"Julius, what is the meaning of this? Why do you want to duel Subaru?" Emilia covered her mouth in surprise, her amethyst eyes filled with confusion and worry.
"Your Excellency, as a knight, forcibly threatening an elder of the Sage Council is neither behavior befitting a knight nor the proper way to treat a high minister of the kingdom." Here, Julius paused slightly, then calmly continued his explanation, "As a member of the Knightly Order, I cannot turn a blind eye to this..."
"Wait!" Emilia anxiously interrupted Julius. "Subaru, he was only trying to help me back then..."
"Lady Emilia." Julius bowed slightly, his tone gentle yet brooking no argument. "This is a matter concerning knightly honor. Please understand."
"Knightly honor, huh..." Natsuki Subaru repeated under his breath, a sudden realization dawning on him.
So that's it.
The Knightly Order acts as the kingdom's protectors.
My public coercion of a Sage Council elder was tantamount to slapping them in the face.
It's like those special security personnel from my previous life who, after a dereliction of duty, would always try to salvage some face afterwards.
After all, Natsuki Subaru knew better than anyone how proud Julius was of his knightly identity.
And my actions were undoubtedly a challenge to the dignity of the entire Knightly Order.
Having figured this out, Natsuki Subaru looked directly into Julius's eyes. "So, you intend to restore the Knightly Order's honor by defeating me?"
"..." Julius shook his head gently. "I wish for Your Excellency to reacquaint yourself with the honor and duty of the Knightly Order. This is merely a fair contest of skill."
Natsuki Subaru fell into deep thought.
This duel, regardless of win or lose, is disadvantageous to our side.
Winning against Julius would offend the Knightly Order; losing would damage the prestige of Emilia's faction.
So, it's best to refuse.
Just as Natsuki Subaru was about to refuse—
The System's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
[Notification: Hidden Quest Triggered.]
"Huh? A hidden quest?"
Natsuki Subaru's pupils contracted abruptly as the system panel unfolded before his eyes.
[Hidden Quest: Clash of the Strong.]
[Quest Objective: In a 1v1 battle, completely defeat Julius Juukulius.]
[Quest Description: True strong ones never fear any challenge.]
"A hidden quest triggered again..." Natsuki Subaru's gaze quickly scanned the virtual quest panel, muttering to himself.
It's been a long time since the system issued this kind of quest, and the rewards for completing them have always been very generous.
This might be an opportunity.
Not only can I test the results of my strength improvement during this period, but more importantly...
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru's gaze shifted to Julius standing opposite him.
The man known as "The Finest Knight" was watching him calmly with those amber eyes.
A long-forgotten battle spirit ignited in his chest.
More importantly, I've long wanted to have a proper, fair fight with Julius.
"Alright!" Natsuki Subaru suddenly looked up at Julius, a spark of fighting spirit igniting in his black eyes. "I accept your challenge!"
"Wait, this is too dangerous..." A flicker of worry crossed Emilia's amethyst eyes.
She wanted to speak up and dissuade him but was gently stopped by Roswaal at her side.
"Let him go, Lady Emilia." An obscure light glinted in Roswaal's mismatched eyes. "This is~ Subaru-kun's own choice~"
"But..." Emilia's amethyst eyes were filled with worry.
"Don't worry, Emilia-tan." Natsuki Subaru turned around and gave Emilia a confident smile.
This is also an opportunity for Emilia to witness my strength firsthand.
As her knight, I must prove I have enough power to protect her.
A gentle breeze rustled Natsuki Subaru's short black hair.
In Emilia's eyes, Natsuki Subaru at this moment seemed to be glowing—a reassuring light she had never seen before.
On the other side.
From the moment Julius issued the duel request, the gazes of the other Royal Selection candidates had unanimously focused here.
"Oh my, oh my..." Priscilla half-covered her lips with her ornate fan, looking at the two facing off with great interest. "Now this will be a good show. I am starting to find this amusing."
"Ehehe!" Felt placed her hands on her hips, her red eyes sparkling with excitement. "Looks like little bro is going to fight one of the kingdom's knights! I love watching this kind of excitement!"
"What an unexpected turn of events." Anastasia narrowed her eyes, a shrewd smile on her face. "I hope Julius goes easy on him. Otherwise, we'll have to cover the medical expenses."
