Reformation of the Deadbeat Noble - Chapter 242

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Dionysus

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 242: How Dare You (4)

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“...”

Good heavens.

There was no better way to describe the current situation than Hall Master Joseph's words.

Who was Joshua Lindsay?

Among the heads of the Five Great Sword Houses in the western part of the continent, he was known as both the youngest and the most skilled, a powerhouse among powerhouses.

And now, a young man barely past twenty was withstanding dozens of exchanges with him.

“Hall Master.”

“...Speak.”

“Was that young man... Sir Airen Farreira always that skilled?”

“...Ha ha.”

Hall Master Joseph laughed.

He had not been.

Absolutely not.

Airen had been impressive a year ago, of course, but even then, he had only barely reached the threshold of Sword Master.

At least in Joseph's view, his victory over Illia Lindsay had largely been the result of luck and sheer persistence.

But what about now?

The density of his Aura Sword had become absurdly high.

His control of it was incomparably smoother than before.

In every other regard, in every aspect of swordsmanship, he had shown maddening growth.

It was as though...

“...I'm looking at an entirely different person.”

The others beside the astonished Hall Master Joseph wore equally disbelieving expressions.

Every genius they had known, every genius they had imagined, had been wiped from their minds.

All before the brilliant name of Airen Farreira.

“...”

Yet someone was even more surprised than they were.

Joshua Lindsay.

Unlike those seeing Airen for the first time, or after a long absence, Joshua had seen this outrageous young man only three months ago.

Airen had been impressive then as well.

He possessed enough skill that even Joshua's daughter, whom he considered the continent's greatest genius, conceded Airen was a step ahead. There was no need to explain just how remarkable his effort and talent were.

‘...Even the Airen from then.’

He fell far short of the Airen standing before him now.

It was not simply a matter of growth in swordsmanship or Aura.

‘Just as he said at the beginning. His mindset... has completely changed.’

Joshua could not grasp it at a glance like Hall Master Ian, who was known for his keen eye for people, or Quincy Myers.

Still, the more swords they exchanged, the more clearly he felt it.

Airen had escaped Ignet's shadow and finally found his own pace.

His passion still burned fiercely.

But it no longer turned into impatience.

Calmness tempered those blazing flames.

Nor was that calmness excessive. Even before Joshua, Airen showed no sign of fear.

That was what had led to his last strike.

Joshua Lindsay nearly praised him without realizing it.

“...It wasn't a completed technique.”

The family head could not be honest.

The hurt lingering in his heart had not faded enough for him to praise his opponent plainly.

He recalled three months ago.

The day he believed he had given his daughter some fairly, truly decent advice.

Then she had suddenly run off somewhere, and he had secretly followed her, only to witness...

The two of them warmly exchanging swords!

Heat rushed to Joshua's head.

In contrast, his words came out colder.

Keeping his sharp gaze fixed on Airen, he continued, “Your approach to the attack was good. But your response afterward was a mess. Surely you didn't think you could defeat me with a single strike? If you had considered what came next, you should have paid attention to your balance after the clash as well. You were only trying to survive the immediate exchange without thinking ahead, which is why you were pushed back twenty steps. If this had been a real battle, you would already be dead.”

‘No...’

‘Isn't that assessment way too harsh?’

‘He was always like this, but isn't this going too far?’

The swordsmen of Joseph Fencing Hall stared in disbelief.

Airen was holding his own against the head of one of the Five Great Sword Houses.

That alone should have earned him unstinting praise, yet Joshua's criticism was excessively severe.

It was enough to make them suspect Airen had somehow earned the family head's personal dislike.

Yet the blond young man showed no displeasure.

Instead, he nodded with a serious expression, as if he genuinely agreed.

“The family head is right. I'm sorry. I will train even harder.”

“...Hmph.”

‘That's why I dislike him even more.’

Joshua thought quietly.

Airen was truly upright and kind.

That was why he disliked him even more. There was not a single flaw he could seize upon, making Joshua feel like the bad person.

Which was true, though his thoughts did not go that far.

In the end, the family head let out a sigh and shook off his distracting thoughts before raising his power again.

Vwooooom.

Silver Aura grew even denser.

As Airen readied his stance again, Joshua spoke quietly.

“I'll give you time.”

“Pardon?”

“I heard something. The strike you make when you're given enough time to prepare... is on a completely different level.”

“Hmm.”

Airen looked as if he understood.

Joshua had likely heard something from Quincy Myers.

A one-strike kill attack that could not be used in actual combat, but could only be unleashed when enough preparation time was given.

‘...Now that I think about it, I was always confident in that sort of thing.’

One by one, he recalled the events of his past.

He remembered taking the Final Evaluation at Krono Fencing Hall.

He remembered visiting Hall Master Ian after five years and launching a sword strike at him.

He remembered making Zet Frost surrender.

It had been the same after he became a Sword Master.

When he underwent Quincy Myers's test and sparred with Kun under his guidance, he had earned their recognition through his best strike.

