Silence.
“In other words, in the end, he’ll always take Crown Prince Eric’s side and oppose us. Though if our crown prince here is torn between two choices, that’s another story.”
Liu didn’t seem to entirely trust Margrave Linboldt. From his limited experience with the margrave, the imperial prince knew he wasn’t heartless enough to betray his own prince.
He’s right. Eric has always trusted Linboldt too.
I glanced at Eric. He was glaring at Liu, arms crossed. “Okay, now I think I understand. Liu, are you trying to strike a deal with me?”
Liu smirked and said, “That’s my crown prince—quick on the uptake. If we lose, we will withdraw. But if we win, either Linny comes back to the Ren Empire with us or you marry her. You must promise to do one of those two things.”
In other words, this duel didn’t only have Lingsha’s freedom on the line, but our wedding as well. Liu was taking advantage of Eric’s faith in Johann to win a duel and force Eric’s hand into giving him everything he wanted.
But Eric saw through the scheme. Surely, he did.
“I agree to your terms.”
Eric wasted no time in grabbing the quill and signing the contract. That’s the sort of man he was. Once he made a judgment call, nobody could stop him from following through on it.
“In the Ren Empire, we seal contracts with a drop of blood taken from the thumb. What do you say we seal this pact with our blood, as a sign of mutual trust?”
“Mutual trust? I never thought I’d hear you say such words in earnest. No matter…will this suffice?”
As per Renese tradition, Eric bit his thumb and pressed it to the contract.
Seeing the blood, Liu smiled and said, “You really are exactly the sort of man I took you for. I shall cherish this contract always.” With a satisfied smile, he took the contract from Eric. “There, Tailong. Take a gooood look. I got Crown Prince Eric’s word. Now if I win, everything will go smoothly. Sometimes you have to win a battle to win the war.”
Liu seemed so proud of the contract with Eric that he was rubbing it in Tailong’s face. Even I had to admit, it was well played. Liu knew Eric’s personality well. Annoyingly so.
“Sorry to rain on your parade, Master, but I believe it’s possible the crown prince will back out of the contract if he loses, insisting that it was a farce and not legally binding.”
“Hmm?! Whoa, Tailong, is that what you’re worried about? It’s okay. There’s no chance that’ll happen.”
“What?! How can you be so confident, Master?”
“Breaking a contract goes against his moral code. His moral compass is like a second heart to him. He would sooner die than go back on his word.”
Liu was right, Eric would never break a contract.
Prince Liu…what a terrifying man you are. You would use Eric’s own moral code against him.
After a few moments of dubious frowning, Tailong finally relented. “Ah…is that so? Very well, then. If things proceed as you designed, Master Liu, then I shall have the prime minister tell the emperor what a fantastic plan it was.”
Liu smiled and said, “Cool, cool. Glad you understand, Tailong. Well, make sure you follow through on your promise when we get back home, ol’ buddy,” he whispered after wrapping an arm conspiratorially around Tailong’s shoulder.
So even Tailong went along with Liu’s pushy plan in the end… But is he genuinely on board with it?
The emotionless man in question removed Liu’s arm from his shoulder and looked our way. “Well then, allow me to confirm the rules of the duel between Master Liu and Sir Johann. The fight will only end with death or surrender, and the only weapon to be wielded is the sword. Is that correct?”
“Yeah, I don’t mind—they’re my rules anyway. What do you think, Jojo?”
“I consent to these rules.”
The duelists agreed to the terms. Johann was the epitome of cool. Meanwhile, Liu’s daredevil smile was confidence incarnate.
“Very well, the duel will take place one month hence,” Tailong said. “Let’s hold it in the wasteland on the outskirts of the royal capital. You’ll find it here on the map…”
“Hold up, wouldn’t the palace training grounds be a better place for a duel?” Eric interjected. “And why wait a month? That’s far too long.”
I agreed with Eric; it seemed unnecessary to hold the duel so far from the palace.
“I see your point, Crown Prince, but holding the duel on the palace grounds would be somewhat inequitable.”
“Inequitable, eh? How so, Mr. Tailong?”
“Johann lives at the palace and trains at its training grounds. Wouldn’t that put Johann at an advantage?”
“I see your point… You think Johann might cheat.” Eric put a thoughtful hand on his chin. Though he didn’t show it, there was a hint of rage simmering in his voice. He probably took Tailong’s remark as a slight against Johann’s honor.
“Hellooo, Tailong, buddy? I’m fine either way. No matter where we have the duel, I’m gonna win.”
Liu’s devil-may-care optimism was a stark contrast to Tailong. He knew just how strong Johann was, so his preemptive declaration of victory revealed how much self-confidence he had.
“No, Master Liu. Your pride may be an asset, but it is also your weakness. We mustn’t cede any ground here.”
“Aww…well, if you insist…”
“Thank you, Master. Sir Johann, what do you think?”
“I am fine either way.”
Johann didn’t seem bothered by the idea of fighting in the wastelands. He probably thought arguing over the details was the real bother.
“As for the remote date of the duel, this time will prove necessary for both parties,” Tailong explained. “Whether Princess Lingsha is taken back to the Ren Empire or she stays here and marries the crown prince, either scenario will sow discord, will it not? A month from now, there will be envoys from other countries in attendance—this will make matters much easier to explain.”
Tailong’s words made it clear that he assumed Liu would win. He wanted to put our wedding on the line too.
“On that note—Crown Prince Eric, do you agree to these terms?” Tailong asked.
Eric nodded. “If Johann agrees, that’s good enough for me. I still don’t see why there has to be a delay, but have it your way.” He probably gave in to Tailong’s demand because he trusted Johann.
“All right, it’s settled. We’ll take our leave now. See you in a month.” Liu tossed a paper talisman out the window to summon the fiery bird of myth once more.
I’m always awestruck by that phoenix, no matter how many times I see it.
If Liu used his phoenix in battle, Johann wouldn’t have a prayer. Liu had promised that he would use swords only, but he could still use his phoenix anyway…
If that happens—I’ll just have to use every card in my deck to stop him.
I clenched my fists as I watched the pair fly off into the distance on the phoenix’s back. Even in a pure swordfight, Liu seemed confident that he would beat Johann. Johann was just as confident that he would win too, but the thought that it was a fight to the death made the whole thing terrifying.
Each passing day heaped new sources of stress into our lives.