Duel

"Hmm, every territory sent quite a few valuable gifts, especially in my sister's and Cooper's carriages. They were loaded with piles of magical creations!"

In the Dark Dreamscape, Russell and the Little Dream Dragon had searched every corner of Fluorite Castle.

He knew exactly how much wealth the baron possessed, better even than the baron himself.

"Too bad none of it was for me." Russell chuckled. It was merely a passing remark, without the slightest hint of greed.

He increasingly felt that the Little Dream Dragon was a true dragon.

As a knight who even had a dragon, how could he care about these trifling scraps outside? As long as he followed the Little Dream Dragon, sooner or later, his dreams would have everything!

"Caw!"

"Bye."

His consciousness went dark, and when he woke again, it was already daybreak.

Before he needed to pull the cord, a maid called from outside, "Good morning, Young Master Russell."

"Seven thirty. Right on time..." Russell sat up in bed and yawned. "Come in."

Soon, with the servants attending to him, he changed into formal holiday attire.

"Good morning, Laura."

"Good morning, Russell."

"Good morning, Sister. Good morning, Cooper." Seeing his bleary-eyed sister and brother-in-law immediately lifted Russell's mood.

Even his married sister and her husband had to obey the rule of getting up at seven thirty after entering Fluorite Castle. What was there for him to object to?

"Good morning, Russell... Ah... I'm so sleepy." Rowena greeted him while rubbing her eyes and complaining, "I really want to have the baby sooner. Then I can wash up and eat breakfast in bed, and only get up whenever I feel like it."

Among the nobility, ladies who had borne children and become mothers could wash up and dine in bed, sleeping until whatever hour they pleased.

"Tell Brother-in-law to work harder at night, and that day will come soon enough." Russell laughed.

Rowena immediately clenched her fist and waved it. "You're getting bolder and bolder, Russell. You dare tease your sister now, huh? Duel! Right now, immediately, this instant!"

"After I finish breakfast."

"You actually dare accept? You really are bolder than before."

"Sister, you're an Armored Knight, and so am I. Why wouldn't I dare accept?" Russell stated the fact with a smile.

There was certainly a gap between them, but Russell was no longer afraid. The era when Rowena could ride roughshod over him was due to end.

This time, Rowena clicked her tongue and patted Cooper's arm. "My little brother has decided to rebel, Cooper. How do you think I should suppress him?"

Cooper spread his hands. "This is a private matter between brother and sister. Please allow me to stay out of it. Also, good luck."

"After breakfast, during knight training, we duel!" Rowena issued her challenge.

Russell did not refuse. "Fine!"

At that moment, his elder brother Roland came downstairs. The instant Rowena saw him, she shouted, "Roland, come witness it after breakfast! I'm going to teach this fool who doesn't know his limits a proper lesson! I've only been away from Guangguang River Valley for a few days, and he already dares rebel!"

Roland waved a hand. "You two are really childish."

Then he asked Cooper, "Was Rowena this fond of fooling around at Black Court Mountain too? Didn't it trouble you?"

"At Black Court Mountain, she was still quite ladylike. Perhaps returning to Guangguang River Valley has let her release her true nature. But isn't this version of Rowena cute too?" Cooper replied gently.

"Cute?" Roland neither agreed nor disagreed. "Perhaps."

Breakfast was especially lavish. Besides the usual fish roe rice stew, there was bread, milk, fruit tea, fried eggs, bacon, vegetable salad, river fish, river shrimp, and even a pot of thick soup that gave off waves of medicinal fragrance.

This was Qi and Blood Paste. Merchants had previously sold it at market stalls, and a portion no larger than a teapot lid cost three silver coins.

But here, they could drink as much as they wanted.

Faced with such a chance to take advantage, how could Russell let it pass? He scooped up bowl after bowl of Qi and Blood Paste, even though it did not actually taste very good.

"Have you never seen anything nice before?" Rowena asked with a look of disgust.

"I'm storing energy. After breakfast, I still have to face you in battle, Sister." Russell was not embarrassed in the least.

After the Qi and Blood Paste entered his stomach, he could clearly feel a warm current spread from his belly through his limbs and body.

The Battle Aura in his meridians unconsciously began circulating alongside that warm current, slowly refining the nutrients within the Qi and Blood Paste and nourishing newly born Battle Aura.

The efficiency was not particularly high, but this meal of Qi and Blood Paste would at least produce as much Battle Aura as three to five days of hard training.

Once they had eaten and drunk their fill.

Everyone headed to the training grounds behind the castle. It was where the castle's knights trained, and where Russell and the others had cultivated Battle Aura from childhood to adulthood.

"Are you ready, rookie!" Rowena had changed into a lightweight combat outfit and carried a crimson longsword with a red gemstone set into its hilt.

Russell had also changed into combat clothes, merely a set of close-fitting light armor.

His personal valet Ram carried over his Green Ceramic Sword, while Eric, his knight instructor, quietly reminded him, "Miss Rowena's limb meridians have all been opened. It will be difficult to beat her through strength alone. You can only rely on swordsmanship."

An Armored Knight's Battle Aura could not be projected for combat, so in theory, battles relied on the body's own strength.

Although Russell's cultivation progress was poor and even his arm meridians had not been opened, he might not necessarily be much weaker than Rowena.

After all, Rowena was a woman, and her physical constitution naturally limited her combat strength.

"I'll do my best." Russell gripped the Green Ceramic Sword, spun it in a flourish, and then walked into the center of the field.

Rowena glared viciously at Russell. "Rookie, you'll pay the price for your arrogance!"

"Trash talk can't scare me anymore, dear Sister." Russell glared right back without fear.

He was no longer the insecure and cowardly person he had once been. He would no longer cower beneath the oppressive authority of his elder brother Roland and sister Rowena.

Besides, he had even hunted terrifying Snow Ghosts. How could he possibly fear Rowena?

Seeing that verbal attacks truly had no effect, Rowena stopped wasting words and directly swung her red longsword at Russell.

Her moves were powerful and heavy, clearly showing the depth of Rowena's Battle Aura attainments.

Yet Russell did not feel nervous at all. Instead, he relaxed, because he discovered that Rowena's presence was still far from that of a Great Knight.

So weak!

With that thought, Russell swung his sword to meet her and unleashed a thoroughly honed slashing thrust from the Radiant Sword Technique.

Clang!

The two fine longswords collided, producing a crisp ring of metal.

Russell and Rowena each retreated a step. Their first exchange had ended in a draw.

Rowena frowned and resumed her attack.

Russell relaxed again. His sister, who in his memories loved showing off and fighting, was much weaker than he had imagined. There might still be a gap between them, but it was one that could be overcome, unlike when he faced Eric and could not find even the slightest opportunity for victory.

The same Radiant Sword Technique, the same Armored Knight.

In just a short while, the brother and sister had exchanged dozens of blows. Rowena gradually gained the upper hand, her crimson sword like a blazing flame that pressed Russell so hard he could barely raise his head.

Yet Russell's sword remained steady, firmly guarding the space three feet before him. From time to time, he launched an unexpected slashing thrust, even tearing open a gap in Rowena's suppression and forcing her to withdraw her sword to defend herself.

"Rowena is getting anxious." At some unknown point, Baron Roman had arrived at the edge of the field with Meryl on his arm.