章 24: Failure
With Victor Shieldman's escape, the dungeons were in a mess.
"Run! Run! There's no time to lose!" The higher-ranking soldiers directed the others.
The guards ran to the weapons rooms and cloakrooms on the floors, grabbed their weapons and then went to the upper floors.
Robe, disguised as a guard, was a little lost in all the confusion. He was a thief, not used to so much noise. Luckily, he had found a broom cupboard, where he hid until the sounds of the crowd moving through the corridors had almost disappeared.
When he came out of the cupboard, Robe took a deep, relieved breath.
'Now I just have to get to the top floor and help Wanda free herself!' he thought, determined.
However, as Robe turned towards the staircase leading to the second floor, he was faced with a white, metallic wall in front of him. Robe was confused and groped the wall, trying to understand where this had come from, until the wall spoke to him.
"Hey, soldier! What do you think you're still doing here? You're not a deserter, are you?"
Robe stepped back a little and discovered that what he thought was a white wall was actually the breastplate of a large soldier's armor.
"I-in f-fact sir, I..."
"I don't care anymore! You will come with me and all the others to hunt down the invader, no matter how afraid you are! You will fight as you swore the day you received that helmet that protects your head!" The big guard picked Robe up and slung him over his right shoulder with ease, then started walking.
"But, sir..."
"No 'buts'! And to you I am the honorable Sub-Lieutenant Boracéia!"
In this way, Victor Shieldman's plan for Robe to help Wanda escape was all but ruined.
However, there was still hope for a positive outcome. A few dozen meters above where Robe stood, more specifically on the fifth floor of the duke's castle, Victor was about to start a duel for his daughter's freedom.
The throne room was packed with soldiers. There were at least a hundred of them and reinforcements were constantly arriving. Despite this, Victor was safe, at least for the time being.
"Wait, what's going on here?" A guard leading a group of ten others asked when they reached the throne room, confused by all the commotion.
A guard, who was also from a group that had just arrived to help, looked back and replied:
"Oh, more reinforcements..."
"Nice to meet you, my name is Louis. Can you tell us what's going on here?" The first one asked.
"The invader didn't want the duke's head, it seems. He just wants freedom for the Rank-S who was arrested earlier, it seems he's her father, and has challenged Councillor Steegar to a sword duel." said the second, without returning the introductions.
"What?! And how did you accept that?"
"Ah, you know, a duel is not something a man can refuse, especially when Olyno is present."
"Yes, we know, don't we, boys?" Louis looked back and the others agreed. "But Councillor Steegar isn't a warrior, and this man doesn't seem to be seriously injured, so he must be at least incredible to have made it this far so well."
Another soldier, standing a little to the side with his arms crossed, looked out of the corner of his eye and said:
"Of course it won't be Councillor Steegar who will be fighting, rookies. He took advantage of the Champion's law and chose Chief Ardann to fight in his place."
A buzz went through the newly arrived group. They all knew Ardann, for Ardann was like a hero in Kozáni. To everyone, Ardann was not only the head of the duke's personal guard, but also a practice drill coordinator much feared by cadets from all over the Athina Kingdom, and once even personally conducted training for the guards of the kingdom's capital.
"Puft! So if this guy is going to fight Ardann, he doesn't stand a chance." said Louis.
"I wouldn't bet on it." said another man on the left, and when the newcomers looked they saw that it was Lieutenant Lafbert.
Louis was shaken that he was talking to Lafbert personally, but he tried not to show it. "W-why not?"
"Look at that man." Lafbert said, and the newcomers' eyes looked at Victor.
At first glance, especially to newcomers, Victor just looked like a man with gray hair, a serious countenance and a larger-than-normal physique. However, the eyes of experienced warriors, who had already seen death, could see the danger emanating from Victor almost like a smell.
"Those muscles that protrude even through his thick clothes. The upright posture with sword in hand. Not to mention the authentically calm eyes even in this situation. He exudes conviction. These are all characteristics of a man who has lived through many desperate situations. If Ardann has too much confidence in himself and is blinded by his own ego, he will surely lose."
"What? Wait, I know that guy is the father of a Rank-S, but I heard he's a foster father, so he's just a nobody! There's nothing to be afraid of!"
"I hope you're right, kid, I really hope so."
In the end, Ardann actually wasn't worried about how calm Victor seemed, but about the hunter's sword. Victor's sword was not only a little thick at the base of the blade, but also along its entire length, at least to the tip. This wasn't a classic northern knight's combat sword, it looked more like something typical of southern barbarians.
'I've never seen a hunter wield a sword like that. Could it be that his fighting style is like that of the barbarians too? If so, that explains how he managed to get past so many men to get here. He has the element of surprise and the younger boys protecting the lower floors may have been taken by surprise. Ardann analyzed coldly while adhering to a combat stance: 'If he really does fight a barbarian, I can't stay on the defensive, otherwise I'll be overwhelmed by quick attacks. I need to be daring, unpredictable, so that I can also take him by surprise.
For his part, Victor didn't adhere to any flashy initial combat stance. He waited for the announcement of the duel, and as expected, the announcement came suddenly, almost like a whisper, in Duke Olyno's voice.
"Come on, there's no reason to wait any longer. You may begin." Olyno ordered and leaned back on his throne.
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