Chapter 33: Honorable Duel (1)
rp4Vlad walked close to the wall, running his hand along it.X2yRg
VA3DnHe closed his eyes and felt the rough tremors beneath his fingertips.GiZPnN
YCnX6NThen, he sharpened his hearing as if trying to catch something.QoOkG
W4iaqih“…”8Eku1cr
bSe4Keen hearing.fS2BYwq
GmGQCzVlad was searching for something, utilizing that sense of hearing Jorge had acknowledged.S09BTzh
RZC3TeA sound, the noise of someone moving swiftly.KlK
aD4Where the other knights were.4ibA
DIjBAnd how they were warming up.nhF
Meo6aOq“There they are.”bG9P2b
ya4LEjIJust as Alicia Heinal had gathered three knights to defend her honor, Endre, who had accused her of infidelity, had used his connections to gather them.FX4
9gsFA prelude to a duel of honor, using connections and influence.xCji
zJqz6DlAnd there, on the other side of the wall, out of his reach, were the men who would decide everything.GSe
pKJI“Take this!”4lDZqp7
SxuE7Vlad leaped upward, grabbing the edge of the wall with his hands.qxf
29mThree meters were seemingly an insurmountable height, but for Vlad, walls did not exist.JemZXuR
Dj5SaCarefully, and so that no one could hear him.NW0b1Zl
5QdnAWith that feeling he had when he stole from others.iuD1a
d8whVlad jumped over the wall with the swiftness of a thieving cat, strolling through the garden with an indifferent expression.nXJeT5
vaMW4tIf anyone looked, it seemed like he had been here all along.zV9AF
5PnClang-ClangU2Wh
XVJq“There.”M7vb1
rH7KVlad followed the sound of clashing weapons.5WNI
vycJoseph had instructed Vlad to see the faces of the knights present here.aCVtjK
fikcDnAlthough Vlad was the first to hear the request, he had no intention of disobeying Joseph’s orders.eSuW
QqIKBokIn truth, he wanted to see them.608Z
Fb8yVlad could count on one hand the number of knights he had seen in his life.HOExO
N3tg1Jorge, Knight of the Whores.QLh
eoZNrGodin, Knight of the Blue Moon.4xJ
09aJager, One-Eyed.Gxpq
VSj‘Sir Bordan is also a knight.’rcMqA
kl0faVlad, who in more than one sense was related to the knights, was eager to catch a glimpse of the world he admired.edDZ
2BMrFBFIt was a childhood habit to follow shiny things.xmjK
5KEM“Hmm.”5FTj9
xhGky3rVlad decided not to get too close, not trusting to deceive the senses of the knights.fD9Vuv
JQmHe merely used his natural sight to observe them from a distance.pome6M
s3jIt would be enough to see and sense something, as Joseph had said.OLom3N
675V5SIn front of him, two knights crossed swords.NtT5
U5XeIwNot violently, but with gestures sufficient to at least warm up their bodies.Fb84W5
walMtiThey were busy preparing for the duel tomorrow.K0EYph
YF5M“Greatsword.”ufdOdxF
AGCGThe first knight Vlad saw was a huge man, wielding a greatsword almost as large as himself.N2OniQs
PoJ7cTHe had dark skin, though not as much as Othar, and seemed to be at least mixed-race.wlXdUvH
tuqxaEven from a distance, the momentum of the greatsword was palpable.bmgqjUy
jE6“Sword and shield.”4JRlgQe
kBZyMBAnd a knight against him.RpRkq
tm2MjThe knight with dark skin, wielding his sword with all the strength he could muster, stood firm in defense, constantly stripping the greatsword and advancing.C7k
9hNKI4XEven to Vlad’s inexperienced eye, the knight seemed to have the advantage in the shield game.eINx
8xu1Rqu“It doesn’t look easy to break through, does it?”h0WbVd
Ax2sGee“…!”vCk
D4WQQXjVlad jumped at the sound of someone’s voice next to him.KHDohS
0Z4P“Who…”B8qsnQZ
hcDh“Shhh!”9wreUuL
DprSomeone quickly put a hand over Vlad’s mouth.AcQoU
GrzaWith no time to protest, Vlad was swiftly gagged and looked with wide eyes at his captor.elIv
JLz2w“Are you going to come all the way here to get caught?”fObO
9nhz2msIt was a man with a roguish mustache.FmqsI
VZwQTZXHe had a friendly smile on his face, but Vlad was breaking out in a cold sweat.qLy
roLf“What speed!”4wA
Ru8x9lLHe couldn’t escape the hand that had just closed his mouth.wfiP42F
PZooHe had been subdued in an instant.fnsuZQ
0mU“It seems you have a pretty good idea of what you’re looking for, but let’s watch in silence.”0pvBA
L1HiCSaid the mustached man with a playful glint in his eyes.C4cl
ACQlC“Squire of Lord Jager.”IwcznI
