Do Not Interfere with the Duel (3)
James made no effort to hide the fury boiling inside him.
He has no intention of taking my life?
Who the hell did this brat think he was, talking about killing whom?
Did he still believe he was superior just because he had gotten lucky and won once as a child?
Every word those children from the unfamiliar viscount family had spoken was true.
That arrogant little bastard.
Veins bulged on the back of James’s hands and at his temples. Had the prince not been present, he would have shouted at once.
"Roy, there is no need to deliberately provoke your opponent in a place like this."
"That was never my intention. If my words caused any misunderstanding, I offer my apologies."
"Since I have heard that neither of you intends to kill the other, would it be all right if I made a suggestion? There is no need to feel pressured. If you refuse, I will not force the matter in the slightest."
"I have no objection."
"I am fine with it as well."
A proposal from the prince?
How many people in the world could refuse one of those?
Both boys waited quietly to hear what would come from Prince Aaron’s lips.
"It is nothing dramatic. I would simply like you to establish the rules for determining victory and defeat before the duel begins. I am making this suggestion precisely because you claim you have no desire to kill each other. Both of you are precious talents of this kingdom. With war against the Isco Kingdom looming, the kingdom absolutely does not wish for either of you to die or suffer serious injury."
"Your Highness, to be valued so highly by you leaves me at a loss for words."
"I feel the same. It is a great honor, Your Highness."
Even a prince could not outright forbid a duel between nobles. Mediation of this sort, however, was perfectly within bounds.
With this, Aaron had secured a justification to stop the fight before Roy could be badly hurt.
He appeared out of nowhere, but I cannot simply let such a valuable talent we went out of our way to recruit be lost in vain.
In truth, both the king and the prince had expected Roy to be thoroughly dominated by James.
After all, who was the opponent? The bloodline of Margrave Biswald himself. On top of that there was a two-year age gap, and James was said to be one of the top talents at the Knight Academy.
Roy possessed remarkable magical skill, yet even after drinking the Dragon’s Breath they themselves had provided, a boy of mere baronial stock could not possibly defeat the blood of a margrave.
That was why they had arranged this setting in the first place—because in a formal duel, killing one’s opponent was permitted.
"Then I shall take both of you as having agreed to my proposal. Now then—how do you intend to conduct the duel itself? I need to know that before we can settle the finer rules."
Ordinarily, as long as there was one referee and two witnesses to certify that nothing improper had occurred, the fighters could thrash each other however they liked. The sole prohibition was against underhanded tactics unworthy of a noble. Since one always fought with the family name at stake, any such cowardice would bring disgrace upon the house.
This duel, however, had already been constrained by the prince’s intervention so that neither combatant could take the other’s life. It was no longer an ordinary affair.
Roy spoke first.
"If it is not too forward of me, allow me to speak first."
Taking James’s nod as assent, he continued.
"I am fine with any method. Swordsmanship alone, magic alone, free use of both, any weapon, any tool—I do not mind in the least."
James bristled at Roy’s confident declaration and immediately piled on.
"The same goes for me. Against a mere baronial bloodline… I am two years older and a second-year senior at the Knight Academy. I never had the slightest intention of attaching conditions to this duel. I will fight however the opponent wishes and have no complaints."
Listening to the two boys, the prince could feel how thoroughly each had gotten under the other’s skin. Their pride was no ordinary thing either.
"Then we will consider the rules free. Since you both swore to me that you will not kill each other, how do you propose to decide victory and defeat?"
Once again Roy spoke first. Even after waiting, James only watched him and offered nothing.
"How about the side that surrenders is declared the loser?"
"That alone will not do. Neither of you would ever utter that word even if death were upon you, would you?"
It was not wrong. Though still in his twenties, the prince had watched countless duels. Most nobles, for the sake of their own honor and that of their house, would never speak the word “surrender.” Exceptions existed, but they were rare.
Roy clicked his tongue inwardly. He had planned to break James piece by piece until the boy was forced to yield. A mild disappointment.
James finally opened his tightly shut mouth.
"What if we treat screaming or sustaining excessive injury as defeat? For instance, if one arm or leg becomes unusable, or if one is no longer able to chant magic spells."
