in the tournament might be able to have a good relationship with this child.”
“I see.”
“So, I humbly asked you, a mere High Class, for a favor… and you’re refusing?”
Javier’s expression turned grim. In that moment, the atmosphere froze.
“You’re refusing my request. You’re brave, aren’t you? Aren’t you afraid of what might happen?”
Javier didn’t raise his voice. He simply expressed his displeasure with his tone.
Even so, Liam Bluegreen felt a constricting pressure in his chest.
He realized anew that the being before him was a true Transcendent, a being known as a Master Class.
“Sir Silva, we are traveling to the Empire as representatives of the Apple Kingdom.”
However, Liam Bluegreen also had a sense of pride.
He was a knight representing the Apple Kingdom and had a duty to safely deliver the contestants to the Empire.
He couldn’t just cower in fear and back down just because a Master Class was ‘a little’ angry.
“Are you trying to intimidate us, Sir Silva, who are from a foreign kingdom?”
Liam Bluegreen and his party were representing the Apple Kingdom.
It was a serious diplomatic faux pas for Javier Silva to threaten them, especially as they were from a foreign country.
“What’s the big deal?”
However, Javier didn’t even seem to hear Liam Bluegreen’s words.
Liam Bluegreen was at a loss for words at Javier’s arrogant and haughty attitude.
“What’s the big deal if I intimidate a foreign noble? Are you going to declare war? That would be interesting.”
Liam Bluegreen couldn’t say anything in the face of Javier’s strong words.
In reality, if a war broke out between the two countries, the Apple Kingdom would have no choice but to lose.
After all, there was Javier Silva in the Dophlin Kingdom.
There was a true Transcendent, the pinnacle of power, known as a Master Class.
Of course, a war would not actually happen. The Empire would not stand by and watch.
However, the Empire would only prevent the outbreak of war. They would not interfere in anything else.
This meant that the Dophlin Kingdom could oppress the Apple Kingdom with Javier Silva at the forefront.
Just as Liam Bluegreen was caught between a rock and a hard place,
“Sir Liam, why are you hesitating?”
Someone spoke up at that moment. Two pairs of eyes turned to the same spot.
“Let’s accept it gratefully.”
Damien spoke, receiving the attention of both of them.
***
Liam Bluegreen was surprised by Damien’s words and exclaimed.
“Sir Damien? What are you talking about?”
“How many times in a lifetime do you have the opportunity to travel with a Master Class? We can’t miss such a good opportunity.”
Hearing this, Liam Bluegreen could only feel even more embarrassed.
On the other hand, Javier burst into laughter.
“Hahaha, young friend, you are very clever! Yes, it is not common to have the opportunity to travel with a Master Class!”
Damien scoffed inwardly as he watched Javier rejoice.
The reason Damien was accepting Javier’s offer was not as it seemed.
It was to figure out what he was up to.
No matter how Damien thought about it, there was no benefit for Javier to travel with them.
Yet, he had come all the way to ask them to travel with him.
He had responded to Liam Bluegreen’s refusal with threats.
It was very suspicious. So suspicious that he had to wonder about his intentions.
‘I don’t know about the other guy, but you’re the one who’s going to hold hands with the dark mages, so I can’t help but be suspicious.’
Maybe the dark mage was involved in this.
Dark mages were like cockroaches, popping up out of nowhere and ruining everything.
‘I was curious anyway. I wondered when you started getting involved with those filths.’
He was going to kill Javier Silva anyway.
Was it because he betrayed humanity? And because of that, the Eastern Alliance fell apart?
‘My family died because of you.’
The Apple Kingdom was also part of the Eastern Alliance. So when the alliance fell apart, the Apple Kingdom was in the same situation.
That was when Damien killed his family under Dorugo’s orders.
In other words, Javier Silva had indirectly influenced the deaths of his family.
That’s why Damien had no intention of letting Javier live.
‘If you really approached us because of the dark mage… .’
He was determined to kill Javier somehow during their journey together.
“Sir Damien, are you serious?”
Liam Bluegreen asked cautiously. Damien nodded.
Damien was a High Class and had close ties to the kingdom. Moreover, Liam Bluegreen had once owed his life to Damien.
With Damien speaking up like this, Liam Bluegreen had no choice but to back down.
“……I’ll do as Sir Damien says.”
And so, it was decided that they would travel with the Silvas.
***
In the Dophlin Kingdom, Javier Silva was famous as a figure who held even more power than the king.
This was understandable. While a king could be replaced at any time, there was only one Master Class.
True to his reputation, the group Javier Silva brought with him was on a massive scale.
Including soldiers and attendants, there were over 100 people, and there were dozens of knights.
It was no exaggeration to say that an entire army was on the move.
In comparison, the Apple Kingdom’s procession was a mere handful.
