Chapter 47: The Grand Duel (2)

By mutual agreement,

the Grand Duel was decided.

Lawrence opened the city gates and came out, and the battlefield was set up with the forces of Barco and Lawrence facing each other on the wide plain.

This situation was achieved after sending a messenger and a week had passed.

The judge who came down from the capital, with all eyes on him, spoke in a deep voice:

“I am Lord Ertes. I will now oversee the Grand Duel between the Barco and Lawrence families. Both families must designate three knights to represent them and submit the lineup within 30 minutes. The Grand Duel is a sacred event blessed by Valhalla. Regardless of the outcome, both families must accept the result. If any family violates this, the Kingdom of Cairo will uphold its honor and ensure a fair judgment.”

Lord Ertes.

Dressed in a neat suit that did not match the dust of the plain, he was a figure sent by the central government for this confrontation.

The authority of the person overseeing the Grand Duel is very important.

Therefore, as soon as both sides agreed, they informed the central government, and Lord Ertes came in person.

Thud.

Lord Ertes sat in the prepared VIP seat.

Servants provided shade for him, and he waited for the moment with a relaxed face, sipping wine.

Both sides.

Barco and Lawrence moved busily.

They were preparing the lineup. As he closely observed Barco's movements, Roman suddenly said:

“We may need to change the lineup.”

“What do you mean?”

Viscount Lawrence asked, puzzled.

A week ago.

After the Grand Duel was decided, Lawrence had already set the lineup.

Roman was to lead and secure the first victory, followed by one of Lawrence's knights, and finally Chris to finish the battle.

However, Barco's movements were unusual.

Although the distance from the capital to Lawrence was far, with the development of teleportation magic and other magical artifacts, Lord Ertes took a whole week to arrive.

This was strange.

As time passed, Barco should have felt the pressure, but they did not seem anxious at all.

“Barco seems to have deliberately delayed the time. They needed time to invite external experts. The central government's network has the power to make this possible, and the fact that the confrontation is happening today, a week later, suggests that they are fully prepared.”

“So, an external expert might lead Barco's lineup.”

“That's not the case.”

Roman's gaze turned to Barco's camp.

Unlike the busy Lawrence, they seemed to have already made their decision.

“Barco does not intend to send an external expert as the lead. If they did, they would have tried to encourage us to send our strongest knight as the lead. That would be their best strategy, and we need to prepare for it.”

“So, what's the solution?”

“Chris will secure the first victory, and I will face Barco's prepared card in the second round.”

“...!”

Everyone looked surprised.

Barco's hidden weapon.

Clearly not an easy opponent, yet Roman spoke as if he was willing to take the risk.

It was hard to understand.

Why go to such lengths?

Lawrence is a stranger.

Roman was risking his life for someone else.

Unlike Flora, who knew Roman's true intentions, others could only be moved by his resolve.

Viscount Lawrence said:

“I will never forget this favor. If the Lawrence family wins the Grand Duel and overcomes the crisis of extinction, Roman Dmitri will be treated as a lifelong honored guest of the Lawrence family.”

Flora.

Except for her,

everyone showed respect to Roman.

* * *

The time came.

Barco did not waste time and immediately revealed the knight who would lead.

“I am Janzon of Barco.”

Janzon.

People murmured at the name.

Janzon was a 3-star knight, one of the best in the northeastern region.

In contrast,

Lawrence's representative looked meager.

“I am Chris of Lawrence.”

Chris moved with a calm face.

Those present recognized Chris.

He was known as the disciple of Jonathan, a knight stronger than Janzon, and the most talented in the northeastern region.

The problem was that the Grand Duel was not a contest of future potential.

Despite his youth and talent, Chris was at a disadvantage when compared to a 3-star knight.

The difference in aura.

A gap that could not be bridged by sword skills alone.

People thought it would be difficult for Chris to win this confrontation.

“Why did they send Chris?”

“He's just wasting his talent.”

“Dmitri will be heartbroken. To see his talent wasted in Lawrence's battle.”

People's reactions.

Chris heard them.

He knew he was at a disadvantage, but he did not need much deliberation to make his decision.

The reason was simple.

‘My lord told me I can win. That’s enough.’

Roman's words.

That was the reason for his decision.

Among the top-ranked knights, there are those who can ignore the difference in aura and achieve higher ranks, but this is very rare and considered an exception.

An extraordinary feat.

