NOVEL NEXT Chapter 662
“I’m putting everything on the line!”
As Yulien’s name was called, his mind went into a whirl.
‘Why me!’
He never expected this. Ghislaine hadn’t given him any hints at all.
Rio looked back and forth between Ghislaine and Yulien, clearly confused.
As the spectators buzzed about the unfamiliar name, Ghislaine stepped forward and introduced Yulien loudly.
“Behold the one who shall become a legend! His name is Yulien! His sword cleaves the heavens, and his bravery would make even the celestial stars tremble! All monsters and demons of this world will quiver in fear before him! Never forget his name—the name of the hero who will save the world! Where he treads will be recorded in history!”
‘Stop it!’
Yulien turned beet red at such an exaggerated introduction. He couldn’t have been more embarrassed.
Deneb bit her lip, trying to suppress a laugh despite her worried eyes.
“Hah hah hah!”
Kyle and Dark were doubled over, laughing heartily.
Yet the others looked at Yulien with eager eyes. Even if they recognized the hyperbole, the grandiose description made them somewhat believe it.
Without missing a beat, Ghislaine pointed a finger at Bendock with a fierce expression.
“Those standing before Yulien will realize the duel is over before they can even unsheathe their swords!”
‘No!’
Yulien gasped and grabbed Ghislaine, but Bendock’s face was already contorted with menace.
Ghislaine shouted even louder.
“You’re already dead to our leader! Let me separate that feeble head from that weak body!”
‘Don’t! Don’t provoke him!’
Yulien covered Ghislaine’s mouth in shock. But Bendock’s eyes were already filled with rage.
“Who do these unheard-of mercenaries think they are…?”
How dare they mock him, the greatest knight of the barony!
Yet the atmosphere in the arena shifted dramatically. The heavy silence shattered as the crowd erupted into cheers.
“Wow! Incredible!”
“Must be the mercenaries, huh? Their blustering is no joke.”
“Let’s see what those bluffers can do!”
People and nobles alike laughed heartily, reveling in the lively atmosphere.
Ghislaine had a huge grin plastered across his face.
He had to maintain his dignity as a lord up until now. But look at him now! It brought back memories of the carefree days as a mercenary.
Actually, he was back to living the mercenary life for real. No one would stop him now, and he was free as a wild stallion.
But Rio, who had to process this crazy situation, was not having any fun at all.
Rio stuttered a question.
“U-uh, brother? Weren’t you the one going out yourself?”
“Ah, the leader must take the field in such matters.”
Rio’s eyes clearly showed his unease. He hadn’t seen Yulien’s skills yet.
In fact, he didn’t even need to.
‘W-what should I do?’
Yulien was just as tense, frozen in place.
But Ghislaine said with a relaxed expression, “Don’t worry. The leader can handle this just fine.”
Then, before anyone could say a word, Ghislaine gave Yulien a shove.
Yulien staggered forward awkwardly, his face a shade lighter than normal.
‘M-me? I have to duel the best knight in the territory?’
He had never faced a challenge like this before.
He was aware that his skills were decent compared to his peers. It’s rare for anyone to be able to use mana, regardless of age. If he didn’t know that, he’d be a fool.
But he had no idea just how powerful he was. His experience was limited to catching a band of thieves.
He’d heard there were knightly backers among them, but he had no way of knowing their level.
‘This is so much pressure!’
The biggest issue was the weight of expectation. Yulien had never fought carrying someone else’s dreams and hopes.
If he lost this duel, the House of Rax would be finished. Many lives tied to the House would be ruined.
There was no way he could shoulder such an important task.
Especially if it meant defeating the best knight in the territory.
“G-Ghislaine…”
Yulien looked at Ghislaine with trembling eyes, wanting nothing more than to back out.
Deneb and Kyle exchanged worried glances with Ghislaine.
But Ghislaine remained unfazed.
“You’re fine. You can do this.”
Yulien, however, was at a loss. The situation weighed heavily on him.
As he stepped forward, Bendock spoke up.
“What are you doing? Get ready already.”
But even as a knight, he waited for his opponent to take a stance before making his move. Though he planned to strike the moment the stance was complete.
Ghislaine clicked his tongue internally. Things weren’t looking good. They needed to catch the momentum when things were lively, not let it become awkward.
He thought for a second about what to do next.
‘I can’t criticize Yulien here in front of everyone.’
That would tarnish public opinion. He needed to elevate Yulien, but he couldn’t teach him ‘form’ in front of an audience.
Instead, Ghislaine took another approach. He pointed at Bendock and shouted.
