HPDBC Chapter 65
Chapter 65
[Translator - Night]
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Chapter 65
At her suggestion, I silently twirled my sword in my grip and lightly swung it through the air.
Swish!
A chilling resonance sliced through the empty space.
It wasn’t a sound that should come from merely cutting through air with a sword...
This must be why cursed swords and demon swords are considered dangerous.
Because they exhibit power beyond the wielder's actual skill, the user naturally becomes reliant on the sword, leading to the decline of their own abilities.
Without a certain level of skill, the wielder would end up being consumed by the sword.
Honestly, I had never used such a powerful sword before.
Back in Labyrinthos, a sword was nothing more than a disposable tool, something to be replaced once broken.
To me, a sword was simply a sword—just a tool, an extension of my will.
Of course, acquiring a high-quality weapon was never a bad thing.
"Thank you. If you'll excuse me, I will take my leave now."
"Your reaction is surprisingly indifferent."
"Becoming too attached to the sword's power only leads to one's own decline. There’s a reason why demon swords and cursed swords are called what they are."
I tend to treat even holy swords the same way.
At my words, a faint smile graced her otherwise cold face.
"Correct, young lord."
* * *
After Leon had left, Catsey Mielephon stood in the center of the training ground, scanning her surroundings.
"Lady Patriarch."
"Report?"
"We've located him again. Shall we prepare the subjugation squad?"
"Deploy the knights. This time, we will eliminate that wretched bastard."
She murmured coldly, exuding a sharp, intimidating aura.
"But this is surprising... To think a boy could withstand your sword and still remain standing. That level of skill is rare even within our family."
The knight muttered in amazement as he looked toward the spot where Leon had departed.
"I can understand why the elder holds him in such high regard. Give it ten—no, maybe twenty years, and he’ll make a name for himself across the continent."
Though his words could have been mistaken for dismissive, that was not the case.
The Mielephon family was the greatest swordsmanship lineage on the continent.
Meaning, their elite warriors were all among the strongest.
For a teenage boy to be compared to them was an extraordinary compliment.
However, Catsey merely chuckled and shook her head.
"You still haven’t fully grasped it."
"...Pardon?"
In response, she swiftly unsheathed her sword.
A silver steel blade gleamed in the light.
"What do you mean—?! Huh?!"
In an instant, countless cracks formed along her sword, and then—shatter!—it broke apart completely.
Excuses like, Leon’s sword was of better quality or her sword was just an ordinary one were meaningless.
She had been holding back when fighting Leon.
But someone of her caliber would know better.
Leon had been hiding his true skill just as much as she had.
When she first crossed swords with him, she thought his movements still had some roughness to them.
But in hindsight, those weren’t imperfections.
If their swords had been of equal quality, she wouldn’t have lost.
But this was a duel between a Swordmaster of mid-tier rank and a young warrior still in his formative years.
Even though she had held back, her sword breaking was absurd.
A teenager shouldn’t possess such overwhelming potential.
And yet, he did.
It wasn’t just brute strength.
This was something else—an understanding that even seasoned swordsmen struggled to attain.
A level of mastery that should be impossible for someone so young.
Ten years? D
on’t make me laugh.
"Eternal... sleep syndrome?"
"Simply put, it's a disease where you sleep forever as if you were dead. It's more of a curse, really. Practically the same as brain death."
Speaking matter-of-factly, she turned away once more.
"Eat peaches often. They will alleviate the symptoms."
With that, she walked away.
Catsey suddenly realized that the piercing headaches that had been tormenting her had completely disappeared.
The best priests and doctors had all shaken their heads in defeat.
As Luna had said, this was a curse.
The curse of the Sea King species, Kraken.
Unless she killed the Kraken, her headaches would never truly disappear.
"Hah..."
"My lady?"
"Bring me some peaches. I find myself craving something sweet for the first time in a while."
What exactly is Leon keeping by his side?
* * *
Since the original purpose had been accomplished, preparations to return to the Cascadia territory proceeded smoothly.
Unfortunately, the Sword Saint had left the territory due to urgent matters and could not be met.
However, in his place, the head maid, Misha, acting on the orders of Catsey, the family head, took care of me thoroughly until the day of my departure.
"You have worked hard."
"Not at all. Thanks to your consideration, I was able to serve without much difficulty."
Bowing her head in farewell, I cast my gaze toward Luna, who was waiting for me with her hooded robe pulled over her head.
She looked quite satisfied.
And with good reason—she had not only obtained the artifact needed to locate the ring, Fatelord, but also received plenty of the high-quality wine she adored as a gift.
Luna had emerged from a sealed space in her search for Fatelord.
-What will you do once you find it?
I had asked her that question before.
From the beginning, I had intended to respect her choice.
Even if she decided to leave, I wouldn’t have stopped her.
But she rendered my concerns meaningless—she had no intention of leaving.
-Do you plan to kick me out?
-I was just asking.
-I'll stay for good.
So she declared.
After all, just one of the jewels she had given me was worth enough to let her live a life of luxury forever.
Before I could leave the mansion, the busy head of the Mielephon family, Catsey Mielephon, appeared to see me off.
However, contrary to my expectations, Isna Mielephon did not appear.
"I had planned for our knights to escort you on your journey."
"I appreciate the thought, but that won’t be necessary."
"Very well, I will respect your wishes. Take this."
She handed me a small pouch.
"What is this?"
"A spatial expansion pouch. I’ve included a token of goodwill for the Cascadia family, so I hope it pleases the Count."
"You're being very generous. This is a bit overwhelming for us."
"Think of it as an investment."
Now that this is no longer a fake engagement.
Understanding her implication, I smiled wryly.
"By the way, where is Lady Isna?"
"Have you grown fond of her?"
How could I?
There hadn't even been any significant interactions between us.
Even so, I asked about her because she had helped me purchase Laplace's Compass.
"I wouldn’t say that. Our time together was too short for such things. I just thought it was proper to express my gratitude before leaving."
"Don’t worry about it. I won’t force a decision on you. Besides, by your side... Hmm."
She glanced at Luna and let out a soft sigh.
She must have thought the same thing after seeing Luna.
Despite Luna usually covering herself up, quite a few men who had seen her even once had been utterly captivated.
[Translator - Night]
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