Renard wasted no time. He tapped the floating screen with a decisive jab.
"Open rewards," he whispered.
[Opening: Starter Villain's Essentials]
[Item Received: Shattered Dawn (Personal Weapon - Longsword)]
[Item Received: 500 Entertainment Points (EP)]
[Skill Acquired: Actor's Mask (Passive)] Your facial expressions and heart rate are now impossible to read by anyone with lower Charisma than you.
A heavy, leather-bound hilt materialized in the air for a split second before vanishing into a glowing ripple. It wasn't physically in his hand, it was in his System Inventory. Renard felt the weight of it in his mind, a strange presence. A sword.
Good, he thought. Now I just need to learn how to use it.
A soft, hesitant knock echoed against the chamber door.
"Enter," Renard commanded, trying to sound as 'aristocratic' as possible.
A young man with messy brown hair and a nervous gait entered, carrying a pile of silk and fine wool. Renard focused his gaze. Spectator's Insight.
______________________________________
[Target Analysis]
Name: Leo
Race: Human
Role: Personal Valet / Aspiring Informant
Loyalty: 95 (Devoted)
Hidden Note: Has been beaten by the previous Renard a dozen times but remains fiercely loyal because the Vyre family pays for his sister's medicine.
Stats: Strength: F | Agility: E | Endurance: E | Mana: None | Charisma: B-
Skills:
{Whisper Network: Increases the chance of overhearing rumors and secrets among the household staff by 25%.}
{Perfect Poker Face: Developed from years of hiding his pain after being beaten. He can lie to superiors without his heartbeat rising.}
{Culinary Poison Identification: Because the previous Renard was paranoid about being poisoned, Leo was forced to learn how to smell and identify common toxins in food and wine.}
{Stitch & Mend: Expert at repairing fine silks and noble attire.}
______________________________________
Renard's chest tightened. Loyalty 95? The poor kid was a ragdoll when it came to strength, but he had some surprisingly useful skills and he'd take a bullet for me. Renard looked at him with newfound respect and a touch of guilt.
"My Lord," Leo stammered, bowing low. "I have your attire. The, uh... the incident... has made the household staff quite anxious which is why I come alone, my lord."
Renard waved a hand dismissively. "Forget the staff, Leo. Tell me how is Lady Evelyne? Is anyone looking after her?"
Leo paused, surprised by the question. "Yes, My Lord. She has been moved to the East Wing. The Court Healer, has sent two handmaidens to tend to her. She... she is being cared for."
"I see. Is there a way for me to speak with her? Privately?"
Leo looked up, his eyes wide. "My Lord... that is quite impossible. The Baron has her under his own guards' watch until the Marquis arrives. To see her now would be... well, it would look like you were trying to silence a witness."
Renard cursed under his breath. "And my father? The Marquis? What's his mood?"
"The Marquis is... difficult to read, as always. He has already spoken with Sir Roric and Court Healer about the situation."
"The Court Healer?" Renard asked. "Why him?"
"Yes, My Lord. Master Hans examined you while you were unconscious. He told the Marquis your 'collapse' was a result of... ahem... over-exertion and a sudden mana spike."
Renard winced. Over-exertion. Great. Now the whole castle thinks he fainted from sex.
*******
Ten minutes later, Renard stood before the mirror. He wore a doublet of black and silver, the crest of House Vyre, a roaring dragon embroidered over his heart.
"You look dashing, My Lord," Leo said, bowing low. "Truly. I think it is time. The Great Hall awaits."
As Renard stepped into the corridor, the atmosphere shifted instantly.
Guards snapped to attention, but their eyes remained cold. Servants stopped their scrubbing, bowing their heads, but Renard's [Intimidation Aura] picked up the jagged edge of their whispers.
"Look at him... walking like nothing happened..."
"Poor Lady Evelyne..."
"A disgrace to the Dragon's blood..."
Suddenly, a heavy clank of armor announced a familiar presence. Sir Roric approached, his cape billowing behind him. Renard instinctively scanned him.
______________________________________
[Target Analysis]
Name: Roric
Race: Human
Loyalty: -15 (Disdainful)
Role: Personal Guard
Stats: Strength: B | Agility: B | Endurance: C | Mana: C | Charisma: C+
Hidden Note: The Young Master always seems to find a new way to disappoint the Marquis. Roric is currently counting the days until his retirement.
Skills:
{Heavy Armor Proficiency: Moves with zero speed penalty while wearing full plate.}
{Battle-Hardened Will: Immune to low-level [Intimidation Auras]. He's seen too much blood to be scared by a "boy" with a mean look.}
{Shield Bash Mastery: Expert at using his environment and equipment to stagger opponents.}
______________________________________
"Young Master," Roric said, his voice like grinding stones. "I am here to escort you. Your father is... impatient."
As they walked, Roric leaned in closer, his voice dropping. "The servants are whispering, Lord Renard. Word has spread that you were seen naked and cornered by a lower-ranking Baron. You didn't just lose your dignity; you lost the House's 'Face'. In the Marquis's eyes, that is a crime worse than the scandal itself."
