Chapter 61

Episode 61

Count Apellai said this with a barely suppressed smirk.

It was a situation that would normally be infuriating.

If I were an ordinary person, that is.

But I was a transmigrator. Although I had the fatal flaw of never having played the game, I had recently unlocked several skills and become much stronger than when I first possessed this body.

Moreover, thanks to the Lady’s coin, I had acquired powerful equipment. Honestly, I had never considered the possibility of losing.

Baseless confidence, you say?

Not at all.

Awakening my mana and learning magic was a game-changer.

Of course, openly using magic would be suicidal, but there was a world of difference between being unable to use it and choosing not to.

Furthermore, as mana and aura began to coexist within me, I felt a new change.

The amount of aura I possessed had increased significantly, and it had become purer.

The same went for mana.

So, I grinned at the Count.

His expression was priceless. His eyes twitched in displeasure.

“I’m surprised you can still smile. Haven’t you heard what kind of swordsmanship the prince has mastered?”

“My knowledge is limited. I would be grateful for your enlightenment.”

“He’s a true master of the Bellatrix swordsmanship, personally trained by the Emperor. Even with limited knowledge, you must know what the Bellatrix swordsmanship signifies, right?”

Bellatrix.

It was the name of the current Empire during its kingdom days. Before the Empire was established, it began as the Bellatrix Kingdom.

After unifying a large part of the continent and establishing a great nation, they used the term “Empire” as the country’s name instead of “Bellatrix.”

The reason was simple. The only empire in this world was Bellatrix.

It was effective. No one dared to claim the title of Emperor after that.

If something had the name “Bellatrix” attached to it, it meant it was the best. The same went for swordsmanship. The Bellatrix swordsmanship was classified as top-tier.

Only direct descendants of the Emperor were allowed to learn the Bellatrix swordsmanship. There were rare cases where a third party was granted permission by the Emperor, but they were literally countable on one hand.

In other words, even though Prince Arthur was a scoundrel, his skills and techniques were first-class.

“This is a great opportunity to witness the greatness of the Bellatrix swordsmanship.”

“Hmph, you’re not nervous at all. I acknowledge your skills. But Prince Arthur is also a formidable opponent.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

His wrinkles deepened, as if things weren’t going according to plan.

He probably expected me to beg him to stop the duel, but he was mistaken.

“So, I take it you’re accepting the duel? Don’t push yourself too hard. There are plenty of ways to avoid a duel.”

He was right.

A duel wasn’t established just because one party declared it. If the other party refused, there was nothing that could be done.

However, in that case, the challenger would spread rumors throughout the continent that the opponent was too scared to accept the duel.

Therefore, nobles and knights who valued honor rarely refused a duel.

“No one would blame you. It’s absurd for a mere honorary knight to fight the Imperial heir in a sword duel. So, before it’s too late, go see the prince and-“

“I accept the duel.”

“Ehehe, hahahaha!”

His hearty laughter drew everyone’s attention. The Foreign Minister spread his arms wide and announced,

“Everyone, listen up! I have an exciting announcement. A duel has just been arranged between Prince Arthur and Sir O’Brien Walker!”

“What?”

“Is that true?”

“Yes, it’s true. How could the Foreign Minister of the Empire lie? This duel will be fought with real swords. It’s not an opportunity you see every day.”

People gathered around. Several attendants hurried out of the banquet hall to report this shocking news.

I stood with my hands behind my back, enjoying the situation.

Jericho and Selendis looked like they had expected this. There was no reason to be surprised. My attempt to dance with the Lady was a setup for this.

Foreign Minister Count Apellai raised his voice and continued his speech.

“This duel is for Prince Arthur to teach Sir O’Brien Walker a lesson about etiquette. As the saying goes, ‘Don’t bite off more than you can chew.’ The duel will be held tomorrow at noon at the Imperial First Training Ground. Spread the word and attend!”

“Well, even if Lady Lucia asked him to dance, he shouldn’t have accepted.”

“I feel sorry for Sir O’Brien. I heard the prince is a skilled swordsman.”

“Indeed. It’s a shame for someone so young.”

“This is what they call youthful recklessness!”

Let them talk.

My only concern was that I couldn’t kill the prince, even if I won overwhelmingly.

On the other hand, the prince would try to kill me.

As a scoundrel, he must have experience killing people in duels.

“Inspector, we need to come up with a plan. We don’t have much time until tomorrow at noon.”

“Have you eaten your fill?”

“Of course. I ate plenty. Hahaha.”

“Pack some leftovers if you’re still hungry.”

“Hey, that’s crossing the line.”

I smiled deliberately. Count Apellai would think I was just a naive youngster putting on a brave face.

