Chapter 33: Duel

“NYAAA! MEOW, MEOW! NYAAA MYAAA! NAA, MEWWW!”

“Hey, I don’t feed such a dirty mouth. Stop cursing at the panther its heart will burst from fear.”

The fat cat looked at Colt and listened to him, but as it turned to the panther one last time, it made sure to look at the Orc-face who sent out to deal with Colt and growled.

In most circumstances, the Orc-face student would be kicking a growling cat such as this one, but right now he was trembling before a fat cat.

The fat cat made sure to not look away as it climbed up Colt’s shoulder where it still glared without fail. Colt walked into the room, passed the panther that was almost slapped and cursed to death by the fat cat, and then went past the Orc-face.

As Colt walked his splendor was heightened and the twenty or so people in the room could not help but gasp in amazement. To avoid any annoying gaze, Colt decided to go to the very back of the lecture hall where he sat with his back straight and the fat cat on his table keeping watch of the room like a guardian hawk watching over its prey.

As the cat acted like the Lord of the room, Colt was already assessing the situation and the powers of the cat. He then remembered the fight he had with the cat, the soft paws it had, and the sharp claws it possesses.

Their fight lasted for hours that should have been recorded in the annals of history. As he remembered that time, he couldn’t help but wonder the possibility of him sprawled on the ground twitching as a cat curse at him.

The thought made him shudder.

“I didn’t know you were that powerful.”

“Nyaa!”

It waved its paws as if to say “It is nothing to speak of.” Before returning to its lording position.

Colt could tell the fat cat was enjoying the view from the back, and as the back was the most elevated seat of the hall, the cat could look down upon its subjects without fail.

Murmurs could be heard but no ruckus was created for the cat would ‘meow’ to demand the silence of the room. One of the companions of the Orc-face who, in Colt’s standard had a Goblin-face had his panther rest for the time being after being abused by the cat.

While Orc-face was glaring at Colt with eyes that speak “This is not over yet.” Colt ended up paying no attention to him as the panther entered a green pendant that hanged on Goblin-face’s neck. The panther disappeared with a “swoosh” sound.

‘So that’s a Beast Domain accessory? Should I get one of those?’

Colt was only thinking of that but the cat meowed and showed a look of disagreement. He was given the, ‘Put me in one of those and I’ll fuck you up like that panther’ kind of look.

Colt shook his head as he laughed at the contrast of the fat cat’s external features from its words and thoughts. As Colt laughed, the Orc-face and his lackeys gritted their teeth out of spite at Colt.

As the three glared more, they forgot the passage of time, and soon enough, a middle-aged man shouted as he sensed the bloodlust coming out of Orc-face and then shouted as he entered.

“What’s going on here? Why are you emitting such lust for blood inside a classroom?”

The middle-aged man had a perfectly well-maintained facial hair and a square jaw, his bulky body suited his fierce eyes and his red hair completed the savageness of his external feature.

He wore a teacher’s suit and the poor suit seemed ready to burst at any moment as his bulging muscles forced the fabric to its absolute limits.

Colt was shot to his feet as he shockingly stared at the teacher who just entered the room.

‘W-why is he here?’

Everyone was asking the same thing, but Colt’s sentiment was not the same as the others. If they were in awe of the man’s sudden appearance, Colt was in fear.

The red-haired valiant looking man entered the room, and everyone had a broad smile on their faces for this man was a well-known figure…despite his status as a commoner and a mercenary, he was hailed as one of the strongest men in the Kingdom; this man was known as “Gilbert the Dragon Slayer” or in the novel, he was more well-known as “Gilbert the Crimson Slaughterer”.

Colt’s face was so contorted with fear, he had to take a step back from reflex alone. He had to shake his head in order to calm down.

‘Let’s calm down, the Incident of the Sapphire Cavern has yet to appear, he’s still the Dragon Slayer at this time…remember, he’s not the Crimson Slaughterer just yet. He’s a man who loves family, nothing more, nothing less.’

Colt took in several deep breaths before calming down.

The Crimson Slaughterer was what replaced Gilbert’s title after slaughtering three small villages and harvested their souls together with the people of the East in order to save the life of his family from the epidemic at the time.

‘The Red Vein Epidemic that struck the Kingdom would be the start of it all, and it was said that the Eastern Continent did it, but I’m was sure that the Secret Organization was the one who started it as to force the two continents to fight.

‘Though the Kingdom of Regalus is one of the many forces in the Western Continent, the spark that started in the Kingdom of Regalus spread to the rest of the Continent inciting the rest of continent to think that the one who did all the attacking was the Eastern Continent’s Empire.