“So, do you know what I did? I just crushed them!”
Javier had an incredibly talkative personality.
He would chatter endlessly about his exploits, even when no one was particularly interested.
“Yes, sir. You are truly remarkable.”
Liam Bluegreen stood beside Javier and clapped along. His face was clearly showing his displeasure.
“Sir Liam, he must be having a hard time.”
Michael whispered to Damien in a small voice. Damien nodded in agreement.
“But brother, why did you agree to accept Javier’s offer?”
Michael asked with a face that showed he couldn’t understand. After all, he couldn’t think of any reason why it would be good to travel with them.
“If I’m next to the Master, I might be able to get something to learn.”
Damien lied instead of answering. Michael tilted his head at this. As if he didn’t believe Damien’s words.
“Drurung~.”
Just then, a snoring sound was heard. They turned their eyes to see Veronica asleep on her horse.
She was leaning her head and back as far back as possible, but she was somehow managing not to fall off.
“She certainly doesn’t have an ounce of grace.”
Michael muttered with a pitiful expression, just as
“Sir Damien Hasken?”
Javier called out Damien’s name.
“I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re so famous that your name has even reached the Dophlin Kingdom.”
“Is that so?”
Damien remained indifferent even in the face of the Master Class’s praise. To be honest, he didn’t care much about being famous in other kingdoms.
“They say you defeated the Marquis’s knight in one breath and even subdued the dark mage who is being pursued by the Church?”
Michael cleared his throat at the mention of the Marquis.
“And you’ve reached the rank of High Class at such a young age! It’s like seeing myself in my younger days. Of course, you’re a little less skilled than I was, but that’s beside the point.”
With that, Javier burst into laughter.
“I became a High Class at a much younger age than you. Everyone was so excited, calling me the return of the hero Krael.”
Even though no one asked, Javier started to explain his past.
‘What a show-off.’
Damien thought to himself about Javier.
He seemed to be praising others, but he was ultimately just trying to boost his own ego.
It had been a while since Damien had encountered someone so full of himself.
“I’ve also heard a lot about you, Sir Damien.”
Just then, Joshua Silva interjected as if he had been waiting for his cue.
“You’re such a famous person that I’ve always wanted to meet you. It’s an honor to meet you like this.”
Damien looked at Joshua.
Perhaps because he was his son, he was the spitting image of his father. He had a wide nose bridge and frown lines that were exactly the same.
“Hahaha, Joshua. It’s rude to be too humble. You too reached the rank of High Class at a younger age than Damien Haksen, didn’t you?”
“That’s true, but… I’ve never seen a genius who can be compared to me, so I couldn’t hide my curiosity.”
“Yes, I guess so. Your father was just like you when he was your age.”
Damien couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. It was true, like father, like son.
They were pretending to praise Damien while subtly bragging about their own abilities.
It was a way of speaking that made the listener feel very uncomfortable.
“That man…”
Michael, who was standing next to him, was about to explode. Damien stopped him.
“That’s enough.”
“But, brother…”
“I’m staying quiet, too. If you step in, you’ll just be laughed at.”
At Damien’s words, Michael bit his lip.
“I understand. I’ll hold it in…”
“What? Did you say you became a High Class at a younger age than Damien?”
Just then,
Veronica spoke to Joshua after she woke up from her sleep.
Joshua couldn’t help but be taken aback by the unexpected question.
“Are you deaf? I’m asking you. Did you really become a High Class before Damien?”
Joshua’s embarrassment grew.
“Ahem, yes.”
“Hmm… so you say?”
Veronica squinted her eyes and scrutinized Joshua.
“Speaking of which, who is this person?”
Perhaps having overcome his embarrassment, Joshua asked with a gentle smile.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen someone as beautiful as her. She’s charming even without any makeup, but if you just polish her up a bit…”
“That’s strange. You look weaker than Damien.”
At these words, Joshua’s expression hardened in an instant.
“What are you talking about…”
“If you became a High Class at a younger age than Damien, doesn’t that mean you’re more talented? But you look weaker.”
“Hahaha, it seems that you have misunderstood something. The gap between knights is not something that can be known until they actually fight…”
“Wait a minute, it’s not the age you reached High Class that matters. It’s the duration, isn’t it? When did you start learning swordsmanship?”
Veronica was not listening to Joshua at all.
“…It’s no exaggeration to say that I’ve been training since I was born. I’ve been watching my father’s swordsmanship since I was a baby.”
Even in the face of Veronica’s attitude, Joshua did not lose his smile. He even answered her.
Damien couldn’t help but scoff inwardly. What kind of swordsmanship did a newborn baby have?
He was really acting like a fool.
“You’re acting like a fool.”
At that moment, everyone, including Damien, looked at Veronica with stunned faces.
***
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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