The Dwarf’s Child 3

“Open the gates!”

The procession bearing Doyun entered the ducal manor grandiosely.

A hastily assembled modest musical troupe greeted Doyun’s arrival as servants from the manor lined up on either side, bowing deeply towards the carriage.

The maximum courtesy a mere margrave could muster, fully epitomizing a Paladin’s formidable prestige in this era.

Yet the welcoming procession bore grim expressions – the situation proved catastrophic.

The duke’s soldiers had threatened a nearly Paladin-tier personage at spearpoint, menacing his safety on claimed ‘orders’.

A mere margrave had provoked someone capable of toppling entire nations.

Bluntly put, even if Doyun retaliated violently, they could raise no objections – halting him by force proved impossible, lacking any justifiable pretext for political appeals.

Of course, as a disciplined individual, he likely would not escalate recklessly, but one could never know for sure.

The powerful intrinsically instilled dread – it had been barely two years since the Paladin Elizabeth slew a ducal ruler over mere personal grievances.

They deeply feared how this incident might unfold.

“Oho! Welcome, wel-…”

The words died on the duke’s lips as he attempted greeting Doyun.

The expressions of the attendants, soldiers and knights who escorted Doyun told a different tale entirely.

Utterly terror-stricken, beset by some grave anxieties.

Furthermore, twelve soldiers bound in ropes trailed behind with dazed looks – just what did that signify?

While corrupt, he nevertheless remained a duke possessing fundamental competence.

‘Ah.’

He swiftly discerned the issue.

‘Something has gone horribly awry.’

His gaze fell upon the apprehended soldiers.

‘That one…?’

The soldier who had previously reported to him.

‘A defiant Apostle, he had said…?’

Indeed. And he had dispatched troops to apprehend said individual, yet their presence here suggested…

As he furrowed his brow pensively, Doyun’s voice shattered the duke’s reverie.

“Your Grace.”

“Ah…! Y-, Yes, welcome! I, Margrave Omniver, welcome this esteemed hero! Hahaha!”

Feigning a jovial laugh, he futilely attempted concealing his discomfort.

The duke then inquired cautiously:

“However… what brings you to my manor?”

“I was informed you sought my presence.”

“Pardon?”

“Word reached me that you dispatched soldiers to retrieve me.”

A deathly hush descended upon the duke’s chamber.

The procession members who had welcomed Doyun collectively held their breath at his statement – its ominous implications escaping none present.

“Ah…?”

“You apparently had words for me.”

Only then did the duke comprehend the apprehended twelve’s significance.

‘No… It cannot be.’

The ‘defiant Apostle’ whose authority he had challenged…

‘The Apostle Han Doyun…?’

Chills ran down his spine.

‘Just what blunder did those imbeciles commit…?’

The atmosphere alone hinted at some irreversible catastrophe – perhaps leveling weapons or foul language had transpired.

His lower lip quivered uncontrollably. While subordinates bore the blame, as a mere margrave, he had threatened a Paladin – the consequences immeasurable.

What could he possibly say to defuse this? An agonizing silence ensued amidst his frantic ruminations.

Doyun strode over, seating himself upon the duke’s own throne.

“Your Grace.”

“Y-, Yes! Lord Apostle Han Doyun!”

That seat belonged to the duke by rank, and Doyun was not even a full Paladin yet.

Yet none present dared protest this reversal of propriety – his seating himself there, his arrogant demeanor adopting a Paladin’s gravitas – it all felt unnervingly natural.

As if occupying his rightful position.

“A friend of mine resides in this city.”

“Pardon?”

What an abrupt non-sequitur.

“He is a blacksmith.”

“Ah…”

The duke and soldiers who had expelled local smiths on ‘his orders’ flinched, finally comprehending.

Afterwards, Doyun fell silent. As the oppressive stillness resettled, the quivering duke struggled to speak.

