toybunovel Chapter 259 259: Are you sure about that?
Chapter 259 259: Are you sure about that?
He raised his sword, the tip trembling slightly as he pointed it at the void where Su Ping's face should have been.
The tension in the center of the village was thick enough to be felt as a physical pressure, pressing against the lungs of every living soldier who remained standing within the Montgomery encampment.
Henry, sensing that he had successfully baited the winged figure down from the safety of the heavens, adjusted his grip on his ornate sword, his knuckles turning white as he tried to mask the trembling of his hands with a look of pure, aristocratic disdain.
He looked at the void-like mask of his opponent, feeling a surge of misplaced confidence now that the "cowardly necromancer" was standing on the same muddy earth as himself.
"Of course, I am a man of my word," Henry scoffed, his voice carrying a jagged edge of arrogance that echoed through the quiet square.
He made a sharp, dismissive gesture toward the elite knights who had crowded around him in a protective semi-circle. "Step back, all of you! Give us the space required for a proper engagement, I will not have anyone disrupting us."
The knights looked at one another, their expressions deeply conflicted and shadowed by an instinctive dread that told them this was a catastrophic mistake.
They could feel the unnatural cold radiating from the figure in the black-flamed mask, a chill that seemed to seep through their heavy plate armor and freeze the marrow in their bones.
However, upon sensing their young master's growing impatience and the dangerous glint in his eyes, they reluctantly yielded, their boots crunching on the gravel as they stepped aside to create a wide, hollow ring in the center of the camp.
"Of course, you must understand the rules of such an engagement," Henry added, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the dark, leathery wings folded behind Su Ping's back. "This is a duel of skill and steel, and as such, no tricks to gain an aerial advantage will be allowed. If you wish to claim any shred of honor, you will face me with both feet firmly planted on the ground, just as a true warrior would."
"Alright," Su Ping replied.
He didn't seem bothered by the restriction in the slightest; instead, he simply stood there with a terrifyingly calm demeanor.
As if in response to the demand, the two magnificent, draconic wings began to shimmer and fade, slowly retracting back into his spine until they vanished entirely, leaving his back smooth as if the appendages had never existed in the first place.
Henry's smirk deepened at the sight, believing he had successfully stripped his opponent of his greatest advantage. "Very well then. Prepare yourself to—"
"Before we start, I'd like to add a requirement of my own," Su Ping interrupted, his calm tone cutting through Henry's bravado.
He tilted his head slightly, the purple-black eyes behind the mask fixing onto the young heir with an unreadable intensity.
"And what would that be?" Henry asked, his voice dripping with skepticism. He shifted his weight, his eyes darting around the square as he looked for any sign of a hidden trap or a sudden surge in the nearby undead horde.
"That you fight a subordinate of mine instead," Su Ping stated plainly.
The reaction from the Montgomery side was instantaneous and fierce. "You coward! Do you not know that the main point of a duel is to have no external help whatsoever?" Sir Godfrey barked, stepping forward with his hand on his hilt, his face red with indignation.
He glared at Su Ping, his voice booming with the authority of a seasoned commander who found the suggestion to be an insult to the very concept of chivalry. "To hide behind another while you stand in safety is the mark of a spineless wretch!"
Su Ping paid the old knight no heed at all, his gaze remaining fixed entirely on Henry, as if Godfrey were nothing more than a barking dog in the distance. He waited in silence, letting the weight of the moment settle over the clearing.
"That's enough, Godfrey... let's at least see what he has in mind first," Henry spoke up, his curiosity momentarily overriding his anger.
He raised a hand to silence his commander, then shifted his gaze back to the masked figure, motioning for him to continue with a flick of his wrist.
"I meant no harm when I requested that you fight one of my subordinates," Su Ping said, a note of dark amusement creeping into his distorted voice. "I assure you, she isn't undead in the sense you are accustomed to. She's quite a free spirit, you see, and I'd like for her to exchange a few blows with you, young master...."
" It would be a valuable learning experience for everyone involved."
He paused for a moment, the black mist of his mask swirling more rapidly. "She is but a woman, after all. I'm sure a man of your supposed talent wouldn't shrink back from the opportunity to teach her a few things about combat, now would you?"
A light, mocking smile emerged on the lower half of Su Ping's face, visible just beneath the edge of the shadow mask.
The soldiers standing around Henry all bristled, their eyes flashing with rage as they realized they were being openly mocked.
To think that this stranger dared to imply that their young master, a trained noble who had spent his life under the tutelage of the best masters, might be afraid to face a woman was an insult of the highest order.
"As you wish," Henry spat, his face flushing with irritation.
He adjusted his stance, his ego flared to the point of blindness. "Be it dead or living, man or woman, I'll strike them down all the same. I will show you that the Montgomery blood is not to be trifled with. But you must take care to honor your side of the bargain. You must withdraw your forces and leave this viscounty the moment I am victorious in this endeavor, do you understand?"