"Is this guy Linton Melovy?"
"He doesn't look that strong. Is he here to die?"
"So, who exactly is Marco? Is he famous?"
Hearing Linton announce himself, the surrounding commoners began whispering among themselves. They knew little about him, but just from the scene, it was clear that Linton was nowhere near as impressive as Bayard.
"That's Linton?" The young knight apprentice called out Linton's name, a clear sign of disrespect. As he spoke, the young man dismounted and walked a few steps toward Linton. "I am Dies Tramm, disciple of Lord Bayard."
"Is that Tramm?"
"Isn't he the genius young man Lord Bayard has praised? He certainly looks impressive."
The commoners started whispering again. They had at least heard of Tramm's name since he was an apprentice to a legendary knight, which made him much more renowned than Linton.
Tramm seemed to enjoy the comments from those around him, giving a slight smile before looking back at Linton. After sizing him up, Tramm said, "I thought someone worthy of Lord Bayard's attention would be someone significant. Turns out you're just a kid. What makes you think you have the qualifications to stand in the same ring as him? You look so weak, I could probably handle you with one hand."
His tone was filled with disdain, and Linton could sense that Tramm was frustrated. Linton guessed that this guy had hoped to become the judgment knight himself, seeing it as a great opportunity to build his reputation. However, in the end, Duke Royan recommended his master, Bayard, which may have caused Tramm's dissatisfaction.
"That's because you're not qualified," Linton replied bluntly.
With just one sentence, Tramm's face darkened. Linton had struck a nerve. The truth was, Tramm wasn't qualified. To become a judgment knight, one needed to be an official knight at the very least, and Tramm was just an apprentice. Although he felt his skills and experience were enough, Bayard had repeatedly told him that he wasn't ready. Linton's comment hit where it hurt the most.
The atmosphere grew tense, and the surrounding commoners fell silent. It was clear that Linton was provoking Tramm. But how could he dare speak to Bayard's disciple like that? Wasn't he afraid of dying?
In the next moment, Tramm suddenly drew his sword and charged at Linton, slashing downward toward his head. Everyone gasped in shock. No one had expected Tramm to attack so suddenly.
The attack was already upon him, yet Linton didn't move. He neither dodged nor drew his sword to defend. He simply stood there as if he had been petrified.
Just as everyone thought Linton was about to be killed, Tramm's sword stopped. It halted just centimeters from Linton's head. A slight move downward would've split Linton's head in two, and the spectators held their breath in fear for him.
"Scared stiff?" Tramm taunted, looking at Linton. "Did you wet your pants?"
"Young Master!" Eck, who stood behind Linton, finally reacted. He was genuinely close to wetting his pants himself. "Are you… are you alright?"
"What could happen?" To everyone's surprise, Linton was unusually calm. "Do you really think he dares to kill me?"
"Hmm?" Tramm frowned slightly.
"Tomorrow, I'm fighting his master, Bayard. If he kills me today, it wouldn't be my face that's lost." Linton smiled. "Legendary knight Bayard sending his apprentice to ambush his opponent the day before a duel? That's a stain that might never be washed away."
"You..." Tramm's face turned grim. He couldn't deny it—he didn't dare kill Linton. He was merely trying to scare this arrogant guy. But he hadn't expected Linton to see through it so clearly and even say it out loud, making him look foolish.
Before Tramm could figure out what to do next, he suddenly felt a gust of wind below. Before he could react, a fist struck his jaw. With a loud "bang," Tramm was sent flying, spinning twice in the air before crashing back to the ground, face-first.
Everyone at the scene was stunned. It was, of course, Linton who had struck. But they hadn't expected him to suddenly attack and even knock Tramm into the air. How had he dared to do that? And how had he succeeded?
"Pathetic," Linton muttered, shaking his hand with disdain.
