“What do you want, Mister Ronan?” asked Layla who was looking at the brawny half-naked man with eyes that was filled with irritation.

Ronan shrugged. “Just here to get a good glance of the Adventurer’s Guild’s rising star, Erynthea. And I must say, the rumours did not exaggerate,” he said as he ogled at Erin’s body from top to bottom.

Even without using Appraisal, Erin could tell this man, Ronan, was a few levels higher than her but not as high as Amyra. The man had a claymore sword as large as him strapped to his back. She could feel magic oozing off that gigantic sword. Despite that being the case, Erin didn’t think she would lose in a fight against him with swords. Just from the way he moved and carried himself, she knew he was just like most people of this world, entirely dependent on their levels.

“This man is being quite rude with his eyes, mistress,” Siv said, glaring at Ronan with her hands touching the hilt of her swords.

“I agree,” said Nivia. Her hands were also touching her weapons. “This man needs some discipline.”

Lyra said nothing but her glare alone was apparent about her impression of Ronan.

“He reminds me of my father…” Aera muttered quietly.

Hearing that, Lilianmoved in front of Aera, hiding Ronan from her sight.

Erin breathed a small sigh of relief. Despite her constant quips and teasing, Erin was glad that Lilian was actually quite shrewd and thoughtful. She was still smiling but her smile wasn’t reaching her eyes. She was just as vexed as the rest.

“You had your look, Mister Ronan,” Layla said. “Now, if you will excuse us, we—”

“Not so fast there.” Ronan stepped into Layla’s way, releasing the two scantily-clad female mages from his arms. “What’s the rush? I know you are just going to the private waiting lounge and since you will all be waiting regardless, why not have some fun with me? I’m quite a good company. Ask any ladies around here, they will attest to my… skills.”

By now, a small crowd had formed around them. Curious were painted on all of the gazes towards the development of this commotion.

“That won’t be necessary, Mister Ronan. Please move aside.”

“Oh, come one. Don’t be like this. I’m sure you all will like it after just… tasting it once.”

“Pray tell, good sir, whatever in the name of the Spirits are you implying with those words of yours?” Lilian responded as she stepped forward.

Erin could sense anger coming from Lilian, who was the last person Erin expected to be angry.

Ronan stepped forward too, walking past Layla as if she was never in his sight. “I’m saying that Lilies like you knew not true joy, which you can only get from the opposite gender. Perhaps you have terrible past experiences with men but I can assure you that I can right those wrongs.”

Lilian tutted. “I doubt that. You are nothing but a vain, presumptuous, and delusional man.”

“Such a sharp tongue from such a gentle-looking face.” Ronan hooked a few strands of Lilian’s leaf-green hair with his fingers. But before he could get a whiff of her hair, Erin barged in between them.

“Enough of this,” she said.

“What’s this? Jealous of your friend?”

“Like I would be.”

“No need to be coy, dear Erynthea. I can tell from your face that you are not unfamiliar with the touch of a man and you are craving for it.”

“I am familiar with and craving for a man’s touch.”

That bold statement of Erin’s elicited a lot of gasps and speculations from the gallery. A Fae had just outright admitted that she had had a relationship with a man and was longing for more.

“Well, since you’re so honest, allow me to sate that desire of yours then.”

“You? Why? Were you a man? I wasn’t aware.”

Everyone laughed. It wasn’t a loud chortle. Everyone was just chuckling and giggling but with that much of it, the room was drowned in laughter. Even Nivia, Siv, and Aera were laughing, albeit in their own subtle manner.

“Do you think I would be lenient on you just because you’re a girl and a Fae?”

“I do not. How about this? A duel with me. No Magic Arts. Just our swordsmanship.”

“Erin, you can’t be serious. He’s—”

Erin merely smiled at Nivia, assuaging her worries by a tad.

Ronan frowned. “What are you saying?”

“I trust that sword of yours behind your back isn’t just for the sake of compensating the one under your belly.”

The chuckles and giggles kept coming.

“Are you mocking me? Is that what you’re saying?”

“I’m saying I’m challenging you to a duel with swords. No spells. If I win, you leave us the hell alone and never approach me or my companions. Or else I will unleash the wrath of the Spirits on you.”

Her last sentence sent shivers down the spines of a lot of people.

Ronan snorted. “If I win?”

“Use your imagination,” Erin said, flipping her hair lightly. If this was her a week ago, she would not have done what she had just done. She was becoming more and more used to using her feminine charms.

Ronan grinned. “Very well. I accept.”

****

The duel was taking place on a large open field behind the Guild. Though there was a room specifically dedicated for the adventurers to do some light training, Erin had deemed that room to be unsuitable as it had too less of space with all the training equipments strewn about. Therefore, the large field was used as the designated ground for the duel.

As Ronan and Erynthea were quite well-known in their own rights, many people had come to watch the duel that was about to unfold. There were even people taking bets for the duel and the majority appeared to be in favour of Ronan’s victory as the people had actually seen him in action as opposed to Erin’s obscured feats.

“That loathsome human’s skill is nothing to scoff at. Please, rethink this. What if you lose?” Nivia implored desperately.

Erin just smiled and kissed Nivia on the cheek lightly. “I won’t lose, Nivia. Have faith in me.”

“Mistress won’t lose,” Siv affirmed.

“Calm down, Nivia,” Lyra chimed in. “This deplorable man is nothing before Erin.”

“Deplorable or not, this man isn’t all just boast,” Lilian said. “That sword of his is magic and his level is higher than yours, Erin.”

“I know,” Erin briefly.

“You can’t use your spells.”

“I know.”

