Reformation of the Deadbeat Noble - Chapter 236

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Dionysus

Chapter 236: Time to Prove Yourself (3)

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‘I need to warn him sternly. We need to pressure him so he never acts on his own again... even if it’s a little excessive.’

Darin Holton, a member of the Second Demon Subjugation Force and a master of Holy Magic, recalled what Darin had said before arriving here.

At the time, there had been no reason to think otherwise.

Even if Airen was a Sword Master, he was still a young swordsman not yet in his mid-twenties.

It was only natural to think that, while he might be able to handle Demonoids, he would fall far short against demons of unimaginable strength.

Of course, Darin’s thoughts had now changed completely.

‘A demon! No, it’s a remnant of a demon!’

‘It’s already been subjugated?’

‘The demon’s lingering will... is running away? What in the world...?’

This was by no means a weak demon. Demonic aura strong enough to turn blue Holy Water dark red belonged to a being too powerful for ordinary Masters to handle.

Yet Airen had not only subjugated that monster, he had frightened it so badly that it fled without even leaving a curse behind.

The answer soon became clear.

Quincy Myers versus Airen Farreira.

Watching their match, Darin Holton had no choice but to admit it. No choice but to understand.

The young swordsman’s judgment had been correct.

His actions had not been rash. They had simply been born from confidence.

‘He’s already complete.’

Darin looked around.

The elderly knights of the Purification Order came into view. They had retired long ago, yet still looked vigorous.

Their bodies may have aged, but each possessed enough Aura and holy power to support Darin with room to spare.

Every one of them was a powerhouse worthy of comparison with the heroes of old.

He was not lacking.

He was not insufficient.

Yet Airen’s presence was every bit as solid and stable as theirs, without the slightest shortcoming.

“Thank you. And... I’m sorry.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’d like to postpone joining the subjugation force.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ve realized how lacking I am.”

“...!”

That was why Darin Holton, one of the highest-ranking priests, could hardly believe their ears.

He had realized he was lacking?

Who was lacking?

That young man?

‘What kind of nonsense is that...?’

Frowning, Darin took a few steps forward.

It was absurd.

Not that it was completely incomprehensible.

Everyone here, including Quincy Myers, was a Paladin of exceptional skill. They had risen to positions where they would be treated with the utmost respect anywhere on the continent.

It was not particularly strange for Airen to humble himself a little before them.

‘But excessive humility becomes disrespect.’

Darin Holton shook their head.

The world was filled with darkness. Great chaos, perhaps one that would be recorded in history, was right around the corner.

There was no time for wordplay. Darin was about to demand that Airen stop talking nonsense and join them immediately.

But Darin could not.

Quincy Myers raised an arm, stopping Darin.

Darin barely restrained a fiery temper as another question came from the former Red Knight Commander.

“What are you lacking?”

The voice was emotionless.

Still, it carried weight.

That was only natural.

Only a few months ago, Airen had stubbornly insisted that he wanted to join the subjugation force. Now, he was saying something entirely different.

It could have sounded as if he took Quincy Myers, and even the Holy Kingdom, lightly.

But...

Airen still had to say it.

His conversation with Lord Lloyd had made him realize something.

Until now, he had been turning away from those close to him.

He had neglected the people most precious to him. He had failed them.

Because of that, he too had fallen short. He had realized it far too late.

‘The ideals that lie far away are important too, but before that, I need to devote myself more fully to those around me.’

Before becoming a hero who saved the continent, he had to become a good son to his parents.

Before becoming a warrior who subjugated demons, he had to become a good older brother to Kiril.

He had to become a good friend.

A good disciple.

Only after he poured enough of his heart into what he had overlooked, into the paths his heart had failed to flow toward... only then would he earn the right to join the Demon Subjugation Force.

Airen had finally realized it, though it had taken him far too long.

‘No. It’s not too late.’

Having slowly but fully laid out his thoughts before Quincy Myers, Airen recalled the past.

His life had been a mess, filled with mistakes.

Yet when he looked back, he had never truly been too late.

Even after wasting ten years in bed, he had been given a chance.

Even after being trapped in the Sorcery Barrier for five years, there had still been a way to repair his relationships.

It was the same now.

Airen’s eyes, filled with a belief bordering on certainty, fixed firmly on the leader of the Demon Subjugation Force.

“I’m sorry once again. But... for those reasons, I don’t think I can join the subjugation force right away.”

“...”

“Instead, I’ll return having grown far stronger.”

Thunk!

Airen drove his Greatsword into the ground and swore upon it.

Quincy Myers silently watched him.

So did everyone else.

The Purification Order’s Paladins, nearly a hundred years old, Darin Holton in their relatively young seventies, and the other high-ranking priests could not offer a single rebuttal to their young junior’s words.

Still, the mood was not bad.

“...The demon subjugation has ended, so why don’t you rest in the territory for now? We can continue our unfinished conversation there.”

Lord Lloyd broke the silence.

After considering it for a moment, the commander of the subjugation force nodded.

