Chapter 6 : The Duel

Ian felt extremely uncomfortable with the current situation.

Whether he realized it or not, the person at the center of it all wore a look of complete composure.

His steps, too, seemed much lighter than Ian’s.

“…Aren’t you worried at all, brother?”

“Hm? About what?”

“The duel. Sir Tylan made quite a spectacle out of it.”

Tylan had changed the match with Glenn into a Provisional Duel, making it public.

He had informed his third cousin, Javico Viscount, of the matter. The Viscount, in turn, relayed it to the Duke and officially requested the duel.

The Duke, of course, tried to refuse with a plausible excuse, but when he heard that Glenn himself had directly requested it, he rebuked him harshly.

***

“What on earth were you thinking? The moment you start to improve, you go and pull off something this idiotic!”

Already in a foul mood from the meeting, the Duke exploded in anger at his son’s foolish actions.

Glenn felt his skin tingle at his father’s genuine fury.

Come to think of it, his father was a swordsman just one step away from Swordmaster.

The pressure radiating from such a person, when sincere, was nearly unbearable.

This was exactly why, back in his delinquent days, Glenn had always feared his father.

But now, admiration came before fear.

Was my father always this skilled?

“Do you think I’ll lose?”

“Are you getting cocky just because you became a formal knight a little faster than others? Tylan is older than you and has been a knight for much longer. You lost badly last time too—what on earth did you learn from that?!”

With his father’s voice echoing with anger, Glenn decided there was no need for a lengthy explanation.

So he met his father’s gaze and spoke honestly.

There was no need for a pitiful excuse.

“I’m confident. Just watch me.”

“…Hmph.”

Seeing the unwavering look in Glenn’s eyes, the Duke let out a long sigh.

“You must, without fail, take responsibility for those words. Absolutely.”

***

“Father seemed quite angry about this… But you seem entirely unconcerned, brother.”

“Yes, he called me aside and scolded me, asking what on earth I was thinking.”

“What did you say?”

“I just told him to watch.”

Ian looked dumbfounded.

On the other hand, Glenn had been acting annoyed since earlier.

“That’s all?”

“Wow, do you think I’ll lose too?”

“No, that’s not it… It’s just, after what happened before…”

Of course it is.

Glenn grumbled inwardly but didn’t scold his younger brother.

What could he do? In the end, he’d sown these seeds himself.

And, in a way, he was realizing just how hard it was to change people’s preconceptions.

“Ah, you’re here. Young master Ian, you’re here as well.”

Sir Nedian approached. His expression, too, was calm as ever.

Even here, Ian felt a sense of unease.

Come to think of it, isn’t it Glenn who’s the swordsmanship prodigy? Shouldn’t he be worried?

“A lot of people have gathered. Knights, maids, members of the family—did they call everyone?”

“The Sailharun Family’s servants were bustling about busily.”

“Does everyone really show up just because they’re called? Don’t they have anything better to do?”

Glenn’s disinterested attitude made Nedian chuckle as he replied.

“This isn’t an everyday event, after all.”

“Oh, and are they making bets or anything?”

Glenn, heading toward the dueling grounds, stopped and asked.

Nedian made a wry face.

“I heard there’s some talk of that among the knights.”

“Who did they bet on?”

“…Aren’t you going?”

“Don’t change the subject. What’s the ratio?”

“…From what I heard, it’s about two to eight. Of course, you’re the two, young master.”

Damn, faithless bastards.

Glenn grumbled to himself.

“What about you?”

“Eh?”

“Who did you bet on?”

“I’m the vice-captain, after all. I can’t exactly join in the gambling.”

“Gambling, huh. Do you think I’ll lose too?”

“…You, young master? Are you joking?”

Seeing his mentor’s bewildered reaction, Glenn finally started walking again, adding one last comment.

“I’ll set the table, so you make sure to bet later too. You as well, Ian. And keep a list of the knights who bet on me.”

After Glenn disappeared, muttering something nobody understood, the two left behind looked puzzled.

“Set the table… What did he mean by that?”

“Who knows, but it seems he’s planning something.”

“But… aren’t you worried, sir?”

“Worried?”

“That Glenn might lose.”

