The show during the audience (part 6)

"As you can hear, my son is doubting your ability; stand up."

"Yes, your majesty." *thwack*

The king waved his hand benevolently, and the black-haired man instantly followed the command, getting back on his feet so fast that his peculiar earrings swayed, and one of them smacked against the frame of his glasses.

Maybe it was the ridiculously thick glasses or unimposing height that barely reached over the shoulder of Zorivia standing right by him, but he really didn't look the part of the demon that made the second prince so terrified.

...and so before most - besides the king, Medea, Charlotte, and Ava – realized, the conversation was derailed completely...

"My brother cannot lie, but that doesn't change the fact that it is rather hard to believe that you alone took down nine bandits."

The first prince pointed out with a hint of triumph in his voice, looking down on the bespectacled black-haired man.

| I'm fucking your fiance.|

...was the immediate response that tried to force its way out of Medea's mouth, but the black-haired man somehow managed to hold back the overwhelming urge to say it out loud.

It was a childish insult and wasn't worth using... but damn, it was tempting...!

"People tend to underestimate how efficient sneaking up on someone can be. Even on a group – especially if said group is focused on a single point, confident that they have the upper hand on all fronts, your Highness."

"...!"

Medea bowed his head and said without raising it, and despite saying it all in a non-threatening way and with a servile stance, Noah being the recipient, gritted his teeth as if he received a heavy insult.

"Your Highness, words of a commoner like me mean little, but in case you want to test out whether I lie or not and choose an opponent for me. I am more than willing to put my life on the line."

"Oh? Are you now...?"

Medea didn't raise his head, but he threw a bait that the first prince, hungry for the opportunity to get rid of any witnesses that could link him to the kidnapping, swallowed whole without even stopping to fully consider all the pros and cons.

"Yes, your Highness. There's no reason to waste precious ingredients on someone like me."

Medea lowered his head even more and doubled down on his offer.

"Father, the servant of my fiance wishes to prove his worth in a test of combat. Will you allow it?"

The first prince turned right around and called out to the king, not making the same mistake twice and properly leaving the decision up to the person with real power.

"If you truly know what it means. So be it. Choose your champion."

"...~"

The king breathed out before waving his hand dismissively in allowance, affirming Medea's opinion of the current Monarch.

The platinum-haired man figured out what would be about to happen; he even gave his son a hint and a way out, but...

"Thank you, father! I will compensate for any injuries that may occur during the skirmish. As for my champion... I chose Mister Lance."

...the first prince was trapped in the idea that he controlled the situation and missed it completely.

"!!!"

Still, the name of the person he selected stirred up quite the reaction from the audience as it seemed that despite Mister Lance not having a surname, he must have been quite a well-known persona amongst the nobility.

"I chose a commoner so you would not feel obliged to hold back; I hope you don't mind."

The first prince Noah smirked playfully, looking at Medea over his shoulder while one of the guards hurried out of the audience hall to bring the yet unaware champion.

"Selecting the undefeated winner of the capital's swordsmanship competition for the past twenty years is an honor I did not expect, your Highness. I will do my utmost best to not fail the trust you put in me."

"Hmph."

Medea said gratefully, continuing to bend his neck and making the first prince scoff as he not only was well aware of who Lance was but also twisted the situation to his benefit.

"While we wait, prepare the space for the fight... and return Mister Medea his weapons."

The king closed his eyes for a moment and held back a sigh – when he opened them again, he commanded the guards who rushed out to do his bidding.

"Medea..."

"Do you remember your promise, my dummy?"

Zorivia grabbed onto Medea's sleeve and whimpered pitifully, to which the black-haired man responded with his usual serious expression.

"...to look away during the duel until either you or his majesty the King calls out to me..."

Zorivia lowered her head and fidgetted before answering timidly in a hushed voice.

"Good~ Try not to think too hard about the origin of the sounds that you will hear."

Medea bowed his head and moved away, walking towards the guard who was holding two knives and waiting for him, slightly bothered.

The first prince's champion arrived at almost the exact same time that Medea finished concealing his weapons.

Lance was a quite large man in his late thirties, with long copper-brown hair, green eyes, and a confident expression.

He was carrying his favorite weapon – a curved longsword – on a modified holster on his back and was just oozing with confidence and calmness.

He wore only sandals, baggy pants, and a linen shirt with no armor or other protective gear in sight.

Lance passed Medea without even acknowledging his presence and put his hand to his chest before bowing down to the king, queen, and the first prince.

"Do you need any additional explanation, mister Lance?"

The king asked, giving the swordsman permission to speak.

"No, your majesty. I was made aware that I need to put some overconfident kid back in line."

Lance shook his head and declared, appearing all high and mighty despite being in the presence of the kingdom's ruler.

The confidence of a seasoned warrior...

...no, the confidence of a seasoned duelist...

Anyone who experienced real combat could tell the difference.

Nonetheless, just by the posture and stance, the audience had little doubts about the outcome of the duel...

Wait... duel...?

The few quick-witted nobles realized that the word duel was never spoken. Instead, it was always a test of combat and even...a fight where one put their life on the line...

"If both participants are ready and prepared... Begin!"

The king announced, and the black-haired servant sprung into a crazy dash while the nonchalant swordmaster stayed in place with his hand on the handle of his unsheathed longsword.