The celebration continued as everyone enjoyed themselves.
No one else arrived after the first and second princes, so the festive atmosphere quickly returned.
Servants moved between guests with trays of food and drink while live music filled the hall with cheer.
Hei went to the other tables to greet other nobles, leaving Colt alone.
Then, the music stopped as Count Landon stood up. Conversations faded into silence so everyone could hear him.
"Everyone, thank you for coming today. Watching your children grow is a blessing, and I've been lucky enough to experience it twice."
As he spoke, many guests tried to stifle their laughter.
Most of the nobles knew Count Landon's reputation. He was known to be intimidating—a man some said had turned down a duke's title.
He was respected, strong, and stern. The kind of man whose advice was always sharp and whose temper was not to be tested.
But now... the man standing before them looked like a kitten.
He beamed with pride as he spoke of his daughter, softening in a way that didn't match the rumors.
Everyone knew he doted on Seila, but seeing him like this was something else.
Some guests had even attended his son's coming-of-age ceremony, and even then, he hadn't been this sentimental.
That was why they wanted to laugh, though, of course, none of them dared.
"And now, without further ado—my daughter, Seila Springold!"
At his words, the doors at the back of the hall opened, and a beautiful girl stepped through.
Colt couldn't take his eyes off her.
He'd always known Seila wasn't a tomboy, but now she moved with even more grace.
She'd never been short, but she seemed taller somehow.
She had always been beautiful, but tonight, she shone.
She wore a long dress, also blue—but in a lighter shade than her hair, which only made the rich color of her hair stand out even more
The hall was completely silent—only the soft sound of her footsteps echoed as she walked to her parents and bowed to them.
Only then did Colt realize how long he'd been staring. But no one seemed to notice—not even Hei—because they were all doing the same.
Colt's thoughts drifted briefly to his old world, Zerion. It had been more advanced in many ways. He felt a little sorry for the people here.
Even during a birthday celebration, they couldn't hug their fathers in public.
Of course, she might do so later in private, but to him, all this formality felt unnecessary.
Count Landon simply rested his hands on her shoulders as he wished her a happy birthday, and her mother gave her a soft, brief hug.
Then, Count Landon continued speaking.
"There is one more person I would like to acknowledge today. As many of you may know, my daughter was abducted just a few days ago.
However, before I could even begin searching for her, she was already saved by her friend, who is here with us today as my guest of honor.
We owe you our deepest thanks, Colt. You are a true benefactor to our family."
The hall immediately stirred with whispers. The word benefactor was not one nobles used lightly.
Coming from Count Landon, it meant something serious. It meant he was indebted.
And everyone here had already heard the name Colt.
The commoner who'd outshone even the genius of House Springold, who had surpassed the second prince in ranking.
The commoner who placed first.
The one who'd defeated the top-ranked student of the second years.
So, naturally, the nobles began murmuring, exchanging theories and glances, when a sudden commotion broke out near the center of the hall.
A boy was standing in front of Colt, gripping his collar.
"Where is my brother?!" Marcus shouted.
Count Landon's expression turned stormy. "What is the meaning of this? Explain yourselves!" He was already beside the two boys in an instant.
Colt remained silent as Seila, Hei, and Myrin, who had entered discreetly after Seila, watched with deepening frowns.
Marcus hesitated, suddenly aware of the room's eyes on him. "Count Springold," he said stiffly, "We haven't heard from my brother, Charles."
He'd acted without thinking, but he couldn't admit the truth. That would mean revealing Charles had been involved in Seila's abduction.
"And what does that have to do with you putting your hands on this boy?!" Landon barked.
"S-sir... it's just... My brother also heard what happened to Lady Seila. He left that day to help. But we haven't heard from him since. It must be this boy's doing!"
Marcus decided to lie. If he played it right, he could turn suspicion toward Colt.
I gave you until the weekend, Colt thought coldly. But I guess you've forced my hand.
He had planned to wait. They were the reason he'd been invited here, after all. But now?
He had to act.
"Ah, is that so? How fortunate I am, then," Colt said, voice calm, gaze steady. "When I found Lady Seila, she was alone.
Your brother must have been handling the real enemy. He's the true hero who saved her.
Or... do you think someone like me could defeat a fourth-year student?"
Of course, Marcus knew his brother would never do something like that.
There hadn't even been a "real enemy." Charles was the one who had abducted Seila in the first place.
So, this could only mean that he had done something to Charles.
Meanwhile, Seila misunderstood Colt's silence back when he saved her.
She thought the reason he didn't speak up about Charles was that he feared the Maguire family.
If he told the truth, a noble house might come after him. So he claimed she had been alone.
Sigh... I could've solved that for you, Seila thought, watching him quietly. But it was too late to change anything now.
"I don't believe you!" Marcus shouted. "Charles wouldn't die that easily! Princes, please help me resolve this!"
The outburst was rude. Count Landon, the host of the event, was right there. For a guest to bypass him and appeal to the princes was a blatant show of disrespect.
The first prince stood up at once. He was ready to shut Marcus down and return the authority to the count.
But before he could speak, the second prince stepped forward instead.
"I accept," he said.
Gasps and stunned silence followed. Every noble in the hall turned to him. Even Count Landon froze.
Now that a royal had spoken, no one could object—not even the host.
"I propose a duel between Marcus Maguire and Colt," the second prince declared.
What!?
Everyone, including Colt, was stunned. A duel? How could that solve anything?
It wasn't a matter of strength or skill—it was about uncovering the truth.
Still, no one voiced their disagreement. The only one who had the authority to intervene now was the first prince.
And though he wanted to—he knew something about this reeked of manipulation—he hesitated.
Challenging his brother here would make things worse. It would appear divisive. Undermining his sibling's authority in public would do more harm than good.
On the path to the throne, he didn't want to walk over his sibling.
The second prince's goals were simple. Firstly, if possible, he wanted to disgrace Colt with a loss in front of everyone.
But probably wouldn't happen.
The second and the real goal was simple. Measuring Colt's strength for future reference.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Marcus responded immediately, almost too eagerly.
In his mind—and in the second prince's—Colt wasn't all that strong.
Sure, he was ranked first, but that title didn't mean much yet.
The academy's initial rankings were based on entrance exams. After that, real strength decided everything.
Colt hadn't fought many of his peers yet. Yes, he'd beaten Kael, but Kael had been in a berserk state.
That made it easier. Even the second prince could've won in that situation.
And Marcus? Though he couldn't beat Kael—warriors tended to counter assassins in one-on-one fights—this time, he'd be facing a mage.
A mage he had studied for.
He had learned a lot from Seila.
This time, he'd definitely win.
And so, the duel was set.