The Knight King Who Returned With a God
chapter-192

Chapter 192: My father-in-law is too strong

-Bang!

A loud crunching sound, followed by the sound of scraping dirt.

“Hmph!”

No. 1 in Japan, Takeda, president of the newly established Japan Hunter Association after the resignation of the all-powerful Kamiya, groaned in frustration.

“This is harder than I thought!”

Takeda stared at the large statue of a golem, holding his Star Iron Sword steady.

A golem that Karina had made herself. Takeda had challenged the golem to a courtship duel to earn his ticket to the championship.

‘Strength in itself is nothing. It’s as dull as a golem and has no special abilities.’

But the ignorant defense that covers it. It’s not quite iron, but it’s like a whole bunch of metal just below it.

“Takeda-san, come on!”

Takeda shrugged as the Japanese Hunters cheered him on.

“An ordinary S-class Hunter would have had a hard time, but—!”

Takeda’s Star Iron Sword was engulfed in a blinding brilliance. A devotee of Arianna, the Goddess of Light and Justice, he is a formal knight who is often referred to as Lord Takeda by Leon when he visits the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods.

Holy Law <Blade of Radiance>

There is nothing that a blade of light that cuts through demons cannot cut!

-Kwazik!

The golem’s arm was severed but it didn’t end there.

Takeda’s long sword danced in a brilliant dance, dismembering the golem. By the end of the sequence, the light from the long sword slowly diminished, but all that remained on the ground was the golem, cut into 18 pieces.

“Waaaaah!”

“It’s Takeda-san after all!”

“Huh, that’s about it.”

Before Takeda could express his joy at having won the championship challenge, he saw his Star Iron Sword, which was still intact after shattering the golem.

The original Star Iron Armor of the Ten Thousand Gods is only available to those who have been knighted and recognized by the gods of the Ten Thousand Gods.

However, their performance is strictly divided. While the basic Star Iron Sword is of the highest quality, at least Unique, the true value of a Star Iron Armor depends on whether or not the gods bless the wielder.

Only a Knight of Realms who has faithfully practiced the Holy Law and received the blessing of the gods can unleash the true power of the Stellar Iron Armor.

‘It’s amazing, I can feel the Goddess lending me strength.’

Ever since the Wandering Demon Sword incident, Takeda has been completely obsessed with the Temple of Ten Thousand Gods.

In Japan, the number of believers has been growing exponentially to the point where there is a phenomenon known as the TTG Syndrome, but few of them have been blessed by the gods themselves by practicing holy arts.

Even Takeda’s swordsmanship students number less than a dozen.

“Takeda-san, thank you for your hard work!”

“Yeah. You should give it a try.”

“No, no, I can’t do it. I’m only an A-class Hunter.”

“Hahaha, with your skills, you’ll have a tough time. You’d be outclassed by a golem. But you’re also a knight, blessed by the goddess, and if you had the power of the Holy Law, it’d be a lump of scrap metal.”

“Is that so?”

Michida was puzzled as he looked at the remains of a golem so powerful that Takeda would struggle. The power of holy law is definitely a cheat, but——

“By the way, the power of the Holy Law is amazing. To create ‘hundreds’ of golems like that. Isn’t it a real monster?”

At a glance, the golems prepared to challenge for the position of champion were more than a hundred strong.

A single person could create a golem that was at least a Class A Hunter—isn’t that a one-man army?

“His Majesty the Lionheart King and Lord Vulcanus—what are the people of that world eating?”

“They are knights of the gods who have fought for hundreds of years. They’re not exactly like us.”

That was it. As Takeda was leaving the testing grounds, he saw a new challenger emerge from the entrance.

“Are there others besides us, Your Majesty?”

“”His Majesty the Lionheart!””

Takeda and the Japanese Hunters ran to Leon and bowed low.

“I see you’re safe after all, Your Majesty, and we’ve accepted the Champion Challenge for—?”

Takeda realized something was wrong as he spoke. Before he could mention it, Leon asked.

“Are you one of those guys who participates in courtship duels?”

“What? Ah, that’s what quests are for, huh?”

Meeting Leon’s gaze, Takeda felt his breath catch in his throat. Such an unpleasant gaze—where had he offended him?

“Bring me the golem.”