As Julius's liege, she had absolute confidence in her knight's strength.
As for that obscure black-haired young man, he probably wasn't that strong.
"..." Crusch crossed her arms, watching the scene with a serious expression, saying nothing.
Soon, the group arrived at the Royal Castle's training grounds.
This historic training area was surrounded by sturdy stone walls, its reddish-brown soil packed as hard as flagstones from countless tramplings.
It was about half the size of a school sports field, providing more than enough space for duels of swordsmanship or other martial arts.
"This place is even bigger than I imagined." Natsuki Subaru stood on the sandy ground, feeling the firm texture beneath his feet.
He stretched his limbs a bit, the muscle fibers slightly bulging under his skin.
This was a body enhanced countless times by the system; his various stats had long surpassed those of an ordinary person.
My strength attribute is about 15 times that of a normal person.
And my agility is also about 8 times that of a normal person...
"The system can be a real pain sometimes, but the improvements to physical attributes are undeniably real." Natsuki Subaru subconsciously clenched his fists, feeling the power surging within him.
This sense of power reminded him of the RPG games he played in his past life, except now he genuinely possessed these attribute bonuses.
In the distance, Julius had already removed the white cloak embroidered with the Knightly Order's insignia.
Sunlight dappled on his light purple hair, each strand seeming to be coated with a golden halo, swaying gently in the breeze, shimmering like flowing amethyst.
"Tsk, this Julius guy really knows how to look cool. Of course, he's only a tiny bit cooler than me..." Natsuki Subaru noticed many noble young ladies secretly casting flirtatious glances at Julius and couldn't help but roll his eyes internally, but he quickly refocused his attention on the impending duel.
"But in terms of strength, with my current attribute bonuses, I should be able to easily overwhelm Julius. The key point, however, is Julius's troublesome spirit magic. I wonder how tricky it will be..." Natsuki Subaru narrowed his eyes, carefully observing the opponent renowned as "The Finest Knight."
Julius exuded elegance and composure in every gesture, but Natsuki Subaru could see a sharp fighting spirit in those amber eyes.
"Whoosh!"
A sudden gust of strong wind swept across the entire training ground, kicking up fine dust that danced in the air.
This deafening roar was not natural but originated from the fervent cheers and shouts erupting from the surrounding Royal Guard Knights and soldiers watching the spectacle.
Waves of sound washed over, almost threatening to overturn the entire training ground.
"Tsk, no matter which world it is, there's no shortage of people who love a good spectacle." Natsuki Subaru glanced around at the densely packed crowd, couldn't help but purse his lips, and muttered under his breath.
The training ground was already surrounded by knights and soldiers eager to watch, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation.
Those knights whispered among themselves, occasionally casting curious or disdainful glances, as if they had already foreseen the outcome of this duel.
However, speaking of which, the kingdom's finest knight versus a nobody like me... Hmm... it really is an attention-grabbing show.
"Subaru-kyun, you don't seem nervous at all, meow~" Ferris bounced over, his grey cat ears twitching happily, his tail swaying behind him.
"What's there to be nervous about?" Natsuki Subaru shrugged nonchalantly, a confident smirk playing on his lips.
I'm not the powerless Natsuki Subaru from the original work.
The current me can single-handedly eliminate hundreds of Mabeasts, and even hold my own against a killer like Elsa the Bowel Hunter for dozens of exchanges.
Based on that track record, my strength shouldn't be much less than Julius's.
Maybe, I could even be a step ahead...
"Subaru-kyun, do you want Ferris to use healing magic on you to help you relax, nya?" Ferris blinked his golden cat eyes playfully, a sly smile on his lips, his fluffy tail wagging happily behind him.
"No need." Natsuki Subaru waved his hands repeatedly, looking at Ferris with a wary expression. "I have a feeling you're up to no good."
He knew Ferris's mischievous personality too well; who knew if this so-called healing magic wasn't some kind of prank.
"Ehehe~ You found meowt~" Ferris's grey cat ears twitched twice.
He leaned closer to Natsuki Subaru and whispered, "But Julius is very strong, you know, Subaru-kyun. There's still time to surrender. Ferris can help you beg for mercy, meow~"
"Surrender?" Natsuki Subaru scoffed, his black eyes shining with confidence. "That word isn't in my dictionary. Maybe Julius will be the one to lose badly later."
