A Sword Duel.

Just as the name implied, it was a duel using swords. However, there were two additional rules.

The first was that both participants needed a swordsman's qualification, and the second was that they needed to set the conditions the opponent needed to fulfill upon victory.

Raon thought the Sword Duel was the best way of resolving the situation.

“You want to settle this in the swordsman's way, since this is the swordsman’s ground?”

Glenn’s powerful pressure subsided as he nodded.

“Indeed, I did mention such a thing. That’s not wrong.”

“M-my lord! I would like to request the same thing!”

Without missing the opportunity, Raden clapped his hands and stepped forward.

“I also need to pay him back. Please allow us to have a Sword Duel!”

“Hmm.”

It was an unexpected situation, but Balder seemed to think it was better to have a Sword Duel, as he stepped back and shut his mouth.

“Raon Zieghart. The fact that you suggested the Sword Duel must mean that you are confident in your victory, right?”

“Indeed.”

Raon nodded confidently.

“Raden Zieghart.”

Glenn’s gaze was directed at Raden this time.

“Yes!”

“According to the report, I heard you kept losing to Raon from the beginning to the end. Are you confident in your victory in the rematch?”

“O-of course! I was just taken off guard as I didn’t expect him to start attacking. I’ll show you an overwhelming victory if we can have another fight!”

Raden nodded his head like a woodpecker pecking a tree.

“That sounds entertaining.”

The corners of Glenn’s mouth were raised slightly, which was a rare sight.

“Raden, what condition do you want to impose?”

“I’ll destroy Raon Zieghart’s energy center and break his mana circuits.”

“Mana circuit and energy center?”

“Yes, both of them!”

“I’ll allow it.”

It was a frightening condition, yet Glenn’s expression didn’t change at all.

“Thank you!”

Raden’s face became as bright as the magical light.

“Raon Zieghart.”

Yes.”

“What do you want to do if you win the Sword Duel?”

“I want Raden Zieghart and his butler to kneel and apologize to my mother and the maids, and give material compensation. I also want no one related to the True Martial Palace to get near the annex building.”

“Apology and prohibiting access. I’ll allow that as well.”

“Father! Apology concerns Raden, but the access prohibition concerns the entirety True Martial Palace. It exceeds the rights of a Sword Duel…”

“Balder.”

Glenn’s red eyes were directed at Balder, who lowered his eyes to the ground as if he had just looked at the sun.

“This is your final warning.”

“I-I apologize.”

Balder stepped back and lowered his head.

Whir.

Maintaining his storming pressure, Glenn looked at Raon and Raden one after another.

“I’ve allowed the conditions from both of you. The Sword Duel will be held in one week at the great training ground.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you!”

Raon and Raden bowed at once.

“The discussion is over. You shall leave.”

“Yes.”

Since Raon had said all that he wanted to say, he left the audience chamber.

“A Sword Duel, huh. You are taking our side in the end.”

Balder stepped forward and smiled.

“Even if he is a talented son of Sylvia, he is still a collateral. We will show the clear difference between a member of the direct line and a collateral. Raden, I’m sure you can do it, right?”

“Of course. I became an intermediate level Expert through this mission. I only need one hand to win against a guy that has just reached novice level Expert.

Raden and Balder narrowed their eyes and smiled, the exact same way. They truly were a father and his son.

“How about just killing him during the Sword Duel? It will prevent the arrogant collateral guys’ rudeness in the future.”

“No, that’s not a good idea as everyone will be watching. It’s better to disable him and destroy his hopes. Mother and son both becoming disabled, with their energy center and mana circuit destroyed, sounds great. Just imagine it.”

Balder giggled—as if malice was the only thing he had towards Sylvia and Raon, who were actually his little sister and his nephew.

“Certainly, that’s the case.”

Raden nodded his head with a smile. The father and son were talking as if he had already won the Sword Duel and Raon was in the palm of his hand.

“You shall return as well.”

“Yes.”

“See you again in a week.”

Raden and Balder left the audience chamber, brimming with smiles.

“My lord.”

Roenn finally stood in front of Glenn after everyone had left.“Young master Raon is a novice level Expert, and the young master Raden is already an intermediate level Expert. Isn’t it going to be dangerous since their levels are clearly different?”

