Chapter 32: The Leafy Plain (2)

The viscount quickly reached out to grab Michael's hand, but someone else blocked Michael's hand first. Damian Hassen extended his hand and firmly grabbed Michael's wrist, preventing him from drawing his sword. Michael, looking flustered, alternated his gaze between the hilt of his sword and Damian Hassen.

"You sure have a quick temper."

Damian Hassen looked down at Michael Ryanbloom and said, "You seem to have a strong competitive spirit, but even so, this isn't the time to draw your sword, is it?"

Only then did Michael look around. He finally saw the duke's face, which was frowning.

"Viscount Ryanbloom, what are you doing?"

The duke said with a sharp tone. The viscount wiped his face with his palm.

"...My son has acted foolishly. He had no intention of harming your knight."

"Is this something that can be brushed off with just those words?"

The viscount only broke out in cold sweat at the sharp rebuke. The duke had come to this place in response to the viscount's invitation. For Michael Ryanbloom to try to draw his weapon in such a setting was no ordinary matter. If things went wrong, the viscount's family name could be ruined.

'He has some talent for acting.'

Damian looked at the duke with an amused expression. Damian had long known that the duke wasn't truly angry. He was enjoying the viscount's weakness. The slight curve of his eyes gave it away.

"I would like to leave this place in a huff, but... since there is a duel left, I will endure it."

"...I appreciate your magnanimity."

"However, I will have to add a few conditions as the reward for the duel."

The viscount let out a sigh.

"...Tell me the conditions."

"If we win this duel, we will take ownership of the land adjacent to the gold mine."

The reason for this duel was the discovery of a gold mine on the border between the duke's and the viscount's territories. The duke intended to take all the land on that border if he won the duel.

"Is that enough?"

"One more thing. If we win the duel, open the viscount's family vault once for Sir Damian Hassen."

The duke patted Damian Hassen's back as he spoke. Damian looked at the duke in surprise.

The vault is not an ordinary storage room. It is where the family's treasures, collected over generations, are stored. Asking to open it once was like asking to give one of the viscount's treasures to Damian Hassen.

"...You're setting some heavy conditions."

"However, the condition is that we must win the duel, isn't it?"

The viscount thought for a moment and then said, "Fine. I will accept all the conditions."

* * *

The conversation ended there. The viscount and the duke returned to their respective camps.

"...Michael."

On the way back, the viscount called out his son's name with a tone of reproach.

"Why did you try to draw your sword at that place? You almost brought our family to ruin..."

"Father, did you see? That guy knew I was going to draw my sword."

But Michael didn't care about his father's feelings at all.

"He read all my moves. I've never met an opponent like this before!"

Michael was delighted like a child. The viscount's expression turned serious at his innocent smile.

"...Did you find Damian Hassen to your liking?"

"Yes! Father, you were right! Damian Hassen might fight me on equal terms!"

Michael Ryanbloom, despite possessing master-level talent, had been bored due to the lack of worthy opponents. Now, his son had found an adversary in Damian Hassen. The boredom that had clouded Michael Ryanbloom's eyes was completely gone. His dormant talent was beginning to awaken.

"...If you are satisfied, that's enough."

A smile appeared on the viscount's face. After all, the conditions set by the duke only mattered if they won the duel. With Michael Ryanbloom, they wouldn't lose the duel.

* * *

"You have good luck from the start."

Upon arriving at the camp, the duke spoke.

"If we win the duel, everything will be perfect, won't it?"

The duke's face was filled with a smile as he looked at Damian.

"Your Excellency, why did you set such conditions?"

"What do you mean? The vault?"

Damian nodded. The duke dismissed it as nothing.

"Didn't you stop Michael from drawing his sword? If Michael had fully drawn his sword, the situation would have completely escalated."

"Wouldn't that be to the duke's advantage?"

"It would be to the duke's advantage, but not to mine. I don't want to win the viscount through such an unexpected situation."

The duke's expression turned serious.

"I don't like that man. I've vowed to crush him someday. Now that the opportunity is right in front of me, I can't let it slip away."

Only then did Damian understand the duke's feelings. His pride wouldn't allow him to accept a hollow conclusion.

"Besides, isn't it a chance to take credit with someone else's money? I can't let it slip away."

The duke laughed heartily and then nodded his head.

"Still, it's strange. Michael Ryanbloom is known for being extremely lazy. Why did he try to draw his sword?"

Damian shrugged in response to the duke's question.

"Maybe he was bored."

Despite his words, Damian understood Michael Ryanbloom's impulsive action.

'He must have already awakened his sixth sense, even at his young age.'

Among masters, there are many with special talents. A musician with perfect pitch could be considered one of them. And Michael Ryanbloom also possessed such a special talent.

Sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell.

He possessed a sixth sense, completely different from these five senses, known as extrasensory perception. In his previous life, Michael had often detected unexpected dangers or read hidden moves of his enemies thanks to his extrasensory perception.

'If this is the case, there's hope.'

In the future, Michael Ryanbloom would reach the master level. But for now, he was just a low-class. Damian had been worried that the duel might end too quickly, but fortunately, it seemed his worries were unfounded.

"Your Excellency, a messenger from the viscount's side is coming."

