Chapter 823

Chapter 823: Duel at the Banquet

“Step aside, Fimbul. I think your actions have troubled this young lady.”

Just as Loran Hill was hesitating on how to decline, a tall and robust young man approached. From his military uniform and insignia, he seemed to be a newly ennobled military officer.

“Excuse me for the interruption. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jihassen, a member of the Fire Lizard Dragoons.” His voice stood out among the nobles around him, rough and resonant.

“It is a great honor to meet Miss Lacy. The moment you entered the hall, I was captivated by your beauty. Allow me to be your most devoted suitor.” He disregarded the usual courtship games among nobles and openly declared his affections.

This straightforward approach stunned the few gloomy young noble men who had been present, leaving them momentarily speechless.

Hearing such a candid declaration of love, Loran Hill, inexperienced with such matters, hesitated for several seconds.

“This… is quite sudden. I do not currently have any thoughts about love or marriage.”

“I understand. Someone as radiant as the moon should choose carefully. But that does not stop me from loving you passionately. I will wait here sincerely and patiently until you look upon me with favor.”

Normally, such overtly flattering behavior might be met with disdain, but when said so boldly and openly, it gained a sense of grandeur and strength.

“Jihassen, you!” The young noblemen who had arrived earlier were indignant at this sight.

At their age, they were most concerned with their reputations. To be upstaged in such a manner was akin to being publicly humiliated. If they did not reclaim their dignity today, they would become the laughingstock of the noble circles tomorrow.

“How can you act like this… so lacking in manners? You are putting Miss Lacy in an awkward situation. This is simply too rude.”

Their faces flushed red as they spat out these awkward rebukes.

“Hmph, I am expressing my true feelings. What is wrong with that? I have neither coerced anyone nor used any tricks. What is wrong with being honest and straightforward? It seems to me that your affected ways are strange. Do you think everyone must revolve around you and cater to your every whim? Are you still infants who haven’t been weaned?”

“Giggles…” After this statement, laughter echoed from many of the noble ladies present.

This time, the几位贵族青年，带着艺术家气质的年轻人再也按捺不住了，他们指着这位体格健壮的贵族军官，开始说出各种反驳贬低的话语。关于贵族的优雅、循序渐进的追求方式，

Pure spirits intertwined, and so on, Giharsen was an incredibly rude person who could not understand, and so on.

These words, although logical, did not have much impact; to Giharsen, they were no different from noisy ducks. He shrugged as if he did not care or could not understand, which made their actions even more ridiculous.

Rip—

The sound of drawing a sword suddenly echoed. Then, one of them splashed wine at Giharsen, a way to challenge him to a duel among the nobility.

“Huh, you want to duel with me?” Giharsen wiped the wet wine off his body and looked disdainfully at the opposite side.

“Of course, I am risking my reputation to duel with you. If you lose, you must stay away from Miss Lacy,” the young man who had greeted Loran Hill and invited her to dance declared, holding his sword with both hands.

“Calm down, everyone,” Loran Hill wanted to cover her forehead. How did things escalate so quickly? If this got out, it would seem like she provoked the duel. Why did they draw their swords so easily?

“I apologize for disturbing Miss Lacy, but I must go against your wishes this time because I need to maintain my right to pursue you. This also concerns my dignity and honor,” Giharsen said, bowing to Loran Hill before turning to face the several noble youths with melancholic auras.

Seeing Giharsen gain favor and build his image in front of Loran Hill, the others were almost furious. How could he be so shameless? But with the beauty in front of them, losing composure would make everything meaningless. They had to act quickly, preparing to silence the arrogant fellow through a duel.

“How beautiful youth is,” Count Howard raised his cup and took a sip, shaking his head slightly in sigh.

“Do you not intend to stop them?” Loran Hill asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Of course not, because it is the privilege of the nobility to challenge those who threaten their reputation and honor,” Howard explained.

“If I were still ten years younger, I think I would draw my sword for such a beautiful lady like you. That is the romance of life,” he said in a teasing tone, expressing his admiration and affection for the young lady.

“You flatter me too much,” Loran Hill could only accept this gracefully.

Soon, the dance floor was cleared, making space for the duel. The guests excitedly gathered around, watching the two preparing to fight.

“I never expected to see such a scene today. It’s been months since I last saw a duel.”

“It’s all because of the lockdown and purges. Oh well, let’s not talk about these sad things.”

“What do you think, who will win?”

“I bet on Viscount Jiharsen. He is a military merit noble and currently the deputy commander of the Fire Lizard Heavy Cavalry Regiment. His strength has been tested on the battlefield.”

“However, young Fimbull isn’t bad either. Now he has reached Sequence 5. With that group of companions helping him gather heirlooms and with his luxurious equipment, he might not lose to Jiharsen.”

“Even the best equipment depends on the user. I still think Jiharsen has a better chance of winning.”

“How about we make a bet?”

“Three bottles of Purple Lavender Estate wine, how about that?”

“That’s fine, the total is 100 gold coins, not too much.”

Amidst the discussions of others, the two in the middle gradually prepared themselves, each drawing their swords and standing facing each other.

At first, Lolan Hill felt a bit guilty, thinking her actions inadvertently led to this duel. But after several failed attempts to stop it, she gave up and focused instead on observing the various views and opinions at the banquet.

If the nobles were so engrossed in pleasure and beauty, then this nation was not far from decline.

Lolan extended her perception, accepting and analyzing more information to find valuable parts.

“Hmph, these hicks are too bold. Even though the emperor is gone, they still act like this. Do they really think we can’t beat them?” A faint voice drifted through the noise and reached Lolan’s ears from a corner.

“Before, they were trying to curry favor and quell domestic unrest. Now, there won’t be another Western Campaign. I think their good days are numbered. The four dukes will eventually deal with these people. Just wait and see.”

“The glory of the empire belongs to us. It is our generation’s efforts that uphold this vast nation. Those people are just lucky to survive. Why should they sit above us?”

These soft voices circulated among several nobles dressed in luxurious attire. Looking at the crests on their collars, they were all old families within the empire.

Is this the difference and opposition between the new and old nobility? Lolan slightly lowered her head, analyzing their conversation in her mind, slowly categorizing their identities.

Finally, based on the noisy conversations of these nobles, she gradually divided the hall into two factions. One faction belonged to the descendants of the old high nobility, while the other consisted mostly of small nobles or commoners who had risen through military achievements.

After the emperor’s death, lacking someone to mediate and balance, the rift began to widen and became more apparent.

“So, the duel begins!”

(End of Chapter)