"The duel will start tomorrow at morning. Prepare yourself."
Father left with a disappointed look on his face as if he already expected me to fail his challenge. Well, it can't help as I never tried having a duel with anyone. Since I was a kid, all he did was train me to become a fine man who is suited to become a duke of this house.
As he left, Marcus and the maids followed him. The only ones left in here were me and Livius.
My gaze shifts to Livius, he is standing while holding the bars of the cell staring at me. His eyes were narrowed.
I knew he wouldn't speak, so I just walked a little to come closer to him and I initiated the conversation. "If you think you will remain in that cell for the rest of your life, fear not. You just have to spend a night in there and don't worry, tomorrow you will be free again."
"My lord, why are you doing this?"
I opened my mouth to respond but then closed it, realizing he was confused by my actions.
A smirk comes out into my lips. "Come on, I maybe bullied you when we were kids but it's done as we're young men now," I said. "I'm planning to have you as my subordinate, that's why I shouldn't let you be in there for the rest of your life."
He doesn't know where to look. Especially when he heard what I said. "I didn't—" He stopped, unsure how to continue. "I didn't expect you to help me."
"I don't need to hear your complaints. Whether you liked it or not, that will be your fate. Are we clear on that?"
[NOTICE: Livius's hatred decreases to 30%.]
[NOTICE: Livius's trust increases to 10%.]
The smirk on my lips never faded as I received those notifications from CC.
I spoke again, "Don't worry. I'm strong enough to defeat anyone from my father's trusted knights. I won't let myself be in danger if I can't pull myself out of it."
He just gave me a little smile. If this pace continues, I will gain his trust in no time.
"Now, I need to go as I need to prepare a little bit for the duel tomorrow."
I left the underground cell. I decided to test out my new skills: 'Inspect' and 'Foresight,' before the duel tomorrow.
'Inspect' is a skill in which I can notice details about people and surroundings. Therefore, I can sense movements in a certain range in an area without seeing them.
The perfect skill for tomorrow's duel is 'Foresight,' which lets me predict and counter my opponent's moves.
The other rewards I had along with that skill are another EXP and Influence Points. Currently, I'm at Level 5.
As I am walking in a corridor heading to my study room, I can't help but try these skills.
'Inspect,' I internally cast the skill.
According to the description, I can sense movements at the basic level of this skill within 5 meters. And with that, I see that Father is now talking to his knights. Maybe he was already discussing the situation and now choosing who among them would fight me tomorrow.
The knights, namely: Sir Aldric Vayne, Dame Lyra Caelith, Sir Garrick Thornell, and Dame Erynn Halcrest-Vayne. They have different magic and weapons from each other:
Aldric, the leader, uses a longsword and shield with fire magic; Lyra, quick and agile, wields dual rapiers and controls wind; Garrick, the tank, wields an axe and also has fire magic; and Erynn, Aldric's wife, uses a bow with water magic.
I already saw how well they are in battles oftentimes, especially when they do training.
And it's strange to remember I once called them 'The Fantastic Four' when I was seven. How childish.
As far as I remember, that was the time I first met them. They are fresh graduates from Magindale Academy and they chose to serve Father as soon as they become a magus knight.
I don't know the entire story but when I asked them before why they chose to serve a duke rather than the king, the only thing that they told me was that they highly respected my father. And it became the reason behind the name I gave to their group.
I hope none of them remember it once I met them again.
***
The time has come for my duel with one of my father's knights.
I have an intuition that my opponent will be Lyra. She possesses wind magic, an elemental magic that is strong against mine. For sure Father will take advantage of that.
The duel will take place in the training grounds of the Thorne Household. It is a wide-open space, and it is now surrounded by rows of spectators, such as noble guests, knights, and servants.
I expected magus knights and servants will watch our duel, but it didn't come to my mind that Father would also invite some noble guests.
I'm surprised that he handled to invite them with just one night's notice. He is indeed serious about the punishment if I lose.
All of them stared at me as if they expected me to lose today. Until my eyes turned to my father, sitting in the center of the crowd. Beside him were his elite knights.
Sword in hand, I walked through the field, stopping at the center to wait for my opponent. I only have one wish in mind: my opponent should be Ly—
"Tsk," I flinched.
The moment Aldric took his first step, I knew he would be my opponent. My father never end his cruelty against me.
As Aldric approached, I locked eyes with my father, our stares exchanging unspoken words. He didn't need to say it—I could feel his intent. He wasn't testing me. He was trying to break me.
What could be better than putting me against Aldric? The undefeated magus knight in duels. How lucky am I to have a father like that duke?
"You have surely grown a fine young man, Lord Nicodeim." Finally, Aldric reached me.
I smirked. "I never thought we'd meet again as opponents, Sir Aldric."
He chuckled. "Since when did you address me so formally?"
The smirk never leaves my lips. "I wanted to pay respect to the person who will lose today, Sir."
The grin on his lips fades away little by little. Indeed, Aldric is a person who you can call a great friend you can have. But if you say something to make him draw his sword, you know you're safety is now unsure.
He changed his stance, small but clear. He was serious now.
The world seemed to slow as Aldric lunged at me, his blade cutting through the air with a hiss. I barely had time to react, the ground beneath me seeming to shift as my feet moved. My grip tightened on my sword, its weight grounding me for the fight.
The sound of Aldric's boots thundering toward me echoed in my ears, and I could feel the tension in the air before the clash of steel.
Believe me, he looks different from the Aldric I imagined.
'Foresight!' I was near to shouting that skill just to make sure I activated it before Aldric even managed to land damage in me.
The moment I activated the skill, his movements unfolded before me like a drawn map. I could see where he would strike—the left side, fast, precise, and deadly.
'Cool! This skill is useful,' I thought.
I could already feel the weight of the moment pressing in. It almost felt too easy... too good to be true.
I swung my sword up in a defensive arc. The clash of steel rang out as his blade slammed against mine, the force pushing me back slightly. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough.
I gritted my teeth as I thought, 'Another win for the system.'
I don't know if Father asked him to kill me now or if he is just like this when he is serious in battle, but whatever it is, I need to make sure I won't be dead without even staying a week in this world.
"Let's see what you've got, Lord Nicodeim," he said.
I didn't intend to answer, I just pushed his sword away from me. My heart pounded, but I held my ground.
I couldn't afford to use my elemental magic—not here, not now. The rules of the duel weren't clear, and revealing it without reason could invite trouble.
Aldric stepped back, measuring me with his gaze. His reputation was well-earned; every move was calculated and every strike had a purpose. But I couldn't give him the upper hand.
I charged, my sword arcing toward him. He blocked it effortlessly. He is really strong.
"Don't rush things, Lord Nicodeim," he said. His tone was nearly mocking. "I have no intention to win this fight with you. I won't let you lose your position just to save a mere physician like Sarrafort."
His words hit a nerve I didn't know I had. My grip on the sword tightened, heat surging through me. I felt it before I saw it—the flicker of my elemental magic sparking to life.
In a flash, I turned, the magic boosting my speed and strength. Before Aldric could react, I was behind him, my blade at his throat.
He froze, eyes wide with shock as he dropped his sword. The silence was deafening.
I stared at him, my chest heaving.
What have I done?