Chapter 38 : Among the kids, it was all back and forth 

Prince Reyzen challenged to a duel.

Even if he had acted on impulse, the glove he threw had already left his hand and fallen at Serena’s feet.

Still, maybe it wasn’t too late to take it back.

Even if it was the nobles’ way, since it was a matter between kids, maybe—just maybe—if handled well.

“Ha! Did you think I’d back down?!”

But that hope was crushed the moment Serena picked up the glove and stomped on it.

Neither of them seemed to care about the person trying to end this peacefully, locking eyes with fierce determination.

Seriously, this is driving me crazy.

“I’ll flatten that arrogant nose of yours!”

“Wh-what did you say?!”

It’s over. 

What’s done is done.

And from the looks of it, resolving this peacefully was pretty much impossible now.

Maybe letting them actually duke it out would be better after all.

“…Your Highness. A duel is fine, but shouldn’t we at least set some boundaries for safety?”

If one of them got seriously hurt, it would escalate into an adult-level problem.

And guess who would be held responsible? 

Yeah, me.

“Count. This is a duel! What place does safety have in a fight for honor?”

Ugh, even though I didn’t expect much, he’s more foolish than I thought.

To kids, even a hollow notion of honor probably seems dazzling and cool.

I decided to just let it go, but that didn’t mean I agreed.

“So, were you really planning to fight to the death?”

“Huh? N-no, not that far…”

“Yeah, I figured. I know what I said was extreme. But I’d prefer if no one got seriously hurt. If that happens, not only me…”

I shifted my gaze slightly toward the bodyguards standing behind Prince Reyzen.

“…but also those tasked with protecting ,His Highness will be held heavily responsible.”

“Hmm…”

Maybe he forgot about that in his heat of anger, because he fell silent, at a loss for words.

Thankfully, my persuasion worked.

At least they agreed to guarantee a minimum level of safety.

“…So you’re saying, set some rules for the duel?”

Serena tugged lightly at my pants and asked.

Exactly.

Since we couldn’t avoid the duel, we might as well set rules to make sure it ended cleanly.

If they fought wildly like earlier, it would only deepen the resentment between them.

“Rules, huh? Fine. But how will we decide them?”

“Leave it to me. I’ll make sure it’s fair and satisfying for both sides, with no regrets afterward.”

Also, to keep their relationship from completely falling apart, my role as a mediator was crucial.

Honestly, though, it already felt half-ruined.

*

After much deliberation, the rules I came up with were these:

First, the duel would consist of three rounds in different events.

Victory would be decided either when one side conceded, or when I, as the referee, deemed the match over.

The first to win two rounds would be declared the overall winner.

“…Isn’t that too childish?”

“Yeah, it sounds like a kids’ fight.”

You are kids.

Both of them puffed up their cheeks in protest, like they had been hoping for a bloody, life-or-death battle.

But after some hard persuasion, they grudgingly accepted it.

As long as they could make the other kneel, they didn’t seem to care about the details.

Thus, the first event began : a sword match.

Of course, they’d be using wooden swords, not real blades—but even so, wooden swords could still be dangerous if used as blunt weapons.

“Ha. I’ll take the first win easily.”

Prince Reyzen, clutching his wooden sword, grinned confidently as if the victory was already his.

And it made sense. 

For royalty, swordsmanship was a basic skill.

Besides, if his older sister was Victoria, he must’ve suffered through endless grueling training. 

I knew firsthand how that felt.

“Tch…”

Meanwhile, Serena was still a beginner who had just started learning swordsmanship.

She knew it too, clenching her mouth tight in frustration, already sensing her loss.

She shot me a resentful glare, like she wanted to complain but her pride wouldn’t let her.

I’m sorry. 

But since I’m acting as a neutral referee, I can’t be biased.

It’s not like I want Serena to lose, you know?

“A-alright, let’s get started! Please take your stances!”

Ignoring her resentful gaze as best I could, I hurried to officially start the match.

Unlike Prince Reyzen, who relaxedly took his stance, Serena gripped her sword tightly, full of tension.

Amidst the rising tension, as I swung my hand down sharply, both of them charged at each other at the same time.

“Yiaaah–!”

Serena was the first to try swinging her sword.

The way she raised her arm high showed her determination to finish it in a single strike.

But that wasn’t the right move.

‘It’s over.’

“Hmph. You don’t even have the basics down!”

Just as Serena swung her sword, Prince Reyzen hooked her forward-leaning foot with his leg.

She staggered, lost her balance, and in that moment, his wooden sword struck her back.

“Ahh!”

A single scream of pain.

It was so hard to hear that I reflexively squeezed my eyes shut.

I knew it would end overwhelmingly, but seeing Serena in pain was still tough.

“Ugh…”

“You’ve got spirit, but that’s about it. You’re so pathetic it’s almost funny.”

Reyzen grinned, baring his teeth as he looked down at Serena, who had fallen to the ground.

If he weren’t a prince, I would have personally punched him.

That’s how obvious his intent to mock her was.

