Jubei noticed how Ash and his two companions were irritated, as if trying to grind him to dust with their stares.
'Ah… what a mess. Can't I have even a single moment of peace?' Jubei thought as he stood up resignedly, apologizing with an annoyed look.
"I'm sorry, brother. It wasn't my intention; I'll accept any punishment."
"Shut up, bastard. Your filthy presence irritates me." Ash raised an arm forward, pointing at him with his palm extended.
His two assistants smiled proudly, as if already certain that Jubei would become nothing more than a garden ornament of pretty ashes.
"Wait a moment!"
"Lord Ash, you know very well that confrontations are not permitted inside the castle."
"Don't interfere, Circe. You're only here by recommendation; do not speak directly to Lord Ash," Katherine retorted.
"...I know, and I apologize. It is not my intention to disrespect Lord Ash, but a fight would not only inconvenience young Jubei, but also all of you."
"It won't be a fight if he dies in a single blow," Leonor mocked.
"What a meddlesome errand girl you have, Jubei, but she's right." Ash lowered his arms and turned his back.
"But Lord Ash, will you really let that despicable being get away with it?" Leonor replied.
'Look at them, talking about meddling. And she's the one nobody asked for an opinion, adding fuel to the fire. How frightening to be with someone like that; the poor fool will spend his life in pointless fights.'
Jubei turned to look at Circe.
'Uh-oh, Circe looks even scarier right now.' He thought as he saw how she was glaring daggers.
"Yes, yes, that's true. Let's just leave it at that, Ash; after all, it wouldn't earn you any merit to defeat or kill me. You know very well I'm weaker than you." Jubei raised his hands, explaining with feigned resignation.
"Of course you're weaker, wretch. To my lord Ash, you're nothing more than a squirming cockroach. You'd better apologize on your knees and kiss his feet."
'Disgusting. Don't these assistants have any manners? They act like demons… well, they are demons.' Jubei lowered his hands and looked at the floor.
'Why don't they get bored already and leave?'
"Of course I'd gain something by killing you; Father would realize how useless you are here. And even if you don't die, having you sent far away would be enough for me, so..."
'I don't want to hear this anymore; it almost sounds like that shit deity who sent me here.' He sighed.
"Yes, you're right, but as you can see, we can't fight here."
"Yes, we can!" he smiled cynically. "I challenge you. We'll go to a duel, bastard Jubei."
"Magnificent. With a duel, you'll have the perfect excuse to kill this wretch. Ah, my lord Ash is a genius," Katherine murmured.
'A duel? How would the word duel turn "I want to kill you" into something legal? Surely the Demon King wouldn't allow that. No… he absolutely would.'
Until recently, they had been harassing him to return a lost relic. He thought that, as days passed, the real culprit would simply appear and they would leave him alone. But now, all of a sudden, that stupid brother of his was standing here, challenging him to a duel.
The worries he used to have in his world were spending all day concerned about the evolution of AI, learning new technologies daily to maintain good work performance and not get fired. Now, however, he had to face situations that already reached what he considered critical levels of bullying.
'Is there really no god in this world? Tsk… I forgot that shit deity is the one who brought me here.'
"Lord Ash, young Jubei has only just recovered, and you know that he cannot use fire magic very well..."
"Pathetic that you can't use fire magic without burning yourself. You almost died by your own magic; you should have stayed dead," Ash said sarcastically.
"At least have the decency to accept the duel and die with honor, wretch," Katherine added.
"But Lord Ash, a duel between brothers can only be approved by Her Highness, the Empress, or by the Demon King. And the King is very busy due to the death of General Gin to devote time to disputes that have nothing to do with succession duels," Circe reiterated. She was very worried about Jubei and tried to prevent any conflict.
'Succession duels? Ah… I hate knowing nothing about this world.'
"I approve it!"
A voice of authority echoed through the corridor.
"Your Highness!"
"My Queen!"
"My Lady!"
"Mother!"