The following afternoon, Hugo and his companions walked through a deserted corridor toward the site of the duel.
During his matches with Marcos and Rush, the courtyard had been packed with spectators, turning the events into a public spectacle. This time, however, everything was being handled in secret.
This was likely the result of Claire’s meddling to protect Zenon’s honor. It stood to reason she wanted to ensure no other students saw Zenon being rescued by the very man he had once reviled as the absolute worst kind of scum.
Feeling a faint trace of tension amidst the strict information control, Hugo and the others finally reached the waiting room. There, they met Claire and the man she had brought with her: Zenon.
"...It’s been a while," Hugo said.
He hesitated for a moment after that. He probably should have followed up by asking how Zenon was doing or how he was feeling, but looking at the man’s current state made him pause.
The life had vanished from the golden eyes that once sparkled with vitality; they were now hollow and dead. His silver hair, which used to catch the sunlight, was a matted, unsightly mess. Zenon, who had once possessed the cheerful air of a fairy-tale prince or a video-game protagonist, now looked like a ghost of his former self.
Hugo had no way of knowing exactly what had happened to him after the Mount Yumyum Incident, but he was honestly concerned by how much the man had changed in less than a month.
"Lord Hugo, thank you for agreeing to our impolite request today. Now, we shall fulfill the first part of our agreement... Lord Zenon."
"Ugh... u-uuuh..."
At Claire’s prompting, Zenon stood up, groaning. His face was a mask of regret and misery. At that point, Melt looked ready to grab Hugo and drag him out of the room, but Anhel and Hex managed to hold her back.
"Lord Zenon," Claire said firmly. "You promised yesterday, didn't you? As the one asking for help, please show Lord Hugo proper courtesy."
"...I know. I know."
Hugo understood Zenon’s feelings all too well. To bow before a man he had once dismissed as nothing but scum was a devastating blow to his pride. If this had been happening in public, Zenon certainly wouldn't have been able to apologize.
Realizing that Claire’s desperate cover-up had been necessary after all, Hugo watched as Zenon slowly bowed his head. He forced out his apology in a voice thick with suppressed humiliation.
"Hugo Clay... Please accept my sincerest apologies for my past behavior...! And... thank you for accepting our request...! I will not forget this favor...!"
"Don't worry about it. I’m not holding a grudge."
To be honest, the words didn't sound like they carried much gratitude or sincerity. However, Hugo knew that the mere act of Zenon bowing his head in front of Claire and Melt was what mattered. He responded as brightly as he could without sounding like he was mocking him.
With that, the first condition was met. Melt still looked dissatisfied, but she seemed willing to accept it as long as Hugo was content.
Claire, who had bowed along with Zenon, looked up at Hugo.
"It seems Lord Isaac is already waiting at the battlefield. If you are ready, Lord Hugo, I would like to begin the duel."
"Yeah, I’m ready," Hugo replied briefly.
Even if he lost the upcoming fight, he personally had nothing to lose. For Claire, however, this was a battle with her entire life on the line. He had considered that she should have just refused to be used as a wager in the first place, but nobles had their own complicated social constraints.
Thinking there might be messy circumstances in her background that he couldn't even imagine, Hugo left the waiting room. As they approached the arena, he spotted Isaac standing there with a smug grin.
"Hey, Claire! Did you find a proxy... wait, Scum Hugo?! Why are you here?! N-No way—?!"
"Lord Hugo will be participating in this duel as Lord Zenon’s proxy," Claire stated. "There are no issues with that, correct?"
"Heh... is that so? Wow. Having to rely on the very guy he looked down on... Zenon is even more pathetic than I thought. Claire, don't you think you'd be happier becoming mine instead of staying with such a miserable man?"
"I have decided to support him this time," Claire replied. "Even if I am a bird in a cage, I want to do what I must with all my heart. Regardless of how others judge me, I serve Lord Zenon. Therefore, supporting him is my mission. I must fulfill what I failed to do before. Otherwise—"
Hugo knew that the "before" she spoke of referred to him.
Just as he felt responsible for not being a good fiancé to her, she clearly regretted not being a better partner to him. He wasn't the only one who had been moved by Melt’s words the previous day. Claire was also reflecting on her past, feeling ashamed of how she had only ever been "kind" by going along with whatever people wanted.
It wasn't just about Zenon. If she had scolded Hugo or warned him about his behavior back when they were engaged, things might have turned out differently. Even if she couldn't have completely fixed the personality of the man everyone called the absolute worst scum, she felt there was more she could have done.
Those buried feelings had surfaced after Melt spoke up. That was why she was so determined to support Zenon now—she was trying to do for him what she had failed to do for Hugo.
Hugo didn't know if her choice was "right," but he could see that she was desperately fighting to move forward in her own way.
In that case, as a hero, there was only one thing for him to do.
He had to win. That was it.
"Let’s end the chatter," Hugo said, cutting in. "If we’re doing this, let’s get started."
"Hmm? You're a bit impatient, aren't you? Well, fine by me."
Hugo stepped in front of Claire, shielding her from the conversation as he glared at his opponent. Isaac met his gaze—one filled with battle spirit and pressure—with an aloof air, wearing a relaxed, overconfident smile.
"Lord Hugo... I wish you luck," Claire said. "Please, stay safe."
"Thanks, Claire."
After giving her a final nod, Hugo watched Claire head toward the spectator seats. He looked around at the faces of his friends—Fee, Melt, Anhel, Hex, and Claire. With the exception of Zenon, who was still wallowing in his misery in the waiting room, everyone was there. Hugo gave them a firm nod, then turned his gaze back to Isaac.
It was time.