“First, sign the consent form in case you are injured by the golem──”

“Uh-huh, what’s the big deal, if it comes, it will come!”

Leon yelled at the examiner who was questioning the procedure.

“Nah— you agreed to it the moment you came here anyway, don’t blame me later!”

Soon, the golem stomped in front of Leon. At least three times the size of a human, the full-bodied golem was intimidating in its own right.

Even as it stared down at him, Leon did not waver in the slightest. On the contrary──

“An inanimate object, yet it dares to look down on the king. How insolent!”

Leon’s gaze pierced the giant. The next moment, something incredible happened.

-A crunch!

The golem is crushed by something as space shifts, and the ground beneath their feet shakes but only the golem and its surroundings were being crushed by something.

[Solemn Divine Law, Article 1, Paragraph 1! The Lionheart King has the authority to act on behalf of the Ten Thousand Gods!]

The giant’s form emerges from thin air, radiating intense sunlight and heat. In his right hand he holds a giant hammer, and in his left hand he holds the Laws of the Divine Kingdom.

Its authority is different from that of the Constitution. It is a law given by the gods to the mortal world, a mission for mortals to fulfill at all costs.

The human law of thou shalt not kill has exceptions for self-defense, barbarians, and serfs, but the divine law is absolute.

Tatar of the Sun and Judgment.

The guardian of the divine law judges insults on behalf of the Lionheart King.

Holy Law <Crime: Insulting royalty. Sentence: Death>

The moment the hammer comes down, the golem’s knees are forced to buckle. Unable to hold on for another moment, the golem falls face first to the ground and buries itself in a crater.

“Mu, what——.”

Inside the crater, the shredded form of the golem lies in ruins.

Leon strode over to the examiner, who seemed unconcerned with the shattered golem.

“I will challenge the champion immediately. Prepare your seats.”

“Ah, yes! Yes!”

Leon immediately used the challenge ticket he received for destroying the golem. His gaze turned to Takeda.

“Were you a suitor, too?”

“——No.”

Sensing that Leon would naturally become the champion, Takeda neatly gave up the challenge he had earned.

“Wise.”

Leon’s icy gaze softened a bit as he turned to face Takeda, the seat he had left. Michida approached him cautiously and asked.

“Why did he do that?”

“I guess ——fathers are like that.”

“What?”

Michida gave him a wide-eyed look as if he didn’t know what he was talking about. Takeda realized with a start that he was still young.

* * * *

“——”

“——”

Leon came out as the champion.

For a moment, the Hunters thought, -That’s okay.

-We need the champion to beat the quest.

-His Majesty Leon would almost certainly be able to defend.

-Is it settled that she’s going to marry Yongje?

Karina “Dragonia”.

Lionheart King Leon ‘Dragonia’.

The audience’s gaze becomes puzzled as they realize the similarities. Especially since some of them knew that Karina Dragonia was Leon’s real daughter.

-I heard in one of Leon’s classes that the daughter of the Priestess of Chastity and King Leon was definitely named Karina!

-How did she get married if she was a priestess of chastity?

-The king took her away before the temple could protest.

-???

In other words, Leon and Karina are related. Direct blood relatives, too.

-How did they marry? Father and daughter— No way!

-Of course not!

-Be careful or you’ll die for insulting royalty!

In any case, Leon would never marry Karina if he were her biological father. Leon’s purpose, then, boils down to one thing.

“Uh-huh— Your Majesty, do you really intend to fend off all the suitors?”

Cornwall Ong, facing Leon in the center of the dueling grounds, confirmed his intentions.

“Should I not?”

Sir Graham, the Silver Knight of England, said cautiously, trying to be polite.

“Your Majesty–I thought the quest we were given was to ‘marry’ Her Majesty Karina?”

“So?”

“Whoever wins the courtship must be successful in order to take the gate and escape, right?”

“Ino-oh-oh!”

Leon’s shout echoed through the arena.

“How dare you treat a royal ambassador like a mere mission!”

“No, in fact, how could you——.”

“You will never rise above me!”

Wrong, you’re a father, distracted by the news of his daughter’s courtship.

“We’re wasting no time! Come on, all of you, I’ll test your worthiness today!”

