Chapter 44
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
Chapter 44: Jackson Cutter(2)
***
While following the two healers, Sofia felt great confusion.
‘Is that really Damien Haksen?’ she wondered.
At first, she thought she had seen wrong. It was because he had changed so much.
Originally, Damien Haksen didn’t like exercise, and his body was as skinny as a dog and frail. Due to drinking every day, his face used to be pale.
But what about now? Well-defined chest muscles were pushing against his clothes from the inside. The sleeves were taut as if they might burst any moment, and his broad shoulders were impressively intimidating.
The most significant change was in his gaze. Nervous and gloomy eyes had transformed into sharp glints.
Sofia couldn’t believe it, ‘Damien… defeated Jackson? Does that make sense?’
Jackson Cutter was a formidable opponent. Sofia, who had watched from the side, knew it better than anyone.
He possessed exceptional strength and skills, enough to hunt ogres alone. Despite numerous duels, he had never been defeated.
But Damien played with Jackson Cutter as if he were a toy.
‘Could this be a dream?’
Sofia pinched her cheek. She pinched it so hard that her cheeks turned red, but she didn’t wake up. It meant it was real.
‘But why did he pretend not to recognize me?’
The two of them had broken up just a few months ago. In that short time, there was no way he could forget her face.
Moreover, Damien Haksen had been so obsessed with Sofia Russell.
‘Maybe… he’s holding a grudge against me?’
Sofia unilaterally declared the breakup to Damien.
Not only that, but she also asked Jackson to beat him up.
‘Yeah, he’s definitely holding a grudge. That’s why he pretended not to recognize me.’
Sofia Russell chuckled. Damien’s actions seemed cute to her.
Why else would he express his frustration? It indicated that he still harbored feelings for her.
It was evident that he engaged in these childish antics to capture her attention.
‘Anyway, Men are like that…’
Sofia Russell shook her head. But it didn’t feel bad at all.
Regardless of the past, Damien Haksen had become an outstanding and famous knight. It was only natural that she felt good when such a man paid attention to her.
‘Well, it’s useless. I have Jackson, so I don’t need anyone else.’
Sofia Russell lifted her head and looked at Jackson.
His back, which had felt so vast just moments before, suddenly seemed so small.
So different from Damien Haksen…….
‘Oh, what was I thinking…… I’ve got nothing but my darling Jackson!’
Sofia Russell shook her head to clear her thoughts.
***
“Master, please give me one more chance,” Jackson pleaded as they walked back to the tent.
“Give it up. Damien is stronger than you,” replied Jacques Noiré.
“What happened just now was just a moment of carelessness. If I fight seriously, I can win.”
“Do you doubt my judgment?”
Jacques Noiré’s voice lowered, and Jackson wisely remained silent.
“Don’t provoke me. Considering you disobeyed my orders and had contact with Damien Haksen, I could easily rip your arm off right here.”
The stern tone in Jacques Noiré’s voice made Jackson shiver.
His master didn’t make empty threats. If he said something, he meant it.
“An unexpected variable. I didn’t realize Damien Haksen was that good. We’re not going to win the championship at this rate…….”
Jacques Noiré muttered to himself.
Upon hearing this, Jackson’s expression crumpled.
‘Damn, why can’t I beat Damien?’
He couldn’t accept the fact that Damien was stronger than him.
Sure, his skills had improved since before. It was a fact that he took a hit.
But with a weapon in hand, he was confident he could win.
‘I’ll prove it in the joust.’
Anyway, he was scheduled to fight Damien in the joust.
Jackson aimed to triumph over Damien in the jousting match, intending to demonstrate that Damien was not a worthy adversary.
“But, I can’t understand at all. How did he become so powerful in just a few months?”
Jacques Noiré muttered.
Jackson was curious about this too.
Regardless, it was clear that Damien had reached the realm low-class knight.
Rising to the level of low-class in just a few months was unbelievable.
“Could he be a genius?”
At Jackson’s question, Jacques Noiré hesitated.
“It’s not impossible. The Imperial Supreme Sword reached the Low-Class rank less than a year after wielding a sword.”
“Then, do you think Damien Haksen is a genius on par with the Imperial Supreme Sword?”
