In the brightly lit hall, Tales stood high above everyone, enduring countless astonished gazes, yet he only stared at the stunned Anke.
Waiting for his reaction.
"Y... you?"
Only after a long while did Anke raise his head in disbelief.
Tales continued to regard him coldly. His posture was relaxed, but his gaze was piercing.
Like a hunter lowering his longbow with confidence after loosing an arrow.
"Your Highness, a proxy duel..." Anke finally understood what had just happened. His eyes were bloodshot, and his breathing grew heavier.
"You and... me?"
Tales narrowed his eyes.
"No, no..."
Sorrow and anguish surged into the banquet's disrupter's eyes as he rasped:
"No!"
After the initial shock in the hall, everyone began anxiously discussing what had just happened. Yet their voices gradually quieted, and even their gazes toward the Duke of Star Lake changed.
Val Arendt, still wearing shackles, had stopped drinking. His eyes remained locked on the Prince, their meaning unclear.
Jann frowned deeply and repeatedly turned back to question his butler.
One-Eyed Dragon Kosted wore an inscrutable smile, still in the mood to answer the other guests' whispered questions.
Tales cast aside the scenes he glimpsed from the corner of his eye and gave a cold snort.
"Why not?"
The young Duke slowly descended. The Royal Guard behind him wanted to follow, but Marius stopped them with an unmistakable gesture.
"Isn't this what you wanted?"
Tales stepped out of the surrounding formation and slowly walked down the stairs, his voice as sharp as a blade:
"Dueling the Second Prince himself would shake the entire kingdom, ensuring everyone heard of it. It would also accomplish your goal and restore justice—such a banquet dish..."
"Wouldn't it taste good?"
Anke clenched his teeth. The short sword in his hand began to tremble, and his