Roman said Chris could achieve this extraordinary feat and defeat a 3-star knight, so Chris accepted the situation without hesitation.

During the fight with Kevin,

Roman's teachings, which turned a nobody into a fierce fighter, gave Chris blind trust.

He believed.

Roman is absolute.

Even if he dies here, Chris will not regret his choice.

‘To become stronger, one must take risks. That’s why I left my comfort zone to follow my lord.’

Facing Janzon.

The renowned expert of Barco.

He looked strong.

Therefore, Chris smiled.

If he could defeat Janzon, it would prove his choice was right.

The signal was given.

“Begin!”

Thud.

Without hesitation, Janzon and Chris charged at each other.

The reputation was not exaggerated.

Janzon was fast.

His sword burst with aura, and he swung it with the intent to kill Chris in one strike.

Boom!

By a hair's breadth.

Chris dodged the attack.

He tried to exploit Janzon's weakness with a side step, but Janzon continued his attack without retracting his sword.

The world flashed.

The burning aura made his mouth dry, and he knew he would die if hit even once.

Chris quickly retreated.

He focused on evading attacks rather than engaging in a proper exchange.

“Rat! How long will you keep running!”

Janzon growled.

Trying to provoke him into a direct confrontation, but Chris maintained his composure.

The difference in aura.

A direct confrontation would be suicide.

He abandoned his pride.

Even if it looked cowardly, he efficiently evaded the attacks.

‘When I first sparred with my lord. He defeated me without using aura. On the day I suffered a humiliating defeat in front of everyone, I learned a fact. No matter how powerful the aura, an attack must succeed to have meaning. This is still true today.’

He dodged.

Dodged, and dodged again.

Like a rat, evading attacks, Chris stabbed his sword whenever he saw an opening.

Whoosh!

A flash.

Blood splattered on Janzon's face.

It was just a scratch, but the fact that he was hit first made his face contort with rage.

“This brat.”

Rumble.

The explosion of aura.

Janzon's 3-star aura surged.

From then on, dodging was not enough.

The aura-charged sword cut through the air, and a wider area was affected by the aura's aftermath.

3-star aura.

A different level.

As the attack swept in, Chris took a deep breath.

Boom!

“Cough.”

He spat blood.

Even with a slight dodge, his insides felt twisted.

A logical outcome.

People highly value the distinction in ranks because even if you do well 99 times, you can still lose once.

Chris, slightly staggered.

Janzon, thinking he had the upper hand, pressed forward relentlessly.

His steps were not quick due to the internal shock, and if this continued, his head would be taken by Janzon's sword.

‘Damn it.’

Chris.

He was different from Roman.

Roman had the monstrous skill to dominate in the same situation, but Chris was still a human bound by logic.

His stomach churned.

He might be a sparrow that followed a stork and had its legs torn, but he did not want to die.

He gritted his teeth.

He still had much to learn from Roman.

His fellow knights of the Dmitri Order mocked his decision to follow Roman.

Ignoring the ridicule, he followed Roman, and he could not die so futilely.

How embarrassing.

If he died, Chris would never face his fellow knights again.

‘Transcend the logic of the world.’

Roman said.

Why use aura in such an inefficient way?

His logic was shattered by the criticism, but he could not yet break free.

It was impossible.

Even his teacher, Jonathan,

and the first aura knight, Emperor Alexander, trained in the same way.

Transcending logic required courage.

And now,

Chris, facing Janzon's aura, remembered Roman's image.

‘Uncontrolled mana release does not fully utilize the power of aura. Like when my lord destroyed the flare with a fraction of mana, I will concentrate the power of aura at one point.’

He swallowed hard.

A matter of life and death.

Before him was Janzon, charging forward.

“Die!”

He swung his sword.

The movement was large.

Confident in his strength, he was sure Chris would not face him head-on.

Chris drew mana.

Not explosively like others.

Learning from Roman, he concentrated the maximum amount of mana at one point to condense the aura.

Whoosh.

The manifestation of aura.

The aura was small.

Janzon sneered, confident of his victory.

But.

Clang!

“...?!”

The clash of swords.

Chris's aura did not break.

It flickered precariously but held against the attack, an unexpected variable for Janzon.

At that moment.

Flash.

Swoosh!

The mana exploded.

With Chris's specialty of quick attacks, his sword flashed and severed Janzon's head.

Plop.

Blood splattered in the sky.

Janzon's head floated up, and the