Chapter 82 — A Bare-Handed Challenge
Chapter 82 — A Bare-Handed Challenge
Translation: Godtl
The next day.
Until the other friends arrived, perhaps I should raise the favorability with Romeo and Kalix a bit more.
With that thought, I went to find them, but their room was completely empty.
'Where did they go?'
I asked the soldiers guarding the quarters, but they returned answers saying they didn't know.
As if on purpose, there weren't even any passing servants, so there was definitely no one to ask for certain.
'I should go for a walk too.'
Lelia, thinking Lute might come looking again, decided to go outside entirely.
It was when she was changing clothes to go out.
Knock, knock—the sound of knocking was heard.
'Surely not...'
Lelia, thinking it might be Lute again, opened the door herself with an uneasy heart.
But an unfamiliar knight she'd never seen before was standing there.
"What brings you here?"
"His Highness Prince Cedric urgently seeks Sir Raymond."
Prince Cedric? What on earth could this be about?
Lelia frowned and asked.
"For what reason is he calling for me?"
"I don't know that myself. I only received orders to bring you immediately. Let us go."
The knight spoke in an intimidating tone, as if wary that Lelia might try to escape.
"...Please wait a moment."
Lelia, just in case, closed the room door and took out medicine from the item window. It was the same medicine she had used on the Emperor.
Her gender might be suspected again.
After taking out a small medicine bottle and putting it in her sleeve, she opened the door and followed the knight who wore a stiff expression.
The place she followed the knight to was near the quarters where the princes stayed.
Upon arriving nearby, she could see people gathered in the large, wide garden of the prince's palace.
Judging by their attire, they were all nobles. What was strange was that they were all men.
'Is this some kind of gathering for male nobles?'
Lelia tilted her head, but thought it was good that she had brought the medicine.
Perhaps Romeo and Kalix might be there too.
The knight delivered Lelia before Prince Cedric and left.
"You've come?"
Cedric glanced at Lelia, then downed the champagne glass he was holding in one shot.
Lelia lightly greeted him and looked around.
In the garden, desserts, drinks, and alcohol were spread out for free consumption.
The male nobles were all standing in groups of three or five, conversing.
What was peculiar was that on a wide circular stage in the center of the garden, two male nobles were competing in swordsmanship.
Several nobles surrounded the circular stage, each cheering and shouting.
Seeing them doing this while laughing, it didn't seem like a duel. In any case, it appeared to be a gathering of male nobles.
But nowhere she looked could she see Romeo or Kalix.
"For what reason did you call for me? I heard you were looking for me urgently."
"Yes, that's right. I was looking for you urgently."
Cedric laughed as if it was nothing, then pointed to one side and beckoned.
At the gesture to come here, one male noble approached close.
"......"
That person did not hide his hostile gaze toward Lelia and revealed it openly. So much so that Lelia was flustered.
"Sir Raymond, I don't think you know who this is. This is Lord Namph."
"...Nice to meet you."
"......"
Even though Lelia greeted first, he was still glaring at Lelia.
When she suddenly looked around at a strange gaze, everyone was looking at Lelia. Before she knew it, silence had descended.
"Please understand even if Lord Namph isn't pleased. He is Miss Grace's fiancé, you see."
"......"
Lelia's brow narrowed. Miss Grace's fiancé?
At Cedric's words, Lord Namph raised his chin and proudly glared at Lelia.
Well, what was he trying to say?
"Do you have nothing to say?"
Lord Namph asked point-blank.
"...No, I don't."
"Ha!"
At Lelia's answer, Lord Namph snorted as if it was absurd. Cedric said 'whoa, whoa' and calmed him down.
'What is he trying to do?'
It's not like I had an affair with Miss Grace... Why is he so angry? Originally, I couldn't have an affair even if I wanted to.
Surely it's because I danced with her at the ballroom?
If he didn't like seeing that, he should have stuck by Miss Grace's side from the start.
Finding it absurd, she glared back at Lord Namph, and he finally spoke as if he couldn't bear it.
"Now please keep your promise, Your Highness. You said if he doesn't apologize, I may duel him, didn't you?"
"Hmm..."
Duel?
Cedric stroked his chin, pondered, then spoke to Lelia.
"Actually, Sir. I called you because Lord Namph wanted to duel with you. If you had apologized immediately, Lord Namph would have forgiven you, but..."
"......"
"Since that's not the case, it can't be helped. Will you accept the duel? Ah, dueling with swords is illegal in our Empire."
