Radiant Dragon’s Otherworldly Reincarnation - Chapter 280 : Chapter 280
Chapter 280. You Said Anything, Didn’t You? (3)
The leaders of the Holy Theocracy gathered in one place.
“The Double Dragon of the Schneider Duchy….”
“A big shot has arrived.”
“Hmm, I don’t think he’s enough to be called a big shot, is he? Isn’t he a young man just over twenty?”
“Considering his career achievements for his age, no one can deny that he is a great figure, can they?”
The Cardinals of the Holy Theocracy gathered in one place to discuss Patrick.
In fact, Patrick’s visit was an unexpected and sudden action for them as well.
A country that had become independent as a duchy was sending a delegation to the Holy Theocracy to strengthen friendship?
This act itself was not very surprising.
But if the one leading that delegation was the Double Dragon, then the story was a bit different.
“If we can win him over and receive his help, it will be a great help in the stagnant war with the Empire.”
“I agree. Honestly, the front lines are in a very difficult situation right now. More than anything else, we desperately need a counter to the Sword Saint.”
“Are you saying that young man can defeat the Sword Saint?”
“We don’t know that. But even if he can’t win, it’s clear that he will be a great help.”
“Hrmmmm….”
Currently, the Holy Theocracy was suffering from being trapped in an inextricable war with the Empire.
When they first started the war, they had no intention of making it this big.
But the war that had already started went deeper and deeper into a quagmire, and in reality, the Holy Theocracy was now losing the war.
The reason they were losing the war could be explained in one word.
The Imperial Sword Saint.
There was no way to stop this man.
The proud guardian deities of the Holy Theocracy, the 12 Paladins, had already challenged the Sword Saint and been miserably and one-sidedly defeated.
And that was even with three of them attacking one person at the same time on one occasion.
From the perspective of the Holy Theocracy, no matter what they tried to do, the Sword Saint would appear at the crucial moment, and they would have no choice but to retreat without being able to do anything.
Fortunately, for some reason, the Sword Saint was not actively participating in this war.
The Sword Saint only moved on the front lines defending the mainland.
He did not show himself in the battles within the territory of the Holy Theocracy.
If the Sword Saint had moved in all directions, regardless of attack or defense, the situation of the Holy Theocracy would have been much more serious.
Thus, the existence of the Sword Saint was becoming more and more of a thorn in the side of the leaders of the Holy Theocracy.
In such a situation, if it was Patrick Schneider who had come as an envoy to the Holy Theocracy….
“This is truly the help and revelation of Lady Yupinel. We must bring the Double Dragon to our side by any means necessary.”
“Putting everything else aside, if we can just get a supply of food from the Schneider Duchy at a low price, this war will become much easier.”
“The military power of the Schneider Duchy itself is said to be very excellent. To the point that they changed the tide of the war in the Harbor Kingdom’s civil war with only 1,000 troops….”
There was no disagreement with the assertion that they had to bring Patrick in.
If so, there was only one problem now.
How?
How could they make Patrick Schneider an ally of the Holy Theocracy and deploy him in the war against the Empire?
At that question, one of the cardinals spoke.
“How about bestowing upon him the position of… an honorary paladin?”
“An honorary paladin? It is a glorious position. He will surely like it.”
He’ll hate it.
“How about building a temple in the Schneider Duchy and dispatching a 1st-grade priest and numerous other priests?”
“Hahaha. He will be very pleased.”
He will surely be very displeased.
“Let us ask His Holiness the Pontiff and bestow upon him a holy relic with a direct blessing. If we do so, he will be moved and will surely cooperate with us.”
“Hahahaha. That is an excellent idea.”
Now I don’t even know anymore.
Just dig their own graves.
As the cardinals were rowing in the wrong direction….
“From what I’ve heard….”
“What is it?”
“Uhm, I heard that the Double Dragon has a great greed for wealth. So, how about we just offer him money?”
At the words that one young cardinal had difficulty bringing up, the room fell silent for a moment.
And then….
“What kind of absurd remark is that?”
No, this is the right answer.
“Hahaha. Money? Do you think the Double Dragon is some kind of mercenary?”
He actually did sign a contract with the Dwarves as a real mercenary when he participated in the war in the Harbor Kingdom.
“If we make such an offer, the Double Dragon will surely be furious. Money? How could we say such a rude thing?”
He’ll love it.
