The tense match had ended in an instant. Randolph’s triple strike had nearly been invisible to the audience, leaving only afterimages in the air. As such, it took a beat for the notary to declare the result.
“V-Victory!” ｂｎ𝚘ｖ𝚕．𝚘𝚛𝚐
The two swordsmen were still standing on the duel stage, but the audience nodded in agreement. But then a frightening sound was heard.
Chwaaaak!
Randolph’s falchion had emerged from the left side of the Black Knight, but had entered from the right. Everyone instinctively understood that the body beneath the thick plate mail had been completely bisected.
“D-Dead…?!”
“What? Didn’t he only strike twice?”
“I could only see one…”
There was no way to survive that kind of mortal blow. The torso hadn’t fallen yet, but as soon as it did, there would be a fountain of blood. Everyone with the exception of three people were convinced of the Black Knight’s death.
Now, how will you get out of this?
Theo silently stared at Isaac. He knew well that Randolph’s strike wasn’t nearly enough to kill a death knight. There was a lot of damage, but the death knight’s skull, where the soul was stored, was very much intact. It could definitely keep on fighting. Randolph would enjoy an advantage, to be sure, but it was still very much a battle.
But if Isaac was going to be rational, there was realistically only one decision he could make. Unsurprisingly, he reacted as Theo expected.
“… Dammit! Attendants!” Isaac shouted, rising from his seat.
His attendants rushed to cover the body of the Black Knight, who still hadn’t collapsed, with a rug. Isaac clearly wanted to remove his champion before someone noticed that there was no blood flowing out from the knight’s body.
Meanwhile, Theo didn’t want to challenge it and make the situation bigger.
[Hey, Employer.]
At that moment, Randolph, who had lost his opponent, walked toward Theo.
[Are you going to leave it alone? Isn’t this a chance to expose what that agent is?]
Theo silently met his eyes.
[Well, you aren’t wrong.]
However, Theo didn’t choose that option. It was possible to prove a connection between the Orcus Company and black magic, but that was just cutting off Isaac’s path of escape. Any rat cornered by a cat would bite; however, Isaac wasn’t a rat.
[The risk is too large. The death knight is still capable of battle, and there’s no guarantee that Isaac only has one Black Knight. Additionally, you probably spent a lot of energy in that duel, Captain Randolph.]
[Umm, I can’t deny that.]
[It is better to take a step back. I’ve obtained the item I wanted, and I don’t know how they will react if I accuse them.]
It was a realistic decision. Although he hadn’t suffered any apparent injuries, Randolph’s physical condition had suffered from using aura without a break. If the death knight was allowed to battle freely, then Randolph would face a more unfavorable battle without an Aura Ability. Additionally, both Randolph and Theo would die if one more death knight emerged.
The gamble was too risky, so they should be satisfied with this much.
[… Che, it can’t be helped. I understand.]
In the end, Randolph stepped back. Theo was right, and Randolph was also worried about the actions of the cornered Isaac. So, Randolph descended from the duel stage and sheathed his falchions. Despite his shabby clothing, Randolph was the winner.
The skirmish was a victory, although it was a close call.
By tacit agreement, the duel between the two bidders ended.
***
The attendants of the Orcus Company carried the body of the Black Knight away, while the spectators, who enjoyed the exciting spectacle, vacated their seats. The result was obvious, so they had no interest in the following announcements.
The notary, who watched the two swordsmen compete fiercely, looked between the two bidders and declared, “The 57th underground auction, the duel bid for ‘Charlotte’s Necklace,’ has been won by Bidder Theo’s representative, Randolph Clovis. Therefore, the winner of this duel bid is Theo. Do both of you recognize this result?”
“I recognize it.”
Unlike Theo, Isaac didn’t answer immediately. “……”
“Agent Isaac?” The notary asked him one more time.
The answer fell from Isaac’s heavy lips. “… I recognize it.”
Isaac’s bloodshot eyes showed that he didn’t like this ending. If a passing child saw the scene, they would burst into tears from fear. His expression was dark, but there was something else in its depths that incited fear.
However, the notary’s declaration wasn’t over yet. “In accordance with the rules of the duel bid, the price for ‘Charlotte’s Necklace’ must be paid by Agent Isaac. Please provide the payment of three hundred gold.”
Crunch.
Isaac ground his teeth as he pulled out three hundred gold and handed it to the notary. It seemed like he wanted to lash out at the notary, but he maintained his patience. The notary was very familiar with this frustration, since losing bidders always screamed or glared angrily at him.
The notary turned to look at Theo weakly and said, “With this, the duel bid is over. Theo, ‘Charlotte’s Necklace’ is now yours.”
He gestured for an attendant to present Theo with a box. Just like the first time he had seen it, the cursed necklace twinkled innocently. Charlotte’s Necklace… If it entered the hands of a warlock, it would be able to demonstrate the power of a national treasure. After a moment of hesitation, Theo picked up the necklace.
However, at that moment…
“… Reconsider.”
Agent Isaac’s red eyes flashed darkly as he stared at Theo and Randolph. He was the very picture of a warlock who was suppressing the urge to kill.
“If you take the necklace like this, one day you will pay for it. It’ll be too late for regret then.”
Theo didn’t ignore him and nodded. “Those words are correct.”
The confused Randolph and Isaac listened until the end, expecting there to be something more.
