Exiled Prince: I'm the Unexpected Extra in the Novel-Chapter 107: Evershade [9] Ball Slayer vs Liora Stromvale
There was a brief silence in the training ground. Soldiers began to whisper. "Did he throw sand in his eyes?", "Isn’t that cheating?", "Unbecoming of a knight."
Marquis Aldren coughed, trying to hide his astonishment. "Winner... Mr. Cassian."
Cassian didn’t even extend his hand to help the soldier up. He turned his back and waited for his next opponent.
The second opponent was the massive man with armored gauntlets. He was at the Fourth Star level and had been enraged while watching the previous fight. He wanted to punish this "disrespect" shown to his friend.
"My name is Garret!" the man roared, banging his fists together. "And I am not an easy target like that kid. Your tricks won’t work on me!"
"Tricks?" Cassian smirked. "I call it ’strategy’."
Garret charged forward like a bull. His fists were cutting through the air. Each of his blows had the power to shatter a rock. Cassian wasn’t using his sword this time; he was merely dodging, blocking the man’s heavy punches with his arms, and causing him to waste his energy.
Garret grew even more aggressive with the frustration of missing. "Stop running and fight!" he shouted. Gathering all his strength in his right fist, making his gauntlet shine with his mana, he swung a finishing blow aiming at Cassian’s head. If this blow connected, Cassian’s neck could break.
Cassian ducked under the punch. His timing was flawless. Garret’s entire body had become an open target with the momentum of the punch he swung. His legs were spread, his torso defenseless.
Cassian used neither magic nor sword. He just tensed his right leg and kicked the man between the legs, in his most sensitive spot, with all his strength and brutal accuracy.
THUD!
That sound... That dull, nauseating sound echoed throughout the entire training ground.
Time stopped.
Garret’s face instantly turned from crimson to purple, then to chalk-white. His eyes opened wide as if they would pop out of their sockets.
His mouth opened as if to scream silently, but no sound came out. That huge Fourth Star warrior stiffened where he stood.
A second later...
"My balls...!"
Garret collapsed onto his knees with a final whisper, curling up on the ground holding his crotch. He was crying from pain.
Everyone in the training ground; soldiers, servants, even Marquis Aldren and Eric froze with an expression mixed with shock, shame, and anger. Cordelia, on the other hand, was giggling.
For a knight, or even for normal people, kicking an opponent in the groin during a duel... This was the peak of dishonor. An unacceptable, vile move.
Grunts and boos began to rise from the soldiers. The Marquis’s face had fallen.
However, Cassian didn’t care one bit about these hate-filled looks directed at him. He stood over the writhing man, spread his hands wide, and spoke loudly.
"What?" he said, his voice challenging. "Are you trying to say what I did was wrong, dishonorable or something?"
No sound came from anyone, there were only angry glares.
"If you think so," continued Cassian, his voice hardening, "you are fools."
He swept his eyes over the soldiers.
"In real war, Honor won’t save your life. Your enemy won’t bow to you. They will stab you in the back, throw poison in your eyes, use every dirty trick they can. If you prefer dying ’honorably’ to surviving and winning... suit yourselves. But it will be too late to regret after you’re dead."
Although his words didn’t disperse the cloud of anger over the soldiers, they had silenced them. This was a bitter truth.
Just as Cassian was about to turn and leave, a figure separated from the crowd and blocked his way.
She was a woman in her early twenties, with raven black hair cascading down her shoulders and blood-red eyes shining with anger.
She wore light but high-quality armor that fit her body perfectly and didn’t restrict her movement. In her hand, she held a masterfully crafted sword with a storm bird motif embroidered on its hilt.
The aura she radiated was very different from the soldiers before. She possessed a powerful aura at the beginning of the Sixth Star level.
Cassian couldn’t recognize the woman at first, but when she spoke, the pieces fell into place.
"I am Liora Stormvale," said the woman, her voice icy. She pointed her sword at Cassian. "Daughter of Evershade. And as an instructor, I cannot leave these ruffian attitudes unpunished. Mr. Cassian... I challenge you to a duel."
Cassian’s eyes widened slightly. He recognized this woman at that moment.
