WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Dionysus
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Chapter 240: How Dare You (2)
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The Hall Master of Joseph Fencing Hall.
As the seventh person to inherit the glorious name Joseph, he was regarded as one of the strongest Sword Masters on the western continent.
Age had mellowed him now, but until twenty years ago, he had been a fighter who made his name known far and wide through countless sparring matches. He also had considerable experience with Demonoid Subjugation.
He was a veteran who had fought through countless battles.
That was why Joseph would not be shaken merely because some young people were arguing outside House Lindsay.
The same held true even if one of them was Bill Staunton, Adan Kingdom's famously foolish troublemaker.
Yet the moment Joseph saw the young man standing awkwardly behind the young woman, his thoughts changed completely.
Bright blond hair that seemed to have absorbed the sunlight.
A kind-looking face and gentle eyes.
In contrast, a perfectly balanced body, sturdy and strong from tremendous training.
'The champion of the Proof Land!'
Of course, he was likely no longer the champion. Joseph had heard that Airen left Aienmarc immediately after claiming the title.
But that did not matter.
What mattered was the sword duel that had remained in Joseph's mind for more than a year.
'My heart still races whenever I think of that day.'
Joseph had seen countless battles in his life.
He had fought innumerable people who strutted around calling themselves strong, and had faced many dangerous battles against Masters.
Even so, the duel between Illia Lindsay and that young man had been so fierce and thrilling that it made him clench his fists.
It was not because they had been the top student and runner-up of Krono Fencing Hall.
Their skill and fighting spirit, far beyond their years, had made an eighty-year-old man's blood boil for the first time in a long while.
'To think I'd see Airen Farreira here...'
Joseph looked at him with interest.
Ever since his comet-like appearance in Aienmarc, speculation about where he would go next had swept across the western continent.
Contrary to most expectations, though, Airen had remained completely quiet until recently.
That made this chance encounter all the more welcome.
“Hmph.”
“Hah.”
“Ha.”
“Heh!”
Of course, while Joseph was thinking all that, the childish spat between the gray-haired Bill Staunton and Kiril Farreira continued.
'What on earth are they doing?'
Unable to watch any longer, someone from Joseph Fencing Hall approached them.
More precisely, Anton approached Bill Staunton, the troublemaker from House Staunton.
Anton knew Bill was not a cruel person.
Still, his arrogance and pride made him pick fights wherever he went, and Anton was certain this argument was Bill's fault as well.
“That's enough. Hurry up and apologize to the lady.”
“Ah, Anton. It's been a while. But what is this? You're scolding me without even hearing what happened?”
“Do I need to hear it? It must be your fault.”
“That's right. He was rude to us first.”
“Good grief. This is absurd...”
Bill looked around in disbelief after hearing Kiril's words.
The gatekeeper was looking at him coldly.
The people from Joseph Fencing Hall were looking at him coldly.
Even his own guards were not on his side.
With the aggrieved expression of a child whose candy had been taken away, he explained the situation to Anton.
“No, listen to me.”
“I'm listening.”
“What day is the day after tomorrow? Isn't it the banquet celebrating the birthday of Joshua Lindsay, the head of House Lindsay?”
'So that's why there were so many people!'
Airen nodded.
He was still puzzled, though. He had heard that House Lindsay had not held a banquet even once since Carl Lindsay disappeared.
'Could it mean that the pain from back then has finally faded?'
Perhaps it was because his friend, Illia Lindsay, had overcome her old wounds.
The thought crossed his mind.
Joy bloomed in his heart.
He felt like entering the lord's castle at once and calling for Illia.
“And? What does that have to do with you laughing at us as you walked past?”
Kiril did not feel the same way.
She was still angry and baffled.
How could he be so confident after picking a fight first?
She could not understand it at all, but the answer came quickly.
Frowning, Bill gestured unpleasantly at Kiril, then at Airen behind her.
