* * *

“Get up right now!”

Lucas, who had buried his face in his pillow, jerked his head up in surprise at the shrill shout.

Rubbing his stiff eyes and looking behind him, he found his pest of a younger sister standing firmly beside his bed.

Clutching his throbbing forehead, he complained,

“For heaven's sake! How many times do I have to tell you not to barge into my room whenever you please?”

“This isn't the time to worry about manners! Get up! It's an emergency!”

Raina violently shook his shoulders while screeching at him. Lucas shoved her away and pressed his throbbing temples.

He had spent the entire day hunting with riders his age from Wolfram and had stopped by a tavern afterward, returning home thoroughly drunk on ale.

His head already felt like it was splitting apart, and now she was causing another commotion.

He squinted irritably at his sister.

“What is it this time? Did the Zramin invade Laedgo Castle?”

“Quit talking nonsense and get up!”

Raina grabbed his arm and stomped her feet anxiously.

“Something terrible has happened! The ‘Black Bear of the South’ is going to duel our brother!”

Lucas instantly felt the drowsiness vanish.

He sat bolt upright and stared blankly at her.

“Who's fighting who?”

“Oh, damn it!”

Apparently exhausting the little patience she possessed, Raina let go of his arm as though throwing it away and marched toward the door.

Lucas stared at her back in confusion before jumping out of bed and grabbing the Tunka he had left draped over a chair. Throwing it over his naked upper body, he hurried after her.

As he stepped outside, he saw servants flooding down the corridor with lanterns in hand.

Looking around in bewilderment, he caught up to his sister halfway down the stairs with long strides.

“Is Brother really fighting a duel?”

“I just said so!”

Raina snapped irritably while taking the stairs two at a time.

Lucas frowned.

He knew guests had arrived at Laedgo Castle.

But how the lord who represented the southeastern region and the heir of House Siorcan had ended up in a duel was beyond him. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Holding his pounding head, he asked,

“Why are they dueling in the middle of the night?”

“Why else? That embodiment of discord finally caused trouble!”

Raina ground her teeth.

“That woman burst into the banquet hall, poured wine over Sir Gutvan, and even slapped him!”

Lucas's mouth fell open.

“That woman... don't tell me you mean the Second Imperial Princess?”

“Who else could it possibly be!”

Raina beat her chest in frustration.

“Because of her, the Black Bear got into an argument with Brother, and now they're having a duel!”

Crossing the hall in a single breath, she stormed outside and huffed loudly.

“See? Didn't I tell you over and over that she'd bring disaster? I was right!”

Fastening his open coat, Lucas rolled his eyes.

Strictly speaking, what his sister had predicted was a cunning villainess who acted fragile in front of his brother while scheming behind his back.

Not a madwoman who slapped the strongest lance knight in the East before everyone.

'Well, regardless, she's become a problem.'

Brushing back his disheveled hair, he hurried across the spacious courtyard.

Hundreds of people carrying torches and lamps had already gathered around the steps leading to the training grounds.

Pushing through the crowd, Lucas moved deeper inside.

Nobles who had come to witness the duel and Wolfram's elite knights had gathered there.

Spotting a familiar face, Lucas immediately headed over.

“Tyron!”

The lancer who had been speaking with his men turned around.

He too looked as though he'd rushed out in the middle of resting. Wearing only a loose coat over his bare chest, the man sighed deeply at Lucas and Raina.

“You two really shouldn't be wandering around without escorts at this hour.”

“Forget the lecture. What the hell happened?”

“I just arrived myself, so I don't know the details.”

Tyron shrugged unconcernedly.

“One thing is clear, though. Our future leader possesses a considerably more aggressive disposition than his appearance would suggest.”

He pointed with his chin toward one side of the vast cavalry grounds.

There stood Varkas in heavy black iron armor beside a massive gray stallion.

Lucas stared blankly.

Amid all the large, rough-looking men around him, Varkas looked like a carefully sculpted work of art.

The lithe body enclosed in armor was by no means small or weak, but neither was it broad and gigantic like the other lancers.

Even the way he tightened the joints of his armor resembled a dancer more than a warrior.

His opponent, meanwhile, looked like a beast wearing human skin.

Lucas swallowed dryly as he looked to the opposite side of the training grounds.

The man was nearly seven krevets tall, about two hundred and ten centimeters, and weighed well over five lants, nearly reaching six, around two hundred and ten kilograms.

Adding the weight of his steel armor, he probably weighed even more.

The man strode toward the center of the grounds, leading an enormous warhorse fit for his frame.

