Chapter 84: Start of the duel
A breakthrough came several weeks later.
By that point I had accumulated enough of the strange stone to dedicate an entire corner of the workshop to it.
Most of the workers assumed I was wasting my time. Finn was convinced I had developed some strange obsession with collecting rocks.
In fairness, from the outside that was exactly what it looked like.
I remembered sitting at the workbench late into the evening while comparing notes from dozens of failed experiments. The material consistently behaved differently from ordinary stone.
Every test seemed to point toward the same conclusion, but I kept finding reasons to doubt myself.
Then one night I finally managed to isolate a larger sample of the metal.
It wasn’t much.
A small silvery piece sitting in the palm of my hand.
But it was enough.
I spent nearly an hour comparing it against iron, steel, copper, and every other metal I had available. The more tests I performed, the more convinced I became.
The weight.
The appearance.
The behavior.
Everything matched.
I remembered leaning back in my chair and laughing.
Then immediately standing up and running across half the industrial district looking for Finn.
I eventually found him helping unload supplies near the railway station.
He looked up as I approached.
"You look excited."
"I found it."
"You say that every week."
"No, I actually found it."
Finn sighed.
"What is it this time?"
I opened my hand.
The small metal sample rested in my palm.
Finn stared at it.
Then stared at me.
Then stared at it again.
"...It’s a piece of metal."
"Correct."
"You ran all the way here for that?"
"It’s magnesium."
Finn blinked.
"I have absolutely no idea what that means."
I dragged him back toward the workshop anyway.
The entire journey consisted mostly of Finn complaining while I ignored him.
Once inside, I placed several metal samples onto the workbench.
Iron.
Steel.
Copper.
And the newly isolated magnesium.
Finn folded his arms.
"What am I looking at?"
I pointed toward the pieces.
"Pick them up."
He did.
At first he looked confused.
Then he picked up the magnesium sample again.
His eyebrows rose slightly.
"That’s strange."
"Exactly."
"It’s lighter."
I grinned.
"Much lighter."
Finn spent several more moments comparing the different pieces.
I remembered the first time I showed Finn what the strange metal could do.
At the time I had already confirmed that the material was magnesium and had spent several days experimenting with it whenever I found spare time.
Most of the tests were focused on its weight, but eventually curiosity got the better of me.
Naturally, that led to a prank.
I found Finn near the railway construction site and told him I had discovered something incredible.
That immediately got his attention.
"What is it?"
"Come with me."
A few minutes later we were standing inside the workshop. I carefully placed a small strip of metal onto the workbench before turning toward him.
"I’m about to show you something amazing."
Finn folded his arms.
"You say that every time."
"And I’m usually right."
"That’s debatable."
I pointed toward the metal.
"Look closely."
Finn rolled his eyes.
Then leaned forward.
"Happy?"
"Very."
I reached toward the metal.
Then at the last second turned my head away.
The instant it ignited, the workshop exploded with brilliant white light.
Finn immediately screamed.
I couldn’t blame him.
For a brief moment it looked like somebody had brought a piece of the sun indoors.
Several tools clattered to the floor.
And Finn stumbled backwards while clutching his face.
"LEON!"
I started laughing.
That turned out to be a mistake.
The next thing I knew, Finn was trying very hard to strangle me.
To this day he still claimed that it was a completely reasonable response.
He might have had a point.
The memory faded as the workshop door opened.
I looked up to see Lillith entering the room carrying a glass jar.
"I found it."
She walked over and proudly placed it onto the workbench.
The label reading "Mg" was still visible on the side.
I smiled slightly.
"Thanks."
"You’re welcome."
Lillith immediately moved beside me and began watching with obvious curiosity as I sorted through several materials spread across the workbench.
"What are you making?"
"A surprise."
Her eyes lit up.
"For Adrian?"
"Maybe."
Lillith smiled.
"I already like it."
I shook my head before returning my attention to the project. Over the past several months I had accumulated various experimental materials from my work on mining, metallurgy, and the gunpowder facility.
Most of them had originally been intended for entirely different purposes, but occasionally unexpected discoveries proved useful in ways I hadn’t anticipated.
Lillith rested her chin on my shoulder while watching me work.
"Will it help you win?"
"It might."
"Will it hurt Adrian?"
I glanced at her.
"Lillith."
"What?"
The completely innocent look on her face convinced nobody.
I sighed and continued working.
Tomorrow’s duel was approaching quickly.
And while Adrian believed he already knew exactly what kind of opponent he would be facing—
I intended to give him a few surprises.
—————-
The next morning started surprisingly normally.
At least until I reached the academy.
The workers and I arrived through the rear entrance as usual, only to find the same knight waiting at the gate.
