Episode 15.

The cold wind increased its intensity, and the floating leaves of the trees fluttered around the palace, showing themselves outside the enormous windows of the grand dining room. The King decided to do the duel in the enormous space where the guests had danced a while ago; it would have been madness to have done it on the outskirts of the complex in such weather; besides, it was not a show that merited using the military school arena, just an unnecessary act to extend the evening.

Even so, some were already enjoying the duel when it had not yet begun. Suddenly, the room was filled with a crowd that mixed guards, soldiers, and the guests of the party intermingled with the large number of castle servants who had to attend the event and who joined without permission, even the gardeners and farmers who brought the ingredients were present. Faces of disgust and discomfort were seen, among others who were much happier and joking, having fun in the run-up to the event.

Several waiters pushed the chairs and tables to the edges of the enormous dining room to give even more space. On one side, there was Sevan, being attended to by some of the maids, removing his navy-blue jacket, putting on some white fencer's gloves, and giving him a training sword made of beautiful white oak. On the other, there was Shun, with no one around him, holding an old and worn training sword compared to his opponent.

In the center was the cadet who accompanied Sergeant Rask, now serving as presenter and mediator of the duel. He was handed a small piece of parchment with an inscription that he read aloud to everyone.

Cadet Marco: 『 AHEM!... Tonight's fencing duel will begin and will close the itinerary for this evening! On my right…! U- umm…』

He stopped for a moment to examine the note more closely, and with a slower voice, he read word by word the enormous paragraph it contained.

Cadet Marco: 『 … Member of the Royal Academy…" K−Kasabia"… of fencing and cavalry; Prince, knight and distinguished supporter of the military court of the kingdom of Tikalt, Sevan Rubén…Taniel Vahan… Jahir… Aleksander Narek! 』

After the rushed presentation, the compatriots and other nobles applauded the young man, who greeted everyone with exaggerated glamour, as if he were a rising star in the world of fencing.

Shun: 『 What the hell? Not even Lidia has that many names. 』

Shun wasn't the only one perplexed by that long stack of names. Both Shun and I only have one name and our mother's last name. Of course, we know people with two or even three names, but not someone who had six. It was crazy! If it were me, I would hardly remember the other five. Lidia heard his comment, to which she reacted immediately by asking him how he knew that.

Lidia: 『 W-Wait! How do you know my full name?! I've never told you! 』

Shun: 『 Ah, it was in your baptism certificate. 』

Lidia: 『 You read my…! W-When did you find it?! 』

Shun: 『 Mmm…I think I was 4 or 5 years old. I helped my mother organize the King's books, and I found it along with other documents and letters in different languages. 』

Lidia: 『 Huuuuh? 』

King Van Laar: 『 Veronica? 』

Veronica: 『 I−I'm very sorry, my lord. At the time I didn't expect him to learn to read so quickly. 』

Mom was very embarrassed by her son's behavior, and on top of that, she had to apologize for something from the past. She was almost eating herself up inside for not realizing Shun's plan and for not stopping him before this point. Certainly, she would send him to hell with a beating as soon as the duel was over.

Cadet Marco: 『 And to my left, from the equine training and care staff of the castle of the kingdom of Haiza..., Shun Aarden! 』

The cadet resumed the presentation and without the help of his role, introduced Shun to the audience. The workers shouted to support him and said some barbaric things as if it were all a game; they looked like stunned fanatics in a street fight.

Shun and Sevan were called to the center to learn the rules of the match. They slowly approached each other. They looked calmer than when they confronted each other with words; even Sevan showed a closed smile that denoted his absolute confidence in winning the duel.

The cadet quickly explained the rules. Just as in an official fencing duel, it would be a refereed event to prevent either of the two from completely losing their integrity. The first to leave his opponent unarmed or defenseless wins. After making the above clear, the soldier asked that both bow to the other. Sevan laughed with a single laugh and insulted Shun, saying: 『 I'm not going to bow down to this SWINE and his herd. 』; he spits at the tip of his shoe, making clear the hatred he has for him.

The two ignored protocol and turned their backs to each other, walking ten steps away, ready to begin. Sevan posed with one hand hidden behind his back and the other holding his sword that was pointed at his rival, and Shun...well, I wouldn't know how to describe that position very well; he put one leg back, slightly opening the compass, and pointed the sword toward the ground with his right hand on the handle and the left hand extended over the part that would correspond to the blade (if it were a real sword) in front of the guard.

