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We will update the activity report tonight

“…Oh, yes. Big. “Of course,” Mia said, remembering slowly what she had heard about Ruby and what she liked to do.

Yes, now I remember. So she likes big guys, huh? If that’s the case,

She thought about the Princess Guard members and tried to think of who might fit the bill.

“Oh, you’re talking about Vanos, right?”

Just hearing the man’s name almost made Ruby faint, and she nodded and spoke in a swoony drawl when she answered.

“Yes, him… I’m interested in him. Oh, if I could make him lead the private army of Redmoon, I would…”

B-But he’s as close as Dion gets to having a conscience. He is not yours! He is the only one who can stop that crazy guy from becoming a serial killer. If I lose him, I think I’ll never be able to sleep again! No way! Out of question!

What could she ask for if she won this duel that would be worth the risk of losing Vanos? After a long time of thinking, she couldn’t come up with a good answer, and her inner scale of judgement quickly tipped toward saying no to the challenge.

Hnnngh… B-But I need to keep Malong happy… What do I do? I need some ideas…

As the boulder slowly pushed her back toward a very hard place, her brain went into overdrive because she was so scared. Even though she only had time to think deeply for a few blinks, the Great Wisdom in her was able to come to a very important conclusion.

By their very nature, duels can’t take place unless a certain condition is met. This was a requirement for all competitions that involved betting. In fact, she had found the most important truth about “equal stakes.”

A contest wouldn’t be fair unless all of the players put something of equal value on the line. After all, no one was going to bet their life when the other player had only put in a few small coins. If people were willing to risk their lives, the prize for winning had to be worth it.

Or, perhaps, even more.

Mia let out an exuberant laugh. Now that she knew this basic truth, the rest was easy. All she had to do was make her brilliant escape.

I don’t have to turn down this offer… I’ll just make her take it back! Oho ho, you better get ready, because I’m about to knock the lights off you.

She quickly made a plan of attack and went on the offensive with her words.

“I don’t mind taking part in the duel itself, but what would happen if I won?”

“Of course, I would give you whatever you want.”

Mia had to stop her evil grin from getting bigger. She looked Ruby in the eyes with a serious expression and said, “Very well… If that’s the case, I want…your sword.”

“…Huh?”

Ruby blinked, taken aback.

“What…could you be trying to say?”

“I really mean what I just said. The family of the House of Redmoon is in the army. Everyone who is born there, boy or girl, learns how to use a sword. I think it’s safe to say that the sword is a source of pride for your family, right? It’s the most important thing to you.”

“So if I lose, you’re going to make me… give up my sword,” she said.

Ruby was very proud of her sword. By asking for it, Mia forced her to risk her most valuable possession.

Mmm hm hm. That’s it! I bet that headhunting is just a hobby for you Redmoons, even though you make a lot of noise about it. You’re just trophy hunters who want more awards to put on your shelves. I think it was the same when you challenged me. You came here to play something easy.

She looked at the situation with a cool head.

This whole thing was kind of strange from the start. No daughter of a respected duke in her right mind would dare the princess of her empire to a duel in front of everyone.

It just wasn’t done because, at least for now, the emperor still had complete power and influence in Tearmoon. Ruby would never challenge her to a serious, “swear on my honour” fight. Given that, it was hard to figure out what she meant by “duel.”

If she doesn’t want a real fight, then this is just a game. She is just messing around to have fun.

If that’s the case, this was just a small distraction that Ruby wanted to make seem more important by calling a “duel.”

In fact, it made more sense to Mia the more she thought about it.

Ruby wanted Vanos. Even though the man was very important to Mia, he was just a simple soldier with nothing special about him.

A fight over how to treat a simple commoner could not be more than a small distraction for the Four Dukes. Not even that much was at stake. She hadn’t asked anyone to put themselves in danger.

All that would happen is that his job would change from being in the imperial army to being in the duke’s private army. It was just a matter of switching jobs.

She probably thought I was going to the Horsemanship Tournament and thought that messing with me would be a fun way to pass the time.

Ruby’s sword was very important to her. It was as important to her as her own life. So, if Mia asked her to put her sword on the line, it would be the same as putting her life at risk.

