Lucky Charm

Translator : Elizabeth

Chapter 32. Lucky Charm

Finally, the time has come.

Danel approached Kailey, who was sipping wine alone.

"Hey, Kailey. Enjoying yourself?"

"Hmph, you only remembered me now?"

"Kuk kuk, sulking? Because I didn't play with you?"

"Sulking! W, why would I!?"

Danel chuckled and threw a joke.

"No, I couldn't approach because there were too many knights wagging their tails at you. Men were practically drooling looking at you. If Lars saw this, he would have thrown his gauntlet right away and challenged them to a duel?"

"W, what are you saying! Don't say such nonsense! Giving me goosebumps!"

To Kailey blushing and waving her hand, Danel thrust a small folded piece of paper from his bosom.

"Anyway, that aside. Hold onto this for a bit."

"What is this?"

"A sure-win charm."

"What?"

"Just hold it between your fingers like this. Make sure it's visible."

Kailey opened the note slightly with a puzzled expression, and her brow furrowed deeply. Because inside was a clean blank paper without a grain of writing or a drop of ink.

"Kidding me? Just blank paper? Nothing written on it?"

"Yeah. Just paper."

"……What are you plotting?"

"Told you, sure-win charm. You just have to hold it like that. So it's seen well."

Kailey held the paper precious even with a suspicious expression. Then suddenly narrowing her eyes as if an ominous premonition flashed.

"Surely you…… aren't planning to enter that friendly duel?"

Danel said as if obvious.

"Yeah, have to enter. Need to raise our Lorraine Squad's stock price to the upper limit at this opportunity, and solidify my position too."

"Stock price…? What does that mean."

"There is such a thing. Kuk kuk."

Kailey's expression hardened seriously in an instant. She urgently grabbed Danel's firm forearm and lowered her voice.

"Danel, I'm not ignoring you but…… I have to give one piece of advice. The representatives going out there now are guys staking their family pride. Veterans looking at the boundary of Expert from at least mid-level Ascendant. You, really think you can beat such monsters?"

Kailey's worry was valid.

Even if families attending this gathering didn't bring their strongest, at least they wouldn't send out knights at a level to be disgraced.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

But Danel was relaxed.

"Well, Lars was also mid-level Ascendant and I won."

At those words, Kailey's face flushed slightly.

Because the subtle memory of Danel roughly wrapping his arm around her waist and suppressing Lars in the training ground revived vividly.

"T, that's because you did perverted things! Not winning by skill!"

"Pervert? Me?"

"T, that is! Touching my waist randomly……! Anyway!"

Unable to say she was held in Danel's arms with her own mouth, Kailey sighed deeply and lowered her head.

"Haa…… There really is a way to win, right? If you die, I won't let you be."

"Would I jump into fire without any plan? That note is the key to victory, I tell you."

"What on earth is this……."

The circular training ground in the center of the banquet hall was already hot with heat.

Nominally friendly sparring, but behind it, old grudges between families and power struggles were blatantly revealed.

Should call it a stage of revenge play pointing out families they held grudges against, disgracing them publicly, and breaking their spirit?

'Hmm, not bad. Inciting competitiveness like this is bound to make them stronger. As expected of the North.'

A structure replacing superficial emotions called pride and honor with driving force for growth.

Ashuhalt's way of ruling the North was quite efficient.

Kwaaang―!

"Kuaak!"

With a scream, a knight rolled on the floor.

"Winner! Knight of the Lois family!"

"Wooooow!!"

Viscount Lois, who won, laughed heartily and poured cruel mockery at the defeated Viscount Beloa.

"Kuhahahaha! Viscount Beloa, seems your knights need more training! Protecting the Northern border with such skill? Serfs of my territory would fight better!"

"Kuh……! Th, this humiliation……!"

The defeated tasted the misery of falling honor and bit his lip.

Nobles around were laughing at the loser even if not showing it.

Veron's words were heard low.

"Hmm, it seems right for the Lois family to handle the Northwest forest."

"That is correct, Young Lord Veron!"

Winner takes all.

That was the bare face of this duel.

Proving martial power through duel and gaining profit. Actually, in a way, it was too transparent territory management.

'Fun, hierarchy among nobles changes overnight.'

Danel sensed it was about time for him to step up. He approached stiffened Lorraine and whispered low.

"Lady Lorraine."

"Yes? Danel?"

"Are you ready? Throw the glove."

"!!!?? Y, you intend to enter the duel?"

"Yes. Became Lady Lorraine's knight, shouldn't I do at least this much initiation ceremony? Such opportunities don't come often."

Lorraine's eyes shook severely.

Because she checked who the opponent Danel ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pointed to with his eyes was. Her lips trembled.

"But Danel…… the opponent is…… Helmon family!"

Helmon family.

The second-in-command of the North boasting power next to Ashuhalt.

Knight Ferik, whom Danel pressured with killing intent just moments ago, was a high-level Ascendant strongman, and knights guarding the side were monsters stepping on the threshold of Expert.

