Chapter 11: Panda, No Panda, Panda. (2)
Cain gnashed his teeth and growled at the provocative remark.
“This bastard has really lost it, huh? Better get ready to cry and lick my shoes.”
The two headed to the training ground.
As word spread that a duel was about to take place, people flocked to the training ground.
The foul-tempered Grand Duke was about to get beaten up, and they came expecting a spectacle.
Even some knights on duty showed up. Among them, Ghislaine smiled cheerfully at the sight of a drunken knight.
“Oh, Skoban is here too.”
The knight, staggering with a red nose, was Skoban.
He told everyone how Ghislaine had performed in the hunting party, but no one believed him.
Instead, he was blamed for exaggerating to brown-nose the heir of the territory.
Before he knew it, he had become a sycophant to the Grand Duke.
The titles that stuck to him were “Lying Knight” and “Knight Who Has Lost His Honor,” among others.
From that point on, Skoban lived in a drunken haze.
With no one believing his words and having lost his honor as a knight, he had no choice but to drown his sorrows in drink.
Ghislaine, fully aware of the rumors, wore a sympathetic expression.
“Titles of dishonor will soon fade away. Just hang in there, Skoban.”
Ghislaine and Cain didn’t begin right away; they waited for enough people to gather.
It was customary to give the spectators time to collect before starting a duel.
In the entertainment-starved Perdium, even this duel was an unmissable event and amusement.
When enough people had gathered, one knight stepped forward and spoke.
“Alright, it looks like everyone is here, so let’s get started.”
People began to place bets on who they thought would win. The problem was that everyone had bet on Cain.
“This doesn’t establish a bet, you know?”
“The outcome is obvious, so what can we do?”
“How about changing the stakes instead?”
“Let’s bet on how long the Grand Duke can hold out.”
Hearing that commotion, Cain smirked arrogantly. Just by looking at the people’s reactions, it was clear who would win.
“Then let’s change the method. The criteria is….”
“Wait a second.”
Just as the knight was about to change the rules, someone interrupted with a slurred voice.
“Skoban?”
Skoban responded with an air of annoyance and put down his bottle.
Then he rummaged through his clothes and pulled out a pocket full of money and tossed it.
Thud!
The heavy pouch of coin landed in the knight’s hands, and he asked with a strange smirk.
“What’s this? Why so much? You can’t be serious?”
With bloodshot eyes, Skoban grit his teeth and said, “I bet my entire fortune on the Grand Duke. If you’re scared, just drop dead.”
“Live or die, that’s up to you if you’re scared.”
The knight’s face lit up at Skoban’s words.
“Alright. This is how a wager ought to be made. But I’m a bit disappointed in the amount.”
No matter how much Skoban had scraped together, how much could a poor knight from a destitute territory earn in salary?
Besides, he had spent all of it on drinks in the fortress, so he couldn’t say he had a lot of money.
“Hey, isn’t there anyone else who wants to bet against the Grand Duke?”
Since everyone else had bet on Cain, even if Skoban won, he’d only be sharing the money he contributed with others.
Compared to what the others had wagered, Skoban’s amount wasn’t insignificant, but it still felt a bit short when split among everyone.
“Ugh, it’s disappointing, but I guess we have to proceed as is. So…”
At that moment, the door to the training ground swung open, and Elena walked in with her maids.
She strode confidently up to the knight and elegantly placed her purse on the table.
“I’m betting too.”
The knight flinched for a moment, seeing the dark circles under Elena’s eyes, and asked for confirmation.
“Exactly who are you betting against?”
“Against my mother’s son.”
“Understood.”
The knight grinned as he collected the money.
Since Perdium was poor, Elena didn’t receive much for maintaining her status either.
Still, nobles are nobles, and combined with Skoban’s bet, it turned into a satisfactory amount for everyone.
Sitting in a chair prepared by the maids, Elena suddenly caught Skoban’s eye.
In an unspoken understanding, they could recognize each other’s pain.
Elena, too, was being treated like a liar for pushing Ghislaine towards trouble, just like Skoban.