The moment he spotted me, a grin appeared on his face.
"Morning."
"Morning."
The knight crossed his arms.
"Nervous?"
I already knew what he was referring to.
"The duel?"
"The duel."
I shrugged.
"A little."
The knight laughed.
"That’s probably healthy."
As we walked through the gate, he fell into step beside me for a moment.
"I heard the academy officially approved it yesterday evening. Since both parties agreed to the terms, it became an official noble duel."
I paused.
"Official?"
The knight nodded.
"The Crown recognizes those agreements. Whatever conditions the two of you set are legally binding."
That got my attention.
"So Adrian actually has to keep his word if he loses?"
"He does."
The knight smirked.
"And so do you and your family."
Fair enough.
A few moments later we parted ways and I headed toward the greenhouse site.
The rest of the morning passed surprisingly peacefully.
The greenhouse was nearing completion now. The walls were almost finished, the heating system was functioning properly, and the workers had started fitting sections of glass into the metal framework.
Compared to the first greenhouse, construction had gone much smoother.
Mostly because this time we actually knew what we were doing.
I spent several hours helping install supports and checking the circulation system while trying not to think about the duel.
Unfortunately that became increasingly difficult as students continued gathering around the construction site.
Every conversation seemed to lead back to the same topic.
The duel.
Apparently half the academy had already placed bets.
Which was slightly concerning.
Eventually I glanced toward the clock tower.
The hands had almost reached noon.
A grin slowly appeared on my face.
Several nearby workers immediately looked worried.
One of them pointed.
"That’s the smile."
Another worker groaned.
"Oh no."
I looked at them.
"What smile?"
"The smile you get before something explodes."
"Nothing is exploding."
The workers looked completely unconvinced.
I cleared my throat.
"Break time."
The announcement was met with immediate approval.
As the workers dispersed for lunch, I casually headed toward one of the supply wagons.
After making sure nobody was paying attention, I opened a storage compartment in one of the wagons and pulled out a different utility belt.
This one looked almost identical to my normal belt.
Almost.
The difference was hidden inside the various pouches and compartments.
I fastened it around my waist before checking everything one final time, and picked up my shield and rifle I had in the wagon before covering myself completely in a cloak.
Then I headed toward the arena.
The academy colosseum sat near the center of the grounds.
By the time I arrived, the place was packed.
Students filled the stands.
Teachers occupied reserved seating areas.
Even several academy staff members had shown up.
Apparently watching a mana-less cripple challenge a person with a A rank mana capacity was considered excellent entertainment.
As I entered the arena, hundreds of eyes immediately turned toward me.
I tried very hard not to think about that.
Across the arena stood Adrian.
Unlike me, he looked completely at home.
He wore polished equipment with his sword holsterd in its sheath and carried himself with the confidence of someone who believed victory had already been decided.
The moment he spotted me, a smug grin spread across his face.
"Look who actually showed up."
I stopped several meters away.
"You sound surprised."
"I thought you’d come to your senses and run."
A few students laughed.
Adrian seemed pleased by that.
His fiancée sat among the audience watching quietly while several teachers observed from higher seating areas.
Meanwhile I simply stood there.
Waiting.
Adrian slowly looked me up and down.
"You know, I almost feel bad."
"Why?"
"Because this is probably the most attention you’ll ever get."
More laughter echoed from parts of the crowd.
I shrugged.
"Maybe."
The answer seemed to throw him off slightly.
He had clearly expected me to react.
Instead I just stood there.
Calmly.
Patiently.
Which only seemed to annoy him more.
His smile sharpened.
"You really don’t understand what’s about to happen, do you?"
"I have a decent idea."
Adrian chuckled.
"No."
He pointed toward himself.
"I have an A-rank mana capacity."
"I know."
"You don’t have any."
"I know."
"You have one leg."
"I noticed."
Several students struggled to suppress laughter.
Even some teachers looked amused.
Adrian however looked increasingly irritated.
Every insult seemed to bounce off me completely.
Then his expression changed.
A familiar smirk appeared.
The one I had been expecting.
"Tell me something."
"What?"
"After I win, do you think Lady Nightbane will finally realize what a mistake she’s made?"
The arena became noticeably quieter.
I sighed.
Honestly, I was beginning to think Adrian physically couldn’t go five minutes without bringing Lillith into the conversation.
I glanced up toward the stands.
Sure enough—
Lillith was already staring emotionlessly at Adrian.
And judging by the look in her eyes, his life expectancy was dropping by the second.
This duel needed to start soon.
Preferably before she decided to solve the problem herself.
The staff member standing beside the arena stepped forward and raised his voice so the entire colosseum could hear.
