Jeorge’s eyes had widened at the cadet’s impulsive movement. “Conrad. Don’t do anything foolish,” he said severely, immediately turning around to scold him.

“Conrad, no!” Astra cried out at the same time, rushing to take hold of the blond’s arm while she glared in the knights’ direction. “Are you two really planning on ganging up on such a young kid?”

Their reactions, of concern and fear, gave the two Raven Knights confidence. Conrad could not win, clearly everyone else here knew that. Even the forgotten maid had gone pale at the young soldier’s challenge. This situation put Conrad in a very dangerous position – once accepted, a challenge to single combat could not be retracted. 

Due to the formality and severity of the old traditions, killing was overlooked in the context of a formal duel. It was not popular in the public eye, but the law held no specific consequences for commiting such an act. 

Astra and Jeorge were trying to get Conrad to take back his challenge before it could be accepted, out of concern for the boy.

With all these confirmations, Castor and Brin became more and more certain that their victory was assured.

If they had been thinking even a little bit more, they might have caught the fearless, even excited twinkle in Conrad’s eyes that had never been present before. Or they might have realized that when Conrad had thrown his gloves at them, it had been with a fluidity and speed that he hadn't possessed prior, even able to catch them off guard.

However, Astra and Jeorge’s great displays of concern and worry, coupled with their anger over the earlier blows to their pride, were enough to give the knights the arrogance to overlook those two small facts.

Which was exactly what Astra and Conrad had hoped for.

“Hold on a moment,” Castor said, looking Conrad in the eye and trying to suppress his glee. Conrad glared right back, and the Raven Knight didn't bother hiding his condescending sneer as he pointed out, “Our statuses are far too different for us to take this seriously.”

Status was a big part of duels, as they were traditionally fights for honour. A commoner, for example, could not challenge a prince to a duel, and if one ever did, the prince had absolutely no obligation to answer it. Conrad, as a soldier, barely had enough status to formally challenge someone of Brin and Castor’s level. If they chose to decline, it was of no consequence to them. It was akin to a mouse picking a fight with a tiger; there was no meaning to such things.

On the other hand, if the difference in status was large and the lower overcame the higher, the honour of the higher ranked person would be forever tarnished. This meant that for someone of a Raven Knight’s standing, their honour and reputation could be at high risk if they lost to someone as lowly as Conrad.

“It's a highly risky challenge. With that in mind, I have two conditions.” Castor’s smile was eerie. “But don’t worry, we’ll do this fairly.”

What rubbish, you've never done anything fairly in your lives! Conrad thought inwardly, but all he said was, “Name them.”

Brin had caught onto his compatriot’s scheme, and his eyes began to shine with a wickedly satisfied light.

Castor held up a hand and lifted one finger. “One, you’ll fight each of us, one-on-one, in two consecutive fights.” Castor waited until Conrad nodded before he raised the second, “Two, the loser will be permanently expelled from the palace.”

“No!” Astra snapped back before Conrad could respond, still hanging on tight to the boy’s arm. “Conrad, don’t you dare accept such unfair rules!”

“You’ve got a bright future ahead of you,” Jeorge agreed, his green eyes narrowing in concern. “I’m not sure what grievances you have against them, but don’t throw your career away for the sake of a single duel.”

Conrad looked first at Astra, then Jeorge, with eyes that were slightly hurt. “You don’t think I can win?” he asked, but neither adult could give him an answer. Instead they bit their lips, frustration and discomfort clear on their faces.

Brin silently celebrated their good fortune and Castor’s ruthlessness. If they had a fair duel, Conrad would become the disgraced and losing party. Even if he claimed to be a victim of bullying by the two, no one would be able to stand for him, not even his Captain. Matters settled through single combat were final; no one could override the bet for Conrad to leave, either.

“How about this?” he suggested, just to make it a little more crushing for the blonde when he lost. “If you win against either one of us, we’ll consider it our loss.” He saw Castor nodding; obviously, such a promise was only lip service. There was no way someone like Conrad could win against a Raven Knight.

Once the youth lost and returned to the city in disgrace, without the protection of his roommate or vice-captain, they could really lay into him and take every last thing he owned. If he had family in the city, they could demand everything from them, too, and no one would know. And amongst the other knights, they’d become respected victors – no matter how different the skill level between opponents, challenges to single combat were rare enough to be held in high esteem, and the winners even more so.

They could pay back this little troublemaker, destroy his future, build their reputations, and line their pockets all at the same time. It was almost too good to be true.

“What’s the matter? We even altered our conditions to suit you.” Seeing that the adults might really talk Conrad out of it at this rate, Castor baited him further. “Too scared after all? I should tell your Captain that his recruit is just a weak-willed coward.”

The words did their work. Conrad’s eyes hardened, and his jaw set into a firm line.

“Conrad, I forbid you to –” Jeorge spoke a moment too late.

“Fine,” Conrad snapped, and with a triumphant grin both Raven Knights stooped to grab the gloves from the floor, an official acceptance of the duel. Astra, seeing them, made a pass for the gloves as well, but moved too slowly to stop them.