“M-, My deepest apologies… For the transgressions of my soldiers… I shall compensate you a hundredfold, with their lives and every fortune I possess…”

Offering their lives – issuing death sentences.

Those words prompted a heavy thud – the soldier Doyun had confronted collapsing to his knees.

“And, and the oppression of the blacksmiths… In carrying out royal decrees, these incompetent underlings simply took excessive z-, zeal…”

“That’s enough.”

“…”

The duke felt like weeping – not even excuses would be tolerated, it seemed.

‘Please… anything but violence…’

Yet Doyun’s next words proved utterly unexpected.

“No need to explain yourself to me. I harbor no ill intentions whatsoever.”

“Pardon?”

What? He was not enraged?

“I shall merely convey my message, then depart this manor.”

Ah…!

‘Such magnanimity!’

Contrary to his worries, the situation took an immensely positive turn – the Apostle Han Doyun clearly exhibited no self-righteous idiocy.

Reading the atmosphere, he would likely overlook this incident in exchange for some request, allowing the duke to foster future cordial relations with…

“You shall truthfully report all details to the king. And you shall grant my blacksmith friend his freedom. That constitutes the entirety of my message.”

“Pardon?”

Report truthfully to the king? Why suddenly mention royalty?

However, Doyun’s subsequent statement utterly dashed any rising hopes.

“The king already knows all details.”

“…Pardon?”

What did that even…?

As the duke opened his mouth, he finally recalled – Doyun had been Rockenmeyer’s benefactor repelling Satan’s invading forces.

Since then, the World Tree and Rockenmeyer royalty had fostered close friendship, even establishing a dedicated hotline between the World Tree Master’s chamber and the palace.

And that loaded statement about ‘already informing the king’…

‘Ah…’

His vision blurred.

‘It’s over.’

Had the king learned about his royal decree’s abuse? A mere disciplinary matter at most, ordinarily.

But the very one who reported it was none other than the Apostle Han Doyun himself – someone the royals desperately coveted friendly relations with.

Moreover, his friend had suffered direct harm.

The palace would not limit this to a simple punishment over the present incident.

A sweeping audit of Omniver’s demesne would ensue, laying bare every corrupt practice in which he had indulged.

At minimum, his political career faced utter ruination – avoiding execution would be a mercy.

“This serves as a warning.”

Best not to take it lightly – Doyun left the implications unspoken as he rose from the seat.

No banquet or further formalities transpired.

An easily overlooked or dismissible matter for most, but just as readily resolved for Doyun given his direct ties to Rockenmeyer’s king.

A simple word to Ellora could settle everything, no more effortful than merely walking out of this manor.

Through this, Zaccuroth’s heir, that old smith, would gain his freedom.

A light request to Ellora to keep casual watch over his old friend’s descendant would ensure he could live out his remaining days in peace.

Bidding farewell to the frozen, aghast manor denizens, Doyun departed.

+++

Kugugugung…

As Doyun channeled his mana, tremors shook the training grounds.

Overbearing ki undulated in eerie blackness around his body in the Hecreaux style.

Lowering his center of gravity into a horse stance while focusing his mind, the instant Doyun extended his clenched fist from his waist:

Kwaaaaaang-!

An immense booming thunderclap accompanied a gale-force maelstrom sweeping the frontal area.

The World Tree’s training grounds incorporated special shock-absorbing materials and enchantments granting exceptional durability.

Yet even those fortified grounds rippled and ruptured like ocean waves before Doyun’s Hecreaux strike, cratering the far walls with shockwaves.

A truly ferocious display of destructive force scarcely believable to originate from mere flesh.

“Phew…”

Exhaling deeply, Doyun steadied himself against the jarring recoil enveloping his entire body.

Ding!

[The ‘Martial Arts’ skill level has increased. Current Level: 2]

The system notification chimed as the shuddering recoil began subsiding, the system applying Hecreaux proficiency adjustments.

