The Villainess Who Was Dumped Got Married into My Family, a Mob Noble from the Frontier, and Turns Out, She's an Amazing Capable Wife? - Chapter 70: It's No Longer a Duel

Chapter 70: It’s No Longer a Duel

“―A duel! I challenge Ragna Vel Brave to a duel for a spot on the student council!”

The surroundings buzzed with whispers and murmurs.

“I’m sick of duels… Castor Von Pentagram, do you want to join the student council that badly?”

“Of course, I do!” 

Castor, placing a hand on his chest, practically shouted in appeal, causing Vorsea to sigh in exasperation.

Why choose a duel when you could just work hard? 

Is it Patricia’s influence, maybe?

“What will you do, Ragna Vel Brave?”

“Uh, I’ll just decline, obviously.”

“As expected.” 

Vorsea nodded, as if it were the most natural response.

“What!? Are you even a noble!? Accept the duel, Ragna Vel Brave!”

When I smoothly refused, the persistent guy with glasses pressed on.

“What’s the point of a duel anyway?”

“That’s true.”

Alicia agreed with me.

The other members chosen for the student council on the stage nodded in agreement.

Only Edward muttered something about wanting to see it, which really makes you wonder about him.

By the way, Mariana had already fainted while standing, a sight we had all grown accustomed to.

“Then, it’s off.”

“Headmaster! A duel is a legitimate right of nobility!”

Even against Vorsea’s merciless words, the stubborn glasses guy persisted.

Duels aren’t for pushing through selfish desires but for when there’s something so important that both parties are willing to bet on it.

“What do I gain if I win anyway?”

Castor might join the student council if he wins, but what about me? 

It makes no sense for me to remain in the student council if I win.

“That is…” 

As Castor struggles to find words, I press on.

“I mean, challenging me to a duel is pointless. The student council members are decided by the school’s teachers. I have no say in the matter. So, you should be challenging the headmaster, not me.”

When you think about it, it’s the teachers who should be responsible for this mess. 

That means Vorsea, the headmaster. 

So, the proper course of action would be to duel Vorsea first. 

If you win against him, you earn the right to be considered for the student council, and then you can challenge me for a seat.

“So, let’s say that’s the match set.”

“Don’t decide on your own, you fool.”

I got a glare from Vorsea.

But I think my argument makes more sense.

“Sigh… Well, it can’t be helped. If there are objections, I will take it upon myself.”

Vorsea stepped forward with a sigh, seemingly accepting my point of view.

“Castor Von Pentagram, if you can prove your efforts to me, then show me. If your stubbornness moves me and you win, I’ll give you a chance to have the selection reconsidered. And if you lose? What then, expulsion?”

“Ugh.”

“Duels have precedent. But using your family name to dispute a loss, under the name of Vorsea Gran Cascade, I will not allow.”

Intimidated by Vorsea’s stern warning, Castor hesitated. 

Yet, instead of backing down, he made a shocking declaration.

“I-I stake my life!”

“…”

Even Vorsea frowned at this, a rare wrinkle of concern between his brows.

“Smart, just like your parents…” 

“Unfortunately, he’s inherited their worst traits.”

Edward and Clive sighed in disbelief beside me.

“This is my resolve.”

Castor said, smirking as if he had won something.

It’s unthinkable for a headmaster to kill a student in a duel, and Vorsea would never do such a thing. 

By staking his life, Castor was effectively making himself a hostage in the negotiation.

“I’m not just after a reconsideration of the selection. I want a position on the student council.”

Castor spoke confidently.

“This, I cannot compromise on. Please allow me to duel Ragna Vel Brave.”

To call this stupid or idiotic would be an understatement. 

It was sheer folly, foolishness at its finest.

“If I can’t join the student council here, my life might as well be over!”

“―Alright, I’ll do it.”

I stepped forward.

“Ragna, are you really going to do this?”

Alicia looked at me with an indescribable expression.

“Yeah.”

“I see. But if it’s a duel, there’s nothing I can say…”

She sighed and shrugged helplessly, probably feeling trapped by her own history with a duel. 

Alicia’s duel was noble, fought for her family’s honor, not like the whims of a child.

“Stop, Ragna Vel Brave.”

“Please don’t stop him, Headmaster.”

The headmaster tried to hold me back, but it was clear the guy in front of me wasn’t going to listen to reason.

“If he says he’s staking his life, as a Brave, I can’t just back down.”

