Chapter 523: Act 271 – As You Wish, Lord Marquis
“Sir, please be respectful; this is the Temple of Fire.” Princess Margadale forcefully pulled her hand away, frowning as she looked at the middle-aged man. He had a pale complexion, with loose eye bags hinting at a purplish hue, and an overall look of someone overindulged in drink and pleasure. Dressed in intricately woven clothing that spoke of nobility, he walked with a light step and had a glazed look in his eyes, with even the collar of his shirt improperly buttoned, exposing his sickly pale collarbone and ribs, giving the first impression of a debauched libertine.
When Brendel stepped out of the quiet room, this was the scene he encountered—
In fact, with a glance, he understood what had transpired—Marquis Julian, the cousin of King Obergo VII, and the illegitimate son of the previous king. He was younger than the late King Obergo VII, and although he had a fief, his status was quite delicate. Thus, he spent his days indulging in pleasure and debauchery, rumored to be a roguish figure who had affairs with many ladies from high society, resulting in a very bad reputation among the nobility. However, being closely associated with Prince Liuke and the current king’s elder brother, and having the support of the current matriarch of the Siphai family, most nobles were hesitant to confront him.
Though Brendel couldn’t fathom how this lord had found his way here, he could guess the nature of the situation. At that moment, Marquis Julian noticed him first, turning his head like a venomous snake. “I assume this gentleman is the owner of those two beautiful ladies? I wonder if you would be willing to transfer them to me—”
“Filthy words!” Princess Margadale, well-mannered and composed, managed to restrain herself even under these circumstances. However, her chest rose and fell slightly, clearly furious as she interrupted, “This is a sacred hall; the Ancients watch us from above. Please mind your words and actions, sir!” The nun princess clenched her fists tightly, puzzled about how such a dubious character managed to infiltrate this holy temple.
“Princess Margadale, perhaps you should worry less about others. Do you even know who I am?” Marquis Julian replied with a smirk, “I am the uncle of the future king of this kingdom; I believe you have heard my name before. I have long admired your beauty, and now that I see you, the rumors do not do you justice. Tsk, tsk, this famed flower is one I must possess by any means necessary.”
Margadale bit her silver teeth in anger. Having been educated in the temple since childhood, she was gentle and docile. The people she interacted with were always polite and learned, never before had she encountered such a shameless person. She trembled with rage, unsure how to retaliate, but at that moment, Brendel finally interjected:
“Excuse me, sir, but I believe I didn’t quite catch that. May I ask where my two maidservants are at the moment?” He scanned the surroundings but did not see Antinna or Xi, and recalling the marquis’s notorious reputation, a bad feeling emerged in his heart.
“Oh, they dared to speak out against me, so I ordered one of my men to teach them a lesson. But you can rest assured; I would never harm the beauty’s life. It was just that the little red-haired beauty didn’t know her place, and Kagebo accidentally injured her. It’s really nothing, right? After all, you will soon be transferring them to me. Isn’t it only natural for a noble to educate his maidservants?” Marquis Julian said casually, as if it were Brendel’s fault for the harm done.
“Sir, you need not worry too much. Your companion was injured, but I have already sent someone to take them for treatment—ah!” Princess Margadale couldn’t help but scream, her words cut short as she saw a silver flash fly past the marquis’s cheek— it was a silver dagger. The marquis had never expected Brendel to act so swiftly; even the guards behind him failed to react in time, and a streak of blood now marked his face.
The middle-aged man let out a cry, inhaling sharply. For a moment, he forgot to rage, instead covering his bloody face and yelling, “You dare to ambush a noble? You dare to violate the temple’s laws!”
Princess Margadale was stunned; the core tenets of the Temple of Fire stated that ancient nobles were under protection. Though they could be punished for their wrongdoings, anyone who dared to harm them in secret would be committing an unforgivable sin. Thus, conflicts among nobles usually required elaborate justifications, though there were instances of poisonous betrayals and assassinations, such conduct was generally hidden from public view, and no one had dared to do it openly in the temple.
Margadale initially spoke up, fearing Brendel might act recklessly in a fit of anger, but she didn’t expect her warning to have come too late. She stared at him with wide eyes as she noticed the cold fury in Brendel’s gaze.
Brendel had never been one to have a good temper; no one ever dared speak so lightly of harming his subordinates in his presence. Moreover, as a man, he could not condone the marquis’s actions towards a delicate lady. As a staunch supporter of traditional masculinity, Brendel could not accept Marquis Julian’s practices; in his eyes, this man was the very epitome of someone in need of a proper education.
“You sure know how to throw around accusations, sir,” Brendel replied coldly, “Have I ambushed you?”
