Chapter 244: Episode 244

A dead silence descended upon the ballroom. The nobles stared, mouths agape in shock. This man—who looked dazed from alcohol and drugs, his eyes rolled back, his grimy appearance suggesting he hadn’t washed in days, his rain-soaked clothes making him look like a beggar—was this really the royal family’s third prince, Andre? “Well, well, fate is a cruel thing, isn’t it?” Andre’s slurred words echoed in the hall. “Some get kicked out of Kizen, their claim to the throne completely gone, and become a total nobody.”

Andre’s dead eyes fixed on Simon. “And someone else is all dressed up in these faaancy clothes, with a pretty lady on each arm, having the tiiime of their life! Heheh! Hah…!” A self-deprecating laugh filled the ballroom. With every sway of his body, rainwater dripped onto the red carpet. “How shameless! The bastard who threw my life into the gutter crawled all the way here!”

“Brother!”

Princess Molly ran over, her face pale with horror. “I clearly told you not to come in—!”

“Shut upppp!” Andre screamed convulsively, and even Princess Molly flinched and stopped in her tracks. “You think I’m still scared of you? I have nothing left to lose! What’s there to be afraid of when my life has already hit rock bottom? Heh, heheh! Hahahaha!” The nobles began to whisper among themselves. Andre was also royalty, a star of this ball, so for tonight, no one could defy him. And Andre’s gaze was locked squarely on Simon. Feeling the weight of that stare, Simon rose from his seat. “Simon.”

Lorraine stood up with him, moving to block his path. “There’s no need to engage with someone who’s not in their right mind.”

“Thank you for your concern, but this is my business.”

Having become entangled with Andre at Kizen, this confrontation felt almost inevitable. Stepping into the mud pit of his own accord, Simon swallowed a rising sigh and bowed according to etiquette. “I greet Your Highness, the Prince.”

Andre’s shoulders shook with laughter. His boots made a squelching sound with every step he took on the carpet. “Shameless bastard! Such a shameless bastard! This is all your fault! If you had just acted with common sense during the duel evaluation, things wouldn’t have gotten this bad!”

The ‘common sense’ he was referring to was the idea that when Malcolm, his protégé, had donned the Black Knight’s Armor, Simon should have thrown the match out of respect for the royal family’s dignity. Simon lifted his head. “As I swore at the entrance ceremony, I simply did my best in all matters.” In a calm, even tone, Simon spoke his mind. “It was you, Your Highness, who exploited a fellow Kizen student’s weakness and treated them like a servant, who intimidated students with the power of the Noble club, who monopolized the club budget for personal use.”

The consequences had simply come back to him, which was what Simon was implying. “Bullshit!”

Andre, his face flushed with alcohol, jabbed a finger at him. “You know why customs are customs? When past precedents solidify into culture, that’s what a custom is! Was I the only one who did wrong? Using club power? Misusing the budget? Everyone does it, and the reality is that only those who don’t are fools!” His voice grew louder. “So I did it, and I just got unlucky! In the first place, if you had forfeited the duel according to custom the moment you saw our royal family’s ‘R’ symbol, this never would have happened! Everything got twisted because you broke the custom! What kind of madman beats up someone wearing the royal family’s Black Knight’s Armor?”

“Such a custom,” Simon closed his eyes. “is none of my business.”

The murmuring nobles looked surprised at his firm response. “And I will correct your terminology. It is not a custom. It is a corrupt practice.”

“You bastard…!”

As the enraged Andre lunged at Simon, the royal family’s elite Black Knights immediately seized his arms. “Your Highness.”

“Let go!” Andre thrashed violently, shaking them off. “Fine, good. If you’re going to ignore me with such arrogance!” Andre strode not toward Simon, but in another direction. “I will crush you with that very custom!”

The surrounding crowd parted like the Red Sea. “Oof, this is developing into the worst-case scenario,” Serne muttered. Andre was heading for the execution platform. He climbed onto the vine-covered structure and rang the bell. “I am Andre Dresden, heir to the king’s blood! Simon Polentia!” His finger pointed directly at Simon. “I challenge you to a duel!”

—

The rain was pouring now. In the wide, open space before the banquet hall, guests gathered under a sea of umbrellas. In the center of that space, two boys stood facing each other, drenched by the downpour. “Simon, it’s not too late,” Lorraine pleaded, her black hair plastered to her skin by the rain. “He may look like a mess, but he’s a Kizen sophomore who’s seen it all. This fight is too reckless.”

Serne nodded in agreement. “I agree. A second-year opponent is a bit much.” For once, the two of them were on the same page. There was a saying that one Kizen sophomore was worth ten freshmen. The students who had survived the hellish competition and stress to reach their second year were undeniably exceptional. This was a fight between an adult and a child. The fact that it was happening at all was absurd. “Of course, it has to be a handicap match,” Andre said with a smirk. Even he, the challenger, knew it was a ridiculous matchup. ’This is a duel to restore my honor.’

Andre wanted a legitimate victory. He couldn’t stand the thought of winning only to be branded a loser who bullied his juniors. “Just say the word. Should we fight using only black magic learned in the first year? Or if I move from my spot, I lose? How about I don’t use an arm and a leg?” By piling on handicaps, the fight would seem at least somewhat fair, and the honor he would gain from victory would be all the greater. But Simon shook his head. “I don’t need a handicap like that.”

“Then.”

Lorraine stepped forward. The students were Kizen’s assets, and Kizen had a duty to protect them from external pressure. “I will personally offer him one piece of assistance.”

