Chapter 70: Duke’s Banquet – 5

Chapter 70: Duke’s Banquet – 5

‘…Anyway, he’s quite an impressive human. To say such things in such an official setting.’

The moment the Duke appeared in the banquet hall, there were no nobles left audacious enough to chatter loudly as before.

And even with the clear condescension that followed, no noble openly rebelled, even if they murmured softly.

Rather… most of them were either afraid of the Duke’s words or quickly calculating the situation.

Of course, I was just observing the Duke from the very corner of the banquet hall.

I’m not a noble to begin with, and if the Duke tried any nonsense, I could just summon Christie and that would be the end of it.

Besides, I don’t even think someone as important as the Duke would try anything stupid with me, who could be called his savior.

So, while other nobles’ expressions hardened or not, I was quietly enjoying the banquet food and drinks by myself in a corner, having my own little healing session… when I felt a strange gaze.

Soon it would be time for Christie to introduce me as the new patron, so I tried to ignore the gaze, but…

“Oh, my beautiful lady. From which family do you hail?”

“…What the hell is this crazy bastard?”

A typical ‘Prince Charming’ type, who looked like he should have a flower in his mouth, approached.

…With a very unpleasant gaze and a voice so greasy it made me want to puke.

So, “crazy bastard” automatically popped out, but this crazy bastard didn’t show any particular reaction.

“Oh ho, indeed, a beautiful flower always has thorns… But it’s alright. I have much patience…”

“Whatever your patience is, it’s none of my business, and I have somewhere to go.”

“W-wait! Please don’t go! You are the first person I’ve felt such a pull towards…”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. But please enjoy your delusions by yourself.”

Rationally speaking, this person in front of me was probably a noble.

And a high-ranking one at that, enough to casually talk to a stranger and spout such nonsense without consequence.

Therefore, from my position, not even a noble, let alone holding a high title, it would be correct to be as polite as possible.

But…… I’m pissed off, so what are you gonna do about it?

I’m barely holding back from taking off the glove I’m wearing and slapping him across the face right now, and you want me to speak nicely?

“Phew. You are the first person to treat me like this.”

“Doesn’t that just mean I dislike you that much?”

“Is that so? That’s truly regrettable. My heart… leans even more towards you, the first woman to dislike me.”

……Hmm, I think I’m screwed.

I can’t believe he’s the type to cling on, saying, ‘You’re the first one to do this to me!’

I’ll just completely ignore him and go my way.

‘…Now, even when I haven’t done anything, do I have to suffer this bullshit of some bastard clinging to me?’

*You have a trait, don’t you?*

‘It was that again?!’

*The system would like to inform you that when it openly called you a vixen, it was truly for a good reason, you know?*

…Anyway, ignoring whatever that crazy bastard was babbling, I was walking away, but…

That son of a bitch’s voice was too loud.

Enough to make even those nearby keep turning to look at me.

I desperately lowered my increasingly red face and quickened my pace.

Even so, that son of a bitch’s voice didn’t get any quieter.

*To be precise, his side and your face are contributing to the attention, however.*

‘…This is dogshit.’

Objectively speaking, the face of that son of a bitch chasing me and proposing was handsome.

Enough to make most women feel favorably towards him.

And his voice was quite pleasant to listen to… but!

That’s when I’m actually a woman!

Right now, he’s just a crazy son of a bitch attracting unnecessary attention!

Of course, my inner scream wouldn’t reach that crazy son of a bitch.

And so, when I was about halfway across the banquet hall, I made up my mind.

“Oh! Please, my heart…!”

“Shut up!!”

Smack!

I decided I’d just shut this crazy son of a bitch up by shoving a greatsword into his head.

Cleanup? Well, Christie would take care of it.

Besides, if I couldn’t handle the cleanup after a duel, she wouldn’t have taught me greatswordsmanship in the first place.

Most importantly… I couldn’t stand the disgusting feeling of being courted by a man any longer.

*You’re just pissed off and going all out, aren’t you…?*

‘You wanna be in my shoes? This is more fucked up than you can imagine, you know?’

*…Hmm, I suppose so.*

***

With a crisp sound, the heavily settled atmosphere of the banquet hall completely changed.

First, confusion to grasp the situation, then excitement that an interesting spectacle had appeared.

It was common for men to challenge other men to duels.

Generally, when something was insulted, taking up arms and dueling was like a tradition of the Empire.

