The Strongest in Our Neighborhood - Chapter 38

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Our Neighborhood’s Strongest (38)
“Blast! How can such a thing even happen? What am I supposed to do about this?”
Baron Daparon paced his office without bothering to hide his anxiety and unease, while his son Mogoya let out a short sigh.
“I’m afraid that by telling you about Cain’s abilities at precisely the moment those men arrived and overheard, I’ve only succeeded in stoking their competitive spirit.”
“Even without your words, they would have been overconfident in their own strength anyway. Besides, at the time I had no intention of stopping them.”
“So you didn’t believe my account either, Father?”
“I believed about half of what you said. And I thought an Expert-Grade Knight and a 4-Star Mage, along with several Expert-Rank Knights, would be more than sufficient for the task.”
“Why would Dimitrion call Cain a Master Rank fighter for no reason? Master is a realm that even the kingdom’s Greatest Swordsman Morona and Duke Valencia have never reached.”
“Haah! How was I to know a Master Rank warrior was that formidable? If I’d known it would come to this, I never would have borrowed Count Johansen’s hand. Now I’ve stirred up trouble and put myself in a dreadfully awkward position.”
Mogoya watched his father’s anxious expression and thought of Dimitrion, his fencing instructor.
“Father, since Dimitrion has a good relationship with Cain, perhaps I could subtly ask him to mediate.”
“Yes, do that—go ask him to mediate at once. No, bring Dimitrion here instead. I’ll ask him myself.”
“Understood.”
Just then, one of the guards came running to report that Jang Gain’s party was approaching.
“Baron, Captain Alberto is bringing Cain here.”
“What! Didn’t I say I was too busy with duties to see anyone right now?”
“The captain said the same, but Cain insisted so firmly that there was nothing for it but to bring him along.”
“Damn it. Very well.”
Moments later, the office door opened and Captain Alberto entered, followed by Jang Gain, Eldom, and Dimitrion.
Captain Alberto bowed respectfully to the baron and made his report.
“My apologies, Baron. Cain said it was urgent that he meet with you at once, so we had no choice but to bring him.”
“A pleasure to meet you. I am Jang Gain. You must be Baron Leon Daparon.”
“A pleasure indeed. I received word from Baron Zabedra that you would be arriving.”
As Baron Daparon spoke, he shot a desperate look toward Dimitrion standing at the back of the room. But Dimitrion, seeing that look, made no move to step forward.
Observing this, Jang Gain smirked slightly and continued.
“Since you’re busy with duties, I’ll dispense with pleasantries and get straight to the point. I understand from Baron Zabedra that you hold considerable resentment toward me for taking half the shares in the Centron Mine?”
“Minerals come from my land, yet I gain nothing from it—naturally I’m dissatisfied.”
“So it was because of that dissatisfaction that you summoned Count Johansen’s retainers to kill me?”
The moment Jang Gain’s demeanor shifted, Baron Daparon felt his throat go dry.
“I asked them to best you, not to kill you. And it was a necessary choice to reclaim what is mine.”
“What’s the difference between asking someone to best me and ordering them to kill me?”
…
“Did you think you could slip out of this predicament with clever wordplay?”
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
“If you intend to keep fighting me over the Centron Mine shares, then I have no choice but to kill you.”
“Honestly, the mine shares are no longer my concern—spare my life.”
“What do you mean?”
“Count Johansen said that in exchange for his retainers resolving the matter, he would take the shares I should have received.”
“But he won’t be able to take them now.”
“You can’t be so hasty. Besides those two retainers, Count Johansen has over fifty knights and more than a thousand soldiers. However strong you are, can you stand against such forces?”
“I don’t think Count Johansen would send all those knights and soldiers just to capture me.”
“But if you don’t surrender the mine shares, he’ll likely send some of his soldiers to seize or shut down the mine.”
After hearing Baron Daparon’s words, Jang Gain fell silent for a moment, then spoke again.
“So unless I make the Centron Mine shares unappealing to Count Johansen, these troublesome matters will continue.”
“Precisely.”
“Then I’ll need to meet Count Johansen and settle this directly. Since I have to visit the County with Laila anyway, I’ll confront him then.”
“Cain, I acknowledge your skill approaches Master Rank, but you’ll regret it if you underestimate Count Johansen’s power.”
“We’ll see whose regrets come to pass soon enough. In any case, you won’t be making any further claims regarding the Centron Mine, correct?”
“That’s… true. Honestly, it leaves a bitter taste, but lacking the strength, I have no choice.”
“I understand. Then we won’t clash over the mine again.”
“Agreed.”
“So the mine matter is settled. That leaves the matter of you summoning the count’s retainers to kill me—how should we resolve that?”
“Since I summoned them over the mine, wouldn’t that be settled along with it?”
“Baron, if I had been weaker, I’d have died at their hands. Yet now you want to sweep it all under the rug and move on as though nothing happened?”
Baron Daparon heard Jang Gain’s words and exhaled a short sigh.
“Alas! Being weak is a sin. Very well—what do you want from me?”
“In the forest where I live, there are small villages inhabited by Druids, Dwarves, and tenant farmers. Yet mercenaries and hunters have been capturing these people and selling them to Slave Traders. Baron Zabedra promised me he would issue a decree forbidding all such activities in his territory. If you make the same promise, I’ll let the matter of your attempt on my life be forgotten.”
“Baron Zabedra agreed to issue a decree that contradicts the laws set by His Majesty?”
“Yes.”
Baron Daparon sighed softly at Jang Gain’s answer. He could well imagine what feelings had driven Zabedra to make such a promise.