Considering the scale of the funds the Holy Theocracy could deploy, the corners of Patrick’s mouth might get hooked on his ears and never come down.
But everyone except the one who brought it up flatly denied it as if it were impossible.
“Then, let’s start moving to win over the Double Dragon from tomorrow.”
“Let’s do that.”
And so, the cardinals began to head in the wrong direction.
***
One week later.
Thuuuud!
As Patrick collapsed onto the bed in slow motion, a look of utter futility was on his face.
To such a Patrick, his friend Matthew said.
“You’ve worked hard.”
At that, Patrick replied in a dying voice.
“I want to drop everything and go home.”
This one sentence encapsulated everything from the past week.
Looking at Patrick, Matthew shook his head.
‘For this guy, he’s holding it in well.’
The past week.
To bring Patrick to the side of the Holy Theocracy, the cardinals had approached him, offering various carrots.
This in itself was fine.
Patrick was a fair and just person who originally loved being treated like that.
The only problem was….
[Hahaha. What do you think? I will personally bestow upon you the position of an honorary paladin?]
[Ooh…. An honorary paladin? What kind of position is that?]
[It means that we, in the name of God, acknowledge that you possess a sincere faith and have practiced a life of integrity and loftiness.]
[That…. real power? Or a pension?]
[Hahaha. How could there be such a thing? Ah! You will gain the right to donate one-tenth of your income to the temple. What a great honor, is it not?]
[…….]
He almost beat him up.
And then, they said they would give a blessed name in the name of His Holiness the Pontiff to Patrick’s future child?
Or that they would prepare a grave for Patrick’s parents in the holy ground of this holy city of Promis after they pass away?
The finishing touch was when they gave Patrick a half-rotten piece of wood and said….
[What do you think? This is a holy relic that Saint Carleon, who made a noble sacrifice and passed away during the Restain incident in the past, possessed during his lifetime.]
[…….]
[Hahaha. You’re at a loss for words. Originally, it’s an honor just to see it, but if you want it, ahem, giving it is impossible, but we can lend it to you.]
It had been a long time since his Infinite Hell Chain Fist had been itching.
Do you know what the hardest part was?
[Ha… haha…. It is an honor, but I must decline.]
It was that he had to endure and not act according to his temper.
Right now, Patrick had officially come as a representative envoy of the Schneider Duchy.
So, he could not help but think of the dignity of his nation.
As a result….
“I… this I… the great Radiant Dragon Great Master Jin Cheon, who held a drinking party in the Shaolin Abbot’s room, grilled meat at the Wudang Sect’s Sword Lake, and did naughty things with my wife at the holy ground of the Emei Sect….”
How could a guy like this have been a Great Master?
“For me to have to endure? For me to not be able to act according to my temper? Keuk…. Could this be what they call asceticism?”
To Patrick’s novel bullshit, Matthew replied.
“No, it’s just living normally.”
“Really? So other people also live while holding back and not doing what they want?”
“Yeah.”
“…Lies.”
From Patrick’s perspective, he was exercising the greatest patience of his life, to the point where a sarira might form in his body.
But to find out that this was ‘normal’.
He couldn’t believe it.
Especially, do you know what was the most infuriating?
“Where the hell are you? You damn black mage bastards!”
“You said you could find them right away?”
“Ah, I thought I could.”
“You said you’d get a feeling just by looking?”
“Right. But I’m not getting it, my friend. What should I do about this?”
“What’s it to me?”
“Keuuuk…”
While Patrick endured and endured, he thoroughly examined the cardinals and the priests around them, but he could not find a trace of a black mage.
Matthew said to the limply collapsed Patrick.
“Endure a little longer and try. As they say, patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet, right?”
“If the guy who first said that was in front of me right now, he’d get beaten up.”
From Patrick’s direct experience, patience was bitter, and there was no fruit.
And there was even one guy who was annoying during that process of patience.
Who was that, you ask….
“Young Master, you have a visitor.”
Oliver’s voice from outside the door.
Patrick frowned and said.
“Tell them I’m not here.”
“Yes. Understood.”
And a moment later, Oliver’s voice from outside the door was….
“The Young Master says to tell you he’s not here?”
It was this.
That bastard?
Is he deliberately messing with me now?
“Double Dragon!”
In the end, the door swung wide open, and a gruff voice was heard.
“Are you messing with me right now? Double Dragon.”