While the onlookers were mostly shocked by the suddenness of the punch, Bayard and another female knight apprentice standing nearby were startled for a different reason. They knew how strong Tramm was. Even if someone tried to ambush him, it wouldn't be easy to land a hit. But Linton's casual punch had knocked him down—it wasn't as simple as it looked.
Bayard's expression darkened. He hadn't authorized Tramm's provocation, and now it had only embarrassed him. With a nod to the female knight apprentice, he signaled her to pull Tramm back.
However, just as she was about to step forward, Tramm suddenly let out a roar. He wasn't in good shape, having lost several teeth from the punch, his mouth now full of blood, and he looked terrifying. He had even blacked out for a few seconds. But being humiliated by someone he saw as trash had pushed him over the edge.
"You bastard! I'm going to kill you!" Tramm howled as he clumsily picked up his sword from the ground and stood up.
"I! Don't! Believe it!" Despite Tramm's rage, Linton stood calmly, as if he wasn't concerned at all. "I don't believe you dare to hit me. I'll stand right here without moving. If you touch a single hair on my head, I'll take your name."
"I'm going to kill you!" Tramm raised his sword again to strike. But just as his sword was about to hit Linton, he stopped. Yes, Tramm was struggling. If he struck, all the honor he had built would be lost. Not only that, his teacher's reputation would be affected, and Bayard would surely abandon him.
"Do you know the motto of the Melovy family? Hesitation leads to defeat, you fool!" At the moment of Tramm's hesitation, Linton stepped forward and punched him again. This time, Linton didn't hit hard, just enough to turn Tramm's face into a swollen mess. After all, the guy was too handsome for his liking.
With a "bang," Tramm staggered back a few steps, losing even more teeth. His face caved in, and blood covered his once-handsome features.
Tramm stood there in shock for a moment, but this punch seemed to snap something inside him. He didn't care about honor anymore; he just wanted Linton dead. Letting out a roar, he raised his sword and charged at Linton again.
But Linton didn't move, calmly watching Tramm. He wasn't worried about taking his name. Even though Tramm seemed to have lost his mind from the provocation, there was no way he'd be able to land a hit. After all, Bayard was still here. Would he really stand by and watch?
Sure enough, with a sharp "ding," Tramm's sword was blocked by another. The crowd looked over to see that the person who had stopped him was Bayard's other disciple, the female knight apprentice. No one had seen when she moved, but she had appeared at just the right moment to intercept Tramm's attack.
"Erin, don't stop me! I'll kill him!" Tramm growled, sounding like a crazed beast.
"Tramm, calm down. At least today, you can't touch him," said the female apprentice, Erin.
Tramm knew why. If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have stopped before. But now, he no longer cared. He just wanted to kill Linton. Looking up at Linton, who still wore a smug smile, Tramm's anger surged again.
"Move aside!" Tramm shouted.
"Tramm, you're being too reckless today. Master is already displeased," Erin warned.
Hearing that Bayard was upset, Tramm suddenly felt a chill. This was no laughing matter. Erin's words were like a bucket of cold water, cooling him down and restoring some of his reason.
But just as he was calming down, Linton spoke again. "Tramm, right? I have to say, your punches don't feel bad. I really enjoyed myself today. What's that look? Still not convinced? Haven't you realized it yet? Today, only I can hit you. You wouldn't dare touch me. If you don't believe me, try it. I'll immediately start rolling on the ground, screaming that some apprentice knight of Bayard's beat me up. I won't get up without ten or twenty thousand in compensation. Come on, didn't you just say you were going to kill me? I'm right here. Go ahead, touch me if you dare."
"You… I swear, I'll kill you!" Tramm's extinguished rage flared up again.
"Tramm!" Erin was getting anxious, blocking Tramm while shooting Linton an angry glare.
"Huh? What's with you, woman? Do you want to hit me too? I'm standing right here. Try it if you dare."
"Don't go too far," Erin warned.
"I'm going too far? Tomorrow, I might get chopped up by your master. What do I have left