"Annie! Is this Mr. Meburg?"

  Before Annie could think of a way to calm Charlot, an exceedingly gentle voiterrupted her.

  Two young officers approached, walking side by side.

  Both appeared to be around twenty-seven or twe years old, exuding fidend radiating energy.

  One of the young officers was exceptionally handsome, with sholden hair and emerald-greehere was a slight elegao his demeanor, almost b on delicate, and he bore a certain resembo Annie.

  Charlot, having joihe city patrol guards and worked among military ranks, had been forced to study some Old ti military hierarchy. He reized the insignia on the officer's shoulders—he was a first-css sub-lieutenant of the twenty-fourth rank.

  The twenty-fourth rank was known as an "uncrossable css" in the empire. Even if an ordinary oner followed the rules, made no mistakes, and received extraordinary endations, they could never hope to reach this rank in their lifetime.

  The other young officer, in trast, radiated warmth and vitality. He had bck hair and dark eyes, with a natural aura of pressure that made others instinctively wary. He held the position of fifth-css ander, at the twenty-fifth rank—ten full levels higher than Charlot's third-css chief clerk. Without external intervention, Charlot would o e least thirty more years of arduous service to attain such a position.

  Feeling slightly awkward, Charlot performed an imperial salute and said, "I am Charlot Meburg. Good afternoolemen."

  The officer who bore a resembo Aepped forward and said, "Annie asked me to help you in a duel."

  "While I agreed, I do have one small dition."

  "If you withstand three of my moves, I will assist you unditionally. If you ot, I will still help, but I ask that you stay away from Annie from now on."

  Annie's expression ged slightly as she interjected, "Cousin Cir, I don't need your help."

  Cir Bretagne smiled faintly and said, "Mr. Meburg, what do you say?"

  Charlot took a deep breath and replied, "I respenie's opinion!"

  "But... I personally would very much like to cross swords with a Transdent of your caliber, Mr. Bretagne."

  Charlot knew how to "earn points" with members of the Bretagne family. He couldn't allow Ao think of him as a coward, nor could he back down in front of Cir Bretagne and risk leaving a poor impression.

  Most importantly, dueling with Cir carried no life-threatening risks.

  Charlot was about to face a duel challenge from the Fierce Horse Detective Agency, and gaining experience against a skilled oppo would be immensely beneficial for the uping fight.

  Charlot had never beeo pce all his hopes in the hands of others.

  He was always ready to fight his own battles.

  Cir raised an eyebrow and said to Annie, "I won't hit too hard."

  The fifth-css aanding beside Cir stepped back, making room for the duel.

  Annie appeared anxious, but after gng at the two men, she eventually retreated to the side.

  This was Gias Uy, where almost every nation on the Old ti had a culture of martial prowess. If Charlot avoided the duel, it wouldn’t be long before he earned a niame for cowardice.

  versely, losing a duel erfectly on and wouldn’t damage his reputation.

  Arusted that her cousin would not go too far.

  A duel was always a spectacle at a uy, and soon dozens of students gathered around, with more arriving as news spread.

  Cir Bretagood a dozen steps away from Charlot but did not immediately make a move. Instead, he slowly pulled out a pair of pristine silk gloves and said, "You don't mind, do you?"

  Charlot shook his head. "Not at all."

  Cir dohe gloves with deliberate care and said, "I have a bit of a liness obsession. During duels, I prefer wearing gloves to avoid direct tact with my oppo."

  Seeing that Cir had no iion of using ons, Charlot calmly activated Blood Glory and said, "I washed my hands on the way here."

  Cir smiled faintly and said, "Please, defend yourself!"

  Though Cir appeared refined and elegant, with a slightly delicate air, the moment he moved, he was as fast as a storm. His hands sshed through the air like bdes, striking dozens of times in an instant, filling the space between them with illusions of knife-like fingers.

  Charlot instantly activated Eye of Insight. In the very moment, he realized he could not keep up with the golden-haired officer's "hand speed." Without hesitatioransformed into a form of bloodfme.

  Cir was a graduate of Hartington Thunder and Storm Uy. Uhe other three imperial uies, this academy specialized in produg knights, particurly Thunder Knights and Storm Knights—the pinnacle of knightly traditions on the Old ti.

  Although Sheffield Uy possessed Dark Breathing Teiques and Beditation, the most orthodox legacy of the Lady of the Bck Moon y with Dark Moon Sorcerers, not knights.

  Gias Uy, oher hand, was blessed by the Elven God and specialized in astrology and card maginie Bretagne's chosen Transdent path, Dreamcrafting arts, beloo this branch.

  Ially, Venie Arsenault's expertise in Cat Spirit Magic alsinated from Gias Uy.

  While the bloodfme state rendered Charlot immuo most physical attacks, knights trai Hartington Thunder and Storm Uy possessed bat energy imbued with thunder or storm attributes. Charlot had no iion of meeting Cir's attacks head-on. Instead, he allowed his "body" to disperse, transf his bloodfme into a nimble feather that evaded Cir's strikes with fluid grace.

  Charlot fully unleashed his Eye of Insight and Angel's Thorn abilities.

  Though Cir fought unarmed, his teiques were rooted in Hartington's orthodox knightly swordsmanship.

  Charlot relied on Eye of Insight to predict ges in the airflow and used the swordsmanship insights granted by Angel's Thorn—an iance of the Arsilo family—to anticipate Cir's moves. Against all odds, Charlot mao hold out against the attacks of this seveh-rank knight.

  Cir was visibly surprised. While he had held baewhat, he hadn’t expected Charlot to narrowly escape his devastating Thuorm Sword Teique.

  Switg from a thrust to a light palm strike, Cir struck Charlot before he could react, sending him flying back dozens of steps. The gap between them was still immeeire ranks—and if Cir had been serious, he could have ehe fight in an instant.

  However, after knog Charlot back, Cir stopped attag, removed his gloves, and casually activated his bat energy, redug the gloves to fine powder. "Did you choose Blood Glory at the uy?"

  Charlot returo human form, his face pale. Cir Bretagruly lived up to his reputation as a seveh-rank knight. Though Charlot had avoided Cir's initial barrage with Eye of Insight and Angel's Thorn, he had been dang on the edge of a bde. The residual bat energy from Cir's attack had peed Charlot's Bloodfme Aura, causing light injuries.

  "If I faced him on a battlefield, Eye of Insight would be nearly useless. Even if I could predict his attacks, I wouldn’t have the ability to defend against them. Angel's Thorn may tain the Arsilo family's profound swordsmanship, but my rank is far too low..."

  Taking a deep breath, Charlot activated Blood Glory to gradually dispel the lingering bat energy in his body and replied, "Yes, I chose Blood Glory."