"A trial by combat?" Raghav looked at Vaughn who nodded with a grin on his face. "You said you read the laws, so you must know this as well you sly fuck." Raghav nodded. "I do" King Belreid stood up. "You do not get the right to ask for a trial by combat when you have been proven guilty." Vaughn chuckled as he lifted his hands in front of himself. "But I can, I have only been proved to be guilty, I am yet to be judged guilty. Hence this trial is not over and I have the right to ask for a trial by combat anytime I wish like anyone else."
King Belreid frowned as he gritted his teeth and sat back down. "Very well. Procced."
Raghav looked Vaughn from top to bottom. "Who will represent you in this battle since I do not think your old body will aid you in this endeavor."
Vaughn began laughing as the halls of the castle echoed with his laughter. "You are worried about me? Oh you dumb fuck you should be worried about yourself." Raghav raised one of his hands in front of himself. "Why should I be worried?"
Vaughn lifted his finger and flicked it between himself and Raghav. "This is a trial between you and me, when I ask for a trial by combat, the people who fight represent us. I have a representative, do you?"
Aurelia stood up. "I will represent him." Vaughn clicked his tongue a few times shaking his head. "You cannot, this man is not a citizen of this Kingdom and hence cannot ask for any warrior of this Kingdom to represent him. He will need to ask someone from his Kingdom to represent him or fight himself. But even if he chooses that outcome he will lose because neither he nor anyone from his world are Mana sensitive."
Raghav gently stared at Vaughn grinning from ear to ear. "If you chose not to fight, it will be my victory by law of forfeit and I will walk away a free man and this case will never touch me ever again."
Raghav sighed. "Do not worry, I will not need a representative. I will fight myself. Who is your representative?" Vaughn's grin spread even further as his face felt it will split in two. "Asfan!"
"Who?" "The assailant you have locked up in the cells, he will fight for me. Do you want to know where he is from?"
Raghav nodded. "If you really want to tell us, go ahead." Vaughn chuckled. "He is from the Mortenia Tribe of Abyssara Kingdom."
The crowd gasped in unison as Raghav looked at them then behind himself as he observed the faces of Galreid, The King, Reinhardt and Aurelia.
Galreid's face was turning white, The King tightly gripped his throne as he froze. Aurelia was looking at Raghav as if he was the one who received a death sentence. 'I take it, he comes from a well-known tribe of warriors.'
Raghav then faced Vaughn. "So?" Another gasp filled the throne room. Aurelia stood up. "SO? Do you not realize the danger you have put yourself in. The Mortenia Tribe is one of the most dangerous groups on the planet the weakest of their members are at the rank of an Intermediate Knight. This Asfan is possibly an Elite Knight or a Young Master. You will not win."
Raghav gently smiled at Aurelia before turning to Vaughn as he stared him down. "Do not worry, Princess. This will not be an issue for me."
Raghav took a deep breath before he addressed the room loud and clear. "Today at dusk, Asfan and I will engage in a trial by combat. The fight will go on until either one of us surrenders or dies." Raghav paused to look at Aurelia who shook her head with worry written all over her face. Raghav smiled in an attempt to reassure her before he faced Vaughn again.
"Asfan will be healed by the mages and be given a proper room and food. Vaughn will be held in his room until then. I will not have anyone say that I defeated a starving and beat up man. The fate of Prime Minister Vaughn will be decided today. Guards take him to his room."
As The Guards took Vaughn away the crowd also dispersed leaving Raghav standing there. His back turned towards the King. "Raghav!" He turned to look at The King. "Yes, Your grace?"
The King grabbed Raghav's shoulder. "Have you gone mad?" "No." "You will die if you fight Asfan, he is a knight and possibly even a master and Aurelia told me you come from a world where swords, spears and bows are weapon of the past. How will you match him?"
Raghav gently shook his head. "You will see. I shall go and get ready for this battle." The King sighed. "I hope you win, I am also sorry that you have to risk your life for us."
Raghav smiled. "That is what heroes do. They risk their lives for others. If I am to assume the role of a hero for this world then I shall get the hang of such risks." Aurelia looked between her father and Raghav. "I shall come with you and help you prepare."
The King nodded as both Raghav and Aurelia began walking to the door. Raghav suddenly stopped lifting his hand as he turned to The King. "Please task your spies to uncover this Mark. He hold knowledge and resources of my world. He was also smart enough to recreate certain technology. So be cautious of him."
