HPDBC Chapter 14
Chapter 14
[translator - night]
[proofreader - gun]
chapter 14
“leon?! how are you even...?”
“oh, come on. someone like you should’ve figured it out by now.”
leon spun the sword he had taken from melissa with a chilling smile.
“i’ve been pretty tired lately, and my control’s been a bit off. but i really appreciate you all gathering in a place with no prying eyes.”
aura began to seep out of leon’s entire body.
although he wasn’t an expert, the distinct traits of an aura user were clearly visible.
yet, for some reason, vishiri cascadia couldn’t shake his unease.
an inexplicable sense of dread was pounding at his survival instincts.
afraid?
of someone who wasn’t even an expert?
and he, who had reached the intermediate level of expert?
it was only natural for his face to contort with humiliation and rage.
“before heading to the count’s domain, drag that man before me and make him kneel. i’ll sever his head myself.”
even though it was a cheap provocation, it hit its mark perfectly.
then, leon lightly slashed the sword he held in one hand.
a single straight line was deeply etched into the ground in front of him.
he took a few steps back and yawned briefly.
“cross it if you dare.”
slash!
even before his words fully settled, one of the expert-level knights charged swiftly toward leon.
but the moment the knight’s foot crossed the line—
the knight’s head flew into the air as if slicing through the sky.
...
the knight fell dead without even a chance to scream, leaving the onlookers in stunned silence.
this couldn’t be happening.
the speed and power leon had just displayed—was that something an aura user was capable of?
no, how was that even possible?
none of them could comprehend the situation.
of course, leon’s current state, which was utterly beyond their understanding, was also his greatest advantage.
the range of power an aura user could wield.
the strength, speed, and skill an entry-level or intermediate-level expert could exhibit.
though nations differed, the vast majority of swordsmen operated within this framework.
however.
no matter how they looked at him, leon—a mere aura user—was far exceeding the maximum skill, strength, and speed an aura user could display.
“i’m so tired i could die...”
leon muttered under his breath, genuinely grumbling about his dire state, but to the knights, those words utterly crushed their pride.
“what are you waiting for?! he’s alone! take him down now!!”
the knights began moving in unison.
* * *
a body far stronger than an expert’s, enhanced senses, overwhelming combat skill—these were more than enough to make a mere aura user a monster.
and combat experience?
from my perspective, after fighting countless foes for what felt like an eternity, these human enemies were hardly a threat.
in fact, the human enemies i faced in that place were far more dangerous than this lot.
‘this fatigue... it’s worse than i thought.’
could this really be chalked up to just sleep deprivation?
sure, i hadn’t slept, but could a few sleepless nights leave my mind this unstable?
‘my eyes are closing.’
slash!
“arghhh!!”
even so, i couldn’t fall asleep.
there’s a form of torture where they prevent you from sleeping.
this curse-like insomnia felt no different from that torture.
slash! crunch!
those who crossed the line—expert or not—were all cut down indiscriminately.
when their numbers grew, i unleashed overwhelming aura to crush them under its weight, using the opening to strike them down.
especially since this location was a relatively narrow and desolate pathway.
the bottleneck meant only a few could attack me at once.
before he could finish speaking, i had already approached him.
both hands firmly gripped the hilt of my sword.
vishiri, unleashing his aura, frantically drew his sword to defend himself.
he moved as quickly as he could, trying to counterattack, but it was as if our times were moving at different speeds.
the exchange was completely one-sided.
crack!!
the sound of both his arm bones shattering rang out.
crash!!
in an instant, his arms were destroyed, and my sword sliced through his neck.
a spray of blood filled the air as vishiri cascadia’s severed head fell.
intermediate-level expert.
a level of skill that could earn respect anywhere—but now, he was nothing more than a headless body.
“w-wait!! the cause of all this, vishiri cascadia, is dead! we’re just mercenaries! we were only hired for the job!!”
the remaining knights desperately tried to negotiate.
“hired? mercenaries?”
“y-yes, that’s right. most of the forces here are just mercenaries! with vishiri cascadia dead, we have no reason to fight you anymore! so, please...”
“if vishiri hadn’t died, he would’ve turned the count’s domain into a sea of fire, wouldn’t he?”
speaking calmly, i drew another line a few steps closer, making them recoil in terror.
they had learned the hard way: anyone who crossed the line would lose their head.
“let’s calm down for a moment. we request that you treat us as prisoners of war!”
the alley was narrow, leaving them with no way to retreat.
they could try escaping by leaping upward, but a few who attempted that were already impaled by the daggers i had thrown to the ground.
if they scattered, a few might survive.
but instead of gambling with their lives, they judged that negotiation was the safer option.
clang!!
“wait!!”
i drew another line closer, and the knights raised their hands in surrender, shouting.
“please let us go! we won’t do anything to you! or if you’re uneasy, you can capture and imprison us in the count’s domain!”
scratch!!
“w-wait! please, wait!!”
this time, the line barely moved forward.
“we’ll give you what you want! tyvel cascadia! if you’re preparing for a civil war with tyvel cascadia, we’ll stand at the vanguard! we’ll fight as your mercenaries...”
scratch...
“m-money!! we’ll give you money! i’ll hand over all the wealth i’ve accumulated!”
“money? money, you say...”
as i pretended to ponder, stroking my chin, the knights frantically shouted.
“the universal currency of the continent!”
“the universal currency...”
“yes, the universal currency. no worries about counterfeits or credit issues. if you want, i’ll give it all to you.”
“hm... a reliable, counterfeit-proof currency...”
i appeared to think deeply for a moment, then moved my sword.
scratch...
“we’ll give you high-grade magical equipment! mithril-infused swords! magical artifacts!! things you can’t buy even with money!”
they were willing to promise anything for their survival.
at that moment, one knight cautiously made a suggestion.
“if i return, i’ll tell my lord to establish a friendly stance toward you! how about that? having the backing of a central noble...”
scratch, scratch, scratch!!
the line was drawn behind them this time.
now, they were all within its bounds.
“you think you can attack the count’s domain and then offer an alliance? do you take the cascadia family, protectors of the frontier, for fools?”
the count’s household may have been a border noble family, but they held significant authority as a special aristocracy.
even high-ranking nobles like marquises and dukes wouldn’t treat them lightly.
though the family was now split in two, and most of the knights who had once supported the former count of cascadia had left the territory in disappointment...
“damn it all...”
* * *
after leon had left the count’s estate, melissa quickly rallied the returning knights and prepared the forces for immediate action.
“they’re rebels trying to overthrow the count’s family! subdue them all!”
melissa unsheathed her sword and shouted with determination.
[translator - night]
[proofreader - gun]
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