CHAPTER 92: I HAVE A DIFFERENT CONDITION

"How old are you child?" Argon asked Luke.

"I’m going to be sixteen soon."

"Great then! Navajo is sixteen too." Argon’s face brightened. "What do you think? Do you have any objection to this duel, Navajo?"

"Not at all master." Navajo said, looking at Luke, fighting spirit burning in his eyes.

"I cannot accept this, Duke Argon." Danver interjected.

"The decision of the heir and this duel are two completely different matter. I am the one who’s going to make the decision on whom I’ll chose. He has no part in it."

"He’s involved in that decision of yours, why wouldn’t he be a part. Also, he is not manaless. He can wield it fine, even proficiently. It’s not like I’m bullying a weak manaless child."

"He’s been banished. He’s not part of the family now. So, this duel is baseless." Danver said.

"I didn’t know that the great hero’s descendant has been reduced to being such a coward, that he doesn’t even have the gall to accept a small bet." Argon scoffed as he said in a mocking tone.

"You’re crossing the line here duke Argon." A cold voice came out of Danver as intense killing intent released from him.

Argon’s brows twitched at being provoked with such killing intent directed at him. He released his killing intent towards Danver as both of their auras clashed, creating sparks in the air.

An unbearable pressure fell on everyone present there. Their knees bent as it was getting hard for them to endure the pressure, except Drake, Navajo and Luke standing tall, unhinged.

"What are the conditions?" Luke spoke aloud, bringing Danver and Argon’s attention to himself as the killing intent and pressure from the two of them vanished.

A wide grin formed on Argon’s face. "Hoho! It seems, at least the son is a brave one."

"If you win, you’ll become the successor. And if my disciple Navajo wins, your brother Leo would become the heir of the duchy."

"I don’t want to be the successor. I have no interest in that. What else can you offer, for me to accept this duel?" Luke asked.

Argon was a bit surprised, he didn’t expect Luke to ask for something else, rather than becoming the successor. He found it quite amusing, and decided to give an offer that Luke wouldn’t be able to reject if he is intelligent enough.

"Hahaha! I like this boy. Alright. I have part of a mana stone of a destruction class beast with me, the dragon stone of the corrupted empyrean dragon. If you win, I’ll give you a part of the stone that I was going to give to my disciple. What do you say? Is this reward enough?" Argon asked with a smile.

Danver raised his brows in surprise, as he now realized what the Gandolf had given duke Argon. The dragon stone was so valuable that no matter what he offered, it wouldn’t be enough in front of it.

"That’s just what you’re offering for me to accept the duel. But I have a different condition. If I win, big sis Anna would become the successor." Luke said.

Anna was shocked, she couldn’t believe he was really pushing her for the successor seat, when it rightly belongs to him.

"Luke! what are you say..."

"Hahahahahaha!!" His laughter fell on everyone’s ears like thunderclaps, cutting Anna’s words in between.

"Look at this boy! You’ve raised quite a greedy son duke Danver. Hahaha! I am in a good mood, so alright. I accept it."

"Do you have any objection to this duke Danver? These are the conditions he’s put himself. I don’t think I’m forcing anything here?" Argon looked at Danver as he asked.

But Danver kept his silence, his face stoic, not a single word coming out of his mouth.

"Silence is acceptance. Alright. Deal. Let’s get on with the duel then." Argon signaled Navajo as he nodded and was about to jump down below on the platform when Anna spoke out loud.

"Tomorrow!!! Since he just had a spar, he needs to recover first, it would be unfair to have this duel right now. I request duke Argon to take this into consideration and postpone the duel to tomorrow."

Argon went into thought. All eyes were focused on him as they waited for his answer.

"That’s acceptable. I don’t want you to complain later, taking this as the reason for your defeat, Haha! Tomorrow it is then."

Anna and the others sighed in relief. Drake then moved towards Argon and asked to escort them to their rooms. Argon, Danver, Navajo and Drake moved out of the training field together.

Florina rushed to Leo, picked him up in her arms and rushed out to the infirmary for his treatment.

Anna moved down below and approached Luke as the others followed her to him.

"Are you out of your mind Luke!? why did you accept the duel? Navajo is a fourth circle fighter mage, and is one of the strongest young rising mages among the continent. This is a disadvantageous duel from the start itself, why do you think the duke proposed it in the first place!" Anna yelled at Luke, furious at his actions.

"I can win big sis." Luke said in a calm manner.

Anna was shocked. All her anger vanished as it transformed into curiosity. "And how would you do that?"

"If I use my mana overload and give it my all, I have a high chance of winning."

"And then lie on the bed for days!?" Anna sighed helplessly. "At least you should have asked to be the successor yourself, why would you drag me in this?"

"Because I don’t want to, and you’re the perfect for this. At least better than that moron Leo." Luke said with a smile.

"Are you sure you can win? If not, you’ll lose even the small chances that are there to make your sister the heir." Noah said.

"I have to try. I can’t back out now. Also, the reward is quite enticing, I couldn’t reject that."

"You greedy bastard. That’s the true adventurer spirit. Haha!" Noah laughed as Layla and Anna looked at him with a frown, making him shriek back.

"Take this. try to at least grow just a bit strong. Maybe it will increase your chances for tomorrow." Anna passed a small box and a round golden metal plate with a sigil of two hands clasped together in prayer, to Luke.

"This was left by the saint candidate, lord Ragelak. He had to depart early while you were still unconscious. He said this is his personal identification plate. You can use it in any of the temples in the empire."

Luke took the plate and the opened the box to find a hundred year old ginseng and half a fist size mana stone.

"This is the mana stone of the Kong. He has purified it and can be used to cultivate, though quite the amount of mana was lost in the process and lowered its class, it still has enough for you to elevate your mana."

"Thank you, big sis."

"It would have been good if the duke would have given some gold coins as reward too." Shane said.

All of the turned towards him, gave him a weird look as surprise and disbelief was written all over their faces.

"What? I just thought.."

"Don’t think anymore." The three girls, even Ruby, collectively yelled at him at the same time as Noah and Luke chuckled at the side.