Chapter 25 â Revenge of the Iron-Blooded Sword Hound
Episode 25 Morgue Camille (6)
âYou said it wasnât for me to hear, so I didnât listen after that.â
At those words, Hugo hastily covered the corner of his mouth with his hand.
Though expressionless from the hand up, it was aâŠâŠ gesture that hid a smile from anyone who saw it.
Camouflage also stares at him with wide eyes.
âHoo⊠hoo hoo hoo hooâŠâŠ.â
Only Adolfâs forehead is covered in blood.
He straightened his bent back to meet Vikirâs eye level and looked back at Hugo.
âMy lord. Will you allow me to speak with this child for a few moments?â
It was highly unusual for a delegate of House Morg, much less a top member of the Ming Party, to take such an undue interest in a mere eight-year-old.
And Hugo didnât have much to say in response to his opponentâs overreaction.
âWhat are you doing with that kid? Is the Mad Star of the Empire persecuting an eight-year-old boy?â
Hugo hadnât forgotten what heâd heard before, and he was returning the favor.
But Adolf was stubborn.
âHehe, isnât this a child who may one day be my nieceâs husband, and Iâm asking you this as an uncle, not as the head of Morgâs delegation?â
âOh, uncle, itâs not like that!â
âUh-huh, leave my nephew alone. This uncle will take care of it. We all have to see this once in a while.â
Adolphe says with a stern look on his face as the camouflage speaks up.
He nudges Hugo with a sly glance, a nuanced way of asking him to save face.
ââŠâŠ.â
Hugo threw up his hands, thinking that it had been a long time since heâd had to deal with the Morgans.
Do as you please.
* * *
Vikir readily accepted Adolfâs request.
Morg Adolf was an absolute powerhouse who had been difficult to deal with even before his regression. At the age of forty, he is already the acting head of the family at official events.
The chance to experience a little bit of Adolfâs power was a good one.
Iâm sure Hugo thought so too, which is why he allowed me to attend.
After the annual ceremony, everyone cleared out of the ballroom.
Vikir and Adolf stood facing each other in a large clearing.
The observers were Hugo le Baskerville and Morg Camus.
They stood at a distance from each other, looking at the two men in the center of the arena.
Adolf said.
âChild of Baskerville, I am about to test your qualities, so show me all that you are.â
Bikir nodded and thought of something else.
âIf I show you all of me, youâll faint.
What would happen if I faced him at his pre-regression peak?
Fifty percent in ambush and assassination, ten percent in hand-to-hand combat.
But I donât have all of my pre-regression strength back, and I donât have to fight to the best of my ability.
I just need to fulfill Adolfâs expectations in moderation.
âLetâs see what Madocheng can do.
Itâs said that masters can tell each otherâs skill by shaking hands.
Viktor thought heâd take this opportunity to see how Morg stacks up against the top players.
Then Adolf said.
âChild, I give you a handicap.â
He raised his hand and swung it toward the ground.
Boom!
Mud rose up from the ground and swirled around to form the shape of a jar.
Boom!
The flames from Adolfâs hand solidified the clay.
âŠâŠ
Next, the jar began to fill with water spontaneously.
A seemingly simple combination of earth, fire, and water, three magical elements all at once.
âŠjust right!
Adolf snapped his fingers, and the jar of water slowly rose into the air and landed on top of Adolfâs head.
Carrying the jar of water, Adolf looked down at Vikir and said.
âI will duel you with this jar full of water on my head. If you can get even one drop of water to flow from the jar on my head, you win.â
In other words, go for it.
Vikir gripped his short sword and took up his stance.
Adolf crossed his arms and stared at Vikir.
And then.
âŠTadak!
Vikir made the first move.
Seeing Vikir charging straight at him, the camo cried out in alarm.
âUh-uh! You canât run straight at my uncle!â
Hearing this, Adolf looks back at the camel with a very regretful expression.
âNephew, I donât want you to tell him that.â
At the same time, a transparent barrier forms in front of Adolfâs eyes.
Pow!
Vikir is knocked back against the wall as he charges.
âShield magic is best when dealing with swordsmen. Even an aura sword will be hard pressed to stop them.â
Adolfâs words were true.
Adolf, in particular, was a master of shield magic, able to create shields of various sizes, thicknesses, and shapes to suit the time and place.
