NOVEL NEXT Chapter 57: Newborn calves are not afraid of tigers
Duelling wasn’t uncommon, so there were a number of places in the city set up for duels. The Imperial Magical Academy and the Imperial University both had duelling fields that could be booked out. Anthony Fulvous went out to book one of those duelling fields, and also to gather the 1500 gold he needed to give to Earl Rosewood first.
Ren Xiyang went back to study more direct-magic healing and had a light lunch ahead of the duel later. He was preparing to take a rest, but he unexpectedly had another visitor.
“Earl Rosewood!”
Rian went right up the stairs and directly to Earl Rosewood’s office, ignoring the nervous Rosewood servants trailing after him.
Ren Xiyang had intended to go downstairs when he felt Rian’s approaching heat signature, but in the end, he simply sat on the sofa and waited.
“Is there an urgent problem, Your Highness? I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”
“Don’t you have news to tell me?” Rian countered. “What’s this I hear about Anthony Fulvous challenging you for only 1500 gold!”
“1500 gold upfront, and either 1500 gold or a month’s worth of labour after winning,” Ren Xiyang corrected.
Rian: “…” Damn it, Ayden’s money-loving nature was acting up again! Even though the Rosewood fief and estate weren’t actually poor!
“Was the duel with me and flying all the noble children not tiring enough? I’ll give you twice as much gold for you to reject Anthony Fulvous’s challenge,” Rian said domineeringly.
“Let the young man taste defeat if he so wishes,” Ren Xiyang replied evenly. “And do you have that much gold to spare?”
Rian: “…” He was rejected by Ayden…
“You have duelling instructors. I don’t. This is an easy way for me to practice duelling with others.”
“Then I could organise with my Imperial Mother to add you to my lessons.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Have you forgotten Her Majesty’s words already?”
Rian reluctantly ceded, even though making Earl Rosewood attend classes would be pitting him and not favouring him.
“Are you going to watch the duel later?”
Rian’s lips tightened. “I can’t. I have lessons that I’m not allowed to skip. But, in the near future, you must duel me again.”
“Okay.”
Rian wasn’t mollified. “Within six months, at most,” he said.
“Within six months, at most,” Ren Xiyang echoed.
He stared at Ayden Rosewood. The latter looked back at him without flinching. “Acceptable. Win your duel, Earl Rosewood. And remember to wear your duelling clothes.”
“I will, Your Highness.”
Rian gave him a princely nod. “Then I must be off.”
Ren Xiyang accompanied Rian down to the front door, and then went back to his suite for his pre-duel rest.
While Prince Rian was unwillingly returning to the Imperial Palace, Viscount Fulvous was marching over to the Imperial University where his damned son had booked a duelling field.
He had heard from his servants about his eldest son’s foolish actions, challenging Earl Rosewood of all people, and damn the earth, his son was in trouble!
Viscount Fulvous found his son at the duelling field, doing some light warm-ups.
Anthony gave his father a stubborn look when he saw him approaching. “Good afternoon, Father. Aren’t you busy this afternoon?”
Viscount Fulvous cast a sound-blocking spell around them and glared at his son.
“Oh, it’s because I’m busy that you decided to run off and duel Earl Rosewood, isn’t that right?” Viscount Fulvous growled.
Anthony was just as tall as his father though, and he wasn’t intimidated. “It’s my choice. It’s my money.”
“You’re my eldest son, so it affects me too!”
“Are you scared, Father?” Anthony retorted. “As earth mages, we have a natural advantage over fire mages, not to mention I have much more experience.”
Viscount Fulvous glowered. “Oh, then you’ll agree that regardless of the outcome, you will not associate with me?”
“Why are you so serious?” Anthony complained.
“That’s right, the gold is your gold, the time you will spend working for the earl is your time.” Viscount Fulvous sneered. “If you insist, then I can’t stop you.” He ended the sound-blocking spell and immediately left.
Anthony started to have some misgivings, but he immediately stamped them down. His father was getting old and cowardly and weak.
Anthony knew what he was doing. He wasn’t going to lose, he’d show his father who was right!
