The Strongest in Our Neighborhood - Chapter 61

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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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The Strongest in Our Neighborhood (61)
“Your Majesty may have concealed his appearance and presence, but he could not hide the perfume scent that you favor.”
“Perfume scent! Ah! I thought Morona had only keen Energy Detection, but does he have a nose like a dog’s as well?”
“The pesticide has such a pungent odor that it can be detected from ten paces away. And there is only one person in this palace who wears such a thing like perfume—Your Majesty. It is impossible not to notice.”
“What can I do if I despise insects so much? Heh heh, but I distinctly told you to keep quiet about the Sword Master matter for the time being. Did the Prime Minister forget so quickly?”
“My apologies, Your Majesty. However, was it not you yourself who first mentioned the Sword Master to Morona in such a roundabout way?”
“Me? Ah, that was just a slip of the tongue. I held my peace after that.”
“After mentioning the Sword Master to Morona in that roundabout manner, did you not test the performance of the Concealment Artifact you received from the court mage Julien?”
In that instant, the king’s eyes widened.
“Ah! Heh heh, you really are perceptive. How do you read my mind so well?”
At the king’s words, Prime Minister Darian Mun sighed quietly to himself.
The king had enjoyed such pranks since his days as crown prince, so he had fallen for many of them long ago.
The king opened his mouth.
“By the way, I received word from Count Johansen not long ago that this Sword Master called Gain has agreed to fulfill his duty of national defense—conditionally.”
“Conditionally? What condition?”
“He said he would not participate in wars of aggression against other nations, but would participate if his own nation were invaded.”
“Ah! With such a condition, you agreed then?”
“Indeed, I did. There was no reason not to. A Sword Master who ventured alone into the Demon Realm and slew hundreds of Demonic Beasts and Magical Creatures—having him serve as the shield of our nation, I can certainly tolerate a few tax-dodging tribespeople hiding in the Crerarion Mountain Range.”
Morona Valencia, who had been listening to the king’s words, ventured to speak.
“Your Majesty, I must confess I find it difficult to believe that this fellow named Gain ventured alone into the Demon Realm and slew hundreds of Demonic Beasts and Magical Creatures. No matter how skilled a Sword Master he may be, in the Demon Realm the influence of Demonic Qi makes it hard to display one’s true power. How could he accomplish such a thing?”
“You don’t believe it either, do you? Truthfully, neither do I.”
“Your Majesty?”
“That is why, when this fellow comes to the palace to receive his Lordship and Nobility Title, I plan to verify directly whether he possesses such power.”
“Ah! Come to think of it, he will be coming to the palace. Why didn’t I think of that? Then there’s no need to travel to Greywan.”
Morona’s murmur was soft, but the two people beside him could hardly have failed to hear it.
“Hmm? ‘No need to travel to Greywan’—that means you were planning to go to Greywan, wasn’t it?”
The king asked with a suspicious gaze, and Morona Valencia laughed awkwardly.
“Your Majesty? Ah, yes. Well, I was thinking of making a brief visit.”
“Earlier, Prime Minister Darian clearly stated that you promised not to sneak out of the royal palace because of his concerns. Surely you didn’t lie?”
“Your Majesty? Ah! It does seem like that happened, but my memory is a bit hazy. Hahaha… A person’s heart changes more than a dozen times a day, does it not?”
“Sigh! If you weren’t the kingdom’s finest swordsman, I would have dismissed you long ago.”
“Your Majesty, would you consider dismissing me this time? I’ve been trudging through this position as Captain of the Guard for over twenty years now.”
“I would have dismissed you long ago if I had someone to replace you. But since I don’t, I cannot. Moreover, when this Sword Master comes to the palace, who will verify his power? There is no one but you, the kingdom’s finest swordsman.”
“Are there not also the court mage Julien and the Spirit Mage Simous?”
“A Sword Master who went to the Demon Realm alone and slew hundreds of Demonic Beasts and Magical Creatures—would those two alone suffice?”
