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"Baron Musou" Chapter 32: Duel
🕑 Added 2023-06-05 10:56:36 +0000 UTCThe next day, Lucius set foot in a regional city near Mount Kouron, riding in a carriage.
The destination he was heading to was a small town in the neighboring territory, further beyond from here.
"We finally arrived."
Lucius stood up, trying to get off the carriage.
"Being a monk is tough, isn't it? Traveling alone and all."
An old man who had served as the coachman called out from the front. Since the carriage had no roof, the coachman was right in front of him.
"It's all for the sake of becoming a respectable baron."
"I see. I don't really understand, but do your best. But be careful. This territory is full of dangerous rumors."
The old man's words carried a sense of unease.
"Thank you for your advice. This is a tip for you."
Lucius handed a small coin to the coachman.
"Thank you."
When the owner of the carriage and the coachman are different people, it is customary to give about 10% of the fare to the coachman. Even if you don't give it, you won't be scolded, but Lucius' father, Robert, and his mother, Emily, had said that it is natural to give a tip.
Even if you're a poor noble, you shouldn't take away the income of the people in your territory.
Immediately after disembarking in the new city, Lucius couldn't help but feel a sense of discomfort.
-The city lacks liveliness.
It was nothing like the capital city of the eastern province, Shangarc, which was vibrant. The city here seemed lifeless.
Beggars with protruding ribs were overflowing onto the main street, and the eyes of those who worked in shops were vacant.
The people walking on the street were also wearing tattered clothes, and it seemed like they were struggling to find food for the day.
Contrasting with that, there was a strong sense of discordance in the huge blue palace visible from the edge of the city.
The luxurious palace in the center of the city and the state of the townspeople walking around didn't match at all.
-Has there been a famine?
Lucius found it strange.
In this world, agriculture rarely experiences severe crop failures thanks to the power of the Rites.
"Hey, could you spare a little?"
As Lucius was walking, a man in his late thirties who was nearby called out. Behind him was a girl who seemed to be about twelve or thirteen.
Both of them were dressed in patched and worn-out clothes, with cracked lips and dirty cheeks.
"It's fine."
As Lucius reached into his pocket to take out his wallet, the man drew a small knife.
He aimed the knife at Lucius's side.
"Hand over everything. We haven't had a decent meal for days. Sorry about this."
The man seemed hesitant but appeared to have no other options.
However, Lucius couldn't just let himself be robbed so easily.
He had received the travel expenses from his financially struggling parents.
Using the hilt of his sword, Lucius deflected the knife.
The knife, which lacked force, easily fell to the ground.
The man seemed to have no remaining strength left, not even the strength to tightly grip the knife.
"I'm sorry, but I can't give you everything."
The man trembled in fear.
"...I-I'm sorry. Please, I'm willing to be killed. Just don't harm my daughter."
-He seems to have some issues.
"I'm just protecting myself. I never had the intention to harm you in the first place."
"...I see. Is that really okay?"
"Yes. But more importantly, take this."
Lucius handed over a coin.
With some budgeting, it should be enough for the father and daughter to survive for about ten days.
The eyes of the man and the girl widened.
"W-Wait, I was trying to take money from you!"
"And that's because you're trying to survive, right?"
"..."
The man's shoulders shook, and he and his daughter began to apologize, touching the ground.
The people in the city didn't seem to pay any attention to the sight of the father and daughter prostrating themselves. Everyone seemed too preoccupied with their own lives to care about others.
"If you genuinely feel sorry, then don't do it again. Robbery is a serious crime, and it shouldn't be taken lightly. Instead, please tell the same to other people in need."
Lucius left a few words for the man and walked away, but questions continued to bubble up in his mind.
-Do nobles really do such things?
The way he knew nobles was not like that.
Nobles were supposed to be the swords and shields of the people.
Do the nobles in this world really oppress the people like that?
Anxiety filled his mind.
Until now, he had always believed that other nobles, like his father Robert, Lord Strauss, and Olivia, were working hard to be respected by the people and contribute to the development of their territories.
He understood that there were villains like Viscount Geiten in the northern region, but he didn't want to think that they would do the same things to their own subjects.
However, when he thought about it, Lucius realized that he didn't know much about other nobles besides his father Robert, Lord Strauss, and Olivia.