Earlier, he had created a shield just the right size to cover Vikirâs torso to minimize the waste of mana.
However, Vikir is no slouch either.
âŠTa-da!
Vikir used the backward bouncing momentum to close the distance, then immediately turned and moved to the side.
At the same time.
Bam! Bam!
Vikir kicked a few cobblestones in the opposite direction of his travels.
The stones flew straight toward the water jar.
âItâs not a good idea to aim for the jug.â
Without even looking in the direction the rocks were coming from, Adolf used his hands to create a shield.
He summoned another, smaller shield for the incoming Vikir.
Vikir bounced back from another blow.
Adolf opened his mouth.
âFrom now on, I will attack as well.â
Before he can finish his sentence, fire spears are summoned.
Fire bolts descend rapidly through the air, each one powerful enough to pierce the solid soil of the smokefield and create a deep pit.
Seeing this, the camel cried out.
âUncle, thatâs not fair, you didnât even use that kind of magic against me!â
âItâs my âŠâŠ nephew. Whose side are you on now?â
Adolf looked bitterly disappointed.
But Viktor was frantically dodging the flying fire spears.
âHmm. Thatâs it.
Viktorâs familiarity with Adolfâs power hadnât changed much since then.
This level was already familiar.
âI see how to deal with him.
The seasoned battle experience before the regression, and the innocent face of a child afterward.
The combination of the two can catch your opponent off guard and lead to unexpected results.
âOr kill them.
A ghastly thought crossed my mind, butâŠâŠ I didnât need to make a big deal out of it.
Hugoâs eyes were on me, and I needed to get this right.
âEight!â
Vikir moved as if chased by flames.
Vikir quickly drew his sword and swung at Adolf.
But.
âNot a chance.â
Adolfâs shield blocks Vikirâs blade.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!
Vikir swung his sword again, but it too was blocked by the shield.
Adolf grumbled.
âSame thing a hundred times. Your sword canât pierce the shield.â
But Vikir did not give up.
Boom.
The sword swings.
Boom!
And it hits the shield.
Vikir kept repeating the same move, and Adolf kept blocking the sword with the same shield.
Boom, boom, boom, ground, boom!
The sword was hitting the same place over and over again without missing a beat.
Bikirâs sword flew with machine-like precision, the same trajectory repeated countless times.
At this point, even Adolf realized that something was wrong.
ââŠâŠhoh.â
Vikirâs blade was hitting the same spot on the shield over and over again.
The shield was getting worn down by the blade.
Especially since it was constantly hitting only one part, the magical fatigue level of that part was already quite high.
âHahahaha- youâre trying to pierce the shield by hitting the same spot over and over again, what a bold idea. I canât help but praise your concentration and swordsmanship for being able to target the same spot over and over again without missing a beat.â
However, Adolfâs eyes immediately turn cold.
âBut⊠thatâs like trying to hit a boulder with an egg, and youâre trying to do that against the durability of my shield and the durability of your sword?â
He was right.
Bam! Bam!
Vikirâs sword struck Adolfâs shield for the tenth time.
âŠPow!
Vikirâs sword finally shatters and breaks.
Vikir was forced to retrieve his broken sword and step back.
Hugo stroked his chin and remained speechless, while Camus looked disappointed.
Adolf turned to Vikir, who had retreated into the distance.
âI admire your stubbornness and willingness to stick to one position, but itâs something you have to do while watching your opponent. Youâre a fine young man, but youâre far from qualified to be my nephewâs doubleâŠâŠ.â
Adolph was about to end the line with an admonition.
âŠâŠ but.
He immediately felt the top of his head grow damp and stopped speaking.
âWhat is it?
When Adolf realized that something was wrong.
Gurgling.
A trickle of water dampened his hair and began to run down his face.
ââŠâŠ?â
Dazed, Adolf looks up and sees a jar of water leaking from his head.
ââŠBoom!
The shard of Vikirâs sword that broke and bounced off earlier had stuck into the side of the jar, causing it to leak water.
Adolf, soaked from the crown of his head to his chin and even to the nape of his neck, looked on in a daze.
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
Bikir walked up to him and said.
âYouâre full to the brim.â
He was referring to the water in the jar, of course.