“It does not seem like it would.”
“If the three of you join forces, wouldn’t you be able to put up some resistance even against a Sword Master?”
“I thought so too until recently, but hearing that he ventured alone into the Demon Realm and slew hundreds of Demonic Beasts and Magical Creatures, even with my strength added, it seems it would be difficult.”
“The deputy commander mentioned that he recently achieved an Enlightenment and advanced another level. Would it still be difficult? If he advanced a level, isn’t he now a Master?”
“He has not yet become a Master. He merely gained a small Enlightenment and acquired modest confidence. But even that confidence has now faded.”
“Should we add the knights?”
“Adding the knights would allow us to put up some resistance, but… that Sword Master named Gain would be tremendously disappointed. He came to receive his Lordship as the representative of a small tribe living in the Crerarion Mountain Range, yet to have the kingdom’s premier swordsman, mages, and Spirit Mages, along with the knights, descend upon him to test his prowess? Sigh! If I were him, I’d curse them and refuse.”
“Hmm, you’re right. Adding the knights is too much. Then let’s proceed with just the three of you testing his strength.”
“Though with three of us the chance of losing is high, I do wish to experience just how strong he truly is.”
“Ah yes, since we’re only testing his skill, we should establish a rule not to use lethal strikes, right?”
“Your Majesty, there is a saying that ‘the blade has no eyes’ for a reason. Even with such a rule, in a moment of carelessness a head can roll.”
“Right, right? Then what should we do?”
“Let us establish a rule, but each person must guard their own life. If during the fight one realizes they are losing, they must surrender quickly.”
“Is that so?”
As the king wore a confused expression, Morona Valencia let out a soft laugh.
* * *
“Thank you, Sir Gain. I owe it all to you that I could touch my homeland soil before my death.”
Sranda, Violet’s mother, approached and bowed so deeply her head nearly touched the ground. Jang Gain quickly helped her up.
He knew she had wept the entire previous day at the tree where her parents’ remains were buried.
Perhaps because of this, her eyes were still red and swollen.
“Your grief must be profound. I’m at a loss for how to console you. By the way, did Violet give you your parents’ belongings?”
“Yes, I received them.”
“How many years has it been since you returned to your homeland?”
“Violet is eighteen now, so it has been nineteen years.”
“So you were unable to leave the Count’s household for those nineteen years?”
“Yes.”
“You call it marriage, but it sounds like you’ve endured a dreadful life locked away in a prison.”
“If it weren’t for Violet, I would have hanged myself long ago.”
“Ah, well, yes. I see.”
Jang Gain felt the deep sorrow hidden beneath her composed gaze and swallowed dryly without meaning to.
“Even now, Violet is the only reason I have to live.”
“I understand. As it happens, I’ve spent the last fortnight with Violet, and she’s grown into a fine young woman—beautiful like her mother, and for a nobleman’s daughter, her temperament is quite pleasant.”
“Do you have feelings for Violet?”
“No. She’s lovely, but I think we’re simply not suited to each other.”
“My father-in-law, Count Johansen, desperately hopes that Violet and you will be married.”
“I understand Count Johansen’s intentions, but shouldn’t a man and woman first find agreement in their hearts before joining in marriage?”
“Even without matching hearts, bodies can match. A couple can become one that way.”
“But if a marriage forms that way, I don’t think it will bring happiness.”
“Well, that’s true, I suppose. Sigh! I don’t even know why I’m saying things I don’t truly believe.”
“From what I’ve observed, Violet seems to have her heart set on Eldom.”
“Ah, yes—she said so herself. That’s why I hope things work out between Violet and Eldom.”
“Then why not push things in that direction?”
“But would Eldom meet the approval of my husband or the Count? They’d likely tear the two of them apart by force and seek another marriage match for Violet.”
“Though Eldom currently only commands Low-Tier Spirits and may not yet impress the Count, if he grows stronger and manages to contract with a High-Tier Spirit someday, the Count might very well have to defer to him.”
