The Proxy Duel
“Did you see that?” “What?” “Viscount Vess Rabin came all the way here!” “No way! Are you serious?” “I’m telling you, I saw it with my own eyes. He marched in with a whole troop of knights and headed straight for the mansion!” “……So he really tracked us down.”
The faces of the refugees who had fled to Legrian Territory darkened. They had known he was greedy and persistent, but none of them had imagined he would chase them this far. They had finally believed they were free. “We thought we’d be safe now……” “What’s going to happen to us……?”
The people who had been resting in relief felt their stomachs twist. The moment they heard that the notoriously greedy noble had arrived, the urge to run surged through them again. “Maybe…… the lord here will protect us?” “The lord?” “Why would he?” “Why else? He saved us back then. So this time too……” “That was different. He saved us from a Main. This time it’s a noble. There’s no way.” “Exactly. Besides, the lord here is only a baron, and that bastard Vess is a viscount. It’s not the same as fighting monsters.” “He’ll hand us over.” “There’s no reason for him to take the risk of keeping us.”
Despair settled over everyone, heavier and darker than the twilight shadows. “Mom…… are we not staying here? Are we going back?” “……No, it’ll be fine……” “Really? I like it here! It smells nice, and the people seem kind!”
Everyone shared the same thought. They had been shocked when they first arrived. The territory was nothing like they had expected, and the residents lived in harmony while working busily. It was the complete opposite of Rabin Territory. ‘I was stunned the first time I saw it.’ ‘I never thought a place like this could exist.’ ‘How wonderful it would be to live somewhere like this……’
At first, they had signed the contract and quietly felt relieved. They had thought they might finally be able to live in peace. But with Vess showing up here, that had been nothing more than a dream—an impossible dream. ‘Even if this noble seems a little different……’ ‘In the end, he’s still a noble, right? He’ll hand us over……’ The thought of being dragged back to that hell made their chests ache.
But they didn’t know one thing. ‘I can’t hand over my precious la…… labor force.’ Albert never let go of labor he had already claimed. He despised having his rice bowl stolen more than anything.
* * *
When nobles clashed and refused to back down, there were several ways to settle the matter. One was a territorial war. A territorial war was essentially a small-scale conflict where soldiers were mobilized to determine victory or defeat. The loser lost everything, while the winner took all—a simple and straightforward solution. However, territorial wars were extremely costly. Even a small-scale war was still a war, and many lives were lost. If the conflict ended quickly it was one thing, but if it dragged on, the financial burden became impossible to ignore.
‘Besides, nobles are walking bundles of pride, the very embodiment of vanity and bluster.’ They never backed down. Noble society operated like the Amazon jungle. ‘Once you’re looked down on, you’ll be looked down on forever.’ That was why they never retreated. Even when they knew they would lose, they had to maintain a strong front. The moment they showed even a hint of weakness, the hyenas would tear them apart. These were people obsessed with pride and posturing to an extreme degree. That was the current state of the nobility.
Yet they couldn’t keep resolving every dispute with territorial wars. So the kingdom had introduced another method. “Proxy battles. Each side appoints at least two representatives to fight in a small-scale duel and settle the issue.”
A proxy battle was a duel, not a war. With fewer people and fewer resources, it allowed conflicts to be resolved quickly and simply. Because it was convenient and easy, nobles preferred proxy duels over full-scale territorial wars. Of course, if the duel failed to settle things, a territorial war would follow, but most problems ended at the proxy duel stage.
People gathered in the training grounds for the duel. ‘Hoo…… I have to win no matter what.’ The one stepping forward as Legrian’s representative was the knight Grating. He had no choice. Currently, the only person in the Legrian household who could be called a knight was Grating. ‘But can I actually win?’
Grating looked at the opposing knight. The man looked strong. His appearance and the visible conditioning of his body made it clear how much he had trained. Grating couldn’t stop wondering whether he stood a chance. Still…… ‘I have to win. I’ve gotten stronger too. I survived that hellish training, didn’t I?’
He had been worked to the bone by Aiden and Albert, fought monsters, and gained experience. On top of that, Albert had clapped him on the shoulder and said, ‘You can win, right? I believe in you.’ Elena had also told him she trusted him and to fight with confidence. He absolutely could not lose. ‘I will win. No matter what.’
With that resolve burning in his chest, Grating oiled the rusty gears of his body, scraping away the tension that had been stiffening his movements. Fueling himself with the determination to win, he stepped forward.
“You must win at all costs! Losing to that insolent brat is absolutely unacceptable! Do you understand!?” Vess berated his knight. He demanded victory. If the man returned defeated, there would be no mercy. “Halbert…… you know what will happen if you lose, don’t you!?” “Hahaha, don’t worry, my lord.” Halbert grinned at Grating, his lips curling into a sneer. “I’m not so weak that I’d lose to a brat like that. Though, in this duel, a little blood might be spilled, wouldn’t you say?” “Hmph, do as you like. Accidents happen in duels.” “Haha, exactly. Sometimes a sword just won’t stop in the heat of battle.” “Make an example of him!” Halbert answered with a cold smile. “Leave it to me.”
The duel between Grating and Halbert began. Grating gave it everything he had—for the two people who believed in him. He wanted to see for himself. ‘I’ll find out right here how strong I’ve become!’ But contrary to his hopes, the fight became a one-sided onslaught.