The expression remained blank, but the attitude had softened.

And so, the demon subjugation came to a safe conclusion.

Along with far greater hope than anyone had expected.

* * *

“I underestimated Airen.”

Inside a large room, Quincy Myers glanced over the members of the subjugation force and muttered while drinking tea.

The others felt the same. The elderly members nodded, Airen Farreira’s words lingering in their minds.

‘We all went through it once.’

They too had once devoted their lives to enduring trials, following their god’s noble will and upholding great teachings.

But they eventually came to realize something.

That losing the present while becoming obsessed with lofty ideals was not right.

That their god never wished for the faithful to live days filled only with suffering.

That was why Airen’s words had been even more surprising.

At only twenty-three, he had not only embraced a grand purpose, but had also found his center again without becoming bound by it.

It was a mindset remarkable enough to make one believe he had lived two lives.

“It’s a shame, but it can’t be helped. We’ll just have to work a little harder.”

“That’s right.”

“It’s not as though things are so dire that we need to borrow the hands of a child like him.”

The elderly members of the subjugation force spoke one after another.

Of course, they were still disappointed.

The situation was not as optimistic as they made it sound.

Thorough investigations and reports from all over had revealed something.

There were far more creatures believed to be servants of the Jester Demon scattered across the continent than expected, and over a far wider area.

There was also a high chance that several unrelated demons existed apart from the Jester Demon.

Nothing disastrous had happened yet.

Unless they all awakened at once and caused trouble, the Demon Subjugation Force, divided into three groups, could handle things for now.

Support from the nations across the continent had also been of great help.

Even so, someone with Airen Farreira’s strength joining the subjugation force would have been a tremendous asset...

‘The junior who will bear the continent’s future is asking for a little time to grow...’

‘As seniors, we can’t afford to sound weak.’

Smiles appeared on the elders’ faces.

They had thought he was a hero who was nearly complete.

He had already grown so strong for his age that they believed his next leap would not come for at least another decade.

The higher one’s level became, the taller the wall one had to overcome.

But that was not the case.

His growth was still ongoing, and his potential was so vast that there was no telling where it ended.

Just as hopeful thoughts filled the minds of everyone in the Second Demon Subjugation Force...

Knock, knock.

“May I come in?”

“...Come in.”

Quincy Myers answered.

Quincy Myers had known who it was before the door even opened.

The kindhearted Lord Lloyd’s son, one of Krono Fencing Hall’s Golden Cohort, the young swordsman Brett Lloyd.

Curiosity appeared on the elders’ faces.

After bowing politely to them, the blue-haired young swordsman spoke to the former Red Knight Commander.

“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, I’d like to ask for an instructional spar.”

“...”

“I know it’s rude to make such a request of someone who’ll leave after resting for only one night. I also know this is an excessive request from someone far beneath your level. But...”

“As the person who will one day become Lord of House Lloyd, I simply cannot let this opportunity pass.”

Brett Lloyd paused to catch a breath, then continued to reveal what was in his heart.

A demon had appeared in the territory.

When Brett heard those words, the helplessness was indescribable.

It was a shock and despair so deep that Brett could not even remember the days spent confident that everything was going well, that Brett would never lose composure before anyone.

Brett did not show it outwardly, but Brett’s heart had been as unstable as during the Final Evaluation at the fencing hall.

Of course, Brett had not collapsed like before.

Knowing it was an unreasonable request, Brett had entered the demon’s lair with Airen. By good fortune, Brett had broken through that wall.

After surpassing those limits, Brett’s growth had gained momentum. Every day brought the feeling of growing stronger.

But Brett could not be satisfied.

“I don’t dare think of joining the subjugation force.”

“...”

“But when an unexpected disaster comes, I want to be able to protect the territory and its people. I want to reach at least the point where I can endure against a demon until support from the Holy Kingdom arrives... Please.”

Brett Lloyd spoke with his head lowered, then looked directly at the commander of the subjugation force.

Those eyes burned far more fiercely than usual.

It was neither bravado nor impatience.

It was the mindset a lord should naturally possess, a noble value most nobles had forgotten. Quincy Myers could sense it.

“Hm.”

Darin Holton let out an uncomfortable groan.

Darin could understand someone like Airen Farreira.

But this young swordsman, even younger than Airen, was directly asking the former Red Knight Commander for an instructional spar. How was that any different from an Expert teaching swordsmanship to a child of six or seven?

But that thought was wiped away the moment Quincy Myers spoke.

“How long has it been since you became a Master?”

“...Not even a month.”

“That’s not bad for someone at that stage. Follow me.”

“Yes.”

“...?”

Darin Holton and the other high-ranking priests all stared blankly.

A Sword Master?

That young swordsman too?

Hadn’t they said Brett had only just turned twenty-one?

While they remained unable to process it, the Purification Order’s elderly knights followed Quincy Myers with amused smiles.

It did not end there. A Paladin as old as the commander of the subjugation force whispered to Quincy Myers.