“Then, Sir O’Brien, I’ll see you tomorrow at noon. Well, no one would call you a coward if you don’t show up, so think carefully.”

“Please give my regards to the prince. Tell him to rest well tonight and give it his all tomorrow.”

My bold declaration caused a stir in the crowd. The Count clicked his tongue and left the banquet hall.

We also left for our quarters to discuss our strategy.

Just then, I saw Princess Beatrice running towards us from the end of the corridor.

“O’Brien!”

I didn’t think we were close enough for her to call me by my name…

But she was a princess, so I had to endure it.

“Your Highness, is something urgent?”

“Just follow me.”

She grabbed my hand and led me somewhere.

It was a spacious room with two heavily armed knights guarding the entrance. There were also many attendants. It seemed to be the princess’s quarters.

She dismissed the knights and attendants.

“Sigh, why did you accept the duel?”

“You heard about it? Word travels fast.”

“That’s not the point! My brother is known for his brutality. I heard he mercilessly killed his opponent in a previous duel!”

She was genuinely concerned. Otherwise, a princess wouldn’t be so agitated.

It was strange that she was so invested in me, even though we had just met.

It must be fate.

“I’m curious. What kind of duel was it?”

“It was a ridiculous provocation… No, I’ll just tell you the truth. There was a low-ranking official in the Ministry of Internal Affairs named Mille. His son was appointed as a knight in the Imperial Guard.”

I could picture the scene.

The scoundrel prince must have heard about it and offered to spar with the young knight to assess his skills.

“My brother overheard this and congratulated them, asking if he could spar with the son. Of course, Sir Mille agreed. But then, an accident happened.”

The agitated princess described the situation rapidly. In short, during the spar, Mille’s son dropped his sword, and it pierced his own heart.

Even in a duel with real swords, it was unethical to take the life of a disarmed opponent. It was a shameful act.

“So, you’re saying the prince is cruel enough to ignore such a thing?”

“Yes! And it’s not something to be proud of! Your dance with the Lady was just a harmless incident…”

“It wasn’t a harmless incident.”

My words were so firm that the princess gasped and widened her eyes.

“Don’t tell me… you two are…?”

“No, we’re not. There are many reasons.”

“Tell me.”

“It’s not something I can discuss with someone I just met.”

“But we’re friends!”

Was she serious?

But I couldn’t tell her, even if she was a princess.

“How could a lowly person like me be friends with Your Highness? Please, withdraw your words.”

“What does lowly or noble matter? We’re both human beings with two eyes, two ears, a nose, and a mouth.”

I could sense the developer’s intention.

It was unusual for an Imperial princess to have such egalitarian views.

“Please attend the duel tomorrow. You’ll understand then.”

“But… How about this? Let’s practice now. I’ve mastered the Bellatrix spear technique. I might be able to help you.”

“There are too many eyes watching. I must excuse myself.”

The princess didn’t stop me.

Back in my quarters, I sipped warm tea and organized my plan for tomorrow.

It was simple.

‘I can’t kill him, but I can at least leave a scar.’

I would etch the memory of defeat into his flesh.

For that, I needed to inflict a proper wound. A scar would be even better.

I probably wouldn’t be able to use the “Sword of Chaos” for a fair fight. we would be given two ordinary-looking swords.

But the cunning Count would surely tamper with the swords the prince would use.

He might even summon a court mage to enchant them.

*Click*

I opened the window leading to the terrace to clear my head.

The terraces of the guest quarters were connected in a row, allowing access without using the corridors.

Security was tight here. Especially in the inner palace, where the Imperial Guard was stationed.

I heard footsteps in the distance.

A woman was approaching under the dim lights. I recognized her silhouette and bowed.

“You seem lost in thought.”

It seemed Lucia had also heard the news. Jericho must have been a little too loyal.

“No, I just had some tea and came out for some fresh air. Don’t worry.”

“Why do you think I’m worried?”

She was right.

She wasn’t someone who would worry about a mere honorary knight.

But her playful smile told me she was joking. I was seeing a lot of new sides to her today.

“You’re a capable man. You’ve never failed a mission. I’m confident you’ll win tomorrow’s duel.”

“Your words give me strength. I swear on the family name that I will bring victory.”

“I have a favor to ask.”

The Lady looked up at the moon. The full moon shone brightly in the night sky.

“Tomorrow, I want you to fight for me, not for the family. Is that too much to ask?”

“Yes, I will gladly dedicate my victory to you.”

“I’m counting on you.”

We stood in silence for a while, gazing at the moon.

And the next day…

“Inspector, everything is ready. Did you sleep well?”

I smiled at Jericho’s teasing question.

We headed towards the First Training Ground.