Ch.114Chapter 114: The More Pain Repeats

After safely being discharged from the infirmary, time passed until the end of the year was approaching.

Yes, the time until the end of the Subjugation Festival was drawing near.

Quite a lot had happened since the Subjugation Festival began.

Starting with encountering Pale Sanguin, who suddenly resumed activity and invaded the fortress with a hastily assembled undead legion—contrary to what I had learned from records about the time before my regression.

Despite not having fully regained his power, like Sanguin.

Then there was the unexpected crisis of Adorator’s appearance, who, unable to control his momentary rage, wreaked havoc inside the fortress.

He inflicted near-fatal injuries on valuable knights who were the core of the fortress’s defense.

Surprisingly, during the nearly month-long stay at Night Haven, there hadn’t been any significant physical confrontations with the demon realm.

Of course, during that time, Jessica, a dhampir who inherited Sanguin’s blood, couldn’t suppress her suddenly manifested demonic energy, leaving faint traces throughout the fortress that Shizu and I discovered.

Just as we were contemplating an appropriate response.

A major incident occurred when Pale Sanguin attacked me, and while I was unconscious, Fafnir’s spirit possessed my body and engaged in a confrontation with Sanguin.

But since this happened while Sanguin was using his time-stopping power—something he had never demonstrated in the previous timeline.

No one but me remembered it, making it questionable whether it could even be called an incident.

Anyway, with such events occurring before even half of the Subjugation Festival period had passed, I had no doubt that even more intense incidents would follow soon.

Though I hadn’t experienced it firsthand, I clearly recalled the detailed articles in the Imperial Newspaper about the Subjugation Festival from this period.

They reported that on a snowless night at the end of the year, a few days after Sanguin’s infiltration of the fortress.

The Shadow Legion, the demon realm’s elite assassin group, would launch a surprise attack on Night Haven, operating covertly with the aim of assassinating key figures and destroying facilities.

I had paid particular attention to this incident because it was when Shizu first displayed his heroic qualities and performed brilliantly, so every word of that article remains vivid in my memory.

Because of this, even while maintaining a busy schedule of self-training, I always kept my guard up in preparation for an attack from the demon realm.

Fortunately, my prediction missed the mark in a rather positive way.

I knew that things sometimes unfolded differently from what I remembered after my regression.

I never expected everything to be exactly the same as before.

But I hadn’t anticipated that the change in events would be related to the weather, which was the main reason my prediction was off.

Unlike before my regression, perhaps due to Lord Night Hart raising the output of his Heaven-Piercing Sword to its maximum because of Sanguin’s sudden activity after rising from his coffin.

The volcanic ash cleared at once due to the intense movement of battle energy.

The northern lands enjoyed unusually clear skies, and pure white snow—untainted by volcanic ash—began to fall. Though the absolute snowfall was modest, it fell continuously.

This prevented the demon realm from showing any significant movement.

As a result, my future knowledge about the Subjugation Festival, obtained through records, had become obsolete.

Even though my future knowledge had become useless, in the current situation, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Clearly, the flow and volume of demonic energy faintly sensed from beyond the mountain range was fluctuating as if something major was about to happen.

But no one could defy the will of the Demon God, who decreed that blood must not be spilled when pure white snow falls, no matter the circumstances.

So even as the year-end approached—the period when demonic energy flourishes enough for legions to form and invade the north—the demons couldn’t make any significant moves and remained confined to the Obsidian Palace.

This was fortunate.

When the fortress garrison troops, including Imperial Knights members, unite.

Except in ‘very special cases,’ any hastily assembled legion from the demon realm would typically be repelled without achieving anything significant, regardless of their numbers.

But if a conflict were to break out, precious lives would inevitably be lost or severely injured here, regardless of the numbers involved.

How could it not be fortunate that the Subjugation Festival might end without such a life-and-death battle?

As time continued to pass and the new year approached, even the demonic energy surging from the northern edge would subside.

The demon realm, having lost its invasion momentum, wouldn’t be able to make any significant moves.

If things continued this way, it could become reality that the Subjugation Festival would end without any significant armed conflict for the first time since this fortress was built.

The subtle sense of relief among the soldiers and knights stationed in the fortress was because.

They knew well that no matter how much demonic energy flourished, the demons wouldn’t commit hostile acts against the fortress while this pure white snow continued to fall.

As long as the snow didn’t stop before the new year, no major incident would occur.

But even if no major incident occurred.

Unlike the soldiers and knights stationed at the fortress who could enjoy these peaceful days.

The Academy students participating in the Subjugation Festival needed to gain experience of some kind and couldn’t afford such leisure.

So Shizu and the other participants kept busy with their daily routines, honing themselves.

Me?

Among the Academy students participating here, there’s no one weaker or with a longer path ahead than me.

That’s why I’ve been spending days busier than anyone else could compare to.

