Chapter 38

The Baron was a man with a craftiness written all over his face. If you took the “Rat-boy,” removed a bit of the small-fry aura, and added some flabby indulgence, you’d get the Baron. In a sense, they were a well-matched master and servant.

“Helge, how much longer must you keep me waiting?”

So, Rat-boy’s name was Helge.

“My sincerest apologies! It’s because this fellow here won’t listen to reason…”

Don’t go pinning this on me… well, I guess it is technically my fault.

The Baron turned his double-chinned face heavily and glared at me. A malicious glint dwelled within those tiny, bean-sized eyes. He didn’t look like the type built for physical combat, so perhaps he was a user of powerful magic. Every noble in this world can use magic, after all. It’s that overwhelming power that allows them to maintain their authority.

“You! Fetch your master this instant!”

I could ignore the Rat-boy, but I couldn’t simply disregard a direct order from a noble. Better to stop the futile resistance and leave the final judgment to Clara-sama. Just as I decided to go get her, she appeared from down the hall. It looked like Fiene had gone to fetch her.

“Is it you who has business with me?”

The Baron shot her a momentary lecherous glance, but he flinched under Clara-sama’s sharp gaze.

“I am Pech, Baron of Kammerstett. I wish for you to vacate that room for me.”

Incredible! He actually came out and demanded it. Just how faithful to his own desires can one man be? No matter how much you want a private room, usually, you’d have some shame about saying it out loud.

“I am Ansbach, Knight Bachelor of Ebba-berg. I see no reason to yield my room to you, but do you have some specific justification?”

I highly doubt it.

“The private rooms are full, and I am being inconvenienced.”

See? Just as I thought. Pure selfishness. Clara-sama let out a sigh of exasperation.

“I rented the room first. I shall not yield it.”

With that final word, Clara-sama turned her back. She clearly didn’t want anything more to do with him.

“Grrr…”

The Baron gnashed his teeth in frustration. Serves you right. However, as Clara-sama made to walk away, the Baron hurled an outrageous declaration at her back.

“A duel!! I challenge you to a duel!!”

This guy is way too immature…

Under the laws of the Kingdom of Saxens, duels between nobles are officially recognized. It’s a rough set of statutes based on the principle that, unless something is truly absurd, individuals should resolve their own problems.

“I challenge you to a duel, staking that private room and my noble honor!”

It was a ridiculous reason that didn’t even warrant a conversation, but refusing a duel would gravely wound a noble’s social standing. For a noble who values prestige above all else, that was unacceptable.

“Baron, are you serious? To duel over such a trivial matter will only tarnish your own reputation,” Clara-sama said, her jaw nearly dropping at the absurdity.

“Have you turned coward? Then simply hand over the room!”

The Baron laughed defiantly, and his surrounding attendants followed suit, snickering along.

“Very well. I accept the duel.”

No, Clara-sama! Don’t fall for such cheap provocation. These types usually have some dirty trick up their sleeve. Still, I wondered how the Baron could be so confident about a duel. Judging by his appearance, he seemed more likely to be a magic-user than a close-quarters combatant.

As I was pondering this, the Baron made a loud proclamation.

“The duel shall be fought by our respective attendants acting as proxies. The time shall be thirty minutes from now; the location, the plaza in front of the temple!”

“What?!”

Clara-sama, who had assumed she would be the one fighting, looked visibly flustered.

It turns out that while nobles can certainly fight each other in a duel, they are also permitted to appoint a proxy. Apparently, those with high physical prowess can earn a decent amount of money by being hired as proxies. It’s essentially acting like a bodyguard.

However, once you accept a duel, the right to choose between fighting yourself or sending a proxy seemingly vanishes from your control.

“Decide quickly: Red or White?” the Baron asks, looking down his nose at us.

Red or White? What on earth is that?

According to Clara-sama’s explanation, a duel with weapons is called a “Red Duel,” while a bare-knuckle fight is a “White Duel.” So, it wasn’t about steamed buns or wine after all.

The choice of Red or White is granted to the party who was challenged. In a White Duel, it’s highly unlikely that anyone would actually die.

“I am sorry. I accepted the duel fully expecting that I would be the one fighting,” Clara-sama apologized.

“That’s fine, but in a White Duel, magic is forbidden too, right?”

“Yes. Magic is considered the same as a weapon.”

In that case, though it’s a bit scary, choosing a “Red Duel” would be more advantageous for us. The last time I was in a real scrap was back in high school when I got dragged into something.

“How is the winner determined?”

“The death of a proxy, their incapacity to fight, or a surrender.”

Red it is, then. Whether it’s me or Yoshioka stepping up, I don’t feel like we have any chance of winning a fistfight. The Baron seems confident, so I assume his proxy is reasonably strong. If we’re going to do this, I want to win.

“What do you think, Yoshioka? Want to go for it?”

“I’ll leave this one to you, Senpai.”

Oh, really? Then again, if Yoshioka fired off a combat spell, the opponent would probably just die instantly. Even if he is the attendant of a selfish Baron, that would be a bit too pitiful. I suppose I should be the one to go out.

“In that case, we request a Red Duel.”

When I relay this to the opposing side, everyone’s jaws drop in unison. Did I say something weird?

“In proxy duels between attendants, almost everyone chooses a White Duel,” Clara-sama explained.

That makes sense. It would be idiotic to stake your life on a master’s whim. But we have our own circumstances. Since I don’t feel like I can win without using magic, I have no choice.

“A Red Duel, you say? Very well. I shall be waiting in the plaza in front of the temple. Do not be late!”

The Baron barked his reply and stomped away, his footsteps thudding loudly.

“There are troublesome people everywhere, aren’t there?” Yoshioka muttered soulfully.

“Kota, I believe you will be fine, but this is a Red Duel. There is always a ‘what if’… To think I’ve dragged you into something so trivial…”

There’s no need for her to look like she’s about to cry.

“Clara-sama, if it looks like I’m actually going to die, just un-summon me. As long as I’m not dead, Yoshioka’s healing magic should handle the rest. Besides, since I’ve accepted, I have no intention of losing.”

Since I’m a natural-born coward, I decided to set up some insurance. The Baron’s lot looks spiteful, so I have a feeling they might ignore a surrender. This way, Clara-sama can bail me out if the worst happens.

I put my bulletproof vest back on and donned my helmet. Yoshioka also re-equipped his gear to ensure no stray attacks hit him.

“If I paralyze the opponent, that counts as being unable to fight, right?”

“Should be fine. Just hold a spear to their throat and declare victory, and it’s our win.”

Alright, let’s go with that.

When we stepped out into the plaza, the townspeople were already gathering. Rumors had spread, and people were crowding in to spectate the duel. Bugendorf is far from any major city, so entertainment must be scarce. A duel is likely a thrilling, rare event for them.

“Hey, it’s too dark! I can’t see!”

“Light the bonfires!”

Several large bonfires were immediately lit.

“It’s a real fight to the death!”

“A Red Duel!!”

The crowd’s excitement was peaking. Good grief, you shouldn’t be showing this to children. It’s like a miniature version of the Roman Colosseum…

“You’ve finally arrived!”

The Baron’s arrogant face flickered into view, illuminated by the dancing flames.