"That's about it."
After explaining the whole thing all over again, Luke casually picked up a glass of juice and took a couple of sips.
"Heh."
After hearing him out, Fiora shot him a glance, let out two cold little laughs, then turned and walked away.
From those two quiet laughs, Luke could vaguely hear the exact same kind of snide sarcasm Miss Crownguard had been using earlier.
Then the moment he turned his head, he met Kahina's gaze.
"..."
At the same time, on the other side of the banquet hall, Ammdar was seated at a table with several friends from the capital, chatting and laughing over drinks.
"Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, you've become a swordsman ranked in the Sword Hall." One finely dressed young man sighed with emotion, lifting his wineglass with a smile toward Ammdar across from him.
"I only made the rankings recently. There are still far too many people ahead of me who are stronger than I am."
Ammdar answered modestly, raising his own glass and lightly clinking it against the other man's.
Beside him, another friend laughed. "Come on, quit being modest. You made the rankings at your age. It won't be long before you're near the top."
"Exactly," another chimed in flatteringly. "Out of all of us, you're the only one who made the Sword Hall rankings."
In High Silvermere, there was a place known as the Sword Hall.
Almost every swordsman in Demacia, whether famous or obscure, gathered there.
For swordsmen, that place carried extraordinary significance.
Over its long history, the Sword Hall had witnessed the rise and fall of countless great swordsmen.
And to countless duelists, it was also a sacred place for duels.
Many enormously significant matches had been fought there.
Within the Sword Hall was a ranking board that sorted swordsmen by age, strength, and battle record, all under a fair and impartial standard.
Every swordsman took pride in having their name on that board, but since it brought together swordsmen from all across Demacia, it was easy to imagine how difficult it was just to make the rankings at all.
There was no need to mention how much weight came with being near the top.
Ammdar's father, the current head of House Laurent, Sébastien, had once stood at number one on the Sword Hall rankings during the height of his glory. In those days, he had been unmatched in fame, his swift sword earning him a fearsome reputation.
And yet, he had not remained on the board for very long.
An invasion had brought that brilliant, high-spirited swordsman to an end like a firework in full bloom, dazzling, brilliant, but brief.
Ammdar swallowed the wine in his cup in one gulp, and a firm light flashed through his eyes.
Making it onto the Sword Hall rankings was only the beginning for him.
What he truly meant to do was reclaim the honor that had once belonged to his father, and to House Laurent.
That was the goal he had set for himself when he was still very young.
"You're Ammdar Laurent, aren't you?"
Just then, a figure approached.
"You are?" Ammdar looked up at the newcomer. Standing before him was a young man dressed in foreign clothing, with short black hair and a scar across his face, one that looked very much like a sword wound.
From him, Ammdar could feel a sharpness as keen as a drawn blade.
At a glance, he could tell this man was definitely an expert with the sword.
And yet those eyes of his were unusually cold.
"My name is Hughes Francis. I wonder whether you've ever heard that surname before."
Hughes introduced himself in a calm voice.
"Francis..."
Ammdar thought about it for a moment. The name did sound vaguely familiar, but he could not quite place it.
"Can't remember? That's fine."
Hughes calmly pulled a white handkerchief from the pocket at his chest and flicked it toward Ammdar's face. "By Demacian custom, this counts as issuing a challenge, correct?"
The handkerchief struck Ammdar in the face first, then drifted slowly toward the floor.
Looking at the falling cloth, Ammdar paused for a second. "A challenge?"
"That's right. I, Hughes Francis, formally challenge you, Ammdar Laurent, to a duel."
Hughes stared straight at Ammdar, and a strange, unmistakable hatred flashed through his eyes.
Ammdar felt puzzled. Hughes was clearly one of the visitors from an allied nation, so why was he challenging him to a duel?
One of Ammdar's friends frowned and said, "We don't even know who you are. Why should he accept your challenge?"
Another added, "And besides, he's the eldest son of House Laurent. What gives you the right to challenge him?"
"Even if you're from an allied kingdom, you can't just make a scene like this."
Several of them frowned at Hughes, whose expression remained calm from beginning to end.
By now, the commotion had drawn plenty of attention. The surrounding nobles began gathering around.
Among them were Sébastien and Elma, along with several younger members and elders of House Laurent.
"What's going on over there?"
Kahina, who had been chatting with Luke, noticed the stir and looked over curiously.
"Let's go take a look."
Interested, Luke headed that way as well.
As more and more people gathered, they all saw the white handkerchief on the floor and immediately understood what it meant.
One elderly member of House Laurent said sternly, "Where did this upstart come from? Throwing out a challenge without so much as an explanation."
Another elder beside him barked, "Today is National Day. How can we allow you to behave so recklessly?"
Aside from the Laurent family, most of the other nobles merely watched with the air of people enjoying a show.
Faced with so many eyes on him, Hughes remained perfectly calm and said, "I am the eldest son of House Francis of Skaggorn. Joseph Francis was my father. Does that bring anything to mind for the Laurents?"
