Kamel Harbern.
His was a face no one could fail to recognize.
House Granton was a prestigious family known throughout the empire, but there were true Great Houses before which even Granton could not present its card.
House Harbern was one such family.
House Harbern ruled the harsh north as an overlord and had long stood as a pillar elevating the empire's prestige.
Gulp.
Daniel swallowed dryly, his face turning deathly pale. It felt as though the blood in his veins had dried up.
It could hardly be helped.
Kamel, youngest son of House Harbern—the family known for its cold blood—was watching him with an icy expression.
‘Wh-Why is he here......?’
Daniel had built connections with trainees from many noble houses on his first day, but even he had been unable to approach Kamel.
For one thing, Kamel's naturally sharp eyes and the fierce air he effortlessly radiated made it difficult even to look at him.
Several nobles had gathered the courage to approach him, but each time, Kamel had fixed them with a piercing stare and answered.
—This is not a social gathering. Do not treat me as a noble.
The air radiating from his eyes had been so frightening that the nobles who heard him turned pale and hurried away.
That was why Daniel could not understand. True to the reputation of his cold-blooded house, Kamel had not shown an ounce of warmth even to fellow nobles.
Yet now he was taking the side of someone who was neither noble nor even a commoner, but lowborn.
Daniel was inwardly terrified beneath Kamel's piercing gaze, but he could not withdraw now.
‘I have to invalidate this duel somehow and preserve my honor!’
Kamel admittedly held a far higher noble status than Daniel, but Daniel had far more connections in this place.
‘Don't panic. I'm a noble too!’
Forcing himself to steady his breathing, Daniel opened his mouth.
“...L-Lord Kamel. I became overly excited and misspoke. I apologize.”
Despite his inner resolve, his spoken words trembled heavily.
Such was the force of Kamel's presence that Daniel shrank back instinctively.
Even so, retreat was not an option.
“However, this is a matter between that fellow and me... I do not believe Lord Kamel needs to intervene.”
Though phrased politely, the words meant that it was none of Kamel's business.
Kamel spoke.
“You need not use honorific speech with me. Here, I am not a noble of House Harbern, merely another trainee.”
That did not mean Daniel could immediately speak to him casually.
“What is your name?”
Kamel asked Daniel.
“My name is Daniel.”
“Daniel, I don't know what happened between you and Ivan, but stop disgracing yourself. You lost.”
“That bastard... insulted my family......!”
“Which is presumably why you held the duel. And you lost. Twice.”
“That.......”
Daniel had nothing to say.
He needed to refute Kamel somehow, yet no plausible argument came readily to mind.
But he could not retreat now either.
“I cannot accept it!”
Instead, Daniel raised his voice with renewed confidence.
“Since childhood, I have received my family's support, undergone professional elite training, and consumed all manner of costly elixirs! What of this fellow?!”
As he spoke, Daniel glanced toward the surrounding nobles.
It was a signal for them to agree with him.
“I hear he was a slave! Then doesn't common sense make this impossible? How could I, who received systematic support, lose to a mere slave?”
Unaware that he was driving himself toward the edge of a cliff, Daniel continued speaking.
“This bastard must have used some trick! He probably circulated aura like a coward. Otherwise, it makes no sense for me to lose!”
After raising his voice in apparent indignation, Daniel looked toward the nobles.
They briefly weighed the advantages.
Should they support Daniel and preserve their close relationship with him, or support Kamel and gain even a fraction of his favor?
Their deliberation did not last long.
“Ahem... C-Certainly. Something was strange. No matter what, defeating Daniel in an instant is suspicious.”
“Common sense says Daniel's arm is thicker, so it is odd that he lost so easily.”
“It does look as if that Ivan fellow used some trick.”
“Shouldn't this duel be suspended for now?”
The noble trainees cautiously spoke in Daniel's defense.
House Harbern's prestige and authority were overwhelmingly greater.
But every noble present believed that supporting Kamel would never earn his favor.
They decided it would be more profitable to stand beside Daniel and maintain their relationship with him.
‘I did it......!’
Daniel inwardly sighed in relief at their support.
As Kamel had said, he was merely another trainee here.
He had even personally told them not to treat him as a noble.
None of them had the nerve to openly slight him.
But if the group subtly raised a collective voice like this, there was little Kamel could do.
‘Take only one step back.’
That would be enough.
Daniel had no desire to become Kamel's enemy. Kamel's family name did not disappear merely because he was another trainee here.
It would be enough to make him retreat slightly without injuring his pride.
“Lord Kamel, I understand how you feel. As a great warrior of the north, you must take duels sincerely. Therefore, I would like to make Trainee Ivan a proposal.”
Daniel steadied his breathing, calmed his mind again, and spoke.
He laid the groundwork by subtly flattering Kamel.
Daniel turned his gaze toward Ivan.
“...Ivan, why don't we reconcile honorably at this point?”
The words made humiliation surge through him, but this was not the time for pride.
Daniel's mind was already occupied solely with how to preserve as much of his honor as possible.
The answer he devised was to ‘reconcile’ with Ivan.
‘Whatever means he used, it is true that I lost twice.’
Though he had screamed in denial, Daniel had inwardly accepted his defeat to some extent.
Ordinarily, he would have used the group's support to paint Ivan as a coward who relied on tricks, but Kamel's intervention made that difficult.
That was why he stepped forward first and offered reconciliation.
‘Even if Kamel dislikes it, he can say nothing once the two parties reconcile.’
Daniel had deliberately addressed Kamel as though seeking permission before offering peace. That should at least keep him from earning Kamel's hatred.
He was certain Ivan would accept.