At Ian’s honest question, Nedian simply lifted the corners of his mouth.

“You’ll see for yourself.”

***

“You managed not to ruin it after all.”

Tylan glared confidently at Glenn across from him.

“Why would I bother ruining it?”

“Well, even if you wanted to, you couldn’t. The whole estate’s buzzing with the news.”

“Yeah, your people did a good job spreading it.”

“I asked my uncle for help. Are you pleased?”

“At first, not really, but now that I think about it, it’s quite something.”

“Hmph, acting all calm. After today, you won’t be able to show your face. The honor of the Lion Knights will be trampled into the dirt—and the great Duke, your father, will wear a very grim expression.”

At Tylan’s childish taunting, a slight laugh escaped Glenn.

“And why are you so concerned about that?”

“…Let’s get started.”

Tylan tried to gain the upper hand with provocations before the duel, but it didn’t work.

He was clearly different from the hot-tempered fool who used to charge in at the slightest provocation.

If anything, it felt like he himself was being drawn in.

“Ah, before we start, I have a suggestion.”

“Suggestion?”

Glenn deliberately raised his voice from this point on.

“Since everyone’s gathered, why don’t we make this event even more interesting?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your family’s people worked hard to gather everyone, didn’t they? Think of this as a gesture of thanks.”

He glanced around before speaking again.

Sure enough, his father was watching from one side.

“If we add a wager to this event, I think it’ll become even more exciting.”

Glenn’s gaze was already fixed on the Duke.

“…A wager? Are you suggesting we bet money on a knight’s sacred duel?”

Before the Duke’s expression could sour, Glenn quickly added,

“A sacred duel? It’s just a friendly match. A friendly duel to strengthen the bond between the Lepent and Sailharun families.”

What on earth is this damned son thinking?

Just as the Duke was about to refuse, suppressing his anger,

“I think it’s not a bad idea.”

Javico Viscount stepped forward.

To him as well, Glenn’s suggestion was quite appealing.

“As you know, Duke, betting on knightly duels is something people already do behind closed doors. I’m sure people are doing it right now. So why not make it official, as young master Glenn suggests? Of course, no excessive sums—just a bit of fun.”

Of course, Javico Viscount was confident his nephew would win.

That’s why he’d ordered the servants to spread the word throughout the estate.

In fact, not only himself, but most of the onlookers knew who would win.

However, even if Glenn was a delinquent, he was still the eldest son and Heir of the family.

If he were humiliated here, people might harbor excessive resentment toward his nephew.

But if he let them profit?

They’d probably be grateful instead.

Not to mention, the Duke and that delinquent’s reputation would be thoroughly trampled.

“A bet between the eldest sons of two great houses… Even in the Empire, that’s a rare sight.”

Count Supcho, who had been watching with interest, seemed to agree.

As everyone waited for the Duke’s response, he quietly gazed at his son.

Glenn, too, looked expressionlessly at his father.

It was as if they were communicating with their eyes alone.

After a brief silence, the Duke clicked his tongue and spoke.

“…Fine, I’ll allow it.”

“Ohh!”

“Haha, this will be fun!”

The atmosphere in the hall instantly heated up.

Meanwhile, Tylan’s face flushed red. He felt deeply insulted.

“What is the meaning of this…”

“Hold on, Tylan, listen to me for a moment.”

But after Javico Viscount quietly whispered a few words, Tylan soon nodded.

“Fine, I understand.”

“Good. Now that everyone’s agreed, let’s delay the duel for a bit.”

And so a brief waiting period began.

Javico Viscount set about his task with enthusiasm.

With the Duke’s permission, he even mobilized Lepent family servants to collect and record betting amounts.

He himself wagered several Gold Coins.

Considering that Silver Coins usually changed hands in ordinary bets, this was quite a sum.

He planned to distribute a portion of the profits to the Lepent family after the duel.

And, to everyone’s surprise, the Duke himself wagered a few Gold Coins on Glenn.

With the elders of both families leading the way, the spectators all rushed to join in.

In the end, the total amount collected far exceeded that of a simple game.

“Seven Gold Coins and one hundred twenty Silver Coins, with a payout ratio of three to seven.”

Javico Viscount smiled in satisfaction.

