Chapter 494 325: Chastity and the Goddess's Blessing

In the council hall, all eyes burned as they stared at the Mermaid magically frozen in the center. This magical Race once ruled the seas as overlords in ancient times, so powerful they were ranked alongside the Dwarves and Elves.

Unfortunately, after the holy war that swept across the entire Middle Ages Continent, this Race vanished without a trace.

But more than shock, they were curious where Rillo had captured this Mermaid.

"Legend has it that one who takes a Mermaid's chastity will receive the blessing of the gentle Female Sea Goddess Amphitrite," Rillo said, recounting a tale known to almost everyone. "I can prove this is true—for my family history records that an ancestor once received the Sea Goddess's blessing."

"And the purer the Bloodline, the stronger the blessing received. This Mermaid's Royal Family status should require no further proof from me, correct?"

"Her beauty is enough to make a King spare no expense, spending a hundred thousand Gold Coins. To have such a beautiful Mermaid Princess from Seattle as a concubine... even the founding King of Talisi never had such a pleasure! Not to mention, the most important thing is the blessing of the Sea Goddess. Even Legendary Powerhouses could not remain indifferent."

"Indeed. Forget one hundred thousand, I'd be willing to pay two hundred thousand Gold Coins for this beautiful Mermaid girl," Harland said with a slight smile. This King had no intention of hiding his true thoughts.

As the debaucherous monarch who built the Ten Thousand Flower Garden, his reputation for licentiousness was already widespread. He didn't mind if it grew a little more.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. The public discussion of a Mermaid's chastity made her somewhat uncomfortable, but as a King who ruled over millions, she had long grown accustomed to such things. She was merely more interested in what would happen next.

Rillo's gaze turned to the Lord, his eyes cold. "So, Sir Levi, what can you offer as a wager?"

"First, let me declare that my participation in this duel has nothing to do with this Mermaid girl. I'm just doing it because I can't stand the sight of you, you old bastard," Levi said with a couple of cold sneers, twisting his neck and cracking his knuckles.

Then, with a thought, a Flame Sword materialized from his inventory, appearing in the open space to face the Ice Crystal Ball from across the room.

"Is this Legendary Magic Weapon enough?"

"Not enough!" Rillo couldn't even be bothered to explain how precious this Mermaid was, or how much effort it had taken him to capture her.

A Legendary Magic Weapon was indeed precious, but Talisi was not without them. This Mermaid Princess, however, was the only one in the Seven Kingdoms.

"Then what about adding ownership of a Giant Dragon?" Levi asked with a slight smile, slapping a paper contract down on the table.

It was the very work contract he had signed with Sophia.

Each of the three parties sent a representative to examine the contract. They were surprised to find that this Giant Dragon hadn't been won over by the Lord's excellent character, but was simply deep in debt. At the same time, they all nodded in agreement. "There's no problem with the contract. It is indeed signed with a Silver Dragon."

"Done!" A flicker of astonishment crossed Rillo's face, and he quickly agreed as if fearing the Lord would go back on his word.

At this moment, the two of them were like gamblers who had lost their cool, constantly raising the stakes at their respective tables.

But this was just how each saw the other. Both sides in this duel shared one thing in common: they were both confident that their own strength was at the absolute peak, and that if a fight broke out, it would only be the other who suffered.

However, in the history of human duels, this situation was not uncommon. Anyone who accepted a duel proved they had extreme confidence in themselves.

While Rillo worried that the Lord of High Cliff Castle would fear losing the Giant Dragon and cancel the duel, even if it meant suffering humiliation, Levi was worried that his opponent would be too cautious and see through his confidence. Therefore, the nonchalant look vanished from his face, replaced by one of grave tension.

"Hmph. For this duel, you'd better pray the gods are on your side," Levi blustered, though internally he was ecstatic. Forcing himself to maintain that look of someone who was all bark and no bite was absolute agony for the Lord, who was not a good actor.

After all, even if the gods did stand with his opponent, it wouldn't change the outcome one iota: he was still going to beat the shit out of him.

"If all Sir Levi can do is talk big, then the outcome of this duel is already decided," Rillo sneered, his ancient, claw-like hands trembling with excitement.

'That's a Giant Dragon! Then I'll have not only the Mermaid, but a Giant Dragon too!'

"This duel is getting more and more interesting," Harland said, clapping his hands repeatedly, his face brimming with joy. "Let's set the duel for tomorrow. That will give everyone time to prepare."

This was not a duel that could begin the moment it was agreed upon. The people involved held statuses near the apex of the Seven Kingdoms; each was a renowned, legendary figure.

Time was needed to prepare the venue.

In all the annals of dueling, this one was great enough to rank in the top five. It was destined to become a page of history that could not be overlooked, one that would be rendered in exhaustive detail, for it involved three great nations, as well as a Mermaid and a Giant Dragon.

It was like a bolt of lightning that tore through the overcast night sky to reveal the Bright Moon—a flash of brilliance enough to startle the world, becoming a legendary tale that even time could not erase, passed down through the ages.

The three sides each sent a representative with authority to draft the rules. The final draft was submitted to the two Kings for confirmation, and once approved, was distributed back to all parties.

The participants included a Dragon Knight, a Mage on the verge of reaching the pinnacle of Magic, and, as the most inconspicuous among them, the renowned Sai Dai Golden Man.

The witnesses, naturally, were the two Kings, plus the Pope from the Holy Light Church—whenever he decided to return. These three stood at the pinnacle of secular and divine authority, more than sufficient to serve as witnesses.