Damon stood before his father's desk, his expression calm.
Marcel Jubo, however, was anything but calm.
"You accepted?"
"Yes, Father."
"Against a First Level Iron Rank mercenary?"
Damon nodded.
Marcel leaned back in his chair, studying his son. "Do you understand what that means? Garrick Vane has spent years fighting beasts and other experienced fighters. This isn't another training session with Roderick."
"I understand."
"Then why accept?"
Damon considered his answer. "He challenged me publicly. Refusing wouldn't necessarily have been wrong, but it would have allowed him to question my courage and the Jubo family's reputation. Besides, I need to understand how much I've improved."
Marcel rubbed his forehead.
He understood his son's reasoning, even if he disliked the situation.
"Your courage is not something you need to prove to every person who challenges you."
"I know."
"Good. Because I don't intend to watch you throw away your life just to satisfy someone's pride."
Damon smiled faintly. "I have no intention of dying."
"See that you keep that promise."
Marcel eventually agreed to let the match proceed, but only under certain conditions. Roderick would supervise Damon's preparation, and Damon was forbidden from engaging in unnecessary confrontations before the duel.
The match itself would take place under agreed rules, with experienced observers present. It would end if either participant surrendered or became unable to continue. No deliberate killing strikes would be permitted.
Marcel's expression grew serious again.
"One more thing. Do you know who arranged your encounter with Garrick?"
"No. He approached me himself."
"That doesn't mean he acted alone."
Damon understood what his father was suggesting.
Someone might have arranged the confrontation.
Marcel had his suspicions, but without evidence, there was little he could do.
"Be careful, Damon. Sometimes the person standing in front of you isn't the only person you should be watching."
"I'll remember that."
The following morning, Roderick began Damon's preparation.
They stood inside the estate's training grounds, with wooden swords in their hands.
"Before we begin, you need to understand something about your opponent," Roderick said.
Damon listened.
"Garrick Vane is a First Level Iron Rank fighter. You are still an apprentice. The difference between your cultivation levels is significant."
"I know."
"Knowing is one thing. Understanding what it means in combat is another."
Roderick raised his wooden sword.
"Garrick has spent years fighting. He knows how to exploit hesitation, punish mistakes and recognise when an opponent is becoming exhausted. He doesn't need to be faster than you in every exchange. He only needs to recognise one mistake and take advantage of it."
Damon tightened his grip.
"So overpowering him isn't an option."
"Not a sensible one. You need to fight intelligently. Understand his movements, protect your weaknesses and create opportunities. Don't expect a single powerful attack to win the match."
Roderick stepped forward.
"Now, let's see what you've learned."
Their swords collided.
The first exchange ended with Damon's weapon being pushed aside. Before he could recover, Roderick's wooden sword stopped inches from his chest.
"Dead."
Damon sighed.
"Again."
They continued.
Over the next several days, Roderick made the training increasingly difficult. He focused less on teaching Damon new techniques and more on correcting the weaknesses that could cost him the fight.
Damon learned to maintain his balance after powerful attacks, recover quickly after blocking and avoid movements that wasted unnecessary energy.
Whenever he became too aggressive, Roderick punished him.
Whenever he hesitated, Roderick took advantage.
"You're thinking too much about your next attack," Roderick said after knocking his sword away. "A fight doesn't follow the sequence you imagine in your head. You must be prepared to respond to what actually happens."
Damon retrieved his weapon.
He was beginning to understand.
Garrick wouldn't give him time to admire his own techniques.
His opponent would keep attacking until Damon made a mistake.
On the fourth day, Damon decided to test something different.
"Captain, I want you to attack me without following a predictable pattern."
Roderick raised an eyebrow.
"Have I been predictable?"
"Not exactly. But I want to test something."
Damon activated Desire Perception.
His attention settled on Roderick.
At first, he noticed only faint impressions. They were difficult to interpret, almost like subtle changes in the atmosphere around another person.
Roderick moved.
A sudden shift passed through Damon's perception.
He reacted, bringing his wooden sword up just as Roderick's weapon came toward him.
Their swords collided.
Damon's eyes brightened.
He had reacted slightly before the attack was fully executed.
"Interesting," Roderick muttered.
Damon didn't answer. He was concentrating on the strange sensation.
"Again."
This time, Roderick approached from the side.
Damon sensed a shift, but his interpretation was wrong. He moved to block an attack that never came.
Roderick's wooden sword struck his shoulder.
"Dead."
Damon rubbed the spot.
"You changed your movement."
"I changed my intention. You were watching for a particular action and committed yourself too early."
Damon understood the problem.
Desire Perception wasn't showing him the future. It allowed him to sense subtle changes in another person's immediate intentions, but interpreting those impressions required experience.
Roderick attacked again.
Damon managed to respond to two movements before another feint caught him off guard.
After several more exchanges, he felt a dull ache behind his eyes.
He deactivated the ability.
"Something wrong?" Roderick asked.
"Using that perception for too long is exhausting."
"Then learn when to use it. An ability that leaves you unable to continue fighting isn't much of an advantage."
Damon nodded.
He had discovered something useful, but he still had a long way to go before mastering it.
