NOVPUBMaybe Jake was just playing hard to get. If that were the case, Claude might have let it slide.
However, Claude didn’t bother hiding his irritation as he spoke.
“Why not join the Fenris Mercenary Corps? We won’t interfere with your work, we’ll give you plenty of jobs, and the benefits are great. There’s nothing to lose. You should aim higher, play in bigger waters.”
Jake couldn’t deny that Claude was making valid points. He had even participated in a few Fenris projects before, where payments were always generous and punctual, better than anywhere else.
But there was a reason he was refusing.
“Fenris’ Count is a warmonger. That much is clear. And from what I hear, he’s not exactly sane.”
In just a few years, Ghislain had fought three major wars, annexing the lands of Count Digald, Count Cabaldi, and Count Desmond. He was a conqueror, plain and simple.
On top of that, many of his endeavors sounded outright insane to anyone with common sense.
To fall under the control of such a man would mean living with constant risk.
“The Duke’s faction doesn’t get along with him either. Even with the royalists backing him, if a civil war breaks out, we’ll have no choice but to get dragged into it.”
While war was often a lucrative opportunity for mercenaries, most weren’t eager to dive into conflicts unless victory was likely. Joining Ghislain would mean losing the freedom to make such decisions.
Being more cautious than most mercenaries, Jake wanted no part of it.
“I’m not interested. This kind of talk makes me uncomfortable, Master Claude,” Jake said bluntly.
“Are you sure? Really sure you don’t want to reconsider?” Claude pressed.
“Yes, I’m certain.”
Claude let out a long sigh. “Alright then. I’ll back off for now. Let’s talk another time.”
As Claude walked away, Jake allowed himself a smug grin.
“My apologies. Perhaps I’ll give you a discount next time, but let’s keep discussions like this off the table.”
Claude’s parting words carried a subtle edge.
“Oh, we’ll see each other again soon.”
The very next day, Claude returned—with several hundred soldiers in tow.
Jake’s expression darkened as he stepped forward to confront Claude.
“What is the meaning of this?”
He wasn’t intimidated. Jake knew that using soldiers to threaten him would damage Fenris’ reputation. Such an action would make it harder for Claude to win over other mercenary groups.
As an experienced mercenary, Jake understood this well and maintained his cocky demeanor.
Claude dismissed the soldiers with a wave. “Relax. I’m not here to intimidate you with troops.”
“Then what is it this time?” Jake asked, narrowing his eyes.
Claude cleared his throat and suddenly bellowed:
“I, Claude, hereby challenge Jake, leader of the Bigfoot Mercenary Corps, to a duel under the name of Moriana, Goddess of War!”
Everyone froze.
Moriana’s Duel—a formal, sacred challenge invoking the Goddess of War’s name. It was the same method Ghislain had used to subdue Kaor. Now, Claude, of all people, was invoking it.
Behind him, Wendy gawked in disbelief, and the soldiers exchanged incredulous glances.
By any measure, Claude was among the weakest men in Fenris. He was so frail that Wendy sometimes had to carry him around when he was too exhausted. It was almost laughable to imagine him issuing a duel challenge.
And yet here he was, declaring a fight against a mercenary leader—a seasoned warrior who had earned his position through strength and experience.
Jake, towering over Claude by nearly double his size, took a cautious step back, utterly bewildered.
“Wh-what are you talking about? This kind of challenge is meant for mercenaries. It’s not something you should be doing.”
“I’m the administrator of the Fenris Mercenary Corps,” Claude retorted, puffing out his chest. “That makes me a mercenary too.”
It was a flimsy excuse, but technically true. Fenris had officially registered its mercenary corps with various guilds, giving Claude just enough justification for his claim.
Jake hesitated, glancing at the soldiers, who seemed equally perplexed.
“I could crush this skinny little man in one blow... but should I?”
There was no way Claude could win, even if Jake went easy on him. But actually hurting him could create more problems.
“It’s a legitimate challenge. If he dies, it’ll be on him. But still...”
Sensing Jake’s hesitation, Claude took a bold step forward and taunted him.
“What’s wrong? Afraid of a little duel? If you refuse, I’ll make sure everyone hears about it. Imagine how your men will feel about that. Or how other mercenaries might mock you when I spread the word.”
Jake clenched his teeth in frustration. The thought of mercenaries ridiculing him for turning down a duel was maddening.
“Damn it. This bastard knows exactly how to get under my skin.”
Rejecting the challenge would be seen as cowardice by many, and the damage to his reputation could affect his work. Worse, mercenaries who didn’t know the full story might assume he was genuinely scared of Claude.
“If I let this slide, my reputation will be ruined. But if I kill him, it’ll cause a whole different set of problems.”
As Jake debated his options, Wendy grabbed Claude’s arm and hissed, “What do you think you’re doing? You can’t fight! This is insane!”
Claude smirked, clearly enjoying her concern.
“Aw, are you worried about me? It’s been a while since you’ve shown this much emotion.”
“Are you joking? Call this off right now!”
“A man doesn’t back out of a duel. And besides, I’m not one to fight battles I can’t win,” Claude replied smugly, shaking her grip off his sleeve.
As he stepped forward, Wendy could only stare at him in disbelief, utterly dumbfounded by his audacity.
The duel began with the ceremonial binding of their hands. Even the mercenaries tying the knot looked uneasy, as if they were questioning the absurdity of the situation.
Standing face-to-face, the difference in size between the two was stark. Jake was nearly twice Claude’s height and several times broader.
Wendy prepared to intervene the moment things got dangerous. As much as Claude annoyed her, he was essential to the territory. Without him, Fenris’ administration would collapse.