Sranda’s eyes widened as she listened to Jang Gain’s words.
“A High-Tier Spirit? If he could command one, then yes—but High-Tier Spirits are such difficult beings that even the village elders haven’t managed to contract with them.”
“Just because the elders haven’t contracted with them doesn’t mean Eldom cannot do so.”
“You may not realize this, but High-Tier Spirits are exalted beings, and—” She gasped.
As Sranda spoke, a sudden whirlwind erupted around Jang Gain’s body, startling her. Her eyes flew wide open.
A tremendous presence radiated from the whirlwind, and moments later, a massive Wind High-Tier Spirit took shape before them.
“A Wind High-Tier Spirit!”
“I have already contracted with a Wind High-Tier Spirit. And if I help him, Eldom will one day be able to contract with a Wind High-Tier Spirit as well.”
Despite hearing Jang Gain’s words, Sranda was too astonished to speak for a moment.
“You are far more remarkable than I could have imagined.”
“Is it such a shocking thing to see a Wind High-Tier Spirit?”
“Contracting with a High-Tier Spirit is a lifetime dream for anyone who practices Spirit Magic. And since you’ve already achieved it, it would be stranger if I weren’t amazed.”
“I see. So it was that impressive after all.”
“You truly are extraordinary. Very well—I shall support Violet and Eldom’s union. In return, I ask that you protect them both from the Count.”
“Understood. I’ll speak to him carefully and make sure he understands.”
* * *
Jang Gain was traveling toward the Wyvern habitat alongside Aleingde Mir, having promised to capture a wild Wyvern in compensation for killing Aleingde Mir’s Chimera Wyvern.
“Master, didn’t you say this morning when we left Houwan Village that it wasn’t far from here?”
The Louta Village where Jang Gain stayed strictly forbade outsiders from entering, so people like Dimitrion and Laila remained in Houwan Village.
This was why he had woken before dawn, ridden Sabel Tiger to Houwan Village to meet Aleingde Mir, and was now traveling toward the Wyvern habitat.
“We’ve only been moving for half a day.”
“The distance Sabel Tiger covered in half a day would take an ordinary person four days to walk.”
“I had Sabel Tiger’s speed in mind from the start when I called it close. See those two peaks ahead that look like a camel’s back? Once we cross that ridge, we’re there—just be patient a bit longer.”
“It looks like it’ll take another hour at least to cross that ridge… Well, fine. I understand.”
After riding for roughly another hour, as they approached the peak of the high ridge, Jang Gain tilted his head.
“Master, I don’t see a single Wyvern—not even a common eagle. Are we really almost at the Wyvern habitat?”
“Why wouldn’t we see large birds like eagles or hawks in a dense forest like this? Isn’t it because there’s something terrifying here that preys on them?”
“What? Ah—so the large birds are gone because of the Wyverns?”
“Not just birds gone—there aren’t any monsters to be seen either, if you look carefully.”
“Now that you mention it, you’re right. I thought we wouldn’t encounter monsters because we’re riding Sabel Tiger, but there are practically none in the surrounding area.”
“It’s all because of the Wyverns. Beyond that peak, there’s a sheer cliff and a chasm you can’t see the bottom of—that’s the Wyvern habitat.”
When they reached the summit moments later, exactly as Aleingde Mir had described, a massive gorge came into view, with mist rising thickly from below and Wyverns nesting along the cliff face.
“Wow! What is this? The moment we pass this peak, the landscape transforms into something entirely different!”
“I was just as amazed as you when I first discovered this place while searching for Wyverns.”
“But why aren’t the Wyverns moving about at all?”
“Wyverns are large creatures. Flying exhausts their stamina greatly, so they stay in their nests unless they’re hunting.”
Screeeeeee—
Just then, one of the Wyverns caught sight of them and burst from its nest, climbing rapidly into the air.

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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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