Novel Full Chapter 299 : Chapter 299
Chapter 299. Let’s Have a Match (1)
An arrogance that went beyond confidence.
Patrick’s statement, which came from the perspective of a strong person looking down, angered the knights of the Empire.
“Double Dragon!”
“Do you really want to die?”
“Do you think you can get out of here alive after this?”
They, who exploded with murderous intent, revealing their blatant anger.
However….
‘What?’
‘Huh? Why?’
‘Keuk…’
They realized.
That although anger was boiling up to the top of their heads, no one was actually stepping forward.
Even they themselves were hesitating to even put their hands on their weapons.
Their minds and bodies were reacting separately.
Even they, who had pioneered the supreme realm.
No, perhaps it was even more so because of that.
The single move that had sent the two flying just a moment ago.
They hadn’t even seen what had happened.
Patrick hadn’t even stood up from his seat, and all they could guess was that the sword drawn in one hand had done something.
The only one who had seen something was probably the Sword Saint….
‘He’s gotten stronger.’
He was a monster when he saw him at the Arcana in the past.
But after a few years had passed, looking at Patrick now, he couldn’t even guess to what extent.
Even he, the Sword Saint.
‘Don’t tell me? Could it be?’
The moment a hypothesis came to the Sword Saint’s mind, Patrick spoke.
“I guarantee you, regardless of winning or losing, if I intervene in the war, the Empire will not end up unscathed.”
“Ugh.”
Seeing the move from a moment ago, he couldn’t say it wasn’t so.
However….
“So? Are you going to threaten me to stop the war because you don’t want to take the damage?”
“If that works, I will. But…”
“……”
“Tsk, honestly, you’re impossible to talk to.”
Patrick knew this type of person well.
Once they had a belief and made up their mind, they would never change their mind.
So it was impossible to threaten the Sword Saint into backing down.
But.
“Let’s make a bet.”
If he twisted the story a little, the situation might change.
“A bet?”
“Yes. If I lose, I will completely withdraw from the Holy Theocracy and not interfere.”
“And if you win, I am to withdraw the army?”
“Yes. I don’t know what the Emperor of the Empire is thinking, but someone of the Sword Saint’s stature should be able to exercise that much authority on their own, don’t you think?”
“……”
“Huh? Don’t tell me you can’t? You don’t have that much pull? Even though you’re the Sword Saint?”
“Huuuuu…”
The Sword Saint let out a sigh.
Yes. Strictly speaking, he did have that much authority.
Since he was the one who had insisted on this large-scale advance in the first place, it was also possible to withdraw it.
The problem wasn’t that, but….
“I’ve been completely had.”
The Sword Saint was now in a position where he could not refuse this bet.
If he refused Patrick’s bet here, the Sword Saint would have to meet Patrick on the battlefield.
And the damage at that time would be truly terrifying.
No, perhaps the Empire might actually be defeated.
‘The power of the Schneider Duchy is not to be trifled with. On top of that, they say the Tower of Truth is also on that friend’s side…’
Instead, if he won the bet, he could completely exclude Patrick from this battlefield and defeat the Holy Theocracy as originally intended.
In the end, it was impossible for the Sword Saint to refuse the bet.
He had to accept it.
Even in the worst-case scenario where he lost, there would be no actual damage to the Empire.
For him, who was in the position of the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Army, it was an offer he could not possibly refuse.
“Huuuuu…”
He brought his hand to his face, covering it, and let out a deep sigh.
“You’re going to make a hole in the ground.”
The Sword Saint spoke to Patrick, who was visible between his fingers.
“Cunning fellow.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“How will we make the bet?”
“My most confident bet is a drinking contest, but…”
Patrick glanced around and said.
“If I suggest we compete in drinking capacity right here, right now, will I be called a bad guy?”
Would he only be called names?
He would also be stabbed.
“You’d die.”
At the Sword Saint’s single remark, Patrick shrugged and said.
“Well, then it can’t be helped.”
“……”
“A warrior speaks with his sword.”
“……”
“And while we’re at it, I wanted to determine the strongest on the continent…”
Excitement and anticipation showed on the Sword Saint’s face.
He knew he shouldn’t be in this position, but his heart was pounding.
And from Patrick’s mouth came the single phrase the Sword Saint desired most.
“Let’s have a match.”
“For the first time, you’ve said something I like.”
The duel to determine the strongest on the continent was thus arranged.
* * *
The time of the duel was the next morning.
It was decided to be held at the same time as the sun rose.
In fact, Patrick didn’t mind doing it right away, but the Sword Saint insisted on that time.
[I don’t want to leave any room for ‘what ifs’.]
He meant that he wanted to avoid a situation where he couldn’t display his full power because he was fighting in the dark.
It was a surprisingly weak-willed thing to say for someone of the Sword Saint’s stature.
But on the other hand, it also meant that the Sword Saint would be putting his all into this duel.
For that reason….
“We just have to wait here until the sun rises.”
“Oh, this is set up quite well.”
The barracks Patrick was guided to were so well-equipped that it was hard to believe they were in the middle of a war.
The floor was covered with a soft carpet, a bed had been brought in, and there was even a bathtub on one side.
“Tsk tsk tsk, this is why the higher-ups are…. They’re not here on a vacation to the battlefield, what are they doing?”
At Patrick’s words, the other person’s face turned red as he said.
“Don’t misunderstand. The facilities in this barracks are for when an envoy comes for talks or diplomacy during a war, just in case.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“That’s right. The Imperial Army, from the lowest-ranking soldier to the commander-in-chief, the Duke, all use standard military equipment for their meals and lodging.”
“Right. Well, I’ll believe you.”
