Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Alphonse's answer left Mia somewhat stunned.

Indeed, some bards possess considerable combat prowess; they are a special combat class known as swordsmen.

But just by casually teaching Alphonse a few things, he's already trained to this level, capable of defeating a first-tier swordsman?

How could such a powerful figure come to such a small place as Cold Wind Territory?

Is this what Alphonse relied on to agree to the duel?

Why did he hide it from us before?

Was it because he was afraid his wife would stop him?

Mia thought about it over and over but still couldn't figure it out.

Back at the castle, Alphonse was finally able to drop his pretense and breathe a sigh of relief.

He was still too cautious, fearing that he might not be able to withstand Keberi's attack, so he used the Xuanwu Breathing Technique, a unique skill of the Ten Directions Holy Sect, which increased his power by 30% out of thin air.

This is a watered-down version of the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique, with an effect lasting only ten minutes, after which the user will be in a weakened state for two hours. Relatively speaking, it has fewer side effects than the original Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique.

With Alphonse's current cultivation level, he is unable to use the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique.

In the end, it turned out that they had overestimated Keberi and could defeat him even without using the Xuanwu Breathing Technique.

Alphonse suddenly became listless, and Mia, who was by his side, was well aware of it.

"Did you use a technique to unleash potential?"

Alphonse was in good spirits just now, but suddenly he broke out in a cold sweat, which clearly indicates that something is wrong.

"Hmm." Alphonse nodded.

All I want to do right now is get back to my room and rest; I can leave everything else for later.

He wanted to rest, but someone just wouldn't let him have peace.

I heard a series of light, hurried footsteps behind me.

"Lord Alphonse, please wait!"

Hearing the shouts, Alphonse turned around and looked over.

It turned out to be Monica, who was holding up her skirt and running after us.

Alphonse didn't really like her.

He's seen and touched beautiful women before, so why would he become a simp and fawn over them?

When the Ten Directions Holy Sect grew strong, the leaders of the six major sects within the sect carefully selected beautiful women from their respective sects to offer as wives. The seven branches of the Holy Sect were able to unify because they made an alliance with each sect leader to marry women from the six major sects and have offspring. The successor to the sect leader in the future would be chosen from among them.

This can be considered a way of balancing things out; there's not much emotion involved, it's all just transactions, only that nothing has come of it.

Suddenly, he felt somewhat disheartened. If he died, the Holy Church would probably fall into internal strife again, with dogs' brains being beaten to a pulp, and all his grand ambitions would come to naught.

Forget it, I've already been reborn, why bother thinking about those things anymore?

"Miss Monica, is there anything you'd like to say?"

"Your Excellency Alphonse, I..." Monica hesitated, biting her lower lip, and looked up at Alphonse as if she had made up her mind, "I hope that our engagement can be annulled!"

"Oh?" Alphonse smiled dismissively. "Does Baron Swood know about this?"

Monica paused for a moment, then lowered her head. "My father doesn't know about this yet."

"So, you mean it was all your own decision?"

Monica raised her head again. "I want to pursue my own happiness. I don't want to be a victim of an arranged marriage! And besides..."

There were some things she simply couldn't bring herself to say. She had already heard about Alphonse's terrible reputation at the sorority ladies' gatherings.

A family that rose from commoners to nobles through military achievements—what else could they be but country bumpkins?

Moreover, Alphonse, as the heir to a barony, is unambitious and spends all his time trying to get into parties and integrate into the aristocratic circle. He only knows how to indulge in luxury and pleasure, and even his fellow villagers secretly call him a bastard. How could she possibly want to marry such a person?

"So that's why you instigated Keberie to cause trouble for me, right?" Alphonse asked again.

Monica stammered, unable to speak. She did indeed have such thoughts in mind. Coincidentally, Keberie was not very bright and was lustful. He took the bait with a casual flirtation and offered to help her resolve the issue of her engagement.

"So you've tacitly agreed," Alphonse laughed. "Fine then, since you've said so, our engagement is null and void."

Having only been here for three days, he hadn't yet adapted to anything, and things in this world were still a mess. Getting married would only add to his burdens. Although he felt uncomfortable with Monica's actions, he couldn't do anything to her right now. After all, she was a noblewoman of the Swood family, and he couldn't afford to make too many enemies.

Before one's skills have reached their full potential, there must be a period of time for growth.

Only the powerful can disregard all rules.

It's better to cancel this marriage.

"What?" Monica was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but ask again to confirm, "Are you serious?"

That's a mess left behind by that kid from before, it's none of my business.

Alphonse's face hardened. "I know you look down on me, and I'm well aware that my reputation isn't good. It's understandable that you're unwilling. That's settled then, you can leave."

Monica was momentarily unsure whether to be happy or not. The thing she had been worrying about had been resolved so easily, but Alphonse's easy agreement to annul the engagement stirred a resentment within her. She had initially expected an argument. "Didn't you insist on marrying me? Now you're unconditionally breaking off the engagement."

Alphonse interrupted coldly, "So, you want to marry me?"

"Of course not." Monica had already confirmed it during her last visit. She couldn't stand Alphonse. He was shrewd and lacked any wisdom, just like Keberi. He would rashly agree to duel with a swordsman of Keberi's rank without considering the consequences.

"That's enough. You don't want to marry me, and I don't want to marry you, so we've decided to break off the engagement. That's enough." Alphonse turned and walked away impatiently, ignoring Monica.

I'm so tired, I just want to go to a soft bed and collapse like a corpse.

Monica froze on the spot, biting her lower lip.

Thinking about it carefully, the Alphonse I met last time and the one in front of me now seemed like two different people; he had completely lost that lecherous look in his eyes.

Was he faking it all along?

However, Monica was still secretly pleased that the engagement had been successfully dissolved.

She still remembered seeing the noble young master of the duke's family when she was studying in the capital. He seemed to be surrounded by a group of noble ladies, like stars around the moon. At that time, she could only watch from afar like an ugly duckling, not daring to go up and express her admiration.

My future partner should be someone like that, a true savior.

"Is it really okay to just call off the engagement like this?" Mia asked as she followed Alphonse into the room.

"Why do you say that?" Alphonse sprawled out on the bed, sprawled out in a starfish shape.

"After all, the engagement was agreed upon by the lord and Baron Swood."

(End of this chapter)