Chapter 23

Things progressed swiftly.

From the start, the banquet table had been far too large for just six people to share a pleasant meal.

The attendants standing by cleared the space to create a makeshift arena.

Second Prince Arencar and Yuwon faced each other in that space.

“This should be good enough. Youngest, what do you think? Looks fine, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s more than enough.”

“Haha, good. I like it. When I heard you woke from a coma and were suffering from memory loss, I thought it was just another excuse, but it seems something’s changed. You’ve grown far more manly.”

Yuwon replied with a calm smile.

“Is that so? I’m glad to hear it’s a positive change.”

“Haha, indeed. That’s a good thing. Much better to see. Alright, now that we’re about ready, let’s begin! I’ll give you a handicap—five moves. For those five, I won’t counterattack; I’ll only defend. Think that’s too little?”

“No.”

“Oh? Right, five might be stingy. Let’s make it te—”

Yuwon interrupted.

“There’s no need for you to go easy on me.”

The four other princes twitched their eyebrows in unison, showing their surprise.

‘Did he eat something wrong…?’

Even if he were given a hundred moves, let alone ten, there would still be no chance of defeating the Second Prince. And yet, he said there was no need to be given leeway.

The Second Prince was just as surprised, but he soon burst out laughing.

“Hahaha, good! You need that kind of guts. Look at you—you’ve become a real man since I last saw you. Did you all see that? Hm? Take a lesson from the youngest, you lot.”

Though Arencar spoke as if he was proud and impressed by how much Yurion had matured, inwardly he was only thinking about using this duel as an excuse to beat Yuwon senseless. His laughter carried that very intention.

Yuwon, well aware of those thoughts, merely answered with a serene smile, pretending not to notice.

“Ha, funny brat. Fine, I like that spirit. Come at me when you’re ready.”

“Then I’ll begin.”

The duel began with Yuwon’s preemptive strike.

Tak-tatak!

A few light steps echoed as Yuwon closed the distance between them in a flash.

‘Huh? He’s fast—!’

It was a speed Arencar hadn’t anticipated. He didn’t even have time to be surprised.

Yuwon’s wooden sword split the air, driving straight toward the Second Prince’s neck.

“Not so fast!”

Tak!

Arencar hurriedly raised his wooden sword to deflect the attack. Though surprised by Yuwon’s unexpected skill, it wasn’t a blow he couldn’t block.

The impact as the wooden swords clashed rattled Yuwon’s grip.

‘Yes, this is it.’

That electrifying sensation stirred Yuwon’s long-suppressed battle instincts—the thrill he hadn’t felt in so long.

A pleasant tension enveloped him. Before long, Yuwon was completely immersed in the duel.

His sharp gaze locked onto Arencar. In that moment, all Yuwon could see was Second Prince Arencar Aphahiel.

‘What’s with those eyes…!’

Arencar was more shocked by that look than by Yuwon’s earlier attack.

He had already thought the youngest seemed somewhat different today—ever since his arrival, something about him had changed. But this was beyond his expectations.

A beast’s eyes.

Yuwon’s blue irises gleamed like a pair of cold, sharpened blades.

When his first strike was blocked, Yuwon briefly widened the distance to regulate his breathing—then launched another attack.

Swish!

His wooden sword sliced through the air. The dull edge didn’t make a sharp cutting sound but a heavy one instead.

Tak-tatak!

Soon, the two wooden swords collided over and over in midair.

When Yuwon struck, Arencar blocked; when Arencar thrust, Yuwon evaded.

A perfectly matched contest ensued.

Originally, the duel should have been decided within three or four exchanges, followed by a one-sided beating. Yet, the match was unfolding in an entirely unexpected direction—keeping the watching princes on the edge of their seats.

Amid everyone’s focused attention, the duel stretched on longer and longer.

What was expected to end in ten seconds had already surpassed three minutes and was nearing five.

And as time went by, one man grew increasingly uneasy—Arencar.

‘Where in the hell did this brat pick up such skill…!’

Arencar was about to lose his mind. Because of that absurd rule he’d declared—that the match would end with just one clean hit—he now had to maintain his guard as if it were a real battle.