It was a typical ‘I don’t believe you, but I’ll pretend to’ tone.
‘How can every single word he says grate on one’s nerves like this?’
Correct. Because he’s Patrick Schneider.
The knight, as if he didn’t want to deal with him anymore, turned his back roughly and went out of the barracks.
“I will call you when the sun rises tomorrow. Don’t even think of running away…”
“Ooh, there’s hot water too.”
What the speaking knight saw was the figure of Patrick, who had already thrown off his clothes and was filling the hot tub with water.
Right. He’s going to wash.
In the enemy camp, with a duel tomorrow, fighting the Sword Saint, he’s going to soak his body in hot water and take a bath with a carefree attitude.
“……”
‘Let’s not get involved anymore.’
There was a mountain of things he wanted to say, but the knight, who didn’t want to deal with him anymore, left.
The Sword Saint would make him pay the price for his arrogance as soon as the sun rose.
* * *
“It’s so warm.”
Patrick stretched his legs comfortably and enjoyed his bath, lying in the tub.
He hadn’t been able to wash because he had rushed over after persuading (physically) the Holy Theocracy, who had tried to stop him from going to the Imperial Army.
‘This is just right.’
Soaking his body in a spacious bathtub so leisurely….
“I’m craving a drink.”
Right. That’s just like you.
“Ahhh…. It was really nice when I went to the hot springs with my wife in my past life.”
Patrick clasped his hands behind his head and reminisced about the past.
A secret hot spring he had discovered during a mission.
He would sometimes go there with just his wife and deepen their marital affection.
“My wife, faintly revealed in the hazy steam, was so pretty. She wasn’t called the number one beauty of Sichuan for nothing.”
The corners of Patrick’s mouth crept up.
It was a smile that was not at all, not even a tiny bit, like a Great Master.
“Soaking my body in the hot water like that, with a glass of the Soul-Forgetting and Power-Dispersing Wine that my wife brewed herself, my mind would become hazy and…. huh?”
[Did you really not do anything at the brothel that time? Are you sure you only drank? Tell me honestly.]
“…Did that wench give her husband a truth serum?”
A serious sense of doubt about his marital life in his past life suddenly came over Patrick.
And at that moment….
“May I come in?”
A familiar voice was heard from outside the barracks.
This was a voice he knew.
So it was definitely…
“Come in. Hans.”
“…It’s Garcia Reynardo.”
The one who came into the barracks with a sigh was the Sword Saint’s grandson and the one who had fought… been beaten by Patrick in the Arcana finals, Garcia Reynardo.
“Just kidding. Just kidding. Of course, I remember your name.”
To the chuckling Patrick, Garcia sighed and said.
“Can we talk for a moment?”
“It’s a hassle. Go away.”
“It’s about my grandfather.”
“Yeah. It’s a hassle. Get lost.”
“……”
Garcia desperately calmed his hand, which was unconsciously moving towards the hilt of his sword.
Then he went out of the barracks for a moment and reappeared a few tens of minutes later.
“Why are you here again? It’s a hass…”
“Porland whiskey, 50 years old. It’s a top-class liquor that goes for about 100 gold a bottle at auction.”
“Welcome.”
The easy man, Patrick Schneider.
Garcia sighed and came inside.
It was worth the effort he had secretly put into gathering information about the Double Dragon.
Garcia, who had come inside like that, said.
“I have an idea about the reason why my grandfather is trying to continue this war so forcefully.”
“An idea, not a certainty?”
“I am certain.”
“Hmm…. So?”
“I would like you to know that fact.”
And Garcia tilted his glass and told him the secret of the Reynardo family.
It was a disgrace of the family and at the same time, a painful thorn embedded deep in the Sword Saint’s heart.
* * *
The sun rose.
Well, it was a daily occurrence.
But today’s sun was different in many ways.
“Finally.”
“Ugh…”
Not just the knights, but even the soldiers were visibly tense.
They had cleared a wide space in front of the Imperial Army’s camp and, to prevent any possible interference, had thoroughly searched the nearby area the previous night to be fully prepared.
On top of that, to show this duel to everyone, the mages had even set up a broadcast vision with a crystal ball.
Thanks to that, even those who couldn’t come close to the duel site could watch this historic duel through the images on the crystal balls installed throughout the camp.
All of this was prepared for the duel between the Sword Saint and the Double Dragon.
And the one who appeared, facing the morning sunlight directly, was….
“We greet the Duke!”
“We greet the Duke!”
The Sword Saint’s expression as he appeared, receiving the salute of the knightly order, was calm.
But the natural dignity felt from that calm appearance made one feel why this man was the strongest on the continent.
He first took his position and said.
“Has the Double Dragon not arrived yet?”
“No. We will bring him now.”
The knight who answered rushed off.
And a short while later….
“Ugh…. wait… wait a minute, I’ll walk on my own… uweeeek!”
A man with not a single bit of dignity appeared, being dragged by the arm by a knight.
That typical appearance of someone suffering from a hangover was broadcast to all 200,000 Imperial soldiers through the crystal balls.
‘What kind of person is that?’
‘What kind of person is that?’
A great achievement of uniting the hearts of a whopping 200,000 people was accomplished.
Not just anyone could do that.
* * *
“Ugh…. I’m gonna die.”
Looking at Patrick suffering from a hangover, the Sword Saint said.
“Are you alright?”
“No. I feel like I’m going to die.”
“……”
Looking at Patrick’s pale face, the Sword Saint thought.
So I have to have a duel with ‘this’ from now on.
With the title of the strongest on the continent at stake.
“Hahahaha…”
It was a Sword Saint who was deeply overcome by a sense of futility.