Episode 7. The First Duel Proxy
Episode 7. The First Duel Proxy
It was the day of the Young Lady's birthday. Elena was very excited.
"Today is my birthday! I'm the main character!"
"Young Lady-nim, are you awake?"
Roselyn had entered the Young Lady's room to wake her, but the Young Lady was already up.
"Ung! Because today I'm the main character!"
"Happy birthday, Young Lady-nim. I prepared a small gift for you, too."
What Roselyn had prepared was a mirror. In this Romance Fantasy, a mirror was one of the most expensive gifts, but because Roselyn had been with the Young Lady for a long time, she cherished her that much and willingly gave her an expensive gift.
"Wow! Thank you, Roselyn!"
Elena, who had expressed her gratitude to Roselyn, immediately went to find the Duke.
"Elena is here!"
"Happy birthday, my daughter."
The Duchess said.
"Hehehe."
"Here is your birthday present."
The gift the Duchess had prepared was a Wolf Mask.
In this Romance Fantasy, masquerade balls were held occasionally, so the Duchess gifted the Young Lady a white Wolf Mask decorated with expensive jewels.
"Thank you, Mother!"
And so, the Young Lady began to roam around the Duke's estate, enjoying her birthday to the fullest.
"Mir!"
"Have you arrived, Young Lady-nim?"
"Not Young Lady-nim, but Elena-nim! Since it's my birthday today, Mir has to listen to me too! Huhu!"
"..Understood, Elena-nim."
"And?"
"Happy birthday. Elena-nim."
"And?"
"..I will give you your birthday present a little later."
"Whaaat?"
"First, shall we walk around the Duke's estate with me?"
"Don't change the subject, Mir!"
Elena said, glaring at Mir, but Mir just turned around and took the Young Lady's hand.
"!"
Elena's face turned as red as a tomato from holding hands with Mir, but Mir did not notice.
"Let's go with me, Elena-nim."
"Ung! Hehe."
To commemorate Elena's birthday, the Duke allowed Elena to go outside the Duke's estate until the banquet held at night.
Elena and Mir walked holding hands, went to the pond, and more.
"Mir! Look at that fish! It's huge!"
"Since the pond is large, it seems it grew to match it."
"Really? Then if it goes to that wide ocean, wouldn't it get even bigger?"
"Carp cannot live in the ocean."
"Hing, that's a shame. If it could live in the ocean, it could have grown as big as our house. Since Mir is also in a large Duke's estate, you'll grow as big as that carp, no, as big as the whale-nim in the ocean!"
Elena said with a chuckle.
"..Do you think I am still small, Elena-nim?"
"No? But in my dreams, the knight was much bigger than Mir is now?"
"..I will try my best."
They also went to the flower garden,
"Mir, who is the flower-nim?"
"..I don't know."
"Kuku, Mir is a fool. I'm prettier than the flower-nim!"
"..Looking again, only Elena-nim is shining brightly."
"Right! Ahem! From next time, please find me at once, Knight-nim? Because it is only natural for a knight to recognize the princess-nim he protects!"
Suddenly, Elena said, using polite language.
"Understood, Princess-nim."
They also went down to the village and shared snacks they had eaten during the festival.
"If I could eat such delicious snacks every day, that would be great."
"First, please finish the food in your mouth before you speak."
[Gulp]
"If I could eat such delicious snacks every day, that would be great, Mir!"
"Then you will probably gain weight like Count Kellin."
"!! I don't want that!!"
As Mir and Elena spent time together like that, the time for the assembly held to commemorate Elena's birthday soon approached.
"Mir! Don't I look pretty!"
Elena said, wearing a black dress.
"You are more beautiful than the flowers we saw in the garden earlier."
Mir replied.
"That goes without saying, you silly knight!"
Thus, the banquet at the Duke's estate began, and many nobles visited the Duke's estate.
"How do you do, Young Lady-nim?"
The one who greeted the Young Lady just now was Abel, the son of Count Kellin.
"Hello."
"Would you like to dance a song with me?"
Abel asked.
"I apologize, but I have already chosen the partner I will dance the first dance with."
"I see. Excuse me."
Abel's face turned red, and he stepped away.
The Young Lady approached Mir and asked.
"Would you like to dance with me, Knight-nim?"
Mir replied.
"It is an honor, my Princess-nim."
And so the two began to dance, and the moonlight coming through the window shone on them as if it knew they were the main characters.
"Mir? Weren't you a commoner? But why are you so good at dancing?"
"It must be talent."
"Kuku, what is that."
A dance between a Young Lady and a knight—it was truly a story that could appear in a fairy tale.
When Mir's feet moved, Elena's feet moved in sync, and when Elena made a mistake, Mir danced to match it.
