Chapter 80

#080 The Knight's Honor and the Romance of Middle Age (4)

The moment I stepped out of the carriage, I was completely taken aback.

The crowd that caught my eye seemed to number close to a hundred.

I pushed through the murmurs of the people to exchange greetings with Duke François Dume.

"Hello, Duke."

"Your Highness! It's good to see you. How are you feeling right now?"

Honestly, I wished he would just let me be.

The duel hadn't even started, yet the duke's light pink eyes sparkled with excitement and joy.

I couldn't understand why someone who should be overseeing the southern territories was here in the capital again.

"I don't know. I hope there won't be any major accidents."

"Indeed, that is a princely and dignified attitude. However, the price for tarnishing the honor of a prince will not be light! Please come in, Lady Cristel. Your hat is quite splendid."

"Thank you, Duke. I must say, your jacket is quite enviable. Are you hosting the event today?"

"Of course! I couldn't possibly miss such an opportunity."

Why does a duke want to run all the empire's events?

While the two old drinking buddies were having a friendly conversation, Béngéma and Kanaé, who had gotten out of the carriage behind me, approached.

Sir Johann Haines was with them.

The nobles seated in the tiered stands were constantly fanning themselves and scrutinizing me, and I tried hard not to notice them.

There were several high-ranking nobles I had met at the 'Victory Banquet,' but most of them were new to me.

"Is this a dedicated dueling area?"

When I asked, Béngéma nodded.

"More precisely, it's a dueling ground for the royal family. Since magic can't be used in the palace except in the training grounds, they've set up this place on the outskirts. The training grounds are also for the royal family, and dueling in the palace could be perceived as a significant threat to the opponent."

"That makes sense."

I would have felt the same way.

Just being matched against a royal is already daunting, and if the arena were the royal grounds, I would have felt defeated before the fight even began.

I carefully took in the dueling area.

The battlefield was to the northwest of the palace, a part of the hill behind Juliette Palace.

Large, leafy trees provided a suitable shade and backdrop.

On the left was a massive tiered stand, decorated with expensive mosaics, giving off an air that only nobles could sit there.

To the right was the palace's outer wall.

This place seemed to be the equivalent of 'Follow me to the rooftop' in the palace context.

"Let's go, Your Highness! I'll personally escort you to your seat."

"Thank you."

Despite the presence of palace attendants, the duke insisted on escorting me himself.

I didn't even want to beat a popular celebrity, so we silently followed him.

Upon closer inspection, the VIP seats in the middle of the stands were empty.

I didn't want to accept it, but they were probably our seats.

"Duke, is it usual for duels to have so many spectators?"

I asked.

From what I had read in books and seen in movies, duels usually only required the two parties and a few witnesses, but today there were far too many spectators.

"This is the first royal duel in over twenty years. Most of the nobles have been waiting since dawn to see it."

It's a mess. I thought as I sighed.

I was glad I hadn't brought the pandas to such a chaotic and scary place.

But I couldn't stop him if he was determined.

"Is the young Duke Blanquer strong?"

"Yes, he's an 8th-grade mage, one of the best in the empire. The Blanquer lineage is no joke, but he won't be able to beat Your Highness."

He winked and wiggled his fingers dramatically. His theatrical gestures were still the same.

"Of course, no one will die. Your Highness wouldn't take a cousin's life, and the Blanquer family has always been blessed by the divine artifacts. Longevity is a hallmark of their family."

What?

"Divine artifacts?"

I asked, doubting my ears.

There are four divine artifacts in the empire, and two of them are held by Princess Cristel and Prince Sedric.

The 'Ark of the Phoenix' in Evelyn remained in the spire, not choosing a master.

So, one is left,

"The northern and eastern regions of the empire also have divine artifacts."

Cardinal Boutier's voice echoed in my mind. The northern region was Evelyn.

"The Blanquer family is a prestigious mage lineage in the eastern region of the empire."

...And their territory is in the east. Is this how it's going to be?

"Are you saying the Blanquer family guards a divine artifact?"

"Yes, Your Highness. It's called the 'Temple of the Trees.' It's famous for granting long life to those who serve it."

I knew this from the fairy tale book written by Duke Alexandre of Evelyn.

However, I had never read that the artifact was in the Blanquer family's territory.

The map of the divine artifacts only indicated their locations with illustrations, offering no real help.

'Sarnez' was a place name, not a noble title, so it was prominently displayed, but the other territories were not.

Damn. Is it okay to get entangled with such a family? Is this plot development good?

"Then, I hope you enjoy the spectacle."

Duke Dume, after leading us to our empty seats, descended the stairs with a bright smile.

Béngéma and Kanaé began to open their picnic basket.

Cristel, who had been about to take snacks from them, turned to look at me.

"Your Highness, you look very serious. Don't worry, no one will die."

She smiled reassuringly and handed me a small basket, which smelled of popcorn. The scent of the corn kernels sharpened my focus.

I recalled the conversation I had with Cristel in the carriage earlier.

'Right. I also want to see the remaining divine artifact.'

...Is this a coincidence? Can I just let it go?

Is it a positive development for the main male lead to clash with the heir of the family guarding the remaining divine artifact at the point where the protagonist becomes curious about it?

"Ah, all the important guests have arrived. Let's begin the sacred duel!"