-But maybe there's a reason for it.
Various doubts swirled around in his head.
While lost in thought, he arrived at a bustling square.
The people who had been dejected just moments ago seemed to be enthusiastic about something.
There was a crowd gathering, and it appeared to be a festive atmosphere.
-What's going on?
Lucius passed through the crowd and made his way through, but he ended up in an empty space where no one was around.
From a bird's-eye view, it would look like a large ring created by a crowd.
And in the center of the ring, there were only three people.
One man and a pair of a man and a woman were glaring at each other.
-What are they doing?
The duo shouted confidently.
"You didn't run away easily."
"It seems your resolve was indeed genuine."
The gray-haired man standing on the opposite side responded.
"I can't turn my back on a duel."
-A duel, you say?
Duel is a privilege held only by nobles. Even if the matter has already been settled legally, if both parties follow the proper procedures, they can engage in combat for the sake of restoring honor.
However, once it escalates to a situation involving physical harm, excessive attacks leading to murder, or exchange of money, it becomes a punishable offense.
Therefore, duels are not frequent occurrences.
In fact, this was the first time Lucius had witnessed a duel.
And this duel...
He had heard that it was one of the entertainments for the common people.
Although it was not a rule, it was considered good practice to hold duels in a place where they could be seen by many for the sake of fairness.
Both sides stepped forward one by one.
The man with gray hair and the duo, a man and a woman.
-Is the remaining person their second?
They both didn't have any weapons and were unarmed.
-A fight with bare hands, huh?
There was an obvious difference in physique.
In a fight with bare hands, unless there was a significant difference in skill or experience, the one with a larger build would have the advantage.
The two assumed their stances.
The woman made the first move.
As she thrust her hands forward, a spear that she didn't have before appeared in her grasp.
There didn't seem to be any place to hide a spear like that.
The man with gray hair parried the spear with his sword, even though he didn't seem to have a sword before.
-Where did both of them get their weapons from?
The battle between the spear and the sword continued.
In addition to the difference in physique, the man had an advantage in terms of skill.
His skill seemed bottomless.
After several exchanges, the woman's spear became unwieldy in her frustration.
The gray-haired man dodged the spear and retaliated with his sword, pointing it at the woman's chest.
He seemed to intend to end the duel as it was, without causing harm. The sword didn't reach her clothes.
"I win. I apologize, but I can't spare your life."
The woman grimaced in frustration.
"...No, I'll kill you."
The second, a man who had been accompanying them, drew a bow from behind and spoke with ominous words.
He didn't seem to have a bow before either.
-This can't be happening!
Dueling is an absolute rule between two parties.
"It's dangerous!"
Lucius shouted as he ran forward.
With all his might, he deflected the arrow that was shot from behind with the tip of his precious sword.
The arrow, which had been split into two, bounced off into the distance.
"You! Are you getting in the way of a noble?"
The man who shot the arrow trembled in anger.
"It is you who is getting in the way. Duels are supposed to be one-on-one affairs, and shooting an arrow from behind has no justification."
"If a commoner brat like you dares to interfere with a noble, I'll shoot you right here!"
The man aimed his bow at Lucius once again.
He seemed to think of Lucius as a passing commoner.
On the contrary, it touched a nerve in Lucius.
A noble is using his authority in an inappropriate way, shooting an arrow at a child of the common people just to force his own way.
Lucius's gaze grew cold.
"The Norris family's eldest son, Lucius Norris Dragon. If you continue with such unsightly behavior, I will be your opponent."
"Norris? A noble from the northern region, huh?"
The man who drew the bow sneered.
"A foreigner like you shouldn't meddle in the eastern region."
"If this were a legitimate duel, I wouldn't do anything. But someone who is not a participant in the duel shooting arrows from behind is unacceptable."
"A mere peasant brat! If you dare to obstruct the noble, I'll shoot you dead right here!"
The man's face turned red with blood vessels popping out.
But it wasn't ordinary.
Flesh began to bulge, starting from the center of his eyes, and sparkling particles emerged from his eyes, covering his entire body along with his clothes.
-What is this?
Screams rose from the surrounding townspeople.
"It's... Rites!"
"Run!"
-Rites? Is this...?
Where the man had been standing until a moment ago, there was now a beast.
