Chapter 196: Chapter 196 - Open Challenge
Laying sprawled out across the shattered jewelry display, Everett clutched his bloodied nose with both hands as he glared up at Kurt with eyes of tears and humiliation.
"Why?! Why are you always getting in my way?! Diana is meant for me! Why do you constantly sabotage my pursuit of her?!"
"Because, you delusional little prick, you have no standing in this non-existent race," Kurt’s voice carried clearly over the whispering onlookers.
"You’re sprinting toward a finish line where nobody is waiting for you. From what I’ve been hearing, you had literal years to try and seal the deal with her. And yet you still failed miserably.
"Face it, Everett Herst. Diana never loved you; she does not love you now, and she never will. Especially now that I’m here, ha."
The crowd of onlookers had quickly grown within seconds. Their eyes darted between the bleeding Herst and the one-eyed man standing over him.
"... Wait... isn’t that him? That’s the guy! The one Principal Valentine claimed as her lover at the docks about a week ago!"
"... Yeah, it is! My buddy that works at City View Hotel said he saw the two of them kissing smack-dab in the middle of the lobby!"
A collective gasp and a wave of murmuring rippled through the audience resulting in Kurt’s grin to widen.
"See, Ev? Even the random people on the street know what’s up. The whole damn continent is aware of the reality. So why, oh why, do you insist on living in Lalaland?"
"You savage! Step away from our son this instant!" Everett’s parents finally found their voices. "Do you have any idea who we are?! You are a common vagabond! To lay a hand on a Herst in broad daylight–"
"Shut the hell up! Both of you!" Kurt snapped back.
"You two are just a bunch of irresponsible enablers. You’re the ones who fed this prick his daily dose of royal fantasy, allowing him to fall deeper and deeper into his own pathetic delusions instead of teaching him how to take a hint. You built his sandbox, and now you’re upset that he’s eating the dirt."
The Herst parents flinched. Their faces turned a flushing red as they were unable to find a single counterargument against the pressure Kurt was radiating.
"L-Lord Reuben!" Everett whimpered from the ground. "Please! Do something about–!"
CRASH!!!
In a flash of movement, Kurt’s dress shoes slammed into the wooden framework of the trashed stall, missing Everett’s ear by an inch.
"Haaaa... There he goes again. The second things go south; he tries to hide right behind daddy dearest’s coattails. Christ, I mean, I already knew it... but Julianne was right about you. You’re pathetic."
A deadly aura suddenly erupted from Reuben Valentine.
The ground beneath the duke’s boots vibrated under the immense weight of his mana. The crowd instantly went dead silent, with several people falling to their knees from the atmospheric pressure.
Reuben took a single, heavy step forward as his eyes burned with a terrifying light.
"Rossana–"
SHING!
In a fluid motion, Kurt drew his black blade from his scabbard and pointed it directly at Reuben’s throat.
"Shut the hell up, you piece of shit excuse for a father! Don’t you "Rossana" me! The moment you made Diana cry; you lost every single ounce of my respect. But what I find even worse is that you stood there like a brain-dead statue while your own wife wept on the dirt!"
Kurt took a step closer, keeping his blade and gaze fixed on him.
"What kind of husband, what kind of father, what kind of man does that? Oh, wait, I know! No real man does! You aren’t a protector, Reuben. You’re just a hollow, rusted suit of armor with a title.
"You’re an emotionally stunted coward who hides behind ’politics’, ’nobility’ and ’duty’ because you’re too goddamn terrified to face the fact that now your family despises the very ground you walk on! You’re an absolute fucking joke!"
The crowd had basically stopped breathing.
"... You dare point your blade at me, boy?"
"Yeah, I dare. Go on. Try me."
"Move! Clear the way! Royal Guard, coming through!"
An authoritative voice cut through the dense crowd. The spectators hurriedly parted, revealing a tall, imposing man clad in the gleaming armor of the King Maxwell’s Royal Guard.
Kurt glanced over to look at the newcomer. Then, a dark and amused smirk returned to his face.
"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. If it isn’t David the bootlicker. Tell me, David, how was the taste of my boot when I kicked your face in, huh? Did you finally get the leather flavor out of your tongue?"
David’s face instantly contorted into a mask of rage at the humiliation.
"David!" Everett shrieked. "Remember me?! We went to this very academy together! Arrest this scoundrel immediately! Look at what he did to me! Assault on a noble!"
"Assault?!" Kurt scoffed. "Aren’t you supposed to be a certified S-rank, Ev? Why don’t you, instead of always crying and running behind someone else’s back, actually stand up for yourself for once in your dogshit life?
"You want Diana? Fine. Come try and take her from me. But just know, if you step up to me, you’ll end up looking a hell of a lot worse than a broken nose."
