Valkian-Style Duel (1)
After a good night's sleep, I wake up feeling refreshed.
The sun ring is also more precise than in my previous life.
To turn this frail body into muscles, I need to train.
So, right after waking, I was heading to the training ground when my sister came looking as if she had been waiting.
“Hehe—”
She walks sticking to my arm.
Still cute and adorable in my eyes.
But surely.
'Lena... grew up like this...?'
The violent sensation on my arm makes my mind dizzy.
Even if not blood-related siblings, as a younger sister, it seems she has regressed and gone mad.
Shaking my head quickly and walking, we arrive at the training ground.
When I and Helena enter, gazes pour in.
For Helena: respect and envy.
And a few dirty lusts.
For me: all disregard and disgust.
Most are from the knight order made up of 3-star or below.
Still, full of pride as Valkian family.
Because the only successor of the Valkian family put down the sword for a woman.
'What to do about that?'
No matter how much I was cut ties with father, as a duke's son, they're all crazy.
No need to be intimidated by those eyes.
For me who has endured 5 years of mercenary life to the point of being tired, such gazes are even irritating.
Walking to grab the wooden sword on the wall, a big guy blocks the way.
One of the familiar faces I memorized and memorized in my previous life.
Feeling more disgusted.
“The great successor of the Valkian family, Prince Neville, what business do you have here?”
While saying that, the guy scans Helena up and down beside me.
A vein bulges on my forehead.
“Are you crazy? How dare you talk to oppa like that—!!”
“Aigoo, sorry. So great Prince Neville. By the way, Lady Helena is beautiful today too. From afar I thought, up close—
“This rude guy.”
Helena lets go of my arm and raises black aura on her body. I can feel the determination to hit him for real.
The guy who came to pick a fight didn't expect this reaction and retreats in surprise.
Without me, that guy wouldn't have dared to say a word to Helena.
Thinking it's an easy win as a weak prince, he came to challenge.
With dirty eyes trying to sweep my sister.
“Lena, stop.”
“But oppa!”
“No need for you to take the humiliation meant for me. I can handle it.”
“..What?”
Pushing the big guy back, I draw the wooden sword and point it.
“I challenge to a Valkian-style Duel. This knight's trash. For the humiliation towards me and for daring to look at my sister with those dirty eyes like trash.”
“The price of your defeat is being kicked out of the family with your rings broken. I will grant you one wish. Will you accept?”
Valkian-style Duel.
They fight but don't kill each other, it's okay.
The rule is to fight until one surrenders or is knocked unconscious.
Different from normal duels where it ends when opponent drops sword or becomes combat incapable.
However, no aura on the sword, no using of real swords.
Only wooden swords.
Otherwise, high probability of death.
For Valkian-style Duel challenge, two things are needed.
The reason for the duel, and the price if defeated.
It says it's a rule made by ancestors to legally kill noble children.
I like it a lot.
Since as long as not killing, anything is possible.
My proposal makes Evan's eyes shake.
Evan Crane.
Eldest son of the Crane Baron family, son of a marriage alliance family without breathing method.
'This bastard is crazy.'
Came to watch pretty ladies up close, but Valkian duel?
The crazy thing of staking life that the trash who abandoned the family is famous for?
“Oppa!! Why are you like this!! Even if 2-star, it's been 4 years since you put down the sword.”
Looking at Helena with arms crossed trying to stop Neville in front, I feel ridiculous.
Touching this big and beautiful thing, still pointing sword at me with calm expression.
They said no blood mixed, is this a eunuch?
Ah, ah, this bastard fell for that woman from the magic family?
Lucky to be born in duke family, living with overflowing women, but a crazy bastard who fell for another woman and put down the sword.
'This trash challenging me?'
I look at Neville with a laugh.
White skin, black hair.
Red eyes.
Smooth face like a woman.
Body thin like paper, I want to step on it.
But.
'Just ignore it.'
Even if win, might get hated by the lady, and if bad, might get revenge.
Knew he doted on this fool but didn't know about aura.
'No need to take risks.'
At that moment.
“Hmm, seems you haven't decided. Then, I'll do this. I'll fight ten of you in a row. If even one loses, I'll grant one wish each. Instead, if all of you lose to me, all kicked out of the family with rings broken. How about it?”
“Oppa!!”
'Crazy.'
Radical proposal.
Evan thinks Neville is crazy.
'But with these conditions.'
Evan looks at Helena with lascivious eyes.
Heavy presence swaying like Helena and Kaina.
After winning the duel, spend time with Helena, drug food or drink...
'If they lose virginity, what will they do? Marry them.'
With a disgusting laugh, Evan nods.
“Good. But the people I choose to fight with?”
“Sure.”
Idiot.
Inside mocking, Evan calls his gang.
All guys who have lust, not love, for Helena and Kaina.
All with dark eyes shining with same mind.
...