“Haaaaa….”
Patrick, with his head buried in the pillow, said without even turning his head.
“You again? Michael.”
“How many times do I have to tell you it’s Antorius Denar?”
“It’s hard to memorize. Can’t I just call you Michael?”
“……”
What kind of guy is this?
Matthew, who was next to him, shrugged his shoulders at Antorius and said.
“Give up. Even I, who have known him for over 5 years, sometimes call him Stew.”
“He changed my name to Knight A altogether.”
“……”
He had to think again.
Really, what kind of guy is this?
***
In fact, when Antorius heard that Patrick was coming to the Holy Theocracy this time, he had been greatly looking forward to it.
Because he thought that finally, a chance had come for him as well.
Antorius Denar, who was called the future of the Holy Theocracy and was evaluated to have reserved a seat among the 12 Paladins.
But he had been defeated by the Hegemon King Cierion in the semi-finals of the Arcana.
A single defeat was fine.
He was not a weak person who would collapse from just that.
But the problem was what came after.
There was no need to explain the path of the Double Dragon again.
His path had already reached the status of a living legend.
On top of that, Cierion Baisus Yusef, who had completely pacified the northeastern part of the continent and obtained the title of Hegemon King.
Garcia Reynardo, who had become a new star of the Empire by playing an active role on the front lines between the Empire and the Holy Theocracy.
Even Riman Ciera, who had failed to advance to the semi-finals but was evaluated as the future of the Tower of Truth, was making a name for himself by achieving clear results in the process of the Great Forest subjugation.
In the meantime, the name of Antorius, who was called the future of the Holy Theocracy, was bound to gradually fade.
Antorius also wanted to perform feats that would make his name known throughout the world, just like the Double Dragon.
So he had tried to participate in the war against the Empire.
But….
[It is still too early for you.]
He had to sit down at a single word from his master.
Because he could not refuse the order of his master, who was also one of the 12 Paladins, he could not even participate in the war and had been staying in Promis, solely dedicated to training.
In the midst of that.
Finally, a chance had come.
The Double Dragon, who had come in person.
If he crossed swords with him and proved his skill, he could revive his own reputation, which had fallen behind his rivals of the same generation.
So he had been coming every day and asking the Double Dragon for a duel, but….
“Shoo! Shoo! Go away. You’re annoying.”
He was being treated like this.
At Patrick’s words and actions of shooing him away with the back of his hand as if he were annoying, Antorius could not contain his anger.
“Double Dragon. Are you planning to keep avoiding me?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you that scared of me?”
“Yeah.”
“If you keep this up, a rumor might spread that you avoided a duel with me out of fear.”
“Yeah.”
“Double Dragoooooon!”
“Yeah.”
Antorius realized for the first time that day.
That long words were not necessary to make a person angry.
Just a single-syllable word was enough to make a person furious.
At the actions of Antorius, who was emitting killing intent beyond fighting spirit, Patrick turned his head and said.
“Hey, honestly, what do I have to gain by fighting you?”
“A knight should not fear a duel and should not avoid a challenge for the sake of honor.”
“You do you.”
If he were a person who would be persuaded by sound arguments, it wouldn’t have come to this situation.
Antorius’ anger reached its peak, and when a person’s anger reaches its peak, their reason is paralyzed.
And a person whose reason is paralyzed….
“Fine. If I lose the duel, I will do anything you ask of me. Will that do?”
Is bound to say things they can’t take responsibility for.
Instantly, Patrick’s body slowly rose from the bed.
“You said… any·thing, did you?”
“…That’s right.”
He was momentarily scared, but he couldn’t back down here.
Having come this far, he had no choice but to go all the way.
To Antorius, who was bluffing with the typical behavioral psychology of a person who loses all their assets in gambling, Patrick showed a deep smile.
Seeing that, Matthew and Oliver….
‘Ah…, that smile is….’
‘The smile of when he’s hooked a sucker.’
They were already starting to feel sorry for Antorius.
And Patrick, who had been half-dead and rotting, said with a revitalized expression.
“Well, that’s a different story. A duel? I’ll do it for you, what’s the big deal.”
“Really?”
“Of course, but if you lose, you’re really doing any·thing. If you go back on your word, you’re dead.”
“…Of course.”
Antorius Denar was starting to get a little scared, but now he really couldn’t back down.
Matthew and Oliver looked at Antorius with pitying gazes.
