Then, he used the guard below the sword hilt to hook Adris's ankle, and with that momentum, twisted it.
Wearing full plate armor, once all balance is lost, it is very difficult to get up again.
At this moment, Adris, like a felled oak tree, heavily fell backward, finally crashing to the ground with a "boom" and kicking up some dust.
Adris tried to struggle within the plate armor, but the dizziness and the armor, which weighed more than his own body, made it difficult for him to move for a while.
With great difficulty, he managed to support himself with his hands, lifting his body slightly off the ground.
The opponent's figure quickly moved forward, the sword tip pointing downwards, precisely passing through the gap of his visored helmet, then hovering just above his eyeball.
Under the sunlight, that point of cold light was crystal clear inside the dim helmet.
Being so close to the sword tip made him shiver, and goosebumps rose all over his body.
The sound of him secretly swallowing saliva slowly echoed inside his helmet.
After a moment of deathly silence, Sir Karl sheathed his sword, the metallic friction sound crisp and clear.
He nodded slightly towards Adris, who was temporarily incapacitated on the ground, then extended his hand as an offer.
But at this moment, in the eyes of the infuriated Adris, Sir Karl undoubtedly appeared to be looking down on him with disdain after becoming the victor.
Adris laboriously sat up from the ground and ungraciously slapped away Sir Karl's outstretched hand with the back of his own.
"Hmph, I don't need your pity!" Adris said with a gloomy face, resentfully.
Seeing this, Sir Karl snorted disdainfully, lowered his arm, and gradually retreated.
The opponent's actions and words clearly showed he was a sore loser; since that was the case, he didn't need to feign any knightly demeanor.
"The victor of this knightly duel is Sir Karl from Badov! Let us cheer for him!"
And the Herald's voice announcing Sir Karl's victory rang out at the opportune moment.
"Wonderful, what a splendid duel!"
"Sir Karl of Badov!"
"Sir Karl of Badov!"
...The excited crowd cheered Sir Karl's name, and the more fervent the cheers for Sir Karl, the uglier Adris's face became at that moment.
He had originally wanted to step on the opponent to climb higher and spread his own name more widely, but he hadn't expected to hit a brick wall.
Adris struggled to get up from the ground, his face grim as he surveyed the surrounding crowd, standing silently for a moment.
Thinking of the wager they had made earlier, the words "I am a coward" were stuck in his throat, unable to be uttered.
When they had made the wager earlier, he had never imagined he would lose the duel.
Because he felt victory was assured, any stakes didn't matter; now, he had truly shot himself in the foot.
The Herald stroked his beard, casting a nonchalant glance at Adris.
Observing the other party's actions, he knew that this Sir would likely be unwilling to honor the wager.
However, both parties were nobles, with no deep-seated animosity between them, and he didn't want the situation to become so awkward.
So, he wondered if he should talk to Sir Karl? To give Adris a way out.
The wager they had made earlier was only heard by the three of them.
The onlookers could at most only see the money bag on the table, and with the three of them conversing at a distance, the crowd naturally couldn't hear clearly.
However, whether Sir Karl was willing to accept a reconciliation was crucial.
The one who accepted the knightly duel was the other party, and the one who won was also the other party; it had nothing to do with him, the Herald.
Of course, even if Sir Karl disagreed, he had no objections.
Compared to an arrogant and conceited old noble, he felt more affinity for Sir Karl, this humble and brave newly-risen noble.
Thus, the Herald pursed his lips, just as he was about to speak, a clear voice interrupted him.
"Adris, what are you doing here? I thought you had already signed up for the competition."
"It seems there's been some conflict between you, hmm?"
Triss and Advisor Keira walked out from the parting crowd, Advisor Keira frowning slightly as she calmly assessed the three of them.
Triss didn't speak, but instead blinked her beautiful eyes several times at Sir Karl, a faint smile on her lips, as a greeting.
"Advisor Keira, Advisor Triss." The Herald nodded slightly to Advisor Keira and Advisor Triss and greeted them politely.
"Ah?! Advisor Keira, I... I merely had a friendly knightly duel with this Sir."
"You'd say so, wouldn't you, Sir Karl?"
Seeing Advisor Keira's sudden arrival, sweat beaded uncontrollably on Adris's forehead, and his gaze darted around.
He quickly winked at Sir Karl and stammered in response.
"If insulting others for being ill-mannered and calling them cowards counts as friendly, then Sir Adris is indeed quite friendly."
Sir Karl raised his visor, stating the facts expressionlessly, and sarcastically taunted Adris.
He had naturally seen Adris winking at him, signaling him to help explain, but he simply wasn't willing to help.
Earlier, the other party had tried to step on him to climb higher, launching a barrage of personal attacks.
If he hadn't won the knightly duel, the one whose reputation was ruined and trampled underfoot would have been him.
So, for someone like Adris, why should he help him?
Even though he could tell from Adris's demeanor and his conversation with Advisor Keira that some kind of cooperation had been established between them.
And Adris, in this cooperative relationship, seemed to be in a weaker position, clearly being manipulated by Advisor Keira.
Seeing that Sir Karl refused to help him explain and instead offered sarcasm, Adris's face flushed red and green, and he gnashed his teeth, glaring furiously at Sir Karl.
The moment Advisor Keira saw Sir Karl's face clearly, her eyes lit up, and she asked with a pleasant expression: "Who is this?"
"Sir Adris, if you want to explain, you can take your time explaining to this lady later; for now, you should honor your wager."
"A knight who values honor cannot break his oath and lie."
Sir Karl raised an eyebrow, didn't even glance at Advisor Keira, and certainly didn't respond to her words, continuing to press the issue.
"Advisor Keira, this is Sir Karl, a newly-risen noble."
The Herald thought Sir Karl hadn't heard clearly, so he turned and quietly explained to Advisor Keira.
Hearing this, Advisor Keira rolled her eyes, revealing an interested expression.
Newly-risen noble? This meant that the other party had not yet formed a family and lacked a stable power base, making him a potential investment or ally.
Although, she was ostensibly a Royal Advisor, seemingly holding a significant position of power.
In reality, all her power depended on the King's bestowal; as soon as the King changed his mind one day, a single word could revoke it.
And for some exceptionally important state affairs, only nobles would participate in meetings; she and the other advisors were excluded.
At such times, having reliable connections to obtain information became crucial.
Thus, Advisor Keira took a few steps forward to approach the two of them, glaring coldly at Adris.
Then, she turned to face Sir Karl, offering a smile, and leaning her upper body slightly forward, allowing Sir Karl to get a better view of her chest.