Goaded beyond all reason, his pride, lineage, and public reputation laid bare, Everett’s eyes went completely wild. He forced himself to his feet and wiped the blood from his nose.
"Fine! I accept! I’ll tear you apart in front of everybody!"
"Hehehe~ Perfect."
"Count me in on this wager as well," David suddenly spoke up.
"Hah?! David, what are you saying?! This has nothing to do with you!"
David, however, glared at Kurt with pure hatred.
"This is revenge for humiliating me in front of Diana that day. And while I’m at it... once I crack your skull open, I’ll gladly take her for myself. A woman of her stature belongs with a true royal protector."
The crowd erupted into a wave of excited murmurs and whispers. A public brawl for the hand of the most beautiful, powerful woman in the nation was unfolding right before their eyes.
Kurt threw his head back and laughed out loud. "Ahahaha! Seriously, this is too perfect! Don’t be shy, people! Anyone else want a piece of this?! This is your one and only golden chance to try and take Diana Valentine away from me! Step right up!"
"I will accept that challenge."
An elegant man dressed in traditional Myrian robes stepped out from the crowd. He possessed a calm demeanor, but his eyes carried an intense ambition.
"Oh really?" Kurt turned to him. "And who the hell are you supposed to be?"
The man bowed politely, though his smile was dripping with arrogance. "My name is Nakamura Kenji. And I am proud to declare myself as Valentine-sama’s soon-to-be lover. A woman of her supreme magical caliber deserves a true master of the arts, not a rugged mercenary."
The murmuring crowd turned into a roar of anticipation. More and more tourists, ego-driven adventurers, and ambitious nobles began to shout from the crowd, being completely swept up in the high-stakes bravado.
"I challenge you too!"
"Count me in!"
"Me too!"
"Alright, already! All of you, be quiet!" Kurt’s voice silenced the shouting crowd.
He pointed his blade around the circle of challengers, his smile turning into something completely terrifying. "Once I’m finished beating the ever-loving shit out of every single one of you..."
Slowly, he turned the point of his dark blade back around, aiming it directly dead center at Reuben Valentine’s chest.
His devilish smile widened. "I’m coming for you last, old man."
""""YEEEAAAHHHH!!!!!!""""
Standing perfectly still amidst the roaring chaos, entirely unnoticed by anyone in the crowd... a small, barely perceptible, and deeply intrigued smile tugged at the very corner of Reuben’s lips.
"WHAT IS THIS I HEAR?! AN UNPRECEDENTED EPIC WAR WHERE THE WINNER CLOTHES THEMSELVES IN THE HAND OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN ALL OF THE LAND?!"
From out of absolutely nowhere, Commentator Ken stepped forward with a microphone already gripped tightly in his hand.
"This calls for an epic broadcast with an epic commentator! People of Eldoria! Participants of the world! Let us rendezvous at the grand arena once more for an immediate pre-Day Two showdown!"
The announcement acted like a spark in a powder keg. The spectators didn’t need to be told twice. Hundreds of people immediately turned on their heels and sprinted at full speed back toward the massive coliseum tunnels, frantically spreading the viral news across the campus along the way.
Reuben gave Kurt one final, unreadable look before silently walking away toward the arena.
Everett, still holding a cloth to his bloody nose, marched past Kurt to follow the duke. As he passed, he deliberately slammed his shoulder against him in a pathetic attempt at intimidation.
But Kurt didn’t budge a single millimeter. He simply watched Everett stumble slightly from the rebound with a devilish smile that never faded.
As the dense crowd quickly thinned out, Kurt let out a relaxed sigh, tossing his black blade lightly before catching it and smoothly sliding it back into its scabbard.
"Hmm?"
What he noticed next was Emelie and Ayako standing side-by-side looking completely immersed in the drama. Both girls were wearing absurdly oversized goofy sunglasses and were each casually eating a large bucket of popcorn.
Ayako gracefully popped a piece of popcorn into her mouth. "There is truly never a dull moment when it comes to your presence, Rossana-sama. You manage to invite a war wherever you breathe. Splendid work."
"You can say that again." Emelie said while adjusting her glasses.
"There is truly never a dull moment when it comes to your–"
"Don’t actually say it again, jeez."
Kurt chuckled and walked over to them. "Well, look at you two, enjoying the theater. This is actually perfect timing, though. There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask the both of you."
Emelie stopped chewing, her green eyes looking up at him through the dark glass.
Ayako tilted her head, her interest instantly piqued. "Oh? And what is it that you would like to ask of us?"
"Yeah, the thing is. I need to know... What exactly is my natural elemental affinity... and how the hell do I actually use it?"
