Ireya erged from the Imperial Palace feeling dizzy, and not solely because of the strong wine from the noon banquet.
The more pressing reason was her inability to believe that she had actually beco a contestant in the dueling competition.
Although from the mont she entered the Royal Capital, everyone she encountered seed convinced she would participate in the upcoming competition, Miss Rabbit knew very well her own limitations.
Had it not been for the two Holy Artifacts rlin lent her, Ireya would have been unable to lay low a squire from the Second Knight Corps, let alone defeat a bare-handed farr.
After all, thanks to their constant labor in the fields, farrs were physically fit, whereas Miss Rabbit either ate or slept, and after finishing her daily affairs, she would curl up in her study playing with an Electronic Pet Egg.
However, Anti-wolf spray and Electronic Anti-violence Devices were not omnipotent, being most effective only the first ti they were used.
Once the opponent was on guard, their effectiveness greatly diminished, and it would not be easy to succeed a second ti, especially since the competition had several rounds.
As it went on, people would study their rivals, making it hard to keep any secrets.
At the end of the day, her fundantal weakness was to bla; she had not undergone any training and as a woman, it would be hard to fully utilize even the strongest artifact.
And the opponents she faced were seasoned fighters from across the nation and even foreigners from beyond Bulati.
The more the Lady thought about it, the more daunting it seed.
Had she known, she would not have acted yesterday afternoon. She should have heeded Torres’s advice and ignored those three provocative visitors, straight back to her inn, saving the trump card Li Yu had given her for the dueling competition.
A mont of patience may bring a calm sea, a step back may open up the whole sky.
But deep down, Miss Rabbit also knew this was not a cure; without the three Young Wolves, others would co knocking.
And if she hadn’t taken a firm stand the first ti, she would likely face even more trouble later on.
After all, this was the Royal Capital, a mixed bag full of influential figures.
Sigh, no matter, at least there weren’t many spectators at the ti. Worst-case, she simply would not take action from now on.
The Lady made up her mind; she could not allow her rivals to study her cards any longer.
With this thought in mind, she returned to the inn where she was staying. Before she could enter, she caught the sound of singing from inside.
"Ah, Ireya, Ireya~ Banishing the Black Dragon and drinking its Dragon Blood, she claid the giant dragon’s might. With a re breath, she spews toxic sand; the formidable Hercules turns blind, rolling on the ground, crying for his mama~"
The Minstrel’s music sped up, his singing growing more powerful. Everyone in the tavern couldn’t help but hold their breath, listening intently.
"In the blink of an eye, with Ireya’s mighty shout, ’Grant strength, O Saturday my Lord!’ The very next mont, her right hand perford the Thunderclap, laying on a fierce barrage, Hercules wailing in agony~"
The Minstrel, moved by the song’s climax, leaped onto a table, nimbly dancing like a sly fox amongst the dishes and goblets, swiping a mug of ale and downing it in one go.
The tavern’s patrons all cheered in approval, for Kieren hadn’t had such a successful performance in a long ti.
Ever since he joined the Double Rest Sect, his passion for creation had been fully ignited, mainly because he had an endless stream of material, almost too much to keep up with.
There, the legend of the Lady fighting alone against three knights was still fresh, and Kieren had already turned it into a song.
Basking in satisfaction, the Minstrel caught sight of the Lady at the door and strumd his strings.
"Oh, there she is, our heroine~ She just went to have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor, and she must have a lot to say now."
"I don’t." Ireya cut off Kieren’s words bluntly and then went straight upstairs back to her room.
The minstrel scratched his head, unable to figure out where he had offended the Lady. After all, with his publicity, her reputation had only grown louder.
Yet the young lady didn’t even thank him, instead giving him a cold look.
But Kieren couldn’t dwell on it for long, as he had already heard the beautiful sound of silver coins.
The patrons in the inn were generously opening their purses for his lodious voice and fresh poems.
The minstrel was now busy picking up money from the ground.
After returning to her room, the Lady called her Guard Captain and ordered, "I need so ti alone. From now on, no one is allowed near my room."
Thomas hesitated upon hearing the order.
"What is it?"
"Have you forgotten that you promised to tour the Royal Capital with your uncle this afternoon?"
"Oh!" Miss Rabbit slapped her forehead. "I completely forgot about that."
After thinking it over, she added, "Never mind, tell Uncle Torres that I’m not free to go out now. I need to prepare for The Day After Tomorrow’s combat tournant."
"The combat tournant?" Thomas was taken aback.
The Lady sighed again, "Yes, you heard right, the combat tournant. His Majesty insists on my participation."
"But you..."
"I don’t know anything right now."
The Family Head of the Arias family felt like a college student who realized the night before the final exams that they hadn’t attended a single class all sester.
The Guard Captain’s expression turned serious, "The combat tournant isn’t just a friendly exchange. Everyone fights for real, using real weapons. Blood is expected, and a mont’s inattention could cost one their life.
"Especially if soone wants to harm you, the combat tournant is the perfect opportunity, and the killer might not even face any consequences."
"I was honest with His Majesty that I haven’t trained much in martial arts, but he wouldn’t listen at all, insisting that this is a knight’s modest virtue."
"Then you should concede defeat as soon as the tournant begins," Thomas suggested.
"But in doing so, all the honor I’ve barely accumulated would be lost, and my family would be shad because of ," the Lady hesitated.
If she withdrew at the beginning, she might find so excuse to mitigate the situation later.
But if she outright conceded defeat in front of everyone once the tournant started, that would be a completely different matter. Surrendering without a fight would be a great disgrace to a knight, who is supposed to embody bravery.
At that point, the Lady wouldn’t just be worrying about what the Emperor thought of her, but whether anyone in the world would still respect her or the Arias family from then on.
Seeing the young lady still hesitating, Thomas grew anxious, gritting his teeth, "Do you rember how Lord Ruse died?"
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