Gao Heinrich informed the duke. The messenger, riding a horse, said to the duke,

"Message from the viscount! He wishes to start the first duel!"

"Good that it's happening quickly."

The duke raised one corner of his mouth and muttered.

"Since it's the first duel, it's important to gain the upper hand. Who should we send out?"

The duke looked at the knights and asked. When no one responded, he turned to Damian Hassen.

"Sir Damian, I heard you've been spending a lot of time with the candidate knights recently."

"Yes, I've been practicing with them."

"Is there a knight you would recommend?"

Thinking about the duke's question, Damian recalled Pavel Vermund. Among the knights he had practiced with, Pavel was the best.

"Your Excellency, may I make a recommendation?"

At that moment, someone spoke up. Damian naturally looked at the knight.

Sebastian Vincenzo.

A middle-class knight who was responsible for training the dueling knights.

"Training the dueling knights is my responsibility. I can recommend a more suitable candidate than Sir Damian."

Saying this, Sebastian Vincenzo glanced at Damian. His gaze was not friendly but filled with hostility.

'He's a narrow-minded person.'

Damian had once clashed with Sebastian Vincenzo. A few dueling knights had complained to the duke about practicing with Damian.

-It's not a problem, is it? The knights will learn something from practicing with Sir Damian.

Of course, the duke had sided with Damian. It seemed Sebastian was now seeking revenge for that incident.

"Hmm, Sir Sebastian's words have a point. Who do you recommend?"

"I recommend my son, Fabian Vincenzo."

Not all the dueling knights had practiced with Damian. Some had not. Those knights had all been trained by Vincenzo.

"Sir Sebastian's son... I've heard he is very talented."

"Yes, Your Excellency. He has inherited everything from the Vincenzo family. I believe he will bring the first victory without a doubt."

"Good. Let your son participate."

Sebastian Vincenzo gestured, and a knight holding a spear stepped forward.

"I will not disappoint Your Excellency!"

After shouting, Fabian Vincenzo headed to the center.

* * *

Fabian Vincenzo knew exactly why his father had sent him out.

'Damian Hassen, how dare that country bumpkin threaten my father's position.'

To the duke's knights, Damian Hassen was like a thorn in the eye. He had suddenly appeared and taken the family representative position, monopolizing the duke's favor.

'If it weren't for him, the representative position would have been mine.'

Fabian Vincenzo thought resentfully.

'I will win this duel splendidly and change Your Excellency's perception.'

Fabian Vincenzo faced the viscount's knight and took out the spear he had slung over his back.

"I am Fabian of the Vincenzo barony! State your name!"

In response to Fabian Vincenzo's shout, the viscount's knight said,

"Robert. I have no surname."

"What? No surname? You're a commoner?"

Fabian Vincenzo immediately frowned. Knights are mainly cultivated from knightly families. They must acquire the manners and knowledge befitting a knight and learn the family's vision to be complete.

A commoner had no place in such a position.

"A commoner dares to challenge me."

Fabian Vincenzo was disappointed that his first opponent was a commoner.

"Such noise. Do the duke's knights all fight with their tongues like women?"

Robert's taunt made Fabian Vincenzo frown.

"Such a presumptuous fellow. I will show you the difference in class right now!"

Fabian charged with his spear, determined to end the duel quickly.

"Oh, Sir Fabian is attacking."

The duke's soldiers, watching the scene, cheered in unison.

Even from a distance, one could feel the fighting spirit Fabian exuded. In contrast, there was no discernible fighting spirit from the viscount's knight.

It seemed the first duel would end easily. However, the duel that began soon took a completely different turn.

The viscount's knight easily blocked the attacks Fabian launched.

"Ha! Haa! Ha!"

Fabian shouted even louder, but the result didn't change no matter how much time passed.

"This... commoner!"

Frustrated by the continuous blocking of his attacks, Fabian's movements grew larger. At that moment, the viscount's knight moved.

He easily deflected the spear Fabian was swinging and closed the distance. Then he kicked Fabian's body.

"Ugh!"

Fabian fell backward. The blade of the viscount's knight, who had approached silently, touched the back of his neck.

"Do you admit defeat?"

The viscount's knight asked calmly. Fabian, with a trembling voice, said,

"I... I lose."

The moment Fabian admitted defeat, cheers erupted from the viscount's camp. In contrast, a heavy silence enveloped the duke's camp.

* * *

"...Send some soldiers to bring Fabian Vincenzo here."

After giving the order, the duke turned to Sebastian Vincenzo.

"Sir Sebastian, what did I just see?"

Sebastian couldn't say anything in response to the duke's question.

"Y-Your Excellency... T-that..."

"I entrusted the training of the knights to Sir Vincenzo, and this is how you repay me."

Sebastian Vincenzo opened his mouth as if to make an excuse, but the duke said coldly,

"Please be quiet for now."

Sebastian immediately closed his mouth.

"I didn't expect the difference in the knights' levels to be so great."

The duke stroked his chin, lost in thought.

"If this continues, even if Sir Damian Hassen wins, we will lose the duel, won't we?"

The silence in the duke's camp became even heavier.

"Your Excellency, may I speak?"

At that moment, Damian Hassen spoke up.

"Go ahead."

In response to the duke's words, Damian said,

"I would like to recommend Pavel Vermund as the second knight."