Chapter 93 -The First Duel
The moment the Empress finished speaking, the atmosphere of the banquet changed.
The younger nobles who had been quietly observing the announcement immediately began looking around.
Some glanced at their companions.
Others looked directly toward me.
I didn’t need any special ability to understand what those gazes meant.
They were curious.
They were evaluating me.
And some of them...
Were already considering challenging me.
I quietly sighed.
Of course.
It couldn’t be that simple.
First Amy.
Then Mom.
Now even the Empress.
Everyone seemed determined to throw me into troublesome situations.
I maintained a calm expression on the outside.
But internally...
I was already complaining.
"Why does everyone keep pushing me forward?"
"I just wanted to attend a banquet peacefully."
Beside me, Luna noticed my expression.
She quickly understood what I was thinking.
A small smile appeared on her face before she leaned slightly closer.
"Good luck, Gray."
I looked at her.
"Good luck?"
She nodded seriously.
"As my newly formed fiancé..."
"You have a responsibility."
I tilted my head.
"What responsibility?"
Her smile became slightly mischievous.
"You have to chase away all my suitors."
For a moment, I stared at her.
Then I finally realized what she meant.
"Luna..."
"Are you teasing me?"
She immediately covered her mouth.
"No."
"I would never do something like that."
However...
The slight shaking of her shoulders betrayed her.
She was clearly trying not to laugh.
I looked around.
Amy.
Elena.
Even Isabella.
All of them wore perfectly calm expressions.
But I could tell.
They were all enjoying this.
I felt a deep sense of betrayal.
"Seriously..."
"Why does it feel like the entire world is against me?"
Amy finally couldn’t hold back anymore.
She turned away slightly, pretending to look around the hall.
But I could still hear her quiet laughter.
Luna’s smile also grew brighter.
For someone who usually remained so calm and composed...
Seeing her tease me like this was surprisingly unexpected.
Then several nobles approached us.
One after another, they offered their congratulations.
Luna and I immediately switched into our formal expressions and politely accepted their greetings.
The heads of several noble households introduced their heirs to us.
The first few were polite.
They introduced themselves respectfully, shook my hand, and exchanged a few words before moving on.
But not everyone was quite as friendly.
Some young nobles looked at me as though I had stolen their beloved.
Their smiles were stiff.
Their eyes carried resentment.
And a few looked like they want to eat me alive.
I simply maintained an expressionless face.
I greeted them politely.
Exchanged a few words.
And moved on.
There was no reason to create unnecessary trouble.
However, Luna seemed increasingly uncomfortable.
She could feel the longing gazes directed toward her.
I noticed it almost immediately.
Without saying anything, I casually stepped slightly in front of her, blocking their line of sight.
Then I turned toward Luna.
"So..."
"How much people going to challenge me today?"
"What do you think?"
I smiled and ask
She blinked for a moment.
Then she realized what I was doing.
A small smile appeared on her face.
We began talking about random things, allowing her to relax.
From a short distance away, the Empress noticed what I had done.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
Isabella noticed it as well.
Even Mom looked at me with a warm expression.
Then a young noble stepped forward.
The conversations around us gradually became quieter.
The young man stopped a short distance away and bowed politely.
"Gray Starlight."
"It is an honor to meet you."
His tone was respectful.
However, his eyes carried a clear hint of challenge.
"I have heard many things about the Starlight Family."
He straightened his posture.
"Would you honor me with a duel?"
I looked at him quietly.
So it begins...
I glanced briefly toward Luna.
Then toward Amy.
Their expressions told me everything.
They were waiting to see what I would do.
I sighed internally.
It seemed my peaceful banquet was already over.
"Very well."
"I accept."
I turned and made my way toward the dueling area.
The young noble followed.
Soon, we stood on opposite sides of the arena.
Before the duel began, I walked toward him and extended my hand.
"Gray Starlight."
He accepted my handshake.
"Cassian Ashborne."
I quietly made a mental note of the name.
Ashborne.
Then I stepped back.
I reached for Eclipse.
The moment my hand touched its hilt, the familiar weapon appeared in my grasp.
I unsheathed it.
Nearby, the Empress glanced toward Mom.
"That’s a beautiful sword."
"Is it a Growth-Type weapon?"
Mom nodded.
"Yes."
"It’s a Blood-Bound Sword."
Meanwhile, Cassian reached into his Space Ring and pulled out his own weapon.
A black longsword.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting."
We both took our positions.
Before the duel began, I glanced toward Cassian.
"Do you want to place a wager?"
I didn’t particularly care about the wager.
I already had more than enough resources.
But if I could earn something useful from the duel...
Why not?
It’s definitely not because I thought I could make a little extra money.
A small grin appeared on my face.
Cassian thought for a moment before looking toward his father.
His father gave him a subtle nod.
Cassian turned back toward me.
"Alright."
"I’ll wager blood Dragon Vile."
I blinked.
Dragon Vile?
I had absolutely no idea what that was.
But I didn’t let it show on my face.
I glanced toward Mom.
She gave me a small smile and nodded.
I understood immediately.
Mom knows I have no idea what Dragon Vile is.
