Return of the Calamity-Class Death Knight - Chapter 18

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Chapter 18: Warning (4)

The severed arm soared high into the sky before plummeting to the ground.

Soon after, blood burst forth from his shoulder.

Caught in a belated agony, Gerrick hunched over, groaning in pain.

“Cough, cough….”

He lost his right arm, which, for him, was more precious than his life as that was the hand through which he used to hold his sword and fight.

Now, his life as a knight seemed to have reached its end, at least in Gerrick’s view.

However, what filled Gerrick’s mind at this moment was not the torment of loss but rather bewilderment.

“Ho-how…?”

In a single move, Damien had obliterated Gerrick’s vision.

No, it wasn’t just an obliteration.

As Damien thrust his longsword, his flow aura was also disrupted. Simultaneously, the greatsword shattered as well.

“Tell me! W-what technique did you use? What in the world…!”

Cheongyeom Brigandine.

Among the five great Elders of the Holy Church, there is no one equal to her in terms of martial arts prowess.

As a master, Brigandine achieved a state known as ‘Annihilation’.

Once achieving Annihilation, it became possible to dismantle the structure of objects using external shocks.

With this ability, Brigandine nullified techniques, weapons used by enemies, and even magic.

There was an instance where Brigandine obliterated a disaster that Dorugo had spent years making.

“Is this the time to ask such things?”

Damien raised his longsword, pointing it at Gerrick’s neck.

Gerrick’s face turned pale.

“Pl-please spare me.”

“If you were going to plead, you should’ve done so earlier. It’s too late now.”

The edge of the blade slightly pierced the skin.

Gerrick’s face grew even paler.

“I, I beg you. P, please…”

Gerrick knelt on the ground.

With only one arm left, he touched the ground.

The previously resolute figure was nowhere to be found.

“Spare you?”

Damien aimed his longsword at Gerrick’s neck.

Gerrick’s pupils trembled rapidly.

“You caused trouble at my territory, beat my attendant, threatened me and my family and yet you’re asking to be spared?”

“I…I was wrong! I…I’ll apologize for everything…!”

“I am not the one you should be apologizing to.”

Saying this, Damien turned to his family.

They looked at Damien with a mix of astonishment and relief. While they already knew Damien was quite powerful, the extent of his strength was beyond their expectations, leading to these reactions.

“Ggh!”

Gerrick used mana to stop the bleeding on his shoulder. True to his status as a true knight he used mana to seal off his blood vessels and forced his trembling body to stand, and approached Paul.

“V..viscount Haksen! I was wrong! I…I apologize for all the rudeness I have shown towards you…!”

Gerrick spoke while kneeling.

Initially bewildered, Paul Haksen soon yelled with an angry expression.

“You just now tried to kill my son. Do you think a few words of apology can make up for it?”

Paul Haksen’s anger didn’t subside at all.

“If my son didn’t have this much power, our territory would have been ruined, and he might have been dragged off to suffer as my heir!”

Initially, Gerrick’s apology wasn’t sincere; it was just an attempt to survive. So Paul Haksen’s anger didn’t dissipate easily.

“I beg you! P..please spare me!”

Gerrick bowed his head to the ground repeatedly.

“I beg for mercy!”

Paul Haksen stared at Gerrick for a while. Eventually, he turned his gaze towards Damien and nodded, indicating not to kill Gerrick.

Damien sheathed his sword without harming Gerrick.

‘I never intended to kill him anyway.’

If not for his family Damien would have already killed him.However, killing Gerrick here would worsen the relationship with Marquis Ryan Bloom.

‘I can fight against the Lord of Ryan Bloom if I am alone.’

I can find his weakness and exploit it, or if I get the chance I can find lord Ryan Bloom’s enemies and join them.

But when considering his family, that option wasn’t feasible.

No matter how skilled Damien might be, at his current level, he couldn’t protect his family while fighting against the marquisette of Ryan Bloom.

‘Above all, this path is too difficult.’

That was his determination upon returning.

He pledged not to subject his family to any more hardships.

‘However, I can’t just let things slide like this.’

Not only did he defeat the young master but even an official knight.

Damien couldn’t simply overlook the humiliation that he had given to Lord Ryan Bloom.

It was clear that retaliation would come soon.

‘How fortunate.’

In reality, Damien had already made plans.

Since hearing about the knight from the Lord of Ryan Bloom, he had been prepared.

‘I made the right move by establishing ties with the Holy Church.’

That was what Damien thought.

“What’s going on here!”

A familiar voice echoed.

Agnes and the investigative team were approaching.

