Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

Hearing Count Duke emphasize the word "I heard" and speak with the cunning of an old fox, Ryuka roughly understood where he had gotten this information.

The Snowfield and Duke families are cousins, and that's why Melanie was sent to Sochi. She probably reported this to Earl Duke after the fight outside Bran's manor.

In other words, is this old fox in front of you agreeing to arrange this duel for Megan Payne in order to weaken the power of his wife's family, that is, his maternal relatives?

It seems that this Earl of Duke not only doesn't truly support the Third Prince, but his seemingly kind and gentle demeanor might also be a facade.

"Of course, it is acceptable if you insist on refusing, but given the nature of Megan and her ilk, their private retaliation might be even worse."

Hearing this, Ryuka finally understood. Ronald Duke's sincerity in seeking peace was genuine, but his desire to be a cunning non-stick pan, while simultaneously achieving his own most advantageous goal, was also genuine.

It seems that the internal affairs of my neighbor's family are no less complicated than the power struggles between two royal heirs.

Ryuka thought for a moment and asked, "I understand. Is that Miss Megan Payne really just a knight?"

Hearing the boy's calm tone, Earl Duke couldn't help but look at him with even greater respect.

Does this mean that as long as it's not a Grand Knight, he's guaranteed to win?

Is this prodigy really an orphan from Linhu Town? Or does he have some kind of powerful background?

Considering that the mysterious princess in the capital was also called a 'monster' from a young age, Count Duke even suspected that Ryusha was a pawn she had planted in Linhu Town many years in advance.

Therefore, Earl Duke's answer became more cautious.

"At least in last year's test, she was still stuck at the peak of the Knight level, but considering that she hasn't broken through in nine years, the probability of her breaking through to become a Great Knight now is not high."

"I see, so there's still a probability involved, right... So what about the time, place, and method of the duel?"

Seeing Ryusha's calm reply, Count Duke became even more certain of his guess.

The key point is that he doesn't believe a small place like Linhu Town could produce a young man with such outstanding character and abilities.

"Anytime before the end of summer is fine, and you can choose the time and place. The duel will be one-on-one, with a two-hour time limit. If no winner is determined, it will be considered a draw. The rest of the rules will be as 'Bloody Duel'..."

The bloody duel was not about killing the opponent, but rather a more primitive form of dueling within the Empire.

Before the duel's allotted time expires, all actions are permitted, including the abuse and killing of the weak by the stronger. The weak can surrender, but the stronger has the right to refuse. And the defeated party, in order to survive, often agrees to anything under brutal torture…

This includes the transfer of human rights, wealth, territory, and even noble titles... As long as it is between the two people participating in the duel, all oaths are recognized by imperial law and the social customs of Otus.

Therefore, 'bloody duels' generally only occur in underground fighting arenas or among street thugs. They are vicious duels in which the winner may strip the loser of everything, and are filled with violence and bloodshed.

Nobles often looked down on and were unwilling to accept duels that could affect their family's interests and reputation... The Papacy had also been calling for a ban on 'bloody duels', but it seems that several emperors of Otto were fond of them, and this custom continued.

"It seems that this Miss Megan Payne has a really bad personality. Despite being a noblewoman, she has proposed such a duel."

Having understood what a bloody duel was, Ryukatsu couldn't help but sneer.

The standard for a trainee knight's battle aura is to continuously unleash it at full power for fifteen minutes, while a formal knight's battle aura reserves generally range from half an hour to an hour.

An ordinary knight's newly promoted battle aura would only last for a little over half an hour. Megan Payne, as a peak knight, even after nine years as a knight, couldn't possibly fight for two hours.

A typical knightly duel lasts between half an hour and an hour. After all, if both sides exhaust their fighting spirit, it means a draw.

Either this Miss Megan has already been promoted to Grand Knight, or she has given herself enough time to slowly torture her opponent, after all, it is a bloody duel.

"There are still three months until the end of summer, Mr. Ryūka, you can make more preparations... If all else fails..."

Count Duke rubbed his knuckles and said calmly, "The fact that Melanie found him troublesome, even with Hetia's support and a magic gun at the time... he believed that three months would be enough time for many changes to occur in the young man before him."

It seems this count is also a master of procrastination.

“Summer’s end…” Ryuka pondered, her hesitant attitude leading Count Duke to believe that she felt there wasn’t enough time.

“If you find it difficult…” Earl Duke was about to speak when he was suddenly interrupted by Ryuka’s relaxed tone.

"Hey Kira, is Megan Payne really that pretty?"

Chapter 17 Megan Paine

"To say 'beautiful' would be an understatement; 'stunning' would be more accurate..." Kira sighed, understanding why Ryusha had asked, "This is a 'bloody duel,' you wouldn't be doing this just for..."

"Of course not." Liu Xia clicked her tongue and shook a finger.

"This is just a matter of deciding when to fight; it's going to happen sooner or later..."

The summer sun shone on the plains as Lord Duke's banners returned. At the rear of the procession were a defiant Bran and dejected prisoners.