"Hmm… not bad. Even if someone is injured a little, we can have a priest standing by for immediate treatment."
"I agree as well."
"Then let us do it that way. The judgment will rest with the referee. The referee has already been decided, yes?"
"Yes, Your Highness. It is Professor Sam Tomlinson, who oversees swordsmanship."
"A sound choice. That man belongs to the royal house. He will judge fairly without regard for anyone’s favor. As for the witnesses, I and Old Lady Daisy shall serve."
"Thank you, Your Highness. I shall show a performance worthy of your presence."
"It is an honor."
Roy sensed that what should have been a mere children’s scuffle was ballooning into something strangely large. Still, it did not matter. He had already opened dealings with the royal family, and at his request the royal guard’s elites would even protect him. Using this chance to burn his skill into the minds of many people would not be a bad thing.
My mana capacity is still lacking, but it should be fine to grow famous soon enough. Word that I am a magical weapons craftsman has already reached even the Isco Kingdom. Better to secure my safety through fame while I can.
In his previous life, half-baked renown had made countless nobles scramble to claim him, and he had suffered every humiliation caught in the middle. The moment he caught the emperor’s eye and rose to the rank of viscount, however, all harassment had vanished.
The king of this nation might not equal the emperor who once ruled most of the continent, yet within these surrounding lands he remained the unshakable hegemon. Having entered that man’s notice, revealing a little of his exceptional nature now would not create any serious problem. And if trouble did arise, the king would step forward first—he was already meddling this deeply in a simple duel.
Shall I shake the social circles upside down for once?
The day of the duel.
A larger crowd than expected thronged into the First Training Ground inside the Knight Academy.
"Even so, the margrave’s grandson will win, right?"
"You don’t know what you’re talking about. Haven’t you heard the recent rumors? He’s a mutant. A mutant. He even beat him once when he was seven."
"How can that compare to when they were both clueless children? Only after entering the Knight Academy and receiving proper training does one become a real knight. What can a freshman who just arrived possibly do? And a baronial child at that. Mutant or not, it’s ridiculous."
Some of the academy instructors preparing the boys’ duel could only shake their heads at how many spectators had gathered for a mere children’s fight.
The First Training Ground was primarily used by the upperclassmen and was the site of graduation examinations, so spectator seating lined the outer edge. Those seats were now packed solid. The academy would not have admitted just anyone, so the crowd surely consisted of people from powerful houses and the servants who had accompanied them.
The number of students who had come to watch was even more staggering. Hundreds of children, nearly every enrolled student, waited for the duel to begin. Freshmen and seniors alike made no distinction.
"This has stopped being a duel and turned into some kind of tournament."
Chloe, standing beside Roy, spoke.
For some reason she had glued herself to his side since early that morning.
Roy answered her tournament remark with pure indifference.
"A tournament? I’d almost prefer that…"
"Oh? Looking pretty relaxed. Feeling confident?"
"Relaxed, my foot. This has become a nuisance. With this many spectators I can’t even finish it cleanly. Maybe I should deliberately drag it out."
She gasped and rushed right up to him, whispering almost into his ear.
"Roy! If someone from the other side hears you talking like that, what then?! Even if you’re overflowing with confidence, still!"
Roy stared blankly at Chloe, who had seized one of his arms and pressed her face close to his ear.
"What? Is there something on my face?"
"Do you like me or something?"
"What!? What kind of idiotic nonsense is that! Why would I like you!"
Chloe’s cheeks slowly flushed red.
They were inside a temporary tent erected to protect the “contestant,” so aside from Jack and Anna no one else was watching.
"And yet here you are fretting over me. You’re not even part of my family, and you’re certainly not going to be my wife. Even Anna doesn’t say things like that. Did you eat something weird?"
"I was just saying! Would you rather I root for the other side instead?"
"No, not that. Your words just gave me the creeps, so I had to check."
"It’s not like that! Hmph! I’m going over there. The view is bad from here. Anna unnie, come with me."
"Huh? Ah, y-yeah…"
Chloe spun on her heel and marched out of the tent without a backward glance. Fortunately her long hair hid the blazing red of her ears from Roy.
Anna was dragged along by the wrist, and Jack hurried after the two of them a moment later. They were clearly heading for the spot with the best view of the duel.