Chapter 40: Kael vs. Arthur

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. The long-awaited day had finally arrived for the citizens of Vex City — the day when the duel between the Orc Slayer and a Knight trained at the Royal Academy would finally take place.

Since Vex City had no coliseum or dedicated indoor combat arena like the capital, the duel had to be held in an enormous open field on the northern outskirts of the city.

From the early hours of the morning, countless people had already gathered, crowding around the boundaries of the field. Even the balconies and second-floor windows of nearby houses were packed with spectators who didn’t want to miss the event.

"Wow, this is insane! So many people have come just to watch this duel... Hey, I even saw a group of foreign adventurers arrive in our city yesterday afternoon specifically to watch the match!" one excited citizen whispered.

"That’s only natural. News of Sir Kael the Orc Slayer’s incredible feats has stirred up curiosity throughout the entire kingdom," another citizen standing to his right replied.

On a small, elaborately decorated platform of honor, Grand Advisor Velde sat calmly in his cushioned chair, observing the situation around him with a meaningful smile.

For Velde, this spectacle would serve as a fascinating political stage.

In the central territories of the Lionheart Kingdom, such combat events were nothing unusual. Many ambitious individuals deliberately entered open tournaments to showcase their abilities, hoping to earn recognition and fill their pockets with prize money.

In fact, if a fighter managed to deliver an impressive performance in front of high-ranking officials, the royal palace would not hesitate to recruit them directly into the ranks of the Royal Knights for special training.

"Although Arthur is merely a young Knight who has only been serving in the field for a few months, he’s still a graduate of this year’s academy class with solid swordsmanship. We must not underestimate him," Velde sneered inwardly beneath his robe.

To be honest, Velde was far more supportive of Arthur in this duel. He desperately wanted to see that arrogant, stubborn, and undisciplined Kael humiliated in public and brought to his knees beneath the feet of his subordinate.

Meanwhile, among the spectators standing along the western boundary of the combat field, the exotic brown-skinned woman and her three bald subordinates were also watching the event.

Around them, dozens of independent mercenaries and freelance adventurers had gathered to join the crowd.

"Kael...? Ah, that name sounds familiar," muttered a senior mercenary with a scar across his cheek. "He’s one of the living legends among independent mercenaries. He’s got a long history and an extraordinary record of combat achievements from his past."

"I’ve heard of him too! But who would’ve thought a mercenary of his caliber would suddenly be recruited and appointed as an official Royal Knight? They say he killed hundreds of goblins, crushed a giant Orc, and wiped out an entire group of Dark Mages all by himself," his companion chimed in admiringly.

Hearing those praises, the exotic brown-skinned woman snorted disdainfully and folded her arms across her chest.

"Hmph! That rotten bastard has always been wanted for murder because he loves killing his own superiors every time he switches mercenary groups. He’s nothing but a cold-blooded bastard!"

"Well, whose fault is it that those stupid groups kept provoking him in the first place?" an adventurer retorted. "Every mercenary faction that has ever put a bounty on his head has ended up suffering heavy losses, getting beaten to a pulp, or even being completely destroyed."

"That only applies to small and medium-sized mercenary groups! What if he dared to challenge a large-scale mercenary group like the King Mercenaries, led by the King of Mercenaries himself? It’s obvious that Kael is still leagues below their level," the woman scoffed contemptuously.

Conversations and heated debates continued to echo throughout the field. Feeling that the preparations were finally complete, Grand Advisor Velde rose from his chair. He raised his ceremonial staff high into the air before loudly announcing the start of the event.

"Preparations are complete! Both participants may now enter the combat arena! Remember the main rule: no lethal attacks are permitted!" Velde declared firmly.

From the right side of the arena, Arthur stepped forward with complete confidence.

Unlike his usual formal military attire, the young man had deliberately chosen not to wear any chest armor. Instead, he wore only thick training trousers and a simple brown training shirt, allowing his athletic body to move freely.

He flashed a friendly, spirited smile toward the spectators. A wave of enthusiastic cheers immediately greeted his arrival, especially from the women captivated by his youthful appearance.

"Kyaaa~! Good heavens, why are so many Royal Knights always so handsome and charming?!" a young girl in the front row shrieked hysterically.

