Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: The Banquet, and the Duel (3)
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The duel with that bastard Paolo was scheduled for the very next day after the banquet.
Right now, I'm sharpening my sword and checking my armor in preparation for it.
It might seem a bit ridiculous to be doing this when I'm not heading off to war...
But what can you do? A duel is, from the start, a one-on-one war that only ends when one of us dies—either me or the opponent.
Usually, it's not considered virtuous to take a life if you can avoid it, so most duels end with a blade to the throat.
Even so, if you happen to kill your opponent during the duel, no punishment or liability comes with it.
Once the inspection was more or less done, I tapped on my mithril-alloyed armor with a hollow smile and let out a sigh.
"During the war, I got hit by arrows, maces, and swords on this armor so many times I couldn't even count... Mithril really is great—no scratches at all! Damn it, I'm counting on you."
As I muttered to myself, someone tapped my shoulder.
"Martin, you little punk."
I turned around to see Captain Dalton frowning with a wry smile.
"You haven't even reached Expert yet, and you think you can take on that trash Paolo? Last time I saw him emit aura, it wasn't a joke."
In terms of skill, it's true that I'm way weaker than that guy.
So, there's a high chance I'll get crushed, and considering his personality...
'He'll deliberately cause an incident to kill me if he has to. Or he'll just straight-up kill me.'
Even so, could this Martin guy just sit back and watch some worm try to touch my woman? Absolutely not.
Better to hang myself from a beam than let that happen.
"That bastard touched Senior Karin, didn't he? How could I just stand by and watch?"
Dalton twitched the corner of his mouth at my words.
"Fair enough. If you let the guy who touched your girl walk away scot-free, are you even a man? You'd just be a pathetic loser."
Then he patted my shoulder and said,
"Your platoon mates out there are all slumped over, worried sick. Armor looks good—go say something to them."
I quickly checked my armor one last time and stepped out of the barracks.
The guys outside came rushing over, surrounding me in a circle, fidgeting with their lips as they spoke up.
"Platoon Leader, are you really okay? That guy's an Expert, but you're not there yet, right?"
"What are we supposed to do if something happens to you..."
"Can't you just say you're backing out of this dogfight now? You're the one who got challenged out of nowhere."
When someone of high status challenges a commoner of low status to a duel, the lower one can't refuse.
Of course, as a mercenary, I could tell him to shove it...
'But if I win here, my reputation shoots to the stars, and I can claim both Karin's body and heart.'
So yeah, even if it's a disadvantageous fight, it's worth risking my neck over.
Even with my resolve firm, hearing them out made the tip of my nose tingle a bit.
But if I grabbed them and shed tears, it'd feel like I was really marching to my death, which would sour the mood.
So instead, I pushed them aside with both hands and grinned.
"You think I'm going off to die? Watch me—what, you think I can't smash that Paolo into the dirt and make him bawl his eyes out? Keep your eyes peeled!"
Lucia's fox tail and ears were completely drooped as she stared at me intently.
Then she grabbed my sleeve, mumbling with her lips.
"P-Platoon Leader... You have to win and come back, okay? Don't get hurt, please..."
Lucia had surpassed her one-person share on the battlefield and then some, but seeing her like this reminded me she was still a fragile girl who needed protecting.
Still, unlike at first, now she only showed this vulnerable side to me. Good.
She was so cute I couldn't help but stroke her head.
"I'll come back in one piece, so don't worry."
Lucia gave a bittersweet smile and wagged her tail a little.
Meanwhile, Karin was watching me from afar, fidgeting with her fingers but not coming closer.
She probably felt guilty that I was dueling a tough opponent because of her.
If she wouldn't come to me, I'd go to her.
I strode right up to her.
"Martin, I'm sorry you have to duel that guy because of me..."
I cut her off mid-sentence, leaning in close to whisper in her ear.