As the duelling time approached, Ren Xiyang dressed in the white and blue duelling clothes that Rian had given him and headed over to the relevant duelling field along with Kel, Solicitor Carmine, and his self-declared ‘bodyguards’.
Anthony Fulvous and his servants were there, along with the University mages who would maintain the area shield and the personal sparring shields.
On such short notice, there wasn’t a huge flock of audience members, but there were still some free and/or bored people who had heard about the duel and had come over.
“Hello again,” Ren Xiyang greeted.
“Good afternoon, Earl Rosewood. Are you ready?” Anthony said, striding over. He looked confident and ready.
A Fulvous servant handed the bag with 1500 gold coins over to Kel.
Ren Xiyang decided not to count in front of Anthony’s face. “Thank you,” he said. “Let’s begin, shall we?”
“That’s right. Cast the shields.”
After receiving the order, one University shield caster cast the personal shields around Earl Rosewood and Young Lord Anthony Fulvous. Once the two duellists entered the field, another University mage activated the area shield.
The designated referee went through the usual, “do you agree to magically duel”, and announced—
“Let the duel begin!”
Anthony Fulvous attacked immediately, disrupting the ground beneath Earl Rosewood’s feet. At the same time, he raised an earth shield to block the return fire attack.
Earth could block fire, and earth could put out fire by starving it of air! Anthony had the advantage!
But who said Ren Xiyang needed to remain with his feet on the ground? Who said he had to use fire instead of heat?
With levitation magic applied directly on his body, Ren Xiyang dodged agilely through the air.
Anthony’s eyes widened. What?!
Because of how much money the young man had given Ren Xiyang, Ren Xiyang patiently duelled with Anthony, narrowly dodging and countering the attacks to encourage Anthony to try harder.
Unfortunately, Anthony’s mental strength wasn’t very good. He couldn’t stay calm, unlike Prince Rian. Eventually, he made an obvious mistake and Ren Xiyang’s fire blades hit his personal shield directly.
The shield cracked ominously.
Ren Xiyang was perplexed. What a weak shield, Queen Mira’s was much better.
“Master Fulvous has been hit and his shield has been breached!” one of the University shield casters immediately alerted. “According to the strength and location of the attack, it would have been fatal!”
“Then the duel is over! The winner is Earl Rosewood!” the referee announced.
Anthony couldn’t understand for a moment. Yes, he had realised a fraction later that his earth block was a bit out of position, but then he had suddenly lost?!!!
“We can continue,” Ren Xiyang said. “The sparring shield was too weak.”
The University shield caster: “…”
Anthony gritted his teeth. “Let’s continue, recast the personal shields properly!"
“I’ll do it,” another University mage said.
After that brief intermission, the duel began once more.
Dozens of attacks—not just earth—hurtled towards Ren Xiyang. Ren Xiyang’s eyelids lowered slightly as he countered and dodged. Fulvous’s control was slipping and his attacks were weakening.
A whip of fire uncoiled itself from Ren Xiyang’s hand. It darted out and circled Anthony Fulvous.
Anthony growled, dragging out more magical energy to form a complete dome of earth around him. Sweat dripped down Anthony’s face. His breath inexplicably turned into white vapour in the suddenly cold air.
Ice formed inside and outside his earth dome. As water froze, it made the earth crack. When the water vapourised in almost an instant, Anthony’s earth dome started to fragment. The temperature climbed and climbed, turning the inside of the dome into a furnace.
Anthony gasped, feeling dizzy from the sudden changes in temperatures. It was hard to think. He opened the dome to release the heat and breathe in some cool air—
Ren Xiyang’s fire coil snaked through the opening, wrapped itself around Anthony’s waist, and squeezed.
The University mage who had cast the second personal shields made a pained expression. “The shield is being breached again.”
The referee stepped forward. “Then the duel is over! The winner is Earl Rosewood! This match ends now!”
Ren Xiyang released his magic. The temperature returned to normal.
Anthony sucked in heavy breaths, still dazed. He wasn’t physically injured. But as he realised what had happened, his pride took a massive blow.