However, Theo laughed and smashed their expectations. “You should’ve just let me win the bid. Didn’t you suffer big damages because of the duel bid? I am thankful for the lesson that you taught me.”
“You cheeky fellow!” Isaac finally reached the limits of his patience and turned away.
His reaction only proved that Theo’s words had hit him where it hurt. The Orcus Company’s budget was huge, but Isaac would be responsible for the three hundred gold he lost.
The notary joined Theo and Randolph in chuckling at Isaac’s embarrassed retreat.
Randolph chortled, “Kuhat, this is pretty interesting for a half price commission. That agent’s face was as red as a tomato.”
The agent joked, “Kukukuk, who wouldn’t?”
Theo smiled. “Huhu, it is fun to laugh.”
The two men, who savored the victory, started to talk seriously after the notary left.
Randolph, who had experienced the death knight’s combat power firsthand, asked Theo with an unexpectedly serious expression, “Young Master, what will you do from now on? Is the Orcus Company’s black magic at a scale we can handle?”
“I have to inform the Magic Society,” Theo replied without any hesitation.
Even if Randolph was almost a sword master and Theo was a 6th Circle magician, it wasn’t a problem the two of them could afford to deal with.
The Orcus Company was one of the top three companies in the central continent, and they were suspected of using taboo black magic. There were all sorts of ways for the warlock to increase the strength of their warriors, so it was better for a national force to be mobilized.
Fortunately, Theo remembered that he had a liaison. “I will leave a passphrase for an information source of the White Tower. It might take a little bit of time, but the Magic Society will send an investigation team to survey the Orcus Company within a fortnight.”
Randolph felt assured and laughed as he thumped Theo’s shoulder. “As expected from Young Master. You don’t have any gaps.”
“That isn’t true. To be honest, it was a mess.” Theo sighed at Randolph’s praise.
This wasn’t false humility. It was only by chance that Randolph was in this city, and he hadn’t expected the opponent to be a death knight. The operation had been full of holes from beginning to end. If Randolph had lost this duel, Isaac would have exploited his advantage thoroughly. Numerous possibilities had joined together to give Theo this victory.
So, Theo couldn’t say that it was due to his own skills.
When Randolph saw Theo’s gloomy expression, he quickly changed the topic. “Well, at least we won. Isn’t that right? You must’ve gone through some hard times. Let’s have a few drinks and catch up on what we’ve been up to.”
“… I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that isn’t possible.”
“Eh? How come?” Randolph was confused by Theo’s grim expression.
“We will leave as soon as the sun rises tomorrow. We can’t rest easily after poking the Orcus Company.”
“I shattered that piece of tin, so isn’t it okay for a few days?”
“No, that isn’t the case.”
The most fearsome thing about a necromancer was the strength of their undead. An undead that wasn’t ground to dust could be restored to its original state with enough time and black magic power. If it had the help of a living person, the death knight would be able to recover from the damage Randolph had dealt it in just a few days. There were all types of limitations in a duel, but the undead could exert all its power in a raid in the middle of the night.
This meant they had to get out of the city before the death knight recovered.
“Hoo, then are we just going to wait in the inn tonight? Then it can’t be helped.”
However, Randolph’s grumbling changed Theo’s mind. Randolph was a great warrior, so maybe the Orcus Company wouldn’t act so easily. Couldn’t Theo afford to have a few drinks with the one who had brought him the difficult victory?
Theo made a decision. “Come on, guide me.”
“Huh? What?”
“Didn’t you want to have a few drinks? Perhaps you don’t know any taverns?”
“No, Young Master just…”
Theo shrugged and walked ahead. “Aren’t we leaving tomorrow?”
Randolph understood Theo’s curt words, and a big smile emerged on his face. He had been born as the child of a prestigious family, but his nature was of a roaming wolf who loved freedom. Now, he would relieve his throat which was dry from the hot fight.
“Okay, then will the Young Master be paying?”
“Of course. Thanks to the three hundred gold saved today, you can drink until you pass out.”
“Kuoh… As expected from Young Master!”
At that moment, Gibra, who had been waiting in the distance, interrupted them. “Cough!?E-Employer, can I join as well?”
Theo laughed. It was quite awkward to see him acting like this despite his size. Frankly, Gibra had watched from a distance ever since Theo accepted the duel bid. However, he didn’t turn his back on Theo even to the very end. Despite being from the streets, Gibra was loyal to Theo.
“Since you didn’t run away, I’ll buy you drinks too,” Theo said.
Then Gibra, who normally looked at others with a threatening expression, smiled brightly. “Ohh, thank you. Employer is truly magnanimous!”
“What, he was hired by Young Master too? Then we have one more friend to drink with.”
Gibra nodded. “There’s a lot to talk about! You must’ve suffered in the meantime.”
The two people, united by their stories about Theo, walked through the streets of Sipoto.
They had entirely different appearances and voices, but the conversation between the two people was quite good, as their involvement with the stormy Theo acted like a bridge between them. Therefore, the alienated Theo just laughed and followed behind the two gossipers.
… This is a good way to end the day.’
It wasn’t efficient, but he couldn’t enjoy life if he always pursued efficiency. Theo thought about Charlotte’s Necklace in his pocket and placed his left hand over it. It disappeared into the [Inventory] that not even a legendary thief could steal from.
Now more relaxed, Theo decided to enjoy the night of fun.