‘Although there were some scratches all over the body.’
Considering that both were wielding real swords, their conditions were remarkably good.
“What the… Did they fight while sparing each other?”
Impossible.
Salvador was not the kind of person to consider and watch someone else’s circumstances. Especially if it was an unpleasant opponent, he would ruthlessly trample anyone, regardless of age or weakness.
Moreover, just the fact that he was engaging in a sword fight with that child showed a severe lack of character.
It was at the moment when Doha hesitated due to the inability to grasp the situation.
“This snake-like kid!”
Salvador, who was eyeing Damian, lit up with fire in his eyes and rushed forward.
The impression that when he became a soldier, he would command the world did not just come out of nowhere.
Although Salvador had a quick temper, a foul mouth, and a terrible character, one thing was for sure – he was a martial genius, unmatched among his peers, making a name for himself in the empire.
His sword rushed towards Damian’s head without hesitation.
“…!”
However, Damian dodged the sword with just a twitch of his head. Eyes devoid of any emotion briefly peeked through the hair covering half of his face before being hidden again.
He was casual, but it made Doha’s heart clench.
‘Ah, I thought my heart would fall out.’
Even after that, Salvador swung his sword fiercely several times, but only the sound of the wind cutting through the air was heard, and the sword did not reach Damian.
“He only knows how to dodge? Come at me!”
Of course, he would only know how to dodge. What kind of swordsmanship could a child who had lived a life of abuse and neglect in a garbage dump have learned?
“Are you hiding your skills in front of me? Do you want to die?!”
Doha stared in amazement at Salvador shouting provocatively.
‘Does everyone claim to have a personal swordsmanship master?’
Considering Damian’s upbringing, surviving and holding his own against Salvador in such a way was a miracle.
If he was lucky enough to kill an assassin, considering the environment Damian grew up in, it was a miracle that he could resist Salvador.
Anyway, this was not a proper training session, and she needed to somehow stop this one-sided harassment.
Doha firmly grabbed the hem of the knight captain standing right next to her.
“Lady? Why are you doing this?”
“Stop my brother….”
That was when it happened.
Damian, who had been continuously avoiding or parrying attacks while observing Salvador, finally adjusted his stance.
Doha, who knew nothing about the ‘sword’ in swordsmanship, could still sense that his atmosphere had changed in an instant.
“You…!”
Salvador seemed surprised, as if about to shout something, but Damian was faster.
His sword blades poured down like a shower. The speed was so fast that it was difficult to follow with the eyes.
‘What’s going on? It doesn’t seem like an attack fueled by strength.’
It was fast, but ultimately, it was the reckless attack of a child with a small stature. Even if Salvador pushed with strength, it seemed impossible to withstand. However, he only desperately blocked the attacks, sweating profusely.
Surprisingly, the situation had completely reversed, and Damian, who was initially on the defensive, was now forcing Salvador back with an overwhelming offensive.
Doha couldn’t close her mouth at the unexpected turn of events.
“That ignorant…!”
The knight captain, who was carefully observing the sparring, muttered.
“Why ignorant?”
She asked.
The knight captain, who briefly looked surprised and stared at Doha, replied politely.
“That’s a swordsmanship you’d see on a battlefield.”
“Hmm… So, is he just fighting recklessly because he never learned swordsmanship?”
“No. It’s not about whether he formally learned it or not. It means he doesn’t focus on defense at all.”
“What? But isn’t that dangerous?”
The knight captain looked at her intently for a moment before speaking.
“It’s a sword meant to sacrifice my arms, legs, and flesh willingly to take one more enemy life. It’s something you’d see from a soldier who has lost his mind completely…”
The knight captain seemed to think it wasn’t the right time to talk like this. Without finishing his sentence, he rushed in and intervened between the two kids.
“Stop!”
Damian’s blade stopped right in front of Salvador’s neck.
In terms of both skill and physique, Salvador had overwhelming superiority. Despite having received systematic training from an early age and possessing innate talent, he had no skill to outmaneuver him. Yet, he was falling behind.
Salvador discovered countless flaws and gaps in Damian’s movements, yet he couldn’t move recklessly.
If he swung his arm, his neck would be cut; if he pierced his abdomen, his neck would be pierced as well; if he aimed for the neck, his own neck would be targeted at the same time.
Although he tried to find numerous openings while exchanging blows, the result was always mutual destruction.
