Chapter 037. I Accept This Marriage (1)

"Phew."

Friedrich let out a deep sigh.

The evening was dim. After finishing his meal, Friedrich immediately rented an entire training hall within the academy for his duel with Veris.

Veris maintained a relaxed demeanor. There was no hint of tension from the two girls beside him, which made Friedrich recall once again what Maria had previously mentioned.

'The man who sent the Sword Demon flying with a single blow.'

In fact, it was hard to believe such a rumor, as he had never heard of the Sword Demon's death.

But if a person has some sense, how could they not know? Her sister was not the type to lie.

Swish!

"It is an honor to duel with you."

"...Yes."

As Friedrich drew his sword, Veris also drew his sword, standing opposite him.

'What's with him?'

Friedrich, who had been polite since their first meeting, was now displaying an extremely courteous attitude after the meal. From his tone to every single action, it was evident.

What did that imply?

It was clear that Friedrich had heard 'something' about Veris from Maria.

Nobles, by nature, are born with a silver spoon in their mouths, no, a diamond spoon.

Naturally, the subtle condescension in their gaze and behavior was hard to miss.

However, looking at Friedrich now, he seemed less like a noble and more like a mature student attending the academy.

"Before we begin the duel, I must say this. Do not hold back your mercy."

"What does that mean?"

"Heh, it's not something I need to hide. I have a vague understanding that you are stronger than I am."

"Is that so? Then why duel?"

"Sometimes, it's a trait of men, isn't it?"

Veris, who didn't particularly resonate with that sentiment, nodded with a somewhat reluctant expression.

Since when did challenging the strong become a trait of men? Whether he knew Veris's thoughts or not, Friedrich slowly began to draw up his mana.

─Vroom!

"I promise to show no shame. Then, I shall begin."

Whoosh!

After a brief greeting signaling the start of the duel, Friedrich charged at Veris with incredible speed.

─Clang!

The imperial royal treasure, the golden sword, clashed against Veris's worn iron sword, producing a clear ringing sound.

Regardless, Friedrich was drenched in cold sweat.

'This is no joke!'

The moment he clashed swords with Veris, Friedrich realized.

His sister's words were indeed not a lie. The man, whose face was filled with ennui, harbored a depth that was beyond description.

However, Friedrich was also a genius recognized by the academy. Although he was no longer called a genius due to age, it was undeniable that he possessed extraordinary skills compared to others.

─Clang! Clang!

After exchanging blows with Veris for a while, Friedrich furrowed his brow as he realized one thing.

The man he was facing had not attacked even once from the beginning.

Whoosh!

Creating distance with a flashy backstep, Friedrich shouted.

"Hey!"

"Yes?"

"Why haven't you attacked since earlier?"

"..."

At first, Friedrich had been oddly excited about dueling such a genius. However, since Veris did not regard him as a true opponent, his pride was inevitably hurt.

"Please, I ask you to use your full strength."

In the end, Friedrich, despite having initiated the duel, made such a request.

He knew well that death did not elevate honor. But… since the duel had begun, shouldn't there be something to gain from it?

However, upon hearing Veris's dry voice, Friedrich bit his lip.

"What if His Highness the Crown Prince dies?"

"..."

Well, that wasn't an incorrect statement.

Veris had indeed said he dealt with the famous Sword Demon in a single strike. What did that imply?

If he poured all his strength into the duel, it meant he could easily kill Friedrich, like a person squashing an ant with their thumb.

"Now that I think about it, you're not wrong."

"I don't even understand why Your Highness initiated this duel in the first place."

"Hmm..."

Friedrich let out a sigh.

He was not reckless enough to say, 'Actually, I came to visit twice, but you were always sleeping.' What did it matter if he was a prince or a noble? In the end, getting stabbed would result in bleeding and death, just the same.

Moreover, saying, 'I wanted to see if you were a man worthy of Maria,' felt like a flimsy excuse. Just being in the presence of Veris, who exuded such an aura, made his mind dizzy and his knees weak. Verification was a privilege of the strong, not something the weak should do.

"If you find me to your liking, then I…"

In the end, Friedrich made a somewhat ambiguous statement.

