A laugh reached my ears, but it wasn’t one of mockery or ridicule. The Villendorfian sounded as though she were chuckling at the silly appearance of an old friend. I gave a strained smile. I actually like this helmet quite a bit, even though it narrows my scope of vision. I removed my helmet and revealed my forced smile that was hidden underneath.
The Villendorfian quietly stared at my face for a few moments before she spoke once more. “Very good! Very, very good! You’re more stunning and handsome than the heroic poems that describe you!”
“I’m rather unpopular in Anhalt, truth be told!” I shouted back. “I still don’t have a wife!”
“Then come to our kingdom! A man as gorgeous as you will be happily welcomed by anyone in our nation! Every woman in Villendorf has drool dripping down her mouth as we await you!”
They’re trying to invite me to their side, huh? Well, they don’t sound at all hostile just yet. But it’s a bit concerning that their commander’s leaning so far forward to see my face that she’s about to fall off her horse.
“Ah, what about me?” the Villendorf commander asked. “I’m willing to cast aside my current husband for you!”
“Unfortunately, I’m not the type to touch a married woman!” I yelled back.
Our banter continued. I assumed that the commander would take the lead and guide me into Villendorf’s royal capital. It was vital that I left a positive impression here.
“That’s a pity!” she replied. “Had I met you before I met my husband, perhaps I would have had a chance. It’s a genuine shame that timing isn’t on my side!”
“You should treasure your husband!” I said.
“I know! But even so, it’s truly a shame!”
Dude, just give up already. I’m not interested in stealing other people’s wives, and I don’t want to get involved in that sort of drama. Lord Reckenbell had once asked me to be her second husband, but I’d been in a state of emergency then. Oh, but widows are fair game. Yeah, that makes me more excited. Enough about my fetishes, though. My steed slowly walked ahead.
“Now that our thoughts on that topic are clear, I’ll cross the border,” I said.
“Wait!” the Villendorfian commander barked. She pointed her chin at the knights behind her, clad in full suits of armor. “There are a few chosen people here who wish to challenge you. If you’re the real Sir Faust von Polidoro, surely you know what I’m referring to?”
I expected as much.
“I do,” I replied. “They wish to challenge me to duels, correct? Have you prepared the training swords? I don’t wish to kill anyone when we’re here to negotiate peace.”
“I’ve already got two swords here,” the commander replied. “You may rest between battles as much as you like! And you may also choose whether to stay atop your steed or not! However, should any of these challengers be victorious, you will become her husband! I won’t force you to come to our kingdom, but we’ll take all the children you have with the victor, barring the eldest daughter! These kids shall be future heroes of Villendorf!”
Good. I’d expected all of this to happen, and I prepared to jump off my steed. I wanted to avoid the worst and protect Flugel from any injuries. Though our new scarlet saddle will probably protect him since it’s completely covered in magic sigils. I doubted that a fully armored Flugel would receive so much as a scratch, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
“Wait!” Princess Valiele cried. “Faust, are you planning on accepting these duels? We’re here to negotiate peace! And it’s not like you’d gain anything even if you won.”
She began to panic, and I wondered if I should’ve told her about this beforehand. Not like it makes a difference, though. I can just tell her now.
“Lord Reckenbell,” I said. I spoke the name of Villendorf’s hero. “Princess Valiele, during the Campaign of Villendorf, Lord Reckenbell could’ve easily surrounded me with her knights and killed me without mercy. Yet, she didn’t choose that route.”
I placed the bucket helm back over my head and fastened the clasps as I spoke to the princess.
“She did what she did because she was Villendorf’s hero,” I said.
That was all. That was the sole reason Lord Reckenbell had accepted my challenge. I knew that she’d acted in accordance with Villendorf’s culture and values, and she’d done so with pride.
“I’m Anhalt’s hero,” I said.
I might have been a brawny man who was constantly ridiculed by others in Anhalt, but that fact didn’t change. I was a weakly frontier lord knight with only three hundred citizens to my name, but no one in Anhalt would deny my heroic deeds.
“Lord Reckenbell didn’t avoid dueling against me, and thus, I have no right to avoid these duels either,” I explained. “It matters not if we came here to negotiate peace. In fact, it doesn’t matter when, where, or what situation we’re in. I must not flee from a duel against a Villendorfian knight. Should I do so, Lord Reckenbell would roll in her grave and in Valhalla with anguish, infuriated that she lost to such a man. My duel against Lord Reckenbell is a part of my honor, and that is the one thing that I cannot forfeit.”
“Well said!” the Villendorf commander shouted.
She sounded deeply impressed and voiced her feelings as she removed her helmet and stared at my face.
“Well said indeed! You’re exactly as heroic as the ballads tell!” she yelled. “You’re truly worthy to be our eternal rival!”
The commander spread her arms wide as she raised her voice and turned to the knights behind her.
“You cannot win against the Beautiful Beast,” she said. “I know that very well. However, do not bring shame to your names during your duels!”
“Yes, ma’am!” the knights roared.
A knight stepped forward, eager to battle. I finished fastening my great helm onto my head and received a training sword from a Villendorfian soldier who quietly walked toward me. I checked the feel of the blade. Hmm, not bad. If I hold back, I probably won’t kill them.
“Now then, let us begin,” I said.
I patted Flugel’s flank. My steed understood my meaning; he looked a bit displeased, but he stepped away from my side.