Though busy, it wasn’t fundamentally different from my dedication to physical training and swordsmanship at the Academy, driven by my determination to live a better life after regression.

Ah, there is one difference.

While physical training remained the same, when it came to swordsmanship practice, I had formidable masters to train with?

Whenever I visited the training ground in the morning or afternoon, Imperial Knights members would volunteer to cross swords with me.

Though they might be lacking compared to my nighttime training partner.

Sparring with members of the Imperial Knights—the empire’s strongest martial group—was providing me with valuable experience.

Regardless of the outcome.

Despite saying this, I generally won against the Imperial Knights members who requested to spar with me.

But there was one opponent against whom I still couldn’t claim a satisfying victory.

And that person is…

CLANG-!!

Lord Löwenhart, who just now instantly knocked the sword from my hand to the training ground floor during our match.

That makes it 10 losses out of 10 matches.

The defeats were so clean that I didn’t even think to argue.

“Huff… I lost.”

The words acknowledging defeat came easily from my mouth.

Among all the opponents I crossed swords with before my regression, when I was the Demon God’s agent.

Excluding Shizu and my sister, Lord Löwenhart’s swordsmanship was the most challenging.

His sword was quite overwhelming for my current self.

As our sparring sessions repeated, memories of crossing swords with him during my time as the agent gradually resurfaced.

This match, I managed to keep up with him fairly well.

Though not enough to bring me victory.

“You never go easy on me.”

After acknowledging my defeat, I clicked my tongue and complained to Lord Löwenhart, who faced me with full force without any sign of holding back.

Gone was the iron-blooded swordsman with flashing golden eyes from during our match.

“I intended to at first, but whenever I cross swords with you, I find myself getting serious before I know it.”

The young knight expressed his embarrassment and candidly shared what he felt during our matches.

Though I had lost, I sensed quite a positive evaluation in his brief assessment.

“May I take that to mean you consider me a worthy opponent to cross swords with?”

I carefully inquired about his intentions.

“Of course. I’m actually excited because I feel our rhythm matching better with each passing day. Do you know? In this fortress, besides the Vice Commander or Lord Nighthart, you’re the first person I’ve crossed swords with like this.”

Löwenhart’s golden eyes sparkled as he spoke with evident pleasure.

It was easy to tell he was experiencing the joy of finding a worthy opponent to cross swords with after a long time.

The feeling was mutual for me.

Although I couldn’t win our matches.

Facing Lord Löwenhart, whose swift sword techniques rivaled Shizu’s.

Was greatly helping me perfect my ancestor’s middle sword technique, which I had been practicing based on fragmentary knowledge.

I couldn’t continue sparring with Shizu, who was busy with his own duties after being summoned by my sister.

And I needed to continue exchanging matches with Lord Löwenhart, who was greatly helping elevate my swordsmanship, until the end of the Subjugation Festival.

“I’ll win at least once before the Subjugation Festival ends.”

I declared my intention to defeat Lord Löwenhart at least once, raising his expectations.

While he didn’t seem reluctant to spar with me, I was concerned he might lose interest if the results remained the same, so I baited him in advance.

Hearing my bold declaration, Löwenhart stroked his chin with a rather serious expression.

“Hmm. The Subjugation Festival ends in just a few days. Still, I look forward to it.”

He accepted my declaration with an expectant voice, without any mockery.

“Thank you for your time. I’ll take my leave now.”

“I should be the one thanking you. Let’s meet again at this time tomorrow.”

And so ended my tenth match with the opponent I had crossed swords with the most during the Subjugation Festival.

“Huff…”

I concluded today’s afternoon schedule by exhaling the heat that had built up in my body during our match.

Other Academy students would have finished a similar intensity schedule.

Then eaten dinner and retired to their quarters to rest for the day.

“…What to do about tonight…”

But I had an additional schedule with an opponent against whom I struggled to even land an effective hit, despite my body having become quite robust through relentless training.

“Sigh…”

A faint sigh escaped my lips as I stepped outside the training ground.

Days have been exceptionally long lately.

While I welcomed having more time to strive for strength.

I also felt fear because the one responsible for making my days so long was waiting for me.

Who makes me tremble with such fear?

Well, if I’ve said this much, isn’t it obvious who it is?

[Indeed, I wonder if today you’ll be able to inflict any meaningful damage on my armor. I look forward to it.]

It’s Fafnir, whose voice resonates in my head with anticipation.

To be honest.

After the snow stops falling from the sky.

I almost think it would be better if the Shadow Legion infiltrated the fortress and caused a chaotic battle.

Because lately, Fafnir, who accompanies me for the final schedule of my day…

[Well, keep at it long enough and you’ll eventually succeed.]

Was overwhelmingly strong.

I wonder how creatively I’ll learn while taking hits today.

My mind was becoming tangled with complexity as I thought about the upcoming training with Fafnir, who pushes me to my limits—just short of killing me.