Even if he was a noble, he was still a member of the royal family. However, Veris, being a noble scion of the empire, would not take such an interest in him lightly. It was a quick calculation that led to an excellent improvisation. "...That's not particularly pleasant to hear."

"..."

But perhaps that was a miscalculation. The Crown Prince felt a bitter taste in his mouth at Veris's lukewarm response. After all, someone of that caliber wouldn't care much whether one was a noble or a commoner.

"Is that so? Let's end the small talk and continue the duel."

Saying that, Friedrich readied his sword.

The imperial royal treasure, the golden sword, was emitting a brilliant light. With exceptional mana and strength, Friedrich wanted to stake everything he had against his opponent.

It was certainly not easy to give it his all in a duel that was not a life-or-death situation. For someone like Friedrich, who had grown up within the palace, such an opportunity might not come again.

"I will go all out."

──── Vroom!

Blue mana began to radiate brilliantly from Friedrich's treasured sword.

The Crown Prince of the Empire. Before being called the genius of swordsmanship of his time, the man who was once known as the genius of the empire, his light soon took form and flew toward Veris.

* * *

"Ahh."

Maria let out a small sigh as she looked at Friedrich sprawled on the floor like a madman.

It was good that Friedrich had used all his strength to pressure Veris. But the problem was that no matter how hard one threw an egg at mithril, it wouldn't even leave a scratch.

"Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"

Maria approached Veris, who was smiling as he lay on the ground, and asked.

She could sense the burning gaze from behind, indicating that Friedrich was glaring at her, but Maria chose not to acknowledge it.

"Not at all. It's been a while since I had a duel, so it was fun."

Friedrich had fallen in one blow, making the word 'duel' seem meaningless. She felt a bit guilty for being a burden to Veris, but his generous attitude eased her mind a little.

"Your brother isn't a bad person. I hope he doesn't feel bad."

Veris nodded indifferently at Maria's cautious words.

It was a rather amusing statement, but such people were everywhere in this world. There were plenty of men outside the academy who wouldn't care if they ended up dead in a duel.

Of course, there were also weak men like Veris, who avoided duels altogether.

"By the way, why did Maria's brother come to the academy?"

At Arwen's question, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, Maria flinched.

Naturally, Arwen and Cecilia narrowed their eyes. Anyone could see that Maria's reaction was overly suspicious...

"Ah, maybe he just wanted to see his sister after a long time? Since I usually hide my identity and attend lectures, he probably doesn't hear much gossip about me…"

That wasn't entirely incorrect. Both Arwen and Cecilia were aware that Maria was attending the academy under the alias Mari.

"Is that so."

Though she said that, Arwen's eyes were filled with deep suspicion.

Maria was at a loss as to why she was being interrogated.

"Let's leave that aside. What should we do about him?"

Veris interrupted the girls' conversation at an appropriate moment and pointed to a man.

Friedrich, who had rolled his eyes and fainted, lay sprawled out, not at all fitting for the glorious title of Crown Prince.

"...Should we call someone?"

In the end, Maria said that.

Whether she liked it or not, he was her blood-related brother. Even in an empty training hall, she felt uneasy leaving him behind.

"I think that's a bad idea."

Veris, saying that, approached Friedrich.

It was quite a funny situation. Just like with Gunther before, when he told Veris to use his strength, he ended up knocked out in one blow.

"I'll carry him."

Saying that, Veris lifted Friedrich as if he were an object. He then carried him on his back, and for some reason, Maria's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Your brother will be really happy when he wakes up."

"Is that so?"

Veris replied nonchalantly.

He didn't feel particularly good about carrying a man, after all.

"Indeed, Veris is kind. My eyes aren't deceiving me."

They began to walk. Throughout, Maria's chatter made it impossible for Veris not to smile.

"Where do you see kindness?"

Veris, who had never lived in a way that matched the description of being kind, found the term amusing.

"Hehe, it's just my thought."

Seeing Maria smile brightly, Veris couldn't help but chuckle.

As they peacefully returned to the mansion in the southern district, a round, bright moon rose above them.

[TL: If you can't wait on updates and want to read more, please support me to read the whole novel here: https://buymeacoffee.com/mythictranslations.]