By the time Charles knocked on the door of his sister's house, it was past midnight.

Although he generally knew that it was not the right time to visit, he really couldn't wait that long.

The door was opened by an old man about fifty years old, his teeth were about to fall out, he first looked at Charles suspiciously, and then opened his mouth and said, "Who are you?" ”

Even from so far away Charles could smell the stench in his mouth, and he forced his discomfort and said, "I am the lord of Colora, and the lady of Baron Mika is my sister. ”

The porter did not dare to put on that unscrupulous appearance anymore, and he resignedly said, "Ah! It turned out to be you, this ............ Lord Baron, he slept, no, he had something to go out. ”

Charles stopped talking, just stared coldly at the old man, and in a moment the poor fellow fell to his knees with tears in his eyes.

"Oh God! Forgive poor old Rubo! I really don't know how to answer you, my lord, so please let me go. ”

Charles felt that things were getting more and more suspicious, and just as he was about to push the old man away and into the Baron's Palace, a man in a burqa appeared in the courtyard.

"Ruba, what the hell is going on here?"

The old man hurriedly climbed to the man's feet, just as an old and helpless hound saw his master. He cried and pointed at Charles as if he were some heinous villain.

Charles didn't look at the poor fellow, and said to the man behind him, "Dear Mika-sama, I am the lord from Sebara, and I have come to you today to prove that I am indeed a nobleman, although we have not seen each other for a long time, but I think my sister can prove my identity to you very well." ”

The Baron was bewildered by Charles's words: "You said you came to me to prove that you are yourself, and you were joking with me?" ”

So Charles had to repeat the story of the invasion of his territory by the Northern army and his own appeal to Count Pippin of Rezk, but he asked himself to find a guarantor. Now Baron Mika understood everything, but when he heard Charles's request to see his sister, he suddenly turned pale, as if he had endured some great humiliation.

He jumped up angrily, seeing that if it weren't for the fact that Charles was also a nobleman, he would have poured all the swear words he knew on Charles's head. Charles didn't know what he had offended him, and watched as Baron Mika waved his hands as a group of servants quickly appeared behind him, and Charles was thrown out.

Charles angrily banged on the door of their house, but no one paid any attention to him, and Charles could even faintly hear a curse or two coming from inside.

He couldn't help it, exhaustion drowned him like a tidal wave, and the running for a day and a night was really exhausting him.

I can't spend here and I need a hostel for one night. Charles thought silently.

But there were all villages around the area, and there was no way to have a good hotel, so Charles had to knock on a tavern called "Honey Home" and rest there for a day.

The next morning, Charles packed his clothes and prepared to try his luck at his sister's place, he was an imperial nobleman, and Baron Mika could not be so rude to treat him in public.

The owner of the tavern is a red-haired man, and his wife is also helping out in the tavern. She came to the door of Charles's room with a loaf of bread, a few slices of ham, and a glass of mead, and gently placed it on the table in front of him.

Charles thanked him, picked up the food in front of him and put it in his mouth, only to find that she hadn't left until he was almost finished. She rubbed the corners of her clothes, her face flushed, and she looked nervous.

Charles asked her curiously, "Is there anything wrong with you?" ”

She seemed to be startled by Charles's sudden inquiry, and was stunned for a few seconds before opening her account: "My lord...... I heard, I heard that you are a nobleman? ”

Charles looked at him curiously: "That's right, I'm the Viscount of the Empire, the Lord of Spotra. ”

She suddenly trembled as pale, like the old man last night. Charles felt more and more that things were not easy, and he said to her sternly: "What is going on in Baron Mika's house, tell me everything you know, or I will send your family to the gallows, understand!" ”

Visibly frightened, she fell to her knees and cried as she explained everything she had heard.

Charles's sister was dead, she had died a week earlier, and Baron Mika was said to be the murderer, because he had discovered Charles's sister in an abnormal relationship with a bard who played the lute well, and likewise, he was dead.

Charles didn't care about the bard, all he knew was that his sister was dead, his last loved one in the world was dead, and he didn't even make it to her funeral!

Charles almost didn't cry out in grief, he tightened the sword in his hand, and went out without saying a word.

His face must have been terrible at that time, and all those who saw him along the way avoided him from afar, and the originally lively streets became deserted in an instant, and people watched him all the way to the door of their lord's mansion.

It was the same old man who opened the door, and when he saw Charles it was like seeing the devil in hell, he ran in to find his master. After a while, Charles saw Baron Mika's abominable face again, only this time he also carried a long sword in his hand.

He looked at Charles coldly, and Charles looked at him coldly, and just as he opened his mouth to ask about Charles's intentions, Charles threw the handkerchief that had been prepared in his pocket in his face fiercely.

"You nasty, damned murderer! I'm going to duel you! ”

All the onlookers were stunned by Charles's actions, they had not heard of a duel between nobles for a long time.

Baron Mika's face turned purple with shame, but Charles estimated that his face was about as bad as he was at that time. Without saying a word, the baron drew his sword: "Good! Since you insist on sending you to death, I promise you! Life or death! ”

The old man hugged his master tightly and cried loudly: "Don't you, master! I know you didn't kill anyone, you don't have to do this with him! ”

Baron Mika kicked the heartfelt old servant away and yelled at Charles, "Now that it's decided, let's get started!" ”

At that time, duels were not as troublesome as they are now, and at that time, as long as one party proposed a duel and the other party accepted the request, then they could fight wherever they were. It was because of the danger that was so great and it was easy to cause bad effects that the Charles later restricted a lot of conditions for the duel.

Since both parties present have agreed to a duel, the surrounding crowd can give them a testimony, so that no matter what the outcome of the duel is, no one will chew on the root of the tongue.

So they all set up their positions, and the duel began.