Chapter 23: Chapter 16 ─ The Strongest Knight

I was told to wait an hour to prepare everything, respectfully given my own private room in the temple.

You have to hand it to them, they are confident and treat me well so their victory will taste better.

Battler was being looked after by Ixion, who informed me that the idiot Herring tried to plant a bomb on him, allowed him to place it inside and then blew it up so no one would notice.

Someone knocked on the door, it couldn't be an assassin because that would be a violation of the oath the great nobles swore.

The door opened after I gave my approval for whoever was outside to enter.

It was Randolf who came in.

I stood up and before I said anything, he bowed his head.

"I'm sorry. I... I used you for my convenience."

"I wanted to protect Lucy, I was glad you came and decided to take her."

"Then it's true you knew who Lucy was. Why did you give her to me if you knew about her? Do you know about Diana too?"

His head was still bowed.

"Yes. I spoke to Lugh a little after I found out, he told me he would protect her and that her father knows and he kept quiet."

"He's a good boy despite not being the heir, but now with this news he will be the heir so he can give Diana a happy and protected life."

"Why didn't you do anything for Lucy when Jude kidnapped her?"

"I won't make excuses. I didn't know that had happened, Sara informed me that Lucy was getting Derrick and Jude's attention and she was protecting her, but she suddenly lost contact with her and it was too late when she found out."

"You may think it's a joke what I say but it's true my words about protecting those girls."

I asked him what I most wanted to know.

"Why did you let them live? Why did you cause that fire? Why didn't you let Lucy and Diana die too?"

Randolf was thoughtful and after a while of staring at the ground his face returned to looking straight ahead.

"That... I can't tell you, I can only tell you that those girls were innocent. I can't tell you anything else."

"I understand."

I still wasn't getting any real information from him, I couldn't tell if with everything that had happened now made him a villain or not.

Randolf took out his cigarette and walked over to the window to light it.

"Thanks to you my bad habits have come to light."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, I feel better thanks to you because I was able to get it off my chest. By the way, I can't help you during the morning."

"Five of the six great nobles are against you, even as the Acting Chairman I can't oppose them all."

I relaxed him with my next words.

"It's alright. I never trusted you guys anyway."

He laughed at what I said.

"Only luck I can wish you, besides. Is it true that you wish Sara also as your wife?"

This time he looked at me as a father looks at the groom who brought his daughter home.

I didn't hesitate, before I would have trembled with fear, but not now.

"It is true. Even if it has been a short time, I appreciate Sara very much and I want to have her by my side, I will make her happy you can be sure."

After watching me angrily for a while, he sighed and dropped his shoulders.

"I can't do anything if that is the wish of both of us. I hope you win."

He turned and prepared to leave.

Before turning the knob, he said to me.

"If you really are the guardian, I must tell you this."

I was confused by his words.

"The sacred tree really doesn't want the guardian."

He went out and closed the door.

"What did he mean by that?"

◇◇◇

The hour passed faster than Rudel thought it would.

Flying the jealousy were some airships which were full of nobles.

The flagship was where Tom and Linus were.

Lucy was with Sara on Randolf's ship, Cliff was next to her.

Playing referee was Randy who was rejoicing at this moment.

Behind him was a host of armor belonging to the knights protecting the six great nobles.

Even the leading knight of each house was present, all except Anson who represented Banfield.

Lucy was scared, she trusted Rudel, but seeing how many enemies there were, she feared for him.

"Rudel..."

"If you trust your man, then nothing bad will happen to him."

Sara took Lucy's hand to reassure her.

Lucy said quietly.

"Though he'll be your man too when he wins..."

Randolf heard that, but didn't say a word.

Deep down, he also wanted Rudel to win and the whole Lucy thing would be over once and for all.

Even if it meant giving his daughter to a man.

(This is the decision I made and I shouldn't regret it.)

While Cliff conversed with Linus on an old telephone.

"Yes. Randolf just went to talk to him, there was nothing weird."

"I didn't say that. I just asked the reason he went to see him."

"It must be nothing important."

"With this duel, we will not only regain our lost pride, we will also regain the sapling and the priestess."

"Don't forget that nobleman of the kingdom will also be gone forever, nii-san."

"Thanks Tom, I didn't remember that."

Even Cliff himself saw the loving relationship of brothers as repulsive, although he may never have had such a relationship with his own.

Randy heard it was time, blew his whistle and ordered the knights into position.

"Everybody, it's time!"

Just then Rudel arrived ready to fight.

They all looked at Rudel with a face of disgust and hatred, Randy getting on the boat to escape from there used the microphone and shouted.

"People of Aster, the moment we've all been waiting for has arrived!"

His fat fingers pointed at Rudel like he was trash.

"The moment where the despicable noble of the kingdom gets his comeuppance for offending us nobles! Our beliefs and most of all me!"

Rudel was saluting Randy, this irritated him more.

"By that reason to all participants! Whoever cuts his head off I'll give a million, no, ten million in cash!"

"Out of my own pocket for that guy's head!"

The knights who were shocked by the news raised their voices.

It was a unique opportunity for them.

They all raised their firearms, magic swords and other gadgets.

After Randy walked away, he proclaimed the start of the duel.

"Begin!"

The place of the duel was the back of the temple, there were ruins as they were ancient buildings collapsed by the movement of the huge roots of the sacred tree.

It was a perfect graveyard for him was what the great nobles thought.

After hearing the starting whistle.

The knights like headless chickens ran or flew at Rudel.