At the mention of the name Francis, Sébastien's expression changed.
The two elders also seemed to remember something.
Among the surrounding nobles, some seemed to find the surname faintly familiar as well.
At that moment, Sébastien stepped forward and looked at Hughes. "I remember him. Joseph... Is he doing well now?"
"He's dead."
Hughes looked at Sébastien, and the hatred in his eyes deepened. His voice turned even colder. "He died in the second month after returning home."
Sébastien froze. "What..."
"I understand. After all, the names of the weak aren't worth remembering."
Hughes spoke in a steady voice. "But that's fine. I'm standing here today to take back everything my father lost in this place. When I came to Demacia this time, I had planned to challenge you. But..."
As he spoke, he glanced at Sébastien's leg, then shifted his gaze to Ammdar. "I can only take a step back and challenge your son instead."
Ammdar met his eyes and saw the kind of look that seemed intent on taking everything from him.
At that moment, someone in the crowd suddenly remembered.
"I remember now. Fifteen years ago, one of the envoys who came to Demacia had the surname Francis."
"Now that you mention it, I think I remember too."
"That duel back then... I remember it now as well."
As voice after voice in the crowd recalled the past, the events of that year slowly took shape again.
Because fifteen years ago, it had been quite a famous matter.
That same year's national celebration, the envoy Skaggorn had sent was a man named Joseph Francis.
He had been a fairly well-known swordsman in Skaggorn, and after arriving in the royal capital, he had challenged the then-rising and widely celebrated Sébastien to a duel.
Sébastien had had no reason to refuse.
So, with Jarvan III, his friend, serving as witness, the duel between him and the foreign envoy began.
The meaning of that duel had been different.
If the number-one swordsman of the Sword Hall had been defeated by a foreign envoy, it would have been humiliating beyond words.
So Sébastien could not lose.
And he did not lose.
To be fair, Joseph truly had been a powerful swordsman, but in front of Sébastien at the peak of his strength, he still was not enough.
It had been a magnificent duel, one many people in the crowd had now begun remembering again.
Naturally, it ended in Joseph's defeat. But during the course of it, one problem had occurred.
The young, hot-blooded Sébastien had not left Joseph even the slightest shred of dignity. Not only had he crushed him, he had also humiliated him with his words afterward.
When the duel ended, Joseph departed Demacia with the envoy delegation and returned home.
As for what happened after that, people did not know.
"After he returned home, he never recovered from the loss. Skaggorn stripped him of all his posts because of it, and in the second month after returning, he died in despair."
Even now, Hughes could vividly remember the humiliation this man had dealt his father. In a cold voice, he said, "Now I'm going to take back everything he lost here. Ammdar, do you dare accept my challenge?"
Looking at the hatred flashing in Hughes's eyes, Sébastien let out a sigh.
He said nothing and instead left the choice to Ammdar.
Back then, after Joseph's defeat, he really had humiliated him.
He had never imagined the man would sink into despair because of it, let alone die that way in the end.
He remembered Hughes. When Joseph had come to Demacia back then, Hughes had been a very small child traveling with him.
In truth, there had been more to that old incident than the public knew.
Joseph had not challenged him out of admiration.
That duel had happened because of an argument after drinking.
Drunk, Joseph had spoken rudely to Sébastien's wife, Elma, his words full of lewd teasing, and had even tried to lay hands on her.
Furious at the sight, Sébastien had kicked Joseph away on the spot, then formally challenged him to a fair duel.
Drunk as he was, Joseph had agreed without hesitation.
But a duel was a sacred matter. Once accepted, it could not be taken back.
So the very next day, under Jarvan III's witness, the duel began.
It had drawn a great many spectators. Joseph had possessed some real skill, but he was no match for Sébastien.
And after winning, still burning with anger, Sébastien had directly humiliated him.
That left Joseph utterly disgraced. He had lost face not only in front of the many envoys, but in front of the Demacians as well.
The very next day, he followed the envoy delegation back home.
Since he had been a representative envoy of Skaggorn, and to preserve the dignity of an allied kingdom, Jarvan III and Sébastien had decided to conceal the true cause of the incident.
But plenty of people had seen the humiliation after the duel.
Including Joseph's son, Hughes.
In the eyes of the young Hughes at the time, all he had seen was his deeply admired father being utterly crushed, then humiliated by his opponent.
His father's dignity had fallen to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Then, less than two months after they returned home, his father died in despair.
From that moment on, Hughes's childhood no longer had a father in it.
The blow that dealt to him at such a young age had been tremendous.
And so, it planted a seed of hatred.
From the night his father died, he had sworn in his heart that one day, he would take back everything his father had lost.
One Laurent elder said, "Ammdar, there's no need for you to agree to this."
Another elder added, "Defeat in a duel is a normal thing. If this sort of challenge keeps repeating itself again and again, then wouldn't that strip dueling of its original purpose?"
