From Tashian's sleek black scabbard, the knife was pulled out midway. He then provoked Karzxion with the corners of his mouth raised.
"I knew that the yellow dog of Mezzolin Continent was already crazy but today he's barking at me. I don't know what the hell he wants from me, but I am accepting that duel but not here."
(TN: Yellow Dog means a cowardly person.)
"Tashian...!"
Eun-woo shouted his name in surprise when she saw the rare sight of Tashian initiating a fight. However, Karzxion burst out laughing rather loudly and took out his sword in the same way and took a pose.
"Hahaha! Yellow dog… It's been a while since I heard that! As expected, I like you because you're a genius like me and you don't pretend to be high-minded!"
"You are also prone to misunderstanding. Do you think I'm accepting this duel for the sake of the likes of you?"
Hearing Karzxion's words, Tashian's neck swayed low. A faint vein of blood rose to his forehead as he opened his mouth sharply.
"My friend's sister almost got into trouble on the street! It's obvious that she was caught up with your daily routine of gambling and picking fights in the street. But that wasn't enough and you even hurt her?"
In a voice filled with wrath, Tashian said aggressively, pulling his sword completely out of its scabbard and grabbing it.
"I will fix that vulgar habit of you who just brought this upon yourself!"
Eun-woo's expression turned pale, knowing that he had misunderstood something.
But before she could stop the fight that can take place anytime, Karzxion snorted as if Tashian was being absurd and spoke,
"Hey, you talk nonsense…! Who corrects whose habits? Your eyes are only fixed on that woman which is why you're unable to see things properly, aren't you?"
"Th, that's right, Tashian! There's a misunderstanding….! That knight helped me get into an argument at the bar…"
Eun-woo also said that to him and shouted from behind Tashian to explain the situation. But Karzxion cut her words in pieces. He opened his eyes with a raise of his brow, as his eyes were twinkling sharply.
"All right, my lady! There is no need to correct the misunderstanding of this stupid mongrel! It would be a hundred times faster for me to get rid of this guy in front of the lady and get the lady's official badge of escorting you full time..!"
"S… Sir Ubera! What are you spouting…!"
Eun-woo looked at the blonde man, feeling dizzy as if her intestines were twisted. But before she could ask him, telling Karzxion not to say nonsense things, Tashian faced her, revealing his twisted expression on his face. As if what he heard was a complete lie, he asked her for an explanation.
"Eleanor, what are you talking about…? I don't think you made a strange contract with that swindler guy…?"
"No! It's not like that, Tashian!"
Eun-woo jumped and quickly waved her hands. She pleaded with him.
"All I did was agree to stay with that person until we found you in exchange for just paying for the drink…!"
Then, Karzxion complained unfairly with an expression that what he said was thrown in vain.
"What do you mean, that person! Where are you leaving the nickname you used to sweetly call 'Yellow Haired Sir' and calling me so coldly, Miss?! Then I will dedicate this body to the safety of Miss. I swear to god!"
Eun-woo's face turned white at his words. She was tired so she didn't bother saying it. The man's serious naughty cheeks were pulling his backbone to the point of being ripped off. Eun-woo shouted at Karzxion.
"Come on, don't be joking…! My, when did I do that!"
But the man had no thoughts of just agreeing with her and put a grin on his face.
"Are you sure that it was like that, Miss? You said that you liked my golden beard and that you wanted to braid it with your own hands like your own hair! After setting this pitiful knight's heart on fire so sweetly, are you going to hide behind another knight's back? Even if you do, don't do it too much..!"
"Wh, when… did I.. exactly…."
Eun-woo almost gasped and fainted. The man's mischievous joke is what her heart can't stand at all.
She felt that he was so absurd and got angry that she couldn't even say a word properly.
But before she could even fire at Karzxion, Tashian was taking a step closer to him, flashing a silvery long sword.
Eun-woo guessed that the situation was going in an unexpected direction from the solemnity of Tashian.
"Ubera… I warned you clearly. If I had known what kind of woman you are insulting now, your neck would have blown away sooner…!"
He spewed out his anger as if convulsing his mouth and strode towards Karzxion. His long sword in his hand was held high in the air.
In that momentary moment, Karzxion also lowered his body as if taking a ready posture to prepare for the upcoming attack from Tashian. On the other hand, Eun-woo covered her head with both hands and closed her eyes tightly. And there was the sound of friction between the two metal pieces that seemed to shake the ground. Eun-woo screamed involuntarily at the tremendous noise which seemed to be a signal that there would be a storm.
However, no matter how long she waited, the sound of the next sword clashing against each other could not be heard. Eun-woo lifted her shy head slightly like a frightened turkey and caught the sight in front of him.
"Ah...!"
It was the three blades, not two, that produced the thunderous fricative. Eun-woo opened her mouth wide when she saw the giant three men spread out in front of him, entangled like snakes.
In the middle of the point where the sword of Karszxion, shining as thin as white sand and the sword of Tashian, which was long and black like that of a black dragon, met, there was another sword holding the two swords together and holding the center.