“Hahaha! You call yourself a knight with that pathetic skill! Weak! So weak!” “Kgh!” Clang! Clang! The metallic ring of clashing swords echoed across the training grounds. Under Halbert’s fierce assault, Grating gritted his teeth and blocked. ‘Heavy.’ Despite Halbert’s seemingly light stance, his sword strikes were heavy. Every impact sent a numbing shock through Grating’s palms. The force was tremendous—and relentless. “You scurry around like a rat! Is this the level of Legrian’s knights? Bwahahaha!”
Grating tried to create distance and regain his stance, but Halbert gave him no opening. Grating couldn’t even launch a single proper attack—he was completely on the defensive. ‘A counter…… No…… I don’t even have time to counter.’ “You dare call yourself a knight with that level of skill! Now I see the true worth of your house!” “……Don’t insult this house! This place is—” “Bwahahaha! Do you really think your words carry any weight when you’re this weak? If you’re frustrated, prove it with strength!”
Halbert’s onslaught intensified. The faster and stronger his sword became, the more killing intent laced his strikes. “Kgh!” He even targeted vital points. “Targeting vitals is forbidden during a duel!” “Hahaha, oops. I got so excited I couldn’t help myself~ You’re so weak it’s hard to hold back~.” Halbert brushed it off with feigned nonchalance, but his attacks continued to carry lethal intent. In the end, the outcome was decided.
“Kgh!” Grating dropped his sword after the final blow. A knight losing his sword meant defeat. Bitter as it was, he had to accept it. Grating opened his mouth to declare his surrender. “I’ve lost……” Before he could finish, Halbert’s sword slashed diagonally across his body in a wide arc. “……!” It happened so fast that no one could react. Elena gasped and covered her mouth in shock. “Grating!” “Ugh……”
Yet, contrary to expectations, Grating’s wound wasn’t as severe as it had seemed. He had been cut, but the injury was shallow. If the blade had gone even slightly deeper, it would have been fatal—beyond the help of a potion. Now, it was something a potion could easily heal. “How……” Grating was just as bewildered. He had been certain he was cut, yet the wound was far lighter than it should have been. Why? The moment the question formed, his gaze naturally turned to Albert. ‘Don’t tell me…… Lord Albert? But how?’
Of course, Grating had survived because of Albert. At the exact moment no one else could move, only Albert had acted. Using his telekinesis skill, he had pulled Grating just enough to prevent a fatal wound. Without that, Grating would have died. Elena’s eyes sharpened with fury. “What is the meaning of this! Using a live blade in a proxy duel! Grating had already dropped his sword. The duel should have ended there! How cowardly!” Halbert merely shrugged. “It was an accident.” “An accident?” “Yes. I was so absorbed in the fierce duel that I failed to notice he had dropped his sword.”
It was shameless. Elena’s anger flared at the sight of him calmly claiming an accident without a hint of remorse. “An accident!? He could have died!” “But he didn’t, did he? How fortunate.” Halbert smiled, though his tongue flicked across his lips as if disappointed. “More importantly, we shouldn’t be standing around. The next person should come forward. This is a tournament format, isn’t it?” Proxy duels could take various forms. This one was a tournament style, where the winner continued fighting. “Ah, but do you even have any knights left?” “My, my. A territory with only one knight. It lacks even the bare minimum of dignity.” Vess sneered at the lack of knights.
“So! Who’s next? Don’t tell me you’re planning to step up yourself?” “……If there are no knights available, it’s permitted to appoint a guard captain as a proxy in a duel.” “Hahaha, I know that. So who will you send?” Just then, the training ground doors opened. The moment they did, the air in the arena grew heavy. An overwhelming pressure filled the space. Everyone felt a jolt run through their bodies, goosebumps rising as their hair stood on end and their stomachs tightened. A massive hand gripped the doorframe, and the knights felt the same tension they would facing a monstrous beast. Then the owner of the hand stepped inside. It was a familiar face. “There you are.” Aiden, captain of the Legrian Territory guard, had arrived. The knights felt their breath catch in their throats. His presence was overwhelming. Just looking at his muscles made their own seem insignificant by comparison. “Aiden will be my proxy.” “……” “Then let’s begin.” “R-Right…… let’s.”
Halbert took his stance, swallowing dryly. ‘He looks strong. But there’s no need to be afraid.’ There were always those types—pigs who only built muscle without any real skill. They might look intimidating, but in an actual fight they were worthless. All show. ‘The more muscle you have, the slower you are. No matter how strong you are, if you can’t land a hit, it means nothing.’ “Draw your sword.” “I don’t use swords. So hurry up and come at me.” “How arrogant……” Halbert raised his blade. He had no intention of letting this insolent man provoke him and get away with it. People who made one mistake tended to make a second. “If I make another ‘mistake’…… don’t blame me!” Aiden paid Halbert no attention. His gaze was fixed on one thing—the knight who had called him ugly. Irritated by being ignored, Halbert kicked off the ground the moment the signal to start was given. “You arrogant bastard!! Your opponent is me……!”
BOOOOM! Aiden’s massive fist slammed into Halbert’s face. It happened in the blink of an eye. The moment Halbert charged to attack, Aiden’s punch had already connected. The force was so tremendous that Halbert was sent flying and embedded into the training ground wall. [Whoa…… Is he dead?] ‘At least he got a nice highlight reel for his funeral. We can play his best moments at the service.’ Technically, Halbert wasn’t dead. But he would likely never wield a sword again. “What an unfortunate accident. I forgot to stop. Well, it doesn’t matter.” Aiden grinned, flashing white teeth. “Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Isn’t that right?” “……” “……” “Of course, some people make the same mistake twice.”