“Do you think Damien Haksen is such a genius in your opinion?”
Jackson shook his head.
Could a brat who begged him for mercy and his life be a genius? No way.
“In my opinion, he gained a golden opportunity.”
In the past, someone had obtained a weapon imbued with the ideals of the Master Class.
That person had claimed to inherit incredible skills and knowledge through the weapon.
Of course, inheriting the Master’s memories didn’t mean becoming a Master.
But reaching the level of the low-class knight was easy.
Damien Haksen undoubtedly obtained such a legendary opportunity.
“Jackson, we need to add another goal.”
Jacques Noiré shifted his gaze towards Jackson. In response, Jackson swiftly adjusted his expression.
“Another goal?”
“We need to obtain the opportunity Damien Haksen got.”
In the next moment, he felt chills all over his body.
A sinister smile began to spread on Jacques Noiré’s lips as if a doll was smiling.
“Treasure belongs to those who recognize its value.”
***
“Brother, if you break the promise with Father already, what will happen…?”
As they returned to the tent, Abel sighed and spoke.
“I’m innocent. They started the fight first.”
Damien said with a bashful smile on his face.
Abel wanted to argue, but… he gave up. Damien’s words were somewhat true, and Damien wasn’t the type to stay quiet when provoked by others.
“…Still, you did well.”
“What? Taking care of Jackson Cutter?”
“Yes, to be honest, I didn’t like those two either.”
Abel’s eyes darkened.
The Russell family not only declared the breakup unilaterally but also insulted the entire Haksen family. Even the Abel couldn’t help but feel anger.
“You brat. Are you taking my side?”
Damien put his arm around Abel’s neck. Abel struggled to get away.
Just then, the tent was opened and Victor entered
“Master, there’s a banquet scheduled in an hour.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Damien decided to forget about Jackson for the moment.
He needed to do something really important: bring Abel and Olivia Copperhead together.
“Abel, let’s get ready to go out.”
“Yes.”
Abel opened the travel bag and took out the banquet attire.
Upon seeing the attire, Damien frowned. It was so old and tattered that he couldn’t tell when he’d bought it.
“Hey, what’s with this old attire? Are you planning to wear that?”
“No, Father lent it to me.”
“Why borrow such old-fashioned clothes?”
“…Because our family is short on funds.”
Abel looked at Damien with resentment. He realized his mistake from Abel’s gaze.
Due to the incidents he repeatedly caused, the financial state of the Haksen family was in great deterioration.
As a result, Abel couldn’t get a new banquet attire and had to borrow one from his father.
“I forgot to give you the reward money from the Duke…….Well, don’t worry. I bought new clothes for you.”
“You bought them?”
Damien opened a large bag. Inside were various banquet attires of different colors.
Not only were the colors beautifully dyed, but the designs were also sophisticated.
It was clearly luxurious and hard-to-find clothing.
“Brother, where on earth did you get these clothes?”
“At the Dress Waves City, there’s a famous boutique called ‘Moonlight Waves.’ I bought them there.”
“Really?”
Abel couldn’t help but be surprised. Moonlight Waves was so famous that even nobles in the West were familiar with it. To place an order, you had to wait at least three years.
“Did you reserve them in advance? Reserving there isn’t easy…”
“I didn’t make a reservation.”
“Then, how did you get the clothes?”
“I bought clothes that other nobles had ordered. Oh, don’t worry about the sizes. I told them your measurements, and they adjusted everything for you.”
“…”
Abel was dumbfounded. Damien added as if to reassure him.
“Do you doubt my sense? Trust me, my sense is quite sharp. I accurately… and…” “Oh no, Brother! What about the clothes that are reserved for others?”
Damien answered Abel’s complaint with a smug face.
“Hey, someone might think I forcibly tore them off. I paid five times the production cost and took them.”
He had promised to pay five times the production cost, so the boutique owner even recommended other clothes.
For Damien, who had a hefty sum of gratitude from the Duke, paying for the clothes was not a problem at all.
“Even so…”
“Don’t worry. I bought new clothes for you, as I promised.”
“Thank you very much.”
Damien handed Abel the banquet attire with a bright smile.
***
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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