“And you’re still confident that you can defeat him? He is no monster or beast. He’s a human with a thinking brain. He wouldn’t be a simple opponent.”

“Him being a human makes it all the easier,” Erin responded confidently and strode into the ring that was drawn with chalk just a few minutes ago by the Guild officials.

Ronan also stepped into the ring at the same time after being tended to by his mage companions that were dressed like a pair of trulls. “Where’s your sword?” he asked with a belittling gaze. “Aren’t you a swordswoman or was the rumour false?”

“Who knows?” Erin replied curtly.

“Cheeky vixen,” Ronan spat.

A tall and muscular man in a suit and vest came into the ring, He was a Guild official and he was the acting referee for this duel. He was level sixty-five at the time of his retirement or so Erin heard from the whispers among the gallery.

“Listen up,” shouted the Guild official. “No Magic Arts are allowed in this duel. Only the body and the sword are allowed. No killing but the guild will not take any responsibility should either of you kill the other. As for the winning conditions, a strike that would have been fatal will be considered a win. Being forced out of the ring, even if it’s just a toe, will be considered a loss. You are allowed to surrender and it goes without saying that will be your loss. And of course, cheating is an immediate disqualifier. Understood?”

Erin and Ronan nodded.

“Remember, no killing,” the official warned them again. “Ready?”

They both nodded.

Erin was unarmed. The Guild official could see that but despite so, waved his hand and started the duel. “Begin!” he shouted.

At the Guild official’s signal, Ronan dashed towards Erin while drawing his claymore with one hand.

Erin was unmoving. She stood motionlessly with a small grin on her lips, small enough to be seen only by Ronan and that was her intention.

Ronan knowingly swallowed that taunt and wound his slash wider than it was necessary.

Erin was still motionless. Ronan was already a few feet away from her but she stood without any hint of moving. The audience was making their wild and fallacious speculations and guesses as always as Erin's seemingly impending defeat drew near. However, at the last second before the edge of Ronan’s claymore could touch her, a sword appeared in her hand literally out of thin air. She parried the blow with swift precision and riposted with a thrust.

The crowd cheered, even the ones who had bet on Ronan. They didn’t wish for Erin to win but neither did they wish for her beauty to be marred.

Ronan was astonished but not callow. He veered his head away from the thrust and brought his claymore around in retaliation. Erin dodged low and countered with a literal uppercut. Ronan pulled back and avoided the slash but he immediately lunged back in with a downward cut. Erin spun out of the way and lunged with a swipe. Their steel clashed with a sharp clangour and sparks flew.

The audience held their breaths as the swords came to a lock-still.

“Not bad, vixen,” Ronan sneered. “But not good enough.”

Erin shrugged with a faint hum and pulled her sword out of the lock. The abrupt absence of her weight tilted Ronan’s balance and left himself open for a brief second. Erin pounced on that window but he was quick to recover his bearings and deflected Erin’s strike with a heavy blow. Her sword flew out of her hand but she caught it with her other hand and parried Ronan’s quick thrust. She didn’t stop there. She moved in with a jab that was blocked. She then aimed low with a cut that was deflected. Despite none of her blows touching him, she wasn’t deterred and pressed on heavily with her flurry of attacks. Ronan was faster than someone would expect of his size, not even taking into account his weapon of choice. However, his advantage in speed had been rendered useless by Erin. It was hard to brandish and swing a sword that was as large as himself with Erin keeping her distance so close to him, leaving next to no gap in between them. In comparison to him, Erin’s physique was small and significantly more agile and nimble. She was able to dance and pranced around him all the while having the leeway to be on the offensive. It was vexing Ronan to no end. His large sword was no different to a shield in his current circumstances.

“Damn you…” Ronan growled. He was gradually being pushed back. He could not retaliate. If he did, it would be Erin’s win before it would be his.

Erin had kept her silence all this while. She didn’t even need to verbally taunt this opponent of hers as she did to most of her other opponents. Her current opponent was someone who had clearly never fought anyone stronger than him before and he was just as she expected, overly reliant on the System.

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!” Ronan was cursing louder and louder as he was being nearer and nearer to the edge of the ring. He was going to lose, to a puny Fox-kin of all people. He could not accept this, no one of his temperament and pride could. In a fit of desperation, he roared and raised his claymore high up into the air.

Erin backstepped away from Ronan’s sudden eruption of rage and frustration. His aura flared along with his fury. Madness took him and he lunged at Erin with the intention to kill.

“That’s enough!” shouted the Guild official upon noticing Ronan’s delirious state.

But Ronan wasn’t listening. He had been humiliated by someone he had belittled. It would take a lot of magnanimity for him to naturally come back to his senses.

The Guild official was about to step in but Erin gestured for him to stay. She dispelled her sword and rushed in to meet Ronan’s crazed assault. She dodged under his swing and countered with a knee to his chin. As he stumbled back, she twirled in the air and sent a foot into his face, staggering him some more. For the finishing touch, she flipped and slammed her foot down on his head, smacking him face-first into the ground.

“Too easy,” she muttered, loud enough for Ronan to hear, not that he could hear it since he was unconscious.

“Set!” the Guild official declared. “The winner of this duel is Lady Erynthea!”

The crowd cheered louder than ever but there were also a lot of jeers mixed in. Regardless, Erin only had her attention and eyes on her companions. Nivia had a bright smile on her face. Siv and Lyra were grinning all the way throughout the fight as they already knew it would be her victory anyway. Aera was clapping delicately as if to not let anyone know she was clapping. Lilian was smiling so warmly like a married woman watching over her spouse, which kind of made Erin uncomfortable.