The Grand Duelist

The Capital City of Reinhardt was strategically located near the eastern border of the Kingdom instead of the center. But why?

Why was the Capital City, so far away from the center of the Kingdom?

Well, it was because the Kingdom of Nether fully controlled everything beyond the eastern border.

It was an extremely safe location, and this was the reason why the Capital City of Reinhardt was considered by everyone that it could never be captured for as long as the Kingdom was alive and well.

It could only be captured if the Kingdom itself collapsed.

But that wasn't the only reason why the Capital City Reinhardt was situated near the eastern border of the Kingdom.

One of the primary reasons was that the eastern border had a lot of natural resources.

Agriculture and mining boomed in the eastern border of the Kingdom due to the fertile land, tame climate and rich mountains around it.

Reinhardt became the Kingdom's business and commerce center due to these reasons and most nobles that lived previously at the center of the Kingdom of Nether transferred to the eastern border for the sake of establishing their businesses. 

Due to a large number of available jobs within the Capital City, it was filled with all sorts of people, and even at night...

It was still bustling with activity.

But today was a different day for the Capital City of Reinhardt.

At least, that was how it was for the players.

At the intersection on the main road of the Capital City of Reinhardt. At least a hundred players with the name, "Crimson" floating above their heads were gathered. Each and every one of them carried tools for mining such as pickaxes and wheelbarrows...

"Isn't that the eighth batch already?"

"Yeah, that is the eight batch... But I don't understand, why are they carrying their tools instead of placing it in their inventories?"

"Uh... I'm also confused about why they are doing that...

"Hmmph, isn't it obvious?"

"What's obvious?"

"It is obvious that these bastards from the Crimson Guild are making a show..." A player proudly replied. The players in the surrounding turned to look at him and when they saw the name of "Knights of Justice" floating above his head.

They looked somewhat convinced...

But some of them were doubtful.

"Making a show? But why? Why would they do something as tedious such as manually carrying those heavy tools instead of placing them in their inventories?"

What that person asked made sense since players in Victory were still affected by weight.

Not only would they find it hard to move with such heavy objects on their shoulders, but they would also deplete their Stamina which would make them practically useless if someone ambushed them whilst their Stamina were depleted.

This was common sense for everyone so, the player from Knights of Justice found it hard to answer.

Why was Crimson doing something that was clearly detrimental to them?

It didn't make any sense and so, he couldn't answer the player's question.

But the average players within Crimson knew that the answer to their questions wasn't really surprising or worthy to be proud of.

All they knew was that the Guild Leader specifically ordered them to not place their tools inside their inventories so that they could show towards the other guilds that they weren't afraid of being ambushed.

These were what the average players knew. But of course, this only worked against the average players of Guild Dark Flame and Guild Knights of Justice.

The high-ranking players of these two guilds knew that Crimson must be doing something else beneath the curtain.

But the truth was that only two people knew about everything within the Crimson Guild...

Vladimir, the Guild Leader, and his right-hand personnel...

A young woman known, as the Bloodstained Lilium.

Of course, this wasn't her in-game but her title.

Still, having such a terrifying title meant that she was infamous throughout the entire Kingdom of Nether...

"Vladimir, are you sure that they will absolutely bite this bait of ours?" 

Among the eight batches of players sent to work on the mines at the base of the mountain near the Forbidden Region.

Two players who looked incredibly average walked beside each other as they whispered. 

The player clad in a common-looking coat turned to look at the player who asked him that question and sneered: "What we are doing is the same as what we did with the previous batches of players that we sent to the mines. The only difference was that there are no powerful players escorting us..."

The player who had a slender figure looked around and realized that apart from the average players of Crimson in the surroundings. There were figures clad with the same clothes as them but had a completely silent aura.

Those figures looked incredibly normal, but that was the reason why they were terrifying...

"Do you understand it now, Lilium?" Vladimir proudly said.

Right now, the two of them were disguised among the average players along with the knights that Vladimir borrowed from Duke Heathrow. 

"When those bastards from Dark Flame and Knights of Justice attack. They will surely be pleasantly surprised!" Vladimir said, his hand moved closer to Lilium as his fingers slid on her slender body. 

"Once everything is over, how about we meet outside?" He enticingly said.

Players in Victory had the option of changing their appearances, but one cannot change their sex into something else.

In other words, women in the real world were also women within the world of Victory.