While Damon trained, Gassi was making his own arrangements.
Inside a private room, an attendant stood before him.
"Have the invitations been delivered?" Gassi asked.
"Yes, young master. Several noble families have confirmed their attendance."
"And Seraphina?"
"Her invitation has also been delivered."
A satisfied smile appeared on Gassi's face.
He leaned back.
"Good."
The duel was scheduled to attract attention. A Jubo heir facing a First Level Iron Rank mercenary would naturally draw curious spectators.
But Gassi wanted certain people to witness it.
Especially Seraphina.
He remembered the years Damon and he had both been interested in her. Their rivalry had always been complicated, but watching Damon lose publicly would be an opportunity to change how she viewed him.
If Damon was defeated by Garrick, perhaps Seraphina would finally see him as the weakened heir Gassi believed him to be.
"Continue gathering information about his preparation," Gassi instructed. "I want to know whether he has improved his swordsmanship or discovered anything new."
"Understood, young master."
Gassi smiled.
Tomorrow would be interesting.
By the sixth day, Damon's body was aching from the intensity of his training.
Roderick had pushed him harder than ever.
During their final sparring session, Damon combined mana with Crosswind Sword Art.
His sword swept forward, releasing a sharp gust of force.
Roderick blocked the attack, but the impact forced him to take a step backward.
Damon attempted to follow up.
His movements became slightly unstable.
Roderick immediately exploited the opening, striking his side.
"Dead."
Damon lowered his sword, breathing heavily.
"Your Crosswind Sword Art is becoming more effective," Roderick said. "But combining it with mana consumes considerable energy. If you use it carelessly, you'll exhaust yourself before the fight is decided."
"I noticed."
"Then don't forget it tomorrow. Your strongest attack isn't necessarily your best attack."
Damon nodded.
He was beginning to appreciate just how difficult the coming battle would be.
That evening, he finally decided what to do with his remaining stat points.
Inside his bedroom, he opened the Universal Desire System.
[UNIVERSAL DESIRE SYSTEM]
[Level: 2]
[Rank: Knight Apprentice]
[Desire Points: 100]
[Skills: Basic Swordsmanship, Crosswind Sword Art, Desire Perception]
Damon studied the three attributes.
Strength would improve his striking power. Constitution would help his endurance and durability. Agility would improve his movement and reaction speed.
After considering his training and Roderick's advice, he made his decision.
"Four points into Agility. Three into Strength. Two into Constitution."
[Stat Allocation Successful.]
[Agility: +4]
[Strength: +3]
[Constitution: +2]
[Available Stat Points: 0]
A subtle warmth spread through his body.
Damon clenched his fists, then moved around the room, testing his improved physical condition.
The difference wasn't overwhelming, but he could feel it.
His movements seemed a little lighter, his muscles more responsive.
He nodded in satisfaction.
It was a reasonable distribution for the battle ahead.
The following evening, Damon returned to his room after another day of preparation.
Tomorrow was the duel.
He had spent an entire week improving his swordsmanship, conditioning his body and experimenting with Desire Perception.
Yet he knew Garrick Vane was still the more experienced fighter.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in."
The door opened, revealing Melissa.
"Young master, Sara Hellpile and Alice Lightstone have arrived."
Damon glanced at her.
"Thank you, Melissa. Please show them in."
A moment later, the two young women entered.
Sara wore a gentle smile, while Alice looked around the room before turning her attention to him.
"We heard you've been training almost every day," Sara said.
"Roderick seems determined to make sure I can't walk tomorrow."
Alice laughed softly.
"Perhaps he's preparing you properly."
"That's what he says."
Sara approached and sat beside him.
"Are you nervous?"
Damon considered the question.
"A little. It would be strange if I weren't."
"That's good," Alice replied, taking a seat on his other side. "It means you understand that the fight matters."
Damon smiled.
For a while, they talked about ordinary things. Sara teased him about spending too much time training, while Alice asked about his recent visit to the capital.
Their conversation gradually eased the tension he had been carrying.
Damon wasn't interested in spending the entire evening thinking about Garrick.
He wanted a little time away from swords, cultivation and noble schemes.
He reached for Sara's hand, then looked toward Alice.
"Stay a little longer tonight."
Sara smiled.
"Is that an invitation?"
"An important one."
Alice chuckled.
"Then I suppose we can make an exception."
The three spent the evening together, enjoying each other's company. Their closeness offered Damon a welcome distraction from the approaching confrontation.
For once, he allowed himself to forget about tomorrow.
Later that night, after Sara and Alice had left, Damon stood beside his bedroom window.
The estate was quiet.
He looked at the sword resting against the wall.
Tomorrow, he would face a fighter who had spent years surviving battles against opponents stronger and more experienced than himself.
His body was stronger now. His reactions had improved, and Desire Perception had begun revealing possibilities he hadn't previously considered.
But none of that guaranteed victory.
Damon picked up his sword and examined its blade.
"One week of preparation," he murmured.
He returned the weapon to its stand and looked toward the dark sky.
"Tomorrow, I'll find out how much I've actually improved."
The challenge was no longer something waiting in the distance.
It was only hours away.