ALL NOVEL
Chapter 40
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
Chapter 40: Floral Joust; The Duel (1)
Upon hearing the Viscount’s words, memories flooded back.
Sofia Russell.
The eldest daughter of Viscount Russell, and the former fiancée of Damien.
In the western region, she was known for her beauty.
“She was too good for me.”
Sofia Russell wasn’t someone Damien, a trash, could dare to touch.
However, the engagement happened due to a promise made between their grandparents.
The former Viscount Hasken and Viscount Russell had agreed to arrange a marriage between their future children.
Yet, as fate would have it, both of their firstborns were sons. Consequently, the commitment was deferred, now resting on the shoulders of their grandchildren.
Thanks to that, Damien Haksen could easily pluck the coveted flower without much effort.
“Unlike me, Sofia Russell really hated it.”
Sofia Russell did not welcome this engagement.
Damien had no outstanding qualities, and his behavior was even more unsavory.
Therefore, despite the engagement, their relationship did not get any closer.
Then the previous Viscount Russell died…She declared the break off of the engagement.
Upon hearing the news, Damien hurried to the Russell family, and what unfolded before his eyes left him stunned.
Sofia Russell, behaving affectionately with a stranger.
– Sofia, who is that man, and why is he angry with us?
– He’s the fiance I told you about.
– Oh, you mean that piece of shit?
Enraged, Damien rushed at the man.
He endured a severe beating, literally teetering on the brink of death.
– Is this fool daring to attack me on such a trivial matter?
– I was initially planning to quietly send him home for Sofia’s sake, but I just can’t do it.
– I’ll make sure you never appear in front of me or Sofia again.
Despite his young age, that man was a skilled low-class knight.
Damien, who easily succumbed to ordinary people, was not a match for him.
“Damien! What’s going on?”
“Lo-Louise! Quickly bring potions! Hurry!”
When Damien’s father confronted Viscount Russell about the assault, he was met with a scornful and mocking reply.
– All because of your flawed education.
– Even insects know how to choose their opponents. What confidence did Damien have to rush in like that?
– The mere thought of nearly giving away my Sofia to this family makes my blood boil.
Furious, Viscount Haksen decided to visit the Russell family in person.
But Viscountess Haksen stopped him. It was because of Sofia’s new lover.
Being a Viscount of the small estate, he found himself unable to contend with the overwhelming strength of the low-class knight.
“If it is a Jousting match, not only Sofia Russell but also her new lover will come. If you can’t control your anger after seeing them, what will you do?”
Viscount said with a serious expression.
It wasn’t to prevent Damien from facing a tough situation again.
Given Damien’s skills, he could easily kill those knights.
That was the problem.
Taking lives at an event hosted by the Earl of Copperhead?
The Earl of Copperhead won’t take that lightly.
“Father, I no longer harbor any lingering feelings for Sofia.”
In reality, Damien couldn’t even recall Sofia Russell’s face, let alone harbor any feelings.
“Is that true?”
“Yes, please believe me.”
Up to this point, it was the truth.
“Do you really have confidence you won’t cause trouble?”
“Yes.”
But from here on, it was a lie.
‘How could you dare to lay a hand on me like that?’
Even Damien admitted to himself that he wasn’t a good match for an engagement. Looking at it from Sofia’s perspective, it was the same.
‘And on top of that, you dare to insult my family?’
Above all, what he couldn’t tolerate was the fact that the Viscount Russell had insulted his father and his lineage.
Insults towards oneself are intolerable!
Insults towards the family are even more intolerable!
For these reasons, Damien intended to bury those two during this opportunity.
“Even if I come across those two, I won’t create the kind of trouble my father is concerned about.”
But regardless of his true feelings, now he had to lie.
After all, he needed his father’s permission to go to the Earldom of Copperhead.
“Honey, trust Damien when he says that.”
“That’s right. Has Damien ever disappointed you recently?”
His mother and sister, who had been observing from behind, each added a word.
With these two also chiming in, eventually, Viscount Haksen reluctantly consented.
“Fine, you have permission to participate.”
With his father’s permission, Damien’s face brightened.
With his arm around Abel’s shoulder, he spoke.
“Abel, did you hear? We can go together. Isn’t that fortunate?”
“Why is it fortunate! It doesn’t matter if you don’t come along with me, brother!”
“You little rascal, saying things like that.”
Viscount glanced at the two brothers with a worried look.
His wife, poking her husband’s side, said, “Do you truly believe that Damien is that untrustworthy?”
“That’s not the reason.”
“Then what is it?”
In response to his wife’s question, Viscount Haksen spoke with a serious expression.