It was so frustrating not being believed that she hadn’t been able to sleep properly recently.
“Young Lady, it’s unfair.”
“I’m going crazy over how unfair it is too.”
As the two silently communicated through their gazes, the duel finally began.
Ghislaine swung his sword in the air before aiming it at Cain.
“Come at me.”
“What?”
“We’re fighting, right? Come on. Even skilled fighters shouldn’t jump ahead at weaklings, that’s just low.”
“You little punk!”
Cain raised his sword and charged at him furiously.
With a height that towered over Ghislaine and a powerful build, their duel resembled a bullfight.
Clang!
The clang of their swords echoed as they clashed violently.
Cain glared at Ghislaine as if he wanted to kill him, summoning all his strength.
“I’ll turn you into a fool.”
How dare Ghislaine suddenly stand up to him? He could never forgive that.
The rumors were true; that guy must have really lost his mind.
“A madman deserves a good beating.”
Cain sincerely thought so. He had never seen anyone who didn’t respond after being hit.
The problem was that his opponent felt the same way.
“Not able to do something through strength? Well, maybe it’s a sign that your strength is lacking.”
Ghislaine assessed Cain while parrying his sword.
“Surely, his strength is not to be underestimated. With that build, his endurance should be excellent too. At this level, I can take my time to fight without worrying about the aftermath. He’d make a good bandit with that mouth of his.”
Cain was quite the beast, having grown up well-fed and strong, far surpassing his peers.
When it came to pure physical strength, he could likely outperform even many formally trained knights.
“How’s his swordsmanship though?”
Clang! Clang!
The swords of the two clashed rapidly without pause.
The spectators were astonished to see Ghislaine wielding his sword so leisurely. Even Cain, who was directly opposing him, was taken aback.
“Wha, what’s this! When did he get so skilled?!”
“What, what’s going on! When did your skills get so much better?”
Certainly, when they dueled in the past, Ghislaine struggled just to block a single attack properly.
He thought things would be the same now, but fighting him felt completely different. Ghislaine effortlessly blocked or evaded his attacks.
While Cain groaned and swung his sword, the people marveled at Ghislaine’s prowess.
“Grand Duke, your skills have improved so much!”
“Isn’t Cain just weak?”
“They both look flashy, don’t they?”
“Those without real skill tend to fight the loudest.”
Hearing the whispers from the spectators, Cain’s face turned red.
He aimed to smash Ghislaine in one go but couldn’t even land a single hit.
‘Profit! Why can’t I hit anything!’
As his frustration boiled over, Ghislaine lightly stepped back and laughed.
“Shall we make this a bit more fun?”
“What?”
Everyone around looked at Ghislaine with curious eyes.
Clank.
Ghislaine put his sword away and waved his hands.
“I’ll fight bare-handed. The skill gap is too wide; it wouldn’t be fun otherwise, would it?”
‘And just punching feels way better.’
Cain’s face reddened at the sudden provocation.
“T-this bastard!”
Ignoring him, Ghislaine raised his hands to the crowd for cheers.
“Ahahaha! This is fun!”
“Wow! Grand Duke, your skills have improved so much!”
“Anyone can win!”
Dueling among knights and nobles tends to be solemn and serious.
That has its own charm, but showing off like Ghislaine does now is much more entertaining for the spectators.
Ghislaine looked around and added another remark.
“If I win, I’ll treat everyone here to drinks and meat!”
“Wow! How generous!”
“Go win, Grand Duke!”
“Just like the heir of Perdium!”
Even without money, they throw caution to the wind.
This was Ghislaine’s way as a mercenary.
In reality, mercenaries duel this way.
They showcase their skills, attract attention, and skillfully steer the atmosphere in their favor.
While this might seem vulgar to the nobles, the spectators find that much more enjoyable.
As the crowd cheered, Cain ground his teeth and surveyed his surroundings.
“T-this crazy bastard! How dare you pull this kind of stunt in a sacred duel!”
In an instant, the atmosphere changed to that of a bustling marketplace. He felt like a gladiatorial slave, merely an object of entertainment.
