Lady Bianca sent Lucian a good luck gesture before running toward the hut to pack her things. The knight wanted to follow her, but she assured him that she was fine.
Lady Bianca used to live in the countryside together with her aunt. Then illness came. And with it, the truth. Her aunt wasn't truly family. Her 'aunt' was just a former servant of her mother's fallen house, who had hidden Bianca to protect her.
"..." Sir Claude looked at her leaving figure with concern. His wavy red hair covered most of his face, but his bright green eyes shone through. After training by a minor knight of her mother's fallen house, he followed Bianca to the Viscount estate as her knight.
"Have you fought the Crown Prince before, Sir Claude?" Lucian asked, closing the distance between them, he rolled up his sleeves.
"Yes, once...during the Grand Knight Tournament," the knight answered, "He was not someone to be trifled with. I had no chance."
Instead of going to war to prove their strength, the nobles used the Grand Knights Tournament as their battlefield. Lucian would soon have to send three representatives of the Arclight House to fight in his place.
"Then, you are the man I need," Lucian said, lifting his hand, waving his fingers in the knight's direction as if challenging him for a fight, "Could you help me confirm a few things?"
"..." The knight's eyes widened in understanding and his face became serious. "You want to fight the Crown Prince?"
"No," Lucian said, "I just want to know my odds against him. That's all."
The knight relaxed and raised his fists, "Then, I shall assist you."
Lucian moved his hands into a defensive stance. He couldn't afford to lose the muscle he gained over the years.
His overeating used to even itself with all the heavy manual labor. But with more and more people eager to serve him, there was no need for him to exert himself as much, so he was getting a bit chubbier. All the sitting during travels did a number on him too, but at least he had some weight to throw around.
He considered modifying his carriage so it would be easier to exercise on the way to the next destination. Maybe some bars to hang from and pull himself up. A bag to hit was a must.
A fist flew past his cheek, and Lucian jerked back, "What were the rules again?" he asked, feeling the heat of the knight's fist on his skin.
"We keep going until one of us surrenders or falls unconscious," the knight said, "Any punches or kicks are allowed. You can also grapple and wrestle each other down."
"Understood," Lucian nodded and dodged the next hit.
"You are good at avoiding attacks for a merchant," the knight said, impressed. "I can barely land anything."
"Getting hit hurts a lot. Of course, I'd try my best to not get hit," Lucian said, and the Knight used the knowledge to his advantage. He feigned his next punch and jumped forward, knocking his whole body into Lucian and taking him down. "Oof!"
He grabbed Lucian's wrist, twisting it behind his back and pressing his head into the ground with a palm.
Lucian struggled for a few seconds before tapping the ground with his free hand, admitting defeat. The fighting style was completely different compared to the pirates, and there was no way for him to win against a seasoned knight in an honorable way.
"Again?" the knight asked, letting him go.
"Again," Lucian said, standing up. He dusted his clothes and stretched his neck.
His schedule was packed and squeezing a training comparable to that of a knight was simply not feasible. He had to find a shortcut. A loophole.
Even though his current status was that of an Earl, a Baron or a Viscount with a lower status could still crush his reputation and influence if their champions managed to defeat his.
It would make others question his ability to rule and lead his territory. This equaled less support, less respect, and fewer chances for him to advance forward.
The royal family would also participate, and would send someone with royal blood to represent them. To show that even with their busy schedule, they could still hold their own. It was no secret that they were most likely to become the winner of the Grand Knight Tournament, with a lot of people betting on the Crown Prince to win.
It's exactly these tournaments that have been tampering Rochefort's influence for the past few generations. The previous head has been reduced from Grand Duke to Duke. With the lack of a male heir, many believed the current head would be reduced to Marquess in a few years.
The other two dukes, Duremont, and Verian were breathing down Rochefort's necks as well.
"Do you have any experience in managing a territory?" Lucian asked while blocking the punches and avoiding the knight's grapple.
"No," the knight said, "but I know some basics."
"Would you be interested in serving the Arclight's house then? You would be bestowed a fief and all the rights and responsibilities of a landowner," Lucian asked, and the knight became distracted for a moment. He used the opportunity to land a blow into the man's side, "A landed noble is a step above a knight, is it not?"
"It's a tempting offer, but I swore my loyalty to Lady Bianca and I intend to keep it," Claude responded after recovering from the hit.
"So if it's her wish to serve the Arclight House, will you follow?" Lucian gasped as a fist connected with his chest, the knight using his own momentum against him. He was forced to take a step back, but it was not enough to send him to the ground. "Then how do you expect to become her husband one day?"
"..." The knight flew backwards, Lucian's feet connecting with his torso and sending him down.
"You don't have to answer immediately but think about it. She will need more than a single knight to protect her," Lucian said, offering his hand to the fallen Knight, "and I can't be here all the time."
"..." The knight stared at his open palm, contemplating his choices, before taking it, "But Lady Bianca...are you not ...pursuing her?"
"Me?" Lucian pointed at his chest, "With Lady Bianca?" he laughed, shaking his head, "No, She's not my type."
The Knight frowned, "But she likes─"
"I don't!"
A nearby pot fell to the floor and broke into pieces, interrupting their conversation and making them both turn their heads towards the source of the noise.
Lady Bianca stumbled forward, staring at them with wide eyes.
"Please just ignore me!" Lady Bianca said, blushing furiously at their interlocked hands, before turning around and running towards the greenhouse.