Chapter 345: 343 A man who has lost his heart and spirit
The capital, the home of Gejiev.
As the head warrior of the kingdom, Gejiev’s home was undoubtedly much smaller compared to the residences where the nobility lived.
It was a house located outside the bustling area, better described as the home of a comfortably-off citizen rather than a mansion.
"This is where you live?" Gegran looked at the mansion in front of him, somewhat unexpectedly turned to Gejiev beside him, and said, "How should I put it, it’s completely different from what I imagined."
Clearly, Gegran had thought that Gejiev’s place would be bigger and more luxurious, at least not inferior to the nobles’ mansions.
"There are only three of us in my family, an elderly couple who help out and myself; such a place would be a waste for me," Gejiev said. "I am also not used to living in luxury, perhaps because I come from a commoner’s background, and the nobles have often mocked me for this."
"I actually think it’s very nice," Clem said seriously to Gejiev, "It feels like home."
"Thank you," Gejiev responded with a slight smile to Clem, then continued, "Speaking of which, I didn’t expect everyone to come along, if I had known I would have asked the helpers to prepare something to entertain everyone."
"No need for that, we are not here as guests, just here to join in the fun," Gegran waved his hand and said, "After all, I still find it hard to believe that Brian Angelos would lose his spirit and end up being taken in by his rival."
"How so?" Clem turned to Gegran and asked, "Lord Gegran, have you seen Lord Angelos?"
"Sort of," Gegran spread his hands and said, "Though you wouldn’t think it, I also participated in the royal dueling tournament, only to be utterly defeated by a certain head warrior."
Gejiev couldn’t help but give a wry smile at this.
Gegran, oblivious to Gejiev’s feelings, continued to reminisce and speak.
"I’ve never spoken to Brian Angelos, but I watched the finals of the dueling tournament and saw the duel between Storunov and that man."
"Back then, Brian Angelos was already a highly skilled swordsman, probably the only one who posed a real threat to Storunov in the whole tournament?"
"Although it’s not nice to say this in person, in the industry, it’s actually unanimously considered that, in terms of talent, Brian Angelos surpasses Storunov."
Gegran’s words made everyone turn their gaze toward Gejiev.
Gejiev did not deny this, clearly also considering that, in terms of talent, he was not up to Brian Angelos.
Thus, Brian Angelos was regarded as a genius swordsman, which was the proof of his recognized talent.
"Such a man, even after losing to Storunov, never showed a hint of discouragement in his eyes, nor any intention of giving up, instead staring at the victor with eyes full of intense fighting spirit," Gegran said. "That’s why I find it hard to believe, that the man back then could have been defeated."
That’s why Gegran couldn’t help but come to see for himself what Brian Angelos had become.
On the other hand, Iveyer appeared disinterested, quietly following along without a word, seemingly uninterested in the current state of Brian Angelos.
She seemed more interested in Reiger, constantly staring thoughtfully at Reiger’s figure, lost in her own thoughts.
Reiger also came along, perhaps at Gejiev’s invitation.
Eventually, he agreed to Gejiev’s request to come and see the situation of Brian Angelos.
He was curious whether Brian Angelos was still like the original character, having encountered that incident, which led to his current state.
So, Reiger spoke up.
"We’ll only know what happened by asking in person," he said.
With that, Reiger took the lead and headed for Gejiev’s home.
The people present hurriedly followed, entering his home under Gejiev’s lead.
...
Although Gejiev’s home was not large, it still had a courtyard specifically for personal sword training.
The courtyard was small, with no flowers, plants, or trees planted, just several blunt swords used for practice placed in a corner, their usual purpose displayed thoroughly.
"Look, it’s right there."
Gejiev led everyone in the courtyard and pointed to the corner.
There, a disheveled man held a knife, crouched in the corner looking with a dazed expression at the practice swords opposite, as if thinking about something.
"...He really is in a bad way," Gegran commented upon seeing the man.
"That, that is the rumored genius swordsman who could stand toe to toe with Lord Storunov?" Clem asked incredulously.
"It seems he truly encountered a monster," Iveyer murmured, subtly frowning beneath her mask before softly saying that sentence.
