Chapter 25: Phantom Revival

Amphere Harrison

Three days ago…

My heavy breathing is the only ones making the noise on this mini-hall. Except maybe the dripping of my sweat, and Estoff’s chuckle that sounded like a teenage grunting. The wooden floor has been soaked by our two-hour sword spar perspiration. No, I’m the only one sweating. Estoff has been acting so cool that he hasn’t even made himself half serious. He’s just toying with me.

My right shoulder hurts. My left leg hurts. My abs hurts( Just kidding, I don’t have any. But my tummy hurts.) Even though we’re just using wooden swords for practice, he never gives me a chance to flee and continue to hit me like a battered dog.

“You’re getting rusty.” Estoff said, still chuckling. “Looks like you’re refining your ‘other’ skill than your swordplay. Maybe that’s why you almost lost.”

“Well, my ‘other’ skill will help me in battle.” I made a tiresome smile.

“That’s why you should use that on the next battle. Remember, Airi is not always there to protect you. Well, you can count on her, but not always.”

Estoff’s right. If I keep relying on my dragonoid in battle, I would end up losing the tournament. I can’t even control her powers properly, and also I don’t know how to make use of those “Dragonoid Eyes” back again. I need to refine my known skills. But I admit, I’m sloppy in swordplays like this.

“Let’s call it a day. I’m not here just to spar with you. I need you to meet someone.” Estoff lowered his sword and turned his back, signaling the end of this sparring.

After we had our shower on his office and change our clothes, we immediately rendezvous with Airi and Duchess Corasell. We rode on Estoff’s limo which has Gilliard (His dragonoid, remember?) as the driver, like always.

It was a two-hour ride. Every time I sit on this limousine, the scene is the same; Airi sleeping and drooling on my shoulder, the duchess talking jollily to our pretty boy Estoff, and Gilliard being silent as me as always.

For the whole travel time, the duchess avoided any conversation with me. She didn’t even make any eye contact. She clearly hates me until now. My cheek already healed from her slap, but my heart didn’t. Don’t get me wrong. It hurts when somebody hates you. Well, if she hates me, I hate her too. She’s really rude to Dragon Knights, and has no manners to the elderly. I’m a son of a duke too, you stuck-up bitch!

We finally stopped in a garden filled with fairy bushes. Fairy bushes are like bonsais which bears white fairy wing-like flowers. There are also a lot of dragonoid maids who keep those fairy bushes trimmed and healthy. This is like the Duchess’ garden back in her manor.

On the center of the garden is a middle-sized manor. It is just a two-story house that has a Big Ben-like clock tower on top of the roof. Quite peculiar. The clock says that it is already past eleven AM, when we normally ate at the cafeteria. Maybe that’s why Airi has been complaining that she’s hungry. Just how many stomachs does a female dragonoid have?

I was about to knock the door of the manor when Airi immediately grabbed me back to the duchess. The duchess’ cheeks are somewhat reddish, and I know that she’s quite embarrassed at me.

“Come on, say it! Totally!” Airi said to the duchess. Then she forced both of our hands to shake. “We needed to reconcile!”

“Um…” There was a long pause on the duchess’ side. She inhaled a lot of air, and then looked at me in the eyes. “I-I apologize for what I have treated you for the past days…”

“I-It’s nothing, milady.” I scratched my head and turned away in embarrassment. “It’s kinda my fault, and I deserve it.”

“Yay! Now the Arcadia has been reunited! Totally!” Airi celebrated. Meanwhile, Gilliard and Estoff laughed in the corner.

Then the door opened. There was a white haired man with a white complexion and white beard. He was wearing a white tux. This guy is about on his sixties or seventies. On his side is a bland teenager…with nothing special. Maybe the special thing about this guy is that he’s not special at all.

“Welcome.” The white haired man received us. “Please come in.”

I whispered “Who is he?” to Estoff, but he didn’t answer me. I also noticed that the duchess started clinging to my arm, shaking. Maybe she’s scared of the house or something. Airi noticed the duchess, so she cling herself too to my other arm. What the heck is happening with these girls?

Their living room is not that wide. The house is made of narra woods that are varnished thoroughly. Now that I think of it, this is more like a rest house. We sat on the golden sofa while the dragonoid maids prepare us some tea. Then the white man introduced himself.

“I’m Yuri Dragunov, a regular businessman.” Then he referred to the bland man on his right. “This is Nox, my personal bodyguard. And also, the Duchess’ former knight.”

“I hate him.” The duchess whispered to me as she tightened her grip to my arm. Owowow! That hurts! Estoff hit that spot earlier!

“Let’s cut to the chase, Duke Dragunov.” Estoff said with a smile on his face. “We came here for a deal.”

“I won’t forget about that.” Dragunov said. “I will deposit the money to the Arcadia and I will support and vote for the Dragonoid Rights Bill in exchange for the information about Kyle Leviticus’ Chevalier Unit. Is that sufficient enough?”

“It is.” Estoff and Dragunov stood up and shook their hands.

After their quick deal, Dragunov turned to me. “Is this the young knight you told me about?”

“Yes.” Estoff presented me proudly. “He is Amphere Harrison, 2nd Class Dragon Knight. He made you a lot of money last time, wasn’t it?” He’s certainly referring to my performance in the elimination round.

“Yeah, I went all-in to bet for you! Your three headed dragon is cool and powerful!” Duke Dragunov is surely hyped. “What was that thing’s name again?”

“Ultima Dragon.” I answered with a boring smile.

Duke Dragunov immediately shifted to a serious face. His green eyes glared at me with a burning will. “That was the last time I saw my foster son, Alder Windstrafe.” He said.

Airi and I was about to react, but then Estoff raised his hand, telling us to keep listening and finish his story.

“The Black Phantom is the figure of my village’s honor. He is well known for being the assassin of the corrupt. I became the Black Phantom at one point, and when I got older, I passed it to Alder. At first, he managed to do the righteous assassination to those who are wicked. But everything changed when he was recruited to the Chevalier Unit of Kyle Leviticus.”

I’m going to leave a side note here. There is no way that an assassination is righteous. Period.

“He began killing Dragon Knights that are in favor of the Dragonoid Rights Bill. I believe his mind has been poisoned by that devil general to do such things, and stain the name of the Black Phantom. Now that he’s dead, I can’t help but to conclude that Kyle is behind all those things. He used my son. He even used the name of the Black Phantom to get away from his sins. And he has to pay for it.”

The bland man Nox showed us a metal briefcase, which he immediately opened. There was a black cape, a platinum chaleco and white long sleeves. There is also a pair of glossy leather shoes and dark slacks. And more importantly, the white mask.

“Investigate the Chevalier Unit. Restore the mask’s honor. Be the Black Phantom!”