In truth, he was managing to block Yuwon’s attacks fairly well, and there wasn’t immediate cause for concern. But the rule he himself had set was now his greatest enemy.

‘Damn it! If not for that stupid rule, I’d just let him hit my arm once, grab his sword, and it’d be over!’

After all, what was at stake was the Snow Serpent—its egg, to be precise.

Not just any egg, but the egg of a creature never before discovered—a priceless elixir no amount of gold could buy. And at this rate, it might slip right through his fingers.

Things had gone off course, but Arencar could not afford to lose.

‘Good natural strength, but his technique is sloppy. So this is the swordsmanship of the royal line that once unified the continent?’

That was Yuwon’s impression of the Second Prince’s skill.

Truthfully, he was holding back, simply enjoying the rhythm of the duel.

‘I’ve seen enough. Time to end it….’

He had indulged his curiosity about royal swordsmanship long enough. It wasn’t the time to draw things out.

If he wasted too much time and the Emperor showed up to interrupt, the Dragon-Scaled Serpent’s egg would vanish right before his eyes.

‘No, knowing him, he might actually enjoy watching this.’

Come to think of it, that was entirely possible. The thought made Yuwon chuckle.

‘Alright, let’s finish this.’

He decided to bring the duel to an end. Yuwon tightened his grip and unleashed his full focus.

His strikes grew sharper—his wooden sword now darting like a venomous snake toward Arencar’s throat.

‘He’s laughing? This damned brat—!’

Had this been a duel with real swords, the outcome would’ve been decided long ago.

No—if not for that ridiculous rule, even a fair fight wouldn’t have been this troublesome.

Already furious at being cornered by the youngest, whom he’d always looked down on, Arencar completely lost his temper when he caught that faint smile on Yuwon’s lips.

‘Fine then! If I die, you die with me!’

The rage he’d barely held back erupted. His anger overtook his reason, and before he knew it, magical energy coursed through his arm and sword.

It happened in an instant.

‘Wait, that’s not right—!’

Just before their swords met, Yuwon sensed something strange. He abruptly shifted to defense, widening the distance between them.

But Arencar, his eyes blazing with fury, pursued him relentlessly and swung.

Their swords clashed again.

Kwaa-ji-jik!

A brutal sound split the air—the Second Prince’s wooden sword, charged with magic, shattered Yuwon’s weapon to splinters.

Watching from the side, the Crown Prince sprang to his feet in alarm and shouted urgently,

“Hey! Hey! Stop that idiot right now!”

The Crown Prince wasn’t the only one who grew anxious.

The Third Prince’s right hand was already stirring with wind, and the Fourth Prince’s hands shone with radiant divine power.

The knights and martial artists of this world—two groups that differed in the very way they harnessed their energy.

The heart held mana, the dantian held qi.

That small difference led to the present result.

Normally, Yuwon would have sensed it well in advance, but this time, realizing something was off just before the moment was all he managed.

‘Ugh…!’

Fragments of his shattered wooden sword scattered before his eyes, leaving only the hilt in his grasp.

The shock traveled down his arm, making his fingertips tingle.

‘Then…!’

The surprise lasted but an instant—his reaction came fast.

Yuwon tossed aside the broken hilt and snatched one of the scattered fragments midair.

Grabbing a suitable shard, he swiftly leapt back to avoid the Second Prince’s follow-up strike and hurled it forward.

‘Hit him!’

Evasion and attack happened simultaneously.

The splintered piece of wood turned into a dagger-like projectile and flew through the air.

Pah!

The four princes, unfamiliar with concealed weapons, couldn’t even register what Yuwon had done. His movements were too swift for them to perceive.

Realizing what was happening, panic erupted among them.

‘Yurion must not be seriously injured!’

If he were, everyone present would face the Emperor’s wrath.

Almost at once, three princes took action to restrain the Second Prince.

A beat later, they stormed into the duel.

Grrk!

A blade of wind conjured by the Third Prince sliced precisely between Yuwon and the Second Prince, forcing them apart.

Immediately after, the Fourth Prince’s divine power surged through the same space, adding strength to the Third Prince’s spell.

The concentrated barrage kicked up a storm of dust, dragging in dishes and tableware, clouding the air. It was all the work of the Third Prince’s wind magic.