Add a few more Gold Coins, and it would be nearly equivalent to the entire monthly wage of his household servants.

He worried it might look too one-sided toward his nephew, but fortunately, the ratio was adjusted appropriately. Truly satisfying.

As the betting results showed, most people predicted Tylan’s victory.

Even though most participants were from the household.

They all knew how arrogant Glenn had been in the past, relying only on his talent.

And he’d already been thoroughly beaten by Tylan once before—so this outcome was only natural.

“Shall we proceed, Duke?”

The Duke, who had been quietly folding his arms, nodded.

“Then let’s begin the duel again. Haha, I’m looking forward to this.”

***

“You’ve pulled quite the stunt.”

The two faced each other once more.

Tylan glared at Glenn with eyes full of murderous intent.

“I don’t find it amusing at all.”

Glenn wasn’t in a particularly good mood either.

No matter how necessary, playing the clown was never enjoyable.

“Did you see the payout ratio? Even as the family’s eldest son, only thirty percent bet on you—are you stupid, or just stubborn? I guess when the master’s an idiot, it affects the servants too.”

Now that the audience couldn’t hear, he just let his temper fly.

Glenn had no intention of responding.

“Yeah.”

“As the person involved, aren’t you embarrassed? You’re the Heir to the duchy, after all. Think about your family’s honor—”

“Are you just going to yap?”

Glenn brushed him off and looked to Sir Dimit, the judge.

Tylan’s expression twisted in response.

“…You bastard.”

Receiving their gaze, Sir Dimit spoke.

“The duel will continue until one is unable to fight or surrenders. Attempting to kill your opponent is forbidden. If necessary, I will intervene at any time.”

In duels between official knights and above, real swords were used rather than wooden ones.

Of course, they were much duller than true battle swords.

“Better defend yourself, Sir Dimit. I’m quite angry with your precious young master. I might half-kill him. Idiots only understand a beating, after all.”

To the judge’s formal warning, Glenn simply nodded, and Tylan gritted his teeth.

Of course, the judge kept an expressionless face.

“…Then, the duel begins.”

The two drew their swords and stepped forward.

After a few seconds of tense standoff, Glenn spoke.

“Hey.”

Tylan didn’t answer.

He was busy thinking about how to break Glenn’s leg without the judge stopping him.

Regardless, Glenn continued.

“Remember this. Next time you give me that look, I’ll kill you.”

“What the hell are you babbling about?”

As soon as the words left Tylan’s mouth, Glenn charged in.

Tylan, startled by the speed that exceeded his expectations, hurriedly swung his sword.

Clang!

The two Longswords collided, ringing out loudly.

The moment Tylan mistook it for a contest of strength and put more force into his blade—

“What…!”

Glenn took a step to his left diagonal and deflected Tylan’s blade to his right.

Then, with a natural motion, the pommel of his raised sword smashed into Tylan’s forehead.

A crisp impact sound and a groan rang out simultaneously.

“Guh!”

In an instant, Tylan’s head snapped back and he became defenseless.

Glenn then swept Tylan’s leg with his right foot, easily toppling him.

It was a flawlessly smooth sequence, as if planned from the start.

“You damn—”

Thud—!

Finally, Glenn kicked the fallen, enraged Tylan in the head with all his might.

Tylan’s body, which had been twitching with anger, suddenly went limp.

He’d lost consciousness.

Shing.

With a still indifferent expression, Glenn sheathed his sword.

It hadn’t even taken five minutes.

And, in fact, only one real exchange of blades.

Tylan lay sprawled on the dirt, arms and legs splayed, unmoving.

“Shall we continue?”

Sir Dimit, the expressionless judge, approached and checked Tylan.

He immediately announced,

“Tylan Sailharun, unconscious. The winner is Ron Glenn Lepent. The duel is over.”

His dry voice echoed as Glenn looked around.

Everyone stared in utter shock.

In particular, Javico Viscount seemed not to have grasped the situation yet.

From one side, Glenn could see his father’s eyes wide in surprise.

Oh, so he can make that face too.

“WOOOOOO!!!”

“Young master Glenn won!”

“Ron Glenn Lepent knocked out Tylan Sailharun!”

The hall instantly erupted into a frenzy.