"Alright, this is starting to worry me," Leon muttered as he walked through the corridor of the academy. He had spent the entire day within the academy walls, and throughout that time, he couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling that something was about to happen.
He knew it had something to do with Luxion. Leon was well aware that the AI was scheming something — he could feel it in his gut. But for now, everything remained quiet. There were no visible signs of action from Luxion's side.
"Well, at least something good happened today," Leon suddenly said aloud, as a pleasant memory surfaced in his mind. "I met Master earlier. He showed me a new way to brew tea..." His voice softened with satisfaction, the memory bringing a rare moment of peace.
Just then, as he continued down the hallway, someone suddenly grabbed his shoulder — hard and uninvited. The rudeness of the gesture immediately irritated him. Leon turned sharply toward the person whose hand had dared touch him like that.
Standing before him was a young man with striking red hair.
"Oh, hey there, Redhead. What's up?" Leon asked casually, with an amused smirk on his face.
"R-redhead?" Greg stuttered in confusion, clearly not expecting that.
"You've got red hair, don't you? That's why I call you Redhead. It's easier to remember people by their hair color — you guys all look different that way," Leon explained, as if it was the most logical thing in the world.
Greg's face twisted with anger. His pride flared at the nickname.
"What do you mean 'Redhead'?! You damn crook! You weakling! You half-baked noble! I am Greg Fou Seberg!" he shouted, practically trembling with rage.
"Yeah, yeah... Whatever. What do you want?" Leon replied lazily, waving a hand. "And calling me weak after that humiliating defeat you suffered? That's bold."
Greg clenched his jaw so tightly it made his teeth grind audibly. He was fuming, but after a moment of effort, he managed to calm himself.
"I'll admit it," Greg said through gritted teeth. "When it comes to controlling armor, you're stronger than me. But that doesn't mean I accept defeat. I still don't recognize that duel as a loss."
"What?" Leon frowned. "So you're saying you want to ignore the terms of the duel? Even after you lost fair and square? And you still call yourself a noble?"
At that moment, something caught Leon's attention. Behind Greg, a faint red light flashed — a glowing eye, or rather, a sensor. Leon instantly recognized it. It was Luxion.
In his thoughts, he muttered silently:
So you're using Greg to get back at me, huh? You're even dumber than I thought, Luxion. Fine, I'll play along with your provocation.
"Alright then," Leon suddenly said aloud. "You want another duel? This time, without armor?"
Greg's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Yeah! This time, it'll be a duel without armor. No guns either. You can use magic if you want — anything goes."
"Oh, is that so?" Leon grinned. "Well then, after I win, you'll have to sign this contract."
He pulled out a folded piece of paper and quickly scribbled something on it. Once finished, he handed it to Greg.
Greg took the contract and began reading. As his eyes moved down the page, they widened in shock.
"Wait, you're saying if I lose, I have to grant you one reasonable request and pay you 1,200 gold coins?!"
"Yup," Leon replied nonchalantly. "What? I thought you came from a rich family... Oh, wait." He suddenly covered his mouth in mock surprise. "That's right. You gave up your title. Just like those five other idiots — all so you could stay with Marie."
"This is madness..." Greg muttered. "In my entire life, I've held maybe 500 gold coins at once. Even barons don't always have this kind of money lying around!"
"Aww... are you afraid of losing to a so-called weakling?"
That jab hit Greg right in the pride. His expression twisted, and without another word, he snatched the pen from Leon's hand, preparing to sign the contract. But just before putting pen to paper, he paused.
"Let's add one more condition," Greg said, smiling slyly. "If you lose, you'll have to pay me 5,000 gold coins. Within one year."
He was already fantasizing about handing that money over to Marie and rising in her eyes as the clear winner of her affection.
"Not a chance. The most I'll offer is 750," Leon shot back coldly.
Greg frowned, but after thinking for a second, he reluctantly nodded and signed the contract.
"You'll regret this, Bartfort. I'll see you tomorrow — and I have no intention of losing," Greg said, turning around and stomping off.
As soon as he was out of sight, Leon burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Oh my god... Muscle, but no brain! He didn't even bother reading the rest of the contract!"
Grinning, Leon looked at the final clause — the part Greg had missed in his arrogance:
"In the first year, Greg is required to pay at least 100 gold coins. If he fails to do so, he must serve Leon Bartfort for one full year. Additionally, if necessary, he will be required to mobilize all his followers and even his own family for the benefit of Leon Bartfort."
"Well... even if he has no real authority, a lot of people will still follow him. That might come in handy — especially if war breaks out with Arcadia," Leon muttered as he folded the contract and headed toward his dormitory.