The villainous young master just wants to live a Buddhist-like life.

　Dark smiled and said, "I was just concerned about you."

　Jeffrey said, "Thank you so much!"

　In fact, judging from the strength that Dark showed in his last competition at the academy, he was confident of winning.

　As Dark said, he was at least a fourth-year student.

　Even if he isn't known for his dueling skills, he has access to the resources of the Noble History Research Society, so he can't possibly be too weak.

　Moreover, this time, following Prince Charles's instructions, he will duel with Darke inside the guild hall. If he loses, the news will surely spread throughout the entire noble circle at lightning speed.

　Therefore, he was also determined to win.

　Although the eldest prince did not demand that he win the duel.

　So what exactly was the eldest prince's purpose?

　Jeffrey had no way to express his grievances.

　He is not someone who is willing to charge into battle.

　……

　Inside a secluded private room in the clubhouse.

　Prince Charles, however, was drinking strong liquor he had acquired from the dwarf tribe, and was in a bad mood.

　The execution ceremony of the Demon King that the Holy Church is about to hold is not within his control.

　The Church even excluded him from the discussion of this matter.

　This gave him a sudden and clearer understanding of the depth of the alliance between himself and the Holy Church.

　The two sides are only cooperating for mutual benefit, not working together as one.

　They can't possibly be of one mind.

　Unable to rely entirely on the Holy Church, he had to find someone more trustworthy.

　But to be able to stand on equal footing with the Valkyrie...

　It should be at least at the level of the combined might of the Grand Archmage Nils Pohl and Grand Duke Terence Grinton.

　In addition, efforts must be made to win over the military forces.

　Last month, he received the devastating news that the "Giant Bear Family was inclined towards the Valkyrie," and the olive branch extended to the Doron Family was not immediately accepted.

　For him, the current situation is one of constant setbacks.

　He could not interfere with the Holy Church's schemes.

　Although the archbishop promised him that if things went well, he would share the credit.

　But what if we fail?

　Now, the eldest princess's faction is using this incident as an excuse to deploy defenses throughout the capital, while he, like an outsider, has nothing to do but drink alone in silence. The feeling is indescribable.

　"Why can Eliza gain the Valkyrie's trust, but I can't? Is it just because she's a woman?"

　The eldest prince grew increasingly agitated, gulped down a large mouthful of strong liquor, and then choked, coughing incessantly until his face turned blood red.

　In the capital city today, the Valkyrie is at the pinnacle in terms of power, prestige, and personal martial prowess.

　Only the Holy Church, with its profound heritage, could rival it.

　Other forces must unite to gain a foothold.

　For example, the alliance between the court archmage Nils Pohl and Grand Duke Terence Grindon.

　But none of this matters.

　If Charles wanted to, he could still find a lot of supporters.

　But those old guys all have their own agendas, so going after them would be like cutting off your own flesh—a losing proposition.

　In other words, there simply isn't a pure person like the Valkyrie!

　"No, I have to find a way."

　As the eldest prince became more tipsy, he couldn't help but think of that blond boy again.

　Dark Dimon, as the Valkyrie's most beloved only son, is indeed a very good starting point.

　If they can win them over, it will inevitably weaken the resistance provided by the Valkyries.

　Therefore, the archbishop had previously considered accepting him as a holy son and adopting a conciliatory strategy.

　However, the appearance of Devimon caused this idea to be abandoned halfway.

　Later, Dark showed the potential to be named a "Hero Candidate" at the Easter Duel Festival.

　But the identity of "hero" has two sides.

　It represents boundless glory.

　They also bear the curse of fate.

　Charles had been considering investing in Victor Gold, the son of the previous hero.

　After all, the "hero" is both useful and not easy to backfire on—after all, the fact that "heroes have short lifespans" is no secret within the core circle.

　But before that, he had been focused on the "glory of the hero" and ignored the "destiny of the hero".

　Nothing in the universe is unusable.

　Charles had a sudden inspiration.

　What if Dark Dimon were portrayed as a hero?

　Will this overwhelm the Valkyrie and leave her no time to attend to the political situation?

　Once the thought arose, it was impossible to stop it.

　Let's double-check!

　Charles looked at Dark Dimon and Gatomon among the group of magical elves in the circular corridor, and his heart stirred.

　……

　Afterwards, the female swordswoman who played the "hero" challenged Dark Dimon at his behest.

　Charles had assumed that Dark would send a "sword-wielding magical spirit" to replace him.