Jake, meanwhile, studied Claude carefully, twirling his dagger in thought.
“Should I just wound him enough to make him surrender? That seems fair...”
As Jake considered where to strike without killing him, Claude suddenly whispered in a low, almost casual tone.
“Jake, age 38. Leader of the Bigfoot Mercenary Corps.”
“...?” Jake frowned, confused by the sudden comment.
“You act like a bold, carefree man, but it’s all an act. In truth, you’re cautious—maybe even overly so.”
“...?”
Jake’s confusion deepened as Claude’s words struck uncomfortably close to home.
“Age 15, worked as a leather artisan in the East and fell deeply in love with the craft.”
“W-wait... no...”
Jake’s face turned ghostly pale. From Claude’s mouth came secrets he had buried for years.
“Later, your obsession with leather grew to the point where you wore nothing but leather underwear. Once, you even asked a woman you were seeing to whip you with a leather whip you’d crafted yourself. She broke up with you on the spot.”
“S-stop!”
“When word got out, you fled to the North, turned to mercenary work, and secretly started paying people to whip you with leather at night. You became a mercenary not for the money, but because you enjoyed the beatings. Your prized whip is named ‘Lilith,’ and the last time you used it was about two weeks ago. Oh, and the whip’s hidden in...”
“Enough!” Jake blurted, his voice trembling.
Claude ignored him, continuing with a cheery grin, “And you call yourself a ‘man’s man’? Please, you spend all your time watching your back and hiding who you really are.”
With every word, Jake felt like the ground was crumbling beneath him. If these secrets got out, he wouldn’t be able to show his face in the North again.
“I have to kill him!”
Before Jake could act, Claude quickly added, “Oh, by the way, all this is documented. I’ve also shared it with a trusted friend. If anything happens to me, the whole region will hear about it by nightfall.”
That trusted friend? Lowell, of course.
Jake clenched his fists, his eyes darting nervously around as he whispered harshly, “Master Claude! Couldn’t we have discussed this privately?!”
Claude smiled brightly, as though Jake had said something amusing. “But then I wouldn’t have been able to do this in front of an audience. I’ve always wanted to try something like this. That’s why I brought so many soldiers to watch.”
“This lunatic actually dragged hundreds of soldiers here just to show off?”
Jake was starting to regret every life decision that had led to this moment. Sweat dripped down his face as he glared at the man in front of him.
Claude, completely unfazed, added casually, “Want me to spill more? You’ve got plenty of interesting stories, you know.”
“N-no, that won’t be necessary...” Jake replied with a forced laugh, trying to salvage what little dignity he had left.
The crowd was utterly confused. From the outside, it looked like the two were just whispering to each other instead of dueling.
Finally, a mercenary who had been watching from a distance raised his hand and shouted, “Begin!”
Traditionally, the start of the duel would be marked by both opponents lunging at each other. But Jake’s hand, which held the dagger, trembled violently. He couldn’t bring himself to move.
Claude, striking a dramatic pose, sneered, “Not coming? Then I’ll go first. Hiya!”
He lunged with his dagger in what could only be described as the clumsiest, slowest attack imaginable.
Jake didn’t dodge. He didn’t even try. The dagger poked weakly into his chest, barely enough to scratch the skin. A single drop of blood seeped out.
If Jake so much as twitched, he could cleave Claude in half with a single swing of his own blade. 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓅𝓊𝓫.𝒸ℴ𝓶
The spectators held their breath, waiting to see what would happen next. Wendy, who had been preparing to intervene, froze mid-step as Jake suddenly cried out, “Aaaaaaagh!”
The mercenary leader fell dramatically to the ground, clutching his chest. “I-I surrender! Please, no more! You’re too strong! I thought you were a Swordmaster!”
The crowd collectively dropped their jaws. How could someone as mighty as Jake lose to an attack like that?
Claude, on the other hand, wore a smug expression as though victory had been a foregone conclusion. “Hmph, I see my power has overwhelmed you.”
He then tried to cut the rope binding his hands with his dagger but failed miserably. His feeble attempts only drew more attention to his lack of strength.
With an exasperated sigh, Wendy rushed forward and cut the rope for him. She hissed, “What the hell just happened? What did you do?”
“I’ve practiced this a hundred times before,” Claude replied with a smirk.
“...”
That line was a direct reference to Ghislain’s infamous duel with Kaor, a story well-known throughout Fenris. Clearly, Claude had been dying to replicate it.
Now free, Claude crouched in front of the defeated Jake and spoke with a grin, “So, we’re on the same team now, right? I won’t take your mercenary group away from you. Just join the Fenris Mercenary Corps, pay your dues on time, and keep the jobs flowing our way. Oh, and don’t forget to share intel.”
Jake nodded frantically, his pride shattered. “Of course, of course. Whatever you say.”
The crowd stared at Claude in awe. Nobody could believe that someone as weak as him had defeated a seasoned mercenary leader.
The same confusion spread among Jake’s own mercenaries. They couldn’t fathom why their leader had lost so easily. To them, it seemed he had thrown the fight on purpose, likely to save face while joining Fenris’ ranks.
Despite the rumors and speculation, the truth of what had happened remained a secret shared only between Claude, Jake, and the ever-diligent spy, Lowell.
Using a combination of persuasion, manipulation, and blackmail, Claude successfully brought most of the Northern mercenary groups under Fenris’ control.
As he leaned back with a satisfied smirk, Claude muttered, “That was almost too easy. I wonder how the lord is doing.”
While Claude handled the North with ruthless efficiency, Ghislain and his closest aides had just arrived in a city in the West, preparing for their next move.