The German S-class Hunter, Günther, is struck by the ego-stroking words.

“The Lionheart King, your reputation is well known even in Europe, but— don’t you think it’s overkill to take on the three of us by yourself?”

From the side, Sir Graham muttered, “I think so——,” but he stopped himself from saying more by taking a step to the side.

“Ho, ho, what’s your name?”

“Günther Noordt. I’m a colonel in the Bundeswehr.”

“C’mon–you have the mettle to call yourself a warrior!”

Leon exclaimed.

“Stallion!”

The next moment, a white steed ripped through space. Riding atop it, the Lion King raised his jousting lance.

“But you’re nothing more than a thief trying to steal the king’s treasure.”

“This is the mounted charge you boast of, and I’ll take it.”

“Let’s go, Stallion!”

Leon shouted, and Stallion let out a feral roar and began to pound the ground.

“Hmph–that’s about as fast as a horse can go.”

Günther raised his massive shield, a square shield larger than most men. It symbolized his status as Germany’s–and Europe’s–best tanker.

‘It’s common knowledge that a hunter’s power is greater than a horse’s. I’ve seen horses with no mana go faster──’

-Heh!

‘Hmm? Too fast?’

It wasn’t that the distance between them was that great, but Stallion’s charging momentum was too fierce and ferocious.

-Thump, thump, thump──!

This was not the sound of horses’ hooves, but the sound of a giant dinosaur weighing tens of tons charging in for the kill.

The ground vibrated with the thuds of its extremely advanced lower body.

The white horse’s momentum is too terrifyingly massive to be called a horse.

No wonder since it’s an ally that has fought alongside the Lionheart King for hundreds of years.

In terms of warrior prowess, no hunter on Earth can match it.

Not even the heavens can match him, as he has awakened his ancient blood.

“Perfect Guardian!”

The overwhelming presence forced Günther to hastily use his skills.

The reason he was an iron wall was the tank skill ‘Perfect Guardian’, also known as absolute defense, a unique cheat skill that uses health and magic to offset 90% of the opponent’s damage for 30 seconds.

With it, he was able to block even the deadly moves of S-class bosses. But──

“To the Lionheart──Die!!!”

“——?!”

【Strongest Charger 】 X Lionheart Jousting Tournament Deadly Lance Charge.

In Leon’s youth, he used this to defeat countless knights and win tournaments.

-Bam──!

In the moment of shock, Günther didn’t even finish hearing the sound but his body was sent flying into the distance.

“Huh?”

The impact was so powerful that there was no scream.

Aside from the crushing sensation of his hand, Günther thought he was being sucked toward something.

“The entrance to the dueling grounds?

Günther continues to fly back the way it came in.

“——”

“——”

There’s no such thing as an underdog in a courtship duel, but Günther was clearly an overdog.

-Bam! Quack!

At the sound Sir Graham and Cornwall Ong exchanged glances in disbelief.

“Looks like we’ve struck a nerve.”

“We’re —— out of options, aren’t we?”

Graham watched Günther fly away, unable to give up.

Hunters from the United States, Japan, and other countries gathered here.

He can’t bear to see himself and Cornwall Ong, the two pride of British hunters, cowering and retreating.

‘It’s embarrassing.’

I’m not sure it’s any less so against that Lionheart King—but it’s got its own kind of bravado.

“That was close to instantaneous acceleration, but nothing I can’t handle.”

“Indeed, Fastest Knight, did you see that?”

“I’m no match for it on my own, but with the Duke of Cornwall’s support.”

“Leave it to me.”

The Duke of Cornwall raised the Twelve Rings, his magic infused and the Epic Item’s power unleashed.

Twelve Rings <Ninth Magic: Enhance>.

A miraculous Epic item that utilizes twelve great spells, its ninth ability is to enhance all buff spells.

In exchange for draining 20% of Cornwall Ong magic, all of his buffs are tripled in effectiveness for 10 seconds.

To maximize the effect, Cornwall Ong’s unique skill triggers.

Unique Skill <Haste Creed>

It was a self-buffing skill that drastically reduces the activation time of magic. Then──

“<Super Strength>, <Triple Attack>, <Perfect Invisibility>, <Magic Word>, <Time Alter>, <Greater Resistance>, <Greater Magic Shield>, <Ultimate Armor>.”