“You cheats!” she raged as she straightened, seeing their sneering grins as they shook the items at her, gloating. Her voice grew louder in her indignation, ringing throughout the hallway. “How is this a fair duel? Conrad’s disadvantaged and all the conditions were set by you!”

“What’s going on here?”

It seemed that interruptions were popping out from everywhere today, Castor thought in irritation as he turned with a wordless snarl on his lips, ready to crush whoever had cut off his moment of triumph. However, his expression immediately froze and he dropped into a bow. Beside him, he heard Brin yelp and do the same.

“Y-your highness!”

Crown Prince Corrin, dressed in a resplendent white cape and a matching jacket, was for once not accompanied by his ever-present bodyguard. He was wearing a pair of reading spectacles and had a stack of books under one arm – he must have just visited the library. He approached the little group, looking from one party to the other. “What’s happened here?”

Jeorge quickly explained the matter.

The prince’s face showed concern for the young boy as he glanced at the gloves that were still in Brin and Castor’s hands. “Are you certain you want to do this?” he asked Conrad, and the young soldier nodded firmly despite Astra squeezing his arm hard enough for her knuckles to turn white.

“Your highness,” she burst out after seeing Conrad nod, “the conditions of this duel are simply too unfair. Though Conrad’s status may be considered too low to be a genuine challenge, he is much younger and more inexperienced compared to Sir Brin and Sir Castor.”

“Even so, I’m afraid challenges to single combat cannot be rescinded once accepted, Miss Astraea,” the prince said gently.

The two knights felt their few remaining worries lift at the prince’s words. Even the prince could not intervene in the old laws surrounding single combat, meaning that there would be no interfering with their plan.

“I’m not asking to rescind the challenge.” However, Astra’s next words surprised everyone. “But could we request a condition of our own?”

Brin and Castor immediately thought to protest, but in front of the prince they didn’t dare.

“What condition might that be?” the prince sounded a little surprised that all Astra wanted was an add-on rather than to remove the challenge completely, but he was willing to hear what she had to say.

Astra let go of Conrad’s arm to stand straight, making a formal request. “I would like this fight to be made public and open to spectators.”

At her words, the prince’s expression became thoughtful, while Brin and Castor sneered.

What a stupid waste of her chance! The prince might have granted a condition that would give Conrad an advantage, like some kind of handicap for the much-larger knights, or even a condition that killing was not allowed, thus potentially saving the blonde’s life.

After thinking it over, a light dawned on Castor's face. By opening the duel to the citizens, there would undoubtedly be a large crowd to watch, from both the castle and the city. Duels were popular entertainment, after all, and the participants of the duel were two Raven Knights, who were well-known throughout the country for their skill and discipline. By making the fight public, the girl was probably hoping that Brin and Castor wouldn’t dare cheat or harm Conrad too much under the eyes of the crowd, while also making this a harmless request that the crown prince had no reason to reject.

Clever, but their goal wasn’t to kill the cadet, anyways. They would pummel him in front of everyone, send him home with his honour in tatters, and then wring him out to dry. This condition posed no danger – in fact, it would only make things even more embarrassing for Conrad when he lost.

Seeing the prince was looking questioningly at them, Castor hurriedly said, “We have no objections.”

“Very well then, Miss Astraea, you shall have your wish.” The prince nodded down at the noirette, who still didn’t look very happy, but she subsided. “Have you decided on a time for your fight?”

Both parties shook their heads, and the prince nodded. “As this is now a public matter, allow me to handle things,” he offered. Such a kindness was only to be expected – a duel had the potential to become an event for the people, and as a prince he wouldn’t overlook that. “The fight will be held a week from today, in the city plaza's coliseum. I shall oversee it myself. Does this suit you?” This time, both parties responded positively, and he nodded again. “Very well. Then we shall hold the fight in a week’s time, at midday. Don’t be late.” The matter settled, he left in the direction he had come, his shoes making a sharp noise on the marble floor.

The moment he was gone, Brin curled his lip at Conrad and said, “You’re dead meat by the time I’m through with you, little rat.”

He was already looking forward to the fight, but Castor pulled him away and the two knights left. Faintly, their laughter could be heard in the distance.

After they disappeared, the maid, who had been pressed against the wall with her basket of laundry this whole time, dared to look around. She hadn’t wanted to move during the heated argument, lest she draw attention to herself. Her heart was pounding after everything she had just witnessed, and she couldn’t help feeling sorry for the blond soldier who had shielded her. Just from looking, she could see the difference in strength between the two parties, and he was so young. He looked even younger than she was.

She opened her mouth to say something, but then she caught sight of the youth’s face and closed it again, confused.

Conrad’s expression was calm, maybe even amused, as though his raging anger had never been. He was staring in the direction the knights had gone, and a second later his cheerful voice filled the hallway. “And you’ll be a laughingstock by the time I’m done, you stupid fools.”