Chapter 9: A challenge

  Corantin mind slowly came back to the present after reminiscing over his schooling years. He set his sights back on the woman, still on all fours before him. The fury on her face had been repced with utter shock.

  “So self-procimed ‘sister’ mind telling me your name?” taunted Corantin.

  “Master, I think she might be my twin sister. But I haven’t seen her since I was captured, so I never talked about her,” replied Emily.

  “Ah really? Well, ‘sister’ what is your name?” Corantin asked again.

  After an awkward silence the woman finally got back on her feet.

  “Vallerie. My name is Vallerie!”, decred the knightess.

  Without a word Corantin watch his maid’s reaction.

  “Master, this is indeed my sister’s name. It seems she really is her,” replied Emily.

  “You heard her. Give her back,” exploded Vallerie.

  “She already said she doesn’t want to leave. Why do you bring that up again?” answered the young man.

  “Because she’s my sister! I want to be with her, moron!”, screamed the woman gripping her sword.

  “Hum, if you want to fight, I may have a proposition for you. Even better regardless of the results, you’ll get to stay with your sister!”, said Corantin pyfully.

  “Err, fine I’m listening.”

  “Alright, it’s simple. We’ll have a duel. If you win; Emily leaves with you, I’ll free her from her oath. If I win; you become my sve for 3 months.”

  “Grrrrr,” grumble the knightess.

  Noticing her hesitation, Corantin added to his previous offer to entice her, “Why don’t you agree? At best you win and leave with your sister. At worst you live with her for three months while serving me and you can challenge me again once the term is done.”

  Huff “Fine. Draw your sword, fiend!” shouted the woman, unsheathing the sword at her hips while raising her shield.

  “No, we’ll fight in three days. That way we will both be prepared. I don’t want you to compin about being tired from beating my men. I will ignore today’s disturbance for now, but should you do any more trouble in town before we fight. I’ll throw you in jail and will consider the duel forfeited,” said Corantin as he heard a chuckle behind him.

  The chuckle was obviously from Emily’s that understood this duel was a trap. No human woman could hope to defeat Corantin thanks to his lewd magic. In the st two years, it had become way stronger due to their daily sex sessions. Therefore, her sister which should not be any stronger than a normal insara mage had no chances against her master. As for a rematch, she had no doubt that her sister would be on her knees swearing servitude to Corantin before the three months were over.

  “Approved, use these three days well. I’ve heard you southern nobles are just good with your words. Train well for the next days, but don’t cry unfair when I knock you don’t on the floor in a single strike,” taunted the woman. She was seemingly unaware that was only true for central nobles not all nobles living far from the frontier with Cydonia.

  ***

  Hours ter, it was now te afternoon. While Corantin was supposed to inspect his troops, but the impending duel had changed his pns and he had spent all afternoon training.

  Sending his weapon back to the armory, Corantin pecked at Emily. Since they graduated from the academy, she had dedicated all the free time she had to learn how to fight. Corantin, who much like is father, preferred woman with fangs had encouraged her. Since she had great affinity for earth element, he had advocated for her to learn brawling like most earth mage did. Most earth mage used their element to mitigate incoming blows and then use their fist or blunt weapon wrapped in rocks they created to smash their opponent wards. When her own exchange ended, Emily trotted to Corantin, handing a towel she had grabbed from seemingly nowhere as she reached him.

  “That was pretty good, Emily,” said Corantin, before wiping the sweat from his face.

  “Hopefully we can start practicing with magic soon to see how’s your progress,” he added, after cleaning his face.

  A few months ago, when Emily had started learning how to fight, Corantin had ordered a few dressed enchanted with protective wards so Emily could follow him. She could probably beat any non-mage at this point, but they hit a wall when it came to mages. Nevertheless, it was too risky to test her against magic before the new dresses arrived. Emily had only learned a few basics studying the books avaible in the library, but books on elemental magic were rare and even an old family like the Auberron had only books covering the basics. To broaden the issue right as they came back from the academy, his father and his sves all went on an expedition and disappeared. This left only Corantin as a mage, but he was not an earth mag. He, thus, could not teach Emily more than what she learned in the basic tomes they had avaible. Because of this, Corantin felt she was not ready to face a mage in battle.