And last was the Crown Prince. He had grabbed a steak knife in haste—yet even so, golden sword energy flared around it as he pointed the blade toward the Second Prince.

“That’s enough, Arencar. You’ve already crossed the line.”

The Crown Prince’s face had hardened with fury. Unlike his usual easygoing smile, a sovereign’s dignity radiated from him now.

“Ah, fine. I’ll stop. My fault. I got carried away.”

Unusually, the Second Prince admitted his wrongdoing and backed down. He knew well that he had gone too far, even if it was done in a moment of anger.

The situation finally settled.

The private dining room where they had dueled was left in utter ruin.

The Second Prince had lost control, channeling his mana recklessly—and the other three princes had torn through the place in their frantic rush to separate him from Yuwon before he could kill him.

Dust filled the room, then gradually settled as order returned.

“Your… your face…”

When the air cleared, the Crown Prince’s gaze fixed on the Second Prince’s forehead—blood was streaming down in thick red lines.

“Ah… damn it. Yeah, I’m bleeding.”

The Second Prince, who moments ago had been blind with rage, finally wiped the blood dripping from the cut above his eyebrow.

“Ah… I’m sorry, brother. I tried to stop it quickly, but—Fourth, what are you doing? That’ll leave a scar. Hurry and heal him.”

“Ah, yes. Excuse me, brother.”

The Third Prince stepped forward apologetically, while the Fourth Prince summoned divine energy to heal the wound.

While everyone’s attention was on the Second Prince, Yuwon finally spoke, breaking the silence.

“I believe that means I’ve won the bet.”

“What? You think that matters right now?”

The Crown Prince’s face darkened.

True, most of this disaster was the Second Prince’s fault—but part of the blame fell on the Fifth Prince himself for being unable to handle the situation.

The other three had intervened precisely because they feared the Fifth Prince would die.

“It does matter. That’s what this was about.”

Yuwon’s crisp answer left the Crown Prince speechless for a moment, his fierce glare doing nothing to shake the younger man’s composure.

“…And how exactly did you win?”

Yuwon didn’t answer. Instead, he pointed toward the far end of the room.

“What, what’s over there? Ah…!”

The answer lay at the tip of Yuwon’s finger.

A fragment from his shattered sword—a small piece the size of a finger—was lying on the ground. At its tip glistened a faint smear of blood.

And there was only one person in the room bleeding: the Second Prince.

The placement was far too precise to be coincidence.

“This wasn’t from my magic….”

Tak!

The Third Prince cut himself off mid-sentence. Yuwon flicked his wrist, sending another shard flying from his hand—striking the distant fragment dead-on.

It wasn’t luck. It was a flawless display of throwing technique—proof enough that there was no room for argument.

“It seems the match has already been decided.”

The Crown Prince declared the duel’s end.

By anyone’s reckoning, the victor was the Fifth Prince, Yurion.

The Third Prince nodded.

The Fourth Prince didn’t say anything, but his expression didn’t deny it.

The only one left was the Second Prince.

“Arencar?”

“Shut it. Damn it, I know.”

Blood still dripping from his brow, the Second Prince ground out his reply.

That was the moment when all the princes began to see Yurion in a new light.

And it was also the moment Yuwon gained possession of the legendary Dragon-Scaled Serpent’s egg.

Even Yuwon could sense the serpent’s greedy hunger slithering in the air.

‘You damned creature… I know you’re pleased.’

“Then, I’ll make good use of it. Thank you, brother, for the generous opportunity.”

Yuwon strode through the wreckage, retrieved the wooden case containing the

Dragon-Scaled Serpent’s egg, and claimed it as his prize.

It was something all of them coveted—but none dared stop him.

Gulp.

The only reaction was the audible swallow of the greedy Third Prince. It was a fair reward, earned through victory.

Even before the Empire became what it was today, its traditions upheld such honor—none could object to Yuwon taking the serpent’s egg.

And beyond that, no one dared, not with the man who appeared next.

“It seems… I’ve missed quite the spectacle. At least there’ll be no shortage of conversation during dinner, hm?”

A deep, resonant voice.

A commanding presence that filled the room.

The apex of the Empire—

His Majesty, Emperor Yulaios Aphahiel, had arrived.