Roenn’s voice was lower than usual since he had taken a liking to Raon.

“A swordsman's fight isn’t decided simply by their levels or the techniques they have learned. The nature of the person is the most important factor.”

“I’m aware of that fact as well, but…”

“Of course, it’s true that there is a difference in level between them. However, Raon’s eyes were peaceful. They were filled with confidence, which was different from the arrogance or overconfidence of fighting against an opponent he had already won against. How can I not trust him after seeing those eyes?”

Glenn smiled gently, unlike earlier. It was the warm gazes of a grandfather watching his grandson being cute.

‘’

Unlike Raden, Raon’s conditions were for the sake of his family, with nothing about his own protection or compensation for himself. He was more likable the more he saw him.

“Roenn.”

“Yes.”

“Use any excuse to decrease the True Martial Palace’s budget next month in half. Retrieve all the missions they took as well.”

“There is going to be backlash.”

“It doesn’t matter. Tell them to come to me if they have a problem.”

“Hmm, understood.”

Roenn bowed his head, then looked up at Glenn. It was rare to see his eyes contain anger.

Sylvia and Raon were Glenn’s sore finger. It looked like he couldn’t forgive them, even though they were his other fingers.

Roenn smiled, hiding his face. He couldn’t stop smiling because Glenn looked like a grandfather taking revenge on the guy who hit his grandson.

* * *

* * *

Sylvia and the maids were outside the annex building when Raon returned.

“Why are you outside?”

“H-how did it go?”

Sylvia’s hands, which were gathered in front of her chest, were trembling. Even though she was strong when it concerned herself, she looked nervous when it was about her son.

“We are going to have a Sword Duel in a week.”

“S-Sword Duel?”

“No way! A Sword Duel?”

Sylvia and Helen grabbed Raon’s shoulders and shook him.

“I’m going to have a Sword Duel against Raden Zieghart.”

“What? What did you just say?”

“No, what even happened for a Sword Duel…”

Their eyes were wavering like a sailboat on a river. The maids also gasped, unable to close their mouths.

“I had many considerations, but a Sword Duel is the best solution.”

Raon declared, meeting Sylvia’s eyes.

“It can’t be any better.”

The enemy was a member of the direct line, and they were collateral.

Getting Glenn’s acknowledgment was the only way of preventing them from harming the annex building, on top of making Raden apologize.

“But Raon, what you saw that day wasn’t Raden at his best.”

Sylvia came up to him and grabbed his hand. The trembling of her hand passed on to his wrist.

“Brother Balder’s weapon is a flexible sword. Raden also must’ve learned a technique to handle flexible swords. He is going to be a completely different person once he reveals his true strength!”

“Th-that’s true, young master. The True Martial Palace’s techniques are famous for their ever-changing nature. You can’t take it easy on this matter. He must be stronger than the Green War Demon that the young master defeated!”

“He is not going to be careless this time, and your injuries aren’t completely healed yet! I can’t allow this. I’m going to Father! If I plead to him now…”

“Mom.”

Raon grabbed Sylvia’s shoulder after she let his hand go, about to run to the main building.

“It’s alright. Trust me.”

Noticing his slight smile, Sylvia—about to start running—turned around.

“The head of house taught me something.”

“F-Father did?”

“Yes. I can win against him if I use that.”

“Uh…”

“That’s why I’ll nullify the promise with Mom about forbidding my training.”

After saying that, Raon went inside the annex building. Sylvia was standing there blankly, unable to stop Raon.

“My lady, e-even if the head of house taught him something, shouldn’t you stop the young master?”

Helen swallowed, standing next to Sylvia.

“I was going to, but I felt relieved for some reason upon seeing Raon’s eyes.”

“Uhm, actually, the same thing happened to me…”

Helen nodded, telling her that she felt the same thing.

“But we can’t just stand here doing nothing. Let’s find anything we can do for Raon.”

“Yes.”

The maids all nodded in unison. Judiel’s eyes shone as she looked at the annex building that Sylvia and Raon had entered.

***

Raon changed into his training outfit in his room, then went to the annex building’s open area. The maids kept glancing at him as they passed, but he didn’t pay attention to them.

