For some reason, every member of our class was present. And it wasn’t just them, either—a large crowd of students from other classes had gathered as well. All of them were looking on in anticipation. It was like they were here to see a circus act.
“Heh… It’s always good to have a nice crowd of spectators for a duel, wouldn’t you say?”
“Hmph! Don’t tell me you’re afraid of getting your ass kicked in public?!” Silas roared.
Hmm… It seems like Silas isn’t the only one who wants to see me go down in public. The prince is clearly in on this. It seems he didn’t take his loss in class as graciously as I’d hoped.
Ha-ha… During my second life, I thought he simply disliked Louis, but I see now that the problem runs much deeper.
He had done his best to come across as benevolent and open-minded during his speech at the entrance ceremony, but there could be little doubt at this point that in his heart, he was remarkably petty. Not that it mattered to me, of course.
“…I’m short on time, so let’s get this over with,” I called out.
“You wretch!” Silas shouted. “How dare you take that attitude with His Highness?!” He seemed ready to grab me.
“Shut up,” I murmured.
I wasn’t about to drag this out. I was going to show everyone here what was what, once and for all.
“The duel between Silas MacLagan and Hugo Grenville will now commence,” the prince announced. “Both of you, assume your stances!”
At his signal, Silas and I drew our swords from their sheaths.
“…H-hey! Where are you going?!”
“Wretch! You’re turning tail at the eleventh hour?!”
Without a word, I spun around and left the prince’s cronies as they shouted abuse after me. I could hear the throng of students around us buzzing in confused excitement.
I sighed. How annoying.
“Melza… Sorry, but could you keep my scabbard until this is over?” I asked, holding it out to her.
“Oh-ho. Of course,” she answered with a soft smile.
With that, I returned to the center of the training ground.
“Hmph!” Silas snorted. “A pathetic sheath like that, you could have just thrown it on the ground somewhere! And what’s with that stupid saber? Is this some kind of carnival trick?”
“……”
My patience with this guy was running razor thin. Not only had he insulted Melza, now he was ridiculing the sword I’d received from the archduke.
At this point, nothing could stop me from making sure he drank his fill of despair.
“If you’re ready…begin!” shouted the prince.
“Aaauuugggggh!”
No sooner was the duel underway than Silas charged forward, his weapon raised over his shoulder.
It seemed he planned on using his sword’s long reach to take me out in one fell swoop. And regardless of whether he could manage such a feat, it was clear he meant to deliver a killing blow. So this duel is nothing more than an excuse to knock me off, huh?
“Diiieee!” Silas cried, swinging his sword overhead as if to cleave me in two.
Shink.
A dry cutting sound reverberated across the training ground.
“Gaaauuugggggh…?!”
Silas grabbed his left arm and fell to the ground screaming as his face twisted in agony.
He clearly hadn’t seen that coming. The assembled students and even the prince himself were rendered utterly speechless. They all stared down in silence at the wailing Silas.
…But this wasn’t over yet.
“Hey,” I called out.
“Eeek!” Silas grimaced and tried to crawl away.
“What’s wrong? The duel isn’t over yet. Pick up your sword.”
“Ngh! I—I can’t! My arm won’t move! How am I supposed to—”
“You’ve still got your right arm, haven’t you?” I pointed out in a voice as cold as ice.
“…?!” A look of abject terror fell across Silas’s face.
“Here, I’ll give you a hand,” I muttered, retrieving his fallen longsword and shoving its hilt into his right palm.
“Let’s keep going.”
Shink.
“Aaauuuggghh!”
This time, I struck his right arm with the tip of my saber.
Silas winced, writhing around and staining the dirt with tears and snotty drool.
“Come on, Silas. Get up before—”
“W-wait! It’s over! Y-you win!” the prince interceded. Then he turned and shouted, “Someone, go and get a healer, now!”
“R-right!”
Several students snapped back to their senses and took off from the training ground at a sprint.
At least the prince and his cronies would know to keep their heads down from now on. And this lesson had reached someone else, too.