Furious, Serena tried to jump back up, but the lingering pain from the direct hit kept her from standing.

Still, she refused to admit defeat easily, so I declared the match over and announced Prince Reyzen’s victory.

“Serena. Are you hurt or anything?”

“…I can still go.”

When I approached, concerned since she wasn’t getting up, she finally forced herself to stand by using the wooden sword as a cane.

Judging by her expression, it wasn’t the pain that bothered her most, but the frustration of having been completely defeated.

Seriously, her pride is something else.

“You already look exhausted. How about admitting your mistake and apologizing? If you do, I’ll let this go without holding a grudge.”

Geez. 

One win and he’s already full of himself.

Maybe because they’re kids, they get overly emotional over every win and loss — it was honestly a bit amusing.

And Serena fell right into it, of course.

“What…! What’s the next event?! Let’s hurry up and start!”

So impatient.

Still, since they both seemed fine, we decided to move straight to the next event.

“Uh… Next is a magic duel.”

“What?”

After hearing my words, Prince Reyzen let out a hollow laugh.

It wasn’t because he was dumbfounded — it was a reaction born from his confidence that he wouldn’t lose again this time either.

“Isn’t this duel ending a little too blandly? I feel like it would be unsatisfying to leave it like this.”

Honestly, I could understand that attitude.

The mages who taught him probably praised him to no end, calling him a genius, and he himself must have been well aware of his own talent.

Among peers his age, there probably weren’t many who could match him.

But, well.

Too bad for him.

This side isn’t just evenly matched — her talent is on an entirely different, ridiculous level.

“Hehehe…”

Unlike when she held the wooden sword, Serena now let out a wicked laugh, already confident in her victory.

But Prince Reyzen, oblivious to the fact that his opponent was excited for payback, still wore a confident expression.

“Since it’s come to this, let’s finish it quickly. I’m not into dragging things out or bullying others.”

* *

Thus began the second match, and honestly, it was so brutal that even I found it hard to keep my eyes open.

“Wow, Your Highness…”

“How could it be this cruel…”

Even the royal guards watching with me were utterly shocked.

That’s how overwhelming the result was — and of course, the one still standing was Serena.

“Hmph. Total weakling, aren’t you?”

“Grrr…”

The magic duel had a very simple rule: each side could use up to ten basic spells, and whoever brought the other down first would win.

Of course, even basic magic can cause serious injuries, so I made them wear protective gear.

Thanks to that, Prince Reyzen ended up only with some burns and blackened skin.

Without the protection, he would’ve been completely roasted.

Whew, thank goodness.

“Your Highness, are you alright? How many fingers am I holding up?”

Even though the match was decided, I approached to check on his condition.

When I held up three fingers, Prince Reyzen, whose eyes were rolling around, barely managed to speak.

“Th-three…”

He actually seemed okay, surprisingly.

Though the shock must have been intense, as he even forgot his usual way of speaking.

Anyway, after casting some healing magic, his burned skin returned to normal, and he quickly regained his senses.

“…What the heck was that?”

“Sorry? What do you mean?”

“I’m talking about what she did! How can someone just fire off magic like that so recklessly?!”

But he clearly didn’t want to believe the reality of what had just happened.

While Prince Reyzen had been chanting incantations to cast even a single spell, Serena had been blasting out spells without any such preparation, bombarding him indiscriminately.

Before he could even fire one shot, ten spells would be flying at him.

It all happened so fast that he hadn’t even fully grasped what was going on — it wasn’t just disbelief; the shock had left him unable to comprehend it.

‘Honestly, I was surprised too.’

To tell the truth, I knew Serena would win, but I didn’t expect it to be this overwhelming.

Casting spells in rapid succession without incantations was the domain of experts.

Though she had recently been picking up lessons faster, I didn’t realize she had grown this much already.

As her teacher and guardian, I couldn’t help but feel proud.

“What kind of trickery did you pull?! You coward!”

“Huh~? You lost because you’re weak. Why are you taking it out on me? So pathetic.”

Serena stuck out her tongue and taunted him, looking extremely pleased with herself.

Look at that bright, cheerful smile — she was genuinely having fun.

For a moment, she looked like one of those villainesses you see in romance fantasy novels.

“P-pathetic…?! You’re the one who lost to a single hit just before!”

“That was then, this is now! Don’t get all full of yourself just because you won once!”

“Fine! I’ll crush you with everything I’ve got…!”

“That’s my line, you idiot!”

Before I knew it, the two of them were standing close enough to reach out and grab each other.

They were glaring and growling like they were about to start a full-on brawl, so I quickly stepped in to separate them.

“Count! What’s next?!”

“Hurry up and tell us.”

“Alright, alright. Calm down a little, will you?”

Jeez. 

It’s only at times like this that they’re perfectly in sync.

Anyway, the current score was 1 to 1.

The final event would decide the winner.

Not that it really mattered much to me.

“Before we start the last event, let’s go inside the mansion for a bit, shall we?”

“…Huh?”

“Eh?”

When I suggested changing the location, both of them tilted their heads in almost identical confusion.