Agnes, arriving in front of Damien, looked around with a startled expression.

Damaged objects, devastated land, bloodstains scattered around.

“This is…”

Agnes’s gaze stopped at Gerrick.

“The pattern on that armor… isn’t it from the marquisette of Ryan Bloom?”

“Yes, this guy here and the two lying over there. All of them are knights of marquis Ryan Bloom.”

At that reply, Agnes’s pupils dilated slightly.

“The marquis’ knights… attacked your territory?”

“Yes.”

Agnes glanced at Gerrick again, specifically focusing on his shoulders.

Compared to Damien, who stood unscathed, Gerrick was on his knees with one of his arm severed.

It was a clear display of who was the victor and who was the loser.

“…Ryan Bloom’s knights are known for their prowess. Did you really face three of them simultaneously?”

“Even if there were three, two were mere junior knights, so there is nothing remarkable about it. Only this one here is an official knight.”

At those words, Agnes’s pupils widened even further.

Having single-handedly dealt with Akitora, she had expected Damien to possess skills beyond that of an official knight’s. However, she hadn’t foreseen that he could win with such an overwhelming gap.

“I’m relieved you didn’t suffer any upheaval.”

“Relieved… Though I’m not facing any right now, who knows what might happen in the future.”

Agnes looked puzzled at Damien’s words.

“If someone hears that the knights of Ryan Bloom were defeated by me, I’m concerned about how the marquis might react.”

Saying this, Damien subtly observed Agnes.

Agnes pondered for a moment before speaking.

“If that’s your concern, I can assist you.”

“Do you have any solutions then?”

To Damien’s query, Agnes nodded.

“Thanks to the Haksen family’s efforts, the Holy Church succeeded in killing a high-ranking member of the Yulan for the first time. With such a contribution, the Haksen family can be designated as a cooperative family.”

A cooperative family referred to a family closely associated with the Holy Church. Such families couldn’t be easily touched, not even by great nobles, as that might lead to the Holy Church’s retaliation.

“What do you say?”

“Although it’s shameful, I’d like to say yes to that.”

This was precisely what Damien had been aiming for.

Using the Holy Church’s influence to restrain the actions of Lord Ryan Bloom.

“What’s your name?”

Agnes asked Gerrick. Gerrick spoke somewhat reluctantly.

“…I’m Gerrick Howard.”

“Knight Gerrick Howard. Go and inform marquis Ryan Bloom that the Viscounty of Haksen is under the Holy Church’s protection. If they dare to wield force against them again, they will have to face the wrath of the Holy Church.”

Upon Agnes’s warning, Gerrick nodded heavily.

“Take those trash lying over there with you and leave quickly.”

Damien said with a stern face, Gerrick swiftly got up and complied with what he was said to do.

Placing the two of them on a horse he brought along, they departed from the territory.

“Thank you for your assistance.”

Damien said to Agnes, who replied that it was nothing serious.

“Damien.”

As Gerrick left, Paul arrived and called Damien.

“I want to hold a family meeting, considering what to do next”

At his father’s command, Damien simply nodded without saying a word.

That’s how a family meeting was instantly convened.

The attendees were Damien, Paul, Damien’s mother, his sister Louise, his younger brother Abel, the Housekeeper, and Agnes.

“Let’s begin the meeting. The topic for discussion… as everyone is aware, is finding a solution to deal with Lord RyanBloom.”

At his words, Damien’s younger brother, Abel, raised his hand to speak.

“Weren’t we supposed to receive the Holy Church’s protection? Why do we have to resolve it by ourselves?”

“Abel, it’s because we can’t rely on the Holy Church for mediation,” Louise responded after hearing his words.

“What?”

Abel wore a puzzled expression. Paul nodded, continuing,

“Louise is right. The Holy Church doesn’t involve itself in the affairs of the nobles.”

The Holy Church already roamed around here and there under the pretext of heresy trials. Intervening in incidents among nobles would be crossing a line.

“But… as long as the marquis doesn’t touch us, isn’t everything fine?”

“The marquis’ power doesn’t rely solely on force he has. He has numerous methods to trample small noble families like us if he wishes to.”

He could disrupt the export of the main source of income for Haksen Viscounty—wheat—or block the purchase of provisions. Or He could apply direct pressure through the royal palace.

“So, that’s why we need to handle this situation ourselves. That’s the only way the Viscounty of Haksen can remain unharmed.”

Only after hearing Father’s explanation did Abel understand the situation they were facing.

“The only immediate options seem to be compensation to the Lord or entering under the wing of another major noble.”

