“Seems like people from the Empire can’t handle their liquor.”

Karol took a sip from his glass, then suddenly realized he was drinking alone and set it down.

“Drinking alone just isn’t fun.”

Pingbalgei and Duke Luktis had already passed out, long since drunk.

The only one still somewhat coherent, Sharon, had stood up with a cold expression and gone to the bathroom, but she hadn’t returned yet.

“……”

By now, the night had grown deep.

“Guess I’ve wasted today.”

Karol shrugged slightly, but Duke Luktis showed no signs of waking.

He had been planning to talk about the job change before Sharon returned, but with things going this way, it seemed the opportunity for the day was lost.

“...Well, it’s not something that would be solved just by talking.”

Karol decided to enjoy the silence of the moment while nibbling on some snacks. He still had a chance to communicate with the Duke, and Sharon was likely to return soon. Maybe he should order more food?

It was at that moment.

Ding-ding—

The small bell on the door rang.

For a moment, Karol thought Sharon had returned, but as soon as he heard the sound, he realized that an unexpected guest had entered.

It wasn’t the sound of female footsteps.

“……”

“……”

The heavy sound of footsteps approached, bringing with it an ominous presence.

The man was crossing the bar and knocking over tables that were in his way, as though he didn’t care. Was he from a wealthy family?

At any rate, he was at least two heads taller than Karol.

“Hmm...?”

At that moment, Karol raised his hand casually to call for a servant, only to instinctively grab a chair that came flying toward him.

Chills ran down his spine.

Was this what they called an anomaly?

“Oh, not bad.”

“...?”

“You snatched that without even looking.”

Karol would’ve liked to order more snacks, but the waitress couldn’t come near in this situation.

The intruder kicked Karol’s table over with his foot. Plates crashed to the ground, and the wineglass rolled across the floor.

“I challenge the warrior of the North to a duel!”

“A duel, huh?”

Karol smiled bitterly.

How long had it been since he had been challenged like this in a city?

‘But there was no need to kick over my table.’

Karol scanned the man’s body quickly, feeling his blood starting to boil.

A duel was a serious matter. It was a sacred fight where both sides risked their lives to determine who was superior. Unlike training duels with coordinated moves, a true battle for supremacy would yield far more efficient stat increases.

‘This is good luck.’

He hadn’t been able to work on his stats today, so this unexpected challenge felt like a stroke of good fortune. This guy had to be a real man.

Curious about his opponent’s identity, Karol asked.

“I’m Kalcas, warrior of the Eastern Kingdom.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Karol.”

“You’re the first to say that...?”

“Do you know me...?”

Kalcas looked shocked, and Karol was confused.

Was he some famous idol from the East? But his face didn’t look like one of those idol types.

“Seems you’re unforgivable.”

Whether he forgave Karol or not, Karol frowned and took a step back.

Kalcas reeked of something foul.

“This bastard...!”

“Excuse me, sir.”

Sharon might return any moment now.

Karol raised his hand to order food before responding to the duel.

Crash!

Suddenly, a thunderous sound erupted.

“Hahaha!”

Kalcas’s fist hit Karol’s skull with full force.

Karol thought the duel would start only once both sides acknowledged it, but here he was, taking the first hit.

“How dare you mock me!”

Bang! Smash! Bang! Bang!

The relentless assault continued. Even after Karol had collapsed, Kalcas kept throwing vicious punches.

“You never know a person’s true nature. Turns out this bastard’s a coward.”

“Hah... Hah…”

Finally, Kalcas felt a sense of satisfaction when he felt Karol’s spine break under his blows.

“Is it over already?”

“……”

“Hah! A knight is nothing special after all.”

Kalcas, feeling lighter, spat at Karol and tapped his ear.

“Necromancer. I’ve secured Duke Luktis.”

“......”

“Hey, are you listening?”

“......”

“Hey, answer me!”

Because the communication was unstable, Kalcas’s expression darkened.

Though the situation had gone smoothly thanks to meeting a weakling, this was still Winterwolf territory.