The waiting contingent went to greet them; they were mostly representatives of the Sochi nobility. Among them was Earl Duke's eldest son, Tavis Duke, who was nearly forty years old.

"Father, has everything been settled?" Tavis greeted his father, and after seeing Earl Duke nod slightly, he turned to his younger brother and patted Bran on the shoulder.

Behind Tavis, a flamboyant and spoiled female voice rang out.

"So, the duel has been settled?"

A tall female knight rode a tall warhorse to the front of the crowd. Her dark purple curly hair draped over her shoulders like a gorgeous veil, spreading down to her wide and fleshy hips.

Beneath her plump buttocks, which filled the saddle, were two incredibly sexy long legs. Her voluptuous thighs, encased in black riding trousers, were strong and muscular, making one feel that with just a little force, she could crush the horse's belly between her legs.

She wore no leg armor, but rather a pair of dark chestnut over-the-knee leather boots. Unlike her plump thighs, her calves, encased in the boots, were slender and long. However, upon closer inspection, one could see dried bloodstains on her thick heels, suggesting that some unfortunate soul had fallen beneath the female knight's feet that day.

Her wide, sexy hips narrowed sharply upwards, outlining a taut waist. The black leather sash was tied with gold tendon thread, making one wonder if the female knight had deliberately tightened it for aesthetic reasons, as if afraid she wouldn't be able to breathe.

But those stunningly sexy lines are her original figure; that seemingly taut waist is actually full of power. If you peel back the clothes under her waistband, you can find well-defined, firm abdominal muscles on her flat stomach, revealing a dangerous yet sexy core explosive power.

Her breasts above her waist and abdomen were as enormous and voluptuous as her hips below. Combined with the broad frame brought about by the female knight's height of nearly 1.9 meters, each of her heavy, plump breasts was as big as two of Ryuka's heads.

The female knight's shoulders were equally impressive, broad yet possessing a feminine grace, without overly muscular shoulders detracting from her overall beauty. Especially when paired with her elegant neck and striking oval face, her broad shoulders, adorned with a cloak, exuded a commanding presence.

On that stunningly curvaceous, sexy pear-shaped figure, her gorgeous face, aside from the allure of a sensual mature woman, didn't look thirty at all. Her delicate, youthful skin showed no signs of dullness or pores, and her full, sexy red lips framed a high, elegant nose. Her long eyelashes were styled into an upturned curve, complementing her doll-like eyes with thick black eyeliner, making those exquisitely made-up eyes unforgettable—bright and dangerous like the eyes of a wild female dragon…

Even without her sexy and mature makeup, Megan Payne is undeniably alluring. However, her seductive charm carries a hint of wickedness, and her ever-present upturned lips suggest a disdain for everything.

Earl Duke glanced at his 'niece,' Megan, who was not only arrogant but also lacked basic manners towards him, her elder.

It wasn't that Megan had any prejudice against her uncle, the Earl; rather, she looked down on all the men around her equally.

"The other side has agreed to the duel, provided we announce the release of Kira and the other escaped slaves," Earl Duke said calmly.

"Ha~ That's good, Brother Bran, I'll be able to avenge you soon~" Megan looked at Bran, who had just been released, her tone full of disdain.

"Megan! How could you talk to Bran like that!"

Tall and muscular with a broad face, Tavis frowned slightly and spoke up in defense of his younger brother. Although he was over 1.8 meters tall, he appeared utterly intimidating next to his tall cousin Megan, who was wearing high-heeled boots.

"What? I can't even help him get revenge? Brother Tavis, don't get angry over such a small thing. Where has your manly spirit gone?"

"you!"

Tavis glared angrily like a bull, but there was nothing he could do. His mother loved this niece even more than her two brothers.

Megan's eyes were filled with mockery towards her generous but cowardly brother, and then she asked casually:

Bran Duke, who had been silent all along, finally couldn't hold back and exploded. No matter what, he was a man in his thirties and didn't want to be called 'cute' by a woman. In Ottoman, where strength was highly valued, this was not a compliment.

“Meghan! You…”

Earl Duke's calm words interrupted the second son's outburst.

"Now is fine."

"what?"

“I said, we can do it now,” Earl Duke said calmly to the surprised crowd. “The other side said that it’s better to have a short pain than a long one. If we’re going to have a duel, let’s do it now, so we don’t have to make another trip later.”

"Ha..." Megan's mouth dropped open, she wanted to laugh but stopped herself in disbelief. "Did I hear that right? That kid's in such a hurry to die?"

Seeing her confident demeanor, Bran couldn't help but scoff: "Although this brat used a crossbow to launch a sneak attack, he is still above the level of an average knight. The two knight captains I brought were no match for him."

"Brother Bran, are you trying to say that you lost to a little girl like Hetia because she had a powerful ally? I knew it~ You men are unwilling to admit that you are inferior to women..."

Megan's flippant tone made Bran lose his temper, and he drew his longsword, ready to unleash a veiled threat. But a terrifying gust of wind swept in, and a massive, spear-tipped battle axe stopped right in front of him.