"I shall put them on his trail." Raghav nodded as he and Aurelia left the throne room.
"So you were a detective?" "I was. I was on a vacation when I got summoned. They will report me missing in a few months."
"Your family must be worried?" Raghav frowned. "I don't have a family, I was found at the doorsteps of an orphanage."
"How did you become a detective? In my world orphans don't end up making it very far in life." "Due to a murder case one day a detective came to our orphanage. I admired the way he worked and carried himself. I was eleven at that time, I asked him to teach me."
Raghav looked at Aurelia as he smiled. "Surprisingly he agreed and became my teacher. He spent the next six years teaching me all about how to be a detective and even gave me a proper education. When I was seventeen, I accompanied him to my first case and that is how I became a private detective."
Aurelia looked at the floor while her hands were behind her back she looked away from him to the wall. "What do you call someone you love in your world?" Raghav smiled. "What type of love?"
Aurelia looked at Raghav tilting her head. "What do you mean?" "I mean you love your brother are you referring to that type of love or the type that a husband and wife have?" Aurelia's face turned red as she walked a few steps forward creating a small distance between them. "The latter."
Raghav smiled seeing Aurelia blushing. "Before marriage, boyfriend and girlfriend."
"What is that?"
Raghav chuckled looking away from her. "When a boy and girl love each other and are together, but they are not yet married. So the boy is the girl's boyfriend and the girl is the boy's girlfriend."
Aurelia placed her fingers on her chin. "I see." She then turned around looking at Raghav as she walked backwards. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
Raghav shook his head. "I do not." "OH." Aurelia nodded and turned around. Raghav slightly sped up walking beside Aurelia as he looked at her. "What about you? You have a boyfriend?"
Aurelia nodded. "I do." Raghav looked at the floor. "OH." He then slightly chuckled. "Is it the prince of another Kingdom or the son of a Lord?"
Aurelia smiled from ear to ear. Raghav looked at her as he got lost in her smile. 'This is the first time I have seen her smile like this.'
She turned to look at Raghav as she shook her head. "Neither; he is the son of a farmer out in the crop fields of Rine." Raghav chuckled shaking his head as he ran his hand through his hair. "That is not what I was expecting. The King allowed this?"
Aurelia nodded. "Wow. Then can I know his name of this lucky man?" Aurelia stopped in front of a room. "Win this battle. Then I shall tell you his name."
She opened the door to reveal an armoury. "Take any weapon you feel confident with. I would suggest you take some good armour."
Raghav walked in ignoring all the armour. "I suggested you to pick an armour at least wear a chest plate." "Armour will just get in the way. I don't like it."
He reached the end of the room and stood in front of a table that had a sword displayed on it. The silver steel blade was a meter long; the handle was nine inches long and was made of steel covered with a special resin instead of leather to enhance the grip. The pommel contained a white diamond at the very base. The cross-guard stretched four inches to either side of the blade. The scabbard was made of flexible yet durable wood with steel bolted in at the locket and the chape.
"This is what I need." He lifted the sword from the display with his right hand and then grabbed it with both hands as he lifted it upright.
Aurelia looked at him. "Why pick this sword among all others? It is not fit for combat, the scabbard is made of wood and the handle is wrapped in resin which is not a good substitute for leather handles. It will slip out of your hands if you don't hold it tightly. Then why?"
Raghav admired the sword. "It is exactly because of those reasons. I will not use anything with the blood of the innocent on it." Aurelia looked at Raghav's jacket, belt and shoes before looking back at his face. "I have to say I did not take you for a hypocrite. Wearing that leather jacket, belt and shoes."
Raghav looked away from the sword and at himself. "This is not leather, its artificial leather. It is made using chemicals but it acts and feels like real leather." Aurelia tilted her head as she placed her hand on her hips and pointed at Raghav with the other. "So you want leather without actually killing animals for it."
Raghav nodded shifting his eyes back to the sword. "I will admit leather is useful but the life of an innocent is too much of a price for me."
Aurelia smiled and dropped her hands. "He is just like you. He made a special saddle and reins for the horses he and I use." "Are you talking about Kanah?" Aurelia nodded. "Glad to see that he is not ruining my reputation."
He then sheathed the sword and tied the scabbard on his waist. "Let's go."
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The light of the setting sun bathed the white arena in a yellowish-red. The lords and ministers sat on the marble stands while at the centre sat the royal family and Sage Amla on red chairs.