“On this joyous day, when outside guests are permitted to visit House Lindsay for the first time in eight years, you intend to cross its threshold dressed in such shabby clothes.”
“......”
“As a cultured noble representing Adan Kingdom, I simply could not overlook such a sight.”
Anton, the swordsman from Joseph Fencing Hall, shook his head at Bill's answer.
It was an utterly pathetic reason.
Of course, Bill was not entirely wrong.
Even Anton thought Kiril and Airen were dressed a little too casually.
On top of that, there was even a cat that shed heavily perched on someone's shoulder. Sensitive people could certainly frown at that.
Still, it did not justify openly sneering at them and picking a fight.
'I should mediate this properly. As he said, this is House Lindsay's first banquet in a long time. We can't let an unpleasant incident happen.'
At the very least, he could not let them continue fighting in front of the gate.
Just then, the blond young woman took something from her pocket and held it to her chest.
Her clothes changed completely in a flash of bright light.
Fwaaaash!
Her comfortable everyday clothes vanished, and a beautiful woman in an elegant, striking red dress appeared before them.
Bill stared with his mouth open.
“Uh, ah...”
“No problem now, right?”
“......”
“If you're judging by appearances alone, I think I look much better now. As for you... sigh, what's the point of even saying it?”
“Th-this...”
“No, it isn't just about appearances. Instead of acting high and mighty because you're a noble and caring only about how you look, I suggest you cultivate some inner beauty too. Come on, brother.”
“Wait.”
Bill blocked Kiril as she took Airen's hand and began walking forward.
He was quite handsome, but the way his nostrils flared in agitation made him look pathetic.
'He really is pathetic.'
Kiril snickered, thinking that to herself, then asked, “Why?”
“Uh...”
Bill fell into thought.
He knew the truth. If they had committed one offense, he had committed three or four.
But his pride would not let him apologize now.
Honestly, he had never expected a brief snort to grow into something this big.
More than anything, the woman's continued insults were unbearably irritating.
'Isn't there some noble way to soothe my anger without losing face, but without letting this get any bigger? No, if Father hears about this, he'll scold me again... And now that I look at her again, she's incredibly beautiful. Is there any way to improve our relationship? Ah! But I don't want to be the one who gives in first!'
All kinds of thoughts tangled in Bill's mind.
At that moment, Joseph, who had remained quiet until then, suddenly stepped between them.
“I think I understand the situation well enough.”
“Huh? Hall Master?”
“...?”
“Ah, my apologies. I introduced myself late. I am Joseph, the owner of Joseph Fencing Hall.”
“...Hello. I'm Kiril Farreira.”
Kiril offered a brief greeting.
She could not continue acting like a troublemaker when the other person was being polite.
Besides, she had heard plenty about Joseph's reputation. He was a Sword Master respected by many.
'...Come to think of it, I got too worked up. I came here to bring Illia and my brother together. I shouldn't have acted like this.'
Regret rose in Kiril's heart.
She let out a breath.
Her anger had not faded, but she felt it was time to step back.
Master Joseph had personally stepped in to mediate. She could not keep glaring at Bill.
Yet Joseph's next words were completely different from what she expected.
“I think both sides are somewhat at fault. If you part ways awkwardly like this, the resentment between you will only deepen. So why not have a proper swordsmanship spar and clear the air?”
“Excuse me?”
“Huh?”
“Ah, of course, I am not asking Miss Kiril to step forward. The young man behind you, are you Miss Kiril's brother?”
“Huh? Ah, yes.”
“And a swordsman as well.”
“...That's right.”
“What do you say? Would you be willing to take up your sword in your sister's stead?”
'What is this supposed to mean?'
Bill, who had been watching the situation, looked baffled.
He was often told that he was still immature at thirty-one because he caused a little, just a little more trouble than most people.
Yet despite that reputation, he was confident he could defeat anyone his age in swordsmanship.
After all, even in Adan Kingdom, famed for its swordsmanship, he was considered one of its most promising young talents.
