บท 42: Duel at the Imperium Hotel!
Ryan Seong felt conflicted. Although his work caused him to become mixed with Supernatural beings, he didn't outright hate them all.
He understood families like the Tepes and Faust clans would not directly damage the human world and had many pacts and agreements with his employers, allowing them to remain in business.
'Anya, you finally managed to awaken. I'm glad for you, but why, why is Nikolai standing beside you?'
When he first started his role, of course, Ryan looked back at people he knew and had close links with.
Though he knew about Nikolai's father and his bloodline when they tested his blood, it showed nothing but human qualities. Not even an unawakened supernatural bloodline. Humans could find these through the small crystals of blood within the hearts of supernatural monsters.
'Yet now, you are standing with Anya, and the Faust family seems to have some kind of grudge against you. Nikolai... what happened in the past three years?'
***
Nikolai looked at Alister Faust, who glared at Anya and him like they were garbage. His words that insulted her somehow ticked him off.
[It's your bloodline resonance. Of course, you were going to develop something akin to a brotherly or even a fatherly connection when you gave her your blood...]
'I see—well, it feels unnatural now, but since I awakened her. Let's give her a hand until she's ready to walk on her own two feet.'
"Oi, Faust Leech." Nikolai's tone sounded similar to how Nikita and her followers spoke, a rough and aggressive tone that caused both Alister and Ryan to look at him with shocked eyes before he continued. "I challenge your squire to a duel. If I win, then you'll apologise for insulting Anya."
"Eh, Nikolai?!" Ryan's eyes widened, and his hands trembled because the main branches and nobles of the two families were okay.
However, outsiders would still be treated as criminals by his department. This meant unless he married into one of the great clans or the middle-level clans, at least Nikolai would become a criminal to Ryan.
Because squires were outsiders, only the higher-class knights were not. This made Ryan feel complex while clenching his fists.
"Nikolai, what are you doing?!" Anya's mouth opened wide.
Shocked, she covered it with her hands, watching the broad shoulders that stood in front of her. He faced the man who ruined her life and made her inferior blood known to all vampires in the royal and noble world.
However, he only turned back with a brief grin and winked as if to tell her not to worry!
Alister looked at Nikolai—he seemed about to respond. Then his eyes lit up, and his frown transformed into a brilliant smile. "Then~ if my squire wins, you have to forfeit the official match against our family in seven days. So that I can marry Selene."
'This damn vampire!'
[Don't forget you are also half vampire too, Nikolai...]
'Heh, it's fine for me and my mother. Other vampires, though, are just leeches.'
[Sophistry...]
'Is it?'
As the voice fell silent, Nikolai came to terms with and accepted Alister's terms and prepared to fight against the young man standing in the back of their crowd with long blonde hair and pale red eyes—he wore a grey suit with white gloves.
"Where, and when. I challenged, so you decide, right?" Nikolai shrugged, his eyes observing his opponent while using his blood art to the limit to try to understand the opponent.
Alister's smirk remained as he pointed down the hallway. "It's a good thing that this hotel is under the management of my family. There is a perfect place to hold the duel, and it just so happens it's empty right now."
The grin on the noble's face grew as he saw Nikolai nodding, the squire with long blond hair also stepping forward.
"I am Louis Van Gourd, Master Alisters backup pawn of two years. I shall crush you so you can never fight again, filthy mutt!"
"I see." Nikolai didn't even listen to his bragging and turned around, offering Anya his hand and giving Ryan a wry smile. "Sorry, we'll have time to chat after this, okay?"
"Ah, okay... Be careful, Nikolai."
'Tsk, you've done it now, Nikolai. Now I can't even save your ass later! We can't interfere with these official duels!' Ryan clicked his tongue while grinning at him, causing Nikolai to shrug.
The two friends walked beside each other while Ryan watched Anya, amazed at her changes from a few months ago.
"So, how did you get mixed up in this business, Ryan?" Nikolai asked while watching the Faust group prancing ahead of them, most likely thinking it made them look elegant, but they just looked stupid to him.
"Eh, It's related to my dad's business and my new job—it's kinda annoying, honestly." He shrugged.
The conversation ended there, with nothing but the clacking of their footsteps and the soft sound of Anya's shoes behind them.
It was not long before the group entered a large area that looked like a small arena. However, the scent of blood lingered, for Nikolai's powerful nose caused him to grimace. Even Anya's face showed a sour look when she could smell it.
The room was dark, yet when the lights were flicked on, they saw what was the cause of the blood's stench. The walls were filled with iron bars, and inside, Nikolai could see the figures of young people who looked around his age, but they were in horrible states, bloody, with some missing limbs, all chained behind the iron bars.
"This, this is sickening," Anya said, her eyes watering, seeing the cruelty of this family she once dreamed of joining.
"It is, but let's not focus on that right now. I have to fight this blond moron." Nikolai smiled, his hands forming fists as a look of determination filled his eyes.
Louis was standing at the side, cracking his knuckles. "Just admit defeat, and maybe I can spare you and your bitch from embarrassment."
'My bitch is back in the other room clashing with one of your princesses...'
[Oh? Calling Nikita your bitch. Are you playing with death? Or have you realised you might lose this fight?]
'Shut up, let me concentrate.'
Although it seemed he was taking the situation lightly, Nikolai was not.
He could not just guess his opponent's strength since his blood had only awakened recently. However, the traits and how the person named Louis would fight had already begun forming in his mind's eye.
Louis Van Gourd was not a physical fighter but likely held an offensive blood art. The muscles of his body are too general and lack any direction towards physical combat but seem to be for philandering or showing off.
Before Nikolai could focus, Alister Faust appeared suddenly on an elevated platform.
His hands raised into the air as several digital and physical people started to appear in the stands around the arena.
'Eh? That's kinda cool!' Nikolai thought as he noticed people from the fight against Sebastian appearing, and now he realised why some people looked strange when he fought there. They were holograms!
"Everyone, my apologies for the sudden announcement! However, behold today's exciting battle between the werewolf squire of Selene Aria Tepes and the Faust clan's own Louis the 'blood lancer' Van Gourd!"
Alister's words were nothing special, yet he spoke with a genuine look of excitement and a cheeky grin, causing the audience to get into the mood. His enthusiasm and announcing quite a decent level.
'So, he's used to this kind of thing, I guess... How many people have suffered without realising what happened?'
Nikolai glared at Alister, who ignored him, continuing to explain the rules.
"The winner of this fight will determine if the Tepes family will allow the engagement between myself and Selene Tepes to stand or not!"
'He completely left out information about Anya, thank god.'
[Well, now she has awoken. He cannot make a move without knowing the truth. Or the Tepes family would crush him.]
'Good... Ah...'
In the crowd, a cute wolf with messy white hair and a beautiful woman with Golden hair sat beside each other, like a pair of angels descended to the earth.
Though Selene's lip seemed to be swollen and bruised.
[It seems your two wives are watching after their fight... Lucky you! They look VERY interested.]
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