Reinhardt stood behind The King while the rest of the Royal guards were spread around the stands. Vaughn sat on a white chair at the bottom of the stands.
Aurelia looked at Sage Amla beside her. 'He is still meditating, this way I will not get a chance to ask him anything.' Right then Sage Amla opened his eyes and looked at Aurelia. "Yes, my child."
Aurelia smiled as she joined her hands and bowed her head to him. "Sage Amla, do you believe, Raghav can win."
Sage Amla looked at the centre of the Arena. "I do not know, given everything that we know; he should lose. But we live in a world running at the will of The One. Anything can happen. So let's just wait and see what the lord himself wills."
He then closed his eyes again. Aurelia looked down at her feet until she heard the sounds of doors opening.
Her head shot up looking at either ends of the corridor. From the left door came Asfan escorted by three Royal Guards his hands still cuffed in the Mana restraints; he was back in the black robe and had black armour covering his torso. With his hood down she was able to see his shoulder length black hair tied in a bun and a deep burn scar on his nape.
From the right door came Raghav alone. 'He really did not wear any armour.' Raghav had changed his clothes for this fight. Opting to wear a white medieval linen shirt under his brown jacket alongside black pants and black military boots.
The two met in the middle of the corridor locking their eyes. They then turned towards the Arena and walked over the arch bridge. Once they stepped foot on the arena they walked in the opposite directions. Raghav walked to his left and Asfan walked to his right they walked the edge of the Arena until they reached the midway point.
They stopped and started walking towards the centre stopping one meter away from it. Raghav crossed his arms and stood straight looking at Asfan.
Asfan's cuffs were opened by the guards as they moved to their position to guard the spectators.
Asfan grabbed his wrists rubbing them as he looked at Raghav and grinned. "It was a mistake, healing me and giving me food. Your pride as a warrior will be your undoing."
Raghav opened his hands placing his left hand on the pommel of his sword. "It was the right thing to do."
Asfan smiled as he pulled his curved sword out holding it in his right hand as it was a one-handed sword. He pulled his hand back pointing the tip of the blade at Raghav aligning it with his left hand stretching forward.
Raghav was dead serious as he pulled out his sword with his right hand and held it to his side.
The King stood up as everyone looked at him. "With the sky, Paneria, the setting sun and the rising moon as our witness. In the name of the Istreid Kingdom, I King Belreid announce for this battle between Asfan of the Mortenia Tribe and Raghav Suryanshi of Earth to Begin."
Both combatants ran at one another swinging inward with their swords as the swords clashed Raghav's strength pushed Asfan's sword back as he placed his left hand under his right hand and swung outward at Asfan who leaned back, his neck narrowly avoiding the blade as it tore off his robe leaving a mark on his black armour.
Asfan leapt back as he placed his left hand on his armour. He laughed as he felt the mark. "I did not know you were so skilled with a sword."
Raghav stayed silent rushing at Asfan with an overhead downward slash; Asfan dashed to the left letting Raghav strike the ground. "Missed me." He then attempted to slash down Raghav who quickly swung the sword with his right hand.
The two swords clashed again and were locked together, Raghav moved his right foot toward Asfan who leaned forward grinning. "Why are you so Silent. Say something, it will make this fight more exci…ugh." He was cut off by an uppercut as he flew back a few meters flipping in the air to land on his feet and covered his mouth with his left hand.
Raghav lowered his left fist as he lowered the sword to his right. "It is very easy to lose your tongue, if you speak during a fight."
Aurelia's eyes were widened as she looked at Raghav. 'The people from earth should have been physically weaker compared to us. How could he launch him a few meters back? He cannot even use Mana then how?'
Raghav narrowed his eyes as Asfan removed his hand from his mouth wiping away some blood on his pants. "Did you lose your tongue?" Asfan shook his head lifting his sword as dark red aura began to surround his blade and body. "I did not, but you are about to lose your life. I will not go easy anymore."
Raghav took a deep breath. "Very well then. Neither shall I."
A white glow emerged from the centre of his chest and spread across his body and the sword.
Sage Amla stood up from his chair looking at Raghav with wide eyes. 'It can't be. He can use it too.'
Aurelia who was equally as surprised as him looked at Sage Amla. "Sage Amla you said he could not use Mana. Then what is that?" Sage Amla turned to look at Aurelia. "My child. That is everything."