“I mean Damien… Hasn’t he become quite famous lately?”
“That’s true. Whenever I go to gatherings lately, everyone asks about Damien.”
She occasionally gathered with noble ladies to chat.
That’s why she knew how much of a hot topic Damien had become.
“But getting famous so quickly, hasn’t he ever shown his face at a social event until now?”
“That’s right.”
“So, this isn’t his debut?”
“Well… something like that.”
“Then won’t the other nobles just stay quiet?”
“Uh.”
She finally understood what her husband was worried about.
***
Viscount Haksen immediately wrote to the Earl of Copperhead.
In the letter, he sincerely congratulated Olivia’s upcoming birthday and expressed his son’s desire to participate in the upcoming Jousting tournament.
A few days later, a welcoming response arrived from Earl of Copperhead.
Damien Haksen is participating in the Jousting tournament hosted by Earl of Copperhead!
This news quickly spread throughout the western region.
It didn’t matter who leaked it; all eyes in the West were focused on Damien Haksen.
Noble gatherings in the West were filled with discussions about Damien Haksen.
“Have you all heard? Damien Haksen is participating in Earl of Copperhead’s Jousting tournament!”
Whenever noble ladies gathered, Damien Haksen was a constant topic of conversation.
“Didn’t Damien Haksen defeat the eldest son of Marquis Ryanbloom without drawing his sword?”
“The eldest son of Marquis Ryanbloom is known as a genius among geniuses. To do that?”
“That’s why it’s even more impressive. Isn’t he amazing?”
No topic piqued the interest of noble ladies as much as a young and talented knight.
“According to the information I’ve gathered, he’s quite handsome too.”
“Oh my, oh my.”
With his good looks added to the mix, noble ladies excitedly chattered about Damien.
“If he’s so outstanding, why didn’t he stay at the Duke Goldpixie’s residence?”
“Could it be this? He couldn’t find a lady to dedicate his loyalty to, so he roams the world.”
“Oh my, oh my.”
It was an absurd imagination, but that wasn’t important.
The ladies let their imaginations run wild.
In their fantasies, Damien became a skilled but lonely and solitary wolf.
“Then could the reason for participating in this Jousting tournament be…?”
“Undoubtedly. He’s probably proposing to Olivia.”
When Olivia Copperhead’s name came up, the noble ladies became contemplative.
Olivia Copperhead was so beautiful that she was known as the flower of the West.
Add to that the powerful background of the Earl of Copperhead.
She was a lady admired by any knight.
“There’s no guarantee they’ll become lovers. We might have a chance too, right?”
At that statement, the eyes of the ladies lit up.
“That’s right. We don’t know what fate holds.”
“Although Olivia is beautiful, Damien might not have the same taste.”
The ladies began discussing ways to attract Damien with fervent expressions.
***
Certainly, not everyone had a favorable reaction toward Damien Haksen.
“Damien Haksen is participating in the Jousting tournament!”
“That rascal is participating?”
Among the nobles in the West, some had investigated Damien Haksen’s past and discovered more than just his recent achievements.
“Not long ago, wasn’t he getting beaten up and kicked out of tavern?”
“He was beyond redemption; his engagement was unilaterally canceled by his fiancée’s family.”
“Can someone like that really defeat the eldest son of Marquis Ryanbloom?”
Those who learned of Damien Haksen’s past were left in no doubt.
They questioned whether Damien Haksen was truly as remarkable as people claimed.
“This is an opportunity to find out his true nature!”
“If he’s a fraud, we won’t let him off!”
And so, the nobles of the west began to gather for the Jousting tournament.
All because of one person—Damien Haksen.
***
Small town, Rivercross.
A small tavern is located there.
“Jackson, ah~ please.”
A young woman extended a fork with a piece of fruit towards a sharply-nosed man, who graciously accepted and savored the sweet and refreshing taste.
“Hmm, it’s sweet and cool. Sofia, it feels even more delicious when you feed me personally.”
“Oh, do you think I’d be pleased by such cliché compliments?”
Sofia Russell, the former fiancée of Damien, let out a giggle while comfortably seated on the man’s lap.
[PR/N- I have one word for Sofia- Whore]
“What would you like next? Grapes? Apples? Just name it.”
“Instead, Sofia, did you hear the news?”
“What news?”
“They say the Earl of Copperhead is hosting a Jousting tournament.”
In response to Jackson Cutter’s words, Sofia Russell pondered. She vaguely recalled hearing something similar from the ladies in the city.
“Oh, I think I’ve heard about it. They’re hosting the tournament to celebrate the Earl’s daughter’s birthday, right?”