So I’ll just offer something of equivalent value.
"Alright."
"I’ll match it."
"You can choose a equal value technique or something else"
Cassian nodded.
I didn’t know the value of Dragon blood Vile.
But Mom clearly understood.
And judging from her expression, my decision was acceptable.
The Empress noticed my reaction as well.
She leaned slightly toward Mom.
"Your son is quite resourceful."
"He clearly doesn’t know what Dragon Vile is."
"Yet instead of revealing that, he simply offered something else of equivalent value."
Mom smiled.
"He has always been good at adapting."
Amy covered her mouth to hide her laughter.
Even Luna looked amused.
I ignored all of them.
The Empress stepped forward.
"Very well."
"This will be the first duel of today’s banquet."
She raised one hand.
"Prepare yourselves."
Then—
"Begin!"
The moment her voice fell, Cassian moved.
Fire Mana erupted around his body.
He rushed toward me and swung his sword.
A wave of flames followed the blade.
I immediately activated Dimensional Awareness.
The world around me became clearer.
His movements.
His mana flow.
His stance.
The angle of his attack.
Everything entered my perception.
Fire.
I could simply use Devour and absorb it.
But there was no reason to reveal that ability yet.
I stepped aside.
The flames passed beside me.
At the same time, I swung Eclipse.
Clang!
Cassian blocked my strike.
Our swords collided.
I immediately noticed something.
His swordsmanship wasn’t bad.
But he relied heavily on his elemental enhancement.
Interesting.
Instead of attacking again, I changed my approach.
I allowed a small amount of Ice Mana to flow through Eclipse.
Then—
I struck again.
Cassian blocked.
The moment our swords touched, Ice spread across his blade.
A thin layer formed along its surface.
I immediately stepped back.
Cassian stared at his weapon in confusion.
"What...?"
He looked at the ice covering part of his sword.
He hadn’t even noticed when I had done it.
Before he could think about it for long, I attacked again.
This time, the ice spread farther.
Cassian’s grip became slightly unstable.
His sword suddenly felt different.
Its balance had changed.
His next swing was slower.
I immediately took advantage of the opening.
Slash!
Eclipse cut across his arm.
A shallow but clear wound appeared.
Cassian immediately retreated.
His gaze dropped toward his sword.
Then he understood.
"You’ve been freezing my sword..."
I said nothing.
He smiled.
Instead of becoming frustrated...
He became excited.
Fire Mana immediately surged through his weapon.
The flames melted the ice.
Then he charged again.
I remained expressionless.
So he adapted.
Good.
I raised Eclipse.
This time, several Ice Spears formed around me.
They shot forward.
Whoosh!
Cassian swung his sword.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
One after another, the Ice Spears shattered.
The flames surrounding his sword melted the remaining fragments.
Soon, a thin mist began spreading through the area.
Cassian looked around.
His vision was becoming obscured.
But that was exactly what I wanted.
I rushed forward.
At the same time, I sent Ice Mana toward his feet.
Ice spread across the ground beneath him.
His movements slowed.
Cassian immediately realized what I was doing.
He’s using every attack to create another opening.
He gritted his teeth.
Then he made his decision.
Fire exploded from his body.
The surrounding mist rapidly evaporated.
The ice covering the ground melted away.
The battlefield became clear once again.
I stopped.
There was no reason to rush.
My mana reserves were greater.
My stamina was better.
And my condition was still excellent.
I simply watched him through Dimensional Awareness.
Cassian breathed heavily.
Then he smiled.
"That was great."
"But I’m done defending."
"I’ll attack from now on."
I said nothing.
I simply observed.
Then I noticed something.
Wind.
Mana began gathering around Cassian’s body.
The wind wrapped around his legs.
His body suddenly became lighter.
Faster.
He lowered his stance.
Then—
He disappeared forward.
Boom!
Cassian sprinted toward me.
Wind accelerated his movement.
Fire covered his sword.
The flames grew brighter as his speed increased.
I could see everything.
His posture.
His momentum.
The movement of his sword.
The direction of his attack.
He was putting everything into this strike.
If I meet this head-on, I can block it.
I could use Gravity to strengthen my body.
I could increase the weight of Eclipse.
I could stop him.
But...
Why should I?
I raised Eclipse and deliberately positioned myself as though I intended to block his attack.
Cassian saw it.
His attack became even more committed.
The Wind around him continued pushing him forward.
He had already built too much momentum to stop easily.
Perfect.
At the final moment—
I activated Gravity.
Instead of increasing my strength...
I reduced the gravitational pull on my body.
My body became lighter.
Then I used the sudden change to propel myself sideways.
Void Step.
Not through Space.
No teleportation.
Just Gravity.
My body shifted out of the attack’s path.
Cassian’s sword passed directly beside me.
Whoosh!
He couldn’t stop.
His momentum carried him forward.
The attack he had poured everything into continued through empty air.
I landed behind him.
Cassian’s eyes widened.
He tried to turn.
Too late.
Eclipse was already resting against his neck.
Silence fell over the arena.
I looked at him calmly.
"I win."
For a moment, Cassian simply stared ahead.
Then he slowly lowered his sword.
The duel was over.