Chapter Sixty: Retreat

A flash of swordlight erupted. Watching the profusion of shimmering silver sparks fill the air, Ellet was inwardly cursing his luck. He had already intended to withdraw when he heard Elise’s cry—after all, he’d merely been unwilling to lose face before, but now that his daughter had offered him an easy way out, he could hardly refuse. Yet he hadn’t expected his opponent to be so relentless; the ferocious, unyielding pursuit left Ellet speechless with frustration. He wished he could tell his daughter that it wasn’t his unwillingness to stop, but rather that stopping meant certain death!

Still, as a Knight of Secrets, and a master swordsman, Ellet wouldn’t simply surrender. Facing the barrage of sword gleams, he clenched his teeth and leapt back, his body as light as a sheet of paper. The sword in his hand traced a swift Z-shaped arc through the air, like a fish darting from a net, slipping back with remarkable speed and springing from the shower of swordlight.

But if Ellet was fast, Jen was no slower. Just as the dark red sword gleam was about to break free from the net, the silver-white swordlight behind it suddenly bloomed like a flower, swiftly condensing into a dazzling, fierce blade that howled forward. With every fraction of silver light condensed, the sword grew faster, and when the silver brilliance finally became one, the speed was blinding, beyond the eye’s ability to follow. In an instant, Jen’s sword spanned the distance and thrust straight toward Ellet.

Damn!

Seeing no way to dodge, Ellet’s face darkened. In theory, with his protective blade and wards, he had little reason to fear any weapon’s attack. But he was unwilling to test whether his defensive spells could withstand such a formidable magical artifact. Ellet, a ruthless man himself, made his decision swiftly. He lowered his sword, then abruptly flicked it upward, sending the blade flying from his hand and leaping into the air.

A dull clang resounded, making Ellet’s heart tremble. Fortunately, Jen didn’t pursue further. After blocking Ellet’s thrown sword, Jen halted, lowering his own blade and fixing Ellet with a half-smile, half-smirk.

Phew…

Witnessing this, Elise finally relaxed, pressing a hand to her chest and exhaling deeply. Yet soon she raised her head, gazing at Jen with complicated feelings. She’d long known the lord of the dungeon to be a formidable spellcaster, but to possess swordsmanship equal to—or far surpassing—her father’s was astonishing. Jen always dressed as a noble mage, never carried weapons, and nothing in his manner hinted at such skill.

Elise, of course, didn’t know the truth: in the demon realm, when Jen found he couldn’t gain advantages from the system upgrades to learn magic, he immediately began training with the sword. Unlike magic, which required a vast reserve of power, swordsmanship was a matter of skill, honed through practice. Thus, Jen’s swordsmanship far outstripped his magical ability. Otherwise, even as a demon king’s son, he’d have been eliminated in the demon realm long ago without real strength.

Later, upon arriving in the Underdark and unlocking the dungeon system’s spellcasting, Jen abandoned the sword, relying more on magic to “swagger and bluff.” After all, magic could kill dozens at once; a single thunderous spell would leave a dozen foes sprawled on the ground. Using a sword required picking them off one by one—far too troublesome. Life, after all, ought to be lived easily and happily, shouldn’t it?

Elise and Ellet knew nothing of Jen’s past, but it didn’t stop them from sensing the sheer power of his swordsmanship. Especially Ellet, who now looked wryly at his weapon, lying on the ground. That sword was a high-level magical armament, yet the enchantments on its blade had completely faded, and cracks marred its adamantine surface. It had been a rare magical weapon on the surface, but after a single exchange, it was now a heap of scrap metal. Clearly, Jen wielded a genuine magical artifact. Luckily, Ellet had reacted quickly and sacrificed his weapon, or else he’d have fared little better.

While the two were marveling at Jen’s skill, they had no idea that Jen himself was inwardly sighing and shaking his head. His power was still too lacking—his attack had been dodged. If it had been his eldest brother, the foe would have frozen before the sword even left its sheath, unable to move and resigned to die. Yet here he was, a son of the demon king, unable to instantly defeat a mere half-blood vampire... If his siblings ever learned of this, his reputation would be utterly ruined.