Some scholars called it a barbaric custom where the word of the strong was considered right… but for onlookers, it was just the most entertaining fight to watch.

Conversely, it was surprisingly common for women to challenge other women to duels.

However, unlike men’s duels, which mostly involved testing strength with weapons like magic and swords… this side turned into a chaotic debate.

Each claiming their words were right, starting with a verbal battle using all sorts of academic and miscellaneous knowledge, and always ending in a free-for-all of personal attacks and inquiries about the family ancestors’ well-being.

Occasionally, it was a mudslinging fight where they grabbed each other’s hair.

Of course, very rarely, if their anger towards each other reached its peak, they would just forget words and beat each other up with weapons or magic.

Additionally… very occasionally, a man would challenge a woman to a duel and recreate the same chaotic scene as above.

Of course, it always ended with the man losing his temper first and grabbing the woman by the collar.

…And, in the history of the Empire, there was only one person, with one exception, where a woman challenged a man to a duel.

Generally, if a situation arose where a woman might challenge a man to a duel, another man nearby would challenge him instead.

For example, if a male noble persistently flirted with a woman, first her family or fiancé, and secondarily, other male nobles who couldn’t stand it, would challenge him to a duel.

Even though gender didn’t significantly affect learning magic and martial arts… there was still an inherent difference in strength.

It was customary for the challenged party to engage in a physical duel if they wanted one, or a debate if they preferred, so proxy duels were common.

And even without a duel, in the Empire’s tightly knit noble society, it was no big deal for a female noble to send a male noble to ruin, so there was no need for a difficult duel.

The only exception was… Christie, the current Defense Force Commander and Duke’s daughter.

Her glove and greatsword were objects of terror for men.

Even more so after some idiotic young lord once accepted a duel and was severely hit in the lower body by that greatsword.

But… at this moment, that sole exception became a second exception.

The sound was crisp, but the movement, far from it, struck the opponent’s face with a glove.

She didn’t even throw the glove; she just took it off and slapped his face, so the power was beyond imagination.

“Hey, grab your weapon. I’ll shut you up.”

……The rather harsh and aggressive language and behavior, not befitting a noble, was a bonus.

***

As the duel was thus established, the banquet hall instantly grew louder with the murmurs of nobles.

It was a natural progression for all eyes to focus on the two people standing in the dueling ground in the center of the banquet hall.

“…Young Lord Angelo doesn’t seem to get tired.”

“He must have been flirting with some lady again to end up like this, huh?”

However, interest in the man quickly waned.

…Partly because he had such a long record that people just accepted it, and more importantly, people were naturally drawn to a new face rather than one they always saw.

“But who is that young lady?”

“…I can understand why Young Lord Angelo, after flirting, ended up on that stage.”

“An unlucky young lady. If she had waited a little longer, someone nearby would have stepped in for her.”

“The problem is that her opponent is Young Lord Angelo. He’s the young lord of a frontier Marquis family with deep ties to the Duke’s family…”

As people murmured among themselves, servants brought out each person’s weapons from the storage room for individual weapons.

Normally, duels are fought by drawing weapons from the banquet hall’s weapon racks, which blend in naturally as decorations, but sometimes people bring their personal weapons.

…Especially if they expect to have many duels when they appear at a banquet.

In that sense, Young Lord Angelo’s weapon, now on the dueling ground, went into the banquet hall’s weapon storage with him at every banquet.

“More importantly, that young lady won’t hear good things from the Duke and the Duke’s daughter. Given who her opponent is.”

“…Rumor has it that the Duke’s daughter considers Young Lord Angelo the worst of bad friends, no, not even a friend to begin with.”

“Still, wasn’t there a time when Young Lord Angelo was the deputy captain of the Defense Force?”

“They say he was sent back to his main family because of his outstanding skills… but isn’t it true that the Duke’s daughter just banished him?”

As the nobles’ murmuring reached its peak, the two people’s weapons arrived.

Angelo had a typical dueling rapier, and the mysterious young lady’s was…

“…A greatsword? At that size?”

“Isn’t something wrong?”

It was a greatsword that looked difficult for her delicate body to even lift.

…However, the mere appearance of the greatsword itself made quite a few young lords tremble.

But that was only for a moment; soon, people started saying she was being reckless, following the Duke’s daughter’s example, but…

The banquet hall fell silent once again at the sight of the mysterious young lady lightly lifting the greatsword.