Several of Tikalt's soldiers secretly mocked the way Shun held the sword, pointing at him like a stubborn and stupid child who insists on wanting to be a swordsman without understanding the delicacy and elegance needed to wield a sword.

The poor cadet was simply ignored, like a mere pole planted in the middle of the room. He saw no point in demanding that they do the introduction properly; he put aside the formalities and began the matter.

Cadet Marco: 『 If that's the case, then… 』

He raised his arm at a right angle with his palm open and his fingers together, then lowered it to open the curtain.

Cadet Marco: 『 Begin! 』

Immediately, Sevan lunged at his rival to take him by surprise and deliver a fierce frontal blow to the head, with the clear goal of seriously injuring and knocking him out. Shun stood still as his opponent ran straight towards him. Seeing the prince's explicit intention, Lidia was alarmed by Shun's lack of response and shouted a warning to him to move.

Lidia: 『SHUN!! WATCH OUT!! 』

Sevan: 『 IT ENDS HERE, SWINE−!! 』

We were all speechless at Shun's quick reaction. The way he blocked and used the guard to lower Sevan's sword and hit him with the pommel was incredible, a perfect three-step sequence to stun the poor prince, who was bleeding from the nose as he lay on the ground.

Sevan: 『 *Groan* AAAAH!! BASTARD, YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT!! 』

He quickly got up and went at Shun again. He lunged and threw blows at the air again and again, but none of them hit his opponent, who dodged them without problem, moving from one side to the other and taking slight steps backward until he passed under his sword and unbalanced him with a push that took him to the ground once again.

The employees shouted euphorically and laughed, making fun of the "dance" that Shun gave to the supposedly expert foreign swordsman. Sevan fell into despair upon hearing such comments and began to fight with more brute force than technique, but even then, he couldn't make a single hit.

The sequence was the same over and over; one, two, three dodges and a blow to the face; two, three, four, and a trip. It had been three times that Sevan kissed the ground and half-composed himself to repeat his broken routine of attempts that became more dizzying each time, but it still didn't work for him.

However, his overwhelming momentum pushed Shun back further and further until he accidentally bumped into the audience. The spectators stepped aside for fear of being hit, revealing a co-managed area of tables with some glasses still containing wine.

Cadet Marco: 『 YOU TWO, STOP! 』

The cadet demanded they stop after leaving the combat area, however, Sevan once again slashed vertically, which Shun dodged and ended up breaking one of the tables, causing the glasses to jump and staining the tablecloth. It was then that, in a dirty play, Sevan took one of the glasses with liquid and threw it at Shun, directly at his face, who covered himself with his left arm reflexively.

Cadet Marco: 『 STOP!! 』

Sevan: 『 I GOT YOU, BASTARD 』

Lidia: 『 SHUN!! 』

Shun had lost sight of his opponent for a moment. Sevan took advantage of the opportunity, but he insisted on hitting his head from above; this allowed Shun to react and block him. With their swords crossed in the air, Shun took Sevan's forearm and turned to send his sword flying behind him and imprison him with a chokehold; now he had him hooked, and his shoulder was pulled back, making it impossible for him to move.

The cadet tried to separate them, ending the bizarre battle. The castle employees were disappointed with the show, given its short duration and the lack of skill from Sevan compared to Shun.

The prince continued to get upset when he heard such derogatory comments towards him; the more he paid attention to those words, the more he wanted to hit those who said them, but Shun wouldn't allow it; he kept pulling on his arm with the warning that he not move unless he wanted a broken bone.

The Sergeant also had to intervene to get Shun to let go of Sevan before he actually broke his collarbone. He put a strong hand on him and ordered him to release him immediately, which he did, although reluctantly. He moved them both a considerable distance away so they would not attack each other again. Rask made the direct suggestion to the king to end the evening after the crude combat and ask the guests to retire to sleep to dissipate the tension in the place.

And that's how it went. After a vehement night, the King ordered everyone to go to their rooms (guests) and homes (workers) to rest, thanking them for their presence and work, respectively. Without a doubt, the conclusion of the event was a bit strange; no one wanted to comment on it so as not to raise suspicion of their discontent and bother the King again. However, there was someone who was completely opposed to it ending like this.