"We love you, Sir Arthur! Beat that arrogant fraud!"

Of course, many neutral spectators also chose not to underestimate Arthur’s abilities, considering that the young man officially held the title of Two-Star Knight and had graduated as one of the academy’s finest students.

However, time continued to pass. One minute... two minutes... then five minutes went by in tense silence.

The long-awaited figure of Kael, the challenger in this duel, had yet to show his face anywhere inside the arena.

"Huh? Where on earth has that man gone?" a spectator whispered anxiously. "Could he have deliberately skipped the duel because he doesn’t dare to show up?"

"There’s no way a hero like the Orc Slayer would be afraid of losing... But his behavior is awfully suspicious. Could he have run away?"

"Ah, damn it! If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have placed such a huge bet on Sir Kael winning!" cursed an amateur gambler in one corner of the field.

The crowd grew increasingly restless with doubt. Some people had even begun sneering contemptuously, throwing out harsh insults and mocking remarks.

Just as the atmosphere was beginning to descend into chaos due to the spectators’ speculation, the sound of a steel sword scraping roughly against the stone pavement echoed from the direction of the main alley.

Screee... screee... screee...

Every spectator instinctively turned toward the source of the noise. A city guard shouted as he cleared a path.

"Make way, everyone! Sir Kael is coming through!"

On the platform of honor, Grand Advisor Velde’s eyes widened so dramatically that they nearly popped out of their sockets.

"What on earth is with this man’s appearance and the way he’s walking?!"

Among the spectators, the exotic brown-skinned woman froze in astonishment, blinking in disbelief.

"Huh? Why is he casually walking around with his chest completely bare...? There’s something seriously strange about this man!"

"Eh? Is Kael really that kind of person? I always heard stories that he was actually a cold, ruthless, and quiet man..." an adventurer whispered.

Kael strode into the combat arena with an appearance that was completely at odds with that of a respectable Knight or mercenary.

He was shirtless, revealing a perfectly defined six-pack, and wore pitch-black trousers along with tall military boots that exuded an aura of absolute dominance.

His entire chest and back were covered in a horrifying web of old battle scars, each one a reminder of the deadly encounters he had survived in the past.

His black hair was carelessly tied back, revealing a sharply defined and exceptionally handsome face, though his expression was wrapped in an air of arrogance and disdain.

Strangely enough, his wild and disheveled appearance radiated an incredibly powerful masculine charm. The spectators who had previously been mocking him suddenly erupted into hysterical screams, particularly the female spectators.

Kael stopped in the middle of the arena, casually twirling his sword for a moment before pointing it directly at Arthur with a look of sky-high contempt.

"Ah... My apologies for keeping all of you waiting so long," Kael said in a deliberately provocative, lazy tone. "I had to take care of a few things at home first. Besides... you know how it is, right? Fighting a slow-moving snail in this arena has never exactly inspired me to hurry. Hahaha!"

Of course, all that arrogance was nothing more than an act Kael had deliberately put on to provoke his opponent.

Arthur, who had just been compared to a snail in front of thousands of citizens, immediately felt his blood boil. The veins on his temples bulged prominently.

Kael raised his sword high and delivered his final provocation in a loud voice that echoed throughout the entire field.

"Listen carefully, you half-baked brat! Today, I’ll show you and make you understand firsthand... that I’m the same man who once mercilessly killed an enemy Three-Star Knight! So know your place and get on your knees before me right now, boy!"

Arthur gritted his teeth so hard that they audibly ground against each other. He drew his sword and pointed it at Kael’s face, his hand trembling with overwhelming rage.

"Don’t get too full of yourself, you old bastard! You only managed to kill that Three-Star Knight back then because you ganged up on him with three of your friends, didn’t you?! If I had three people as strong as myself backing me up, I could kill ten people like you!" Arthur roared hysterically, having completely lost his patience. He could no longer wait to smash that smug bastard Kael’s face to pieces.

Seeing Arthur’s furious reaction, Grand Advisor Velde smiled broadly with satisfaction from atop the platform. He was certain that Arthur would unleash his full potential and defeat Kael.

He raised his hand high into the air before swiftly bringing it down.

"Let the match begin!"