As soon as Duke Dume finished speaking, polite applause and the sound of fans clapping filled the air.

It wasn't as intense as the reaction during the 'Great Beast Purge,' but the atmosphere in the space was tense, as if it could tear apart at any moment.

A man soon walked out from the left side of the arena.

It was clearly Robert Blanquer, the young duke. He was about the same age as the prince, tall, slender, and handsome.

If Eunseo had seen him, she would have asked, 'What's your name? Where do you live?'

At least he didn't seem like someone who would suffer a serious injury or be logged out here.

While I was lost in thought, the audience began to murmur.

"My goodness, the prince looks divine today."

"I thought the sun was rising in the south. It's the prince, indeed."

Praises poured from behind the fans. Then, the man in question appeared on the right.

His pitch-black hair, like the dawn before sunrise, was fluttering in the wind.

His jewel-like amber eyes were fixed firmly on the front.

Just by his face and the aura of authority, it seemed he had already won.

He had one, two, three...

"Wait, why does he have four swords?"

"Perhaps he plans to cut off each of your limbs, one by one, Your Highness?"

A noble sitting behind me whispered. I turned around with a bitter smile.

"Thank you for the explanation, madam."

"It's my greatest honor to see you here."

"Sir Beliard?"

My eyes widened.

The elderly man with elegantly styled white hair and a deep emerald dress was clearly Sara Beliard, the editor-in-chief of *Weekly Liester*.

It had been about two months since we last met. My reaction made my companions turn to look at me.

Everyone except Béngéma looked slightly surprised.

"I had to see such a prestigious duel in person."

"You're going to write an article about it."

"Of course. During the Great Beast Purge, you three left for the capital immediately, which was quite disappointing."

She swirled her opera glasses as she answered.

The reason I rushed to the capital right after the purge was clearly to avoid her relentless interviews.

Everyone knew that Sir Beliard had even come down to the Dume Duchy.

I swallowed hard.

A media mogul was watching, the prince was ready to make a mess, and the opponent was from the family that held the last divine artifact.

Moreover, the protagonist had steadily built a connection with the divine artifacts.

She didn't know, but I had already absorbed the divine artifact in the 'Temple of the Border.'

"The witnesses are entering. As the rumors suggest, Sir Muté is the prince's witness."

Sir Beliard spoke with amusement and stepped back.

I looked back at the front.

Sir Elisabeth, not in the royal guard uniform but in her own formal attire, stood beside the prince.

Her expression was calm and composed.

Even though I hadn't read the script, anyone could see that the signs were not good.

I couldn't stop the duel, but I needed to give the prince a heads-up.

If the young duke suffered a serious injury, something big might go wrong.

"Who's that over there? A healing priest?"

"That's Eva Blanquer, the young duke's sister. She's supposed to receive a bishop's consecration next week."

The nobles in front of me whispered. I followed their gaze.

A young woman in her teens, dressed in a priest's robe, was tying her scarf to the young duke's sword hilt.

That's it.

"Lady Sarnez, may I borrow your handkerchief?"

"Again?"

Cristel, wide-eyed, handed me a sky-blue handkerchief.

I remembered borrowing one from the royal archives last time, which Saydee had burned.

"Thank you. Please bill both to the prince."

I stood up.

I could feel the audience's eyes on me, but I took a deep breath and ignored them.

"I will."

The protagonist seemed to read my intentions and smiled slyly.

I nodded and quickly descended the stairs.

I wondered if I was just overstepping again.

But a bad feeling is never wrong. It wouldn't hurt to be cautious.

*

"······What are you doing?"

"It's a gesture of encouragement."

I stared at the swords hanging from the prince's scabbard, then started tying the handkerchief to the one I was most familiar with, the 'Sword of Mars.'

I moved as slowly as possible to buy time.

I could feel the prince's incredulity from above.

I ignored it and got straight to the point.

"You mustn't seriously injure the young duke."

"Why not?"

"You might not know, but Sir Beliard is here."

"I don't need to care about his opinion."

The prince replied sharply.

Sir Elisabeth, standing guard beside us, looked at me with interest.

"I understand. But the Blanquer family guards the eastern border of the empire, doesn't it? The young duke will eventually take on a key role. Is it necessary to inflict irreversible injuries?"

I added, "It would be a loss for the empire." His eyes narrowed.

"You sound like you're from Liester."

Honestly, it wasn't a wrong statement.

"The young duke insulted you and your father."

His deep voice lowered. I frowned slightly.

Not my father, but the young duke was definitely in the wrong. I'll have to give him a piece of my mind.

"I can't just let it go as the lord of Roméro."

"You can end it quickly without tormenting him. You are overwhelmingly strong, after all."

I said.

No matter how slowly I tried to tie the handkerchief, my experience with Eunseo's hair in the mornings made my hands too skilled.

Cristel's initials 'C. S.' were clearly visible on the handkerchief. Perfect.

"Thank you for nominating me for the duel. But for the sake of the future, I hope you'll go easy on him. I'm saying this for both of you."

"Both of us?"

He pressed, like a ghost. Oops, I shouldn't mention Cristel here.

I quickly came up with an excuse.

"The young duke will guard the border, and the prince is my friend. I just hope there won't be any bad consequences."