'He has the body of someone who's trained quite a bit, but...'
Airen still looked no older than his early twenties.
That meant he was probably not even an Expert yet, which also meant he could never be Bill's opponent.
No matter how offended he was, he could not swing his sword at someone weaker than him.
He opened his mouth to reject Joseph's proposal.
Or rather, he was about to.
Snicker.
Kiril's laughter came at the perfect moment.
It struck Bill's pride hard.
“...If he agrees, then let's do it.”
“Hoho, I like that spirit. What about you, young man?”
“Brother, you'll show him, right?”
“Huh? Uh, uh...”
“Hall Master?”
The swordsmen from Joseph Fencing Hall, who had been standing behind them blankly, cried out in surprise at the spar that had been arranged in an instant.
Their Hall Master was encouraging a fight instead of stopping one. Given his usual disposition, it was difficult to understand.
'Forgive me, Bill.'
Joseph smiled and apologized to Bill inwardly.
Still, he could not help it.
He was too curious about Airen's current skill. He wanted to find some excuse to see him draw his sword.
'With talent like that... he may have grown tremendously over the past year. I can't contain my excitement.'
Joseph's smile deepened. It was an innocent smile, like a child's.
It was not his own battle, but someone else's.
And it was a battle between young people.
How long had it been since that alone made him feel excited?
The eighty-year-old man clenched his fists at the rush of excitement he had not felt in a long time, then stepped back.
In the meantime, Bill drew his sword and warned Airen.
“I am Bill Staunton, the lone wolf of House Staunton and the gray swordsman who will one day carry Adan Kingdom's future on his shoulders.”
“......”
“Don't be frightened. I'll go easy on you. Are you not going to introduce yourself?”
“...I'm Airen Farreira, from the Hale Kingdom.”
“Good. Let me warn you in advance. I will go easy on you, but my sword is naturally strong and fast, so I cannot say what might happen. You should face me with everything you have.”
“......”
“Can you not hear me? Promise me that you will give it your all.”
“...All right.”
“Good. Ah! Now that I think about it, you don't have a sword. You there, give that young man a sword...”
The moment he spoke to one of his guards, a golden Greatsword grew from the hand of his sparring opponent, Airen Farreira.
Swoosh!
Bill made a stupid sound at the unexpected sight.
“Huh?”
That was not the end.
Hummmmmm!
Golden energy covered the golden blade.
It was a brilliant Aura Sword, so unmistakable that no one could possibly mistake it for anything else.
Bill stared blankly, then noticed the black cat floating behind Airen.
'A flying cat?'
'Airen Farreira?'
'A sword that grew out of thin air...'
'Hale Kingdom?'
“Ah!”
The pieces fell into place far too late.
Bill's body trembled with betrayal as he turned an aggrieved gaze toward Hall Master Joseph.
“Not even a little afraid, are you?”
Step. Step.
The gates of House Lindsay had opened.
A middle-aged man walked out with a sword in hand.
Silver hair, soft as though it held moonlight.
An overwhelming presence that made the air around him cold.
Joshua Lindsay, looking sharper than usual, ignored Bill and stopped in front of Airen.
“You've grown a lot, Airen. How dare you raise an Aura Sword in front of House Lindsay.”
“Um, uh... h-happy birthday.”
Airen immediately dismissed his sword and offered a polite greeting.
Joshua's gaze did not change.
Looking at him with freezing cold eyes, he asked, “Is that true?”
“Excuse me?”
“I asked if you really came to celebrate my birthday.”
“Of course I did...”
“Or did you come because you wanted to see my daughter?”
“......”
“......”
“......”
“Draw your sword, Airen.”
“Um, wait a moment...”
Airen was flustered.
Kiril was dumbfounded.
Lulu flew anxiously around them.
Bill stood there awkwardly like a fifth wheel.
Amid the chaos, Hall Master Joseph smiled to himself.
'This is turning out to be much more interesting than I expected.'
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