Andre frowned. ’Just as I thought, those Kizen bastards.’

If he were the one to offer the handicap, it would look like the royal family was showing mercy. He was annoyed that they were insisting on giving the other side an advantage.

“Fine, that works too. But there’s a condition!” Andre spread his arms wide. “If Simon loses even with your help, you will kneel at my feet and bow your head. You’re prepared for that much, aren’t you?” It was a meaningless provocation, thrown out because he knew it would never be accepted. But. “Yes.”

Lorraine gave a simple nod. Andre and the watching nobles were taken aback, as was Simon. “Lo-Lorraine!”

“You just have to win,” she said, as if it were nothing. Simon scratched the side of his head. “W-Well, that’s true, but…”

“Then it’s settled.” A sinister laugh escaped Andre. “But is one piece of help enough? It’s a fight between a second-year and a first-year…”

“Then me too.”

Serne popped out as if on cue and clung to Simon’s right arm. “I’ll give Simon one piece of assistance as well. In return, if Simon loses, you can have the Ivory Tower’s successor kneel. A fair trade, don’t you think?”

“Serne!” Simon couldn’t believe what these two were doing. ’Hmm.’

Andre licked his lips, his lecherous gaze sweeping over Serne and Lorraine. If he won, this would be huge news. The humiliation of these two monsters would be remembered for a lifetime, and his name would be mentioned every time. He would become an icon who had bested both Kizen and the Ivory Tower. If that happened, all the anti-Kizen factions in the Dark Alliance would take notice and lend him their support. They wouldn’t let him be sacrificed in some political squabble. Having envisioned his glorious comeback, Andre nodded. “I accept!”

And so, the duel between the first-year Simon and the former second-year Andre was set. Simon would receive one piece of aid each from Lorraine and Serne, and Andre would fight with his full strength. They took a moment for a strategy session. “Here.”

Lorraine handed one of her daggers to Simon. Its entire blade was stained a deep crimson. “This dagger will absorb any kind of impact for you. I’ve buffered it with my own Jet-Black. With each impact it takes, the red will fade. When it’s completely gone, it will be just an ordinary dagger.” Simon took the dagger and swung it through the air. It was light and felt good in his hand. “Thanks, Lorraine.”

No sooner had he said his thanks than Serne appeared from behind and wrapped him in a tight hug. A pleasant floral scent washed over him, and his body went rigid. “What do you think you’re doing?” Lorraine’s brow furrowed, thinking it was just another one of Serne’s cheap tricks. “What do you mean? I’m giving him my gift, of course.” After flashing a victorious smile, Serne leaned in and whispered in Simon’s ear. “Do you remember when I taught you about Internal Jet-Black Eruption during our joint class last semester?”

“Huh? Uh, yeah.”

“I’m giving you that same effect.”

A moment later, she released him. He felt a feather clinging to his body, and his mind felt incredibly sharp and focused. It was a temporary Compello effect. ’With this…’

Simon’s heart pounded as he gripped Lorraine’s dagger. ’Isn’t it impossible for me to lose?’

He couldn’t be sure, not knowing the true skill of a Kizen second-year, but he felt a surge of confidence. While Simon tested his new boons, the duel preparations moved quickly.

The royal head butler, a Kizen alumnus, would serve as referee. The rules were the same as a Kizen duel evaluation: using forbidden black magic or stepping outside the designated arena would result in disqualification. Victory was achieved by forcing the opponent to surrender or rendering them unable to fight. A short while later, Simon and Andre stepped forward, ready. Andre smirked. “Oh, and shouldn’t we make a bet between us, too?”

“State your terms.”

“If I win, how about you quit Kizen? You ruined my life, so it’s only fair that the reverse could happen.” Perhaps because he had nothing left to lose, Andre was taking bigger and bigger risks. At the word ‘expulsion,’ a murderous glint flashed in Lorraine’s eyes. Serne, on the other hand, seemed intrigued by the proposal, merely crossing her arms and smiling. “And if I win?”

“Name your price.”

Simon quietly tapped Pier’s clone, which hung on his chest. Pier relayed the terms into his mind, and Simon agreed. “Among the dungeons that currently exist within the territory of the Dresden Kingdom…”

So that others couldn’t hear, Simon quietly stated his condition. “I would like you to grant me the ‘exclusive rights to conquer’ one of my choosing.”

“Huh!”

Andre looked stunned. That meant he would have to hand over any dungeon, and the value of a dungeon was astronomical. “Do you even know what you’re asking for?”

“If you don’t like it, we can call it off.”

Andre bristled. If Simon was confident, Andre was certain this was a fight he could not lose. His entire future was on the line. Andre drew an ‘R’ over his chest and declared, “In the name of the Dresden royal family, I accept Simon Polentia’s condition!”

In front of everyone at the ball, Andre made his promise. The two quietly turned and walked to their starting positions.

[Bwahaha! I thought we wouldn’t be able to go to that dungeon for a while, but this has worked out splendidly!] Pier’s voice echoed in his mind. The dungeon they would request was the likely location of a new Ancient Undead. The kingdom that held the rights to it strictly controlled access, and he never imagined they would find a legitimate way in like this. ’Of course, that’s only if I win.’

The two put some distance between them and faced each other.

[There’s no turning back, boy! Your opponent will come at you with everything he has.]

’I know.’

He would have to fight Magnus someday, and the second-years were an obstacle he would eventually have to overcome. Simon settled into a fighting stance. ’I will win this.’

The head butler’s voice faltered slightly. “Then we will now begin the duel between Prince Andre and student Simon Polentia.”

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