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"Maybe I shouldn’t have accepted."
That thought a gnawed at the instant I stepped into the training area. Why was it that every ti I agreed to sothing, regret followed like a shadow, magnified by my own anticipation? I honestly despised myself in monts like this.
Crack, crack—
The sound of my joints stretching echoed through the air, sharp and satisfying. I could feel the tension in my muscles unwind with each motion. The Second Elder’s eyes narrowed slightly as he observed , his expression a mixture of curiosity and amusent.
"Why did you tell to accept this duel?" I asked, breaking the silence.
"This old man didn’t tell you, Davis. You accepted yourself," he replied, voice calm, teasing even.
"You suggested it in the first place," I countered, "and it’s partly your fault that you didn’t stop —rather, you seed to enjoy this whole ss."
A faint laugh escaped the Second Elder at my retort. "Right! This old man bears so of the bla, I suppose."
"So why exactly did you push toward a duel with him?"
"Because of the First Elder."
The telepathic voice resonated in my mind, firm yet distant. It had been a while since I’d felt soone speak to directly through the mind, and the sensation caused a slight ache at the base of my skull.
"What does that an?" I asked aloud, unable to respond ntally in kind.
"Uh... can’t you at least be a little careful about your response when I speak to you telepathically?"
"Doesn’t really matter, does it?" I muttered, half-sighing.
The Second Elder exhaled lightly, a sound weighted with concern.
"The First Elder’s ambition is imnse. You know this already. A little ambition is natural, but using your own blood to further such ambition... it doesn’t reflect well on the clan."
As he said, this duel wasn’t re sport—it determined rank, influence, and perception within the Fireheart clan. If I fell here, Ben Fireheart’s reputation would skyrocket. But if I erged victorious... the backlash would be far more dangerous.
The First Elder had sent Ben here thinking that Davis would never lose. It spoke to a mixture of arrogance and desperation.
I shook my head, uncertain why Ken was acting with such haste.
"...Hmm. How about a little favor from you since I’m doing all this tedious work?" I asked the Second Elder, trying to turn the situation to my advantage.
"Huh...?"
"If I win against that kid, please do a favor."
"Why should I do you a favor if you win against him...?"
"I’ll just roll on the ground and lose if you don’t want to," I shrugged.
"How foolish. If you lose here, then the chance of you becoming the Lord in the future—"
"Lord Second Elder, you keep assuming I have any desire to beco the Lord."
I finished stretching and stepped toward Ben Fireheart, feeling the weight of the mont pressing against my chest.
"But I have no intention of becoming the Lord."
"...!"
The Second Elder’s gasp was audible, sharp enough to unsettle even the calst. Did everyone truly assu my heart hungered for power?
’I abandoned all that greed in my previous life,’ I thought. Desire for lordship was aningless, a hollow ambition I had no need for.
I had seen what ca with power, the burdens, the endless sches, the lives one could never fully control. It was a path I had long rejected.
"Done stretching?" Ben asked, eyes narrowed, his grip firm around the wooden sword he wielded.
"Almost," I replied, tension coiling like a spring inside .
Standing across from him, the truth beca undeniable: he was far stronger than Mio Fireheart had been. I could sense it in the way Mana pulsed around him, in the precision of his stance, in the quiet confidence that ca without arrogance.
Ben’s voice broke the montary silence.
"I feel sorry for the Young Master."
"What are you talking about?"
"Last year, the duel we had... I went too far."
"We dueled before?"
"Yes, and you were bedridden for a month because of it."
’A month...? How do I not rember that?’
"The Young Master is too weak."
"Now you’re just insulting ," I muttered.
"I heard you defeated the Second Young Lady, but even that... was likely a coincidence."
"Yes, I can agree with that," I said flatly.
"But the problem is that my grandfather doesn’t see it that way."
"Right, right. I understand."
Ben’s gaze lingered on , sharp and evaluating. Did he notice that my mind wasn’t fully engaged? He shook his head, frustrated, but continued.
"I do not wish to bully the weak, but the thought of such weakness becoming the Lord... that is even worse."
"You realize you’re saying this to the direct descendant of the clan, right?" I replied, dryly. His words skirted dangerous territory.
Swoosh!
Heat brushed past my cheek, sharp and precise. Ben’s swift fla art—different from the destructive, explosive lineage of the Fireheart clan—focused entirely on speed and precision, each flicker of fla a testant to his control.
’Is he... third realm?’ I thought, sensing the intensity of the Mana he produced. The heat alone confird it. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t too late to forfeit.
"What was said earlier."
The Second Elder’s voice rang in my mind again, patient and expectant.
"If you win this duel, then I swear by my na I’ll fulfill your request."
’I can’t forfeit now,’ I thought, frustration rising.
...Always stuck in these damned situations.
I began to circulate my fire Mana, the energy radiating outward, pressing against Ben’s Qi, subtly forcing him to adjust his stance.
Ben’s eyes narrowed, sensing the intrusion.
"Lord Second Elder," he called, seeking permission.
"What do you wish to request?" the Second Elder replied.
"I would also like sothing from you if I win this duel," Ben said smoothly, eyes sharp as he glanced at .
This bastard had been eavesdropping.
What a rat... I thought, teeth gritting.
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