Chapter 83

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— Justy Oigist.

— The eldest son and heir of the Oigist Viscount family, aged 25.

— Despite being a noble, he is also a warrior who has achieved many feats in the skirmishes with the Empire that occur at the border every few years, and has defeated countless bandits and mountain robbers who ravage his territory. His spear skills are truly valiant, and his overwhelming strength has earned him the nickname "The Lion of the East."

"Moreover, Justy is not just strong; he is also very intelligent. He excels in both literary and martial arts. He has high administrative skills and is beloved by his people. I haven't seen it myself, but I've heard that he can use magic as well."

This is the evaluation given by Sven Arbeil.

After praising Justy to this extent, Sven continued with, "But..."

"He is smart, but when it comes to crucial moments, he can only think with his muscles. It's as if a beast is wearing a tuxedo and glasses, and at the critical moment, the disguise falls off, and he resorts to brute force to solve problems."

"That bad habit results in a 'duel,' I see..."

"I am deeply grateful for your visit, Your Highness, Prince Raidor."

The date and time of the duel had been set in advance. Justy Oigist himself welcomed Raidor, who had come to the town of Oburt, which the Oigist Viscount family governs.

For this visit, Raidor had brought only a small number of guards. Initially, he had suspected it might be a trap, but since Sven, who knew Justy, insisted that "such trickery is impossible from him," Raidor had left his army, which was still being organized, with Ulfyn.

When Raidor arrived at the Oigist Viscount family's residence, Justy greeted him in the courtyard, fully armed in armor and helmet.

"Well... The challenge letter stated that 'if you defeat me in single combat, I will surrender my territory.' Is that correct?"

"Of course. On the honor of a warrior, I have no intention of going back on my word."

Justy pushed up the rim of his glasses and stated firmly. His face, when viewed from the neck up, looked like that of a scholar, but his large build and the thick limbs extending from his armor made him a rather mismatched man.

"Just to be sure... Why did you specifically request a duel?"

"The Oigist Viscount family has betrayed the Empire and disrespected the royal family, who have shown us great kindness. Therefore, it is not right to engage in unnecessary battles and harm soldiers and civilians."

"…Wasn't unconditional surrender an option? If you had peacefully surrendered your territory, I might have granted some leniency..."

"That is not possible!"

Justy struck the ground with the butt of the spear he held in his right hand.

"Having turned my back on my loyalty to the royal family, the only thing left to me is the pride of a warrior! To admit defeat without a fight is a disgrace to a warrior! I apologize, Your Highness, but I must request a match!"

"The pride of a warrior, huh..."

Raidor nodded with a somewhat complicated expression.

It would be easy to decline Justy's request here.

Originally, if the army led by Raidor and the Oigist territory's army were to fight, the numerical advantage would ensure victory for Raidor's forces.

Even without accepting a duel or single combat, the battle could be decided on the battlefield.

(Still... if I can win without unnecessary bloodshed, that would be better.)

Moreover, if he backed down here, it would tarnish Justy's resolve.

Raidor did not consider himself a noble person, but he was a man of the battlefield.

He had no intention of trampling on the pride of a warrior.

"Very well. I will accept your challenge."

Raidor drew his sword and faced Justy, maintaining a distance of a few meters.

"I am grateful... Hmm?"

Justy, who had pointed the tip of his spear at Raidor, frowned at the dull silver sword in his opponent's hand.

"Your Highness, what happened to the holy sword?"

The sword in Raidor's hand was not the black holy sword. It was a mass-produced sword issued by the military, the same as the soldiers used.

"To have an equal fight, we need to fight under the same conditions. I will not use the holy sword."

"...Are you underestimating me? Confidence and arrogance are different things."

"You should see for yourself whether it's arrogance or not. If you think I'm a mere commoner who can't do anything without a holy sword, then you're the one being disrespectful."

"I see. I would have liked to clash with the legendary holy sword, but I cannot insist."

Justy showed a slight sign of dissatisfaction on his face but did not press the matter further and readied his spear. Raidor also crouched, tensing his legs to be ready to spring at any moment.

"..."

"..."

Raidor with his sword, Justy with his spear—both stood in silence, facing each other.

The soldiers who accompanied Raidor and the Oigist family's servants, who were watching from the mansion, held their breath as they observed the two men.

"..."

"..."

How long did the silence, which seemed to freeze the air, last?

Just as the tension reached its peak, a wild bird perched on a tree in the courtyard took flight with a loud cry, as if it could no longer bear the atmosphere.

"Let's go!"

"Fair fight!"

The sound of the bird's wings was the signal.

Both men simultaneously shouted and kicked off the ground.

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