Eun-woo opened her mouth to the familiar face, her eyes caught and muttered.
"Oh, Sir Ouns…?"
With the two swords in his hands, Sir Ouns opened his mouth with difficulty, sweating profusely on his coffin.
"Both of you… stop fighting. This is not a request… it is an order."
Sir Ouns, who managed to block the swords that the two men had clashed with all his might, didn't seem to have the strength left to prevent them any longer. His arms trembled enough to be seen in Eun-woo's eyes.
However, Tashian and Karzxion did not withdraw their swords.
Rather, Karzxion pushed his sword against Sir Ouns's sword and twisted the corners of his mouth.
"In front of me is the deputy commander I saw in Genova. How dare the vice-president give orders to the leader …and the hierarchy of the Knights of the Royal Family has been ruined like this?! How much have you been so soft on your men, Verk?"
Ignoring Karzxion's sneering tone, Tashian gave a brief command to Sir Ouns.
"Move away, Gerald."
"I.. can't… do that."
Ouns answered by cutting off one syllable to see if he was too strong just to block such Tashian's sword.
However, Tashian was also not a very easy-going general manager.
"I said move. If you don't leave, I will cut you down together."
He lowered his cool voice and warned. But in spite of the commander's sullen orders, Sir Ouns did not lower his sword. Rather, he clenched his teeth more and more and gave strength to his thighs, holding out the two captains.
"I told you… I did. This isn't my request… it's… his…"
"It's an order, huh? Whose orders are you talking about?"
Karzxion shouted as if frustrated. Eun-woo also knew that Sir Ouns was not a man who would disobey Tashian's orders, so she had no choice but to question his actions.
However, her doubts were settled with another voice that followed.
"… Who's order would it be? Of course, it's my order. There are so many people higher than him who dare give orders to the commander of the Imperial Knights!"
Eun-woo doubted her ears when she heard that familiar voice.
Ikshid fluttered his red robe of courtesy, waving through the crowd and coming towards them. Next to him, Selena, wearing the same outfit as before, was shocked to see Eun-woo and covered her mouth.
"Eleanor! What is this…!"
"Selena..."
Eun-woo grabbed both my scratched hands and the hem of her blood-stained dress with his fingers. Realizing that I was in a mess, her cheeks turned bright red with shame.
Selena ran to her right away, untying her kerchief. She then supported her by quickly covering her drooping collar of her Eunwoo with her long cloth.
"Oh my gosh! What kind of thing is this...!! Are you seriously injured?"
"No, Selena. This is… not my blood."
Eun-woo mumbled in a low voice as Selena supported her with her arm.
Her feet, which seemed to have been able to stand upright until a while ago, suddenly felt as heavy as a thousand stones.
Ikshid, who was looking at those women, clicked his tongue and opened his mouth.
"What kind of commotion occurred that the streets are covered with red blood on festival day when we should pray for the good fortune and abundance of the harvest?"
Ikshid opened his eyes to the two men who seemed unwilling to pull out their swords despite his appearance and commanded with a dignified voice.
"Must I pierce both of your ears so you can obey my command and withdraw your swords?!"
Tashian bit his lip with his teeth and answered.
"You Highness. Forgive my rudeness. However, unless the man in front of me releases the strength of his hand from the sword, I cannot back down either without hurting him."
At those words, Ikshid turned his gaze towards the golden-haired Karzxion.
Karzxion had a convulsive smile on his lips, and noticed that the situation became enjoyable. Despite the fact that his hand was trembling as it held the sword, the voice Ikshid uttered was pleasant to hear in his ears.
"My lord, even though this body is from a humble origin and has no bad intentions in mind, it is because the duke cannot recognize the importance of the person who says the command."
But, as if he would be in trouble after that, Karzxion twisted his eyebrows and continued. His disheveled golden hair ran down his forehead, and a drop of sweat ran down near his cheekbones.
"… I am the commander-in-chief of the Knights Templar in such a loose and prestigious manner that I can't go back and forth dishonoring the Mezzolin Continent. I think you should understand my position that I can't just bow my head here and there."
It was a lengthy excuse, but it wasn't something the listener would have a hard time understanding.
Ikshid arranged the words of Karzxion, who was still smiling numbly.
"You're telling me to prove myself."
Saying that, Ikshid slightly hooked up his lips, twisting in a plasticine way.
Unsurprisingly, as soon as the Crown Prince's words fell, Sir Ouns exclaimed in an angry voice.
"This outrageous guy…! What a blatant remark to His Highness! This is an insult not only to the Crown Prince, but also to the Hellasium imperial family and the entire Knights Templar! Get down on your knees right now and apologize!"
Tashian, too, seemed to be angry at Karzxion's unprecedented words, and gave more strength to the point where a tendon spurted in his arm that was holding his sword. However, Karzxion calmly endured the pressure while maintaining his empty expression.
And in the next moment, Eun-woo was terrified at the unfolding scene and her grip while holding Selena's arms tightened.
Dozens of armed men appeared one by one in a large circle around the place where they had gathered.