Novel Full Chapter 283 : Chapter 283
Chapter 283. My Arrangements Were Not in Vain After All (3)
The duel was over.
And the winner was obvious to anyone.
Oliver A.
An unknown knight who, if you asked anyone, would elicit a response of ‘Who’s that?’, had defeated none other than the future Holy Sword of the Holy Theocracy.
And the Holy Sword himself was….
“How…. How…”
He was in a daze.
Patrick approached the dazed Antorius and said.
“Hey.”
“……”
“You know the result, right?”
“……”
“You lost.”
“……”
“…Hello? Are you there?”
As Patrick waved a hand in front of his face, Antorius said with a hollow expression.
“How could I…. I…”
“Tsk tsk tsk, the kid’s lost it again.”
“…I don’t understand. How could this have happened? I was… I was definitely the stronger one….”
At Antorius’ lament, Patrick scratched his head and said.
“Really, there’s no hope for a bastard like you.”
“What did you say?”
“Don’t get it twisted.”
“What do you mean?”
“The strong one doesn’t win. The one who wins is the strong one.”
At Patrick’s words, Antorius’ face crumpled.
Seeing this, Patrick grinned and said.
“That’s not a face of understanding at all, is it?”
“If we were to fight again…”
“Oh really? You think so? You lost this time because you were careless, and you think you can win if we fight again?”
“……”
How could every single word he uttered raise a person’s anger to this extent?
He really didn’t want to admit that such an undignified and rude person was renowned throughout the continent.
Just then, Patrick said.
“Hey, why didn’t you go to the battlefield?”
“What…”
“Your Holy Theocracy is fighting fiercely with the Empire right now, isn’t it? So why didn’t you go? I heard that Sword Saint’s grandson is fighting.”
“Do you think I deliberately didn’t go? I wanted to go. I desperately wanted to go. But…”
“But…?”
“My master stopped me. So I had no choice but to…”
“Ahhh. I see. So your master knew.”
“…Knew what?”
“He just had a feeling. Ah, if I send this bastard to the battlefield, he’ll die in a flash. That’s what he thought.”
Antorius’ face turned bright red.
And he managed to say….
“My skills aren’t that pathetic.”
“You fooooooool.”
“……”
He was certain that even the benevolent Yupinel would curse if she saw this face….
‘No, no. What am I thinking…’
As a Paladin, Antorius, who was having thoughts that were not just audacious but borderline blasphemous, hastily negated his own thoughts.
And Patrick continued.
“The first to die on the battlefield aren’t the weak. It’s morons like you who overestimate their own skills.”
It was the same in the Murim.
They would gather young kids, have them spar, and if a few stood out, they would praise them as dragons or phoenixes.
That in itself wasn’t so bad.
It was good to have the young ones engage in healthy competition, and it was good to give honor to the winners.
But the problem was that it often filled the kids’ lungs with hot air.
‘They’re just naive kids who don’t know how vast the world is. Kids who strut around thinking they’re something special because of the pittance of fame they gained from a squabble among acorns.’
The Murim was a place that demanded a harsh price for the bravado of such brats.
The price of death.
That was why masters disciplined their disciples more strictly the more famous they became.
This brat’s master probably didn’t trust his disciple at all, so he made him withdraw from the battlefield.
He even endured all the political pressure in the process.
‘Tsk tsk tsk, what an unfilial son. How dare he not understand his master’s heart and instead fill his own with dissatisfaction….’
[Is that something you should be saying?]
‘I wasn’t like that. I revered my Master like the heavens.’
[You son of a….]
There was a brief fabrication of memory, but anyway, the point was….
“You’ve still got a long way to go. You brat.”
“……”
Antorius remained silent with a mournful expression.
“If you want to leave your mark as a martial artist? If you want to achieve something, start by training yourself.”
“I am training enough.”
“Oh, really? Then why did you get your ass handed to you by an Aura Blade again this time?”
“That’s…”
“You were like this when you lost to that brat Cierion at the Arcana, weren’t you? You were pushing him well, then you lost after getting your ass handed to you by a single Aura Blade.”
“……”
“So much time has passed, how have you not improved at all compared to back then?”
He had nothing to say.
The result had turned out this way.
He thought that by adding the authority of miracles and divine power to his 6-star level, he could stand against the supreme realm.
But that was just a thought.
The actual result was a perfect defeat, leaving no room for excuses.
He had relentlessly pushed his opponent, but the moment that opponent pulled out an Aura Blade, the same result as in the Arcana occurred.
He had to admit it.
That he had not yet reached the realm of 7-stars.
“You…. No, did you set up this match with that unknown knight to make me realize this?”
“…Huh?”
“Did you foresee that this knight would awaken to 7-stars in our duel, and arranged our match hoping for our mutual growth?”
“……”
“Even at the cost of being misunderstood by me in the process?”
Patrick was silent for a moment.
And sometimes….
‘It was true. It was really true.’
Silence is more valuable than gold.
Antorius now had no choice but to admit it.
The Double Dragon was a man who had reached a height incomparable to his own.
Not just in skill, but also in character.
‘We’re from different organizations, yet he went through such lengths to help my development, even at the risk of being misunderstood…’
A serious misunderstanding was steadily progressing.
‘And I, without knowing, misunderstood and condemned him as a rude and lazy person.’
He had seen it clearly.
‘How shameful. And I call myself a Paladin who serves God?’
It was at that moment.