“This brat…”
It was clear. He treated his own body as expendable.
He relentlessly targeted vital spots, willingly offering his own flesh and bone.
He was a broken monster who felt no emotions, pain, or fear.
Fire ignited in Salvador’s eyes.
From Damian’s strike, he read a clear determination, but it wasn’t driven by intense revenge, injustice, or anger.
It was a dry yet firm determination that even if he died, he would take Salvador with him.
“Where did this damn assassin-like brat come from, sticking to me…”
It was suspicious. Surely, he had some trick up his sleeve.
“Does the brat know that the vulture is fixated on his family and is trying to exploit it?”
It was unthinkable. Surely, he was planning something.
That was when…
“Brother!”
Doha sensed that it might escalate into a second round and quickly raised her voice.
Salvador and Damian’s gazes turned to her simultaneously.
“…Brother?”
Salvador muttered dumbfoundedly.
Perhaps it was because he hadn’t heard the title in so long. Strangely, the words heard with his ears felt like they were poking his chest.
“Bu… No, Ophelia.”
Salvador, who was about to habitually call Doha ‘Vulture,’ quickly changed to his sister’s name.
And he scowled at Damian and Doha alternately.
“What brings you here?”
“What brings me here?”
Doha was taken aback.
“You’re saying you’re facing a child who hasn’t properly learned swordsmanship, not even using a wooden sword, but with a real blade, and you come out with such words?”
“Huh, what? You mean he hasn’t properly learned swordsmanship?”
A person who hasn’t learned swordsmanship, wielding a sword against someone’s neck?
Even if they fought recklessly like it was a brawl, how could they possibly match skills?
“Even if he didn’t have a teacher, he’s at least swung a sword on his own. Who are you trying to fool?”
Salvador retorted as if he couldn’t believe her absurdity, but Doha’s gaze was chilling.
“I don’t understand what’s different.”
“What? How can you say that’s the same!”
“First of all, who started this? I doubt this kid suddenly challenged you to a duel with a real sword.”
“….”
Salvador, his face turning red with anger, clenched his mouth shut and averted his gaze.
Suddenly, what he wanted to say seemed suspicious.
‘It’s obvious. He probably started the argument and charged to fight first.’
Even without witnessing the situation directly, it felt like it was being painted right before her eyes.
Doha sighed and tightly held Damian’s hand, trying to leave the training ground.
At that moment, a blue spark seemed to flash in Salvador’s eyes.
“Where are you going? Leave that brat here.”
“…”
“No matter what the reason is, daring to point a sword at Lord Cradle’s neck. Even fighting back against someone who repays kindness with enmity has its limits. I’ll report this to the inquisitor.”
Doha sighed deeply, turning her back. She calmly addressed Salvador again.
“Brother.”
And she spoke slowly.
“When I was there, Dane always stood by my side.”
Doha was aware that the knights and servants were listening to their conversation.
So she deliberately used the vague expression ‘there’.
Those who knew her as Bani could think of the garbage dump, and those who knew her as Ophelia could think of when she was quarantined in the tower due to illness.
“It was terribly painful, cold, lonely, and frightening. I was afraid every night that I would be swallowed up by the darkness, so I closed my eyes trembling.”
When Doha actually recalled it, it was when she was serving as the youngest lady of the Park family.
She sometimes fell into the illusion of being trapped alone in a narrow, pitch-dark space.
Feeling like she would suffocate and die, her grandmother would hold her tight and say,
‘Find the constellations. Once you look closely, you’ll quickly adapt to the darkness, and it won’t be a big deal.’
Moreover, under the moonlight, you can hide, so anything can happen while waiting for the sun to rise, right?”
“When I was trembling alone like that, Dane was the only one who stayed by my side instead of my family.”
Doha impressed upon everyone present that Dane was the benefactor who took care of her when she was in pain.
“I, I think of this child as my own sibling. So I hope you’ll respect that.”
And what she said was ingrained in Salvador like this.
Unlike those who pretended to be ‘fake,’ this child was a ‘real’ family to her.
No matter how much she called him a brother on the surface, in reality, she wanted to tie him to herself as a real family, and there was no one other than Dane whom she brought herself.
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Translator Note:
This chapter was translated by Bree.
If you like my work please support us in Patreon. Next post will be released on May, 11.
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