　Unexpectedly, it wasn't Gatomon or Leomon that ended up in the worst situation, but Dark's maid.

　But this little accident is nothing.

　Charles immediately sent a message to Angus Jeffrey.

　Jeffrey's family was completely tied to him; in a sense, they were one of his own.

　He shouldn't be unhappy about asking someone to do him a small favor, right?

　Charles gave himself a special hangover cure.

　This is the same type of hangover remedy that Sister Carlian prepared for herself at Christmas.

　One pill is all it takes to instantly sober up, no matter how drunk you are.

　Although the price is double the intoxication afterwards.

　But since we're going to lie flat anyway, lying flat twice as much is still lying flat.

　Therefore, this hangover cure was very popular among the aristocracy.

　"Angus is a fourth-year student, he should be able to win, right?"

　Charles recalled Angus's resume and muttered to himself.

　……

　In this "enchanting" clubhouse.

　It was not uncommon for nobles to personally engage in duels.

　Although the war has ended, the older generation still retains a deep-seated passion for fighting, and their martial spirit has not disappeared with the arrival of peace.

　Therefore, when nobles engage in duels, it is not considered impolite, but rather as a sign of bravery.

　Of course, the defeated and the victors were treated completely differently.

　Especially duels like Jeffrey and Dark's, where a fourth-year student fights a first-year student. Even if it's just for fun, a defeat would inevitably lead to a loss of reputation.

　Dark felt it was unnecessary, which is why he offered his reminder.

　But since Jeffrey is so confident, he's not the type to hold back in a duel.

　He did not refuse Jeffrey's invitation, but instead accepted.

　"Perfect for warming up; I've been cooped up in the mansion for too long."

　Dak made a "touch big breasts" gesture to Trina.

　Trina nodded slightly, having no objection to Dak's decision.

　In this duel between students of vastly different grades, even if the young master, a first-year student, were to lose, it would not have any negative consequences.

　Moreover, she didn't think the young master would lose.

　Anyone who has spent time with the young master's magical spirits probably wouldn't think that way.

　Only Aurora, who was not very familiar with the strength of the fourth-year students at St. Marian, asked Diana with some concern.

　Diana thought for a moment and said, "That senior is a fourth-year student, but he doesn't seem to have appeared in many dueling tournaments. I'm not too sure. But he probably isn't very strong, right?"

　Aurora frowned and said, "But if he's not strong, why would he invite Dark to a duel?"

　"Hmm..." Diana thought about it carefully again and guessed, "Maybe it's because my hands are itchy? I often have itchy hands too."

　Dark shook his head as he watched them huddled together, discussing intimately.

　Jeffrey is clearly the kind of person who doesn't act without a reason, and this duel invitation obviously has another purpose.

　But it is precisely because the other side comes with a purpose that we are motivated to win.

　"A long-awaited duel."

　Dak clapped his hands.

　The magical spirits, who had been poised to attack, transformed into light one after another and disappeared into his portable card pouch.

　Some people who were not very familiar with magic technology only realized at this moment that this group of "magical creatures" were actually magical spirits!

　In the blink of an eye, only the vampire heiress and Phoenix were left by Dark's side.

　After all, the vampire heiress needs to attend school, so it's not appropriate for her to leave too many impressions related to "magical spirits".

　Dak doesn't mind revealing her identity, but it might cause her to be treated coldly when she first enrolls.

　It would be better to reveal one's identity after integrating into the group.

　As a parent, Dak naturally wanted her to have a normal college life.

　However, it's too early to consider these things now.

　After leaving the vampire heiress here, Dark followed the maid's directions to... well, a protruding spot in this circular corridor!

　Upon closer inspection, you'll find that this circular corridor has two raised platforms, which can be used as platforms for the contestants.

　Whether this design was intentional or not is unknown.

　In short, Dak and Jeffrey soon arrived at the two raised areas, and then the waitresses on both sides each pressed a button, and a card table actually rose from the floor.

　"I need a moment."

　Dark activated the card table and used the megaphone to speak to Jeffrey, the senior student opposite him.

　Jeffrey naturally wouldn't refuse.

　So Dark took out his deck and started replenishing his mana one by one.

　Since there was no partition behind the platform, Diana and the others walked over.

　On the other side, Jeffrey was surrounded by a large group of people.

　Everyone was in high spirits, and there was no sign of tension; it was as if it were just a casual, entertaining exchange.

　However, as the two men got into a standoff, more and more people noticed the commotion and came to watch. What was supposed to be "entertainment" could never truly be "entertaining."