Ren Xiyang’s gaze faintly looked down on the youth whose confidence had shattered. Anthony Fulvous was still young, hopefully he learnt something from the duel today.
Ren Xiyang walked over. “Good game.”
Anthony slowly pulled himself together again. “Good game, Earl Rosewood,” he said. “As for the contract fulfilment, I will give you my answer in a week.”
Ren Xiyang nodded “Thank you, Lord Fulvous.”
The University mages worked to restore the duelling field, while Ren Xiyang and Anthony Fulvous left.
Anthony Fulvous returned to his home in a gloom.
The duel had been going so well. He had been holding up against Earl Rosewood’s attacks and launched his own attacks. But dammit, Earl Rosewood could fly without using a sword! And he could heat and cool the air inside Anthony’s otherwise impenetrable earth shield!
Anthony hadn’t factored these things in properly. He was unwilling to concede defeat.
But, he had been defeated, twice.
And now he had to figure out what to do next.
When he entered the house, he noticed his father waiting in the front room.
“I told you so, didn’t I?” Viscount Fulvous said coldly. “Whether you pay the remaining 1500 gold or work as a labourer for Earl Rosewood…that’s your time and your money. Suffer the consequences.” He stood up and strode away.
Anthony’s hands clenched. “I know,” he growled under his breath. “You would have lost too.”
But whether his father would also lose against Earl Rosewood did not change the fact that he had lost.
Meanwhile, Ren Xiyang returned to the Rosewood Capital House with the bag of 1500 gold coins, feeling happy. Whether Anthony Fulvous decided to pay the remaining 1500 gold or worked for him for a month, Ren Xiyang wouldn’t lose out. If it was gold, then Ren Xiyang could hire more people or advance some projects; if it was work, then Ren Xiyang could get him to fix up all the roads in the Rosewood fief instead of having to hire non-magical labourers to fix them.
The rest of Ren Xiyang’s days before the Cordovans’ trial didn’t have anything unexpected.
He continued to study healing magic. He met up with Florence Sage to discuss agriculture. He had his second meeting with the water systems engineers, as planned. He met Adrienne Obsidian again (and Viscount Obsidian and Prince Rian as a bonus) to teach her how to stand on a sword and levitate. He used Rian’s crystal ball to contact the Rosewood staff.
He also interviewed and hired some more staff who were recommended by Solicitor Carmine, Manager Ashdown and others. One of them, the accountant Master Otto Silvercharm who was a non-mage from a branch of the Silvercharm family, was to follow Ren Xiyang back to the Rosewood summer manor to help manage finances.
Young Master Anthony Fulvous also came by and gave Ren Xiyang the second sum of 1500 gold coins.
In the end, as a powerful mage (albeit not as powerful as he thought) and the eldest son of the Fulvous family, Anthony could not lower himself to work for Earl Rosewood, which meant he had to cough up the 1500 gold. The Fulvous family wasn’t poor, but his father hadn’t handed over the estate to him yet, so he was personally hurting after giving away all that gold.
The most difficult thing Ren Xiyang had to do was think about what punishment he wanted the Cordovans to receive. Both the Capital Investigators and Rian reminded him that their final punishment would depend on what he wanted. Be it execution, or imprisonment, or exile; be it a compensatory payment or a portion of their fief and estate.
Alyssa Rosewood in the novel would want Baron Cordovan and Lady Cordovan sentenced to death. He also suspected that the family members of the servants killed also wouldn’t mind the execution of the Cordovans.
But Ren Xiyang wanted the death penalty to be abolished. It would be hypocritical for him to ask for execution as punishment.
Rian and Ren Xiyang had talked about this matter weeks ago: exile would have been the default choice for nobles, and Ren Xiyang had joked that he wanted a big compensatory payout.
But now the decision was approaching. What should he choose?
Poor Anthony u_u He just became a money bag for Ren Xiyang ^_^
Rian also became a vinegar bag, by the way ^_^
Speaking of money, thank you to emihasdreamstoo and Ria for the monetary support 🤗
The biggest irreplaceable support is everyone reading and commenting 🥰🥰