Ghislaine clicked his tongue at the flustered Cain.
“What does it matter? It’s just a fight; what’s so sacred about that? Did you suddenly start getting money from the temple? Why are you spouting nonsense that doesn’t even fit?”
“Don’t you have any dignity as a noble?”
“Uh, no. Are you going to keep talking? I could fight with just one finger if you’re scared.”
The people burst into laughter at Ghislaine’s taunting words.
They found a sense of familiarity in the brawl, feeling more connected than with noble behavior.
“Wahaha!”
“It seems like the Grand Duke’s personality has changed!”
“But this is entertaining to watch!”
The embarrassing image of Ghislaine from the past briefly faded from people’s minds.
Instead, they began to anticipate what he would show next.
Amid the raucous cheers and Ghislaine’s provocations, Cain lost his composure and shouted loudly.
“I swear I will kill you!”
“Oh, I told you not to keep talking!”
BAM!
Ghislaine lunged at Cain, slapping his head as if he were a pesky fly.
WHAM!
“Kuh!”
Cain let out a painful groan, unable to retaliate against the sudden attack.
It hurt so much from just a slap that it felt like his brain was rattling.
Clutching his head, he stumbled backward, bellowing like a bull, and charged back at Ghislaine.
“You insolent brat!”
But Ghislaine easily dodged and immediately began pounding Cain’s body.
WHAM!
“Ugh! You little brat!”
WHAM!
“This damned punk… Augh!”
WHAM!
“How dare you… Kagh!”
WHAM!
“Wait, hold up!”
WHAM!
Instead of fighting back, Cain could barely get a curse out before taking another hit.
The spectators watching couldn’t help but beam with admiration.
“The Grand Duke’s movements…”
“Wow, that’s so cool!”
“He was always this strong?”
Ghislaine’s movements were at times graceful, other times beautiful, and yet fiercely intense.
Even the knights watching were left in shock by his flamboyant performance.
Every action Ghislaine displayed was marked by extraordinary flair. It was a level of skill that one could not achieve at his young age.
Comparing himself to Ghislaine, it was hard for anyone to confidently claim they were better.
“Waaaah!”
“The Grand Duke is the best!”
“So cool!”
The crowd cheered without realizing it as Ghislaine’s punches became more dazzling, giving everyone a rush of exhilaration.
Moreover, it was somehow enjoyable to see Cain get beaten up.
There wasn’t a single person who liked him, given how he would frequently pop by to torment everyone.
‘Shall I start wrapping this up?’
Feeling the atmosphere fully align with his intentions, Ghislaine decided to deliver the final blow.
He looked at Cain, who was swollen and on the verge of tears, and smirked wickedly.
“Hey.”
“…?”
“Bite down hard. If you do it wrong, you’ll bite your tongue off.”
BOOM!
As Ghislaine’s fist sank into Cain’s gut, it sounded like thunder.
The spectators were startled enough to step back.
KABOOM!
Cain was launched at breakneck speed to the training ground’s end, crashing violently into a wall. When he fell, a previously unseen crack appeared in the wall.
All from just one punch!
The knights watching couldn’t believe their eyes.
“How, how is that possible?”
“I didn’t even sense any mana!”
In reality, Ghislaine had quickly infused mana into his punch and then retracted it.
But to those around, it looked like Ghislaine had unleashed immense power without any mana at all.
Only a master could manipulate mana with such precision.
“Waaaaah! It’s over!”
“The Grand Duke won!”
“Oh my! I can’t believe it! The Grand Duke actually won the duel!”
The people cheered, but for Ghislaine, it was far from over.
If he had the kind of merciful heart to end it here, he wouldn’t have survived in the rough world of mercenaries in the first place.
“But you’re still not dead. No surrender. Guess I have to keep going.”
Ghislaine approached the fallen Cain.
Struggling on the ground, Cain weakly opened his mouth.
“St-stop… surr…”
“Hmm? What? I can’t hear you.”
“Surr…”
“Still can’t hear you.”
Just as Cain was about to declare his surrender, Ghislaine’s fist slammed into his lip.
WHAM!
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