"Hey! Stop being this lousy!"

"I-I am trying, brother…!"

Slash! Slash! Stab! Swing!

Rowan swung his sword in multiple directions as Ren tried his absolute best to avoid all the strikes.

Despite his fast movements, Ren was barely able to escape. Shallow cuts started appearing on his well-maintained body, and small beads of blood dripped from those cuts.

"Huff… hufff… stop…"

Struggling to breathe, his body hit the ground and rolled several times before stopping.

"Agh..!" Ren groaned in pain, holding his right shoulder. Looking up, he saw Rowan, his elder cousin looking down at him, pointing his silver blade at his throat.

"Three minutes twenty-one seconds," Rowan muttered in a cold tone. "That's even worse than before."

There was a clear view of frustration displayed on Rowan's face; he looked a bit more annoyed than usual.

"Stand up," he said, retracting his blade from Ren's face.

"Yes…" Ren nodded in submission. He used his medium-length double-edged sword as a support to lift his body up.

"Great. Take a position. This time, try lasting for less than three minutes." Rowan said, walking backwards from Ren.

Today was the day when the emblem ceremony was supposed to take place, but due to recent incidents occurring back to back, it was rescheduled to a later time.

And just like usual, Ren and Layla were supposed to have their regular training session with their father Darius.

Darius was now watching Ren and Rowan having a duel, standing beside his daughter Layla.

Till yesterday, everything was going smoothly and perfectly between Ren and Rowan. They were good to each other.

Until they heard the news about Leon's Light affinity yesterday evening.

They could not believe their ears.

How could they?

A person, especially Leon of all people, possessing an affinity of Myth was not something anyone could ever think of even in their dreams.

But both of them heard everyone talking about it, so it must be true.

Even the Duke seemed tense by the news, and he had been acting strange ever since.

The King even called him at midnight. And not to forget, the second princess took a stance for Leon, and declared her absolute support for him in every turn of his life.

That was the main triggering point for Rowan.

How could she be? She had not even looked at him properly, not even once with real attention, and she dared to say all those things on Leon's behalf.

Rowan was furious inside. To him, Leon felt like a slap on his face.

Every time he pictured Leon and Eula standing together, shoulder to shoulder in front of the kingdom, irritation burned in his chest.

"I am ready." Ren said.

Rowan looked at Ren as he held his blade in a proper stance. He was relieving his anger on Ren today.

Leon was not here, and Ren would not even complain if he got hurt in the process. To Ren, it was all part of training. Part of Rowan teaching him his technique.

But Rowan was not teaching today, but he was venting.

Rowan launched toward Ren without warning. His feet tore across the ground in a blur.

Ren barely lifted his sword before Rowan's strike collided with it.

"Guahh–!!"

The force sent vibrations rushing up Ren's arms.

"W-wait, Brother, not so fast…!" Ren stumbled back, as his boots scraped against the soil.

Rowan did not hear him. Or maybe he did and simply ignored it.

Another attack came from the left. Ren twisted, but Rowan's sweep caught the edge of his blade and sent him off balance.

"...?!"

Ren's feet crossed awkwardly. Before he could recover, Rowan stepped in again.

Slam–!

Ren fell face first once again, his cheek hitting the ground with a dull thud.

"Aghh..! Brother… stop for a second…" Ren groaned, pushing himself up with trembling arms.

Rowan only looked down at him with an expression that had no patience in it. His brows were pulled down, his jaw tight, and his irritation was practically leaking out of him.

Ren thought he understood why Rowan was acting like this. He thought Rowan was annoyed because Ren was not keeping up with him, even though Rowan had told him he would go a little easier this time.

But Rowan was far from easy. He was not even holding back today. He was swinging with all his frustration. And Ren was simply the closest target.

Rowan tightened his grip around his sword.

"Stand up." He said in a tone colder than before.

Ren flinched at the command. He slowly picked himself off the floor again.

But Rowan was already stepping forward for the next strike before Ren got the time to think.

"You leak intent with every swing. What a sorry sight."

A familiar yet irritating voice reached Rowan's ear. His stance held mid position.

Rowan turned his head to the source, and as seeing him, his face scoffed in pure disgust and irritation.

"Leon." He growled, glaring at his smug expression.