Not an opponent Danel, who just stepped into Ascendant, could win by luck.

"I know. That it's Helmon."

"Saying such things knowing? I, I can't. Danel will get hurt!!"

"There is a way. Trust me."

Lorraine conflicted. Heart beat as if exploding.

If defeated here? It's not simple disgrace.

It's the moment the stigma of an incompetent Lady pushed aside without power despite being the family's direct line is stamped forever.

Lorraine couldn't decide easily.

Then, warm and solid warmth wrapped her cold hand.

It was Danel.

"Calm down. Such things Lady worries about won't happen. I guarantee."

Strange person.

A person who approached at some moment and changed Lorraine's life completely.

Him saying this made her feel like a miracle would really happen.

'Right, this person…… always exceeded my expectations.'

Danel always proved results.

Lorraine Ashuhalt.

She also possesses the surname Ashuhalt mixed with blood of struggle.

Realized that now is the moment to gamble.

"U, understood. If the Lord doesn't trust her knight, who would! Fine, I'll go even to hell together!"

Danel chuckled.

"Not going to hell, Lady."

Then, Veron's languid yet intimidating voice resonated from the podium.

"Hmm, all Barons or Viscounts just measuring acorns. No one stepping up from Count families or above? No one to show the spirit of the North this much?"

At Veron's provocation, the banquet hall became quiet as if cold water was poured.

Situation of being disgraced if losing even once. Families above Count were cautious.

Then, breaking the suffocating silence, Lorraine stepped forward confidently one step.

Click, click—

Sound of heels resonated in the banquet hall.

"Lady Julia Helmon!"

Simultaneously with her shout,

Thwack—!

Pure white glove fell at Julia's feet as if to show off.

"To you, I request a friendly duel."

"!!!"

Instantly the banquet hall turned upside down.

Nobles who were bored until just moments ago jumped up from their seats one by one.

Sounds of wine glasses ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠breaking were heard everywhere.

"Ohhhhh!!! It's Ashuhalt! Lady Lorraine requested a duel to the Helmon family!"

"Ashuhalt and Helmon's confrontation!! When was the last time those two had a friendly match?"

"Lady Lorraine finally went crazy!"

Breaking through the commotion, Vince and Arisa ran frantically with astonished expressions.

"S, Sister!? Crazy? Do you know what you did now?"

"Lorraine, are you sane? Seem to trust that Danel guy, but he is just at the entrance of Ascendant! No way he can win against Helmon's elite knight!!"

Despite the two's urgent dissuasion, Lorraine's expression was unwavering and confident.

Standing by Danel's side, she stared confidently at Julia Helmon.

"No, Brother. I will prepare a foothold to climb up today. With people I trust. Don't stop me."

Arisa tore her hair, and Vince lamented touching his forehead, but the water was already spilled.

Veron's interested gaze sitting on the podium stuck to Lorraine and Danel.

"Hoh? Fun. Good. Lorraine and Julia Helmon, prepare for the duel!"

Julia Helmon looked down at the white glove fallen at her feet with a dumbfounded expression.

Shame flowed back through her veins.

'Dare to me? Duel? That husk-like bitch?'

Lorraine was nothing but Ashuhalt's residue with neither power nor force.

The fact that such she dared to throw a challenge letter to herself, the second family of the North, was an indelible humiliation in itself.

Julia's eyes trembled thinly towards Lorraine.

'Surely…… is it really something you bitch plotted? Or that mercenary bastard's trick?'

Covering her mouth with a fan, Julia called Ferik.

"Ferik."

"Yes, Lady."

"Can you crush that guy surely?"

Ferik cracked his thick neck and answered arrogantly.

"Don't know where the mercenary rolled from, but I will make him feel painfully what formal knight's swordsmanship is. Will take his head within dozen moves."

Julia smiled coldly and added secret and cruel instructions.

"Must not end with simply winning. That guy knows something about that letter. Dig out information as much as possible. Since Ashuhalt's eyes are watching, don't kill him, just make him a cripple enough not to hold a sword again."

"Understood, Lady Julia. Leave it to me."

Danel and Ferik headed to the duel arena.

Arriving at the duel arena, Danel looked around and revealed his honest feelings.

'Oh…… here is nice?'

If here, conversation with that bastard won't be heard by ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠others.

Only then did Danel look at Ferik.

Ferik drew his sword without hiding killing intent. Humming Aura wrapped his sword.

Danel raised the corner of his mouth seeing that appearance and said.

"Oh, is it you? Lady Julia also has no eyes… sending a weakling bastard? The guy next to you looked stronger."

Veins engraved on Ferik's forehead.

"Greenhorn bastard. I will let you know the reality clearly, how miserable the price of a mercenary nobody invading the sacred knight's realm is. You will beg for life."

Ferik's spirit raged like a storm, but Danel didn't even budge.

Danel grabbed Hayang and took a stance.

"Hmm… Looking forward to it. That reality. Let's see if it flows as you think."