"The terms of this duel have been reviewed and accepted by both parties."
The arena quieted.
"If Leon Aldric is victorious, Adrian Eirvale will publicly apologize to Lady Lillith Nightbane before the entire academy while dressed only in his undergarments. Furthermore, he will owe Leon Aldric five hundred gold coins."
A mixture of laughter and shocked whispers spread through the stands.
Adrian’s face twitched slightly as the staff member continued.
"If Adrian Eirvale is victorious, neither he nor the academy shall be held accountable for any injuries or death sustained by Leon Aldric during the duel."
The crowd became much quieter after that.
The staff member stepped back before raising one hand high into the air. A small flame appeared at the tip of his finger.
"Begin."
The flame shot upward from his hand.
Immediately Adrian moved.
The instant the duel started, he dug his feet into the arena floor and swung his sword.
A blade of compressed mana tore across the arena.
I barely managed to throw myself sideways before it smashed into the stone wall behind me, carving a deep groove through.
The crowd gasped.
Adrian smirked.
"What happened to all that confidence?"
I didn’t respond.
His smirk widened.
Then he rushed forward.
Mana exploded beneath his feet as he launched across the arena far faster than any normal person could move.
A moment later he leaped into the air.
His sword rose high overhead.
Then came crashing down.
CLANG!
My shield shot up just in time.
The impact rattled my entire arm.
Several students gasped when they saw the plain metal shield stop Adrian’s attack.
Before he could follow up, I rolled away and quickly brought the shield back beneath my cloak.
Adrian landed lightly and laughed.
"Running already?"
Still no response.
That seemed to irritate him more than any insult could have.
The crowd watched closely as Adrian slowly stalked forward.
"You know, I expected more."
I remained silent.
Then something small rolled from beneath my cloak.
A tiny white pouch with a burning fuse.
The object bounced once before coming to a stop between Adrian’s legs.
He looked down.
"What?"
POOF.
The arena vanished beneath a cloud of thick smoke along with me and Adrian.
The audience erupted into confusion.
"What was that?!"
"Did he cast a spell?"
"Where did the smoke come from?"
Several teachers stood up from their seats.
Even the staff member overseeing the duel looked confused.
Inside the smoke, Adrian reacted instantly.
He swung his sword in a wide arc.
A powerful gust of wind exploded outward.
The smoke dispersed rapidly.
Within seconds the center of the arena became visible again.
Then the crowd fell silent.
My cloak was gone.
The shield was planted firmly into the ground in front of me, held by my left hand.
Resting on top of it was my rifle.
For a brief moment nobody understood what they were looking at.
Not the students.
Not the teachers.
Not Adrian.
Then—
BANG.
The sound echoed across the entire academy.
Birds erupted from nearby trees.
Several students screamed.
Adrian’s body jerked violently.
A heartbeat later blood began pouring from the top of his shoulder.
He stumbled backward while clutching the wound.
"What?!"
The arena exploded into chaos.
"What happened?!"
"Did somebody attack him?!"
"Where did that come from?!"
Teachers immediately rose from their seats.
Students leaned forward trying to understand what they had just witnessed.
Meanwhile Adrian stared at the blood covering his hand.
For the first time since the duel began—
He looked scared.
Up in the stands, Clara looked completely dumbfounded.
"W-What was that?"
Beside her, Lillith wore an incredibly smug smile.
"I don’t know."
"You don’t know?!"
"No."
She watched me proudly.
"He’s shown me that thing a few times before."
"You’ve seen that weapon before?"
"A little."
Clara stared at her.
"A little?!"
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the arena, Princess Amelia sat frozen in place.
Her eyes remained fixed on Adrian’s shoulder.
Then on the strange wooden weapon in my hands.
Then back to Adrian.
She looked like she had just watched reality stop making sense.
Back in the arena, Adrian gritted his teeth while glaring at me.
Blood continued dripping down his arm.
"You..."
His voice trembled with anger.
"You cheated!"
I slowly stood up.
The rifle remained resting in my hands.
Then for the first time since the duel began—
I smiled.
"Cheated?"
Adrian looked ready to explode.
I pointed toward him.
"You’ve spent this entire fight trying to prove you’re stronger."
Then I tapped the side of the rifle.
"I’ve spent this entire fight trying to win."
The crowd fell silent.
Even the teachers were listening now.
Adrian’s face twisted with rage.
Meanwhile I adjusted my stance and raised the rifle slightly.
"Come on."
My grin widened.
"You wanted a duel."
Across the arena, Adrian’s confidence finally began to crack.
And for the first time since the fight started—
He realized he might actually lose.