Walking past Layla, and Darius who was watching their duel, Leon walked up to Rowan and stood face to face with him.

Both of his hands inside his coat, he first looked at Rowan, then at Ren.

Ren was huffing as he tried to steady his breathing. His clothes were torn at several places. His scratched skin was visible under the fabric, it was bruised and lightly bleeding. Covered in mud, he looked like a beggar if one were to overlook his pretty face.

"You do not look in a good shape for someone who is about to receive a family emblem this evening."

Ren flinched.

His gaze shifted away from Leon immediately. He wanted to snap at him, but he could not. He remembered how his Aunt, Duchess Ezra, had been praising Leon since last night. He remembered how his own mother had looked almost envious of her.

It was frustrating to watch, yet he could not do anything against it.

"What do you want?" Rowan asked sharply.

Leon shifted his eyes to him and replied without any hesitation.

"Do you not think you are going a bit overboard?"

"What did you say?"

Rowan's expression twisted the moment he heard that.

Leon could almost see a vein forming on his forehead.

Rowan Valentine was an egoistic bastard from the start, and Leon already knew how to provoke him with the least effort.

Leon stepped closer and looked at Ren again.

"Do you not feel idiotic being treated like this?" Leon asked calmly. "Or is your head filled with shit today?"

Ren scoffed under his breath, but unlike Rowan, he did not dare raise his voice.

"I am training," Ren muttered weakly, averting his eyes.

"Heh," Leon corrected him."You are being used as a stress bag."

Rowan clicked his tongue.

"Why did you return this early? You are supposed to be at the Palace."

Leon shrugged lightly. "I had to leave early. But worry not brother, Princess Eula insisted I rest and come back whenever I wished to be."

Rowan went silent at that.

His jaw tightened and he felt like throwing a punch at his face.

Leon ignored Rowan completely and kept his eyes on Ren.

"You said you are training?" Leon asked, tilting his head as if genuinely curious. "Then let me see how much he has trained you."

Ren blinked, confused. The next second, he saw Leon undo his coat and toss it lightly toward Layla.

"Huh?" Layla flinched but caught it instinctively.

Rowan stared at Leon, but Leon only gave him a sideways glance.

"You do not mind if I test your temporary stress bag, do you?" Leon asked calmly.

The mockery was so clear Rowan felt his grip tighten. He did not reply. Instead, he shot Ren a glare sharp enough to slice his skin.

It was a silent warning.

'Do not even think of accepting.'

Ren gulped when he saw that look. His throat tightened and his fingers trembled around his sword.

"I am sorry," Ren said in a stuttering voice. "But I am tired today. And I still have the ceremony to attend."

Leon tilted his head slowly.

"What is this?" Leon asked. "And here I expected a nice duel."

His tone was almost disappointing. "You know, we never had a duel before."

That part was true. Ren had always been pushed toward Layla or Rowan whenever he visited Valentine Dukedome.

"Get up," Leon said again.

Ren looked up instinctively, and the moment his eyes met Leon's, his body froze.

Leon's golden eyes were glowing. A strange pressure wrapped around Ren's mind. Before he could think, Ren stood up in a robotic motion and lifted his blade.

Leon nodded in satisfaction. "Good."

His eyes continued glowing faintly as he adjusted his glasses.

Then Leon looked at Rowan.

"Now brother, he agreed. So if you kindly stand at the sides..."

Rowan's eyes widened.

'Ren accepted? What happened to him? Why did he follow Leon's words so blindly?'

Before Rowan could form any words, Leon spoke again.

"How about this, Ren," Leon said casually. "If I win, you will hand over the Valentine emblem to me today."

Rowan stepped forward immediately.

"What the hell are you saying?"

Leon continued without looking at him.

"And if I lose, then I will revoke my family name right here."

"...?!" Layla gasped, and so did Rowan.

"A fair deal no?" Leon said smiling.

Darius took a step forward. "Leon…what are you saying?"

Rowan looked at Ren again, expecting him to reject it, expecting him to say something sensible. He knew that Ren would lose. Leon ranked second in first year, and that's not even a joke. Ren would get crushed.

But Ren said, "I accept."

"Are you crazy?!" Rowan snapped.

Leon grinned.

The glow in his eyes faded as he deactivated Command of Grace.

"Great," Leon said. "Then let us start."

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