Many people's gazes were drawn to the two's fairy-tale-like appearance.
Also,
"Wow, the Young Lady-nim is truly beautiful!"
The sons of noble families said,
"The Young Lady-nim and a knight...! It's a story you'd only see in a fairy tale book!"
The daughters of noble families said.
When Mir and Elena's dance ended, cheers erupted from many people.
"It seems the main character of today is indeed Elena-nim."
"Of course!"
The Young Lady said.
It seemed the banquet held at the Duke's estate would end safely, but.
[Thud]
Suddenly, Elena collapsed.
"..!"
The first to run to the collapsed Elena was Mir, and Mir began to check Elena's condition.
"Mir... I'm dizzy."
"You will be better soon."
The moment Elena said that, Elena's eyes began to turn red.
"Kyaaaaa!"
"Th-the Young Lady-nim's eyes...!"
"It's magic!.. The Young Lady used magic!"
People shouted,
"Mi-Mir, my eyes are strange!"
Elena was flustered.
The Duke came down from the floor above the noisy banquet hall.
"Everyone, be quiet!"
The Duke shouted.
However,
"Duke-nim, have you been hiding a witch all this time?"
A man asked,
"Elena is not a witch."
The Duke replied.
"That witch must be put on trial!"
Despite the Duke's answer, the banquet hall was boisterous.
"Mir... am I a witch...?"
The Young Lady, who heard the people's shouts, asked Mir.
"Young Lady-nim, witches do not exist in the world."
Mir replied to that question.
"Then why are people calling me a witch?"
"Perhaps it's because you are as beautiful as a witch, Young Lady-nim?"
"..Kuku, Mir, you are calm even in this situation."
When the two's conversation ended, Abel, who had been rejected for a dance, said.
"So it was because she was a witch that she rejected my dance request! My asking for a dance must have been because that witch bewitched me!"
"Shut up."
Mir said.
"You... did you just insult a noble?"
Abel asked, flustered.
"Everyone, please focus!"
Mir shouted.
"I will now request a trial by combat from Abel-nim, staking the Young Lady-nim's innocence! It is obvious which of us will win: Abel-nim, who has learned swordsmanship all his life, or me, who was a commoner. However, if God truly believes Elena-nim is a witch, He will grant me defeat!"
People's gazes began to focus on Mir's sincere shout.
"A trial by combat... Is that the duel proxy for a Young Lady who looks at most 16 years old?"
A lady among the group of people said.
If God is true, and if the Young Lady is innocent, wouldn't He surely bring victory to that man no matter what happens?
People thought.
But that thought lasted only a moment; the people who heard the Duke's words could not help but freeze.
"Mir, what have you done? How can you, a mere 11-year-old, defeat Abel, who has learned swordsmanship all his life?"
In fact, the Duke knew Mir would win, but he was pretending not to for the sake of the Young Lady's innocence, and Mir, who had noticed this, said.
"Because I am a mere 11-year-old, God will grant a miracle even more."
Mir, who did not believe in God, said.
"Puhahahat! I accept the duel."
Elvin said.
Thus, the duel between Elvin and Mir was established.
"Do both of you swear to accept the results of the duel that will take place from now on?"
Said the Captain of the Imperial Knights, who was temporarily acting as the judge of the trial.
"I swear!"
Mir and Abel shouted, and at that moment, the duel began.
The two's swords clashed fiercely.
"To think a brat, and a commoner at that, is dueling me; I will praise that courage."
Abel said.
"Be quiet and just duel."
After those words, Mir's sword struck Abel's sword with terrifying speed.
"..!"
Abel was flustered by Mir's skill, but he quickly corrected his posture and began to counterattack.
"You bastard, did you deceive me just now?"
"What are you talking about?"
"That you are a mere 11 years old?"
"I swear to God, I have never told a lie."
"Right now... is Abel-nim being pushed back?"
"Is it true that the Young Lady-nim is not a witch?"
The spectators murmured.
Before long, Mir's sword pointed at Abel's throat, and it seemed the duel would end like that.
However,
"That guy became stronger with the witch's magic!"
Abel shouted,
"So that's why an 11-year-old is so tall and strong...!"
The people were incited.
"If you truly want to prove the Young Lady's innocence, win the battle against the Count's duel proxy!"
Abel shouted again,
"Yes! If God truly proves the Young Lady-nim's innocence, you should be able to win one more time!"
The people were also incited again.
To the people in this Romance Fantasy, justice was not necessary.
Unlike the modern era, they had no smartphones or TVs, so they just needed something to play with to relieve their boredom.
Mir began to hate this damn Romance Fantasy world even more.
The Young Lady is only 9 years old, just a young child who likes small dolls, sometimes skips out on things, and likes desserts.
