Welcome Banquet (Part 2)

Welcome Banquet (Part 2)

Her brown hair was already sticking to various sides of her face. Is this lady drunk?

Her overall appearance made her seem so but irregular actions such as mildly looking around and uneven tone of voice made her look mentally alert despite looking red in the face.

"Don't ignore me, ra-rat!"

"Are you talking to me?" I didn't bother formalities and glared visibly. She broke it first with her blasphemous calling.

"You think you're all that special hanging out with the Princess Aurelia?"

Master clicked her tongue at the scene and grumbled silently. The people that woman brought were cautious of Lady Lilith but they didn't stop their bait yelling at me.

I didn't want to spark the situation in a troublesome way especially outside of the Duchess office, it might give her another reason to cast me away.

"I challenge you to a magic duel." The lady stood proudly. A magic duel? That's something I have never experienced but it sounds like a bother.

"Why?"

"Why? Because… I want to show everyone that you're just a brat!" She even laughed at her own words obviously she was out of her mind.

At the commotion the other heirs have also started to arrive, confused and revolted about the commotion.

"What's going on here?" Khiel stride next to me with a 'Did you incite someone' face. I coughed awkwardly at that. He seems to think I provoked her.

It can't be helped since he doesn't know me quite well yet but he's wrong this time.

"Cousin, I think this woman is drunk. It be best for her to leave already."

"Are you running away hah?!"

Seriously. What's wrong with the people in this timeline? I don't know where she unearth the confidence to publicly shame someone from the Duchy.

She'll get killed one day because of it.

Before Khiel could take action, snake-like voice slithered from above, "Oh my dear Tabitha, are you running away from a duel?" I instantly understood the connection to the inconsistencies roughly.

I don't know if the woman bating me to exert my strength was actually drunk but she was definitely coaxed by the Duchess. What a shrewd cow.

"Forgive me for sullying the reputation of the Dukedom but," I stared at the spy the Duchess planted, "It would be dangerous for her to proceed like this." My voice laced with mana had already made her tremble. How much more for an actual duel?

She was fluttering small glances at the duchess to ask for help as sweat had profusely formed on her head.

"It can't be helped that she wants to test you. You did crawl from out of nowhere." This abhorrent gremlin really wants to experiment on me during a party made for me!

Sigh.

"Understood. Where should we fight? I'm afraid it'll disturb the duche–"

"Don't mind me. You can do it right there"

'Bingo', the tiny devil with me cackled. She bit the bait. 'I'll show off and have her not to underestimate me'.

"I will be the arbitrator." Master formed a transparent wall between the woman and I while she took a step back. "Lady Tabitha, are you familiar with the rules of a magic duel?" I shook my head. "In the Soledad Empire, the magic duel starts with both mages building a wall of mana in front of them. They will exchange attack spells while defending their wall. The win goes to the person who breaks the opponent's wall completely."

Technically speaking the mana wall that was formed would serve as a temporary body for the mage, so that they wouldn't be badly injured.

I feel my lips form a smirk, "Well then, I'll hand you the first move." To the rat of the Duchess who immediately fumed.

Everyone moved back to give us some more space.

I raised a mid-level mana wall just to toy with her and the Duchess. Instead of being angered any more, she gathered her mana and attacked me with a simple fireball spell. I didn't move to defend at that ridiculous attack.

'Is she looking down on me? A fireball spell is a low tier magic spell– Why the hell is that so big?'

I bit my lip. I didn't expect that. Based on my inspection, her mana circle was at the 4th level and her overall mana capacity was mid-tier yet she can exude that big of a spell.

My wall cracked slightly. I've forgotten for a moment but the mages in this timeline was deemed to be stronger than ours.

If I've fucked myself up by building a low-tier mana wall on top of not defending then I would've lost face. I can see this chick in a new light and even though I could, I don't want to end the match right now.

[Rock Spear]

Rocks trembled at my call, forming a formidable spear while she casted a decent wind spell but a part of her wall still crumbled.

'Time to see what makes you strong'

It was her time to attack again.

[Mana Manipulation: Eyes]

I activated a detection skill covertly to inspect her magic casting directly. Who knows if the duchess was ordering the people behind her to give out mana.

To my surprise there wasn't any foul play like that. Instead of her mana being enlarged, the spell itself had become simpler but big.

'What is this sorcery?'

The gap of this generation and mine had slapped me once again.

There was definitely something she did to the spell. It also looked like she was reading something mid-air before tiny magic circles popped out and boosted the output.

I instantly casted a fire-type spell that waved past her large ice sickles mid-air.

'Guess I've finished analyzing her. Time to end this.'

With no hesitation I activated [Dioxazine], a large magic circle appeared in front of my wall and violet lightning burst out. Because of her shock, she couldn't even defend her wall which crumbled like dust and left her defenseless for the next wave.

I had to defend her myself. She wouldn't be able to function as a proper human being if she got hit directly by this.

[Water Mirror]

A large oval took form in front of my opponent made of water, and it the lightning bounced off it before reaching her and went back inside the magic circle. I grunted at that.

I would've felt fine either way but… I clicked my tongue. Her arm was grazed as she fell and since it was still lightning that struck close, her hair fizzed up.

"Ah. I apologize. My memory had been clattered lately, I couldn't remember which spells were strong or not." I bowed to everyone present and satisfaction flooded me as the Duchess Patricia Obiel narrowed her eyes at me.

No one dared to speak except for the heirs.

"I'll treat you so let's go to the infirmary and get you fixed. Completely." Lady Mariah stepped in. The woman's ruined brown hair was still producing statics but she instantly turned alert after the offer.

"The scratch won't leave a scar even without healing. It'll be fine just treating it in the infirmary." Lord Rouge commented.

"Yes, thank you." She bowed to her yet turned back to me. "Um excuse me. I'd like to apologize instead for my behavior, it seems like the alcohol got into my head."

She marched in my direction, green eyes filled with an unknown determination, "My name is Kadrina Lukas. It is an honor to have been your first duel opponent." And she bowed properly, head lowered down to her waist level.

Of course it didn't matter to me but I liked that this lady has some backbone.

"I probably won't remember your name but it was an honor for me as well." I nodded at her. Her face crumpled at my words and got escorted by a servant and Lady Mariah Zarosa.

She wasn't my enemy in the first place.

With a hand on my chest and another holding a piece of my dress, I bowed gracefully to the dame in the balcony. "I hope you enjoyed the show, Duchess".

She faked a smile but my eyes could see her lips twitching.

"It was… indeed a good show. Enjoy the banquet, everyone." And she turned away.

Khiel snorted beside me and managed the visitors back to the party for a second round. This time, I joined them properly.

"Today was fun. I am grateful for everyone's attendance and welcome as I officially join the Obiel Household." My smile was genuine and they cheered.