When duels had first been established, their purpose had been to settle all grudges through a gentlemanly, public, and fair contest.
The moment two people stepped onto the platform, whether one or both walked away from it at the end, the grudge between them was considered settled.
What had happened between Joseph and Sébastien had been resolved in that duel fifteen years ago.
Joseph's death in despair after returning home had been his own problem.
Ammdar had absolutely no need to accept a duel that offered him no benefit whatsoever.
But as he looked at the stubborn resolve in Hughes's eyes, Ammdar slowly bent down, picked up the white handkerchief from the floor, and looked toward the two elders and his father with a smile.
"This is something I have to go through too, isn't it?"
Then he turned back to Hughes, and his expression grew serious.
"I accept your challenge. I'll allow you the chance to reclaim your father's honor."
He truly had no reason to agree to the duel.
But by the same token, he had no reason to refuse.
A powerful swordsman would never run from a battle.
And defending the honor of the family was something he, as the eldest son of House Laurent, was supposed to do.
He could tell that Hughes standing before him was a powerful swordsman.
Then defeating him was simply part of the road he himself had to walk.
Just then, Jarvan III arrived after hearing about the matter, and the crowd parted to open a path for him.
Hughes looked at him, dropped to one knee, lowered his head, and said, "Your Majesty, I ask that you witness this duel just as you did back then."
Jarvan III looked at the white handkerchief now in Ammdar's hand and nodded. "Since he has picked up the handkerchief, the contract of the duel is already in effect. As you ask, I will witness this duel. What is the opinion of the envoy from Skaggorn?"
His gaze shifted to the Skaggorn representative standing nearby.
The envoy cleared his throat and said, "My deepest apologies, Your Majesty. I truly did not know Hughes intended to do this on his own."
"No matter. Demacia permits all fair duels."
Jarvan III's tone remained calm and easygoing.
Hearing that, the envoy said, "Since the duel contract is already in effect, then I will speak for our side. We guarantee strict compliance with all Demacian rules. And as the challenger, Hughes Francis, whether he lives or dies in this duel, that will be his own affair."
The envoy was not trying to distance himself from Hughes by saying that.
He was making the kingdom's position clear to Jarvan III: whatever the outcome of the duel, it would not escalate the matter any further.
Jarvan III nodded. "Today is National Day. In that case, your duel will be held two days from now. Do either of you object?"
"No objection," Hughes answered immediately.
Ammdar lowered his head as well. "No objection."
And just like that, the duel was set.
Two days from now.
Many of the nobles present showed a great deal of interest.
After all, something like this was a rare bit of excitement.
Several elders of House Laurent wore helpless looks after seeing Ammdar accept.
After all, this duel was taking place under the witness of so many nobles.
That gave it a completely different weight.
If they won, House Laurent would gain little from it.
But if they lost...
Sébastien, however, said nothing more after seeing Ammdar agree. He simply gave him an encouraging look.
Elma, too, believed in her son completely.
From within the crowd, Fiora glanced once at Ammdar, then at Hughes, then withdrew her gaze and turned to leave.
Luke also pulled his eyes back. Having gotten his fill of the spectacle, he casually found a seat and sat down.
As the banquet continued, word of the duel between Ammdar and Hughes spread further and further.
By then, nearly every noble present had heard about it.
And naturally, they all began discussing it.
After the duel was confirmed, Hughes left the banquet.
Ammdar, however, stayed, seated among his friends.
"If you ask me, that guy doesn't look like anything special."
"With your skill, Ammdar, you'll beat him in a few moves."
"Exactly. I trust Ammdar's strength."
Several of his friends spoke with easy smiles, their tone relaxed.
"That's enough for today. I need to go back and prepare."
Ammdar drained the last mouthful from his glass, stood up, and excused himself.
Seeing how serious he was, his friends did not try to keep him any longer.
So it was not long before Ammdar also left the banquet.
Their departure did nothing to cool the buzz around the duel. The nobles treated it like after-dinner conversation, chatting about it at leisure.
From the events of fifteen years ago, they moved to the present, and then to House Laurent as it stood now.
Of course, they did not say too much about the family.
After all, the Laurents themselves were still right there.
House Laurent had once been a dazzling and unmatched family of swordsmen, but now, it had to be admitted, they had been in decline for a long time.
Ever since Sébastien's era, no one in that family had appeared who made people feel truly amazed as a swordsman.
When a great house that took pride in its swordsmanship no longer had anything worthy of being shown in that very field, it meant that the family was not far from falling.
And in order to stop that from happening, House Laurent had clearly been working hard all these years.
Now, they had poured all of their hopes into the eldest son, Ammdar.
It could be said that every word he spoke and every move he made represented the future of House Laurent.
That was why the elders were still somewhat angry that he had rashly agreed to the duel today.
But the contract had already taken effect, and there was no turning back now.
They did not want to place any more pressure on Ammdar, so they began thinking of other ways to handle the situation.
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