CH 40

“What do you mean a duel?!”

I shouted in surprise. The program had said there would be an event, but I wasn’t aware of the specifics.

“Did you not know about it, Alice? A big party like this always has a sword dance or a duel as a showpiece, you know?”

“Yeah, what’s with that stuffy culture…”

Brother Will shrugged at my surprise.

“Right now, it is a time of peace. It is an aristocrat’s duty to protect the people in the event of war or insecurity. It seems it’s important not to forget that.”

“It is also meant to be a friendly competition of swordsmanship and magic, Lady Alice.”

At Brother Will’s explanation, Johann added on to it.

I had wondered what was going to happen with the boisterous talks of a duel, but it seemed that they were only going to perform a mock battle, or something like hand-to-hand combat.

I was relieved, and then the voice of Alphonse-san the host echoed out.

“Then first off, we have the challenger from Advenzia Academy, Wilhelm Aaron Virgil, Alice-sama’s first aide and the son of the Count!”

“Fufu. I’ll be off then, Alice.”

Smiling, Brother Will turned around and walked off. It seems that he had been informed of this beforehand.

“–And next, the head of the House of Archelaus, the Marquis Siegmund Stephan Archelaus!”

As my father was called, he walked out into the square amongst elegant applause and cheers.

He waved to the crowd with a beautiful business smile plastered on his face. The cheers of the young ladies were all apparent.

…Well. I guess that these medieval and early modern worlds have a lot of respect for roughage and combat skills. I’ve also heard that the world of otome games is rather RPG-like—or rather, there’s always a lot of combat.

With that in mind, I watched the mock battle between the two people important to me with a sense of urgency.

Laurier-sama and Leticia-sama also appeared to be seeing a duel at a party hall for the first time, and they had nervous looks on their faces.

Matilda, Yulena, and Johann were looking at Brother Will with serious expressions on their faces. As it concerns them, they were probably serious about their evaluation of Brother Will, who was the first aide because he was the oldest.

Father and Brother Will, who were facing each other in the circular plaza, turned to each other with their Athame in their hands.

“Then, we will begin the duel. I ask both of you to take the oath.”

When Alphonse-san said this, Brother Will opened his mouth first.

“I will do everything in my power for the sake of the one I have sworn to protect.”

In response, my Father also declared,

“I will determine who will best protect my daughter. Be prepared.”

After a formal argument, which was apparently a common thing, the two men took their battle stances.

Brother Will stood low at the waist, holding his Athame, while my father stood crisply with his palms facing forward.

“Begin!”

Alphonse-san’s voice caused both of them to move.

Brother Will, who had a physical weapon Athame, quickly stepped forward and slashed at my father. Then my father blocked it with the dagger that was strapped to his waist.

Once he was a step away, he whispered, “My happiness.”

Then, a cold wind blew out from my father’s ring and froze the ground beneath Brother Will’s feet.

After stepping back away from it, Brother Will readied his Athame and chanted,

“O lions of the stone gate, let us pass! The way to the branches and leaves! The one whose nightly rains have beaten them down!”

As soon as he finished chanting, he hit the ground with a powder he had taken from a pouch.

Then the soil rose in response, and with a thud, a grass vine popped out.

It headed towards my father to restrain him as if it had a will of its own, but he looked like he could take it.

“Fall with my winter.”

At the same time as the calm voice, the vine grass was enveloped by an icy wind. In the blink of an eye, the wounded grass froze and fell to the ground.

With a frustrated look on his face, Brother Will shouted further.

“O Lion of the Stone Gate, come through–”

As he was saying that, my father immediately shouted,

“–Go, the sleeping ice hidden in the cave. My servant the Night Wolf!”

As if in response to his voice, a huge block of ice appeared in the air. It took on the shape of a wolf, though distorted.

It bared its large fangs as it leapt towards Brother Will.

“Ah, it’s dangerous…!”

He reached out his hand, but there as no way he was going to reach it.

Surprised, Brother Will stopped moving.

The next moment, I saw a flash of light and closed my eyes tightly at the scene.

When I opened my eyes, I was so surprised.

It was Brother Oluris, standing in front of Brother Will, with his arms outstretched.

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T/N: Oluris protecc!!