The trainees in the fitness room noisily gathered in one place.
It was the work of Daniel's group.
True to their noble upbringing, they had built numerous connections on their first day and informed countless trainees the moment Ivan accepted the duel.
“A duel needs an audience.”
Daniel muttered as he glanced over the spectators who had quickly heard the news and crowded around them.
It was merely a stylish way to phrase it. In truth, he wanted enough trainees watching that Ivan could not back out.
Of course, now that he had publicized the duel, Daniel could not call it off either. But Daniel had never considered the possibility that he might lose.
“Don't even think about backing out now.”
“Why have you been talking so much? Are you scared? Relax, bastard. I'll go easy on you.”
Daniel warned Ivan with an arrogant look, and Ivan answered while picking his ear.
They faced each other in the center of the fitness room with a wooden crate between them.
Daniel had chosen arm wrestling, a contest enjoyed by everyone regardless of age or gender.
“Ivan... will you be all right......?”
Meirin had hurried to Ivan's side the moment she heard about the duel, dragging her aching body along. She could not hide her worried expression as she asked.
“Why wouldn't I be?”
“But.......”
“Stop worrying about nothing and watch from over there.”
Ivan turned away as though it were no concern.
Meirin still looked worried, but she followed Ivan's instruction and quietly observed from a short distance.
“How touching. Lowborn wretches truly do share a strong friendship. You'll both fail soon enough, so why not kneel before me and beg forgiveness now?”
“Your mouth smells like shit. Speak from farther away.”
Ivan frowned and stepped back.
Daniel momentarily lost his composure and ground his teeth.
Countless trainees were watching.
Before beginning the duel, Daniel wanted to break the spirit of this ignorant, ill-mannered lowborn.
Unfortunately, his provocation failed to draw any response from Ivan.
Daniel had lived a life in which a single word could bring a commoner to their knees, making Ivan's attitude all the more irritating.
“I wonder whether you can maintain that calm act to the end. Phillet, conduct the duel.”
“Understood!”
At Daniel's order, one of the companions clinging close beside him—no, a trainee who plainly looked like nothing but a lackey—stepped forward and raised his voice.
“We shall now begin the duel between Lord Daniel Granton, second son of the great imperial House Granton, and Ivan, a former slave!”
“......”
A heavy silence lingered for a moment. It could hardly be helped.
What was a duel?
It was a sacred contest in which noble fought noble or martial artist fought martial artist with their honor at stake.
Since they proposed to hold such a duel in a fitness room—and settle it through arm wrestling at that—the trainees did not know whether they ought to applaud.
‘Are there always this many idiotic nobles......?’
Ivan thought inwardly. He could hardly think otherwise.
They were only arm wrestling, yet these fools were making a fuss as though this were the contest of the century.
Clap, clap, clap.
The noble trainees gradually began answering Phillet's declaration with applause.
Judging by the number of trainees they had gathered, House Granton must hold considerable influence even among the nobility.
When the nobles began applauding, the other trainees soon read the room and joined in.
After reincarnating, Ivan unexpectedly received here all the applause he had never once received before.
“Before the duel begins, I shall explain its terms! Should Lord Daniel win, Trainee Ivan must kneel before everyone and sincerely apologize for insulting Lord Daniel and House Granton. He must also never show his face in this fitness room again!”
Phillet cleared his throat and continued.
“Though it will never happen... should Trainee Ivan win, Lord Daniel must likewise never show his face in this fitness room again.”
Having finished his explanation, Phillet looked between Daniel and Ivan.
“I, Phillet, shall judge this fairly. Lord Daniel and Trainee Ivan, place your elbows on the crate and clasp hands!”
Ivan approached the crate and asked Daniel.
“Which hand do you want to use? I'll let you choose.”
“Don't posture out of petty pride. You never had a choice to begin with.”
With that, Daniel placed his right arm on the crate.
“I have no desire to waste my time leisurely playing with you. Come.”
“If you wanted to use your right hand, you could have just said so. Why add all that nonsense?”
Ivan snorted and placed his right arm on the crate.
SQUEEZE.
Ivan and Daniel gripped each other's hands tightly.
‘He has exercised a little, at least.’
Daniel inwardly sneered at the grip strength traveling through Ivan's hand.
Daniel was certain he could not lose.
Ivan's arm muscles were admittedly huge beneath his training clothes, but Daniel was still convinced they were inferior to his own.
House Granton was not an ancient martial house, but Daniel's father had recognized his talent early and spared no investment.
Beyond aura awakening, Daniel had been taught by renowned knights and martial artists, while professional trainers and nutritionists had been hired to strengthen his body.
His father had also bought every expensive potion he could find and fed them to Daniel consistently. Unless the world turned upside down, there was no possibility this lowborn could defeat him.
‘Besides, I can use aura.’
Naturally, he could not use aura openly.
The instructor had prohibited trainees from using aura against one another, and using it against someone incapable of doing so would damage his dignity.
But if, by some remote chance, things turned unfavorable, he could circulate an extremely small amount of aura—just enough that no one would notice.
Daniel did not consider that a cowardly trick.
‘A duel demands that one use everything one possesses.’
How could using something he possessed be considered cowardly?
Already certain of victory, Daniel waited for the duel to begin.
Look at that senseless lowborn's face!
Although Daniel had said he did not want to waste time, he had no intention of ending the duel quickly.