The moment he introspected and shattered his own stubbornness, a ray of holy light descended upon Antorius’ head.
“Oh… oooooh…”
“How can this be?”
“It’s the manifestation of a new miracle.”
The surrounding Paladins were startled.
The miracle (porténtum), a unique authority of those who serve God, is not honed through training.
It is a power bestowed by God when one’s vessel as a human grows by polishing one’s faith.
Antorius, as a promising Paladin, already possessed four miracles.
And now, he was receiving his fifth miracle.
Everyone marveled at this holy sight.
‘Why the hell does this bastard gain enlightenment after being cussed out?’
Except for one person….
***
Antorius’ feet, which had briefly floated in the air while receiving the holy light, came back down to the ground.
And then….
Thud.
One of his knees also touched the ground.
And Antorius, with his hand on his chest, bowed his head to Patrick and said.
“Thank you. Double Dragon.”
“…Huh?”
“Thanks to your teachings, I was able to grow even further.”
“……”
Think carefully.
He didn’t do anything.
“Thanks to you, Yupinel has also granted me a new miracle. I don’t know how I can ever repay this grace.”
Oh, what a pity….
A Paladin who should be serving a holy God is kneeling and expressing gratitude to a great demon.
What was saddest of all was that this demon had grasped the situation.
The corners of Patrick’s mouth slowly rose to his ears.
Then, with a benevolent smile like Buddha’s, he placed a hand on Antorius’ shoulder and said.
“Yes. Still, my arrangements were not in vain after all.”
What did you do?
Oliver fought the duel, and Antorius gained enlightenment.
But….
“You must know now, right? That I am a person who does things with a plan.”
Since when?
“If you just follow my words obediently, you’ll get rice cakes, no, bread even in your sleep. Got it?”
It was complete nonsense.
The problem was….
“Of course. I do not doubt it.”
That it worked.
The innocent Paladin’s mental fortitude was too fragile to shake off the words coming from the great demon’s cunning tongue.
And the demon, with a victorious smile, says.
“Good. Then you’ll have to listen to me carefully, right?”
“Of course… I will.”
By the time the thought ‘Isn’t this a bit wrong?’ belatedly crossed his mind, it was already too late.
“Then first, call all the Paladins under you and gather them. Your big brother needs to have a look.”
“…Big brother? As far as I know, Double Dragon, I am older than you…”
“Ahem? If you’re good at fighting, smart, and have a great personality, you’re the big brother. Why are you so picky?”
“Ye… Yes. I understand.”
And so, Patrick gained another sworn brother after the Orc warrior, Tutan.
***
Patrick thought.
It was certain that a black mage had infiltrated the Holy Theocracy.
But he couldn’t find any traces among the high-ranking priests.
If so, could it be that they were hiding among the Paladins?
So, he planned to gather the Paladins through Antorius and check them himself.
Ostensibly….
“Come on. Come on. This isn’t an event that comes every day.”
“Heo…. Heok…. Uwaaaaaaaak!”
It was a guidance spar….
Booooom! Kwaang! Wood-deuk!
From the side, it was a scene that looked like assault to anyone.
At first, the Paladins thought it was an honor and rushed to be the first.
Who would refuse when the Double Dragon himself offered to conduct a guidance spar? But….
“Aish, not this one either.”
After seeing the corpse of a Paladin right in front of them, steaming… well, not a corpse, but a husk on the verge of death, their minds were bound to change.
“Alright, next, come up.”
“Andos, isn’t it your turn?”
“No, Tranus came before me.”
“Ahem, I’m not feeling well today…”
The Paladins were slowly backing away.
It was understandable.
Everyone’s life is precious, after all.
But….
“Don’t worry. You won’t die.”
“No, Sir Denar.”
“Rather, there will be much to gain. I too was able to develop further thanks to the teachings of the Double Dragon.”
“……”
“So, next, Andos, you go up. Go and feel the full extent of the Double Dragon’s power and come back.”
“……”
A great demon in front.
And the demon’s tool, brainwashed by the great demon, behind.
Unfortunately, for the pitiful Paladins, there was no escape route.
***
Three days later.
“Uwaaaaaaaaa!”
Booooom!
A Monk who charged with a powerful shout was kicked away by Patrick.
“Next.”
Patrick said, looking bored.
And he thought to himself.
‘Well, this is a good stress reliever, but…’
Compared to listening to nonsense from the priests, beating up the Paladins was at least bearable.
But the problem was that his original purpose for coming here was not being achieved.
He had already beaten up every single Paladin in the Holy City.
But no trace of demonic energy had appeared, and now he was in the middle of beating up the Monks.
And so far, there had been no results.
Just when he thought he might fail like this….
“I ask for the teachings of the great swordsman who has pioneered the supreme realm.”
“Oh. Right, right. Co… huh?”
Patrick was slightly surprised.
The Monk in front of him, trying hard to calm his trembling legs and taking a stance, was only about fourteen? Fifteen? He looked about that age.
But the moment that young kid clenched his cute fists and took a stance….
‘Found him.’
Patrick’s gaze changed.
“Hey, kid? What’s your name?”
At Patrick’s question, the opposing Monk said with a serious expression.
“I told you just a moment ago, did you forget?”
“Ahem, no. No, I heard you.”
“……”
“So your name is…”
‘Most of the Holy Theocracy kids’ names have a ‘s’ sound. So this kid’s name must be…’
“Jon Jones?”
He would have been better off just saying he didn’t know.