“……”
Louis was among the crowd of onlookers, his mouth agape.
I wiped my saber clean and headed back to my beloved, who had been watching from the edge of the training ground.
“Hugh! You won,” she said with a smile.
“Melza… I dedicate this victory to you,” I said, kneeling in front of her and sheathing my sword.
Within moments, we were interrupted.
“Y-y-you! You think you can get away with this?!” demanded the prince’s remaining henchman. He was pointing at me across the field in indignation.
Angry though he was, having witnessed Silas’s defeat firsthand, he spoke in a wavering voice, and he was trembling with fright.
“…Master Gene. Hugh fought fair and square,” Melza fired back. “Are you still going to object in spite of that?”
“O-of course! He just humiliated the son and heir of the Imperial Guard’s commander! Silas was meant to become Prince Ernest’s—no, the empire’s sword and shield! That man has robbed this nation of a vital asset! He needs to be punished!”
Ha-ha… You’re saying Silas—the boy crawling on the ground like an animal, whining and blubbering at the top of his lungs—was meant to be the empire’s sword and shield? If that’s true, this nation is destined to fall the moment it loses the archduke.
But putting aside that dispiriting line of thought…
“Do you hear what your attendant is saying, Your Highness?” I asked the prince.
“……”
The prince bit his lip and shot me a smoldering glare.
“Don’t tell me you would stoop to breaking your own word, Your Highness? You promised to honor my three conditions.”
“Huh?! O-of course I will honor them.”
The whole point of the last condition was to avoid this sort of baseless accusation after the fact. I ask that whatever the outcome, no one voice any complaints or grievances afterward.
“Could you please stop your hanger-on from yapping like a little dog? Or if you would prefer, I can shut him up.”
“…Be quiet, Gene,” warned the prince.
“B-but Your Highness—”
“I told you to put a sock in it.”
“…A-all right…”
Gene looked like he wanted to say more, but the prince, no doubt realizing that his remaining crony would end up suffering the same fate as Silas if he didn’t hold his tongue, pressured him to shut his mouth.
A wise decision.
“In that case,” I prompted, “I believe the loser owes Melza an apology as per my second condition.”
“…C-can’t that wait?!” pleaded the prince. “Silas is clearly debilitated right now! Once a healer has seen to him, I’ll make sure he offers her a sincere apology!”
“…What do you think, Melza?” I asked.
“I don’t mind waiting,” she answered.
“There you go. You’re lucky Melza is so kindhearted.”
“Ugh…,” Silas whimpered. He was still writhing on the ground, so it was hard to tell if the sound was meant as a response or not.
“We’ll be leaving now, Your Highness,” I said.
“O-okay…”
I took Melza’s hand in my own, and we started to leave the training ground, but then I stopped short. “Oh, right,” I said, turning to look over my shoulder.
“…?!”
“My first condition. Please make sure those two never bother us again.”
“O-of course…”
With that, we took our leave.
“Ho-ho… You’re so strong, Hugh.” Melza chuckled as we rode home in our carriage.
“Ha-ha. Naturally. I learned from the best. I mean, your grandfather is the strongest warrior in the whole empire. Besides, there’s no way I could allow myself to fail with you in the audience.”
So long as I was fighting for Melza, I would emerge victorious against any opponent, no matter how powerful they were. I wouldn’t even allow them to touch me, since that might cause her to worry.
“You’re so kind, as well,” she whispered.
“Huh?” I tilted my head in confusion.
“Ho-ho… You broke Master Silas’s arms in just the right places so he could make a speedy recovery, didn’t you?”
“How did you figure that out…?”
“I’ve learned a little from my grandfather, too, you know.” She playfully stuck out her tongue. It was so adorable, my heart almost skipped a beat. “…What’s wrong, Hugh?”
“N-nothing…”
Without realizing it, I had tightened my grip on her hand. Lowering my face, I practically swooned. She was so precious, it was simply unfair!
Before long, the carriage arrived back at the archduke’s residence.