The door to the hall opened and two young women made their entrance. The two resembled each other greatly and a single look would suffice to conclude that they were somehow related. The older of the two tied her hair in a bun and wore a red dress that accentuated her body line. She maintained a smile as she walked alongside her sister who was wearing a black dress and similarly dark expression on her face.
Baron Helmak looked at them and spoke happily. "Oh, look who is here. Let's go, let's go. Judging by how pissed Viscount Velma's second daughter looks, I can say with 70% certainty that something interesting is gonna happen."
Vincent glanced at the baron's excited face and asked, "Should you really be showing such a happy expression so openly? I am right here you know. If something happens, my reputation will take a serious hit."
"While we have bonded over the sacred matters of taste, this and that are two completely different things. Few things are as entertaining as a good drama." Saying so, the baron took off with long strides.
Vincent too sighed helplessly and followed along. By the time he reached where his parents and Viscount Velma's family was, he could see the viscountess admonishing her daughter.
Noticing his arrival, the viscountess put on a smile. "Ah Vincent, you are here. Suzy is really sorry for her late arrival. Some serious issues had come up. If you don't mind, how about you two get to know each other over a dance?"
His mother too placed her hands on his shoulder and smiled brightly. "Go on, Viscountess Velma's suggestion sounds good."
While her smile seemed very friendly, she had a scary look on her eyes that made it clear that she wouldn't take no for an answer.
Vincent cursed inside his heart but still extended his hand to invite the black dressed girl to a dance. As he waited silently, he couldn't feel her palm at all. He looked up to check why she wasn't taking his hand. What he saw next surprised him. A black mass grew bigger and bigger before eventually covering his entire field of vision. Before he could react, the glove hit him squarely in the face and fell to the floor.
"I Suzy Velma challenge you to a duel for the right to my own hand in marriage." The girl declared loudly drawing everyone's attention.
Baron Helmak had a bright smile on his face while Viscount Velma and Viscount Renn's family were shell shocked by the sudden challenge. No one had expected such a development.
As the initial shock finally passed over, Viscount Renn questioned strongly. "Viscount Velma, what is the meaning of this? You keep my son waiting only to humiliate us in front of everyone?"
Viscount Velma wanted to clear out the situation and explain that it was just his daughter being stubborn. But before he could find a chance to settle things, a crowd had gathered around them to watch the spectacle.
The situation grew tenser and the number of audience was growing bigger. Before the matter could get any bigger, Count Melnar pushed his way through the wall of humans and arrived at the scene. After hearing what had transpired from a nearby servant, he stepped in to deal with the issue.
"As the highest ranking noble present at the scene of the dispute, it is my duty to mediate. To settle this matter as quickly as possible, the duel shall be held tomorrow at noon. The venue will be right here. Are Viscount Velma and Viscount Renn satisfied with the conditions?"
Viscount Renn was still seething with anger. As soon as the count's words ended, he agreed immediately. "I am fine with it."
Viscount Velma on the other hand, had an incredibly uneasy face. He still couldn't wrap his head around how the current situation had come about. While his daughter Suzy was a bit unruly, he had never expected such behavior from her.
The union between the two houses was supposed to be a brilliant political move that benefited both the parties. But now, he was closer to making an enemy out of someone he had known for decades.
He was between a rock and a hard place. While he didn't want to add more fuel to the fire, if he stepped back now, his reputation would be tarnished. He hesitated for a moment before agreeing reluctantly.
Seeing that Viscount Velma had agreed, Viscount Renn stormed out the door in large strides. "Renee, Rosie, Vincent. Let's go."
*****
As soon as he entered the room, Viscount Velma burst with fury. "What are you doing Suzy?"
His daughter looked away from him and remained mum.
"You better throw the duel tomorrow. That way, a simple apology will be enough to mend things. Though Renn will be unhappy because of your action tonight, it is still the best outcome for both our houses." He raised his voice and continued speaking while his wife, Jinny, and Joshua watched silently.
"Why do I have to throw the duel? I am not getting engaged to someone who can't beat me."
"Honey, are you listening to this girl? She used to be so obedient but she has changed ever since she came back from the academy." The viscount spoke to his wife after listening to his daughter's rebellious words.
The night was a long one in Viscount Velma's mansion. Shouts and screams from arguments could be heard for hours after that.
*****
The number of guests present was even greater than during the party last night. The news of the conflict had spread like wildfire and nobles had flocked to watch the duel first hand.
Vincent stood in the middle of the training ground as he stretched his body. It would be noon soon and he wanted to appear as if he was taking this seriously. He checked the audiences secretly to gauge the number of people present. 'Isn't this great? There are more than fifty people present. If I get crushed in the duel today, people will think I am a weakling and a pushover. After that, avoiding the topic of engagement and marriage will be easy. Hehehe, I impress myself sometimes. I should just be a professional con man instead.'
While being smug at his plan, he continued glancing at the audiences. His gaze stopped at Baron Helmak who was secretly setting up a recoding crystal. 'Does this guy have no shame? Is he seriously going to record the duel? No wait, isn't it even better for me if the recording of my defeat spreads far and wide?'
Viscount Velma arrived along with his family. He turned away uncomfortably as soon as he spotted Viscount Renn glaring at him. As he began thinking about how to apologize later on, Suzy walked ahead and stood a few meters away from Vincent.