LESanIS“…Who are you?”IAseny
dLiiVThe man didn’t answer Vlad’s question, only pulled a small dried fruit from his chest and handed it to him.xzb4S
VzBcg“Let’s eat and watch. A good show needs food.”anYO3MS
QAhcqdv“…”tyA
IjJiVlad had no choice but to accept the dried fruits the man offered.jRLaQ
wesoHe didn’t know what else to do.mVJDS
vsHfThere was no way to escape from this man.ev4RXHc
a3nEUvLooking at the man who had so cleverly blocked all escape routes, Vlad realized that there would be no easy way out.D5t
7N7AXTAt least not without his permission.83qiEx
GZ8K0[I barely sense any malice from him, which means he has no ill intentions. Don’t be alarmed.]LYFzD
AEtThe voice was of a quality hard to discern, so Vlad decided to wait and see.xGCVVh
AlZOV“Take something expensive…”vpcy
gsg“Hmph. Money is what you make of it.”6RjpYw
GviThe mustached man from Kaiser handed Vlad another piece of dried fruit, satisfied that he had the audacity to speak to him despite being dominated.7D1nib
0HlpFL“You’re as strong as I’ve heard.”cUwD1G
RIGpQ“Do you mean Sir Colin?”sPY75
5wySwQoVlad hadn’t seen him in person, but Joseph had told him the brief details.TNk
ReiRxJ“For something called a mud boar. If it catches you, your bones will break.”ZrXx
bE9S“I agree.”Mv1
tqBkHw9Vlad decided to punch him, since he couldn’t escape anyway.adJ4Z
EYgCouhIf he was going to do something about it, he might as well have done it himself.zMT
5xW“I think the knight he’s dealing with is the strongest man.”sKv8
2DEdcN“Ah. Pablo.”H5Kt9zq
KatKThe mustached man answered, munching on dried fruit.qwvPp
fj2j2gw“A knight from Arnstein, a promising family from the center of the country, not my favorite type of knight.”QnT
VJo“Why?”xX8
po8VThe man smiled at Vlad, who suddenly felt more at ease.C66
Z5m“Because he’s boring. He’s defensive.”sts
mKt7D“Ah.”QkgNY37
HxKHqThe Arnstein family was known for their knights forming a closed formation, creating a wall, and Pablo the Knight certainly had that trait.wi3
Wwqeu“I’ll give him credit for the shield game. He can stop anything in his way.”TfWUNMF
6vrKwd“Hmm.”2ItWr
MEf4khLWhoever this guy is, he sure has a big mouth.tlemxT
nAycmprMaybe he’s lucky.FFb57W
wkaM“And the other guy? Is there one more?”KPe
0CeOInternally, Vlad hoped to find out about the other through him.5yFacL
o18fnx6“…”eZtSfSl
qLwBefore he knew it, the mustached man was gone.p1YDY
B2bO[He disappeared just as he arrived.]TDpUC
naze“Damn.”NIlQ2AP
98c4And then he vanished, like the wind, leaving no trace behind.Ksc2k
h0USensing danger, Vlad managed to quickly step aside, though not as swiftly as the man who had disappeared without a trace.UbGxo0
ncjAcRetracing his steps, Vlad leaped over a high wall and successfully returned to the designated area for Alicia.PRPkf
bDFa7“Why are there so many monsters in the world…”RbN3xzZ
z4UmXBarely making it back, Vlad leaned against the wall and sighed.eOs
x6sFZIt was a sigh of relief for not being caught, but also a sigh of frustration facing the enormous wall ahead once again.1oLWt2
D9ssYFk“He was a knight, wasn’t he?”uWSrUrZ
oQfTSrH[Indeed, he was a knight, not a mage.]t59
aEhKwMost likely, he was a knight because if he wasn’t, it’s an inexplicable skill.jpI
iGCh“Is that what it takes to be a knight?”B3MgTU
E9r4fWu[Lord Bordan is a knight.]qzPiC
hut65“No…”uGpxS8
rv9Vlad, somehow drained of strength, simply rested the back of his head against the wall instead of responding to the absurdity of the voice.fPx
aS2NsDR“Not all knights are the same.”n9BoHj
gqTV2GVIt wasn’t disrespecting Bordan, but the boy had a clear goal.8OeHlH
CSsThe Moonlight Knight.lO8
3J2WRaWhen he was a frog in a well, fresh out of Soara, it was a goal he would surely surpass, but from the moment he stepped into the light, Vlad was aware of his place.ARpg
joLKnowing where he stood, Vlad kicked futilely as he contemplated a goal he barely dared to pronounce.KRlVMp
FxAS1IThe sweetness of the nuts still lingering in his mouth was unnecessary.GDIj
OCHis8S***5kv4
GzgAt noon the next day.FXACl
9G7ixAlthough small in size, the central hall of the Heinal mansion rivaled that of any other noble house.xZ78P0R
s0jDPeople gathered in masses.mli