“Oppa! Do you know what wishes they'll ask? If I say die, they might have to die!”
Helena looks at me with worried eyes.
Trash exposing ugly desires to such innocent child.
'Kill all these bastards.'
Suppressing the rising anger, I pet Helena's head.
“Lena, trust me. I promise I'll win against them. If lose, I'll brand absolute command mana mark. If they say die but Lena doesn't, then what? Right?”
“T-that...”
Helena hesitates at my words.
No matter how much I try to dissuade, since they accepted, can't back out.
Anyway, I was thinking how to respond.
But since they started the fight themselves, it's a blessing.
“...Promise must be kept, oppa.”
After thinking, Helena looks at me and says.
“Of course, so don't worry.”
Lightly petting her head, I climb to the arena.
Ten guys laughing, looking at me.
All the faces I remember.
Future traitors to the Valkian family.
Seeing them gathered nicely, my stomach bubbles.
If they had a brain, they would naturally refuse my proposal.
But since they have mushrooms in their heads, not noodles, they accepted.
The sound of the 2nd knight order surrounding the training ground whispering.
“Ha, Prince Neville finally went crazy. Or was he always crazy? For that woman.”
“Those trash will definitely ask for wishes related to the ladies.”
“I don't know. The duke will stop it himself. Anyway, I didn't like Prince Neville.”
“Disloyal bastards. But the prince is trash. Finally lost his mind for a woman.”
“Hope at least one wins...”
With those words in mind, a guy walks proudly.
A round-faced guy full of freckles.
Name is Goi Svenna.
Second son of a count family.
“Haha, honored to duel with the prince. 2-star Goi Svenna. Please keep the price of defeat.”
“Yeah, ugly trash.”
“...What?”
I have a dirty mouth from 5 years of mercenary life.
Since the guys I was with were all rough.
I held back because I was afraid cute Helena would hear.
No reason to hold back with these trash who can hear.
“You ugly, like a pumpkin with skin and insides swapped. Ears blocked with freckles...”
“T-that insulting words...! A prince of a family...!!”
The guy spews black aura in anger.
No need for sun ring for this guy.
Two shadow rings spin quickly.
Aura sent to meridians.
Rings spinning with great efficiency, happy to see a visitor after long time.
Faster, it explodes.
Even if same 2-star, the power differs by how fast the rings spin.
Faster ring spin allows heavier and stronger aura.
Black aura spews from body.
Very dense color.
“W-what. How is this 2-star aura!!”
Concentrating aura on legs, exploding, approaching him.
“Shut up, smells like trash.”
Blunt and straightforward approach unique to mercenary who doesn't care about knightly manners.
The guy swings the sword down.
Attack with intent not to move for a moment due to recoil.
Correct judgment in the blink of an eye.
Even if this knight order is candidate for 1st knight order, as duke's knight, hard to enter with mediocre sword skill.
But Neville has been sharpening the sword in real battles without rest days for 5 years.
Even with trash body, can't make inefficient moves that brain remembers.
Flexibly moving palm to counter the force shooting forward, swinging up.
Crack—
The wrists that were hitting down meet the strong upward force and break with a creepy sound.
Pain and confusion.
The guy who was dazed for a moment screams loudly.
“Kuaaaaaak— ah—!!”
“Shut up. Smells bad, you bastard.”
Neville bites the sword that fell into his mouth.
The guy crying tears from pain and absurdity.
Unconsciously biting the sword.
To endure the pain.
“It's okay not to kill during duel... right? If urgent, bite too.”
Kicking hard in the crotch of the guy biting the sword.
Pop—
With a sound of something being crushed, Svenna collapses sideways.
“Next trash, come on. This pumpkin inside will handle himself.”
Neville opens his mouth, loosening the sore wrist.
“By the way, no priests in the mansion now. Participated in monster hunting.”
With a cold smile, the remaining nine fall silent and start watching each other.
The other knights watching doubt their eyes and wonder if the situation is not coincidence.
Only Helena can fully understand Neville's strength.
Helena, the genius who reached 4-star at age 16.
Seeing Neville spinning mana at insane speed with two rings, she feels great pleasure and ecstasy at the same time.
Only those who can skillfully handle the mana in their body can do the crazy thing of overheating the rings.
Otherwise, the ring that can't handle the force will explode.
So, the appearance just now is calculating the maximum speed the rings can handle.
Clearly, pretending to give up the sword and practicing mana handling in the room.
Probably found a weakness with that woman, trying to push her away and seek revenge.
“A— oppa—”
Oppa didn't change.
Just acting.
The same appearance from when I remembered childhood.
My oppa who reached out a clean hand in the dirty back alleys.
Exactly the same as then.
'Want to tie him up and lock him away, only look at him, touch him, share love...'
Even if Helena's misunderstanding is true or not.
It's too late for Helena's twisted taste to return to normal.
But Neville still loosens his wrist, and the remaining nine start watching.