ALL NOVEL Chapter 61
“I hereby declare that the trial by combat begins at this very moment! The participant is the Empire’s Second Princess, I, Laura von Württemberg!”
With Lau’s bold shout, the curtain opened.
Asla and I stepped forward without hesitation into the bright light of the arena.
“Prince, your shield is slipping.”
“It’s heavy! Don’t worry, I’ll hold it straight once the duel starts.”
Asla snorted and stepped forward, gripping her wand.
The high ponytail of her blonde hair swayed with her movement.
She wore her secret magic attire for the duel. From a distance, her swaying skirt resembled that of a little fairy.
I held a large shield and a short sword. My armor was light, offering low defense but high mobility.
“I’ll commend you for not running away, Asla!”
From the opposite side, George, fully clad in ornate full plate armor, walked out.
His equipment was legendary, enchanted from head to toe.
He must have a fortune. With gear like that, he should have suited up a proper hero.
The arena we stood in was a small-sized coliseum with a dirt floor.
As both competitors entered, a polite round of applause erupted from the audience.
The players were of the imperial family and high-ranking nobles. Being an imperial trial, it was a solemn event, not merely a spectacle.
‘Still, it’s a big event when heirs battle to the death.’
It was surely an exciting scene for them. Although the atmosphere was calm, they were likely brimming with excitement inside.
Among them was a familiar face.
The current Emperor.
He maintained a stern presence, viewing the fight of his children with a sense of normalcy.
Rather, he seemed eager to see just how well they would perform in the duel.
Lau’s voice amplified through magical means, echoing across the arena.
“I shall unveil the truth behind the assassination incident that occurred during the Schwartzschweick Duke’s party, right here and now! Both sides, prepare!”
Asla raised her wand in her left hand, ready to weave a spell.
At the same time, George charged forward, picking up speed for his dash.
“The rules are simple; the first to lose their life or surrender will lose!”
I was just Asla’s pawn, so my will or survival mattered not in the outcome.
“With my left hand, I uphold honor, and with my right, my will. Only those who fight are worthy of justice!”
Lau kissed a magically enchanted gold coin and threw it toward the arena.
In the sound of the tranquil wind, a small projectile sparkled under the sunlight as it fell.
“Puh-awn!”
It kicked up smoke, announcing the start of the duel.
“Kwahng!”
George charged the ground, launching himself forward at the same moment. He was faster than expected.
‘It’s the blessing. I used a truckload of healers.’
It wasn’t easy to gather healers who could use blessings like that.
He was basically a massive chunk of gold charging right at me.
“Ice Ball, Mana Wall!”
Asla quickly began casting magic.
A rough ice projectile shot toward George faster than a major league pitch.
“Pusak!”
Asla’s attack was precise but shattered upon contact with George’s armor, dealing little damage. She looked flustered.
“Magic Resistance Enchantment…!”
“I’ll finish this in a flash!”
By now, George was almost upon Asla. In this distance, the attacker had a decisive advantage.
But I was there.
I stepped between George and Asla.
With no hesitation, he swung his sword at me.
“Shwoosh!”
I hadn’t matched swords directly, but I had dodged blows from the demon king’s Four Heavenly Kings.
I was confident in my reaction time.
“Clang!”
Reacting quickly, I deflected George’s sharp longsword with my blade.
“What…!”
George was taken aback, not expecting to encounter resistance.
It was a defensive move. The only swordsmanship I’d learned from Tanya over two weeks.
These days, I’d been jogging a lot too.
I might lose if it turned into full-blown combat, but I had to at least trade a few blows.
“Oh, the Second Prince’s attack has been blocked!”
“Wasn’t he the attending physician of the Third Princess? Who knew he had combat skills!”
“Isn’t he the physician who treated the epidemic? It must have been hard to master both martial and academic arts.”
Oh, what are you saying? I’m Gothberg.
I wanted to grin broadly, but unfortunately, I didn’t have the leisure to respond to the audience.
I defended against George’s attacks as they came.
“How can a healer deflect my sword?! My blessed power is on par with a sword expert!”
“Blessings aren’t exclusive to you, Your Highness.”
“What did you say?”
“Puh-awn!”
My counterattack, infused with divine power, struck George in the abdomen, pushing him back. I couldn’t inflict damage, but I disrupted his stance.
“How dare you use such trickery… Cough!”
As I created an opening, Asla targeted George’s helmet with her magic.
“Ugh…!”
It’s incredibly durable. George shook his head and swung his sword again.
It wasn’t like Asla threw snowflakes at him; the force was more akin to being hit by a shot put.
He should have suffered a concussion, yet he had layered himself with magic resistance spells.
George’s eyes blazed through the gap in his helmet.
“Don’t use grappling moves when you’re not even a warrior; just fall already! If you resist any further, won’t forgive you!”
“There’s nowhere to fall in Togin Palace. There are only three floors!”
“Attending Physician!!”
Crash! George stomped the ground.
Then Crack!
The arena floor cracked. The dirt turned and dust began to swirl.
Whoosh! A rising heat enveloped the area.
“Ugh.”
Asla’s magic circle she was drawing lost its form and began to droop, dripping as it fell from the air.
Was that action a signal?
Glistening stones peeked through the cracks in the ground.
‘He buried a stone with mana decomposition effects.’
In the Demon Realm mountains, there are often stones laying around like granite. Though it was a demi-stone, the strange item required wizards to cast spells for it to have an effect.