Sevan: 『 You must be joking!! Allowing a prince to receive such treatment and ignoring it is complete audacity!! I won't let this stay like this!! THIS KINGDOM HAS BEEN DOOMED; DO YOU HEAR ME? YOU ARE DOOMED, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!!! I WILL DESTROY YOU, AND YOU WILL BE NOTHING BUT DOG FOOD!! AND YOU... you shall be the first!! 』

The prince threatened all the castle employees and the kings that he would take revenge for the indignation he suffered. The King, tired of hearing so much yelling throughout the night, pretended not to take Sevan's words seriously, making a false deduction as to the reason for his behavior.

King Van Laar: 『 I see you had too much to drink tonight, young prince. It would be best for you to clean that wound and rest so that you can regain your sanity when you are sober and calm… Sergeant, please escort him to his room. 』

Sevan: 『 Wh-Let go of me!! I said let go!! YOU WILL PAY!! DID YOU HEAR, YOU SWINE, SON OF A BITCH?!!! THIS IS YOUR END!!! YOUR END!!! 』

With the cadet's help, Rask dragged Sevan out of the room. The guards and maids accompanied the guests to their respective rooms so they could rest after a long night's shift. The large dining room emptied until only a few of us remained. The King left without further comment, leaving his wife and daughter alone with Shun, my mother, and me.

There was blood on the floor that Sevan spilled after the blow he suffered, but you could also see the drops that fell from Shun's arm, forming a path of red splashes that followed him.

Queen Mireya: 『 Oh, dear! Young Shun, your arm…』

Shun: 『 Don't worry, Your Highness. It's nothing. 』

Lidia: 『 How is that nothing?! You have a piece of glass embedded in you! 』

Shun: 『 I'm telling you it's−』

Lidia: 『 Don't be foolish! God, you're always causing trouble. 』

Lidia took Shun's forearm and carefully uncovered it to appreciate the wound. He had several cuts with pieces of glass in them and stained with wine. Perhaps the alcohol had helped to control the bleeding a little and prevent it from getting infected, but that did not guarantee that he was out of danger.

With the little energy the aquastone had left, Lidia released a small amount of water that coiled around Shun's wound, as if it were a snake.

You could see how it was bubbling and slowly removing the pieces of glass from the skin and cleaning the blood.

Lidia: 『 Max, could you hand me a clean napkin or piece of tablecloth, please? 』

I looked among the tables for a napkin that was not used to avoid breaking a tablecloth (and having to pay for it later). I was lucky to find a clean one they had forgotten to collect. Lidia used it to bandage Shun's wounds and finished the treatment.

Queen Mireya: 『 Oh, it's incredible, Lidia! With that power, you could become an incredible doctor! 』

Lidia: 『 Not at all. I can't even seal a cut properly. If I had to treat someone with a much larger wound..., I wouldn't be able to save them. 』

Shun: 『 … Still, it's quite impressive. Trust me, many wish they were able to do what you can with this power... Don't you agree, Mo−』

"SLAP!" 

A very dry sound echoed on the walls of the large dining room. As if time slowed, I watched as Mom raised her arm and extended her palm to slap Shun. The Queen was shocked to see the gesture of her maid; to her, it was the first time she had seen that expression on the correct, serene, and always calm servant she knew.

Queen Mireya: 『 V−Veronica... 』

That reaction took us all by surprise; it caused a moment of silence full of distress and concern that made us uncomfortable. Mom returned to her usual self as she gently inhaled and apologized for her behavior.

Veronica: 『 Forgive me, Your Highness. I will ensure my son receives punishment at home for his harsh and disrespectful acts. Therefore, we shall be taking our leave… Have a good night. 』

By our mother's indirect order, we retreated to our small home to try to sleep in what was left of darkness, but first, it was certain that mom would take her time to talk to Shun, even if she was tired, and it would take her all night.

Lidia and her mother were left alone in the large dining room under the warm orange light of the gate that made anyone who stayed under its luminescence drowsy. It was a very long night; it was time for everyone to rest.

Lidia: 『 I think we should leave too, mother. 』

Queen Mireya: 『 A−Ah, yes, you're right... 』

Lidia: 『 Well..., I'm leaving... 』

Queen Mireya: 『 D−Don't you want me to accompany you to your room, dear? 』

Lidia: 『 *Deny*… Thank you, but I think it would be very tiring for you since our rooms are in different wings, there would be no purpose in you accompanying me. 』

Queen Mireya: 『 O−Oh..., I see...』

Lidia: 『 Well…, good night. 』

Queen Mireya: 『 Yes…, good night. 』