The rumor about the Sword Duel was going to spread quickly. Since he had already attracted attention, it was better to receive even more attention so that the True Martial Palace couldn’t try anything funny.

That was why he needed to win the Sword Duel, and with an overwhelming difference on top of it.

“Flexible sword, huh…”

Flexible swords were, as the name suggested, swords that were flexible.

They might simply have a higher elasticity, but some flexible swords could bend freely like whips. As such, there were a wide variety of flexible swords.

The True Martial Palace’s swordsmen were people that were capable of combining those flexible swords with flashy techniques.

The higher the swordsman’s abilities, the more the flexible swords could bend. A powerful flexible sword user could even create a wall with the sword.

Since he was the son of the True Martial Palace master, famous for the flexible sword, Raden’s technique should be also on a different level from the common flexible swordsmanship.

However, he couldn’t imagine himself losing.

He had learned the ‘Supreme Harmony Steps’ Glenn had taught him personally, and he had already experienced assassinating an excellent flexible swordsman.

Whether Raden used a flexible sword or he was an intermediate level Expert didn’t matter at all to Raon.

Clang!

Raon unwrapped the bandage Sylvia forced on him and drew his sword.

Slashing with the ‘Star Connecting Sword’, he stepped with the River Footwork. His movement was flowing as smoothly as a single line, which could already be considered complete.

Upon performing the last form of the ‘Star Connecting Sword’, Raon’s movement differed from the River Footwork. He extended his left foot instead of his right foot and kicked the ground.

Clank!

Raon’s body became as blurry as dust at that instant, and he reappeared three steps ahead like lightning. Even if a person watched him, they would’ve seen him disappear then reappear.

Whoosh!

Raon slashed his sword. The strike separating the space was an aura blade that seemed capable of cutting through anything.

“Haa…”

Raon exhaled and stopped his sword.

The ‘Supreme Harmony Steps’ wasn't simply footwork.

It was a special footwork that could be mixed in between other footworks to create the most appropriate movement for the situation.

Since his mind was focused on defeating the enemy that insulted Sylvia and Helen, he felt like his training was more efficient.

“Then.”

Raon brandished his sword once again and stomped the ground, training until the sun moved from the middle of the sky and went down into darkness.

***

Raon’s schedule didn’t change the next day.

He went to the open area at daybreak and swung his sword over and over. One might ask why he was repeating the same thing over and over, but Raon knew that it was the correct thing to do.

What would save his life during a battle of life and death wasn’t a new technique or expensive armor.

The martial arts that became as natural as breathing through endless training was the only thing that would save him.

Raon kept moving his feet and swinging his sword without rest.

He mixed in the ‘Supreme Harmony Steps’ in between the ‘River Footwork’ in order to increase the proficiency of the ‘Supreme Harmony Steps'.

When it was time for lunch, Judiel went out to the open area, carrying a tray covered with white cloth.

“Young master, I’ve brought your lunch.”

“Lunch?”

Raon stopped practicing and turned around.

“Yes, I brought simple sandwiches for you to eat.”

Since he was hungry, he sheathed his sword and sat at the table where Judiel put down the tray.

“Since you’ve been exercising until a moment ago, please eat slowly to avoid upsetting your stomach.”

“Thank you.”

“Yes.”

Judiel bowed, then returned to the annex building.

Raon wiped his hands with a wet towel, then rolled up the white cloth covering the tray.

“Hmm?”

There was a thin book next to the dish containing neatly prepared sandwiches.

He frowned slightly and picked up the book. There was no name on the book, and the cover was so smooth that it looked like it had been created moments before.

“Huh!”

Raon gasped upon reading the contents. The names and particulars of Raden Zieghart’s swordsmanship and footwork were written inside the book.

Moreover, they were arranged in a way to make it easy to read.

The book certainly contained extraordinary information, but it wasn’t something that existed already.

It must’ve been a book that Judiel had made in a single day on Raden and the True Martial Palace.

She really was outstanding considering she had also been doing her job as a maid while making the book. It would’ve been a shame to keep using her as a spy despite her talent.

“Hmm.”

Raon smiled broadly, looking at Judiel’s back and walking towards the annex building.

“She isn’t simply better than I thought. She is going to be really useful, far exceeding my expectations.”