A princess is still a princess, no matter how disgraced, but enduring daily accusations and slander placed imnse pressure on Blanche.
The ones who accused and slandered her weren’t just the nobles; her own father and Garrett were among them.
Garrett, in particular, as the Crown Prince, always held himself to the standard of the next King. He valued the honor of the Royal Family and himself imnsely, and any blemish on that honor was enough to earn his displeasure.
In the years before Garrett left Golden Feather City, whenever he heard gossip about Blanche, he would return to Golden Feather Palace, go to Moon Shadow Palace, and berate her.
Though he never raised a hand to her, the ntal tornt was its own form of agony.
Listening to Blanche’s ordeal, his heart ached for her. ’Rumors can truly be deadly.’
It was a good thing she was a girl with strong ntal fortitude. Soone less resilient would have been driven to depression or even madness, if not to taking their own life.
If the Princess went mad, it would be an unbearable disgrace for Bruno and Garrett. To preserve the dignity of the Royal Family, they might even go so far as to kill her and announce that she had died of an illness.
Of course, this was just Ronin’s speculation. ’Bruno wouldn’t do sothing like that... would he?’
"Now I understand why you were so afraid just now."
Ronin tightened his grip on her hand. "Don’t worry. Once we’re together, no one will ever bully you again."
Blanche had been downcast while recounting her painful past, tears welling in her eyes. But after hearing Ronin’s words, she couldn’t help but cry tears of joy.
"Yes, I believe you!"
She wiped away her tears. "I feel like Garrett has a violent streak. You have to be extra careful when you spar with him later. If it gets too much, don’t hesitate to call a halt."
"Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing."
When Ronin had first agreed to the duel, he had planned to go easy on his future brother-in-law and let him win, just to give him so face.
But after hearing about Blanche’s ordeal, he changed his mind—he wouldn’t aim for victory, but he wouldn’t let Garrett win easily, either.
Though it was a private duel, word of it would inevitably get out.
If Ronin defeated Garrett decisively, he would shatter the long-standing myth that the Crown Prince was the strongest in the land, and it would be a slap in the face to the Royal Family.
Besides, there were no stakes for this private duel. Not only would victory bring him no benefits, but it could also bring him a great deal of trouble.
Appearing to be outmatched was the best outco.
A few Knights were training on the vast training grounds. They were the Crown Prince’s personal Guard Knight Squad.
"Geman!" Garrett called out.
All the training Knights halted their drills, and a tall, powerfully built Knight jogged over.
He looked ordinary, but a long, hideous scar marred his face—a souvenir from a spar with Garrett many years ago.
"Your Highness, what is your command!" Geman said respectfully.
Garrett extended his hand. "Lend your longsword."
Geman was confused—he could see Moody, the Sword Guardian, standing behind the Crown Prince and holding His Highness’s own longsword—but he handed over his weapon without a mont’s hesitation.
"This is a fine sword. It must have cost a lot of Gold Coins, yes?"
Geman nodded. "It was forged by the Black Jade Clan. Though it’s not an enchanted Extraordinary Weapon, it’s incredibly durable. I spent more than half my life’s savings to buy it!"
"Hmph."
Garrett nodded and glanced back the way they had co, just in ti to see Ronin and Blanche speaking intimately.
’He seems to be the womanizing type.’
His estimation of Ronin fell. ’A man like that, no matter how powerful, could still be controlled with the gift of a beautiful woman.’
When Ronin drew near, Garrett tossed Geman’s longsword to him. "A Knight carries his blade with him, no matter where he goes," he said. "Arriving empty-handed like this puts you at an imdiate disadvantage if you’re attacked."
Ronin caught the longsword. It felt about as heavy as his Flowing Fla Sword. While the quality wasn’t comparable, it was clearly not a low-grade weapon.
"The Crown Prince is right. I’ll rember your lesson."
Ronin smiled. ’Of course, he had no intention of ntioning his Space Ring.’
"Alright, everyone clear the field!"
Garrett strode to one end of the training grounds. "Geman, you’ll give the signal to start."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Geman couldn’t help but lick his lips. The Crown Prince had rarely sparred with anyone since his advancent to the Silver Moon Level. He never expected to be so fortunate as to witness it today.
He didn’t know Ronin, but seeing him with Blanche, he could guess a thing or two. He was also eager to see what kind of power this young man—rumored to have talent surpassing even the Crown Prince—truly possessed.
’Heh, if he’s just a fraud, he’s in for a world of pain today,’ Geman thought.
Ronin motioned for Blanche to step further back. He also asked Geman and the others to keep an eye on her, lest she get caught in the shockwaves.
Geman complied with the request.
’She was Her Highness Princess, after all, and about to be married. It wouldn’t do for her to get injured.’
Soon, Ronin and Garrett stood on opposite sides of the training ground, about four to five hundred ters apart.
Geman picked up a stone and announced in a loud voice, "When the stone hits the ground, the duel begins!"
With that, he threw the stone high into the air.
Everyone stared at the stone.
The Knights were excited. They were eager to see the Crown Prince brutalize his opponent. The scene, though bloody and violent, would be quite a spectacle.
In contrast, Blanche clasped her hands together and prayed silently.
CLINK!
The stone, thrown high in the air, landed on the ground with a crisp sound that everyone heard.
BZZT!
The very instant the stone hit the ground, Thunderbolt erupted around Garrett’s body. His physical abilities surged, and he transford into a bolt of purple lightning, streaking across the field to attack Ronin.
