“Pete!”

For the past two weeks I have been hounding the poor man. I have to give him credit. He has been nothing but patient.

For the first three days, he tolerated me sitting at his table. For the next five, he tried to avoid me but with a little assistance from Bell, there’s no where he can hide. We even followed him to his room, camping outside his door and talking incessantly. He couldn’t even find release on his rest day.

Now, the moment I’ve been waiting for has come. He’s reached the end of his patience. As I wave at him from across the dining hall of the Gold Dorm, drawing all eyes toward us, he can’t hold his polite smile, outright scowling at me. The rest of the table has abandoned him except Lavern, unable to contain themselves in the face of my ‘friendship’. By now, the two of us are linked in the minds of all the nobles here and there’s no separating us, something that must frustrate him.

I practically skip over to the table, working hard to maintain my eager, enthusiastic expression as he stands up. I grab the back of one of the chairs, but my hand is smacked away. I pull it against my chest, not having to fake my offense. Seriously, did this guy just slap me? “Hey, what gives?”

“I have had enough of you.” His eyes are full of disdain as he looks down his nose at me. “This is no place for a dirty disgrace of a noble like you. Get out. Now.”

“Hey, buddy. Relax. I know I’m kind of unkempt at the moment but I just finished with Foundation.” I give myself a demonstrative sniff, reeling back. Whew, that was a little stronger than I thought it would be. “Ah, you know how it is. The smell of hard work.”

“Did you not hear me?” He shoves me. Bastard is stronger than he looks. Being unprepared, I stumble back. The fall is my own doing though. Got to make it look good. “I said, get out or I will throw you out. You disgust me. No one can enjoy their meals with a swine like you lingering about.”

I can feel several glares as they come to rest on my back. There are a few titters of laughter in the background, those enjoying the show making themselves known.

“You bastard!” It’s not hard to inject indignation into my voice as I messily scramble to my feet. “Y-you can’t treat me like this! I thought we were friends. But since you can’t get anything out of me, you just throw me aside. The great son from the Pottoculli family is just the same as a common swindler I see.”

Now, Bell. Give him a little poke.

I can hear her laughter in my mind as she reaches out to him. Mental manipulation is a serious crime in the kingdom. Those with the mental affinity can sense lingering mana from such acts and offenders are offered no mercy. However, stimulating an emotion that is already there takes barely any mana at all, especially for someone with the finesse of a circle 5 virtue like Belolial. Just enough to allow the anger I’ve been stoking to overcome his sensibilities.

“Don’t be confused. The only one who has any worth is the elf you call your wife. You are nothing! It boggles the mind to think what such a creature sees in an animal like you. But then again, maybe the two of you fit each other. A backwards country freak and a green savage!”

The laughing has stopped. While belittling and even bullying me may be fine, he’s crossed several lines. One, you always maintain your calm. Insult me all the way to my first ancestor but shouting like this is a breach of etiquette. Second, and most important, he just spoke out against someone of higher status. Family name aside, he’s a third son. Kierra is the only representative of the elven nation.

Right now, he’s committed one of the three ultimate sins of nobility; embarrassed himself in front of witnesses. I don’t have to do anything else and the hammer of retribution is already set to fall on him. But no, I’m going to drive the nail all the way in.

Squaring my shoulders, I drop my fool act. “You have gone too far, Pottoculli. Dare to insult me and my wife. If you are a man, then I demand satisfaction. We will settle this in a duel.”

“Hah! You know when you want to die. I accept!”

To my surprise, an enchantment blazes on the far wall. Pounding footsteps are coming closer. The door is thrown open by two older acolytes with grim expressions. They quickly search out the two of us out and stomp over. “A duel has been issued and accepted. Please, stay where you are as we wait for the dorm mother to mediate.”

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Dorm mother? I remember hearing that before. I suppose someone must be in charge of the students living at the Grand Hall. Some of the initiates aren’t adults yet.

With their intervention, Peter seems to calm down, his scowl fading as he puts on a carefully blank mask. Too bad, Pete. It’s too late to backtrack now.

It doesn’t take long before someone else enters the room. I catch my breath as a woman dressed in a simple gray robe appears. I’m around beautiful women everyday so I’ve built up a bit of a tolerance, thank the saints, because if not, I definitely would embarrass myself.

She is the ideal image of a noblewoman; delicate features like that of a doll, long hair like a waterfall of ink, and a lean figure with just enough curves despite being smothered by her humble clothes.