At those words, Lord Namph snorted and bumped his fist against his palm.
Cedric said.
"Instead, we duel with bare-handed combat. As long as a life isn't taken, it doesn't violate the law, so rest assured."
Cedric patted Lelia's shoulder with a gentle face.
"Ah, right. And there's also the next turn."
"Yes?"
No sooner had those words fallen than something flew toward Lelia's side face from one direction.
Before it hit her face, she startled and grabbed it—it was a brown glove.
Standing in the direction where the glove came from was Prince Damian in a slouching posture.
"I heard that you insulted my sister. I will wash away Princess Julianna's honor with a duel with you!"
"......"
Her head felt like it was spinning.
'What on earth is this situation right now?'
Just then, the male nobles gathered at the place all shouted with cheers and surrounded the circular stage.
Lord Namph untied his cravat and rolled up his sleeves, then moved to the center of the circular stage.
At this point, there was no avoiding it either.
She thought about making some excuse to escape, but neither the time nor the method was apparent.
Lord Namph was a full span taller than Lelia, and his build was larger too. If she got hit by that fist, she would faint in one blow.
"You're not going to run away, are you?"
Cedric asked with a sneer. He looked at Lelia and pushed her shoulder as if asking why she wasn't going to the center.
With the stubborn hand, Lelia was finally pushed to the center of the stage.
'What should I do?'
Not swordsmanship, but bare-handed combat.
She had at least learned swordsmanship from her grandfather, uncle, and aunt. But she had never once fought with bare fists.
The spectators seemed to find this match, which only commoners would do, very enjoyable, and shouted cheers.
"Lord Namph! Smash that face completely!"
"As long as you don't kill him, it's fine!"
"Break his legs!"
"He looks frail, so one hit and he'll go down!"
Hearing those voices, Lelia quickly checked the item window.
If she got hit and fainted, then was moved to a physician, she might be discovered to be a woman. She had to endure somehow.
Lelia found one medicine in her inventory and quickly took it out. A small pill was held in her palm.
Pretending to touch her mouth area, she swallowed the medicine, and similarly slowly rolled up her sleeves.
At the same time, help mode popped up a message window.
[You have consumed the 'Diamond Body' medicine that makes your entire body hard as steel! ٩(๑•̀o•́๑)و Item duration is 5 minutes!]
Just then, the whistle signaling the start was heard.
Simultaneously, a large fist flew right next to her face.
"......"
Lord Namph glared at Lelia with an expression saying 'How dare you dodge my fist?'
She had barely dodged just now, but the next time was impossible.
Immediately, a fist flew from the opposite direction.
Thud!
"Aaaaaagh!"
However, the one screaming was Lord Namph who had thrown the punch.
He clutched his fist and blinked in disbelief.
Lelia was also flustered. She thought if her body became steel, it wouldn't hurt either... but the pain was separate. Her cheek was stinging and her head was ringing.
"Why you! Die!"
Lord Namph, seemingly more resentful than expected, rushed again with eyes filled with killing intent and threw his fist.
Lelia similarly took a bare-handed combat stance, then continuously dodged his flying fists.
On the round circular stage, as Lelia scurried here and there escaping, the spectators poured out boos.
"Coward!"
"Is that what a man does!"
"Lord Namph! Crush that guy's lower body completely!"
Lord Namph was in a state where his eyes had completely gone mad.
'This won't do.'
Lelia, dodging the punches flying so frantically she could barely breathe, made up her mind. This seemed like it would only end if she took down Lord Namph herself.
With that thought, when she inadvertently threw a fist—
Thud!
With an enormous sound, Lord Namph collapsed.
She should have hit his cheek, but having never done bare-handed combat and being frantic, she ended up striking his jaw.
"Ugh..."
Lord Namph, fallen to the ground, fainted just like that.
[5 minutes elapsed. Item duration effect disappears.(｡•̀ᴗ-)✧]
Lelia too was out of breath and panting.
That was when.
Damian, who had come up onto the stage, ordered to push Lord Namph aside with his foot.
He had an expression full of anger.
"This time it's my turn, Sir Raymond. I'll make you pay properly for the sin of damaging the Princess's honor."
This is ridiculous... Lelia frowned.
If the Princess's honor had actually been damaged, a trial would have been held, not something like this duel.
Damian knew this too. That it wasn't something to go to trial over.
Just then, another prince standing on one side of the stage, Cedric, proposed.
"Sir Raymond. Seeing as you took down Lord Namph in one blow, you seem to have considerable skill. How about facing both of us at once instead?"