Chapter 155: Exhibition Duel (Part 1)

Sitting together, the group chatted away the morning without realizing how time had flown.

By this moment, a growing crowd of nobles had gathered around, numbering at least six00.

Although Felix, the governor of Cadero Province, did not attend in person, he had sent his eldest son, Kazak, to offer congratulations.

To put it mildly, virtually all the nobility of Cadero Province were present. Velin even spotted his former neighbor, Baron Cleveland Brandon, from whom he had extracted his very first pot of gold.

Their eyes met, and both caught the hint of amicability in the other's gaze.

Operating within the same faction, unless they were mortal enemies, both sides would naturally avoid bringing up past grievances, at most giving each other a wide berth when their paths crossed.

"Gentlemen and ladies, welcome to the joint banquet hosted by Edgar and myself."

"After fifty years of striving, from a naive greenhorn back then to now reaching the halfway point of life's journey, I have achieved my lifelong goal of elevating my peerage from baron to viscount."

"Here, I must express my gratitude to the help of my lifelong best friend, Algernon Barret. It is safe to say that without him, I would not have achieved what I have today."

Ten minutes later, as Orcott concluded his speech, all the nobles in the banquet hall broke into applause to celebrate the momentous occasion.

Next came Edgar's turn to speak. Standing below, Velin listened attentively to the two generations of struggles undertaken by his uncle, feeling a wave of emotion.

Going from a baron to a viscount meant five or six generations of effort for ordinary lower-tier nobility without fortuitous encounters, and it was certainly not something a noble scion with family backing could achieve in just a dozen or so years.

Velin felt extremely fortunate to have the guidance of destiny, which had granted him extraordinary opportunities to accelerate this process.

"Let us raise our glasses together to toast Viscount Orcott and Viscount Edgar," said Viscount Moncas, the leading figure among the Cadero nobility, as he walked to the center of the venue and smiled at everyone present.

The gathered nobles raised their glasses in unison, offered their blessings, and drank the wine in their cups.

Following that, the formal socializing began. The knights chosen by various noble houses to participate in the exhibition duels moved to the adjacent courtyard to make their preparations.

At half-past two in the afternoon, the servants cleared the center of the banquet area and laid carpets around it.

The rest of the nobles took their seats in order of precedence around the dueling arena.

Velin, accompanied by his cousin Brian, Cassius, and Mordred, sat in a position with an excellent view, waiting for the exhibition duels to commence.

As for Cowell and Alex, they took on the role of hosts for the exhibition duels.

"This exhibition duel features a total of 163 professionals, comprising 113 bronze-tier and fifty silver-tier professionals," Cowell announced calmly and composedly to the assembled nobles, his tone neither servile nor overbearing, which earned a satisfied nod from Orcott.

There was only one rule for the matches: do not take the opponent's life. Under the condition of stopping at the point of contact, participants were to showcase their abilities as fully as possible.

The opening duel featured two silver knights—one representing Viscount Moncas and the other representing Orcott.

Watching the exceptionally refined combat techniques on the stage, Velin had already guessed the outcome.

Ten minutes later, as expected, the knight under his uncle carried the day, winning the victory in the first exhibition duel.

Or perhaps it had been orchestrated by Viscount Moncas; regardless, in the eyes of the many nobles present, the military strength of this newly minted viscount was well-deserved.

As the duels progressed, more and more capable knights with established reputations began to stand out.

"In the next match, Cassius, the knight of StarPrayer Territory, will face Philicia, the knight of WaterLake Territory," Alex announced in a loud voice.

Cassius, the eldest son of Viscount Moncas who was sitting beside Velin, heard the knight sharing his name and looked toward the dueling arena with curiosity.

"Begin."

Hearing Alex's voice, the two drew their swords simultaneously and charged.

The speed and ferocity of Cassius's offensive left Philicia, a female knight who had just entered the mid-silver rank, unable to parry, forcing her to retreat repeatedly and widen the distance between them.

"This is your nephew's knight, truly worthy of systematic training. In terms of combat techniques and battle qi application, he instantly exerts overwhelming pressure on that WaterLake knight," Viscount Moncas said, tilting his head slightly toward Orcott beside him.

Orcott smiled and explained, "My lord, you must understand that my nephew is the son of Lord Angus. The guardian knight chosen for him by his father may lack a bit in innate talent, but his combat comprehension is absolutely top-notch."

"Truly impressive. That WaterLake knight is about to lose."

No sooner had Moncas finished speaking than Cassius delivered a ferocious strike, sending the female knight Philicia flying out of the ring.

"The winner is Cassius, knight of StarPrayer Territory."

On the outer viewing lawn, Brian said in astonishment, "Velin, incredible."

"That Cassius possesses gold-tier potential, I must say. It makes my mouth water with envy," remarked Viscount Moncas's eldest son Cassius with immense envy, his favorable impression of the knight sharing his name increasing tenfold.

"Hahaha, allow me to accept your praises on his behalf," Velin said with a hint of pride. Cassius's crushing defeat of a peer-level knight brought him great glory.

Immediately following that, Doxius overwhelmed his opponent with comparable prowess, bringing widespread fame to StarPrayer Territory and boosting its prestige significantly.

As the sky gradually darkened, the exhibition duels ushered in the final match of the first stage.

"First of all, let us welcome our hero, Lord Devonshire, the Temple Knight of the Cadero Province Church."

Following Cowell's announcement, a middle-aged man with a formidable aura strode vigorously into the center of the dueling arena.

The surrounding young nobles could not help but cheer to celebrate Devonshire's appearance.

Noticing Velin's puzzled expression, Brian leaned over to explain, "Although Devonshire only possesses mid-silver strength, during the thirty years since he became a Temple Knight of the Cadero Church, he has unselfishly guided many young lower-tier nobles, earning him immense prestige among the minor nobility."

"I see," Velin said in sudden enlightenment.

Then, Alex spoke up, "In this world, youthful prodigies always command attention. They possess extraordinary talent and limitless potential. Next, let us welcome Hebrew, the knight of StarPrayer Territory. At only seventeen years of age, he has already attained mid-silver strength."

Upon hearing the introduction of Hebrew, the surrounding minor nobles could not help feeling a twinge of shame.

A moment later, Hebrew stood before Devonshire. Looking at the middle-aged man in front of him, his mood was far from relaxed and cheerful; instead, it felt rather heavy.

"Hoo—I will definitely defeat him."

"Begin."

As soon as Cowell's voice fell, both parties simultaneously unleashed their full strength to fight.

Afterimages of figures, phantoms of long swords, and ripples of battle qi constantly radiating outward made it impossible for the nobles of lesser strength to gaze directly at the dueling arena.

Even Velin had not anticipated that Hebrew had already grown to such a degree.

"Kid, I'm going to pick up the pace," Devonshire said with a hearty laugh, addressing Hebrew.

"Bring it on, strange mister."

Hebrew gripped his knightly sword tightly and calmly accepted the challenge.