In the evening, Jamie sat at his desk surrounded by scattered papers gathered for him by Emilia—precise information regarding the Weiser Viscounty and his uncle, Ceron Silver. The more he read, the greater his surprise grew, and signs of deep thought appeared on his face until he muttered softly: "Oh! This is good information... it will be useful for tomorrow's duel. Or rather... it will be useful for reforming and developing the territory. To me, the territory is just a waste of my time and my goal to become a ruler."
He rose slowly and walked toward the window, speaking to himself in a serious tone, his eyes glistening in the dim candlelight: "My duel against Otana Weiser won't be a big problem. But this territory is just a waste of my time. I don't have the luxury of time... I must prepare before the Demon Army's gate opens and I join the ranks. I need to reach the level of a Grand Sword Master and a Sixth Circle Mage. As both a swordsman and a mage, I only have a few years left... perhaps thirty-four years at most."
His features hardened as he recalled the image of the High Demons and the Seven Lords representing the Seven Deadly Sins. His breathing accelerated slightly in the quiet night, then he added: "Their presence will accelerate the opening of the gate—most likely in five to nine years, no more." He gave a soft chuckle, then spoke in a firm tone as if making a promise: "This is no big problem. In my previous life, I was the Demon King and ruler of Hell. Currently, I care about nothing other than achieving my goal."
Silence settled around him, but the darkness was not empty. In a hidden corner, a shadow observed him, smiling maliciously as if the next strike were already being sharpened. A strange feeling of constant alertness came over Jamie, as if something were testing his patience. Jamie thought to himself: I am currently human... Humans are weak creatures; only 30 out of every hundred people can control mana, and those are called mana users. Compared to other races, humans are mere insects. Currently, what keeps the human race standing against other races and dangers are the Saints, especially the Central Church of Azavel. Because I am human, I suffer from the limits of human growth. Jamie sighed: "That's a problem for another day. I am still at the beginning."
Early the next morning, Jamie Silver woke up before sunrise, washed his face with cold water, dressed in his simple black attire, and carefully strapped his sword to his waist. He walked out toward the training grounds to warm up his body. As he was preparing, a guard ran up to him and said in an agitated voice: "Master... they are like a group of warriors, numbering nearly two hundred... They are at the territory's border, awaiting your orders." Jamie stopped his exercises and said firmly: "Oh! It's the Weisers... They have arrived for the duel between me and Otana Weiser." He returned his sword to its sheath and said to himself with a subtle smile: "Kiki... this will be fun. Let's go to the duel."
He left the castle and began the journey to the border. Emilia rode with him in the carriage and asked anxiously: "Is there a chance they might invade the territory today?" Jamie replied with certainty: "That's unlikely. The nature of Viscount Weiser and my uncle Ceron Silver means they wouldn't benefit from colonizing the territory by force. On one hand, they want to build an image of honorable nobles among the public and nobility. On the other hand, if they win, they can expand and control politically while avoiding human and resource losses."
After two and a half hours, Jamie arrived at the border, which was filled with tents and soldiers. He was met by Viscount Weiser, his son Otana Weiser, and his uncle Ceron Silver. Viscount Weiser extended his hand respectfully, saying: "Welcome, Young Master Jamie Silver... I am honored to meet you." Jamie smiled, shook his hand, and replied: "I too am honored by your visit to my humble territory." Jamie looked at his uncle Ceron, who gave him a disdainful smile. Jamie thought to himself: It seems my uncle doesn't respect me... He sees me as nothing more than a child playing... That doesn't matter. Let's see who wins.
Viscount Weiser declared in a loud voice: "Lady and gentlemen, this single honor duel is the closest proof of who is the strongest and of the fate and future of the Silver territory... The rules are simple: attacks that cause disability or carry intent to kill are forbidden. Victory is determined by submission or loss of consciousness. Understood?!" Jamie and Otana both answered: "Understood!!"
And the real duel began... Jamie took a step forward, his sword gleaming, ready to face Otana Weiser. Otana raised his sword and moved with steady steps, attempting to pressure Jamie. Jamie smiled and moved with incredible agility to the side, dodging the strike. Jamie said: "You're fast, Otana... but movement alone won't be enough to win against me." Otana replied with a smile: "Good, you little bastard... You have a good fighting spirit, but you're still a novice. You're just a Low-tier Swordsman, unlike me—a 2-Star Low-tier Swordsman."
Jamie retorted mockingly: "Oh! You scared me. As I said before, we'll see who wins." Jamie used his movement to close the distance, exploiting his tactical intelligence and his opponent's weaknesses, while the soldiers watched in silence as the duel unfolded—a clash between Jamie's speed and Otana's power.