WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

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◈ Reformation of the Deadbeat Noble

Chapter 187

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What Happened (1)

Illia Lindsay had spent her whole life under the eyes of others.

The name of House Lindsay, her talent with the sword, the beauty that had bloomed in her since childhood, all of it had made sure of that.

At first she hadn't minded much. But after her brother Carl Lindsay's spirit broke, that changed.

'So he never recovered, in the end.'

'And here I thought he'd grow into the genius who'd carry the whole continent someday.'

'Illia Lindsay? Impressive talent, sure, but isn't she a bit lacking too...'

'She seemed soft-hearted, too.'

No kind words reached her after that.

No friendly looks either.

After she lost her brother, everything that reached Illia's ears was just people running their mouths about her house and about her, however they pleased.

That was why the expression had vanished from her face.

She hid her feelings and put on a courteous, proper front in every situation, all so the crowd, circling like hyenas waiting for a chance to sink their teeth in, would never find an opening.

To that Illia, the words Judith had thrown at her the first time they'd met in years were a flat, offhand curse.

'Are you an idiot?'

'What?'

'You're being an idiot. Why do you even care what they think? Doesn't it choke you up? How long are you going to keep living like that, watching everyone's face?'

'But...'

'No, listen. Those people are going to say the same garbage no matter what you do. Even if you became the greatest swordsman in the universe, not just the continent, split oceans and leveled mountains, they'd still talk behind your back. You think they wouldn't?'

'...'

She couldn't say otherwise.

That was why Judith had taught her to curse.

If people were going to tear into her no matter what she did, there was no point trying to look good for them.

Better to just curse them out instead. At least her chest would feel lighter.

'Of course, I never actually meant to use it...'

In the frozen air of the banquet hall, Illia thought back to that memory.

Thanks to Judith's special training, her mouth had gotten a lot filthier than it used to be.

But just now, the curse hadn't been intentional.

With someone like Brett or Judith, close friends with no formalities between them, maybe. But her heart still wasn't unlocked enough to spill out in front of a crowd of strangers like that.

At least, that was what she'd thought.

She'd been wrong.

It was mortifying, embarrassing. The curse had slipped out on its own, and the stunned looks, the shocked faces around her, weighed on her painfully.

She felt something hot churning inside her, like steam.

But mixed in with it, why did she also feel a strange thread of satisfaction?

'...Not entirely bad, actually.'

That was why Illia let out another curse.

"****."

A flinch.

The reaction came again.

Not dramatic, but plainly visible.

The people who'd spent years judging her however they liked now wore identical looks of stunned confusion, or cleared their throats awkwardly, unable to hide it.

On any other day, that sight would have felt like unbearable pressure.

But not now.

Smiling faintly, Illia glanced at Airen Farreira and Lulu, then spoke in a clear voice.

"Airen, shall we sit?"

"Huh? Y, yeah..."

"Lulu, I'll pick up your Sorcery wand. You worked hard on it, wouldn't do to drop it."

"Y, yeah..."

It wasn't only the nobles of Lavath and Phalanke who looked startled.

Their allies from Calven's side, even Airen and Lulu, all wore the same dazed expression.

Deputy Commander Amira Shelton had no idea how to handle the situation and was clearly rattled, while the knight commander just laughed it off, easy and unbothered.

Of course, that laugh wasn't quite as empty as it looked.

Small, easy to miss, but Calven's knight commander Gregory Griffin's eyes sharpened with a keen light.

'This is awkward, no question. But the pressure on their side is going to be worse than ours.'

The reason behind Illia's curse was obvious enough.

If gossip like that had already reached his own ears, there was no way someone who'd reached the rank of Master hadn't heard it too.

Lavath and Phalanke's people probably couldn't deny it either.

So how would they respond?

Would they let it slide without picking a fight?

Not bad, that. No harm done, and they'd claw back some ground in a contest of nerve they'd been losing all along.

Would they push back instead?

Annoying, but also not bad. If they weren't willing to pretend they hadn't seen every disrespect shown to a Sword Master, and House Lindsay's precious daughter no less, then Calven had plenty to say on the matter too.

Better yet, if they handled this well and smoothed Illia Lindsay's mood, it might open the door to good relations with House Lindsay.

'Still... I never expected the girl known for her calm, mature manner to curse like that.'

Having finished his thoughts, the Calven knight commander laughed again, easy as ever.

No one was looking at him.

Every gaze in the room still hung on Illia Lindsay, now seated.

No one could tear their eyes from the silver-haired young woman, calmly focused on her conversation with the seat beside her, Airen Farreira, as if nothing at all had happened.

In the uncomfortable stillness, awkward coughs broke out here and there.

A moment later, looking like he'd been pushed forward by that very sound, Perry Martinez started walking toward Illia.

Even amid all the confusion, his gaze landed on her with sharp intensity.

House Lindsay's gifted daughter didn't back down either.

She turned her head and met his eyes evenly, and though her expression hadn't changed from before, something colder radiated from it now.

Watching this unfold, the knight commander let out that same good-natured laugh of his.

Then he turned to the side and spoke.

"Amira, relax."

"Yes! Huh, no, wait, what did I..."

