Chapter 10

[Proofreader – Prøks]Chapter 10: The Duke’s Trial (2)

*Creak*

As the iron bars opened, the full form of the Hellhound came into view.

Several chains restrained its neck.

If those chains were released, it would undoubtedly rush at me without hesitation.

“Now, the creature before you is known as a Hellhound, a being from the demonic realm. Ruthless and driven solely by the instinct to kill. However, the frontline is overflowing with even more monstrous beings than this.”

I know. Furthermore, among the beasts inhabiting the Lemea Valley, Hellhounds were among the lowest ranks.

“So, defeat that Hellhound here and now to prove yourself to me! If you do, I’ll permit you to accompany us to the frontline.”

To think he personally captured a creature from the demonic realm for this audacious kid.

Honestly, it’s quite touching.

Certainly, Eulken’s insight is accurate.

As the guardian of the continent, my father is a man of great discernment, worthy of the title.

He seeks to clearly define what qualities one must possess to join the frontline as a member of the Vert family.

Creatures from another realm that don’t exist anywhere on this continent.

Humans feel the greatest fear when they encounter the unknown.

An ordinary person would likely feel their legs weaken or even wet themselves just by seeing a monster.

I was the same at first, and it took quite some time to adjust.

But what about now?

It’s just a rampaging mutt.

Just a bit bigger, a bit more agile, with sharper and stronger teeth, that’s all?

Besides, for frontline knights, these kinds of dogs can be swept away with a single stroke of the sword, dozens at a time.

But if I were to encounter this monster for the first time, it would be a tougher trial than facing ten senior knights.

It’s through this trial that one can see how difficult it is to overcome the fear of these unknown creatures and that only by doing so can one truly qualify.

*Slicing sound*

I drew my sword without hesitation.

The knights kept a certain distance as a precaution.

They might serve as the last line of defense to prevent an irreversible situation.

Even if my safety is ensured, if those knights were to move, my frontline journey would be doomed.

Of course, it’s highly unlikely to happen, but…

*Clang*

Simultaneously with the signal, the chains restraining the Hellhound were released.

“Growl!”

It rushed forward, bellowing as if to assert its dominance.

*Thunk!*

I thrust my sword upwards, striking its fangs with force.

Despite recent strength training, I’m still no match for the Hellhound’s power.

Twisting my body slightly to dodge, it lunged forward.

“Grrrr…”

Despite the presence of other knights nearby, its gaze was fixed on me.

Instinctively recognizing me as the weakest link among them.

That might be the limit of such a lowly creature…

But I don’t want to show any signs of weakness.

Age doesn’t matter, nor does being a monster.

Proving myself to the fullest extent possible within my capabilities is the purpose of this trial.

I will end its breath with the next strike.

“Growl!”

I moved my body a step faster than the Hellhound.

With my sword lowered, I dashed forward, and as I approached, its mouth widened even more.

Finally, as the distance between us closed to one meter, I sidestepped and changed direction.

At the same time, I swung my sword diagonally, slashing across the Hellhound’s face.

*Squelch*

A deep cut appeared from its jaw to its nose.

“Kuaaah!”

It thrashed on the ground, screaming as if its throat would tear.

It must be agonizing, but it won’t last long.

*Thud*

I stabbed my sword into its throat as it attempted to rise again.

Despite its desperate struggles and loud cries, it didn’t last.

Blood gushed from between its mouth and throat, and soon its body slumped.

As soon as it was confirmed that its breath had ceased, I withdrew my sword.

Wiping the splattered blood from my face, I couldn’t help but taste it.

As expected, it’s fresh, probably because I just caught it…

***

Eulken, a guardian knight of the Knights of Light, watched the Trial of Cyan with genuine astonishment.

“He defeated the Hellhound?”

For the past month, he had received orders from the duke to protect Cyan, and he had faithfully carried out that mission.

There were additional reporting duties for any sudden or unusual movements, but in truth, he hadn’t reported much to the duke while observing Cyan.

At most, there was a mention of Alice’s visit to the mansion and a sparring session.

It’s not that he wasn’t diligent; there just wasn’t much to report.

During his observations, all he saw Cyan do was consistent strength training and sword practice.

Even during the sparring session three days ago, he refrained from reporting at Cyan’s request.

When Eulken learned that Cyan’s trial involved facing a Hellhound, he thought Cyan could easily pass.

The exceptional swordsmanship and confidence Cyan showed in their sparring gave Eulken the impression that he could face anything without fear.

To face the monsters of the demonic realm, one must have unwavering confidence, and Cyan displayed just that.

Perhaps he might struggle a bit, but I believed as long as he didn’t falter and continued to fight, he could surely defeat it.

But isn’t this too fast?

It took only a minute for Cyan to end the Hellhound’s life.

During that time, Cyan didn’t show any negative emotions like fear or dread.

He just recognized the creature before him as an enemy and killed it.

To put it bluntly, he played with it like a dog.

Watching Cyan quietly draw his sword, Eulken pondered.

A child who surpasses the first and even the second.

***

It feels like a waste to see the ground being stained with blood.

I could have easily consumed at least five liters of it…

I’m probably the only one who would lick my lips over the carcass of a monster.

As the knights were clearing the body, the duke approached me.

“Well done, Cyan!”

With a deep sigh, the duke praised me, who rarely applauded.