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Some took to the sky and aimed their rifles while loading the magic bullets.

"I, the heir of Count Pespea who serves Lunor Household will be the one to defeat you!"

"What nonsense are you talking about? The heir to Count Urovana of the knights of Exner Household will defeat you!"

"Hahaha, you fools. Count Zargar of Herring Household will defeat him."

The three leaders of the knights of their houses stepped forward to finish Rudel off and bring honor to their families.

Rudel was picking his nose when he made a slight movement with his right hand.

Battler's hand moved and with a simple motion equal to swatting a fly out of the way, the three suits of armor were instantly destroyed.

Rudel did not want to kill them, but with that light blow the three knights would suffer wounds that would leave them incapacitated for several months.

Despite seeing how effortlessly their superiors were defeated, he was blinded by the reward.

Battler pulled two blunt racket-like swords from his pack.

As the knights approached, Rudel treated them all as if they were toys.

He smashed their heads or cut off their limbs, even blunt ones were as sharp as a real sword.

Rudel moved Battler's controls clumsily on purpose.

"This is too easy."

"These guys are supposed to be Aster's top 100 knights and I'm beating them easily."

"Doesn't that make me the top knight in all of Aster?"

The knights seeing how they were easily crushed, used the power of their emblem, roots and vines grew out of the ground to trap Battler.

But Rudel moved his arms and destroyed the roots with the wind alone.

The knights in the sky would throw magic bullets coated with the magic attribute of lightning or fire at him.

Rudel would return them to them as if it were a tennis tournament.

Before they knew it, more than half had fallen.

The knights in desperation wanted to flee, but knowing that the great nobles put their names on the line, they could not leave, even if they wanted to.

Screaming in agony they watched as they were easily crushed.

Then, coming from a great height, a suit of armor descended.

It belonged to the knight leader of Rosenberg Household, the great knight Bartolt.

Bartolt spoke to Rudel.

"I can see you have been enjoying yourself Count. But, I am different, unlike them I know you are dangerous."

"That's why I will defeat you! To restore Aster's pride that you took from it!"

Baltort lunged recklessly at Rudel, he didn't even take any notice of his opponent's actions, he pressed a button and from his backpack shot out missiles containing a slimy liquid that when in contact with hot air would create a rubber balloon.

Baltort tried his best to attack Rudel, but to no avail, a missile hit him and he became a rubber sphere.

All the participants were defeated by Rudel.

Defeat was obvious.

"I will not allow it!"

But someone didn't take it well.

Descending in red Banfield Household armor, was Jude angrily.

He pointed his rifle at Rudel.

"Count Bradford! I will not give you Lucy!"

Jude used his emblem and several roots came out of the ground similar to giant tentacles.

The airship Tom and Linus were in came towards him.

"Jude you idiot! My brother says it's over!"

"Stop this before it's too late."

"Shut up already! Lucy's my woman and I'm not giving her to anyone!"

The bullet that was meant for Rudel was sent straight into Tom's ship.

"Brotheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!"

Tom and Linus fell to the ground crashing painfully.

Jude looked at Rudel and shouted from the bottom of his heart.

"This time we'll finish this. I won't give you Lucy."

"Lucy is mine! It doesn't matter if you're the guardian or if you're the king of the world! I won't give you my woman!"

"You know, Lucy said not to hurt you. So, I guarantee not to kill you, even if you deserve it."

Rudel approached Jude, he generated several fireballs that approached Rudel, but instead of being directed at him, they touched the roots.

The flaming roots hit Rudel who quickly dodged their attacks.

"Hahaha! You see? This is the power of my feelings for Lucy."

"A guy like you could never show her how much I love her."

"Again you confuse things."

Rudel spoke to him after repelling some flaming roots that wanted to hit him.

"The reason Lucy hates you is because of the way you are, you don't understand her, you don't listen to her."

"Of course I understand her!"

More roots came out of the ground and Jude turned them on to attack Rudel, he used his blunt blades and managed to send a strong gust of wind at them.

"Jude, let me ask you this."

"What is Lucy's favorite color?"

"Hah? What's that got to do with anything?"

"I want you to tell me how much you really love her."

"That's it? It's very simple, it's─"

At that moment, Jude froze.

(What was Lucy's favorite color?)

Rudel made him see the reason why he was never loved by Lucy.

"What is her favorite food?"

"How tall is she?"

"What does she like to do afterwards before she goes to sleep?"

"All that you don't know, do you know why?"

Rudel destroyed the giant roots and walked over to Jude to get it over with.

"Because you don't love Lucy. You're obsessed with her."

"That's not love, obsession is a mental illness."

"Do us all a favor. Leave Lucy alone!"

Rudel used both swords and landed a heavy blow on Jude, which was sent straight to the ground generating the armor to shatter in the journey.

He looked at Randy, waiting for him to deliver the verdict.

But because he didn't want to say it, Randolf had to come in a boat straight to Randy and do it.

"The winner of the duel is Count Bradford."

With no encouragement in his words, Randolf ended this day.

It wasn't the only thing that ended, though.

Underneath Jude appeared a red magic circle which entered the armor and grabbed Jude's right arm.

He was unconscious so he couldn't see or feel what was being done to him.

Jude had violated a duel sworn under the name of the sacred tree.

This was sacrilege to the sacred tree.

Therefore, he took away its emblem, now Jude would be a mere commoner without ever being recognized as a nobleman.

And so, this whole affair between Rudel and Aster came to an end.

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