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Chapter 11
Princess Asily’s expression darkened as she looked at Erin. She seemed like she wanted to say something to Erin but closed her mouth instead.
It was certainly unusual, but before Erin could even react, the princess spoke to Amon.
“Sir Amon, on second thought, I think this should be fine.”
“Huh?”
“Would it be acceptable if I’m the only observer?”
Ferdinand and Karon reacted to Princess Asily’s words. They were about to shout that it was impossible, but Erin’s next action forced them to stop.
“If that is the princess’s wish, I have no objection.”
A silence fell. Both knights agreed, and the saint had agreed to serve as the observer.
Now, the duel between Erin and Amon had become an irreversible event.
Amon couldn’t understand what the princess was thinking.
Both Princess Asily and Ferdinand sometimes acted in ways that defied common sense. Normally, Princess Asily would have said some old-fashioned words to stop him. Her kindness was widely known, and it was obvious what would happen if Erin Liscus dueled him.
But she didn’t. By simply saying she would observe, she made it impossible to back out.
Could it be that even the kind-hearted Princess Asily couldn’t forgive someone who took her lover? Perhaps. But why did Erin Liscus agree to duel him?
His mind was a tangle of thoughts. He recalled the recent events with a stiff expression.
Erin had stopped Karon, who was about to make a scene, from acting rashly. The moment she whispered something into Karon’s ear, that stubborn boy immediately quieted down.
Amon watched Erin walk ahead with narrow eyes. Everyone seemed completely out of their senses.
Yes, as Erin had said, he could not bring himself to kill Erin Liscus.
After Erin and Ferdinand became engaged, Karon Liscus joined their prospective knights’ ranks. Not only that, Ferdinand seemed to have developed a strange fondness for Erin. In that situation, he could not possibly harm her during the duel.
‘Ferdinand… usually so cold and composed, why is he acting like this?’
Though he usually paid little attention to trends, Amon knew how foolish Ferdinand’s behavior was. Ferdinand being kind to Erin was like tightening a noose around his own neck.
Amon glared at Erin, thinking he had to show her a lesson—at least for Ferdinand’s sake.
“That should be enough,” said the princess.
At her words, Erin and Amon stopped walking. Though it wasn’t a long distance, the princess seemed slightly winded. She placed a hand on her chest and caught her breath.
“We will proceed modestly,” she said, clasping her hands neatly.
Amon assumed his stance. His blade extended gracefully toward Erin.
The straight, unwavering sword reflected his character—a knight who could not tolerate injustice. That was Amon Hedor.
Erin knew how righteous he was. Though often indifferent and seemingly lazy, he was fiery against evil. That was why he stood here. To him, Erin was likely closer to an evil being than anyone else.
Amon had also been recognized for his genius from an early age. Erin quickly analyzed his physique—it was specialized for swordsmanship.
His father, Duke Hedor, though not a sword master, was an excellent knight and wanted his child to become a sword master. Amon had undergone systematic training since childhood. Erin knew how exceptional a knight Amon would become.
In the future, he would be Ferdinand’s right hand, slaying over a thousand high-level beasts and making a name for himself. Yet he would remain trapped in his own genius, ceasing to strive further, and ultimately die before becoming a master.
Perhaps, if only he had a little more time or passion, he could have reached mastery.
After observing Amon’s stance, Erin drew her sword. The feeble motion caused Amon’s expression to twist. As he suspected, Erin Liscus was indeed an incompetent human.
The princess called their names.
“Erin Liscus, Amon Hedor.”
At her call, Erin raised her sword toward Amon.
Perhaps this situation was fortunate. Before he became trapped in his genius, Erin intended to give him a new awakening—showing that no matter how gifted, there could be an even greater talent.
“The sacred duel begins.”
At Princess Asily’s declaration, Amon moved. He underestimated Erin, thinking the duel would be easy. He had seen her several times before, usually at parties. Unlike her notorious reputation, she was very quiet—almost as if she weren’t there at all.
“See that person? Erin Liscus harassed a servant again.”
“If she weren’t the daughter of the Liscus Marquis, she’d already be in prison.”
“The marquis’s wife must be having a headache. Her kind nature must make it hard to watch her servants suffer.”
Amon had paid attention to such whispers at parties. Erin always lowered her head, which he found infuriating. He felt she only acted repentant before the powerful, while secretly tormenting others—an evil hidden in the shadows.
That’s when he began to dislike Erin Liscus. Meeting Lilia only strengthened that feeling. Lilia was the most honorable mage he had ever seen. He learned that her older brother had been killed by Erin Liscus.
Amon remembered Erin’s hands at the party—clean, unscarred, untouched by hardship. Being the marquis’s daughter, she had likely grown up without struggle, making her arrogant and cruel. She was his most hated type of person.
And yet… why?
Amon swung his sword, clashing with Erin using the skills personally taught by Duke Hedor. The sword, imbued with the essence of the Hedor family, was fast and true. Though not flashy, it was elegant—a pinnacle of aristocratic swordsmanship, recognized even by Duke Hedor himself.
“You have the talent to surpass me,” Amon thought.
Indeed, no one his age could withstand his blade. Some could match him to a degree, but none could surpass him. Even Karon, chosen by the sword, had achieved mastery through strenuous effort, whereas Amon could reach it with modest training.
He had realized that he could grow steadily without immense effort.
Yet now, he faced a massive obstacle.
Erin easily evaded his strikes and even counterattacked. Impossible. How?
Amon’s blade grazed her side—but even that was unintended. He recognized that he was becoming excited. Originally, he hadn’t intended to harm Erin, only to frighten her enough to leave the swordsmanship academy, to make her realize that she was unprepared for this world.
But Erin Liscus was overpowering him, defying his expectations.
At the same time, a murderous intent began to enter Amon’s strikes, though he knew in his heart that his sword would not even graze a hair on her head.
It was simply impossible.