Liora Stormvale. The talented and disciplined sword master working as an instructor at the Imperial Academy in the game.
And most importantly... The female character nicknamed "Ice Queen" who would join the main character’s harem in the future.
He didn’t expect to encounter her here, in this timeline. Normally, she should be at the academy in the capital right now. The threads of fate were tangled again.
Cassian held the hilt of his katana lightly but didn’t draw it. He cast a cold, indifferent look at the woman. Then he slowly raised his hand, gave a thumbs up, and slowly turned it down.
"I refuse," he said and attempted to walk past her.
Liora was surprised but immediately stepped in front of him again, cutting off his path.
She had no intention of giving up. "Running away? If you are hesitating due to the power difference between us, I can suppress myself. Or we can fight without using mana, just with swordsmanship."
Cassian stopped, took a deep breath. "I don’t want to fight you, Liora."
The corner of Liora’s lip curled into a mocking smile. Her eyes shifted to the soldier Cassian had just kicked, then turned back to Cassian.
"Why?" she asked, her voice loud enough to echo throughout the entire training ground. "Do you think you can’t beat me because I don’t have balls to kick?"
Muffled snickers rose from the training ground. Even Cordelia laughed out loud. Cassian, on the other hand, merely raised his eyebrows at this unexpected and daring taunt. This woman... was going to be tougher than he thought.
Marquis Aldren intervened, his voice tense. "Liora! Stop being rude to our guests!"
Liora didn’t even look toward her father. Maintaining her rebellious attitude, she asked again without taking her eyes off Cassian: "Are you scared?"
Cassian normally wouldn’t fall for a simple provocation from someone. But he inevitably disliked this woman. He didn’t hate her, but he still had an intolerance towards her.
After all, she too, like other foolish heroines, would fall in love with the main character and become part of his harem, becoming nothing more than an obstacle, a distraction on the main character’s path to power.
This inevitable fate lying beneath her "Ice Queen" attitude irritated Cassian.
Cassian’s real anger was toward the main character of the game, but he couldn’t touch him in any way right now. Yet now, such a precious opportunity had appeared before him.
Although he tried to restrain himself, ultimately, this woman had been the one itching for it.
Breaking her arrogant ego, showing her the cruelty of the real world... this would be a very satisfying lesson.
Still, Cassian wasn’t sure about this idea. He paused and scanned Liora from head to toe. She was still a "Heroine".
Unlike normal people, she was one of those chosen by the World, protected by fate. Liora was a warrior capable of defeating high-level individuals above her own rank.
Moreover, she was four ranks above Cassian. In terms of sword wielding, she was vastly superior to Cassian. If Cassian accepted the fight, it wouldn’t be easy at all. In fact, it would likely result in defeat.
Furthermore, Cassian couldn’t reveal all his tricks, his true power yet. He had to keep his trump cards hidden until the war in the North began.
Cassian sighed.
"I guess I have no other choice, huh..." he murmured. "Fine. I will fight you... Ice Queen."
When Cassian said this name, Liora was surprised for a moment. Her eyes narrowed slightly. Because this name was a nickname given to her at the Academy, and no one should know this nickname here, on this remote northern border.
Seeing that things were getting serious, Marquis Aldren spoke to dissuade Cassian from his idea. "Mr. Cassian... Please, there is no need for you to do this duel. Please don’t mind my daughter, she is a bit ambitious."
Cassian didn’t look at the Marquis’s face either. He completely drew his katana from its sheath. Its black steel didn’t shine in the sun; it absorbed the light. He took his battle stance.
The Marquis looked at both of them. It was too late to dissuade them now. Both were already fired up.
And when he looked around, instructors, soldiers, everyone was cheering for Liora.
"Get him, Commander Liora!" "Teach him a good lesson!" "Show him the power of Evershade!" "Punish him and rip his balls off!"
The Marquis shook his head helplessly and stepped out of the battlefield.
"The rules are still the same," said the Marquis, his voice booming. "Whoever surrenders or becomes unable to fight loses. Killing... is forbidden."
The Marquis raised his hand in the air. Liora raised her sword, her eyes focused. Cassian, on the other hand, held his katana loosely, sizing up his opponent.
The Marquis lowered his hand.
"BEGIN!"