George planned to seal Asla’s magic with it. His subordinates prepared to activate its effect.
“Ha-ha-ha! Look at how you tremble in fear before the might of George von Württemberg! Behold, Your Majesty! This is the charisma of George, subduing the masses and leading the imperial family!”
George raised his fist as if he had already seized victory.
Asla sneered at him in disdain.
“How cowardly, George. You declared a duel of honor yet set traps in the arena.”
“Traps? What are you talking about? Do you wish to hide your incompetence to the very end, Asla!”
The princes and princesses muttered among themselves upon hearing George’s counter.
“It seems the Second Prince is using trickery.”
“That’s part of his skill. Utilizing all his abilities is part of a duel.”
The observing Emperor seemed to agree as well.
“Wealth and resources are a part of a ruler’s abilities. If she loses to them, it means Asla is less capable than George.”
Asla continued to try casting spells, but they wouldn’t connect.
“The demi-stone. You probably shelled out around three thousand three hundred gold to fill the arena.”
At my words, George frowned.
“How do you know that…?”
“Did you not know? Each palace’s budget is submitted to His Majesty in a report. It’s public information.”
It’s basic to keep tabs on your enemy’s movements.
I inferred from the recent increase in Togin Palace’s budget and the size of the boxes being transported that demi-stones were being set up.
We also had the time to use our magic against them.
“Knowing that is useless… Hm, it’s useless. Asla can’t cast spells, and you can’t defeat me with your skills… Ah-choo!”
George’s sneeze caught him off guard.
Once he started sneezing, he couldn’t stop, and soon his face was a mess with snot.
“Is that something hazy floating in the arena?”
“Is it just dust?”
Seeing George, I used a skill.
“Diagnosis.”
[Symptom: Chrysanthemum pollen allergy]
While George had no major diseases or injuries, he had a weakness to allergies.
I had instructed the knights of the Moonlight Palace to bring back plenty of chrysanthemums and sprinkled their pollen all over the arena.
Now, with the demi-stone’s effect activated, the pollen was soaring in the air.
“What have you done, ah-choo!?”
“Consider it a blessing that the Imperial Palace doesn’t grow chrysanthemums.”
“Attending Physician!!”
George began to shine brightly. Outside the arena, healers were laying on blessings by the dozen.
‘It’s all strength blessings. He’s serious about this fight.’
George charged at me.
He was intent on engaging in a test of strength before the situation turned more unfavorable.
‘I was hoping for this too.’
I grabbed a syringe I had prepped behind my shield.
―――――――――――
High-Grade Muscle Strength Enhancer
Effect upon administration: Greatly increases muscle power for 3 minutes. Side effects may occur.
Well, it’s not a protein supplement, you know?
―――――――――――
I jabbed it into the inner thigh, where my light armor didn’t cover, and felt a surge of heat rise through my body as adrenaline poured out.
“Kwahng!”
I met George’s charge with my shield.
It felt as if I slammed into an iron rhinoceros, likely due to his heavy armor. My arms went numb.
My legs slid back, shoved by the dirt beneath me. Yet, I somehow held my ground.
“Why! Ah-choo, why aren’t you falling?!”
George was bewildered. Given our size and equipment difference, it was like a giant bus hitting a bicycle.
It must have been strange to him.
―――――――――――
Muscle Power: 63 (+50)
Stamina: 19
Magic Power: 1
Mana: 28
Divine Power: 22
Faith: 100
―――――――――――
My C-rank enhanced muscle enhancer was elevating my strength by 50 points.
At this point, my strength rivaled that of a respectable mid-level knight.
“Ugh…! If I just take this guy down!”
If I could break through, then Asla, whose spell casting was hindered, could easily defeat him.
Driven by his allergy, George was becoming frantic and rushed his attacks without solid form.
Tears streamed down his face, so I assumed his coordination and strength were faltering.
In a standoff, George sneezed again.
“Puh-choo!”
I seized the moment and shifted my body to the side.
“Whoa?!”
George lost his balance under his own might.
This situation was just what I needed.
Having gotten behind George, he was vulnerable to being hit by Asla’s magic.
I shouted.
“Your Highness, now!”
Asla dropped her wand and crossed her arms.
Only one finger folded down.
No need to draw spell formations. Mana transformed instantly into magic from her body and was cast.
“Disarm.”
“Clink!”
“What?!”
“Puh-awn!”
George’s splendid armor shattered in pieces, clattering off him.
“Kuwung!”
Having completely lost his center of gravity, George fell to the ground.
I pulled out the syringe from my pocket and thrust it down hard onto his exposed lower leg.
“Ugh!”
Simultaneously, George’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed on the ground.
He trembled, shaking his limbs as he rolled through the dirt like a newborn baby.
“W-wait… Physician!!”
He’s got spirit. Even while foaming at the mouth, he glares angrily at me.
“Prince.”
Asla approached me, her tied hair swaying like a tail.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“That was self-inflicted. I like that strategy. Think about using it again if the chance arises.”
What a twisted taste she has.
I raised the syringe to show Asla as we both looked down at George.
“Your Highness, what I just injected was the black magic poison held by the assassin. Just like what happened to the duke.”
“W-what?!”
Rustle.
I pulled out another syringe and displayed it to George while asking.
“Antidote? That’s with me. What will you do?”
George’s eyes rolled as he glanced left at Asla and right at me.
Oh dear, we’ve stirred things up.