“Bendock! Are you already scared of our leader’s might? You can’t even take a step forward! If you don’t want to die, just surrender!”
“You little…”
Bendock could no longer contain himself and swung his sword at Yulien.
He intended to take this leader out in one fell swoop, then go after the sub-leader.
Swish!
Blue mana wrapped around Bendock’s sword. Anyone hit by it would be sliced clean in half.
Clang!
“Huh?”
Bendock was taken aback. The weakling had blocked his sword without even taking a proper stance.
Yulien, who had blocked the attack, was also slightly surprised.
‘Huh?’
His body reflexively responded as he was frequently attacked by Ghislaine.
“Whoaaa!”
The crowd erupted in cheers as they witnessed Yulien successfully block the attack.
It was clear Yulien had turned his body slightly, but he raised his sword naturally and made the block.
The introduction was pure exaggeration, but there was definitely a sense that he was skilled.
Bendock’s face turned beet red.
“Th-this… A mere mercenary…”
He had aimed to cut down his opponent in one fell swoop to prove his skill, only to be blocked. What a shameful situation!
The watching Baron Magrell scowled.
He had planned to snatch all of Rax’s fortunes as an overwhelming show of power for the lord.
Yet here were these pathetic mercenaries controlling the scene.
“Bendock! Finish him off!”
Baron Magrell shouted without attempting to hide his displeasure. Bendock’s face twisted further.
It was unseemly for a lord to chastise his knight during a duel, and for the knight, it was a huge embarrassment.
“Here I go!”
Bendock shouted loudly and swung his sword again.
Clang!
Yulien stepped back and deflected Bendock’s sword.
Bendock didn’t stop and hacked away mercilessly. He looked like a raging bull charging ahead.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Yulien concentrated on defense, moving cautiously. But as time went by, his gaze grew calmer.
‘I can do this.’
Since he was forced into this situation, he found it hard to focus.
The weight of carrying his family’s fate made his body stiff.
Hearing that he was up against the best knight in the territory had triggered anxiety.
But with each clash of swords, his body and mind loosened up at last.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
‘Weaker than Ghislaine.’
Bendock’s sword moved heavily, classically knightly, and certainly stronger than the bandits he fought before.
But strangely enough, he didn’t seem all that difficult to handle. Compared to Ghislaine’s bizarre method of fighting, Bendock’s attack patterns were glaringly obvious.
Even so, Yulien calmly looked for openings in Bendock’s attacks.
‘The fate of House Rax is on the line here.’
He couldn’t afford to let down his guard. No mistakes allowed.
Right now, he was carrying the fates of many people on his shoulders.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Bendock grew increasingly anxious as time went by. The best knight in the territory could not overpower this rookie mercenary.
His lord must have been disappointed in him. No, he must have been enraged. Yulien could feel it without even having to look.
Those watching were undoubtedly thinking he had let his reputation slip.
“Ahhhhh!”
An infuriated Bendock swung his sword like a madman once more. This time, he slashed multiple times in one breath, continually seeking to pressure Yulien.
This was high-level swordsmanship that he typically wouldn’t use.
Clang clang clang clang clang!
Yet Yulien met every swing with ease. His evasive maneuvers hadn’t changed at all.
Bendock’s anger ignited. How dare this rookie mercenary dally in front of him!
‘Is he mocking me!’
His fury and frustration surged within him.
In actuality, Yulien was prudently awaiting an opportunity for an opening.
This was his first fight supported by someone else’s expectations. The pressure was immense.
That’s why he was focused on finding a chance to win.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Another exchange of blows ensued. The crowd was captivated, watching with bated breath.
“This young mercenary is amazing! He’s not full of hot air after all.”
“To stand toe-to-toe with Baron Magrell’s best knight, Bendock!”
“The Rax Merchant Group is remarkable. Where did they find such a talented individual?”
“Go! Go! Fight harder!”
The murmurs and cheers of the crowd grew louder.
Bendock gritted his teeth. In a brief moment, this rookie mercenary had risen to match him, the best knight in the territory.
This was absolutely intolerable. How could he be exchanging blows with a nameless mercenary for this long?
Bendock summoned all his mana. He intended to end the battle decisively with powerful strength.
His pride had already taken a substantial hit; now, he wouldn’t be holding back at all.
“Die!”
His sword, imbued with all his mana, swung down fiercely. Clearly, he wasn’t just in it for show.
But that was Bendock’s mistake.
‘Now!’
Yulien stepped forward at the perfect moment.
His current skills weren’t enough to easily pierce Bendock’s armor. Instead, he aimed for a small opening in Bendock’s neck.
