The giant looks like he has seen better days. He is presently standing in front of the council on a crutch. One of his legs is completely covered in a bandage looking as if I had somehow cleaved through his leg. Damn bastard, I hadn't even injured him that much. How the hell did a flesh wound devolve into this.

As for the charges that he is throwing at me. It is the stuff that cloak has briefed me about. The man is blaming me on cheating during an official duel.

Right now there is a discussion occuring in the room if the fight that I had with the man could constitute as a duel for the laws of the duel to hold. There seems to be very specific steps that need to be followed with this bunch for it to be considered a duel.

I cannot interfere in this part of the discussion, which is why I am recording right now. After all, I will end up undermining my own case if I were to interfere here. After all, I actually do not have any idea of the laws of this land.

It is mostly cloak and the wolf tribe that are involved in the discussion. All I can really tell about it is that it is a very intense discussion. Nobody is getting violent so that is good at the very least.

Right now I am not focusing on that discussion. It is not like I can understand anything that is happening there anyways.

Instead, I am thinking about the bullshit statement of this Laufen and what actually happen. Well, I guess that I should begin with what he had told me.

The man started with a description of his mission. The man omitted to mention the fact that he had spent the night in the temporary fort. Based on his report the man had felt a sage and followed it's track to the temporary fort. There they reminded me of the treaty and requested me to leave.

When I refused to leave at their prompting, they were forced to challenge me to a duel to which I had agreed. As they got ready for the duel, I ambushed them with my formation killing one and nearly killing the other two snowlords.

The entire thing is a pile of bullshit, but that was expected. After all, the damn bastards can bullshit as much as they want. Even if the truth is different who is going to prove it. My words are worthless here and that is the only thing that I have here. Well, there is the snowwinders but only the legion is hated less than them.

The only thing I don't understand is why they were bullshitting about the beginning of the story. After all, it is the truth that the soldiers had appeared at the fort the day before and spent the night according to the rules they had agreed to with the snowwinders.

Well, it could be that I am reading too much into it. It could also be that there is something there, the only thing being why would the snowlords benefits by hiding the fact that they spent the night at the fort.

Well, I do not get to think on it for long as cloak speaks from behind me.

"Well, the council has agreed that what soldier Laufen describes as a duel was conducted in a fair and just manner. Thus the laws of a duel can be applied to it.", the lady of the tattoo tribe speaks, a tone of smugness evident in her voice. The lady is enjoying this too much. "Is there any way for the defendant to counter the charges placed on him."

"My lady, would the council believe me if I admit that Laufen never did anything that he claims to have done.", I speak. "The man has attacked me in the middle of a negotiation. If anything he has broken the rules of negotiation that you people have with the snowwinders."

The reply to this is a bark of laughter from the lady, following which she speaks.

"Well, if you can prove it certainly.", cloak speaks, behind me.

I do not reply to this, as what exactly can I present as a proof. Surprisingly, even cloak behind me is silent. The man seems to have reached the limits of his influence here.

As I am thinking, the lady of the tattoo tribe finally speaks. I don't even need a translation to know what the judgement is, though one is provided almost immediately.

"The laws of a duel are absolute and the very first law is clear. The battle conducted has to be fair or it shall not be a duel. The victim has been cheated out of a fair duel and the sanctity of the duel has been challenged. The laws are clear. The challenged and the challenger will have to fight again, this time under the watchful eye of the council. All the tribes that agree to this can raise their hands.", she speaks sitting down while raising her hands.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

For a few moments that seem like a century, the representative of the Tribes all ponder their decision. The blood tribe and the wolf tribe do not raise their hands clearly against the policy. The lord of the beast tribe raises his hand after pondering for a while. Well, that was expected. The only variable on this matter we had was the spear tribe.

Before the lord of the spear tribe could end up raising his hand he spear swipes into the air striking at something in the air. As the man's spear comes to a rest it is revealed to be a small red gemstone that the lord of the blood tribe was playing with.

The spear tribes lord speaks up.

"Bastard of the blood tribe, keep your dirty magic to yourself. Do not try to disturb the council.", comes the translation.