Renard didn't answer. He kept his gaze forward as they reached the massive, twin doors of the Great Hall. Two guards heaved them open, revealing a room filled with the chilling pressure of a man who ruled with an iron fist.
At the far end, sitting on a throne, was the Marquis, Valerius Vyre. His presence was like a physical weight, a suffocating pressure that made Renard's [Intimidation Aura] prickle under his skin.
To the side stood the Baron, looking smug, and a pale, trembling Lady Evelyne.
"Renard," the Marquis's voice wasn't loud, but it carried to every corner of the hall. "The Baron claims you drugged his daughter and forced yourself upon her. Explain yourself."
Renard took a breath. He didn't have the memories, and the evidence of him naked, her crying just seemed undeniable. He decided to take the "noble" route. He bowed his head deeply.
"Father... I have no excuses. My memory of the night is fractured, but the shame I have brought to House Vyre is clear. I am truly, deeply sorry for the distress caused to Lady Evelyne." He looked toward the Baron, his voice sincere. "I am prepared to pay whatever cost is necessary to make amends."
The Marquis's eyes narrowed. To him, Renard hadn't just apologized; he had just handed the Baron a loaded crossbow.
"You hear that, Marquis?" The Baron stepped forward, a predatory grin spreading across his face. "Your own son confesses! By the laws of the realm, raping a noblewoman is a crime punishable by death."
The Baron paused, feigning a look of "mercy."
"However," the Baron continued, "Renard is the only son of House Vyre with the Draconic Bloodline. It would be a tragedy for the Empire to lose a future Dragon Knight over... a moment of youthful indiscretion. So, I will be generous."
The Baron's eyes gleamed with pure greed. "Clear all of House Astora's debts to the Vyre treasury. And, to ensure my daughter's ruined reputation is mended..." He gestured to the sobbing girl. "I demand that Renard takes Evelyne as his primary wife. Immediately."
Renard froze. A forced marriage?
"ENOUGH!"
The word hit like a thunderclap. The Marquis stood up, and the torches in the room flared a violent, angry orange.
"Enough with your nonsense, Elric," the Marquis spat, his gaze shifting from the Baron to his son with utter contempt.
Renard felt a chill.
The Marquis turned his terrifying gaze to Lady Evelyne. The girl flinched, nearly collapsing. "Healer Hans!"
The old healer stepped forward. "Yes, My Lord."
"Tell the Baron what you found when you examined the girl and my son."
Hans cleared his throat. "There were no traces of sedatives or any sort of seducing magic in either of them. Both were perfectly sober, if... physically exhausted. Furthermore, the Lady Evelyne shows no signs of physical struggle. In my opinion, everything was entirely consensual."
Renard's jaw nearly hit the floor. She wasn't drugged? It was all a lie?
The Marquis stepped down from the dais. He stopped inches from Renard's face.
"You apologized," the Marquis whispered, his voice vibrating with rage. "You stood there and offered our treasury and your own hand in marriage to a man who lied to your face. You were so eager to be 'sorry' that you didn't even realize you were being played."
The Baron's face twisted, his smugness replaced by a desperate, ugly blotch of red. He slammed his fist against his open palm.
"Consensual or not, it is no secret!" the Baron bellowed, his voice echoing off the vaulted ceiling. "The servants saw! The guards saw! My daughter and your son... they have made contact! Her reputation is a scorched field. There is no other path then your son must marry her to mend what he has broken!"
The Marquis didn't flinch. He looked at the Baron as if he were a particularly loud insect.
"You lied," the Marquis said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, low hum. "You fabricated a crime of drugging. You attempted to extort the Treasury. You even dared to put a sword to my son's neck while he was defenseless. Do you truly have no shame left, Elric? Still standing there making demands?"
The Marquis took a step closer
"If you had come to me with the truth," Valerius continued, "if you had simply asked for the marriage to preserve your daughter's honor and never mentioned the debt... I would have honored it. House Vyre takes responsibility for its blood. But you showed greed."
The Marquis turned his head slowly, his icy gaze pinning Renard to the spot. The disappointment in those eyes was sharper than any blade.
"And you," the Marquis whispered. "Since you are so fond of 'paying the cost' and apologizing for things you didn't even do... you shall handle this personally."
Renard felt a pit form in his stomach. [Warning: Fatal Event Triggered].
"A duel," the Marquis announced, his voice ringing with finality. "Between the Heir of House Vyre and the Baron of Astora. Right here. Right now."
The Baron froze. He looked at Renard and then back at the Marquis. A duel was a way to settle the debt and the insult in blood.
"And Renard," the Marquis added, leaning in so only his son could hear, "do not think your bloodline makes you indispensable. If you lose this duel... if you prove to be this weak... remember that I still have the instruments and the vitality to father another child of draconic blood. You are only my heir as long as you are the strongest."
[New Mission: Trial by Steel]
[Objective: Defeat Baron Elric von Astora in a duel.]
[Failure Condition: Death / Disinheritance.]