‘At this point in the original story, the five forces of the Kingdom would unite into one superpower and then fight against the Eastern Continent.’

Around 80% of these thoughts was not mentioned in the actual book, in the volume where he dropped the story, this part wasn’t explained though.

But using the scummish power of looking for spoilers and making speculation, Colt could very well see how the story would turn out from where he left off.

But that does not matter at the moment, because at this moment, Colt was staring at Gilbert with his heart in trepidation.

Gilbert entered the room with manliness practically reeking out of his body. Orc-face looked at him and Gilbert looked at Orc-face who was not more docile than a child wanting something to ask their parents for something.

“What’s the problem? Why are you releasing such bloodlust in my room? That lust for blood may not be refined for now, but it is still dangerous. Now, tell me, who are you targeting and why?”

Orc-face’s lips were trembling but he decided to tough it out and pointed at Colt and his cat…

“I-it was because he hurt my friend’s Soul Partner!”

Colt was taken aback by the shamelessness of a not even third-rate background character villain. Colt had to defend himself as to not receive the spite of Gilbert and become a target. Colt didn’t want to be turned to a bloody pulp when he betrays the Kingdom, now does he?

But as he decided to protect his name, Colt must do it in the most upstanding fashion he could. So, he straightened his back, had his fears and anxiousness disappear, and stared in the eyes of Gilbert.

“He and his companion’s Soul Partner barred my way as they let it growl at me while they, the owner of the aforementioned Soul Partner stood behind it, laughing at my predicament. My Soul Partner here only made its move in order to protect me from the viciousness of the beast that wants to attack me and my little friend.”

Colt isn’t mentally challenged. He can make a scene and mock the Orc-face on their faces aggravating them to make a move against him and then have them be punished for it. But no, Colt wouldn’t do something such a thing.

He spoke only the truth without even a hint of mockery, he spoke nothing about how pathetic the panther before a mere cat nor did he make fun of his face, or how he can’t even qualify as a third-rate villain. No, Colt merely stated what is truth.

Thus, with his wordings befitting his title of nobility, everyone agreed and backed Colt.

Gilbert was amazed at how well Colt took care of the situation but sensing the ever-growing hate of the Orc-face student towards Colt.

He was about to say something when the Orc-face who had his dignity and pride systematically dismantled by Colt took the badge on his chest and raised it overhead!

“Y-you bastard, you dare defame me in front of a teacher!? I Formillo Jerte challenge you to a duel to defend my unblemished name!”

‘This is why they call these kinds of people useless and idiotic…he had seen how the pather almost got slapped to death and now he’s challenging me to a duel? Does he have the memory of a bird?”

Colt felt a headache, as he looked at Orc-face whose name he already has forgotten.

He wanted to decline, but because of the academy’s system regarding the duel of aura-less students, he can do nothing but accept.

In the Dragonheart Academy, for an aura-less student who has no power-level whatsoever, they must accept a challenge for a duel if there is conflict. And a Teacher must be present when a duel is issued for a duel of “Certain Conflict” is to arise.

With Gilbert present as a witness, Colt cannot refuse the challenge.

“I accept your challenge!”

Thus, Colt accepted the challenge.

Gilbert smile broadened and he clapped his hand to gather everyone’s attention.

“Okay, if you are going to have a duel, better do it somewhere where there’s an open area! Come on, follow me to the training hall!”

Gilbert sounded excited and as Colt and the rest found themselves inside a dome-like building where inside there is an open circular ground where the training of the warrior classes are held.

The ground was made of dirt, and as everyone circled Colt and Formillo, Gilbert stood between the two as the one who will officiate the duel.

“Remember, no killing and avoid causing any major injury as much as possible. If you are knocked down and lose your consciousness then you lose, if you admit defeat then you lose, if you fall on both four limbs, you lose…now, begin!”

Colt looked at Formillo get his ready sword. He unsheathed the sword on his waist and stared directly at Colt with hate-filled eyes.

Colt is not worried because he can just let the fat cat take care of the Soul Partner and he knocks out Formillo.

“Can I count on you?”

“Meow!”

The cat sounded fierce, it was ready to fight and tear out the opponent. It was ready to leap off Colt’s shoulders, that is until it suddenly froze as it saw its opponent.

CAW!

A one-meter black raven appeared from out of nowhere and as Colt urged the cat to leap forth and take care of it, the cat instead touched him by the shoulders, shook its head, and gave him an apologetic look.

The cat did not jump off his shoulders, but it didn’t head to the battlefield. It walked towards Gilbert and stayed by his side.

It looked at Colt and Colt looked at the cat.

“Meow!”

The cat raised both paws as it cheered for him to win or in other words…Colt was abandoned by the cat.