“…This is not for students to decide.”

“Being seen as running away from a duel staked on life would disgrace the Brave family. You’re telling me to back down even so?”

“…”

Ignoring Vorsea’s silence, I stepped down from the platform and stood in front of Castor.

“If you have the resolve to stake your life, then I’ll accept your challenge. Show me you can take it, it’s simpler and clearer that way.”

Seems like life is taken lightly here in the capital, much lighter than in the Brave territory. 

Not that lives aren’t valued there, but it’s just that due to monsters lurking in the mountains and skirmishes with neighboring countries, lives are often lost. 

But that doesn’t mean they’re worth any less; all lives hold the same value.

“Fight me, Ragna Vel Brave!”

“You’re sure you won’t regret this?”

“No regrets! If I don’t belong to the student council for three years, I can’t even claim my family name!”

“You seem pretty confident you won’t lose.”

“Your family lacks any special value, always just ordinary. And you, with all failing grades, being in the student council is strange in itself. How could I possibly lose to you?”

He must be basing his confidence on that report card. 

I wonder what makes him think that’s anything close to normal. 

Could he really not know anything?

Well, knowing that the Brave family has always been considered lower class, it’s not too surprising he’s got some misconceptions.

Castor then confidently states his belief.

“If you surrender now, I might just spare your life.”

“If you’re staking your life, I must do the same, right? That’s what a duel is. Let’s fight for real.”

“F-Fine.”

Castor said, a bit rattled but adjusting his glasses and stance.

“I’ll let you decide the terms of the duel. We can do without magic if you prefer.”

“Then let’s make it simple and go without magic. Everyone present can be witnesses, so we avoid any trouble later.”

There’s a sword here that’s been used as a decoration. Let’s use that for our duel.

“Yeah, the blade seems sharp enough.”

Checking the sword, it’s definitely sharp enough to cut well. 

This will do.

It makes me wonder about security, but in stories where characters compete for the protagonist, duels happen quite often. 

And somehow, there’s always a conveniently placed sword, which turns out to be just a decorative piece.

Really, any game where advancing two flags leads to a duel over the protagonist is quite something. 

Innovative, really.

“That works for me. Let’s duel with our lives on the line. Your Highness Edward, would you do the honors of starting the duel?”

“Really? If you’re okay with it, I don’t mind taking on that noble role. But, Castor, your legs are shaking. Are you sure you’re up for this?”

Edward didn’t hold back in his observation.

“What! This is just battle excitement.”

“I’ve come close to dying before, so I know there’s nothing more precious than life itself. Is a position on the student council more important than your life?”

“Of course. You might not understand, Your Highness, but in my family, it’s been a tradition to join the student council for three generations. I can’t be the one to break that streak!”

“I see. Just a word of advice, though. The person who saved me when I was close to death was Ragna Vel Brave over there. If we’re talking about skill, he’s leagues above me.”

“Wha!?”

“If you’re insistent on staking your life for it, then I guess it can’t be helped. By the way, I have no intention of giving up my position. At least go out bravely.”

Castor was left gaping at Edward’s smiling yet merciless words, and the surrounding students shared his shock.

“Your Highness, is he truly that capable?”

“Despite it being referred to as a forsaken land, a family engaged in constant conflicts with neighboring countries cannot be weak, right?”

“But he’s the same age as us. That can’t be possible.”

“I’ve seen him clear the dungeon of the Brave territory unscathed. While I might sneak around and deceive about my whereabouts, I am not dishonest about anything else.”

Castor began to shake even more after hearing Clive and Edward’s conversation.

“W-What…!?”

Sweating cold, trembling, his glasses sliding down his nose repeatedly, and him pushing them back up became an annoying routine.

Well, even if they don’t believe me, they believe Edward’s words.

As expected from a prince.

“Alright, let’s not waste more time. Let’s start. I declare this duel in the name of Edward Gran Aetherdam, twelfth in line to the throne!”

“W-wait! Your Highness, please—”

“—Begin!”

With the duel declared abruptly, Castor panicked.

I was also caught off guard, thinking, “Wait, seriously?” 

But, since it had started, I got Castor to stand up with his sword ready to face me.

“Uh, ahh…”

He was shaking so badly, it hardly seemed like a duel anymore.

Really makes you reluctant to go through with it.

However, since a duel is a duel, I went ahead and disarmed Castor, knocking his sword out of his hand effortlessly.

“…ah—”