Calm the girls down(4)

Sorry for not releasing the chapters yesterday. First, I was busy, and when I was finally free, I had no internet. So, I postponed the release to today. As compensation, I'll release two extra chapters later—specifically in seven hours.

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The capital of the kingdom was usually a peaceful place, but today, conversations echoed throughout the city. Most of the discussions took place among the nobility, yet even commoners eagerly took part. The reason for such heated debates was an event that could only be described as unprecedented: a viscount had challenged a prince to a duel.

This sparked a wave of arguments and rumors, especially among women and members of the faction that despised Leon. They wasted no opportunity to tarnish his name, spreading unflattering comments and gossip. However, Leon himself couldn't have cared less. The only thing that truly occupied his mind was the upcoming duel.

Yet, with each passing day, he found himself growing more and more impatient. And the reason behind this frustration was none other than the infamous group of five idiots—a collection of people whose behavior irritated him to no end. They kept repeating the same thing over and over: that he was making a mistake, that he shouldn't underestimate his opponents. Their words grated on his nerves, and he barely restrained himself from punching someone.

Finally, the day he had been waiting for arrived. Leon stepped into the Coliseum—an arena generously provided by the academy for this duel. The stands were packed with spectators, all eagerly awaiting the battle to begin.

The moment Leon walked onto the arena floor, he was met with a deafening wave of jeers.

"Drop dead, Bartfort!"

"I hope you lose instantly!"

"Stop wasting time, admit defeat already—I need my money!"

"Don't disgrace yourself and your entire lineage! It's not too late to surrender!"

The atmosphere inside the Coliseum grew more intense, pressing down on Leon with overwhelming force. The reason for such an aggressive reaction was obvious: nearly everyone had placed their bets on the prince's victory. But gambling wasn't the only reason for their hostility. Many wanted to demonstrate their loyalty to the prince by supporting him, even in something as trivial as a duel.

Unfortunately for them, Leon didn't care about any of it. He felt neither fear nor worry. On the contrary, a self-assured grin spread across his face. Unlike the crowd, he knew exactly what awaited him.

"Oh, is that so?" he smirked, glancing around the stands. "Then listen up..."

And in response to their shouts, he began throwing insults of his own, unwilling to let their taunts go unanswered.

However, to his dismay, nobody heard a word of it. The crowd was far too loud, and Leon had no intention of straining his voice just to outshout an entire Coliseum. Soon, he realized that arguing with this mob was pointless and simply stopped paying attention to their yelling.

After some time, he made an unexpected discovery. Despite the overall mood of the stands, about 20% of the spectators—though a minority—were clearly cheering for him. What's more, they had placed their bets on his victory.

"Show them your strength, Hero-Savior!" someone from his supporters shouted.

"Prove that mocking you and downplaying your achievements is an unforgivable mistake!"

Leon even spotted his tea master, who, like a true gentleman, offered him a reserved yet undeniable show of support. This unexpected display of loyalty took him by surprise. He hadn't expected to have any supporters in this duel, let alone such sincere ones.

But his moment of satisfaction didn't last long. The instant a mechanical voice sounded behind him, Leon knew the fun was over.

It was Luxion, his artificial intelligence, currently in stealth mode. His single, hidden eye swept over the stands, analyzing the situation.

"Fascinating, Master," he spoke in his usual flat, emotionless tone. "It appears that you do, in fact, have the ability to inspire people and earn their support."

Leon smirked, already anticipating the inevitable sarcasm that would follow.

"But…"

Leon tensed. He knew Luxion was about to say something snide.

"But… all of them are men."

Leon froze, then quickly turned his gaze toward the stands. Frantically, he scanned the crowd, searching for at least one woman among those supporting him.

And then, finally, he found her—his angel of salvation, the one who would prove Luxion wrong and show that there was at least one female supporter among the spectators.

It was Clarice. She sat in the stands, holding up a black sheet of paper—a symbol of her support for Leon. Despite the overwhelming pressure from the crowd, she hadn't hesitated to openly express her stance on the duel.

Upon seeing this, Leon couldn't help but smile. A triumphant feeling surged through him, and, unable to resist, he raised his hand, pointing straight at Clarice. His victorious gaze turned to Luxion.

"In your face, Luxion!" he said with a smug grin. "Girls support me!"

Luxion remained silent for a moment, as if processing this new information. Then, his calm, unfeeling voice once again rang in Leon's mind.

"Please, Master, do not mistake wishful thinking for reality. There is only one girl, and considering that she is your longtime friend, she doesn't count."

Leon merely scoffed at this remark. He knew that arguing with Luxion was a pointless endeavor. In the end, that AI would always find a loophole to prove himself right.

"Believe whatever you want," Leon replied calmly, unwilling to waste his breath on a meaningless debate.