And what for? A mere game? She would have no other choice but to give up.

There was even more!

“I’ve made it clear what I think. Take it however you want. Just remember that every single one of my soldiers is a loyal subject of mine, and I value each and every one of them. To bet on them, to bet on them like they were just prizes… I can’t stand to even think about it. If you insist on taking one of them this way, you’d better be willing to risk something of equal value,” Mia said, trying to stop anyone from saying she was being unreasonable.

At this point an “Are you crazy? You can’t ask someone to do that because of a stupid game!” would have been a valid point. By saying that Vanos was very important to her, she could then ask for something else that was just as important.

She was threatening her opponent with the “This isn’t just a game for me, buddy” card to get her to back down.

Hah! So, do you have the guts to risk something so important to you just to get one soldier? Go ahead. Try it. I dare you.

She thought she had just done what would be called a “mic drop” in the future, so she basked in the moment, felt very proud of herself, and let out a smug breath of victory.

Which was answered right away.

“…Well, then. So be it”

“…Eh?”

Ruby looked her in the eyes.

“I agree with you… My sword is my pride. Its weight is right for my belief.”

Her face became more determined-looking. She smiled with the smile of a warrior.

“A good bet for a fight of this quality. Then that’s fine, Your Highness. I can see how determined you are, and I’ll gladly match it.”

Huh?! Sorry, but you’ll do what?! What in the dark moons is wrong with you? I know you like big guys, but pull yourself together!

Mia tragically had the wrong idea about her opponent. She could never have guessed that what drove Ruby wasn’t just a desire to collect. Unlike the King of Remno, it wasn’t a hobby or something he liked to do.

Her feeling was much stronger. Much purer.

It burned like a sharp blade of fire, cutting into her soul and giving her a sense of determination so strong that it almost tore her heart in two.

“All right, then. A duel, open and honest, fair and square. Your Majesty, I’ll see you on your horse.”

After saying this, Ruby Etoile Redmoon lowered her head in a deep bow, turned around, and walked away with long, graceful steps that almost looked like they were made for men.

“…Eh?”

Mia had no choice but to just stand there and stare blankly as her body moved away.

H-How did this happen?!

After being confused for a while, Mia’s scattered thoughts slowly came together, giving her enough sense to panic.

Now that I think about it, the Yellowmoons are suspicious, but I don’t know if I can trust the Duke of Redmoon either…

There was no way to know for sure that the Chaos Serpents were only linked to one of the four houses. In Bel’s future, the Four Dukes fought each other two against two.

There’s a good chance that the Redmoons are working with the Serpents to make it harder for me to fight back. If I lose Vanos now, not only will it make my forces much weaker, but I’ll also lose my Dion moderator.

She let out a sad moan. And pain. She put her hands to her temples and groaned twice, which shows that she was mostly in pain.

“Oh, my head hurts… Ugh, how did this happen?”

“Ha ha ha. Well done, miss. That girl had a lot of guts, but you’re no pushover either. There, you told her, didn’t you?”

Malong, who had been watching the two people talk, laughed out loud.

“Well, the horsemanship club has your back, so break a leg out there.”

Oooh, do you find this funny, Malong? Because I don’t find it funny! I feel like I might literally break a leg out there! Hmph, it’s obvious that he doesn’t think this is his problem…

Her frown didn’t bother him, so he crossed his arms.

“However, if you want to compete in speedriding, you’ll need to learn how to ride moonhares.”

“…Moonhares’? What’s that?”

“A horse breed. They are said to be as fast as the rabbit on the moon, which is what the name means. Most of the famous knights from history that you hear about rode them. In fact, moonhares are usually what people mean when they talk about fast horses. We have two horses in our stable, but one is pregnant and can’t move much.”

“What about the other one?”

He stopped talking for a moment, then added with a sly smile, “I think you’ll get along just fine.”

“Oh? Yes, but why?”

“After all, you’ve met him before. That horse that sneezed on you is the other moonhare we have.”

She was reminded of that pretty bad thing that happened the day of the dance party for new students.

“Uh… That horse…”

She looked at the stalls with a strained smile.