24 Chapter 23: A Challenge from the Weak

Char's voice was loud, so everyone present heard his declaration.

The onlookers turned their heads upon hearing the sound, slightly stunned to see that the central figure of this conflict had finally arrived, their expressions varying.

After a moment of silence, under Char's subtly angry gaze, a path cleared through the crowd.

At the same time, they all speculated on how long this unknown young noble could hold out against Angelica's grasp.

They waited with anticipation.

Char paid no attention to the gazes of those people, swiftly making his way through the opening in the crowd. The first thing he saw was a few girls standing at the entrance of the apartment.

Apart from the maid accompanying Angelica and a few members of the Blood Rose Society, it was Nia's figure that caught Char's attention.

Upon hearing the voice, Angelica turned her gaze towards the crowd. She first had a slight moment of confusion, then furrowed her brow and said, "How did you..."

Clearly, she was filled with bewilderment at Char's safe return.

However, Char strode forward, ignoring Angelica, and as he passed by Nia, he gave her a deep look before entering the apartment.

The first thing that caught his eye was Dahlia, raising her arm as if she were about to slap herself.

Where his gaze fell, the right side of Dahlia's face was slightly swollen.

In reality, the punishment hadn't even begun, and the swelling was a remnant from yesterday's conflict.

But Char was unaware of all this.

"Master..." Seeing Char's figure, Dahlia's nose tingled, but she forced herself to maintain a calm expression and gave a slight bow. "Welcome home."

She spoke as if she didn't care, but inside, she felt so wronged.

Ah, I really want to hug the young master right away and hear him call me sister. If that happened, any pain would be healed.

Dahlia silently thought to herself.

Char took a deep breath and approached, holding Dahlia's hand.

"They hurt you?" he asked, forcibly suppressing the anger in his heart.

Dahlia shook her head. "No, Master, it was my own fault."

"I'm sorry I came back late, but please, don't ever harm yourself again. Never."

He spoke in a low voice.

"Mhmm, mhmm." Dahlia sniffed the scent on Char's body, feeling much more at ease. She tiptoed and leaned in close to his ear. "Master, you looked so handsome just now. Should I wear black stockings tonight?"

"..." Char rolled his eyes, released Dahlia, and asked, "Tell me the whole story, from start to finish."

"Oh." Dahlia playfully ran her fingers through her hair, wanting more of Char's attention. "Well, it's just that last night, I taught a lesson to a few little bi... cough, maids who were actively provoking me, which angered Miss Angelica, and then..."

Dahlia objectively reorganized the events of last night, including Angelica's true motive for seeking the letter of appointment this year and Nia's role in it.

Char stood with his back to the door, listening attentively.

The two of them whispered to each other, completely ignoring the few girls outside the room. This instantly annoyed Angelica, who felt neglected.

She was always the one giving orders to others. When did someone like Char start ignoring her?

"The punishment hasn't even begun, Char, are you too impatient?" Angelica's expression turned cold. "And, have you thought about how you will respond to the previous notice? If you have no objections, please hand over the letter of appointment. I have been waiting here for a long time."

At the same time, Nia, who had been silently standing by, gently bowed and said, "My esteemed brother."

However, Char did not respond. Instead, he waited until Dahlia had clearly explained the sequence of events before taking a deep breath and turning around with a dark expression.

He first turned his gaze towards Nia, who stood quietly on the side. Taking a few steps forward, he stared at her delicate, pale face and asked softly, "When the incident happened just now, did you say even a single word to defend Dahlia?"

Nia, with an indifferent expression on her face, detected the suppressed anger in her brother's tone. However, she remained expressionless and coldly shook her head. "No."

"Very well." Char looked at her deeply, nodding. "Starting today, I no longer have a sister like you."

"..."

Nia remained silent, not lifting her head, seemingly quite calm about the outcome. She resembled a manipulated puppet, with no sparkle in her pupils.

However, in a place unseen by everyone, her tender white hand unconsciously clenched under her sleeve.

After uttering those words, disregarding the astonished gazes around him, Char turned to Nina, who was covering her face.