DO0wAKnights with swords, squires with knights, and priests.MA4fU
m26FEAnd two Heinals.17NtO
d2IR3Alicia Heinal and Endre Heinal.Bsepg
3EK3NOnce they had been uncle and niece, but now a great and irreparable chasm lay between them.Mhs
rQLwSA soft yet fierce momentum was forming among the groups, split exactly in half around the two Heinals.vhUMggp
9LKfKA duel of honor, but with everything at stake.yfC4JzP
peDIt was the momentum of warriors in dueling.VMHpI
zhqH“It’s impressive.”dVQSpuW
Mn2mB“Yes.”LNs1hB4
X2ZDQEven Vlad, who was accustomed to witnessing Jager’s power, felt a tingling nervousness he had never felt before, and his eyes became fierce against his will.R019BZ
MmfiLO“Look at this. A duel of true knights is not something you see every day.”tIE
GOeZI“Yes.”fG75
PUXbt4“And…”kZT
T5IpIn moments, Jager would duel on behalf of Joseph and Alicia, but there was only a glimpse of calmness in the lone eye he had left.uK7hD
0J2Xrc“I don’t know what happened yesterday, but don’t forget you’re still a kid.”Rca8
vCfr0p“…..”UOQT4uV
hVuquu“A brat starts by walking. Not running.”Nucw5ij
B7D89The world is big, and you are small.r48
4sAVlad, who had seen, felt, and experienced the untouchable, grew impatient.k85gzJ0
cUWxSMHe’s talented, but not yet polished.GNhuPsL
LL41With lofty aspirations and the road ahead, Jager’s words touched a sensitive chord deep within him.G1V
845A5IT“I see.”PvvJ
Rzx“Nothing in this world is easy.”LBvnS
7ng8tAfter saying what Vlad needed to hear right now, even if briefly, Jager adjusted his eye patch one last time and stood up.FMd
fGTb87“Go.”4hvO
2sL4v8“Okay.”J8Nf
XoXINttVlad, having fulfilled all his duties as a squire, positioned himself behind Jager and waited.UKD3vBC
dMtvD0D“Alicia Heinal, please enter!”F2yQz
d0JyThe vestibule door began to open, accompanied by the voice of an elderly man who couldn’t be identified as a servant or butler.jFg0ZB
vaHGvb0“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen her before.”nmd1oDn
J6y7mHe was with Joseph, a high noble, but Vlad was just a squire.F4g7BBl
3o8He hadn’t even met Fether, the head of the Bayezid family he served, so it was no wonder he hadn’t seen Alicia Heinal, the owner of Deirmar.Dwbd
CA4DfkThey say she’s young.6OBH
21gfcYoung and beautiful, and moreover a woman and baroness.Iq0
0Vo8IEverything about her was enough to arouse Vlad’s curiosity, who was already of age.cuDyD0
spkU9r“Everyone, get ready!”VKZu
Oxc2A woman dressed in ornate robes entered the hall, escorted by Duncan, the elderly knight who would this time engage in the duel of honor with Jager.V31SPQA
1wseJrXThe figures on Endre’s side of the hall simply didn’t bow, but those standing for her were expected to, as she was the land’s lord.6Ot
28GarqfVlad was about to bow too.qwsRd7
Vgz“…”asB1Hi
K4o4TTheir gazes met.pbYXIL
BTpBhuWith her aquamarine hair.nr6LN
C1Fp9gThe woman with aquamarine hair accompanied Duncan.2t5I
FQtgrUCHer expression, stern and cold, seemed too unfamiliar to be the same person he had seen that day.EcGWy
iRx9w0r[Now there’s an additional charge for insulting a noble.]cYMBjVB
MoUEV“…”irm1p
8LYZiNKAlicia Heinal’s gaze paused for a moment as it swept over Vlad, who remained stiff, not daring to lower his head.kw2c
DvQp1DThose large eyes fixed on the figure of the blond boy for a moment, then passed by him, seemingly indifferent.MGYjx
k44amgFShe headed towards the only chair in the hall.AkZ
FuAmTowards the lord’s seat, where only one person could sit, at the highest point of the place.JvCibP
fZEVlad looked perplexed.yG2
HsONAnd at Endre’s fierce gaze.VW1E3O
hiGBasking in the attention of everyone present, the woman with aquamarine hair took her place where she was supposed to be.IN8I9J
N5n7U“Now that all parts of the duel have arrived, let’s proceed!”SJu
6NmBdpStarting with the words of the priest who had been specially invited by the center for this duel.FVEuC
Bmw“The gods behold this place, and today’s rising sun is proof of it!”Bl9e
Opui70The doors of the hall closed.VuL
OQ9gZThe duel with everything at stake was about to begin.51T
6c4An honorable yet brutal duel.iEa8hn
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