Even that was tricky due to the neck guard. He had to target a minuscule gap where the chin and neck met.
And just as Bendock’s sword sliced through the air—
Swish!
Yulien’s sword struck faster and targeted that tiny opening.
“Gak…”
Bendock’s eyes widened. He had no idea what had just hit him.
“Huff…”
Yulien let out a deep breath as he stepped back.
With a dazed expression, Bendock couldn’t grasp what just unfolded. Blood started to seep from his neck.
“Y-you…”
For a moment, Bendock’s mouth hung open in shock, and his body wavered.
Soon, his sword slipped from his grip, and he fell to his knees.
Thud!
“Wooooo!”
The spectators screamed in joy. Rio, who had been pacing nervously, raised both hands and shouted.
As victory was declared, the crowd buzzed excitedly.
“Yulien, leader of the mercenaries, has won!”
“Yulien! Yulien!”
The crowd filled with excitement as they chanted Yulien’s name.
Bendock was a knight notorious for terrorizing and killing many. The fact that he had lost brought considerable satisfaction to the people.
Moreover, the lord, who was known for tyranny, had lost in the duel of honor. There was no way they wouldn’t rejoice.
Nobles in attendance expressed their amazement.
“Wow, to think Baron Magrell’s top knight would fall.”
“An incredible feat for a mercenary whose name we didn’t even know.”
“He’s young, too. He’ll go far. Such talent shouldn’t be wasted on mercenary work.”
They found themselves enchanted by this mercenary group. They brainstormed ways to recruit such a talented mercenary.
“Hah, hah…”
Throughout the battle, Yulien had held on tightly to his tension, but now that Bendock had collapsed, he exhaled deeply, finally releasing the strain.
He realized Bendock wasn’t that difficult an opponent. The challenge lay in enduring the weight of responsibility and expectation.
‘Incredible.’
This wasn’t self-praise; it was admiration for Ghislaine’s swordsmanship and the Mana Circulation Method he had learned.
Plus, he could feel that his skills had dramatically improved after just a few days of training.
When being hit by Ghislaine, it had felt torturous, but he hadn’t realized how effective it would be.
Surprised, he looked at Ghislaine.
“So? How was that?”
Ghislaine just smiled, as if it was a given. Yulien found himself smiling back instinctively.
Deneb and Kyle were overflowing with joy. They had worried about the outcome, but Yulien had pulled through magnificently.
The hefty reward he would receive from Rio was a bonus too. It had truly been a fulfilling first request.
Except for one person.
Baron Magrell glared at Yulien with burning eyes.
“How dare… Those worthless mercenaries…”
He felt like moving his army immediately to eliminate them all.
But he couldn’t make any moves in front of so many witnesses. Having lost in an honor duel, he had to retreat for now.
The Rax Merchant Group was now cleared of any wrongdoing.
“Let’s go.”
Bendock’s face twisted as he stood and walked away.
For the time being, he had to let it slide but intended to fabricate another reason soon to wipe them out.
At that moment, Ghislaine stepped forward and called out to Baron Magrell.
“Wait just a moment!”
Magrell turned his head, and the crowd fell silent, looking at Ghislaine.
Ghislaine sent a wink toward the bewildered Rio.
‘This isn’t enough. I’ve got a surprise for you.’
Baron Magrell glared at Ghislaine, appearing quite displeased with this upstart who was leading the atmosphere.
“What is it?”
Ghislaine looked around and shouted again.
“On behalf of Rio Rax, the representative of the House of Rax, I, Astion, the sub-leader of Yulien’s Mercenary Group, hereby declare that I am granted full authority!”
Everyone turned to look at Ghislaine. They were curious about what words would follow.
Ghislaine continued confidently.
“Even though we’ve won, we have yet to reclaim our honor taken by unfair scheming!”
Rio felt a strange sense of foreboding as he looked at Ghislaine with an anxious expression. He didn’t need such honor.
Suddenly, Ghislaine pointed his staff at Baron Magrell.
“So we request a new honor duel from the lord!”
The crowd gasped in horror. They had just avoided disaster, and now he was saying such insane things!
Magrell’s cheeks twitched. His expression mixed rage and amusement.
“What kind of duel are you proposing?”
Ghislaine smirked and replied.
“We’re putting everything on the line for this territory.”
“What?”
“We’re wagering all of Baron Magrell’s territory. We’re betting everything of House Rax!”
Ghislaine’s surprise gift for Rio was none other than Baron Magrell’s territory.
‘He’s going to be thrilled to the point of fainting.’
And…
Poor Rio, with the weight of the words, truly did faint on the spot from fear.