...
"A duel?" Owen asked after hearing Shin's explanation.
A moment later, he couldn't help but chuckle. "I guess those guys aren't stupid."
"By requesting a duel, they not only avoid provoking a full-scale war against us, but they can also save face by turning the confrontation into something more acceptable."
He then turned toward Shin and asked, "So~! What conditions did they propose in exchange for accepting this duel?"
Shin merely shrugged. "They're asking for a meeting with the representatives that the Hand of Midas has sent to survey the kingdom's potential business opportunities."
He then pointed toward the area below, where the members of the Desert Bandits were reorganizing themselves. "Those guys are probably curious about what kind of deal Khavin managed to strike with us to secure this level of backing."