“Were you not afraid of the Hellhound?”

“It’s just that I saw it as an enemy that I needed to defeat, I didn’t feel any fear.”

Isn’t it strange to be afraid of a common hellhound from the demonic realm?

“Very well, as promised, I’ll allow you to accompany me to the frontline. I believe it will be a valuable experience for you!”

“Thank you, Father.”

“Is there anything else you desire? If you wish, I can provide you with a new weapon.”

“I’m still unfamiliar with weapons, Father. If you choose one for me, I’ll gratefully accept.”

“Very well, I’ll make sure to prepare something that suits your taste.”

What use could another weapon have now?

I already have the Divine Sword resting comfortably in my embrace…

There may be no immediate need for it, but receiving it wouldn’t hurt.

With the trial over, there was no reason to linger on this barren land.

I returned to the mansion by carriage, while the duke and the remaining knights returned to the frontline.

Once I finished preparing at the mansion, I too would head to the frontline.

It’s not that I particularly missed it, but I suppose it holds some nostalgic memories?

For some reason, I feel a sense of nostalgia creeping in.

[Quite an interesting event happened while I was asleep, huh?]

Suddenly, Kaeram, fully manifested, appeared as I woke up. Sᴇaʀᴄh the NʘvᴇlFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

[Judging by the smell of blood, it seems you’ve caught the Hellhound, but it seems like you had a bit of a struggle, huh?]

“Well, I had to fight while hiding my strength, so yeah, it was a bit of a struggle.”

[You put on quite a show. So, is it confirmed that it’s the frontline or something? Can I fly around freely now?]

“Hmm… I suppose?”

Though I threw out a somewhat uncertain response, Kaeram was already consumed by anticipation.

In reality, I couldn’t be sure if I could fly freely there as well. I would have to assess the situation.

[Hey, Master. I was thinking while I was asleep…]

“What?”

[What was I doing in my past life when you died? Moreover, the one who killed you was the owner of the Holy Sword, right? If that’s the case, there’s no way I wouldn’t have sensed their evil intentions, right?]

Hmm, where should I start explaining this?

Certainly, if Kaeram’s personality had existed at the time, I wouldn’t have died so easily.

I would have urged you to come to your senses and fight, even if I had to slap you awake.

“In your past life, you fought fiercely with me.”

[Why?]

“Why? Because you were trying to suppress that urge to devour me out of nowhere. I bet I considered throwing you into a lava pit dozens of times back then.”

[Isn’t it difficult to handle such a charming cursed dagger like me? So what?]

“When I found you, it was during the height of the war with the demons. I was on the verge of life and death, and I had to tame you. Thanks to you being so wild, I was able to adapt quickly, but…”

Honestly, considering the number of demons Kaeram faced back then, it would easily be tens of thousands.

Looking back, you could say they sacrificed themselves so that I wouldn’t be consumed by Kaeram.

“By the way, it was both you and me who relentlessly pursued the Demon King until the end. Well, in the end, it was the Holy Sword that dealt the final blow…”

[You call that boasting? Why was it snatched away at the end?]

“It wasn’t snatched away, I just gave it to him. At the time, I thought it was the right thing to do.”

Looking back now, it was quite foolish and regrettable.

[That’s absurd!? The thing I hate most in the world is having my prey stolen! But you allowed it? Me?]

“There was no need for permission or objection. You disappeared along with the Demon King’s Death Sword.”

[What?!]

I instinctively covered my ears at the sudden exclamation.

Of course, it went unheard by the knights outside.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Why did I disappear?”

At that time, the Demon King wielded the infamous Death Sword, the worst weapon known.

He augmented his power by gathering the souls and consciousnesses of humans and demons who died in the war, and Aschel, who had not fully unleashed the power of the Holy Sword, couldn’t match him.

In the end, it was up to me to handle it from start to finish.

Even if it meant sacrificing her own personality, Kaeram resolved to defeat him, directly clashing with the soul of the Death Sword, ultimately succeeding in halving its power.

It was the result of her strong determination to kill even at the cost of her own personality.

While we did succeed in killing the Demon King, losing the greatest companion I could never meet again in my life made it far from a success.

Kaeram, grasping the situation, wore a complex and subtle expression.

[So I didn’t lose after all, did I?]

“That’s right, ultimately the Demon King died, and the Death Sword was destroyed.”

[Alright, I can understand that given my personality, unable to tolerate such situations…. But!]

Just when it seemed like she was accepting, she suddenly pushed her face close to mine.

[If such a situation were to happen again, never sacrifice me. I cannot tolerate the idea of my owner dying in a place where I’m not present.]

There was genuine anger in her eyes.

“Huh? Didn’t expect someone who seemed so eager to devour me to have such feelings.”

[Don’t get it twisted. I just don’t want to see my prey taken away by others.]

Quite sensible, I suppose.

Well, I also don’t want her to sacrifice herself again.

[Even if the Demon King were to appear before me right now, such a thing wouldn’t happen.]

“Don’t be so cocky. What if that Demon King actually showed up?”

[Well, wouldn’t that be interesting in its own way?]

Seeing my carefree expression, Kaeram shook her head.

But they say you have to be careful with your words in life.

Words spoken thoughtlessly can sow seeds and bear fruit,

And at that moment, I was momentarily forgetting that important truth.

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