/Jade POV

I blocked both swords of oponent with pair of my own and quickly sidesteped to avoid incoming swing of spear from the side. Directing swords in deadlock with swordsman i pressed with them spear that missed and used side kick on oponent with spear. Spearman jumped backwards to avoid and oponent with swords used that moment to sweep my leg with his kick. I jumped and used leg in the air from previous sidekick, with a spin of my body, to kick swordsman and at the same time launching myself to oponent with spear that jumped earlier. While in the air i used both swords at the same time for spining strike, which was blocked with spear, but stabilized me and stagered him in the process. Have only one second till swordsman reengage, but thats enough. I used leg to sweep him of the ground, but leg was blocked by shaft of spear stabed into ground. With one of swords keeping upper part of spear locked, i used another to reach for neck. One down. I quickly jumped to the side just in time to avoid swings from swords. After short staring contest i attacked with one sword leaving other ready. Oponent blocked with one of his own and attacked with other sword. I sidesteped with a spin and while using our deadlocked swords, directed them to one that just missed, making both swords of his occupied with my one. And stil in spin from sidestep i attacked his neck with my ready sword. Oponent jumped back, but i already anticipated this and jumped at same time and blade reached his neck.

"And another victory for Jade." declared Leo and i withdrew blade from Lars neck. He is getting beter. If he was like this when i joined royal guards, he would be a bit stronger, than me at that time. Timing of that leg sweep was perfect. If i reacted just a fraction second later, spar might ended with my loss. Too bad he is still a prick.

"Fuck ! This is even faster than before !" crumbled on his knees Lars.

"By the way, how you managed persuade Ace to help you this time ?" asked Leo while Ace was placing his spear near rucksack. Ace spearsmanship is getting beter too. I was very proud of myself, when managed to win in spar against Lars, Ace and Nash back then.

"Im charming person, i have my ways." said Lars after jumping on his feet and with head held high, no signs of depression from just a second ago.

"Money." said Ace while rummaging trough rucksack. And most around started to laugh.

"So what count it is now ?" asked peeping prince and i started to count. Uhh i hate mathematic, its necesary or i will get fooled in market, but that doesnt prevent me from hating it. So all started ...

"Four" answered Lars and when Leo chuckled and was about to say something he quickly added.

"Ok ok its hundred forty three with this one. Next time i will definitly win." Said Lars with determination in his eyes.

"Come on, leave me out of your conquest for glory already." i complained, this persistent bastard is so annoying.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

"No way ! ..." i heard Gabrielle and when i looked at her, saw Celina whispering something to her. Then she looked at me, at Lars then back at me. Somehow i dont like this look. Soon she aproached me with Celina and whispered.

"Jade i think we know why he keeps pestering you with those challanges."

"Why ?" If i had to gues, bastard just wants bragging rights that he defeated me. I was quite famous as strongest in royal guards ... if we dont count spellblades. Ohh ..come to think about it, Gabrielle did mentioned about weird marriages betwen mages only, among nobles. Must be why not a single spellblade was interested in me. They might be not mages officialy, but its still gift of magic. Hah ... nobles and their mage breeding.

"Because he wants you and with that strange rule for your man ..." Said Celina this time.

"What ?! Hmm, no. You are wrong. I clearly said i will accept man only if he beats me fair and square in duel. If i remember right, he challenged to duels only few times. Its allways two on one, and few times he somehow managed nag me into accepting three on one. No mater how you look at it, its not a duel and definitely not fair and square." I denied their claim.

"i wouldn't be so sure, did he ever asked you directly ?" asked Gabrielle this time.

"No." i answered, still not sure how it changes anything.

"You would be surprised how tales change after retold by many lips. Maybe what he heard was to just win." Said Celina with mischievous smile.

"Oh .." So all that pestering with countless challanges ...

"Hey Lars !" i shouted facing him and he turned his head my way. "Just so we are clear. Probably heard about my rule that i will accept man if he beats me ? Let me tell you, its only if he does that in fair and square 'duel'." I said while emphasizing word duel.

"What ?!" he said with shocked face and after a bit cursed "Fuck !".

So its true ! All that naging for challanges day after day. I allways welcome sparing match, be it duel or one against many. But the way he did it was getting on nerves. There are times when you just have your own plans, but he just kept naging until i accept. I ended up getting irritated just from seeing him.

                             - - -

Its been almost whole day ago, when prince Tomas was renamed to peeping prince. I dont mind calling him that, it sounds funny. I dont know whats the big deal with peeping though. In army you dont have luxury to be separated between boys and girls. Officers maybe, but not common soldiers. There were some clever lads with funny ideas at start. But its nothing a good beating couldnt fix. And with time you just learn to not see their gaze when bathing.

Not counting that sparring match at one of our rest stop, nothing of interest happened thus far. Soon we will be at Arcae City.

"Wait" i heard Leo and after we stoped our direwolfs, waited his further words.

"There is ambush ahead. From the looks of it, its some bandits." answered Leo while looking at his detect orb in hand.

"Could tell more once we are closer, they are at edge of detection range." he continued.

"What we will do ?" asked Gabrielle.

"We could probably easily pass without issue. No bandits with brain will attack armed group riding direwolfs, but ..." Said Leo.

"Oh come on, let our little wolf get some blood on her hands." interrupted Lars while looking at me. Hmm so he 'can' be nice, if he wants to. I definitly was going sugest to kill those scums.

"Yes they will let us pass." started peeping prince "But they definitly will be the cause of death for many travelers and merchants to come. We might needed to avoid alerting enemy soldiers, but that doesnt include bandits. There was only one answer from the start. What we will do is .."

"Kill." finished Ace with evil smile on his face.

And same smille appeared on my face.

We stared at each other, with doom spelling grin for a bit and then started laugh all at once.

'Enjoy your life while you can scum, because its coming to end'. I thought while facing direction where bandits should be.