“And there’s talk that it’s also to find a suitor for the Earl’s daughter.”
“Oh, that’s why there were so many nobles gathering at the blacksmith’s and the costume room.”
Olivia Copperhead.
The Earl’s daughter was renowned for her beauty, to the point where she was called the flower of the West. Add the formidable background of the Earl of Copperhead, and she became an irresistible condition for any man.
“But why are you talking about other women in front of me?”
Sofia Russell retorted with a sulky expression.
Jackson Cutter explained, tapping his fingers on the table.
“No, it’s just that Damien Haksen is said to be participating in that Jousting tournament.”
At this revelation, Sofia Russell’s expression momentarily tensed.
In fact, until not long ago, Sofia Russell had been trying her best to forget about Damien Haksen. More precisely, she had been trying to forget about him, as he was an utterly unremarkable man.
“That asshole participating in the Jousting tournament? Ridiculous.”
However, rumors about Damien began to circulate. Tales of him defeating dark mages, wiping out a Landwalk City mega-organization, and subduing the eldest son of Marquis Ryanbloom spread.
Sofia Russell dismissed these rumors entirely.
Was it an exaggeration?
Perhaps, but the main reason was that Sofia Russell knew well what kind of person Damien Haksen was.
The Damien Haksen she recalled was an ordinary person with no particularly noteworthy traits.
Sofia Russell was convinced that Damien Haksen had spread false rumors.
“Do you think the same way? I do. When I heard these rumors, it was unbelievable.”
Jackson Cutter laughed with a bitter smile.
At that moment, groans were heard from the floor.
“Ugh, ugh…”
Surprisingly, more than five knights were lying on the floor.
Judging by the calluses on their palms and the swords at their waists, they were no ordinary people.
They were clearly knights.
“You… you bastard…”
One of the knights raised his head, glaring at Jackson Cutter.
“What is this? Why did you attack us?”
“Why did I attack? You flirted with Sofia first.””
Jackson Cutter pulled Sofia Russell closer, and she did not resist his touch.
“Flirt? Flirting with Sofia?”
The knight yelled through clenched teeth.
“What do you mean by I was flirting with her? I just bumped into her while walking down the street, and apologized and looked at her face for a second, how is that flirting!”.
“Sofia, did you hear that? He deliberately bumped into you and is making excuses.”
“Hmph, a man so incompetent even resorts to lying. Pathetic.”
The knight was dumbfounded by their conversation.
“How dare you insult me like this? Do you even know who I am? I am from the Dolphin House…”
“No need to say it. I don’t bother remembering weaklings like you.”
“Hey, weakling? Just because you’ve got a big mouth… Argh!”
Jackson Cutter pressed his foot harder on the knight’s hand, eliciting a groan.
“You, are you from the low class? The rest are junior knights, right? It’s embarrassing to be defeated by a single person. Why are you making a fuss? Why act like this?”
Jackson Cutter added more pressure to his foot on the knight’s hand. The groans intensified.
“Let me ask you one thing. Do you know who I am?”
“How would I know who you are?”
“Stop talking and take a closer look. Maybe then you’ll recognize me.”
Jackson Cutter grabbed the knight’s hair and lifted his head.
Due to this, the knight could only forcibly gaze at Jackson Cutter’s face.
“Let go of this right now! You son of a bitch, I wouldn’t mind tearing these limbs apart to make a point!”
But the knight only spat curses and failed to recognize Jackson Cutter. Jackson Cutter sighed and released the grip on the knight’s hair.
“Sofia, do you think this makes sense? Nobody recognizes me.”
“Jackson… no, that person is just a foolish idiot.”
Sofia spoke with a sympathetic expression.
In fact, Jackson Cutter was not entirely unknown. He had his own titles.
Ogre Slayer.
This title was given to him for hunting an ogre, the king of the forest, by himself. It was a remarkable achievement to hunt such a dangerous monster alone.
However, the title Ogre Slayer was not that famous.
It failed to capture people’s interest because hunting monsters wasn’t something that appealed to them.
“Look at Damien Haksen. Everyone knows him, unlike me. People talk about him without even knowing who he really is. It’s absurd.”
Like Sofia Russell, Jackson Cutter also did not believe in the rumors surrounding Damien Haksen.
This was because they had met Damien Haksen in person.
That’s because he’s met the man himself.
No, he hadn’t just met him, he had fought him.
“I can’t do this. I have to tell Master.”
“What? What are you going to tell him?”
“That I should enter the jousting tournament. I should go there and tell people how great a knight I am, and…….”
In Jackson Cutter’s eyes, a firm determination gleamed.
“And what a pitifully inadequate Damien Haksen is.”
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]