He would toy with Ivan until humiliation twisted his expression, then claim victory.
“Lord Daniel, are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“And you?”
“I am.”
“Then begin when I count one, two, three!”
Phillet placed a hand over Ivan's and Daniel's clasped hands and began the countdown.
“One!”
“Two!”
“Three!”
The instant he shouted three, Phillet whipped his hand away.
Daniel let out a sneer. Ivan's strength was far weaker than he had expected.
“You acted so confident with nothing more than this pathetic strength?”
Unable to suppress the sneer escaping him, Daniel mocked Ivan.
He had worried for nothing. At this level, there would be no need to use aura.
For a time, Daniel genuinely believed that.
“Is that so?”
Ivan calmly answered Daniel and put strength into his arm.
CRACK.
“Huh......?”
Daniel's right arm folded in the opposite direction.
***
What just happened?
Unable to understand the situation, Daniel looked down at his right hand.
He still could not make sense of it.
‘Wh-Why......?’
Why was the back of his hand touching the crate instead of that bastard's?
Scorching heat flared through his shoulder.
“Ugh!”
Daniel groaned unconsciously at the pain in his shoulder. Ivan released his hand and spoke.
“I won.”
“Wh-What bullshit is that? Y-You cowardly bastard, you ambushed me while my guard was down!”
Daniel shouted as though the declaration of Ivan's victory was the one thing he could not accept.
Ivan let out a hollow laugh.
“You really are a pathetic bastard, aren't you? The duel had started. Is it my fault that you let your guard down?”
“A-A duel must be fair!”
“Exactly. I beat you fairly without using a trick. Who are you trying to bullshit?”
“Shut up! You lowborn wretch without honor! That round is void! Do it again!”
Daniel screamed and refused to accept the outcome.
To lose a duel to a lowborn! He would never accept defeat, no matter what.
Yes, he had merely let his guard down. If they tried again, it would never happen twice.
Fortunately, the surrounding nobles took Daniel's side.
“Exactly. No matter how you look at it, that duel was not fair.”
“They ought to do it again for the sake of fairness.”
“Does he not even understand fairness because he's lowborn?”
“Has a wretch like him ever experienced a proper duel?”
At the nobles' reaction, Phillet read the room and spoke.
“It appears the duel must be held again. Trainee Ivan! Do not use tricks this time. Contest the duel fairly!”
“Th-That's absurd......”
Meirin raised her voice, indignant on Ivan's behalf. Even to her, the demand was shameless nonsense.
Ivan himself, however, did not flare up.
He had not expected them to become quite this pathetic. With every noble now speaking up, Ivan had no choice in the matter.
He could simply leave, but he did not want to.
Leaving would obviously make things troublesome later, and now that it had come to this.
Ivan wanted to thoroughly humiliate Daniel.
“Fine. We'll do it again. But are you all right? I think you dislocated your shoulder.”
When Ivan unexpectedly accepted the rematch without complaint, Daniel flinched and answered.
“...I can use my left hand. In fact, I.......”
“Spare me the bullshit about your left hand being stronger and take your position.”
“......”
“Unless you're a brainless animal, you understand that the excuse about letting your guard down won't work this time, right?”
“It was not an excuse. And don't grow arrogant merely because you won once......! I will not let my guard down this time!”
“Whatever you say.”
Ivan snorted and placed his left arm on the crate. Daniel ground his teeth and quietly moved the aura in his dantian.
A little was enough.
If he circulated just enough aura that no one could notice, there was no possibility of defeat.
Daniel glared at Ivan with venom in his eyes, and Phillet began counting down again.
“One!”
“Two!”
“Three!”
The instant the duel began, Daniel drew up his aura and pressed Ivan's wrist with all his strength.
He would make no foolish mistake this time!
Daniel poured all his strength into his left arm from the start.
And then.
CRACK!
Daniel's arm folded backward yet again.
“......”
The room fell silent.
“A-Aaaagh!”
This time, the sound of Daniel's shoulder dislocating was even louder than before.
Since he had circulated aura and pushed with all his strength, the result was only natural.
‘Th-This can't be......!’
Daniel could not conceal his shock. He had circulated aura, even if only a little.
How could he lose without putting up any proper resistance?
He had lost twice, and both defeats had been crushing.
Daniel's defeat was undeniable, yet he still refused to accept it.
“Th-This is impossible! You! You used aura, didn't you? There's no other explanation!”
Ivan did not answer.
Ruben had said that Ivan manipulated aura unconsciously, so he could not truthfully deny it.
But what did that matter?
“At this point, you've gone beyond pathetic. You're pitiful. Are you really a noble?”
Ivan shook his head in contempt.
Even so, Daniel continued shrieking and raging without pause.
“Shut up! I refuse to accept this! A lowborn wretch has no right to defy me, a noble of a count's house!”
Ivan was at a loss for words. What in the world was wrong with him? At this point, he almost felt respect.
As Daniel continued denying his defeat and throwing a tantrum like a child, Ivan seriously considered smashing him over the head.
Before he could act on the thought.
“Disgraceful. Without question, Ivan won this duel completely.”
Someone stepped forward first and spoke with open contempt.
“What?”
That single comment finally pushed Daniel past his limit, and he whipped his head around with murder on his face.
“What insolent bastard dares......!”
The next instant, however, the enraged Daniel could only draw a startled breath.
Kamel Harbern stood there.