"I told you I'd handle this, didn't I? Don't worry about it. Eat a little later. You'll choke if you try now."

"Ah, um... yes. Understood."

Having calmed Amira Shelton with a few words, he strode quickly toward Illia.

Even so, a bigger blunder wouldn't sit well with Calven right now.

What could he say to give that little sorceress a proper headache?

Gregory Griffin was running through his options quickly when it happened.

Right in the heart of the otherwise silent banquet hall, something changed.

Vwooooommm.

A vibrating hum drew every eye in the room.

At the same moment, empty space split cleanly down the middle, vertically.

Brilliant golden light spilled out, as if someone had slashed open a dark curtain with a sword. Everyone's eyes went wide at the astonishing sight.

Airen Farreira and Lulu were no exception.

The only difference was, having gone through something similar once before, they already knew what would come next.

Sure enough, just as they expected, the golden portal stretched into an oval and began pouring people out.

Clank, clank.

The sound of steel boots striking marble rang out again and again.

It was the sound of fully armed knights, as if they were marching straight into a battle.

Black cloaks, and the mark near each of their hearts, told everyone exactly who they were. Members of the Black Knight Order of the Holy Kingdom, Abilius.

Only then did the nobles who'd been on edge breathe a sigh of relief.

Not that their interest faded, of course.

One of the Three Great Military Organizations of Abilius, said to be the mightiest nation on the continent.

And its commander was about to appear.

From orphan, to mercenary captain, to commander of a superpower's knight order, a woman whose life read like a legend. Ignet Crescentia.

Anticipating her arrival, everyone in the hall stopped what they were doing and kept their eyes fixed on the golden portal.

Whoosh.

Whoosh.

Black Knight Order members kept emerging the whole time.

Five, ten, fifteen, twenty.

Even in that spacious hall, the room felt like it was filling up fast. Knights from all three kingdoms let out low groans.

The sheer weight of presence radiating off them pressed down hard on everyone's chest.

But the figure who came out next broke that oppressive mood completely, jarring and out of place in the best way.

A girl in a black dress, wearing makeup far too heavy for her age.

People stared at her, puzzled, and she went right on saying whatever she wanted, paying them no mind at all.

"Oh? Messed up. I was trying to make the portal outside the hall."

"You wouldn't mess up if you didn't skimp on Sorcery gold coins. Pay properly next time, even if it stings."

"If I can save money, I should save money!"

"Never mind, forget I said anything."

A gray-haired knight walked out right behind the girl.

The swordsmen of the three kingdoms tensed at the sight of his lazy, half-lidded face.

Unlike the girl in the dress, this one they recognized. A man who, like Ignet, had earned the rank of vice commander through sheer skill.

'Georgu Poive... a Master, wasn't it.'

Perry Martinez narrowed his eyes at the appearance of a heavyweight, one of only a hundred such figures on the whole continent, and the other powerful figures present tensed up as well.

There was no helping it. The Holy Kingdom's forces were allies for now, but before that, they were rivals who'd be splitting the spoils.

Sizing up their strength only made sense.

Of course.

Whoosh.

Snap.

That kind of pointless measuring of strength came to a complete stop the moment the portal spat out its final passenger and vanished.

Third in the military ranking of the Holy Kingdom.

Black Knight Commander Ignet Crescentia.

As her gaze swept the room, most people found themselves looking away, down or to the side.

Fwaaash.

What kind of presence does true strength give off?

It differed from person to person, but broadly speaking, it split into two types.

Those so unremarkable that even a fair judge of skill wouldn't notice them, and those whose presence hit like a physical weight the instant you laid eyes on them.

Ignet belonged firmly to the latter.

People with weak nerves couldn't even meet her eyes properly, as if staring straight into blinding light.

"..."

Not everyone reacted that way, of course.

The strongest among the strong.

Among them, someone who'd given his whole life to the sword, Phalanke's finest knight, Sevion Brooks, showed a completely different reaction from the ordinary crowd.

'My hands are shaking.'

His heart pounded. Hot blood surging through his body told him exactly how he felt, how excited he was.

Truly, she was like the sun.

Someone the weak couldn't even approach, but who lit a fire in the hearts of the strong, people like himself, without mercy.

'I want to cross swords with her.'

A step forward.

Sevion Brooks, unable to hide the feeling on his face, stepped forward.

He knew she was much younger than him. It didn't matter.

He knew she came from a far greater power than his own homeland. That didn't matter either.

Between one swordsman and another, none of that amounted to any real obstacle.

At least, that was what he believed in that moment, and to see that belief through, he kept walking, without pause, toward the Black Knight Commander of the Holy Kingdom.

But...

"..."

Ignet Crescentia's gaze wasn't fixed on Sevion Brooks.

Neither were her footsteps. She walked right past Phalanke's finest knight as if he were nothing more than air, moving toward a corner of the hall.

Naturally, everyone's eyes followed.

And once again, they all found themselves holding their breath.

"You've changed, haven't you. Quite a bit."

"..."

"Tell me. What happened... while I wasn't around."

Ignet Crescentia looked at him with a gaze as hot as the sun.

Meeting that gaze head on, Airen Farreira rose from his seat.

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