Let's go back in time for a moment.
Char arrived early in the competition passage of the arena and patiently waited, sitting on a bench with his eyes closed. Since only the duel participants were allowed in the waiting area, he was undisturbed.
Of course, in the eyes of most people, Char might be seen as the Don Quixote who carries a wooden lance and rides an old horse, a self-proclaimed hero of idealism.
After a while, the sound of brisk footsteps brought him back to reality from his thoughts.
Char looked up and noticed the arbitrator walking briskly through the entrance of the passage.
The arbitrator wore a formulaic smile and handed over a slightly yellowed parchment paper. "Char, here is the magic contract provided by your opponent. The terms have been verified and deemed reasonable. If you have no objections, please sign your name here."
Char nodded and carefully read through the contract.
In addition to the title of Viscount, this farcical duel had two additional clauses, adding to the stakes. If Char lost, he would be required to return to the viscountcy under the jurisdiction of Lundy City, never to leave for the rest of his life. On the other hand, if Angelica lost, she would compensate him with ten thousand gold coins.
From beginning to end, this spectacle was filled with oppression and injustice, yet it was now disguised as a fair and just duel, forcing Char to make a choice.
However, he remained silent, simply nodded, and took the feather pen dipped in magical ink to write down the name Char Adelaide in the signature area.
A burst of golden light flashed, and in the depths of his consciousness, he felt a stronger connection between himself and the contract.
If either party breaches the contract after the competition concludes, they will face mandatory consequences as stipulated in the contract.
After completing these formalities, Char slowly stood up and cast his gaze towards the distant arena.
Today, he was dressed in a formal knight's attire and boots, with a tall and handsome figure. He exuded a sense of elegance and looked like a young and promising knight officer.
At this moment, a tremendous wave of applause erupted from the audience seats outside the passage.
Clearly, the female lead of this grand opera had made her entrance.
Char smiled, bent down to pick up a bundle of things placed next to him, effortlessly slung it over his shoulder, and walked towards the competition passage.
With each step Char took, the bundle on his shoulder swayed slightly, making a jingling sound.
Upon closer inspection, those were numerous worn-out knight longswords, including several rusty long spears. The blades had noticeable cracks and notches from excessive use.
These were the standard longswords that knight students of the academy would discard after their daily training. There were one-handed longswords, two-handed broadswords, and even thin rapiers.
A rough estimate revealed that there were at least forty to fifty scattered pieces of these discarded longswords.
So when Char walked out onto the ground of the arena, carrying this bundle of discarded longswords and spears, a slightly jubilant laughter erupted from the surrounding audience seats.
"This..." In a corner, Rode frowned as he watched the young man slowly walking out on the other side. "This student of yours seems to be quite unconventional."
Seeing this, a muscular man with dark skin named Sitar let out a bitter smile and said, "He claims it's his conviction. I don't understand what he's trying to do either."
Rode sighed.
After a while, Rode finally spoke up, "His opponent is a genius from a major noble family. Not only does she have advanced magical tools, but she will also surely possess ancient magical artifacts. As a result, there is already a significant disparity between them in terms of weaponry alone."
"As a knight, how can he not even have a decent weapon? If this were someone under my command, I would train him until he could no longer stand!"
"Let's see how it plays out."
Sitar shook his head and quietly waited for the start of the match.
...
"Did Char say anything before he left?" Sylvesta, feeling quite nervous, asked while watching the scene unfold before her.
In such a duel, what use could a bundle of soon-to-be-discarded scraps be?
Didn't he receive over twenty thousand gold coins earlier?
Why didn't he spend it all?
Sylvesta was filled with confusion and worry.
Dahlia glanced at her and shook her head, whispering softly, "No, but I trust Master. He wouldn't go into this without any preparation."
Sylvesta forced a bitter smile and didn't respond.
In her eyes, the possibility of winning this match was less than one percent.
After spending so much time with Angelica, she knew all too well how terrifying her sister's true strength was.
Hopefully... he won't get hurt.
Sylvesta lightly placed her small hand over her chest and focused her gaze into the distance.
On the other side.
Tyrus had already lowered his head to his chest, wishing he could cover his face with both hands.
He could hear the derisive laughter from Sally and the others around him.
"Your dear brother doesn't actually think he can defeat the Angelica with a pile of junk, does he?"
"If he wins, I'll eat this pile of garbage!"
Damn it.
If it were in line with Char's personality, he would have surely said those words by now.
The tides ebb and flow, don't underestimate the impoverished youth!
Tyrus silently shouted in his heart.
...
When Angelica saw Char step onto the arena, she immediately cast a scrutinizing gaze at him.
Then, she furrowed her brows deeply.
What is this guy trying to do?
Does he think that he can't win anyway, so he's carrying a bunch of almost discarded swords to humiliate me?
Angelica already disliked the atmosphere in the arena, and her expression grew even darker.
She gently brushed aside the long hair on her forehead and whispered, "Thanks to you, I have to endure being watched by this group of people as if I were a spectacle. But even so, I have prepared for this duel with 100% seriousness."
"And what about you?"
"Do you think that since you can't win anyway, you might as well turn the duel into a farce?"
"Heh, what a tasteless person."
Upon hearing these words, Char, who was standing some distance away, "clanked" as he placed the bundle of longswords he was holding on the ground. He smiled faintly and said, "What did you say about my mother?"
With that, he snapped the tied rope, and the assorted styles of knight longswords scattered on the ground with a "clatter."
He bent down and randomly picked up a one-handed sword from the pile, lightly swinging it a few times.
He wondered if a sword of this quality could withstand his strikes.
But it's not a problem. After all, the quantity is here, and I can easily replace them if they get damaged. Moreover, I have Mr. Sitar's permission, so I don't have to compensate.
With that in mind, Char turned around and inserted the sword in front of him into the sandy arena platform.
He then picked up two more swords and repeated the same action.
Seeing his relaxed demeanor, Angelica narrowed her eyes slightly.
She raised her hand, and on her wrist was a silver bracelet adorned with a rainbow-colored gem.
This bracelet was called the "Sigh of the Glacier," and it was Angelica's "magic wand." Any ice-based magic released through this magical tool would have its effects boosted by fifty percent.
This is one of the top-tier enhancement-type magical tools within the Hiren Empire, and it can even be considered a pseudo-artifact. It has no usage restrictions whatsoever.
Even if a divine magician were to use it, they would still experience the same enhancement!
A cruel smile appeared on Angelica's face.
"I've made up my mind."
"In this battle, I will ruthlessly tear off that disgusting mask on your face and expose your unparalleled ugliness in front of everyone's eyes. Then, you will kneel before me, begging for forgiveness in utter humiliation."
"Because this is the punishment you deserve."
As soon as she finished speaking, the rainbow-colored gem emitted a dazzling light.
Eternal Frost - The Icicle Spear!