บท 13: A fair duel
"How dare you insult a knight?!"
A man yelled, his veins popping at the side of his red face.
Behind him were a small number of soldiers, each one carrying an expression that explained the demotivation they felt.
At the center of the whole scene was Alaric, a blank expression on his face as he stared back at the man.
'This is the commander in our barony. He's not much to look at. Well, it can be fixed with a bit more training,' he thought to himself, clearly uninterested in whatever the commander had to say.
"I don't want to hear such words coming from the Joke of the Barony. Believe me, Lord Rashin will hear of this!" the commander yelled.
Alaric sighed. "What exactly are you upset about?"
The commander fumed again. Why the hell was Alaric asking such a question when it had literally just happened?
The Baron and his wife had already shown up, standing at the side with worried faces. Of course, Ava was there too.
Since they were at the open training ground not far from the mansion, Rashin could easily get there after hearing the voice of his best commander across the grounds.
As he watched the scene, he couldn't help but think, 'What has my son gotten himself into again?'
"If you're so upset about the words I laid upon you, use that anger to better improve yourself, rather than being such a useless bum," Alaric voiced out, not holding back a single word.
"W...hat?" The commander was even more angered.
"Take a look at your troops," Alaric pointed at them. "They look more like farmers than soldiers."
"I won't have you insult my men!"
"There wouldn't be much to insult if you did your job well. All you do is carry a bland sword around and expect your monthly salary without doing anything. Basically, you're useless."
This time, Alaric pointed at the commander.
The soldiers behind gasped in shock. There was no way the same Alaric they knew would speak so boldly to the commander. Though he was a dick, he was still a weakling, scared of those stronger than him.
"What did you say?!"
"You heard me. That is why I have chosen to make this decision. You are incompetent and of no use to this Barony if this keeps up. Dame Ava Isenberg will be in charge of the Montclair military, and you all will listen to her."
Alaric said this with utmost confidence.
The same couldn't be said for the commander, who could nearly burst from how hot his head was.
"I am a Silver-rank knight, and you want me... to answer to a Bronze-rank? Is this some kind of sick joke?"
Rashin could hear the conversation clearly. He wanted to stop it, but he couldn't. Just like his wife, he wanted to see where his son, Alaric, the known Joke of the Barony, was heading with it.
Ava had the same thought, though her expression, like always, was unreadable.
"Uhn? What are you talking about? Are you stupid? Why would you assume my knight is a Bronze-rank? Are you dumb?" Alaric threw calm insults.
"What?"
"Perhaps you didn't hear, but my knight has been training behind closed doors, and now she's a Diamond-rank knight! One of the few in the whole of the Valavos kingdom!" Alaric spread his arms apart.
Immediately, the stares he was met with from the soldiers and commander were doubtful.
Why not?
The known unserious Alaric had just said something outlandishly stupid about a knight they all knew was Bronze-rank.
"I think the young lord needs to take his nap," the commander covered his mouth to hide his laughter.
The soldiers did the same.
Alaric wasn't bothered. He had already spotted his family watching the moment they arrived, and from the expression on their faces, it was proof that they believed him.
"It's understandable for you to doubt, so why don't we do this..."
Alaric walked away a bit, settling down on the wooden material at the side with his legs crossed.
He grinned.
"Section 1 of Article XXIV, on the disrespect and insult to nobility on their land: Publicly insulting or belittling a noble's honor, authority, or reputation."
As Alaric spoke, everyone went quiet as it didn't take them long to realize what he was stating.
It was the laws of the kingdom, and in this case, it pertained to what had just happened.
"Section 2..." Alaric continued, "Offenses of disrespect shall be categorized into three degrees: 1) Minor disrespect: unintentional or low-level verbal insults. 2) Major disrespect: deliberate insults or attempts to humiliate the noble in front of subjects. 3) Grave disrespect: acts of rebellion and public defamation."
The commander had started sweating.
There was no way the young master knew all this.
"Section 3..."
Alaric raised a finger...
"Punishment for disrespect shall be dealt in accordance with the severity of the offense, which means major disrespect: imprisonment within the noble's dungeon for a term of ten years, a public apology, and flogging every month during the span of imprisonment."
Indeed, everyone was shocked.
"Does it sound familiar? It should, because you did all these. I could easily press charges against you, and as you know, this kingdom doesn't joke with its laws."
Alaric smiled when he saw the panicked expression on the commander's face.
"But I am willing to overlook all this if you make a bet with me right now..."
"A bet?" The commander jumped at the opportunity.
"Yes, a bet. If you are able to defeat my knight in a duel, you get to keep your position, and I'll drop all charges against you. But if my knight wins, you will listen to her every instruction, and I'll punish you as I see fit. What do you say?"
The commander fighting the Bronze-rank knight Ava in a duel?
This was more than easy, and the commander knew it.
He smiled, stretching his hand forward for a handshake, "We have a bet, young lord. I hope you keep it."
Alaric smiled back, shaking the man, "Let's have a fair duel."
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