“You clearly—” Marquis Julian suddenly turned around, and the dagger Brendel had thrown earlier was now embedded in the pillar at the back of the courtyard, almost piercing completely through, with a white glove stuck to it.
“You…”
Marquis Julian stood there, momentarily dumbfounded. Only then did he realize Brendel had removed a glove and thrown the dagger so quickly that no one in the vicinity noticed the movement—what kind of skill was this? He raised his head to look at Brendel, “Are you challenging me to a duel? Do you know who I am?”
“Who are you?” Brendel feigned surprise, though internally he had already decided to teach the marquis a lesson.
“I am the cousin of the late king! The uncle of the current king! You damn bumpkin!” Marquis Julian roared angrily, his status special; he had been favored by the old king when he was alive, and since he had no interest in the throne, King Obergo VII had let him indulge himself, which resulted in him having enormous privileges. Among the nobility in Erluin, aside from a few powerful dukes, no one dared provoke him. Of course, Marquis Julian would not be foolish enough to seek trouble with those formidable dukes, so throughout decades of his debauched life, he had rarely faced any setbacks.
Even injuries he had sustained were few and far between, and this was the first time someone else had managed to harm him.
The marquis gazed at Brendel with malicious resentment, speaking coldly, “You are dead!”
“Ah!” Brendel pretended to be startled, “You say you are the current king’s uncle. Could it be you are that Marquis Julian?”
“Indeed! So, bumpkin, do you still want to duel me?” Marquis Julian thought Brendel was frightened, a cruel smile creeping onto his face, “But it’s too late for you to have regrets now. I will make you witness what hell looks like; your women will see how you beg for mercy before them, writhing in pain!”
“Lord Marquis, watch your words!” Princess Margadale finally responded, resolved to help Brendel. Although she did not know his identity, she found Marquis Julian’s actions utterly repulsive. As a princess of the duchy, closely tied to the temple, Margadale still held a certain influence in this ancient kingdom.
However, neither of them anticipated that at that moment, Brendel would mentally curse, not having expected that the marquis would actually climb the ladder of arrogance. Although he had heard of this marquis’s scattered rumors in the Amber Sword, he did not expect that the level of his foolishness would exceed his expectations upon seeing him in person. He looked at the man, whose veins stood out, and couldn’t help but feel a bit sorrowful, thinking this might be the most foolish opponent he had encountered since arriving in this world.
“Can’t you act your age? You’re in your forties or so; must you be so juvenile? Can’t you refrain from being so melodramatic?” Brendel couldn’t help but shake his head. He stood in front of the princess while casually replying, “No, I think you misunderstand, Lord Marquis. I would never dare to duel with you. I’ve heard about you being a waste in noble circles; dueling with you would only tarnish my reputation.”
The moment these words left Brendel’s mouth, the courtyard fell eerily silent, the sea breeze from Ampere Seale rustling through the flowers and trees, creating a crisp sound.
Princess Margadale, Marquis Julian, and his subordinates all stopped, gaping at the young man as if they had just heard an illusion. It took Marquis Julian a long time to process that Brendel had been mocking him all along. The arrogant nobleman nearly exploded with rage, immediately roaring without grace, “Kagebo, duel him!”
In Erluin and Cruz, the nobility had long been infected by a life of indulgence, and they no longer resembled the knights of a century ago, who all possessed exceptional swordsmanship. However, the culture of duels still flourished among the upper nobility, and in order to cope with rivals or external challenges, it had become a recognized rule for nobles to have their personal servants fight duels on their behalf. Thus, there was nothing inappropriate about Marquis Julian issuing this command at this moment.
Brendel, with no servants by his side, had to draw his sword. He raised his head and immediately saw a large swordsman stepping out from behind Marquis Julian. Brendel’s heart sank. Although he had purposely enraged the marquis to provoke him into action, he did not feel an ounce of disdain for him. From the description of this marquis, it was clear that Xi had likely been injured by this servant of his; one should know that while Xi’s combat skills were a bit lacking, she still possessed peak golden strength. The fact that the opponent could effortlessly take on Xi indicated that he at least possessed substantial elemental manifestations.
Speaking of elemental manifestations, only a few had that kind of strength in Erluin. When the swordsman emerged, Brendel recognized him right away.
It was none other than him—
Eagle Dejyar, a man renowned alongside the cross-handed Buga and the silver knight Sylphy, known as one of the Three Swordsmen of Anlek. However, unlike Buga, he and Sylphy served under Duke Anlek, so how could he be with Marquis Julian at this moment?
Brendel was slightly taken aback.
…
(Originally planned to update twice, but had some issues come up; so here’s one chapter for now. Thank you to everyone in the group…) (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to support it on Qidian (qidian.com), your support is my greatest motivation.)