Soldiers or knights might rush to the tavern if they heard the ruckus. Kalcas wanted to hear his partner’s evacuation plans before dealing with the target.

‘I can’t die in a place like this.’

If the necromancer didn’t provide a clear escape route, Kalcas had intended to use the Duke as a hostage while crossing the border.

“Respond, necromancer.”

“......”

“Hey!”

Then, for some reason, the communication became even more unstable.

The sound of magical dissonance echoed in his ears.

‘S... Save me…’

At that moment, Kalcas heard a faint voice. He didn’t miss the signal and shouted.

“What?”

“......”

“Say it louder!”

“......”

The broken voice finally cut off, and the magical signal was completely lost.

Kalcas stomped in frustration.

“Damn it, necromancers...”

Now with no other choice, Kalcas decided to go ahead and take the Duke alive, even if it meant defying his commander’s orders.

His partner was a talented necromancer, but it was always good to be prepared for contingencies.

Just as Kalcas reached for the Duke’s body...

“Oh no, looks like the knight’s table is broken.”

“......?”

“Hey, kid, go to the warehouse and bring a new table.”

“Sure! Please wait a moment!”

Kalcas began to sense something was wrong with the peaceful atmosphere of the tavern.

‘What is going on here...?’

…The bartender was calmly wiping glasses.

...The waitress was casually cleaning the floor.

Even though a knight had collapsed in a pool of blood, everyone remained astonishingly calm.

‘Don’t they fear me...?’

“Do you know how to treat other people’s property? You don’t even pay taxes.”

“......!”

At that moment, Kalcas twisted his head as he heard a voice that shouldn’t have been there.

“You, how...!”

He staggered back as though he had seen a ghost.

Karol, with his body in tatters, was casually cracking his neck. It was a sight that defied all common sense.

‘Anyone else would have been dead by now from those wounds. How is he still standing?’

Kalcas was certain he had crushed the man’s skull and broken his spine, damaging his nervous system.

This could only be explained by the involvement of a necromancer manipulating his body directly.

‘Oh, crap.’

Meanwhile, Karol, adjusting his dislocated jaw, was lost in a sad thought.

‘Damn it. Now I’m going to have to pay for all this with my own money.’

For a young man dreaming of a second life in the Empire, money was more precious than blood.

He was still stuck in the North, and the only consolation he had was the salary provided by the country, which he received faithfully every month. But now, this idiot had ruined everything.

“My muscles feel like they’re tearing apart.”

“...Normally, you’d say your chest is tearing, wouldn’t you?”

“Now even a little brat is trying to teach me.”

Kalcas, who had been responding with sarcasm, was starting to irritate Karol.

Karol was a calculating man.

If unexpected costs arose, something should at least be gained in return.

“You hit me pretty hard earlier.”

“......”

“I hope that wasn’t your full power.”

“What...?”

“Alright. I’ve made my decision.”

Then Karol, without hesitation, pulled off Pingbalgei’s pants and handed one leg to Kalcas.

“We’ll settle this duel with this.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s simple. The rule is you must not let go of the pants in your hand and be the first to knock your opponent down. The loser must forfeit their life, no excuses.”

“Ha, how childish.”

“If you came to the North, you should follow our way.”

Karol wasn’t a thug, he was a knight.

In a situation where he didn’t know when Duke Luktis might wake up, street fights like this, which were typically the domain of gangsters, were definitely not his style.

Every knight had his own ego.

No matter what others said, fighting with honor and leaving no regrets was the knightly way Karol pursued.

And if he could rack up some stats in the process, that would be even better.

“Warriors from the Eastern Kingdom have quite the sharp tongues.”

“…Interesting. I’ll accept your challenge.”

To Karol’s surprise, Kalcas agreed to the childish game.

He was the greatest warrior from the East, and he was genuinely intrigued by Karol, the knight.

There was a certain nobility in the words Karol spoke, and Kalcas had a feeling that if he missed this moment, he would regret it later.

Without a doubt, this was a madman who couldn’t be found anywhere else on the continent.

“Shall we begin?”

“......!!”

The first blow was already Karol’s to take, after receiving a surprise attack.

Boom!

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