Buff spells rained down like a barrage and each one of these ultimate buffs, available only to the highest ranking mages, is aimed at a single person.

The ultimate buffs that would normally be distributed to the entire party were instead directed at Graham alone.

“So much power—it feels like omnipotence. I could take down anything.”

“I’ve used more than half of my magic. At your current level, you’re beyond an S-class Hunter.”

“Leave it to me.”

The next moment, Graham’s body was gone since his speed was beyond even Stallion’s charge.

“What?”

Leon dismounted from his horse, dismissing Stallion’s summons, and scanned the Graham hovering around him.

He was fast.

That speed could be described as lightning fast.

There was only one reason he was hovering around Leon, stomping on the ground to the point of damaging the dueling grounds just by running.

“The moment I see an opening, I’ll pierce it with my fastest, most powerful blow!

Graham stares at Leon as time slows to a crawl.

The Lionheart King’s superhuman strength was widely known but he was aided by Cornwall Ong’s buffing magic.

‘I won’t let my guard down. I have to make sure to smash him before he can react to my speed. He won’t even see me.’

And so it was. Graham’s Perfect Invisibility made him invisible, even to Leon.

“How noisy you are, like a fly; did you think you could escape my sight?”

The next moment, Leon held his holy sword high, a stance too simple and ineffective for swordsmanship.

It was more like a stance for a hammer than a sword.

“No matter how fast you are, as long as the Earth Goddess is with me, no one can escape the grace of the land without my permission.”

“Huh—!”

Lee Yong-wan and Ha Yuri gasped as the two members of the Korean Firebird Guild intuitively realized that Leon’s preparatory stance was similar to that of a certain knight.

An intangible energy that sucked in the air, devouring it ferociously. Realizing that it was ‘dangerous’, Graham was about to pounce when-─

Divine Punishment <Earth Shattering>

The sword strikes down like a hammer, as if it had trapped an explosive shockwave and released it once and for all.

-Crack!!!

Unavoidable shockwaves exploded in all directions.

“Kkkk—!?”

Graham was sent flying by the intangible, omnidirectional shockwave. He gasped for breath and looked at Leon with a frozen expression.

“What kind of monster——!”

But the sword tip of the holy sword already pointed at Graham and Graham quickly raised his hands.

“Ha, I surrender.”

“Huh—!”

Leon looked down at Graham, who quickly raised the white flag, with an unpleasant expression, before turning his gaze to the old mage.

“I, too, will surrender.”

“You’re not a fighter, I’m sure with that staff you could hold off a few more.”

“I’m too old for a fight with a fixed outcome.”

“How old are you?”

“Seventy this year, sir—”

“You’re in your prime.”

“——”

For the first time, he realized that the young man in front of him was actually a 300 year old man.

“Three down today, eighty-eight to go, and I’m feeling pretty good about it.”

With the three S-class Hunters so overpowered, Leon shouts to the stunned crowd.

“Hear ye, all men who ask for the hand of Karina Dragonia!”

Leon declared to all the suitors in attendance.

“It would be a waste of time to wait until we have a hundred. Anyone is good. I don’t care how many there are! Come on, all of you, if you have the courage to risk the wrath of the Lionheart King!”

Leon turns the grueling defense of a hundred champions into a game of no rules, no limits.

Cornwall Ong said.

“King Lionheart, I know you are strong, but is not this an impossible statement?”

“Impossible?”

“Yes. There are the best hunters in the world besides us here, and to face them alone is──”

“Arguing impossibility with this king, indeed, the ambition of a young man.”

“——”

The old gentleman, who had become a young man in his sleep, could only keep his mouth shut in front of the 300-year-old man, who gave him another reason to keep it shut.

-Clang, clang, clang!

Lightning strikes in a dry sky.

-Kaaaaaaaah!

Waves crashing from nowhere without a drop of water.

-Kuwaaaaaaaaah!

Flames soaring as if to cover the entire world.

“Behold. Nothing is impossible for a king as beloved as this king.”

Leon’s holy sword pointed at the crowd. It was a declaration of war.

“No one, no one, no one can claim to be the son-in-law of royalty, no one!”

As the Hunters watched, they thought.

How will we ever complete the quest?