  ***

  Three days ter, Corantin was in his room, cuddling with Emily has usual.

  “Today is finally the day, master,” cooed Emily as he woke up, “I’m sure you can’t wait to have twin sisters at your beck and call.”

  “Well, somebody’s eager! But what if I don’t pn to brand your sister?” teased Corantin.

  “Master don’t take me for a fool! You would not have chosen to keep her for three months, if you didn’t pn to train her,” retorted Emily, unfazed.

  “Alright, you got me. What else can I say? I love taming strong women. And how could I not fall for the beauty of someone that looks just like you,” admitted Corantin, ughing.

  And how lovely it would be to report that a knightess of the Blue Temple gave up her beliefs to live the life of a sex sve.

  Taking a more serious tone, he added, “I also count on you to teach her everything she needs to know about the new life she’s about to embrace.”

  “Gdly!”

  ***

  A few hours ter, Corantin was getting ready for the duel coming soon. He had chosen to fight wearing a simple coat, obviously it had been reenforced with many defensive enchantments. He preferred it to armour because there was no chance the duel would st long enough to exhaust the magic weaved into the coat and it did not impede his movements. Moreover, while a suit of armour was better when facing a non-mage, the metal would do little to protect against magic weapons or spells without the same enchantments carved into the coat. Ready to start, he exited the room and then made is way towards the training ground where the duel would take pce.

  “Finally, the coward shows up!” shouted a blue cd knightess as Corantin reached the training arena.

  “My message never stated we would fight at dawn. Before entertaining you, I had to ear my subjects demands. Honestly, I’m surprised! I expected today’s meeting would be in the castle jail, after you’d stirred more trouble,” replied the young lord.

  “Enough stalling let’s fight!”

  “My, my. Are you in such a hurry to serve me?” mocked the man, sensing the woman was losing her nerves already.

  “Trying to hide behind words? Well too bad today actions will do the talking,” shouted the knightess again, “draw your weapon or concede, it won’t make much of a difference.”

  As she drew her sword Corantin decide he had talked enough. He did not need her furious and prone to mistakes to win this duel. Therefore, he invoked his own weapon: two swords connected by a staff about 1 meter long. Holding the weapon’s shaft in the middle while he slowly walked toward the knightess.

  When he got within 5 meters of the woman, Corantin took out a piece of parchment and toss it at Vallerie.

  “What is this?” she asked, after catching the paper.

  “The contract. It contains the terms of the duel and the consequences of either side losing. It’s a duel, one on one, no allies. We fight until either one of us surrenders or until a lethal blow would be dealt. The magic will stop us before a grievous wound is suffered and force the loser on its feet. As agreed, if I lose you leave with Emily, if I win you stay and serve me for three months.”

  The knightess read the contract to ensure she was not lied to and processed to sign it. She then thrown it back at Corantin who apposed his own signature before letting the contract take its pce over the arena. As it ended its course Corantin entered his battle stance: one bde up on his left, one bde down on his right.

  “Ready?”, asked Corantin when in position.

  “Ready,” responded the woman.

  As she said this, she lunged toward Corantin. The man sidestepped to the right and effortlessly deflected the sword by rotating his weapon clockwise and then sshed the now open target. But when he expected to be stopped by magical safeguards his bde continued its course impaling the women’s armour like butter.

  Her armour is not enchanted! Is she a fool?

  It was only a flesh wound as Corantin did not aim for a finishing blow, therefore the duel did not get interrupted by the magic. As Vallerie winced in pain and stepped back to retreat, Corantin send his lewd mana toward her. He had cast Lust Overlord a lewd magic spell forcing a female to bow down to the caster and stop moving. This spell was the reason she never had any chances of winning. While she was forced down on her knees, Corantin spotted her two underlings rushing to her aid. Noticing this the lord, with a whirl of his swords, casted a wind spell knocking them both on their back. He then used another wind spell to leap toward the lying men and activated the mechanism separating his weapons.

  He brought his two bdes to the two underlings’ throat and said, “Vallerie, you’ve lost, your underlings intervened, surrender now or I’ll slit their throats.”

  “Tsk, fine you win. I surrender,” she sighed.

  AnnouncementAs the Overwhelming majority of you answered st week I published a first glossary, but read at your own risks for spoilers