Chapter 418: Altan: Do I Deserve to Die?

He knew full well that according to the rules of noble duels, when both combatants were evenly matched and both had been injured, he, as the witness and arbiter, was obligated to intervene and halt the proceedings.

This rule had come into existence due to an absurd, yet lamentable, chapter of history.

Centuries ago, two of the Empire’s Border Marquises had been goaded into a noble duel by individuals with ulterior motives.

In the name of family honor and personal glory, neither was willing to back down, and so they were forced to fight to the bitter end.

The result was the death of one Border Marquis, while the other sustained injuries that led to a chronic illness, and he too passed away six months later.

The deaths of these two Marquises triggered a massive chain reaction. The people of the steppes revolted, internal factions within the two Marquisates fought for power and profit, the Half-Beastmen seized the opportunity to attack, and the Empire’s entire eastern border descended into chaos.

To prevent such a situation from ever happening again, noble councils across the land debated the issue, and eventually, the aristocracy established this very rule.

Fighting was permissible, but a fight between two evenly matched opponents was not. Nobles were exalted beings; they could not be slowly ground down to their deaths in a duel.

If it were a lawless, life-or-death struggle, how would they be any different from the slave gladiators in the arena?

Alvin cursed under his breath. ‘This duel was supposed to be a brilliant show of my own design. No matter who won, I stood to gain.’

‘If Charles won and Altan died, I could send men to eliminate Altan’s remaining followers and maybe even squeeze a fortune out of his old subordinates.’

‘If Altan won and Charles died, I could do Henry a favor, perhaps earning his friendship and a reward in return.’

However, with both men merely wounded and no clear victor, his original plan had become difficult to execute.

‘Besides, if I just stood by and let them continue, I’d earn the distrust of the other nobles and the enmity of Henry, regardless of the outcome.’

‘I can’t be sure how Henry feels about his birth family, but that’s not a gamble I’m willing to take. The potential consequences are something I absolutely cannot accept.’

‘There are still many young men in my house who are about to be sent out to hold official posts in our territories, join the army, or form companies of Mercenaries.’

‘The ones with higher standing can even choose to pursue advanced studies at the Imperial Capital Knight Academy.’

‘In short, their futures are bright and full of promise.’

‘At a time of such rising prosperity, I cannot afford to earn the enmity of any major noble.’

Alvin took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm.

He knew this was no time for complaints. He cleared his throat and called out, his voice carrying an undeniable air of authority, “Gentlemen, has a victor been decided in this duel?”

Charles and Altan paused for a moment at the sound of Alvin’s voice, but they quickly resumed their struggle.

Charles gritted his teeth and roared, “Altan, you’re strong, but this duel isn’t over!”

Altan sneered in return. “You’re strong too, Charles, but don’t forget—I’m a barbarian from the steppes! I don’t give up so easily!”

The surrounding nobles watched, captivated, their hearts in their throats, wondering who would ultimately win this duel.

One of them called out worriedly, “Count Alvin, look at this…” Alvin waved a hand, signaling for him to hold his tongue.

The most important thing now was to stop the duel. The consequences of failure were unthinkable.

Alvin shouted again, his voice booming, “Charles! Altan! You are both injured! There is no need to continue this duel! According to the rules of noble duels, you are to cease fighting now and retire to tend to your wounds!”

However, Charles and Altan seemed to pay him no mind, their fierce exchange continuing unabated.

Their movements grew faster, the clash of metal ringing out with increasing frequency.

All technique was abandoned; they were simply swinging their blades with brute force, each trying to kill the other.

The surrounding nobles let out a collective gasp. “They’re wounded!”

‘Good, they’re hurt! It’ll be even more entertaining if one of them dies! Then we’ll have something interesting to talk about.’

Alvin’s expression grew darker. He knew he could not delay any longer.

He strode to the center of the dueling ground, positioning himself between Charles and Altan. “Enough!” he bellowed. “This duel ends now! You are both wounded, and continuing this fight benefits no one!”

His voice, laced with anger and resolve, asserted his authority as the arbiter.

Baron Chase’s tense, stern expression softened considerably, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

As a man who had grown cunning with age, he could already tell this was a setup. But whether it was a deliberate scheme by Alvin or just a speculative gambit, he couldn’t say.

He didn’t know what Alvin was thinking or what he was after, but in any case, it was time for this sudden duel to end.

In his opinion, it didn’t really matter if Altan died. ‘So what if Charles wins? What does he gain? Honor?’

‘Altan is worthless now. Henry has already stripped him of anything valuable.’

‘But if my eldest son were to fall here today… that would be a fatal blow.’

Charles and Altan’s movements faltered. They glanced at each other, then at the Knights who were now closing in, their eyes filled with unwillingness to yield.

Charles gritted his teeth. “Count Alvin, a victor has not been decided! I cannot give up like this!”

Altan also gave a cold laugh. “That’s right. I won’t let him off so easily!”

Alvin’s expression darkened further. ‘These two bastards, daring to disrespect me.’

He said coldly, “Both of you, calm down! The rules of noble duels dictate that you stop fighting and tend to your wounds! If you still wish to fight, you may do so another time, but you will not continue now!”

Hearing Alvin’s words, Charles and Altan froze. According to the rules of noble duels, the arbiter’s word was final.

They exchanged a glance, their eyes betraying a hint of resignation.

Charles sighed. “Very well. Since Count Alvin has spoken, I will spare you for now.”

Altan sneered back. “Hmph. This isn’t over. We’ll settle this score next time!”

Alvin let out a sigh of relief. He had finally succeeded in stopping the duel.

‘Good. Even if I didn’t get any tangible benefits, at least I didn’t suffer any losses.’

‘In a situation like this, any benefit is a huge win, and no benefit is no loss.’

He turned to the surrounding nobles and announced, “Everyone, the duel has concluded. As you have all seen, both men are injured. To continue would benefit no one.

Now, let us all retire and allow the wounded to be treated.”

The surrounding nobles heard Count Alvin’s words and nodded in agreement. As the arbiter, his decision was absolute.

Besides, they had witnessed the intensity of the duel for themselves; with both men injured, there was truly no need for it to continue.

And so, the crowd began to disperse, some to rest, others to attend to other matters.

Alvin watched as Charles and Altan were helped away by their respective attendants. Though the duel hadn’t gone according to his plan, he had still succeeded in stopping them from fighting to the death.

‘I’ll definitely be able to get what I want out of this incident.’

However, what he did not know was that while the duel may have ended for now, the chain reaction it had set in motion was only just beginning…

‘Still… Altan is certain to remain in my territory for some time. I’ll have plenty of opportunities to deal with him.’

‘Hmph. By what right does a wandering noble with no lands of his own possess such wealth? It should belong to me, Alvin! Then I could build more forts and manors, and enfeoff some lesser nobles.’