“My lord!”

Elise, finally regaining her composure, hurried to Jen’s side and tugged at his robe. Her worried gaze flicked toward her father. The girl’s heart was filled with shame and unease—after all, this had happened before her father, and Jen’s actions were hardly proper. She could only wonder what her father would think of her. Remembering her earlier dreams made her blush furiously, but she knew now was no time for embarrassment, so she forced herself to speak.

“Father—he didn’t mean any harm. Please, don’t make things difficult for him…”

Jen showed no reaction to Elise’s plea; he simply lowered his sword in silence, listening but saying nothing.

Elise, clever as ever, knew Jen disliked anyone revealing his true identity to outsiders. That was why she’d held her tongue when introducing him to her father. If she dared say more, who knew what might happen? So she pretended to plead with Jen to stop, subtly conveying his identity to her father. She trusted her father’s intelligence to understand her meaning.

Ellet, meanwhile, was indeed grave. He wasn’t a fool—Elise hadn’t lowered her voice, so her words were half meant for him. He quickly noticed several clues: his daughter wasn’t brainwashed or controlled, her demeanor was normal, and he sensed her familiar magical aura. This meant her power hadn’t been sealed, nor did she seem imprisoned.

Yet, in such circumstances, Elise refused to escape, even retreating as he attacked earlier—clearly unwilling to flee with him. The implication was intriguing: Elise had chosen to stay of her own will.

Why? Ellet didn’t believe in love at first sight. That man showed no special affection for Elise, and she was more fearful than enamored of him. Clearly, Elise judged him so powerful that even with her father present, there was no hope of success. Reality proved her right—without Elise’s help, Ellet couldn’t withstand Jen’s sword. If he tried to flee with her, he’d be crippled at best. And Jen possessed a magical artifact...

Ellet’s expression grew ever more serious. Elise had called Jen “my lord” repeatedly, which was her way of hinting at his identity. But... lord? Only Brandon Stone City nearby had such a figure, but its governor was Kadek, and there had been no political upheaval lately. So what did “lord” mean?

Ellet’s face shifted several times as he pondered, then decisively turned to leave. This young man was too strong, wielded a magical artifact, and Elise was clearly wary of him. He’d run into a wall this time. But at least he knew his daughter’s whereabouts, and though he hadn’t brought her home, knowing she was safe fulfilled half his purpose.

Jen said nothing as Ellet departed—he’d never intended to kill him. Elise was certainly a factor, but more importantly, Jen wanted to show Ellet a display of power, so that when he took control of Black Onyx City in the future, matters would proceed more smoothly.

But...

“All right, Elise, your father’s gone. No need to cover for him anymore.”

“Uh…”

Hearing this, Elise’s gentle pleas ceased, and she looked at Jen, embarrassed. She’d indeed meant to help her father, but having Jen expose it so bluntly left her mortified. Soon, Jen spoke again.

“But since you dared to stand in my way... you must have anticipated the consequences?”

“This... Yes...”

Elise hesitated, but finally nodded. No matter what, she’d risked herself for her father’s sake.

“Very well.”

Seeing her nod, Jen’s lips curled in a faint smile.

“Then take off your clothes and walk back to the dungeon from here.”

“…What?!”

Elise was struck with utter panic. Was this some kind of joke? Because of Jen’s “see-through” requirement, she wore only this robe. If she took it off, she’d be... And though the place was deserted, what if someone came by? And Jen himself was here...

Her face flushed as she lowered her head. She vaguely remembered reading a similar scene in a certain book...

“What’s wrong? Or should I lead you back with a chain?”

“Mm…”

Faced with Jen’s words, Elise hesitated for a moment, then blushed deeply and nodded.

“I understand... my lord…”

With that, Elise spoke resignedly.