Her head is held high but it isn’t arrogant, simply confident. Each step holds the grace of a swan. If I couldn’t see her feet on the ground, I’d swear she was floating like that Aurelius bastard. Not to mention the mystery surrounding her because of her closed eyes. It doesn’t seem to hinder her at all as she moves through the tables without pause. It makes me curious to what’s beneath those fair eyelids.

“Peter Pottoculli. Lourianne Tome.” Oh, she’s the owner of that beautiful voice. I want to hear it say my name again~ “A duel has been initiated. According to the rules of the Grand Hall, a member of staff must mediate the situation. Lourianne Tome, as the lesser of the two combatants, priority is given to your statement. What is the reason for this duel?”

“He has insulted me and dealt the first strike.” The best part about this is that I’m really the wronged party.

She nods, a small dip of her head. “Peter Pottoculli. How do you respond?”

“Every action I have taken is justified against someone of such inferior character. She has no business mixing with decent people. If it takes physical force to show her her place, then I will gladly do the job.”

Another nod. “I am obligated to inform you of the rules. Personal duels between initiates and acolytes are to be held on the dueling field between dorms. They must be overseen by two members of staff. A win is decided when one combatant can no longer fight or verbally surrenders. Do you wish to amend the rules?”

“Amend them?” I ask.

“The most common variant is the gentleman’s bout, to first blood.”

Like I’ll let him off easy. “Well, there are no gentlemen here so that’s a no.”

“Watch what you say, perverted swine!”

“Then the rules shall remain the same. No matter the result, you shall accept the consequences. Even should they be fatal. Do you still both agree?”

At the mention of fatal, his confidence shows the tiniest crack, or should I say, the tiniest furrow of his brow. It’s one thing to have someone else handle the dirty jobs but it’s something entirely different to face the possibility of death yourself. After all, no matter how incompetent of an image I showed them, he must realize he has no idea what I am capable of.

“I agree!” I shout.

Heh. There’s no way he can back down now without becoming a laughingstock.

“The outcome was decided from the start.”

Suddenly, Bell hisses in my arms, baring her teeth at the dorm mother. If I weren’t holding her tightly, she might have leaped at the woman.

[This woman is attempting to enter your mind!]

“My apologies.” The dorm mother gives me another of her incremental nods. “Entering one’s mind without notice could be seen as rude but I did not think an initiate able to notice. I was simply confirming that neither individual was under a compulsion.”

Haha. A damn dorm mother is a caster with a practiced mental affinity, skilled enough to read my mind without me noticing. This place is crazy.

Thank the saints my Bell is so amazing. Not only did she catch the intrusion but her own work appears to have gone unnoticed.

“Then, since both individuals have accepted this challenge under their own volition, the duel between Lourianne Tome and Peter Pottoculli is sanctioned. The combatants shall meet on the dueling field between the dorms at seventh bell on the next Restday. No violence outside of sanctioned duels shall be permitted.”

“I hope you’re prepared, swine.” Peter sniffs and walks away.

“You won’t have time to regret it,” I whisper, staring a hole in his back. Movement from the corner of my eye draws my attention. I quickly run to the door, reflexively shouting “Wait!”

The dorm mother moved so quickly I barely saw her. She pauses in the middle of the hallway, looking over her shoulder at me. “You require something?”

“Um.” Wow. To think I thought I had some sort of immunity to pretty women by now. Laughable. “I…just wanted to ask your name.”

“Umphrieltalia.” Her lips turn up in the tiniest smile I’ve ever seen. “Though most find it easier to call me Talia.”

“Miss Talia…” I’ll have to practice saying the whole thing. “Thank you for your assistance.”

“It is my duty. I hope you are prepared to see this through to whatever end it may have.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Very little escapes my notice within these walls. And I know you are not half the fool you pretend to be, Lourianne Tome. I look forward to the conclusion of your play.”

I stand there a little stupefied as she turns, fading away down the long hallway like a phantom. It takes a few moments for me to catch my breath after she’s gone. Then I lift Bell so our eyes meet. “Hey, Bell. Do you think I have a thing for older women?”

“Coo~” [Your appetites are bottomless. One of the many things I admire about you, my master~]

“Yeah, you’re right. If Alana gave me the signal, I’d be all over her in a moment. Come on. Let’s head back.” My goal at the Gold Dorm is finished and it’d be best to make myself scarce. The food is really good here though, as expected. I’ll just take one more plate for the road.