Chapter 313 Conditions of the Duel
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
(Hiroya’s POV)
”‘You say your honor as a knight was tarnished,’ but you only tarnished it yourself, right?”
Ms. Sasha, brought to the guild by Kazumi, confronted Sir Alberich Pressner.
Shinobu, who usually guards Ms. Sasha from the shadows, was glaring at Pressner right next to her.
”What nonsense. I merely invited Lady Sasha to a feast, and this black-clad woman cowardly attacked me from behind!”
”‘I like feisty women, but when it comes to being humiliated like this…’ it seems the only way to settle this is through force!’ You said while holding me tightly──your way of courting women is quite unusual.”
”W-What nonsense! I am Pressner, who served as the captain of the Mundo defense team, and I would never──.”
…Pressner is panicking too much.
Shinobu is probably right about this.
”..Speaking of which, you were always pursuing her in Mundo, weren’t you?”
”I saw it too. It was pathetic how you were brushed off.”
Adventurers who likely accompanied Ms. Sasha and the defense team to Razia Village were whispering among themselves.
”Ahem… So, you’re talking about a duel to settle the truth of this matter, right?”
Bone was also looking at Sir Pressner with an exasperated expression.
”That alone won’t suffice. To take responsibility for the shame she brought upon me──.”
Pressner grinned and looked down at Ms. Sasha. …This guy is easy to read.
”──I think Lady Sasha should become my mistress.”
”Don’t be ridiculous. To put such a condition on a duel──”
”Of course, you too! You were the one who directly attacked me!”
Pressner glared at Shinobu, who was trying to step forward.
”Then I shall be your opponent in the duel.”
”A woman has no right to accept a duel. That’s why I chose Hiroya O’Brien, Lady Sasha’s lover.”
Pressner dismisses Shinobu with a scoff, making her bite her lip in frustration.
I shift my gaze to Ms. Sasha, and she lightly nods at me.
Is she okay with that condition?
”Alright. I’ll accept that condition.”
Maybe it was my easy acceptance, but Pressner’s expression stiffens a bit.
”Y-Yeah. Then──.”
”So, what will you offer as a price? I agreed to give up Ms. Sasha and Shinobu. You better offer something of equal value.”
My tone becomes rough against this arrogant knight.
The ‘Adult Hiroya’ inside me is starting to come out.
”If I lose… how about I give up my title?”
…What is this guy saying so arrogantly? That condition──.
”That’s not worth it.”
Before I could speak, Bone says to Pressner, sounding bored.
…While picking his nose.
”Even if it’s a low rank, I’m betting a noble title. Saying that’s not worth it, no matter how royal you are──.”
”Not worth it.”
Bone blows a puff of air onto his finger that was picking his nose.
”Besides, if you lose the duel, you’ll automatically lose your title. If Lady Sasha’s claim is accepted, it would be considered ‘an act unbefitting a knight,’ right? It wouldn’t even be a valid bet.”
”Ugh…!”
Exactly.
Bone said everything I was about to say.
”How about this… you have a beautiful wife and daughter back in the Royal Capital, right? How about offering them?”
”Huh?”
”I’m still feeling like it’s not a fair deal. We’re betting the leader of a powerful merchant guild and a skilled spy here.”
Saying that, Bone looks meaningfully at Shinobu.
(He seems careless, but he’s actually observant.)
I need to change my opinion of ‘Bone’ in my mind.
He’s a guy you can’t underestimate.
”F-Fine! I’ll bet my beloved family in this duel!”
”What do you mean by beloved…?”
Bone mutters under his breath.
”So, what will it be? Wooden swords or real ones?”
”I’m fine with either.”
”I don’t mind either.”
Pressner and I respond at the same time.
”Even though it’s a duel, let’s avoid killing each other. We’ll use wooden swords!”
Suddenly, the guild master chimes in from behind us.
”The guild will provide the venue. We’ll set the rules for the duel.”
As he says this, the Guild Master pushes through the members of ‘Famière’ to step forward.
”Alright then. I’ll leave it to you.”
Bone, who is overseeing this duel, agrees.
”It’ll be a one-on-one match with wooden swords. No outside help or direct magic attacks on the opponent. The judgment of victory or defeat will be left to Bone Schnabel. The duel will end when he decides it’s over. ──Is that acceptable?”
Both Pressner and I nod at the Guild Master’s proposed rules.
”Then, I’ll put these conditions in writing. The duel will be tomorrow. We’ll inform you of the time later. On the day, the duel will start after both parties and the witness, Bone, sign the document. ──That’s all. Any questions?”
”That works for me. Just send the details to the barracks.”
After nodding back at the Guild Master, Pressner glances down at me with a look of disdain before leaving the guild with his subordinates.
”That guy… he thought he could impose his own conditions just because Baron O’Brian and the others are absent.”
Bone mutters as he sits down on a nearby chair.
”Well, his miscalculation was that the guild master here is surprisingly reliable and that I was present.”
He’s so cocky, laughing like that. …I really can’t seem to like this guy…
* * *
(Carla’s POV)
”Thank you for taking on the role of referee, Sir Bone.”
The female leader of the Zett Merchant Guild bows her head to Bone.
”I’ve heard stories about that old man too. What you all are saying must be true.”
Bone gives Lady Sasha a thoroughly condescending look.
I kicked him in the shin.
”Ouch!”
”Sorry. I tripped over because the captain was sticking his leg out.”
I apologized without even looking at Bone.
”To bet a woman is really low, that old man. On top of that, he casually offers up his wife and daughter, claiming they’re his beloved family.”
Hold on, didn’t you say something to Sir Hiroya too? You were about to suggest betting a woman in that duel declaration before it was drowned out by Pressner, right? Sir Hiroya and the ‘Famière’ folks likely heard that comment because they’re glaring at Captain Bone now.
(Seriously── with a captain like this… we’re the ones getting embarrassed…)
When I looked back, the ‘Black Sheep’ members were also shrugging in embarrassment and slightly bowing their heads to the ‘Famière’ people.
”Well, I look forward to enjoying the duel too. It’s a good chance to see how the kid fights.”
”I’ll do my best to meet your expectations.”
Sir Hiroya extends his right hand to Bone.
Unlike our pathetic captain, what a decent kid he is! I almost got teary-eyed.
”Yeah! I’m looking forward to a good match!”
Our captain, shaking Sir Hiroya’s hand, is really just too much…
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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