He glanced at her swollen left cheek and abruptly swung his hand, lightly slapping her on the other side of her face.

Of course, this "lightly" was relative. If the current Char exerted his full strength, even rocks would shatter with a single slap.

In front of him, the human face was more like tofu pudding, easily disintegrating into a semi-solid state with a effortless flick.

"Smack!"

The slap resounded loudly, not only striking Nina's face but also striking a chord in the hearts of Angelica and the others.

Nina, her face filled with terror, covered her face and stumbled back uncontrollably, eventually falling to the ground, feeling dizzy and disoriented.

Including the onlookers, everyone fell silent for a few seconds before collectively gasping in shock.

This Char... he really dares, huh?

Although maids indeed hold little status, shouldn't one consider the master before taking action?

And he did it right in front of everyone, challenging Angelica?

He truly is someone from the countryside, just like the older generation of border nobles—savage, rude, completely ignorant of noble etiquette!

Many people held such thoughts in their minds.

However, they had completely overlooked the fact that Angelica had treated Nina in the same way just moments ago.

After performing this action, Char looked at the swelling on both sides of her cheek, clapped his hands, and nodded. "Now it's symmetrical. You don't have to thank me... Should I give you a couple more?"

"Adelaide!"

At that moment, Angelica could no longer hold back.

Her narrow eyes fell upon Char, slowly scrutinizing him.

She had a feeling that his aggressiveness seemed to have intensified today.

Because he had touched a nerve?

A maid?

Truly useless, being captivated by a lowly maid. Acting on impulse, he dared to directly confront a prominent noble, displaying arrogance and an inability to distinguish who holds the upper hand. Utter foolishness.

With these thoughts in mind, Angelica shook her head disinterestedly.

She had previously thought that Char's appearance perfectly matched her aesthetic preferences. However, it now appeared that he was merely someone who looked good on the surface.

"To dare lay a hand on my servant in front of me, you must be quite bold," Angelica said, tapping her mid-calf boots, the heels producing a crisp sound. She looked coldly at the young man before her and sneered, "All of this was my decision. Why don't you confront me instead?"

Her tone was filled with contempt and disdain, just as she looked down on everyone else.

"You? Yes, I was just about to mention you. Don't be so impatient."

Char turned around, facing Angelica directly.

He had a smile on his face, but his expression held no trace of humor. It resembled the calm before a storm, suppressing some kind of impending eruption of emotion.

"Listen carefully."

"I, Char Adelaide, hailing from the subordinate viscountcy of Rondi under the Sarko Province in the southern region—by the name of the God of Justice and Judgment, I stake the title of Viscount Adelaide. I challenge you to a duel."

His voice was calm and indifferent, devoid of any trace of impulsiveness.

After those words were spoken, the entire corridor fell into silence.

Everyone was left pondering, utterly astonished that Char would say such a thing at this critical moment.

They began to doubt their own ears.

Did they hear it correctly?

A new student who had been at the school for less than a year wanted to challenge the top-tier prodigy who had already advanced to the third circle of magehood?

Even Angelica, upon hearing these words, was briefly taken aback for a few seconds. Then she chuckled, "What did you say? Sorry, I didn't quite catch that... You said you want to challenge me?"

In Angelica's eyes, Char was merely a knight's attendant at this moment.

As a third-circle mage, Angelica was an unprecedented top genius in the entire academy, surpassing everyone except for Nia. She possessed an abundance of magical resources from the Althia family, shining as the city's beloved daughter. She had every qualification to disregard Char's words.

If news spread, the students would only mock Char for overestimating his abilities.

It should be noted that mages like Angelica possessed powerful magical artifacts and ancient relics that allowed their strength to increase exponentially, far beyond ordinary realms.

Moreover, the one who wanted to challenge her was just a first-year student who hadn't even reached the level of a knight's squire?

It was simply a foolish and delusional idea!

However, Char sighed and said, "Don't you understand Common language? Or do you prefer a more formal approach? Should I put on my knight's attire, then take off my white gloves and throw them at your feet, and engage in a fair duel like a man?"

"Sorry, I forgot you're a woman," Char chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "A filthy whore, at that."