The blazing bonfires illuminated his terrifying figure.

Cries of excitement, admiration, and awe burst from the crowd.

Lucas groaned quietly.

“This is insanity.”

Four soldiers who appeared to be the man's subordinates then came carrying an enormous halberd that resembled a lump of metal.

Grasping the shaft with one hand, the man raised the monstrous axe blade high.

The crowd erupted into even louder cheers.

Raina seized Tyron by the collar.

“Why aren't you stopping this right now?!”

“His Highness Daren has been trying to stop them for some time already, but neither man is listening.”

Tyron sighed and pointed with his thumb toward a figure standing beside Varkas.

Following his finger, Lucas widened his eyes.

A small figure was furiously shouting at his brother.

The woman waved her fists wildly in anger.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Lucas approached.

As soon as he heard the sharp voice ringing out, he frowned.

Fearlessly, the woman screamed at the man who towered more than a head above her.

“Are you an idiot? A moron? You can just crush someone like that with authority! Why are you stupidly competing in strength?!”

Lucas laughed in disbelief.

He hadn't thought there could be another woman who spoke as viciously as Raina.

And she was speaking like that to his brother...

He glanced at Varkas.

The latter calmly inspected his horse.

The woman punched him in the back.

“Did you sleep through your mathematics lessons? That bastard looks three times heavier than you! Don't you know weight and strength are proportional?”

“Bring me my helmet.”

Ignoring her existence, Varkas addressed a page.

Furious, the woman rolled up her sleeves.

She looked ready to slap him.

Daren hurriedly grabbed her shoulders.

“Your Highness, there is no need to worry so much. Such things are common among warriors. Neither of them will cross the line—”

“Who says I'm worried about that bastard?!”

She violently shook off his hand.

“I'm worried about myself! If I become a widow right after getting married, my future will be ruined!”

Apparently overwhelmed by her poisonous tongue, Daren stepped back.

Yet Varkas remained unmoved by her curses.

He put on his helmet and vaulted onto the saddle.

“Hand me the weapon.”

Immediately, a page presented him with a halberd whose crescent-shaped silver blade gleamed beneath the firelight.

Taking it, Varkas rode toward the center of the grounds before anyone could stop him.

The woman hurried after him.

Watching from a distance, Lucas unconsciously ran over and caught her.

Cold eyes flew toward him like daggers.

Lucas stopped breathing.

For a moment, his mind went blank.

Staring dumbfounded into that strangely beautiful face, he suddenly heard the booming blast of the horn announcing the beginning of the duel.

Snapping his head up, Lucas groaned.

Alex Gutvan was slowly circling the spectators, spinning the enormous halberd with one hand.

The axe blade, closer to a mace than a weapon, carved huge circles through the air, producing sounds like a cracking whip.

He felt the woman trembling beside him as though she might collapse.

But he had no time to look at her.

The beast, flaunting his strength before the crowd, suddenly dug in his heels.

Heavy hoofbeats shook the earth.

Dust rose everywhere.

Mounted atop the giant horse, the man spun his halberd and charged toward Varkas with terrifying speed.

Screams erupted from the crowd.

And for good reason.

It looked like an enraged buffalo charging at a deer.

Lucas clenched his fists.

It seemed as though that giant forged from iron would crush his brother in an instant.

Yet what Lucas witnessed was something he could hardly believe with his own eyes.

The enormous axe blade, nearly the size of a person, was effortlessly knocked aside by a spear thrust that descended with the elegance of a bird's wing.

Lucas's eyes widened.

And the miracle did not end there.

The moment Varkas spurred his horse forward, the massive body of his opponent tilted backward as though it had crashed into a fortress wall.

Varkas seized the opening.

Kicking his stallion's flank, he thrust his spear straight ahead.

The sharp point shot forth like lightning.

It pierced the thick breastplate and drove through the man's chest.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

With the spear buried through the giant's torso, Varkas continued riding.

As he lifted the spear upward, the enormous body rose into the air.

Screams rang out at the grotesque sight.

Galloping across the training ground, Varkas spun the spear shaft in a great arc before driving the halberd downward.

The giant body slammed into the dirt.

A heavy tremor spread through the grounds.

A suffocating silence descended.

Everyone stood frozen by the duel that had ended in an instant.

Varkas rode over beside the mangled corpse.

He tore off his helmet and threw it onto the ground.

Without a single trace of disorder upon his cold face, he looked toward the attendants and calmly ordered,

“Summon a priest and arrange a funeral.”