Chapter 54

On the day of the duel, Chaf Trinen arrived at the training ground with twenty elite guards. At the end of the training ground, there were temporary stands where Chaf’s father, "Trinen of the Unbreakable Formation," was watching.

"We must not lose at the cost of our family's honor."

Chaf, who had been told this by his father, had no intention of losing. The opponent was the Royal Capital Guard, two ranks below the guards, with only thirteen members and less training time. Moreover, they were led by the son of the Count of Kleinzelt, a symbol of incompetence. There was no reason to lose. Chaf was even considering how quickly and decisively he could win. He had already informed the guards to prepare for a quick battle, and they were dressed in light armor, with Chaf himself equipped with a slightly shorter sword compared to the guards' long swords.

"Line up."

He gave a short order to line the guards up in two rows. The plan was to immediately surround and annihilate the guards brought by Sora, with Chaf personally finishing off Sora.

"Sora Kleinzelt has arrived."

The marquis who had volunteered to be the witness announced it. One of the guards snorted.

"He didn’t run away."

"He must have come to beg for his life."

When another guard interjected, laughter spread among the entire guard unit.

"You must not underestimate the enemy."

The deputy commander of the guards reprimanded them. At that moment, Sora Kleinzelt and the Royal Capital Guard appeared on the training ground.

"…What is that?"

"They’re giving up the fight."

Disappointed voices leaked from the guards, and Chaf’s face turned red with anger.

"Sora Kleinzelt! What is that outfit!?"

Everyone except Gorge was wearing only a chest plate, and even Gorge had only added thick gauntlets. The fact that their weapons were wooden swords made it seem like they were giving up the fight.

"Do you intend to make me, Chaf Trinen, look like a coward who bullies the weak!?"

Laughter mixed with contempt could be heard from the stands. Ignoring such voices, Sora calmly gave orders to the Royal Capital Guard. He arranged two guards in front of him and eleven guards far in front of them. As a party to the duel, Sora himself was in a safe area, placing the guards, who were not directly involved, on the front line. This formation made Chaf even angrier. On the other hand, all the guards were gripping their long swords tightly.

"Lord Chaf, you must remain calm or you will be outmaneuvered. The enemy must have a plan. That is not the look of someone who has given up."

The deputy commander of the guards advised Chaf. There was no cloudiness in the guards' eyes; they were filled with pure fighting spirit.

– Especially the red-haired monster in the front row is in a league of his own.

The deputy commander focused on Gorge. The man, who looked like a jailer who had escaped from a blazing hell, exuded a desire for victory. His determination to bring victory to his comrades was palpable even to the guards.

"He must be under some kind of threat. He is a tough opponent."

"…No, the guards probably gathered out of admiration for Sora Kleinzelt."

Chaf reluctantly contradicted the deputy commander’s speculation. There were many circumstantial evidences supporting the deputy commander’s theory, such as the reputation of the Count of Kleinzelt and the fact that Sora, who had no allies for a week, suddenly secured soldiers. However, Chaf had seen the interaction between Gorge and Sora in the capital. Still, he couldn’t believe that was Sora’s true intention. Seeing Sora bring poorly equipped soldiers to a dangerous duel and position himself in a safe area made him suspicious. Chaf glared at Sora with a stern face, feeling that his actions betrayed the trust of the soldiers.

In the special seats of the training ground, the king and the crown prince were comparing the two sides.

"As the commander of the guards, what do you think of Sora Kleinzelt?"

The king asked the man standing behind him, who seemed uninterested.

"Their morale doesn’t seem to be influenced by the Count of Kleinzelt. It’s more likely that they are under some kind of threat."

"Hmm. Bartz holds him in high regard, but it’s strange that he would do this."

The king turned his gaze to the crown prince sitting next to him, who was watching the proceedings with a smile.

"You seem to be in a good mood."

"I’m happy that Sora Kleinzelt hasn’t given up."

The crown prince’s cheerful voice made the king sigh. Even if their morale was unusually high, it was clear that Sora had no chance of winning. The king had instructed the witness to stop the duel if necessary, but Sora could still die in this duel. The king looked at Chaf and the crown prince, thinking that they had caused a troublesome commotion.

The Count of Trinen, known as the Unbreakable Formation, narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the guards Sora had brought. Initially, he had evaluated them like other nobles, thinking they were worthy of the national army. Now, he was revising his evaluation of Sora. Glancing sideways at the Count of Kleinzelt, he saw him red-faced with anger, cursing his own son. The count was saying things like the dignity of the family and the disgrace of bringing a monster, which were unbearable to hear. Sora, who was being targeted, was calmly accepting it, probably intentionally provoking him. If that was the case, perhaps the soldiers were recommended by the Marquis of Bartz, who was sitting at the end of the stands, watching Sora with interest. The Count of Trinen quietly approached the Marquis of Bartz, ignoring the attention of the other nobles.

"Marquis Bartz, may I sit next to you?"

"Be my guest."

"Thank you."

The Count of Trinen sat down and looked at Sora again. There was a distance of about forty meters between the front row led by Gorge and the two guards with Sora. It was clear that this formation was not for supporting the front row. He considered whether it was a guerrilla formation, but the mobility of a seven-year-old like Sora was questionable. Even if Sora was a decoy, two guards would be quickly overwhelmed.

"Marquis Bartz, who do you think will win this duel?"

"It’s like arguing whether a gold coin will land heads or tails."

"Then, it’s a fifty-fifty chance?"

"Indeed. Sora’s strategies are too unconventional."

The Marquis of Bartz, known as the madman, was clearly entertained. Despite his reputation, he was a first-rate thinker. The Count of Trinen inwardly cursed, thinking that there was no way a child could outthink such a man.

"If you were in Sora’s position, how would you deploy your soldiers?"

"Given the significant numerical disadvantage, a quick battle is necessary. Concentrate the enemy’s forces and delay them at the cost of casualties, then take out the commander with a small force."

The Count of Trinen answered without hesitation, then looked at Sora’s formation again. But he still couldn’t understand the strategy. The Marquis of Bartz stroked his chin and spoke.

"I think Sora will use unconventional tactics. I suspect there is a trick with those wooden swords or the glass bottles placed behind them, but I wonder what it will be."

The Count of Trinen raised an eyebrow at the Marquis of Bartz’s words. He was irritated by the idea that his son might fall for a trick by a seven-year-old with limited knowledge. As the witness began the pre-duel speech, the Count of Trinen glared at the training ground.