"You really should learn not to be so uptight, lord of the spear tribe.", speaks the man from the blood tribe. "I just had a few questions of the kid before you go and sentence him to his death. I am sure that you can postpone your vote for a bit. After all, I think that you would like to listen to what I have to ask."

"What are you trying to insinuate here, lord of the blood tribe. This is simply a matter of reconducting a simple duel. It shall be fair.", the lady of the tattoo tribe speaks. "How dare you call it anything beyond that."

"Well, I speak as I see things, my little lady.", the man speaks, with a sarcastic tone that even I get without the translation. "You are asking a young fledgling who can barely wield his sword to fight a grown man armed to his teeth. Only a fool would call that fair now. May I ask my questions then, my lady?"

"Well, that is something the kid should have considered before challenging him to a duel, my lord. Blame his arrogance if you need to. As for the part about asking questions. That is your right.", speaks the lady with gritted teeth.

"Well, I would like to begin with what were you doing at the temporary fort?", the man asks me.

"My lord, it is part of our treaty. I work under the empire in return for access to magical ruins. You must be familiar with the hexmountain treaty.", I reply.

"Then this position that you held for the snowwinders, this fort of yours. How close was it to the frozen peak?", asks the man again.

"I would say that it was very close to the frozen peak. It would have just taken us a week to reach the frozen peak if we made use of the caravans.", I reply.

"Ah, the legendary caravans of the snowwind empire. A week on those caravans would be nothing more than an hour for your "commander"", he speaks. "Well, why would you think that the snowlords would risk their lives to come so close to your lands. Especially this close to the hunt."

"Why would I know that, my lord. It is not like I can read the thoughts of your men.", I reply.

"Well, humour this lord of yours. Show me the legendary analytical ability of the black mountain.", he speaks.

"Well, that is something that I cannot understand, my lord. Firstly the snowlords appeared in the battlefield not with fists swinging as I expected them to do. I assumed them to have presented themselves after knowing of my identity as a part of the legion.", I speak, for a moment forgetting where I was. "They did not hold any kind of violent inclinations towards me as if they did not know of my identity. It was only later, during negotiations that my identity got revealed and we entered into a fight."

As I spoke, I begin to realise what had left me confused in this entire matter. The snowlords were not there because they found out that I was of the legion. The location I was in is not a place that is sage for them to come without purpose. So why exactly were they so close to my location to make it there so quickly.

As these thoughts go on in my head, the lady of the tattoo tribe is flustered as if she did not expect this to come out.

"My lord, how long would it usually take for the snowlords to make it to the location of my fort?", I ask. Being preemptive like this is very risky but I have grasped something here.

"I would say that it usually takes a day, for them to travel from the outskirts of the truelands to the location of your base.", he speaks, an hint of amusement in his voice. He understands what I am going for here. Maybe that is why he started asking me those questions in the first place.

"Well, there is a discrepancy here then. The three snowlords were not at the temporary fort the day they claim to have come.", I reply. "They appeared the night before. How could they have travelled that much distance that quickly if they were here in the truelands."

This time it is the lady of the tattoo tribe that speaks at me.

"Well, how exactly are you going to be proving this claim of yours.", comes the translation.

"Well, my lady. If I was given access to the formation in my fort, I would be able to show you the precise mana records of the snowwinders in the fort.", I speak, bullshitting out of my ass. I can maintain mana records but that requires a very specific formation. "They spent the night in the fort under treaty. The trio was willing to negotiate with me until they discovered that I was of the legion."

This time the lady speaks with a calm edge to her voice.

"Well, any man can come here and claim anything. Since you are not able to prove yourself in a reasonable manner, the council will be continuing with its vote.", she speaks, annoyance (and what I hope to be fear) clear in her tone. "Spear tribe, you have yet to declare your vote."

It is then that the lord of the spear tribe speaks.

"This new information presently leaves us undecided. We reserve the right to vote until the next meeting of the council. We propose that the council meets within a week and discuss on this topic again. Those that agree raise your hands."

As I am hearing the translation of the statement the blood tribe, the wolf tribe and the spear tribes have raised their hands.

I catch the eye of the man from the blood tribe. To be honest, I have only half an idea what it is that I have done here. All I know is that I have kicked the problem to tomorrow.

Whether that is going to come to bite me in the ass or actually end up saving me, I don't know.