‘Then what about now?’

Airen nodded.

There was nothing to consider.

As Joshua said, if he was given enough time, he could now unleash swordsmanship more powerful and destructive than any strike he had shown before.

It was not confidence.

It was certainty.

Ian, Kun, and Julius Hyul, the Continent's Top Three... and Quincy Myers.

He might not be able to overwhelm them.

But against all other powerhouses, he firmly believed he had a good chance of winning.

That feeling shone from the young hero's eyes.

“Those are very provocative eyes.”

“...”

“Not bad. I'll be honest. I rather like that look.”

“You should prepare yourself.”

“I'll take care of that, so prepare yourself.”

“Yes.”

Airen gave a short reply and closed his eyes.

Restricting vision, the most important of the five senses, was something unthinkable in actual combat.

But none of that mattered right now.

What he had to do was gather power in a way he could normally only dream of.

He had to unite, complete, and unleash everything he possessed.

‘I'll deliver... the best strike I can make!’

Vwoooooom!

The instant he finished his thoughts, the Aura Sword covering Airen's blade surged even higher.

Reinforcement, Hardening, Concentration, and Manifestation, built upon the power he had accumulated while overcoming countless trials.

The three energies he had gained from the Five Elements Divine Technique in Durkali: Metal, Fire, and Water.

To that, he added the Power of the Heart he had learned from Ignet, as well as the Holy Kingdom's swordsmanship passed down by the Purification Order.

Bringing all those powers together was terribly difficult, but through his finely honed Awakening of the Senses, he began making progress little by little.

Vwoooooooooom...

The air trembled.

It might have been an illusion, but that was how the swordsmen of Joseph Fencing Hall felt.

As they watched Airen's sword grow ever more radiant, they could not think of anything. They could only stand there with their mouths hanging open.

He did not care.

He could not afford to care.

At this moment, there was only one person Airen needed to focus on.

Joshua Lindsay, one of the Ten Great Swordsmen.

‘If you regret giving me time to prepare... that's not my problem!’

Flash!

Airen finally opened his eyes, and his fierce gaze shot toward the head of House Lindsay.

It was not the look of a junior seeking recognition from a senior.

It held the will to defeat his opponent, swordsman against swordsman!

...But.

“...!”

The moment he saw Joshua floating in the sky, Airen clearly realized just how arrogant his thoughts had been.

Whoosh.

Whoooosh.

Whoosh, whoooooosh!

A typhoon raged.

No, a storm of Aura more terrifying than a typhoon swept through the training grounds. Merciless winds filled the entire area.

Airen lifted his head and looked to the sky.

A fierce gale that seemed ready to tear away his skin.

Joshua stood above it all, looking down at him. The family head's imposing figure was like Dion Lindsay, who had cut off the Dragon King's head four hundred years ago, returned to life.

‘The Sky... Sword.’

“Airen.”

The family head opened his mouth.

Airen could not bring himself to answer. His brain felt as if it were burning just from keeping the tower of power he had built from collapsing.

Joshua spoke as he rushed toward him.

“I believe in you.”

What?

What did that mean?

What was he talking about?

Those thoughts vanished without a trace.

The instant he crossed swords with the charging family head.

Boooooooom!

A deafening roar rang through the entire training ground, as if their eardrums would burst.

“Gasp!”

“...!”

Whirl!

Vwooom!

Bzzzzing!

A powerful shockwave spread out.

Most of the swordsmen, including Bill Staunton, could not react to it.

Fortunately, Hall Master Joseph swiftly drew his sword and protected everyone with three sword strikes.

Lulu and Kiril also summoned a Sorcery Barrier and a Sorcery Shield to block the impact.

Tap.

Tap, tap.

Stone dust scattered through the air. Larger chunks of stone fell to the ground like hail.

Hall Master Joseph did not shield the swordsmen from the falling debris. Fragments struck several of them on the head.

Yet no one groaned in pain.

It was a mythical battle, one that seemed as though it belonged only in a history book.

Everyone stood speechless as they looked at Joshua Lindsay, standing tall at its end.

‘...Was that a little too much?’

The family head felt a faint regret.

He had not intended to go that far.

But as he watched Airen's power grow stronger without end, Joshua thought he would be unable to withstand the young man's gathered attack through ordinary means.

That was why he had brought out the final move of the Sky Sword, though his own execution of it was still immature.

Airen had not been the only one concentrating power during that preparation time.

‘Still... I held back a lot at the end, so he should be fine.’

Joshua nodded.

Airen had lost consciousness, but that was all.

Because Joshua had cushioned him with a gentle wind at the final moment, Airen's body did not have even the slightest wound.

That did not mean he felt nothing about it.

Guilt weighed faintly on one side of his heart.

“Well, I suppose I'll let it go at this.”

The family head muttered quietly.

He had planned to carry the hurt from three months ago for the rest of his life, but if he forgave Airen on this occasion...

Would that not be a good outcome for the young man as well?