From the edge of the courtyard, a man stepped forward, instantly widening the eyes of the crowd, who recognized him the moment they laid their eyes on him.
His robes were as dark as midnight, enshrined with faint silver runes that shimmered faintly under the snowfall. His unkempt hair flowed over his shoulders, blending evenly with his long beard, giving him the appearance of an old sage who had walked out of legend.
"Basha," his crisp voice rang out. "You've broken the rules of a duel."
Basha frowned as the voice reached him. He had never imagined anyone was watching secretly, apart from the onlookers gathered around. His expression became gloomy.
"That's Elder Ormond… from the Settler Force?" someone muttered.
"A member of the Settler Force? Why is he here?" another said.
"Young Master Basha must have done something inappropriate. That last strike was out of the ordinary."
The crowd instantly fell silent; their minds began to piece together the truth. Even they could see something had gone wrong with the last attack.
Basha's face paled slightly. He hadn't expected Elder Ormond to be present, much less to intervene.
If not for the ice elephant's crest, my soul might have been damaged by that guy's strike. There was no way he could remain idle.
The best academy in the region would be accepting new students in two months, and if his soul wasn't fully healed by then, his battle prowess would plummet. He had no choice but to act as he did.
Nevertheless, he was still appalled by Blood's strike. That unusual strike had pierced through his defenses effortlessly. He only used one move, and I couldn't guard against it. No doubt he must belong to a powerful clan.
Kate's lips curved faintly, but she said nothing. She simply stood, waiting for the matter to be concluded and for Blood to return to her side.
Although Blood's attack had surprised her, in her eyes it was still child's play. Her mind was set on exploring that place, and she had delayed it for too long. Her servant might force her to the Heartland if she delayed further.
"Even though the power imbued in that crest was minimal compared to its full strength, it still carried the power of your clan leader. That is forbidden in a friendly duel. And since you were the one who proposed it, you should have been prepared for the consequences." Elder Ormond's voice rang again. He shook his head, his tone solemn.
"If not for the boy's special weapon, you might have obliterated him. Do you not realize that?" Even he felt tense recalling the strike. He was perplexed at how the young man had endured the horrifying attack.
Is that… a secret weapon? Elder Ormond's heart skipped a beat as his gaze fell upon the trident in Blood's hand. He was almost in disbelief, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him.
Which clan would be foolish enough to give a child such a treasure? His eyes flashed coldly.
Basha's face fell when he heard Elder Ormond's words. He knew he had already lost, and his pride kept him from uttering any word in defense, especially before the young miss.
She must have realized that strike wasn't mine… why didn't she move to stop it? Did she think that boy could withstand that strike? His expression was clouded.
That strike had carried the strength two realms above theirs. Even though it had been significantly weakened... it was still powerful.
Elder Ormond's gaze shifted toward Blood. "Young man, what clan are you from? I know every child who causes trouble in this city, yet I don't recall meeting you." his said with a light smile, though his eyes gleamed with scrutiny.
"I'm not from around here. And you've obviously not met me before because I don't go around causing trouble." Blood replied, his tone resolute. He hadn't met the elder before, but judging by the reverence in the crowd's eyes, this man was clearly a public figure.
"I see." Elder Ormond said thoughtfully. "You aren't from this city, and that explains your actions. But before any duel is accepted, there must be someone capable of protecting both sides from grievous harm, or from dragging themselves into a protracted battle that could lead to death. You both ignored this rule. I'm afraid I will have to bring you in."
Blood was stunned, never having heard of such a ruling. Perhaps each region has its own rules. he thought, turning instinctively toward Kate for confirmation.
The elder noticed Blood's movement and suspected he was preparing to flee. But his suspicion was set aside when he saw the young miss standing calmly, her presence was like a sovereign force.
He hadn't expected to see the young miss so closely. Someone like him were only qualified to gaze at her from afar, and only for fleeting moments. He had almost forgotten whose territory he was in.
"Young Miss." he greeted with a wryly smile, his tone suddenly composed and stripped of the arrogance he had shown moments before. One had to wonder if this was truly the same man as before.
Kate's expression remained indifferent, her voice with a hint of disinterest. "Although I don't know of the rules you speak of, I think I fit into that category. I can easily suppress them both if they grow excessive." she spoke lazily.
Why did he suddenly formulate such a rule? she thought, though unwilling to probe further.
Elder Ormond swallowed hard, his face changing from gloom to something far more dreadful. He knew well that this was the Fief Domain. There were no such rules here. But the allure of that weapon—the trident—was too great to ignore.
Blood saw that everything was finally under control. Since the duel had ended and there was no further need for him to remain standing in the center of the onlookers, he walked straight toward Kate.
The crowd watched him warily; their minds were still haunted by the thought of his strange assault technique. Not knowing how to defend against such a move left them unsettled. Not everyone had the luxury of a crest like Basha.
One by one, they dispersed quickly without needing to be told. Even those who had come bearing gifts dared not present them anymore—they left immediately.
They had witnessed Elder Ormond's respectful caution when addressing the young miss, and they feared that any gesture might anger her, especially since none of them even knew what had sparked the duel in the first place.
Would anyone have to go through that young man if they wanted their gifts accepted? they wondered silently, unease settling in their minds.
Elder Ormond vanished as quickly as he had appeared, his presence dissolving into the snowy air once he realized the young man was closely acquainted with the young miss.
"A calm environment. This is how it's supposed to be." Blood remarked, watching the people leave. Then, with a rueful smile, he added jokingly,
"We may be together for some time. Do I have to drive off your suitors from now on? They even brought so many gifts for you." He was genuinely shocked by the sheer number of people who had come bearing gifts.
Even as the crowd thinned gradually, a few still appeared from time to time, only to leave again once they realized the young miss was not accepting anything.
Slightly dazed, Kate turned her gaze toward him. "You should have pretended to be my servant and accepted the gifts instead. That way, you would have achieved your aim." She smiled faintly, knowing exactly what he was thinking.
Those gifts were undoubtedly precious. Blood must have been planning to loot them.
Blood blinked in surprise at her words. Perhaps I really should have done that. he thought. He was in urgent need of energy crystals, after all.
He still had to uncover the mystery of that strange voice back at the manor, and he wondered how Ballock was faring, surely, they must have arrived by now.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, five figures suddenly appeared some distance away. Their intent seemed no different from those who had left earlier.