‘Even he will want to avoid trouble.’
Unless he was an idiot, Ivan must have realized from the surrounding reaction how many allies Daniel possessed.
There was nothing to gain by becoming enemies with a well-connected noble.
Offering peace first to a lowborn severely injured Daniel's pride as a noble.
But it also let him cultivate the magnanimous image of a noble who had offered reconciliation first.
Suppressing his emotions, Daniel directed a false smile at Ivan.
“I believe I acted too rashly earlier. Although my family was insulted, I handled the situation too emotionally. For that, I apologize.”
Daniel instantly changed his attitude toward Ivan and continued.
“We are all trainees who must work hard from now on, so should we really become enemies over something trivial? I do not wish to remain at odds with you. All you need to do is offer one word of apology for insulting my family.”
That was the furthest Daniel could compromise.
At this point, he did not even expect a sincere apology.
It would be enough to extract an apology from the bastard.
He could make Ivan pay properly for insulting his family later, once the opportunity arose.
“Say only one word, and I will put aside every grievance from today. I will not trouble you again.”
Having said that, Daniel waited for Ivan's answer.
‘Now, hurry and apologize.’
One word. He needed only one word. That would preserve his honor.
Kamel did not look pleased, but fortunately, he appeared to respect Ivan's opinion and did not intervene further.
Daniel waited silently for an apology to emerge from Ivan's mouth.
No matter how senseless the lowborn was, he had no choice but to lower his tail here.
Unfortunately, his prediction missed spectacularly.
“Look at this bastard trying to gloss everything over. Why should I apologize? I beat you both times.”
Unfortunately for Daniel, Ivan was far more perceptive than he imagined.
“It's obvious you're trying to escape the situation now so you can quietly fuck me over later. Do you take me for a complete pushover?”
“A complete what......?”
“Anyway, I don't have even an ant's speck of desire to apologize. And as promised, you can never come here again. No mercy!”
Ivan refused to yield even slightly and threatened Daniel. Daniel trembled and glared.
“Then what do you propose? I refuse to accept defeat!”
“What is there to refuse? Everyone here except you knows you lost in a fucking disgraceful fashion.”
Neither Ivan nor Daniel had the slightest intention of compromising.
Then it happened.
“How pathetic.”
A voice pushed through the surrounding spectators.
Daniel was already burning with rage. What bastard was interrupting now to ruin everything?!
Biting his lip, Daniel turned his head.
“Gasp!”
Once again, he drew a startled breath.
The spectators had naturally parted into two groups, and Miliana stood between them with an irritated expression.
“L-Lady Miliana.......”
“You there.”
Miliana pointed at Daniel.
“Yes?”
“You lost, so admit it and get out. Can't you see the other trainees standing around, too wary to use the equipment because of you?”
Miliana openly displayed her displeasure toward Daniel.
“But, Lady Miliana.......”
“If you can't accept the duel's outcome, should I bring an instructor?”
Daniel flinched. Bring an instructor?
“As a Pandora instructor, they will be able to tell whether he is using a trick. Arm wrestling doesn't violate the training center's rules, so if we explain everything and ask an instructor to judge the duel, they will agree.”
“......”
“But think carefully. If you hold another duel under an instructor's judgment and lose the same way, you'll disgrace yourself so badly there won't be any honor left to lose.”
A chill traveled down Daniel's spine at Miliana's words.
As she had said, if an instructor personally judged the duel, Daniel would be unable to make excuses.
With trembling pupils, Daniel glanced at Ivan.
Had that bastard truly circulated aura?
If not. If it had genuinely been his pure physical strength.
Then Daniel would lose to Ivan yet again.
“Oh, that's a good idea. I'm in favor. If we bring an instructor, you won't be able to make excuses either.”
Reading the situation, Ivan took up Miliana's suggestion and mocked him.
Ivan's confidence made Daniel burn even more fiercely inside.
‘Wh-What do I do......?’
The best outcome would be to defeat Ivan in a rematch.
But if he lost... as Miliana said, Daniel would be forced to accept defeat with no way out.
He would also suffer the indelible humiliation of losing to a lowborn three times after refusing to accept his losses.
“He appears to agree. What will you do?”
Miliana pressed the hesitating Daniel. His tightly clenched fist shook as though caught in an earthquake.
After repeated deliberation, Daniel could only open his mouth with a deathly pale face.
“...V-Very well. I will not come here again.”
Contrary to the rage boiling within him, there was nothing Daniel could do now.
The suspicion that he might lose yet again forced him to retreat.
Daniel's face twisted with humiliation.
“......”
He silently glared at Ivan.
It was as though he were warning that he would take revenge someday.
Ivan answered by raising his middle finger.
Veins bulged on Daniel's forehead, but in the end, he left without another word.
“Thank you for helping me.”
The surrounding spectators gradually dispersed, and Ivan thanked Kamel for stepping forward on his behalf.
Kamel shook his head, his eyes still fierce.
“It was nothing worthy of thanks.”
“I'm grateful that you stepped forward at all. Once I succeed, I'll buy you a meal.”
Ivan answered Kamel with easy familiarity, then turned toward Miliana.
“Thank you too. Your name was... Milli-Milli?”
“...It's Miliana. And don't misunderstand. I didn't step in for your sake.”
After speaking, Miliana glanced at Ivan for a moment, then turned primly and left.
Was that one of those tsun-whatever things?
‘At least she didn't ignore me this time.’
Ivan smiled at the realization and turned back to finish the sets he had not completed.
“Let's go, Meirin. If you've rested, it's time for cardio.”
“What......?”
Naturally, he did not forget Meirin either.