She was wearing a training shirt and pant that were fastened by laces. It was designed so that it would impede movements to a minimum while being comfortable and classy. Looking at her opponent who was warming up, she began swinging her sword in preparation as well.
A few minutes passed and the clock struck twelve. Count Melnar walked to the middle of Suzy and Vincent. "The duel shall proceed until a combatant admits defeat or I determine that a clear victor has been decided. This is not a serious dispute so refrain from dealing any heavy injuries."
He said a few more words before asking the combatants if they were ready. Receiving a positive reply from both sides, he announced the start of the duel.
Vincent took several steps back so that he was only a couple of feet away from the wall. Then, putting on a serious expression, he cast a spell called
A noble explained to his lover seriously. "The boy just cast
Suzy on the other hand, let Vincent increase the distance between them. Though she was the one who requested the duel, she knew that she was older than him and decided to give him a little leeway. It was her pride as a warrior.
She only made her move once the magic circle under his feet had taken complete shape. Pushing herself to the maximum, she manifested her mana around her body and charged at him with her sword over her head. Her speed was incredible. The distance of several meters was covered in the blink of an eye. As soon as the her opponent was within her sword's striking distance, she swung her weapon downwards with all her strength.
While it was a move that required big movement and was easy to dodge, it was the one with most weight behind it. Since her opponent was prepared to receive her attack with
As she had expected, her opponent didn't try to evade but chose to block her attack head on. She was sure of her victory when their swords were about to clash. But when they actually did, even she was surprised at the result.
The boy was blown away from the impact, almost as if he had been thrown by a raging bull. He flew all the way until his back hit the wall. The blunt force seemed to have hurt him as he coughed blood before fainting. The sword on his hand was cleanly snapped in the middle where Suzy's sword had made contact.
Utter silence.
The way the duel had gone was so shocking that not a single person made any sound. Count Melnar recovered the fastest and announced Suzy, who was just as shocked to be the victor.
Viscount Renn turned away and left the scene in anger. But not before directing a hateful glare at Viscount Velma.
The target of the animosity, Viscount Velma however could not believe his eyes. While Suzy had indeed shown promise as a warrior since a young age, he did not think that she was even close to being capable of bursting forth with such insane strength. He had been feeling helpless after being unable to convince his daughter to throw the duel. Still, he had held some hope since Vincent himself was said to be a prodigy.
Looking at Viscount Renn who went away without even checking up on his son, Baron Helmak hurriedly stopped recording and ran up to the fainted Vincent. He checked his pulse, confirming that nothing serious had happened, he carried him inside under the guidance of Countess Melnar.
*****
Countess Melnar hurriedly led Baron Helmak to her study. She had ample experience as a doctor and was especially worried. To be thrown around with such force, she didn't even want to think about how messed up the boy's organs would be.
And looking at his young and innocent face, she felt even sadder. While the boy had a glib tongue, she always found him to be bright and adorable. It would be a shame if his normal life ended because of a duel like this.
She hurriedly placed him on a bed and turned him over to look at his back. She undid his shirt and pulled it down but was shocked by what she saw. Bloody bruises and broken ribs were what she was expecting. But contrary to her expectations, he was perfectly fine. There wasn't even a sign of smallest of injuries.
Confused, she turned him over to check his front side only to see him staring at her. As soon as their eyes met, the boy used his hand to hide his chest exaggeratedly, "Countess Melnar, what are you doing? You shouldn't take advantage of your patients like this. What will I do if people find out I was treated like this? By an experienced woman like you no less."
Countess Melnar breathed a sigh of relief. "You mischievous imp. Was that all a show? It did feel strange since I had never heard of Viscount Velma's children being exceptional."
"Hehehe, aren't I brilliant? With this, I can always use this defeat as an excuse to run away from talks of marriage and engagement."
"What about the rumors that will spread? Aren't you worried people will think you are a weak pushover?"
"Isn't that even better? That way, I can just take it easy and do whatever I please." Vincent answered with pure eyes that made him look like he was incapable of anything bad.
"You naughty brat, aren't you afraid I will blow the whistle?" The countess put on a tough look to test him.
"I know you won't. You really like me after all. Besides, I will owe you a favor if you tell others that I am gravely injured."
"Alright, you win. But you are staying inside this room for the entire day. Or else, people will begin suspecting." Saying so, the countess left the room.
"That was a brilliant performance. I was completely fooled by it." Baron Helmak spoke as soon as the countess left the room.
"Baron Helmak, how could you record the duel without even telling me about it? I must say I misjudged your character."
The baron gave out a hollow laugh. "It's not like that. I just thought of preserving the moments of your brilliance. How about this? I will keep everything a secret, won't you forgive me?"
"Hmm..." Vincent pretended to be in deep thought. "Alright, but you will have to split the profit from the distribution of this recording with me."
"Hahahaha, of course, of course. I will even introduce you to a mature woman with lovely character. Just make sure you keep this matter of me recording the duel hush hush okay?"
"I am afraid that won't do." Vincent's words left the baron full of fear. Recording the duel without the consent of at least one of the party was considered to be taboo. And if caught, the perpetrator's name would take a dive into the sewer.
But the boy's next words made the baron let out a sigh of relief. "I am a changed man after all. I would like to be introduced to an extremely shy girl instead."
Both man and boy laughed out loud at the comment.
Unbeknownst to them, the word of Vincent being severely wounded during the duel had already spread among the nobles.