However, realistically speaking, compensation was unfeasible. The marquis would demand an exorbitant amount.

“The only thing left is to become vassals of a major noble…”

“There’s one more option.”

Agnes, who had been quiet, spoke up.

Paul Haksen, surprised, asked her, “What is it?”

“Damien becoming a Paladin,” said Agnes.

“Then it will become the Holy Church’s affair, and you will have grounds for mediation.”

All the family members looked at Damien.

But Damien shook his head.

“I don’t want to.”

Paul turned to Agnes again.

“If Damien refuses, that method won’t work.”

“…I see.”

Agnes nodded with a crestfallen expression.

“Now, let’s consider other options…”

“Father! Why are you agreeing so easily?”

At that moment, Abel suddenly stood up and shouted.

“If my brother becomes a Holy Knight, everything ends, doesn’t it? Speak up! Tell him to quietly become a Holy Knight!”

Pointing at Damien, Abel spoke. Paul sighed after listening to that.

“Sit down.”

“Father! This is all because of my brother! He should take responsibility for everything!”

“Abel.”

Paul shouted, his voice echoing with authority.

Under the strange pressure, Abel couldn’t help but stop talking.

“I told you to sit.”

Biting his lip, Abel reluctantly took his seat.

Paul continued in a hushed voice,

“Indeed, Damien triggered the conflict with the Lord. But it’s not entirely Damien’s fault.”

Abel raised his head, seemingly questioning what was being said. But upon Paul’s stern gaze, he bowed his head again.

“The marquis’ heir had bad intentions toward Louise. You know he’s infamous for his lasciviousness. Do you think a man like that would have willingly given up on Louise just because Damien interfered?”

Damien nodded in agreement with his father’s words.

Considering Erwin’s nature, he might have plotted in some way.

“In a way, Damien has protected Louise from the Lord’s heir. He did it in the place of an incompetent father who couldn’t even exert his powers as a noble.”

Paul looked towards Louise with an apologetic expression, who simply smiled without saying anything.

“Today, the knights came for the same reason. Regardless of Damien’s provocation, it was the Lord’s heir who challenged him to a duel and drew his sword first, however the marquis simply, without thinking, accused our family.”

Frustrated, Paul clenched his fists.

“Damien.”

“Yes, Father.”

“You did really well today.”

With his father’s praise, Damien’s eyes widened slightly.

“You’ve repaid the insult our family suffered.”

Why did he feel this way? Suppressing an overwhelming emotion rising in his chest, Damien tried his best to hold back his tears.

“Of course… it was something I had to do.”

Suddenly, memories from his previous life came flooding back.

Causing havoc within the family, ruining his sister’s life, and ultimately, being responsible for killing his entire family.

In those horrific days, all Damien had wished for was atonement.

The moment he heard his father’s praise, Damien felt a slight, just a tiny bit of atonement.

“Nevertheless, I cannot deny that this happened because of me.”

Damien suppressed his tears. It wasn’t yet time to cry.

Damien hadn’t completely atoned to his family yet.

“Please, just wait a little longer. I will handle this.”

“No.”

Paul firmly intervened.

“This is something for your father to resolve.”

“What? But…”

“You are underestimating your father too much. Let me handle this, I’ll ask the nobles I have a good relation with for help. I plan to mediate with the power of higher nobility between us and the marquis’ heir.”

Paul spoke while pounding his chest with his fist.

“Let me show my fatherly side to you all for once.”

“Father…!”

Tears welled up in Damien’s eyes. Paul smiled contentedly.

“Father!”

Damien stretched his arms and rushed towards his father. His father held Damien tightly in his arms.

It was an emotional moment for the two.

“My lord, may I come in?”

The steward knocked on the meeting room’s door and spoke.

“Yes, come in.”

Paul released Damien from his embrace and said.

As the steward opened the door and entered, he delivered news to the patriarch.

“Sir, there’s a visitor outside.”

“A visitor? Is it from the marquisette of Ryan Bloom?”

“No, it’s from Duke Goldpixie.”

The mention of ‘Goldpixie’ brought confused expressions to everyone, including Paul Haksen.

“What brings someone from Duke Goldpixie here?”

“Well, you see…”

The steward seemed hesitant to respond.

“Master Damien has borrowed money from the Goldpixie Duchy by putting the estate’s wheat fields as collateral… and the deadline has already passed.”

Damien looked at his father.

His father’s face, which just a moment ago was serene, gradually turned into one of anger.

“Damien! You cursed child!”

Damien sighed, hearing his father’s rage.

‘…Oh, could it be that I’ve already sold it off?’

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