Knowing Lilium's arrogance. Vladimir reckoned that she wasn't the type of a woman that would willingly change his appearance into something else that wasn't really her. Seeing her beauty within the world of Victory...

Vladimir was almost a hundred percent sure that she was also this beautiful outside.

"Let's talk about that if you really did manage on repelling their forces. Until then, don't you dare touch me again." Lilium said in a cold voice and Vladimir froze from where he stood.

Only until a player from behind scolded him that he should move did he move again as he stared at Lilium in anger.

"This bitch... If not for the fact that... " Vladimir inwardly swore, he was about to say something out loud, but he managed on suppressing himself...

He painstakingly suppressed his anger and he started walking once again.

Lilium noticed Vladimir's anger and she snickered when she saw him fuming.

"This is why boys really are boys..." She inwardly mocked.

Meanwhile, back at the Underground Penitentiary...

"Now that the misunderstanding's all cleared up... We can finally start now..." Krid finished his beer and stood up before stretching his body.

The chains that shackled his body moved along with him.

"We can finally start? What's about to start, old man?" Ezreal said in a somewhat rude tone.

It looked like he hasn't completely forgotten about the fact that Krid slaughtered Joseph earlier... 

"Brat, I am going to train you... Right now, you are just a premature Grand Duelist. Although you have her aura and her Divine Art..."

"That doesn't mean that you are the bonafide Grand Duelist of the current generation already. Until you understood what it means to be the Grand Duelist, there's no way that I'll call you as the Grand Duelist..."

Krid said in a challenging manner.

Joseph stared seriously at the former before he stood up and said: "In that case then, let's do it..."

Krid was somewhat astonished by his answer: "I thought that you'd be mad about me underestimating you?"

Ezreal was also shocked by Joseph's casual reaction.

"Senior, even though I said that I am tired of being underestimated. There's really nothing that I could do about it apart from doing my best on becoming stronger... So, if Senior is willing to help me with this goal of mine, I will gladly partake on that offer." Joseph replied in a sincere manner and Krid revealed a smile on his face.

"Are you confident with your skills now? Or are you still afraid?"

Krid asked, and Joseph shook his head.

"I'm still afraid, Senior... But I think... being afraid does nothing... I must do something like I have always done. I must do what must be done, without hesitation and without being afraid of failure anymore..." At the end of his sentence, Joseph chuckled as if he was laughing at himself.

"Were you always like that... master?" Ezreal chimed at the side. Ever since he followed Joseph, he could never find any traces of low self-esteem in him. For Ezreal, Joseph was the perfect master.

Not only he had a comical side, and he also had a heart that cared far too much to his friends.

He was also the Grand Duelist, destined to be at the top of everyone.

But today...

Ezreal realized that his master could still be considered as a person.

He wasn't the true Grand Duelist yet, but someone flawed due to his past experiences that left scars deep within his heart.

Joseph turned to look at Ezreal, complicated emotions flashed on his face.

"I wasn't really like this, Ezreal... But the death of those precious to you... Really fucks up anyone in this world, you know?" Joseph replied in a somber tone. Even Krid was affected by what he said for he turned silent as he stared at Joseph. 

Ezreal, on the other hand, looked like he was about to cry.

Thankfully, he suppressed his tears as he nodded his head at Joseph.

Indicating that he understood what the latter was saying and that he would accept whatever past that he had and whatever he would do in the future...

The two silently communicated with their gazes until Krid interrupted them with a cough.

His expression looked somewhat awkward for he realized that Ezreal's gaze was quite coquettish, comparable to the gazes of those girls who lived and thrived within those districts filled with crimson lights.

"Okay, senior... We can start." Joseph turned his gaze away from the admiring Ezreal.

Krid awakened from his trance, but his expression couldn't help but turn strange when he swept his gaze at Ezreal and Joseph.

'Just as I thought, it seems like I cannot do that against my disciple... But he's the successor of the Grand Duelist! He's suitable for her! But right now, seeing this comrade of his. I can't help but think that he has strange tendencies...' 

All sorts of thoughts appeared within Krid's mind in a matter of seconds.

But after a moment of silence, he finally sighed then walked towards Joseph.

Joseph and Ezreal stared seriously at Krid...

But the two didn't expect that Krid would summon an anvil and hammer, before squatting on the ground and hammering once again like what he did just recently.

"???"

"..."