Everyone immediately recognized the man’s dazed state and his nature of a ruined man, completely unable to equate him with the genius swordsman who had once fought Gejiev Storunov to an even standstill.
Even Reiger began to ponder.
"This seems even more severe than what’s depicted in the original, doesn’t it?" he mused.
What exactly had he encountered?
Thinking about this, Reiger turned his gaze and gave Gejiev a look.
Gejiev immediately understood and took the lead, stepping forward into the courtyard.
It wasn’t long before Gejiev approached Brian Angelos.
"You’re still here, Angelos." Gejiev looked down at Brian, who was crouching in a corner, and said in a deep voice, "Didn’t I tell you to have a good sleep after dinner and a bath?"
The sound of Gejiev’s voice caused Brian, the man, to have a slight reaction.
"...I can’t sleep."
A hoarse voice arose from the man’s mouth.
"The moment I close my eyes, I can’t help but remember everything I saw that day, as if it’s all right in front of me. It’s simply impossible to sleep."
The man’s voice was not only hoarse but also incredibly feeble, giving the impression of a dying man leaving his last words.
"...You, are you really Brian Angelos?"
Gegran couldn’t help but speak out, her voice full of deep suspicion and questioning.
Brian shifted his gaze and looked toward Gegran.
"...Who are you?"
Even though he saw a female warrior robust enough to easily crush him, there was not even a hint of shock on Brian’s face, and his voice remained as weak as ever.
"I am Gegran!" exclaimed Gegran, seemingly quite annoyed, "A Steel-grade adventurer of the team ’Pale Rose’, Gegran, remember that, Brian Angelos!"
However, this statement was met with nothing but a snort from Brian.
"Steel-grade adventurer, huh?" said Brian, without a second thought, "It’s quite something for you to flaunt such a title so proudly."
"What did you say?" Gegran’s eyes blazed as if insulted.
"Nothing, just some advice for you." Brian still spoke in his listless tone, "Even the highest order of Steel-grade adventurers are merely humans, weak and powerless humans."
"You might have put in a lot of effort to reach this level, training hard to hone your skills, but I’m sorry to tell you, it’s all in vain."
"When faced with real monsters, faced with true powerhouses, mere human beings, no matter what, will be trampled."
"In the future, don’t bother announcing your name with such confidence, it’s for your own good."
Such words seemed more like complete despair rather than mere resignation, and they enraged Gegran to the core.
"To say such a thing, you bastard, can you even be considered a man...!?"
Gegran grabbed Brian’s collar and pulled him close, yelling fiercely.
But Brian did not resist at all, gazing at Gegran with unfocused eyes.
That look made all of Gegran’s anger nearly vanish.
At that moment, Gegran let go, dropping Brian.
"Give up, this guy is beyond help," she declared.
"His heart has completely died, describing him as ’shattered’ is almost too kind; such a person can no longer be called a Swordsman, a warrior, he’s merely walking dead. The best thing to do is let him perish on his own."
Gegran mercilessly chastised him, yet it stirred not even a flicker of emotion from Brian.
"This..."
Even Clem felt sorry for Brian at this point.
"Mental trauma? What fitting symptoms for a human," Iveyer said, it was unclear whether in mockery or sympathy.
The three of them were all disappointed in Brian’s performance, even feeling pity for him.
This showed just how severe Brian’s condition was.
"Master Brilliant."
Gejiev could only seek help from Reiger.
Reiger had been observing Brian all along, and only after Gejiev called out to him did he show a contemplative expression.
A while later, Reiger’s gaze fixed on the knife that Brian was holding in his hand.
Just like clutching the last straw in his heart, Brian was tightly gripping the knife, allowing one to clearly feel his internal struggle.
Reiger’s eyes flickered slightly.
"Ka..."
Suddenly, he drew his sword.
"————!"
At that moment, whether it was Gejiev, Brian, or even Gegran, Iveyer, and Clem, everyone’s faces changed dramatically.
With Reiger’s action of drawing his sword, a terrifying sense of mortal danger burst forth in everyone’s hearts.
The entire courtyard suddenly transformed into a battlefield, filled with tension.