Edric groaned as he lay on the ground, rubbing his side where Izuku's wooden sword had struck. The watching knights were silent for a moment before some began muttering among themselves.
"He actually won?"
"That orphan Slum rat beat the young lord?"
"Wasn't Edric supposed to be stronger?"
Izuku didn't react. He simply exhaled, his body screaming in exhaustion. His muscles burned, his lungs ached, and the lingering pain from Edric's strike still pulsed through his core.
But in the end—
He had won.
Not by power.
Not by overwhelming force.
But by endurance, patience, and experience.
Varyn's Judgment
Lord Varyn stepped forward, his expression unreadable.
He looked at his son, still sitting on the ground, and then at Izuku, who remained standing despite the obvious exhaustion.
Then, suddenly—
He laughed.
A deep, amused chuckle that made the knights tense.
"So this is the result of a year's worth of training?"
Edric flinched. "F-Father, I just—"
Varyn raised a hand."No excuses. You lost. Accept it."
Edric clenched his fists but nodded, his face red with embarrassment.
Then, Lord Varyn turned to Izuku.
"You. You fought well."
Izuku remained silent, simply bowing his head slightly in acknowledgment.
Varyn studied him for a moment, then smiled.
"I like you."
That made the knights stiffen. Even Sir Garrick raised an eyebrow.
Varyn was not known for giving out praise lightly.
An Unexpected Reward
Lord Varyn crossed his arms. "Since you won the duel, you'll receive what I promised. A full day's worth of luxury meat."
Izuku gave a small nod. He didn't particularly care about the food, but considering his body's desperate need for nutrients, it was a welcome reward.
But then—
"That's not all."
Izuku looked up, eyes narrowing slightly.
Varyn smirked. "How about an offer?"
The Baron's Offer
The murmurs among the knights grew louder. Even Lady Elara looked mildly surprised.
Varyn took a step forward.
"Join my personal guard."
Silence.
Izuku didn't react immediately. He studied Varyn, searching for hidden intent.
Varyn grinned. "Don't look at me like that, boy. I recognize talent when I see it."
He gestured to the knights around them. "Most of these men train for years before they can fight properly. And yet, you, a mere orphan, just defeated my son."
"That tells me two things."
He raised a finger. "One, you're talented."
Then another. "Two, you're determined."
Varyn smirked. "Both are qualities I like."
Izuku remained silent, thinking.
A Tempting Path
Varyn continued, "You'll have better food, better lodging, and proper training. No more wasting away in the slums."
Izuku's fingers tightened around his wooden sword.
It was an enticing offer. A chance to escape the slums. A chance to grow stronger.
But—
Wouldn't this be the easy way out?
Izuku knew that in this world, nothing was free. Varyn wasn't offering this out of kindness. There had to be a catch.
Still, before he could respond—
A system prompt appeared.
[New Quest – The Baron's Favor]You have caught the eye of Baron Varyn. Accept his offer to gain access to better training and resources.Reward: Increased growth speed, better nutrition, and potential connections.
[Reject his offer and carve your own path.]Reward: ???
Izuku exhaled slowly.
It was a crossroads.
And he had to make a choice.
To Be Continued in Chapter 22 – A Decision of Strength