The word "defense" did not exist in Garrett’s vocabulary. His fighting style was pure, relentless offense.
’A Thunder Attribute Combat Skill that enhances speed?’
Completely unafraid, Ronin took a single step. A wild wind swirled around him, and his speed was in no way inferior to Garrett’s.
In less than a second, the two had crossed the four-hundred-ter distance, eting in the center of the field.
"Heh, not bad speed!"
Garrett laughed, slashing his sword at Ronin. The Thunderbolt coating the blade seed ready to devour everything around them.
A sharp glint flashed in Ronin’s eyes. He chose not to et the blow head-on, instead twisting his body to deftly evade Garrett’s Thunderbolt-infused strike.
BOOM! The Thunderbolt slamd into the ground, blasting a deep gash into the earth.
Ronin’s longsword danced, and a sharp glint of light shot through the air like a teor, aid straight at Garrett’s throat.
Garrett’s expression flickered. He hadn’t expected Ronin to not only match his speed, but to also possess such refined Body Technique and Swordsmanship.
He quickly adjusted his stance, angling his blade upward to intercept Ronin’s longsword.
CLANG!
The clang of tal echoed across the training grounds. Neither’s assault weakened; if anything, they grew more ferocious. They traded blows, their blades a blur of light, each exchange seeming to tear the very air.
The spectating Knights were stunned. They had all assud Ronin would be defeated quickly, but he was actually holding his own, trading blow for blow.
Geman’s eyes were wide. It had been a long ti since he had seen anyone contend with Crown Prince Garrett in pure Swordsmanship.
Blanche clasped her hands, watching the two n on the field with nervous eyes. ’Whether he wins or loses, I just pray he doesn’t get hurt.’
"Excellent! You’ve actually managed to ignite my fighting spirit!"
When a prolonged close-quarters exchange proved fruitless, Garrett used the force of a blow to retreat. He pointed his sword tip at Ronin, deep purple electricity gathering on the blade.
"Thunderbolt Flash!"
Ronin countered simultaneously, compressing his Fla Fighting Qi on his longsword to its absolute limit before unleashing it.
"Fire Flash!"
The two Sixth-level Combat Skills collided in midair, and the ground seed to shake. The imnse power felt like a sledgehamr slamming into the hearts of the onlookers.
"Watch out!"
Geman’s Fighting Qi surged, and he stepped in front of Blanche to block the powerful gust of wind from the impact.
SIZZLE~
The Thunderbolt Power completely devoured the Fire Flash, then continued towards Ronin with its remaining might.
’Without the amplification from my Flowing Fla Sword, Fire Flash is a bit weaker.’
He casually swung a Fla Slash to dissipate the remaining force.
WHOOSH!
Seizing this slight advantage, Garrett charged in again.
Ronin intended to counter with full force, but as he t the blow, he held back so of his power.
The force of this collision sent Ronin reeling backward, making it look as though he was at a disadvantage.
"Haha!"
Garrett flashed a victorious smile. He imdiately pressed his advantage while Ronin was suppressed, his massive longsword thrusting left and right in an attempt to finish him off completely.
But while Ronin was on the defensive, he managed to parry every single blow, denying the advantaged Garrett any chance to end the fight.
The longer this went on, the more Garrett’s anger and frustration grew.
"Thunderstorm!"
Instantly, a ten-ter radius around him was plunged into a sea of Thunderbolt.
Vicious arcs of purple electricity lashed the ground, blasting massive craters and scorching the earth at their edges.
Ronin’s expression turned grave. With a swing of his longsword, a massive serpent of fire materialized, coiling around his body to defend against the encroaching Thunderbolt.
CRACKLE! SIZZLE! The roar of thunder and the explosion of flas created an unprecedented visual spectacle. No one had expected the fight to reach such an intensity.
BOOM!
The powerful Thunderbolt finally broke through the serpent of fire and slamd into Ronin’s Fighting Qi Armor with its remaining force.
But just as his Fighting Qi Armor was struck and dissipated, Ronin had already flashed out of the Thunderstorm’s range.
He patted his sleeve, which now had a hole clean through it, and smiled. "Your Highness’s attacks are truly powerful. You’ve won this battle."
Garrett, who had been about to charge forward again, froze in his tracks. A wave of frustration washed over him.
The feeling was like being startled in the middle of a satisfying piss, forcing you to stop.
"You’re scared just because a piece of your sleeve got torn?"
Ronin nodded firmly. "Having my sleeve pierced is more than enough to prove the point."
Garrett gave Ronin a long, hard look, his eyes filled with displeasure. Still, he nodded and turned to leave.
’Did he win?’
’He had certainly gained the upper hand, but it was far too early to call it a victory.’
’Besides, he could feel that Ronin hadn’t used his full strength. At the very least, he hadn’t used his Secret Technique.’
’Garrett had a Secret Technique of his own, and if Ronin had used his, Garrett would have gotten a more complete picture of his true power.’
But now his opponent had conceded. If Garrett kept fighting, word would spread that he’d bullied his future brother-in-law even after he surrendered. That would be a stain on his reputation.
After all, Ronin wasn’t one of his subordinate Knights.
’Still, this fight wasn’t without its rewards.’
Garrett glanced back at Ronin, who was returning the longsword to Geman. ’This guy is definitely no teor Peak Knight... he’s a true Silver Moon Level!’
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