Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill - Chapter 367:The Duel

Chapter 367:The Duel

“That’s insane!” Julia said, her voice shaking as she stared toward the courtyard.

She grabbed the edge of the table tightly causing her knuckles to turn pale.

She looked at the others. “Sister Sophia… please say something…”

Sophia let out a dry laugh. “Heh… heh… it’s okay… I believe in him. My husband is great. He is awesome. He will surely win.”

Her words were firm, but her hand betrayed her. The glass she held trembled, and water rippled inside.

Ethan’s voice drifted from the side. “Thanks for the praise, but can you say this after putting down the glass that is trembling in your hands?”

Sophia blinked and looked down. Water had spilled onto her fingers. She quickly set the glass aside, her face turning red.

Lia spoke in a low voice. “It isn’t that bad. Even if he loses, he will just be injured, right? Right?” She looked around, searching for agreement, but no one answered.

Diana let out a slow breath and crossed her arms, though her eyes never left the training grounds.

“What do you think, Sister Rina?” Julia asked.

Everyone turned.

Rina did not look at them. Her eyes were locked on Ethan’s figure in the distance.

“Out of ten moves, as long as he lasts five, he will gain immense prestige,” she said calmly. “So that part is fine.”

She paused.

“But if he loses in one move… then…”

She did not finish. She did not need to.

The room grew quiet.

Claira clutched the hem of her dress tightly. “Husband… why did you accept it?” Her voice was small. “You should have refused. They are bullying us.”

Sophia’s smile faded. Diana’s jaw tightened. Lia lowered her gaze.

Rina frowned slightly. Anyone with experience could see this was not simple. This was more than a test. But she kept that thought to herself.

The wind shifted.

A soft voice came from the window.

“Ladies, don’t you believe in me?”

They all turned around.

Ethan stood by the open window, leaning lightly against the frame.

The night wind moved through his white hair. Moonlight fell over his face and shoulders, tracing his features in silver. His eyes were calm. His expression was gentle. He looked tired, yet steady, like someone who had already made peace with the path ahead.

For a moment, no one spoke.

The tension in the room loosened just a little.

Sophia was the first to move. She let out a breath that turned into a soft laugh. “When you say it like this, how can we not trust you?”

She wiped the corner of her eye quickly, pretending nothing happened.

“We believe in you.”

Julia nodded hard. “Yes.”

Lia pressed her lips together and gave a small smile.

Diana looked at him for a long second, then gave a firm nod.

Rina’s gaze softened, just slightly. “Come back in one piece,” she said quietly.

Claira finally relaxed her grip on her dress.

Ethan smiled at them, not wide, not proud. Just warm.

“Always,” he said.

……..

The decision was made, and the news spread like wildfire.

Baron Ethan Blanks would face a Legendary Knight. Many people did not even know what that meant.

Legendary Knight.

What realm was that? How high was it?

Those who attended the banquet started talking, and the rumor spread. Once a rumor spreads far enough, it cannot be stopped.

Soon the whole territory knew.

Outside, the sky was clear, but the air felt heavy, like the world itself was holding its breath.

Ethan walked out first.

He did not wear armor. He wore simple dark clothes, clean and fitted, and his sleeves were rolled slightly. His posture was relaxed, but every step was steady. His presence did not burst outward, yet those who were sensitive could feel it. A dense pressure, quiet and controlled, pressed into the surroundings.

Hall stood at the edge of the courtyard, fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned pale.

Rathlos stood beside him, arms crossed, his jaw tight.

“He chose to accept. Was there no other way,” Hall muttered.

Rathlos kept watching Ethan’s back. “He knows what he is doing,” he said at last, though his voice was low. “We should trust him, no matter the result.”

Across the courtyard, Ruel stepped forward.

Unlike Ethan, he wore full combat gear. His armor was dark silver, worn smooth by decades of battle. There were no decorations, no pride in his stance. Only calm readiness.

The kind built through countless fights between life and death.

Kane stepped into the middle of the ground and raised his voice.

“This match is between Baron Ethan Blanks, a Peak Emperor Realm Knight, and Vice Captain Ruel, an early Legendary Realm Knight. The battle will last ten moves. If Baron Ethan endures all ten moves, he wins. All means are allowed. If a fatal strike occurs, I will personally intervene.”

Murmurs spread through the crowd.

“Ten moves against a Legendary…”

“Is that even possible…”

“Lord Ethan…”

“Both sides, are you ready,” Kane asked.

“Yes,” Ruel said and drew his sword.

The blade sang as it left the sheath. The sound was sharp and clean.

A killing intent spread out like cold water.

Some guards took an unconscious step back. Sweat formed on brows. Even the ground under Ruel’s feet cracked slightly under the weight of his aura.

Kane looked at Ruel. “This is not a duel to the death. Remember that.”

He looked at Ethan next.

Ethan lifted his greatsword. His fingers tightened on the hilt.

Kane stepped back and dropped his hand.

“Begin.”

The air exploded.

Ruel moved first.

One moment he stood there. The next moment he vanished. A loud boom followed as the ground where he stood shattered.

Ethan’s eyes sharpened. He twisted his body sideways and rolled his greatsword up.

CLANG!

Ruel’s blade grazed past Ethan’s shoulder. The pressure alone cut the air. Ethan blocked, but the force sent him sliding back several meters. His boots carved deep lines into the stone.

Gasps came from the crowd.

“So fast…”

“He blocked it…”