This is a long-handled, double-edged battle axe over three meters long. The axe head, half a meter long, is located in the middle. The blade is as wide as a flag, and its thickness and weight are astonishing. Although the edge isn't particularly sharp, for a weapon weighing over a hundred pounds, sharpness is irrelevant. (The remaining text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.)

Compared to that, Bran's longsword was like a toothpick...

The long axe, which had been wrapped in cloth and hung on another separate warhorse, was taken by Megan in an instant and wielded as easily as a tree branch.

Bran's face turned ashen as he looked at the weapon that only a monster could wield so skillfully.

"You, you...you've been promoted to Grand Knight?!"

Chapter 18 The Duel Begins

No matter the profession, there is a huge gap between the main job and the super-main job.

For example, Melanie, as a great mage, can freely cast flying spells that mages cannot do. Even a single large-scale spell requires more magical power than several mages combined.

The Great Knight not only doubled the quality and quantity of his battle aura, enabling him to unleash all sorts of incredible combat techniques, but also achieved an astonishing breakthrough in his conventional physical strength.

On the battlefields of this world, the Great Knights are like ace tanks, practically the strongest force on any conventional battlefield. As for the 'Heavenly Rank'... that's a nation's ultimate trump card, rarely revealed to the world.

While Ryūka's magical catapult had advantages in range and could be operated by ordinary people, it couldn't compare to a true high-level magical weapon. This is also why, despite magical technology existing for decades, its development has been slow.

Because nobody cares... except for the thirteenth princess.

Watching Megan effortlessly wield her new weapon, Bran knew she had been promoted.

"That's right~ You were promoted while you were slowly rotting away in the dungeon of Linhu Town~"

Earl Duke blinked, as did the others; none of them knew anything about it…

As a relative of the Earl, Megan showed no respect to the three Earls present, not only because of her power, but also because she was Earl Payne's only daughter.

Earl Payne had several other sons, all of whom were, frankly, quite capable. However, the ill-tempered Megan believed she was the most suitable heir to the family headship and the title, which was why Earl Payne had sent her to live with her aunt in Sochi so early on. (The last sentence appears to be unrelated and possibly a fragment from another text.)

Earl Duke, showing no emotion, simply interrupted the awkward farce with a question.

"Megan, you're not wearing armor today. Are you postponing the duel?"

"No need. Armor would only hinder me from using this treasure smoothly. It's not a large-scale battlefield, so I don't need to wear it."

Megan said, urging her warhorse, with its plump rump, to move forward toward the plain ahead.

"So? Anyone want to come and watch me grind that kid into mincemeat?"

Hearing Megan's words, the Sochi leaders all wore awkward expressions. Megan's methods were always ruthless, especially towards losers and men.

It seems this will be a long execution lasting two hours, because no one wants to watch such a mentally damaging scene.

I've heard that some people have only witnessed Megan's methods, and since then, they've never been able to do it again...

“Boring, a bunch of spineless cowards.” Megan spat lightly, then suddenly seemed to remember something and reached out to Tavis for it.

"The contract of 'bloody duel'."

Tavis reluctantly tossed a cylindrical object to Megan. It was a contract device specially made for the 'Bloody Duel,' capable of creating a duel arena isolated from outsiders. It also contained various powerful notarization spells that might be used, including something like a powerful slave contract…

This thing is quite expensive, and it wouldn't be used in ordinary, bloody duels. But in Megan Payne's own words, she's a sophisticated woman who values ​​ritual.

To enjoy the lamentations of a plaything, one must have the most suitable stage.

With the Countess's favoritism, the Duke family naturally came up with the money...

"You all go back first~ I need to relax a bit~ and deflate the arrogance of that little princess's subordinates~"

Megan smiled, even though the duel wasn't with Hethia herself. But having witnessed her methods of execution, that little girl would surely be traumatized. Regardless of what her cousin, the Third Prince of the capital, planned, destroying Linhu Territory would be a piece of cake.

"Father, is it really okay if we don't go?"

Tavis frowned as he watched Megan's retreating figure. He wasn't worried that Megan would lose, but rather that her dueling tactics might provoke the others in Linhu Territory, rendering the newly concluded peace treaty worthless.

“No need.” Earl Duke said expressionlessly, urging his horse forward and leading his men back towards Sochi…

"Are you sure everything's okay?"

Hetia looked at Ryukyu, who was stretching his muscles, and showed a worried expression.

"Even if you pretend to care about me, the punishment won't be lessened."

Ryuga glanced at Hetia, looking as relaxed as if she were about to go on a picnic.

“Hmm…” Hetia blushed. Ryuka still wasn't going to let her off the hook about the banquet at the hot spring resort. “It’s not because of that. What if the other party is a Grand Knight, and this is Count Duke’s trap…”

"If I die, won't you be free?"

Seeing Ryuga's innocent, questioning expression, Hetia felt once again that this boy was truly wicked, and she was furious.

"up to you."

Hetia stomped her foot in anger, threw down a harsh remark, and left.

That damn guy, he should just be hacked to death!

At that moment, Megan Payne appeared before them.