Seriously, being underestimated to this extent.
I'll definitely show you all what true strength is later.
"Wow, Subaru-kyun, such big talk, meow!" Ferris cupped his face with his hands, making an exaggerated expression of surprise, his cat ears standing straight up. "Julius's swordsmanship is praised even by Old Man Wil."
As Julius's childhood friend, Ferris knew his strength better than anyone.
Julius's fluid sword techniques, his slashes accurate to the millimeter, and his dazzling six-element spirit magic.
In the entire Knightly Order, apart from that monster Reinhard, Julius was the strongest.
Ferris recalled Julius defeating the then-third seat in last year's Knightly Order tournament with just three moves; the elegant and sharp glint of his sword was still vivid in his memory.
Not to mention his elusive spirit magic, which often caught opponents off guard.
Even though Subaru-kyun seems confident, how could he possibly be Julius's opponent?
Old Man Wil did say Subaru-kyun was strong, but no matter how strong, he couldn't be stronger than Julius, right...
"Hey, hey..." Natsuki Subaru was about to retort when something seemed to occur to him, and a mischievous smile spread across his face. "Speaking of which, Ferris, want to make a bet?"
"Quick, tell me, what's the bet, meow?" Ferris's reaction was even more enthusiastic than expected.
His grey cat ears immediately perked up alertly, his fluffy tail wagged excitedly from side to side, and his golden cat eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Natsuki Subaru grinned mischievously and extended his index finger, pointing at the pair of cat ears on Ferris's head that twitched slightly with his breathing.
With a wicked sense of humor, he said, "Let's bet on the outcome of this match between me and Julius. If I win... Ferris, you have to let me rub your ears all day long, from morning till night, however I want to touch them."
Hehe, I've been waiting for this chance for a long time.
Those fluffy cat ears look like they'd feel super good.
"~Meow-hoo!" Ferris jumped back two steps as if his tail had been stepped on, tightly covering his ears with both hands. "Subaru-kyun, you're so cunning, meow, actually plotting against Ferris's ears!"
But soon, Ferris showed his signature sly smile again, his cat tail wagging happily. "However... what if you lose, Subaru-kyun?"
"Do whatever you want with me." Natsuki Subaru spread his hands confidently.
Speaking of which, with my current strength, plus my knowledge of Julius's abilities, I'm definitely going to win this bet.
"It's a deal, meow!" Ferris clapped his hands excitedly, even spinning around happily.
He leaned close to Natsuki Subaru's ear and said, "Ferris has already thought of the punishment! You'll have to wear the cutest maid outfit, run three laps around the Royal Castle, and shout 'Ferris-sama is the cutest!' while you run, meow~"
"Err... you might be disappointed then." Hearing this, Natsuki Subaru's mouth twitched slightly.
He feigned composure and pursed his lips, but a few drops of cold sweat had already appeared on his forehead.
Are you kidding me? I'd rather die than wear a maid outfit.
Although Ferris looks quite fitting in girly clothes all the time, I have my dignity as a man.
Absolutely! I absolutely cannot lose!
"Subaru-kyun, you really won't cry until you see the coffin, meow~" Ferris wagged his slender finger, his grey cat ears twitching proudly, a sly, confident smile on his face.
In Ferris's view, Natsuki Subaru simply couldn't defeat Julius. "Although Old Man Wil said he was strong, Ferris doesn't believe in that kind of vague aura assessment."
Ferris recalled Wilhelm's evaluation of Natsuki Subaru at the time and couldn't help but pout.
After all—Ferris had witnessed all of Julius's battles.
How could Subaru-kyun possibly compare to that overwhelming strength...
"Then let's wait and see." Natsuki Subaru grinned, a provocative expression on his face. "But don't be too shocked by my strength, okay, Ferris?"
"Ferris won't be scared, meow~" As he said this, Ferris even deliberately twitched his cat ears. "Rather, Subaru-kyun, you can start thinking about what style of maid outfit to choose now, meow~"
"Then you just wait for me to rub your cat ears." Natsuki Subaru immediately countered, his eyes shining with the determination to win.
Just you wait. This duel, I absolutely must win!
Not only to prove myself and complete the system's hidden quest, but also... I absolutely refuse to wear any damn maid outfit!
_
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