"I like you, Senior. That damn Paolo pisses me off so much just looking at you that I want to gouge his eyes out. So I couldn't just let him lay a hand on you. It twisted my guts too much. Don't worry about it."
In novels or dramas, confessions happen when things are ambiguous, or when it's clear the other person isn't interested, and the guy goes all-in anyway.
Some agonize for a month or more, others debate confessing on sight.
My take?
'You confess when you're sure it'll work.'
Not like blatantly propositioning for a hotel romp— at this stage, I'm certain Karin will accept a confession.
Her face flushed red like a ripe apple, and she nodded faintly.
"......Come back alive. I like you too."
Then she planted a light kiss on my cheek.
She'd never even dated, let alone flirted, so it was a super-light peck that lasted 0.1 seconds...
But the moist, soft touch of her lips on my cheek sent electric tingles through me.
Suddenly, the platoon guys got hyped, whistling and whooping all at once, drawing every eye around us and making it super noisy.
Embarrassed, I quickly said,
"Alright then, I'm off, Senior. Thanks for the support."
With the whole mercenary corps seeing me off, I headed to the makeshift duel arena.
A normal person would feel fear at the thought of a one-on-one deathmatch against someone stronger.
But I'm the opposite—excited at the chance to win this fight everyone's worried about, gain fame, and get one step closer to the wealth and harem I crave.
Ever since reincarnating here, awakening aura, and clashing swords, my mindset's shifted like this.
Still, better than shrinking like a coward before an unfavorable duel.
"Hoo, damn it..."
I took a deep breath and stepped into the arena.
The guy in front of me had his sword propped on his shoulder, wagging his left fingers with a sleazy grin.
"For a mere mercenary to come here ready to stake his life against Paolo von Schwapen—I'll give you big props for that!"
Then he scattered blue aura around him and stomped the ground hard with his right foot.
To a normal person, it'd just be a footprint, but when an aura Expert puts full force into it, the ground cratered as deep as a thumb.
Even a truck wouldn't do that.
"So I'll highly value your courage and give you a special chance! Drop your sword now, bow your head, apologize, and leave, and I'll call it my win and let you go unharmed."
No matter how lowly I am, mocking your opponent like this after they've shown up for the duel crosses the line big time.
Sure enough, amid the murmurs from the encircling knights, I heard tongues clicking.
"I heard Baron Schwapen's son is talented, but with personality that rotten? Sure, insulting a lowly mercenary is one thing..."
"Acting like that in a duel arena mocks our empire's sacred dueling tradition, doesn't it?"
"He tried to grope another guy's woman from the start—what common sense you gonna expect? The baron's clearly botched raising his kid. His Majesty won't look kindly on it."
From the reactions, this brainless horndog will tank his rep even if he beats me.
His shot at the Imperial Guard will be gone, and no other house will hire him as a knight—he'll struggle to survive.
Dumbass— if he'd just pretended it was an honorable duel to win Karin's heart out of blind love.
'Beating him would've gotten him into the Guard somehow, and Karin in his grasp...'
Ah, of course, the thought of his fingers touching Karin makes me want to puke, so I have zero intention of losing.
Paolo, oblivious to the mood, kept yapping.
"What's it gonna be? Surrender now and save your skin?"
Hearing that sparked a brilliant idea to boost my fame.
I looked up at the sky and made the sign of Deus with one hand.
Then clasped my hands in prayer and stared straight at his face, shouting,
"I believe Deus will grant me victory to punish you for trying to steal the woman I swore my love to. So though I am lowly and lacking in skill, I will surely defeat you!"
"You lowly, vulgar scum—daring to invoke Deus's name to insult me?"
"Isn't it obvious to anyone? You challenged me to a duel to take my woman, and now you're even mocking this sacred duel, Sir Schwapen?"
At that, he flared his aura and charged at me.
Without even waiting for the duel to be declared, he swung his sword at my neck.
I'd already drawn mine, so I managed to block his attack.
It was a heavy blow... but not an insurmountable wall.