“Fight me, Hugo Clay!”
“You again? Give it a rest, will you?”
It was a holiday morning when Hugo’s expression soured at the sight of Marcos standing outside his “home”—which was really just a spot where he slept outdoors.
As Marcos stared him down, huffing with an intense eagerness for combat, Fee—who had come to pick up his brother—spoke up.
“Marcos Borg. You lost the duel against my brother and promised to stay away from us. Even if the incident in the tunnel was an exception, isn't showing up like this a breach of that agreement?”
“I am well aware. However, circumstances have arisen that I simply cannot ignore.”
“Oh? And what would those be? Out with it. We’re heading out soon, so make it quick.”
Marcos looked awkward as the terms of their previous duel were thrown back at him, but his refusal to back down piqued Hugo’s interest enough for him to listen.
With a grimace, Marcos began to explain the "unignorable circumstances."
“...A few days ago, you emerged victorious in your fight against Rush Winhelm, did you not? And now, there are claims that you only won through foul play—”
“My brother didn't do anything of the sort! Those are just baseless rumors his cronies are spreading!”
“I couldn’t care less about that part. The problem is that I’ve been dragged into the narrative as well! I was also present during the battle with the Magic Armor Beast. Because of the rumors that the tunnel incident was a staged setup to trick Melt Epee, people are claiming that I was an accomplice in your scheme... How did it come to this?! There is no way that I, the Eldest Son of the House of Borg, would ever stoop to such villainy! Are they all fools?!”
“Ah... I see. Sorry about that. It looks like my reputation has caused some unnecessary secondary damage to you.”
Hugo offered a wry smile and an apology to Marcos, whose pride had clearly been stung by the gossip.
I never expected the story to get twisted like this, he thought. Then again, Marcos is probably just as much of a hated noble as I am, which is why the rumors gained so much traction.
Still huffing with indignation, Marcos declared, “That is why you must fight me again, Hugo Clay! I was careless last time, but it won’t happen again! This time, I will thoroughly crush you—”
“Yeah... I’m not really feeling it. Besides, I don't think a fight would actually solve your problem.”
“...What?”
Hugo scratched his cheek as he replied to Marcos, who was pointing a finger at him with a look of utter resolve. Seeing Marcos’s puzzled expression, Hugo continued his explanation.
“To be blunt, no one is going to care about a second match between us. To the peanut gallery, the result is already a foregone conclusion. Don't you think they'll just feel like it’s a waste of time to watch?”
“Are you suggesting I would lose?! I told you, I was merely careless! I won't make the same mistake twice!”
“I hear you, I hear you. But for everyone who saw the first fight, the idea of you winning against someone who downed you in a single hit seems impossible. Even if you did manage to win, what then? People would just think we’re a couple of hated nobles putting on a staged pro-wrestling match. It wouldn’t mean a thing.”
“Who said anything about being friends?! You and I are enemies!!”
“Easy there,” Hugo said, gesturing with his hands to calm the fuming noble.
After explaining why a duel was pointless for now, he gave a fearless grin and made a proposal.
“Look, I’m not interested in a duel. Besides, if I take you out in one hit again, I’ll just feel like I’m bullying the weak. However... I get where you’re coming from, Marcos. As a noble, you can’t just let slurs against your name slide. It affects your family’s honor.”
“...Precisely.”
“So, here’s the deal. I’m willing to take you up on that duel, but on one condition. As you can see, I’m about to head out on a request with Fee and Melt... Why don't you tag along?”
“What...?”
With a testing gaze, Hugo looked at the suspicious, narrow-eyed Marcos and laid out the terms.
“We’ll settle things during this request. Let’s see which of us can achieve better results. If you can outdo me, I’ll acknowledge that your words aren't just empty talk and give you your duel. I won't even impose a penalty if you lose. You’ll just have to put in a little work, and I’ll even split the reward with you. How about it? It’s a pretty good deal, right?”
“Hmph, I see...! You wish to witness my true power firsthand? Very well, Hugo Clay! I accept your challenge!”
Overflowing with renewed motivation, Marcos stepped toward Hugo and shouted his assent. With his eyes burning with a fierce competitive spirit, he roared for all to hear.
“It’s a contest, then! No matter what the request is, I shall prove that I can get better results than you ever could!!”