Mir hated even more the people who thought of such a Young Lady as merely their entertainment.
"Didn't we both swear?"
"That was before I knew the witch manipulated things with magic. If God proves the Young Lady's innocence as you say, wouldn't He surely grant innocence this time too?"
Abel said cowardly.
"Are you running away now? And as the Duke's duel proxy?"
A man said.
Although Mir was not actually the Duke's duel proxy, he was a Mir who had decided to duel again, inevitably, to prove the Young Lady's innocence and for Elena's happiness.
"Fine. But if I win this time too, then it is truly the Young Lady-nim's innocence. Do you swear for real this time?"
"I will swear."
Mir had inevitably ended up dueling the Count's duel proxy, and Mir also knew that with his own skills, he could never defeat the Count's duel proxy.
However, Mir could not give up the duel.
To win this duel, Mir had no choice but to take the herb he had hidden.
The herb Mir was to take this time was the [Strength Herb]. As the name suggests, it increases the user's physical strength, but the person who eats this herb suffers from severe headaches.
Mir knew the side effects, but since the Captain of the Imperial Knights was present, he could not use the Kingdom's swordsmanship, and to truly defeat the Count's duel proxy, he had no choice but to take the Strength Herb.
"Let the duel begin."
"Nice to meet you. I am Remong, the Count's duel proxy."
"Forget the greetings, let's just duel."
Mir, who had started to feel a headache coming on due to the herb's side effects, replied.
"Tsk. As expected of a commoner, you have no manners."
Remong's sword headed toward Mir.
Mir parried that sword.
"!"
Normally, his strength would have been pushed back like during the knight exam, so he wouldn't have been able to parry it, but the effect of the Strength Herb was excellent.
Like that, the duel continued, one exchange, two exchanges.
"Is the Young Lady really not a witch?"
"If the Young Lady-nim were a witch, how could a mere 11-year-old child fight on equal footing with the Count's duel proxy?"
To those who had not learned swordsmanship, it looked like the two were fighting on equal footing, but in reality, Mir was being pushed back.
"Give up now. Whether the Young Lady is a witch or not, you cannot defeat me."
Remong said.
"I cannot give up."
However, Mir could not give up.
Remong's sword broke Mir's right arm.
"Kuaak!"
Mir's scream echoed through the banquet hall.
"Mir! Why... just give up! I'm fine."
Elena, who looked not fine at all, said.
"I cannot give up."
However, Mir, who saw that statement overlap with the appearance in his nightmare, could not give up even more.
In the second exchange, Mir fought Remong with only his left arm.
As the exchanges continued, Mir was gradually pushed back, and extreme pain began to surge.
The more Remong's sword wounded Mir, the more the pain intensified, and the Young Lady's crying also grew louder.
This time, Remong's sword broke Mir's ribs.
However, Mir could not give up.
Because Mir had decided to become Elena's blue sky.
This time, Remong's sword broke Mir's leg bone.
However, Mir could not give up.
Because Mir had decided to become Elena's star.
In the next exchange, Remong's sword broke Mir's sword.
However, Mir could not give up.
Because Mir had come to know, while going around with Elena, that she was a child who smiled even at trivial things.
Mir no longer saw Elena overlapping with his father.
Mir now began to swing the broken sword like a dagger, seeing Elena just as Elena, as the master he had to protect.
People who saw him literally covered in blood, looking like it wouldn't be strange if he collapsed at any moment, wondered.
"Why go that far?"
Someone shouted at Mir.
"Why fight so much for a witch!"
Mir, holding onto his mind that felt like it would collapse, said.
"Why are you all so desperate for Elena to be a witch?"
There was no one who could answer that question.
"......"
At that moment, Mir, with superhuman mental strength, counterattacked Remong and said.
"If a girl who just smiles while eating sweet desserts is a witch, then I will fight for the witch!"
"...!"
Remong, who had been getting tired, also began to be pushed back by Mir's sudden counterattack.
"If a girl who just likes to look at the night sky is a witch, then I will give my right arm for the witch!"
One exchange like that.
"If a girl who just runs around playing with puppies is a witch, then I will give my ribs for the witch!"
Two exchanges.
"If a girl who just enjoys the festival is a witch, then I will give my life for the witch!"
Three exchanges.
Remong was finally forced to have his throat pointed at by Mir's sword, and the duel ended with Mir's victory.
"Stop, the duel is the Duke's estate's victory."
The Captain of the Imperial Knights said.
"Woooooah! The Young Lady was not a witch!"
Cheers from the people echoed through the banquet hall.
The Young Lady is not a witch.
It was Mir who had proven it by sacrificing his own body with only his perseverance,
And amidst the people's cheers, Mir ended up losing consciousness.