“Hmm…”

Satisfied, Doyun clenched and loosened his fists while regaining his stance.

Through the recent war and Dragon Heart consumption, Doyun had attained Level 8 Vigor.

As such, his physique could now withstand the Hecreaux recoil to some extent, rather than instantaneously retiring like previously after each usage – even if not the full-powered Hecreaux style he had unleashed against Berthe.

Moreover, his hands now bore the Dragon Progenitor scale gauntlets.

‘The grip feels absolutely lethal.’

Doyun inwardly marveled.

By ‘grip’, he referred not merely to the handling, but to the sheer empowerment –

A treasured heirloom unconditionally boosting his [Martial Arts] skill by two entire levels. Removing these gauntlets made the techniques feel clumsy and underwhelming by comparison.

The system had displayed his base level as 2, but his effective level with equipment bonuses equaled 4.

The more he used them, the more thoroughly satisfied he became.

‘Moreover…’

He activated his skill window:

[Armor’s Supernal Prowess]

Lv. – Rate. A

The Supernal Prowess of the Vanguard General, Dragon Progenitor Berthe. Utilizes mana to harden selective bodily areas.

Despite famed as the paragon dragon tribe of magic itself, the progenitor Berthe had forsaken sorcery to acquire this Armored Physique Supernal Prowess instead.

The power harbored within his consumed Heart had been fully absorbed by Doyun.

He struck his gauntleted fist forcefully against his chest.

Twang!

The resounding clang echoed like steel striking steel throughout the training grounds, yet inflicted not a speck of damage upon Doyun.

While downgraded to A-Rate rather than befitting its ‘Supernal Prowess’ name, it represented an extraordinarily formidable skill lacking in neither versatility nor destructive might.

‘It synergizes especially well with Localized Accelerated Reinforcement.’

Hardening consumed mana, but Doyun could rapidly harden only the absolutely vital minimum areas at maximum efficiency via spatial compression sorcery.

Originally a battlefield terror thanks to his immense magic resistance alone, Doyun now wielded Level 8 Vigor, Hardening skills and nigh-indestructible gauntlets in tandem.

Truly, apart from Vanguard Generals themselves, what combatants could possibly halt him on the battlefield now?

‘At last, I have genuinely transcended my previous incarnation’s physical limitations.’

Hypothetically, against close-range Vanguard elites exchanging swords and maces:

No matter how intensely they assaulted, Doyun need not even evade – merely harden targeted areas.

If blades aimed for his neck, he would harden his neck. If overwhelmingly powerful thrusts bombarded him, he could seize them with his gauntlets.

Conserving his breath rather than dodging, Doyun could solely focus on counterattacking – butchering them before they could attempt a second strike.

A combat approach utterly infeasible for the previous Enoch despite his oceanic mana reserves – his mortal flesh meant a single mace strike could prove fatal.

That had represented a severe limitation.

But now he could unleash far more uninhibited, diversified brutal fighting styles unrestricted by such frailties.

Clenching his fist tightly, the metallic scrape of gauntleted fingers caressed Doyun’s ears with dulcet tones.

‘But still not enough.’

He would grow even stronger.

Eerie blackness swirled around his clenched fist as the gauntlet’s surface crackled menacingly.

‘Until the day I save this world once more, I shall grow ever stronger!’

Doyun’s fist lashed out viciously, rending the air itself.

Kwaaaaaang-!

Yet that earth-shattering shockwave prompted a startled yelp from someone behind.

“Hurahk!”

An attendant entering the training grounds stumbled backwards, falling on his rump in fright.

‘Wh-, What the hell?! No human fist should pack that kind of demonic force…!’

As if apocalyptic devastation erupted from those knuckles.

Utterly flabbergasted, he could only regain his wits as the newly-finished Doyun approached.

“What is it?”

“A-, A guest has arrived to see you, sir!”

“A guest?”

Doyun furrowed his brow quizzically.