“I understand. I give you the same promise.”
“That’s refreshing to hear.”
“Besides, it’s not as if I could refuse anyway.”
“If you honor your word, I’ll cede a portion of my stake in the Centron Mine to you. Of course, that depends on how things go with Earl Johansen.”
* * *
“How are you feeling?”
Leodson, who lay on a medical bed, offered a bitter smile at Laila’s question.
“Even a Superior Potion couldn’t heal me completely—they had to call a priest to finish the treatment.”
“Well, you could barely breathe earlier, so you’re looking far better now.”
“And how are you faring, Laila?”
“I took a Superior Potion in time, so I recovered quickly.”
Leodson tilted his head with a puzzled expression at her words.
“Just a potion healed you? It seems he didn’t exhaust himself against you.”
“Didn’t exhaust himself? A Shield Magic drawn nearly to 5-Star caliber from the mana of the formation circle shattered in one blow, and three Protective Magic artifacts broke to pieces right after. Then I couldn’t dissipate the Recoil Force embedded in the spear—I flew back more than ten meters, tumbled across the ground, and coughed up blood.”
“Ah! I was too busy dodging his assault to see what happened to you. Without those protective artifacts, you might have died in a single strike, mightn’t you?”
“You’re right. And if Cain hadn’t held back even a little, neither of us would be alive right now.”
“Good heavens! When young master Mogoya said Cain was Master Rank, I should have believed it…”
“Indeed. Now that news of our defeat has certainly reached Earl Johansen by now… I’m worried.”
The two of them had attendants among their retinues, and some of those attendants belonged to the Earl.
“What’s there to worry about? We were never opponents he could defeat anyway.”
“That’s what we think. But the Earl will censure us for failing to complete our mission properly.”
“If he censures us, then we accept it. At worst our stipend or support funds will be cut—but compared to the experience of fighting such a powerful opponent and surviving, that’s nothing.”
“True, nothing compared to our lives. But the way you speak of experience suggests you’ve learned something?”
“I’ve understood what true strength really is. And I’ve also found the direction I need to train in from now on.”
Laila looked into Leodson’s eyes and saw that his spirit wasn’t broken—rather, it burned all the brighter.
“As a mage, I haven’t had such revelations. I’m envious that you’ve found your path of training.”
Clang, crack-crack-boom…
Suddenly, the sound of metal clashing together rang out, followed by an explosion.
In an instant, both their eyes snapped open almost simultaneously.
“That’s… that’s the sound of weapons imbued with Aura colliding.”
Without hesitation, both rose to their feet and hurried out of the Medical Facility.
* * *
“Would you spare a moment to teach me, Cain?”
As they left after meeting with Baron Daparon, Dimitrion ventured to speak, and Jang Gain chuckled softly.
“From your expression, it looks like you’ve completed the Piercing Thrust I taught you in your own way.”
“Not quite complete, but I’ve gained enough confidence that I’m not ashamed to show it to you.”
“Well then, I should see it. Is there a suitable place nearby?”
“Let’s go to the Training Ground where we fought the Earl’s retainers earlier.”
“Ah, that’ll do nicely.”
As Jang Gain and Dimitrion changed direction, the guards and knights following behind them overheard the conversation and their eyes lit up.
When they arrived at the Training Ground moments later, Captain of the Guard Alberto stepped forward and cleared all the trainees from the field.
Jang Gain walked toward the center of the Training Ground, slung the spear from his shoulder across his back, and drew the sword from his waist.
“Using the spear would be too one-sided, and a sword is better if we’re to match our techniques at all. But there are too many onlookers here.”
“Should I have everyone leave the Training Ground?”
“This isn’t my Training Ground, so I can’t just order them out. Just ask them to stand well back—they could be hurt by Sword Energy, or rather, Aura fragments.”
“Understood.”
After Alberto pulled the knights back, Dimitrion drew his sword as well.
“Truth be told, after perfecting the Piercing Thrust you taught me, I’d grown confident in my own skill. But watching you destroy Leodson and Laila today made me realize I still have a long way to go.”
“Why learn something like that? Now that you’ve drawn your sword, think only of victory, no matter who the opponent. That kind of realization just puts you at a psychological disadvantage before you even start.”
“You’re right—I was already giving up before the fight began. But still, I’ll do my absolute best.”
“Your absolute best won’t cut it. Come at me with the intent to kill! If you don’t, you’ll be the one who dies!”
Jang Gain pushed off the ground and rushed forward in an instant, and Dimitrion poured Aura into his sword, thrusting at his opponent’s throat.
“Are you an idiot? Why do you just repeat what I taught you?”
Jang Gain sidestepped lightly and swung his blade; Dimitrion hastily fell back and parried.
Boom.
As the Aura-imbued swords collided, an explosion erupted, and thereafter blade struck blade in rapid succession, sending sparks cascading.
‘Damn! Cain’s sword is so fast I don’t have time to refill my blade with Aura between strikes!’
As his cloak was shredded and his armor sliced away in moments, Dimitrion felt genuine alarm rising within.
Every single strike from his opponent was lethal.
‘Is he… truly trying to kill me?’
He’d asked for the sparring match thinking he might learn something, but the attacks came like a relentless storm—one slip, and he’d be dead.
Slice.
He jerked his neck back to dodge the blade, and skin split open along with the protective guard at his throat.
If his evasion had been even a fraction slower, his neck would have been severed.
‘This madman!’
Dimitrion shed the complacency that had gripped him moments before and began to swing his sword with everything he had, fighting for his life.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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