Duke Ardeck was forced to retire and imprisoned, the Duchess was confined, and Monoglok was disinherited and exiled. Viscount Elden succeeded the Ardeck Ducal House.

Several houses that opposed Viscount Elden's succession were dismantled under the pretext of defying the king's orders.

In the chaos, I ordered Boronbo to abduct Monoglok. Kidnapping and assassination were Boronbo's specialties, so taking Monoglok was simple. If he had been well-liked, someone might have intervened, but no one even searched for him when he disappeared. Thus, the abduction went unnoticed.

“Is this the guy who gouged out your eye?”

I presented the bound Monoglok to Pados.

“There’s no mistake. It’s him. He’s gained weight since then, but I’ll never forget those rotting fish eyes.”
“Still feel like punching him?”
“Yes. I won’t be satisfied until I land a blow.”

Pados didn’t want to kill Monoglok, just deliver one punch. When I asked if hitting a bound and defenseless Monoglok would suffice, he refused, saying it wouldn’t feel right.

Monoglok squirmed like a worm when he saw me approach. After removing his gag, he unleashed a torrent of curses, making Pal's expression dangerous.

“You useless scum! I’ll kill you!”

To prevent further chaos, I placed a pile of large gold coins before Monoglok. His words stopped immediately. He seemed to understand his current position, disinherited and exiled by royal decree.

“All that gold can be yours.”
“What’s the catch?”
“Simple. Register as an adventurer and duel Pados here. Win or lose, the gold is yours.”
“A duel? Gwahaha! Do you thinkhe would emerge unscathed after facing me, the Sword Emperor?!”
“Save the talk. Do you accept or not? Answer here and now.”

Monoglok sneered but accepted the duel with Pados.

We moved to the Adventurer’s Guild, where Monoglok registered as an adventurer. The duel was formally arranged in the Guild’s training arena. While dueling between civilians is illegal, sanctioned duels between adventurers face no such restrictions.

Since it wasn’t a fight to the death, both combatants used wooden swords. Monoglok initially demanded real weapons, but the lure of gold made him relent.

“If I crush this brat, you’re next!”

He pointed his wooden sword at me, but I wasn’t interested in dueling him. Ignoring him, I saw his face turn red with rage as he stomped in frustration. It was a pathetic sight, reminding me how tainted our shared blood was. If possible, I’d replace my blood entirely.

Adventurers gathered in the training grounds, curious about the commotion. For those unfamiliar with Monoglok, I explained that he was a Sword Emperor, a rare and extraordinary skill holder. The adventurers were stunned, much to Monoglok’s satisfaction.

However, when I introduced Pados as a farmer who had trained in swordsmanship, jeers erupted. Betting began, but no one wagered on Pados, so I placed my own bet to get things started.

“This is a duel between Sword Emperor Monoglok and Farmer Pados,” announced Danan, head of the Adventurer Guild’s security division, acting as the officiator.

Monoglok stood with confidence, certain of victory. Pados, on the other hand, fixed a sharp glare on his opponent, his lips a firm line.

Danan explained the rules: victory would go to the one who knocked their opponent unconscious, forced a surrender, or was judged unable to continue by the officiator. There was no need for bloodshed. This was about Pados finding closure.

At Danan’s signal, the duel began.

Monoglok charged first, closing the distance in an instant. He swung his wooden sword with wild abandon. Pados focused on blocking the strikes, but occasional blows grazed him, leaving small wounds.

“Hahaha! Did you really think you could win against me, you lowly peasant?!”

Win or lose, Monoglok calling Pados a peasant was ironic—he was now a commoner himself. His father had been deposed and imprisoned, and Monoglok, disinherited and exiled for his arrogance and incompetence, had lost his noble status.

“No matter how much you turtle up in defense, you’ll never beat me!”

Monoglok’s relentless assault left Pados covered in minor injuries, but Pados’s eyes never wavered. They were sharp, waiting for a momentary lapse in Monoglok’s defense.

Monoglok’s movements began to slow, the inevitable result of neglecting his training while relying on brute force. In such a basic aspect, titles like Sword Emperor or Farmer meant nothing.

Pados's eyes widened. He deflected Monoglok’s wooden sword with a loud crack.

“What?!”
“Haah!”

Pados’s wooden sword struck Monoglok’s shoulder, forcing him to drop his weapon.

“Gyaaaah!”

Monoglok clutched his shoulder, writhing in pain—a pitiful sight, unworthy of his title. It was hard to imagine that the Sword God had bestowed such power on someone so undeserving.

“That’s enough! The winner is Pados!” declared Danan.

Pados looked relieved, as though a heavy burden had been lifted.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Monoglok picked up his wooden sword and lunged at Pados.

“Shot.”

A small orb of magic I fired struck Monoglok’s jaw with pinpoint accuracy, shattering it and leaving him dazed and disoriented.

“Puh… uh…”

Monoglok collapsed, clutching his face, unable to stand. His suffering had only begun, with his jaw and shoulder bones broken. I had no intention of healing him.

“Pados, let’s go.”
“Yes!”

I left Monoglok to the Adventurer’s Guild, confident they’d sort it out. With the gold he had, he could afford treatment, though how much it would cost was none of my concern.

I had no interest in what happened to Monoglok afterward—whether he turned to crime or met an unremarkable end. It didn’t matter to me.