Dominic made a note for the Princess that the forges were having personal drama, but it didn’t appear to be anything that was deliberately sabotaging their progress. Just a personal grudge.
He was just stepping out of the forge when someone shouted his name.
"Advisor Dominic Wavemates! Stand and deliver. I demand satisfaction today!" The nobleman insisted.
"You’re not really my type. I’m sure I can find you a lover if you want, though. Lord? Sorry, I have no idea who you are." Dominic replied.
The two Royal Guards laughed behind their hands, and one of them whispered an explanation to Dominic.
{He’s demanding a duel. I think he wants you to drop out of contention for Princess Alexis.}
Dominic nodded slightly as the enraged Nobleman stormed toward him. Not only had the Advisor insulted his demand, then questioned his sexuality, he even had the gall to insult his lineage as not noteworthy?
The Nobleman tossed his glove in Dominic’s face with a hateful grin, and Dominic raised a hand to stop the Royal Guard assigned to him from stepping forward.
"We can settle this now if you would like. Or tomorrow at noon, your choice." Dominic agreed, then picked up the glove and threw it back in its owner’s face.
"I, Johnathan, third son of Baron Don Farleigh, will settle this today. Magitech Duel, pistols at ten paces."
All of the forge workers were pouring out into the courtyard now, their previous issues forgotten.
Dominic frowned as he saw the pistol at the man’s hip. An uncommon magitech pistol, level five. But more importantly, it was in a quick draw holster. Well, there was nothing to be done about it right now.
Dominic took out a Rare Grade mana revolver he had made at level 20, as he was intending to sell it later, and tucked it into his belt.
The Royal Guard cleared his throat.
"The contestants will start back to back, take ten paces, then turn to face each other. They may draw and fire when I ring the bell." He announced.
More Royal Guards came running out of the Palace, along with Princess Alexis and Crown Prince Claudius.
"Well, we’ve got a right proper audience today. You will have your resolution." Dominic noted.
{Idiot should have demanded a magical duel.} Pops grumbled.
A magical duel prohibited the use of projectile weapons, and other nonmagical attacks. It wouldn’t even be a fight, and more than likely, the challenger would have dropped out and left the marriage trials in shame.
But Dominic didn’t know that.
He also didn’t know that the trials had started, or that anyone was likely to challenge him to a duel instead of trying for supremacy in the King’s trials.
A Royal Guard stepped forward and handed Dominic a handkerchief.
"From my mistress, to bring you luck." Colonel Wilkes explained.
Dominic nodded solemnly and tied the gift around his right wrist. That was how the tradition went in the romance books that Alexis loved to read, though it was outdated, and normally the present was put in a pocket for safekeeping these days.
Dominic walked up to Lord Johnathan and nodded, then turned, so they could stand back to back.
His opponent was visibly shaking with nerves, but as the Royal Guard called the paces, his steps were steady.
"Eight, nine, ten! Turn and face your opponent." He declared.
Dominic stared into the eyes of this audacious young Lord. There was fear, but also confidence. Most likely, he was a trained gunfighter, Dominic assumed.
But his hands were still shaking.
Dominic didn’t hesitate when the first notes of the bell reached his ear and simply tilted the pistol back in its pouch, not bothering to draw it completely.
The click of the trigger and a surge of mana let Dominic know his timing was correct, and his opponent’s eyes went wide.
Dominic felt his left shoulder pushed back just as he fired, and then watched as the pistol flew free of his opponent’s hand.
Lord Johnathan held his hand and howled in pain as he collapsed to his knees.
Dominic had been the second to fire, and his shot was off target. The bullet had hit the handle of his opponent’s pistol, going through the fingers, and out through the palm.
The Mana bullet was not intended to be used on humans. Not at level twenty.
It had taken half his hand off, and the bleeding was intense.
"Do you yield, or will you continue?" The Royal Guard referee demanded.
"I will continue." Dominic insisted.
They waited a moment for the young Nobleman to recover his wits, but before he could speak, he passed out from blood loss.
"Healers. Tend to the young Lord. Advisor Dominic has won the duel, and Lord Johnathan will withdraw from contention for the position of Royal Consort." The referee announced.
Princess Alexis ran over to Dominic and pulled his robes open, then patted at his chest in confusion.
"Where did it hit?" She asked.
"Left shoulder. I’m fine, see? Mage Armour is still active. It didn’t puncture." Dominic replied.
Alexis stepped back and Dominic felt his head snap to the side as the slap hit his cheek.
"Don’t you ever scare me like that again. If you had armour on, you should have told me."
Dominic heard many gasps, and a few guards snickering quietly at her demand.
"Yes, Your Highness. I was remiss in my duties." Dominic agreed enthusiastically.
Alexis blushed as she realized she had made a spectacle of herself, and then deeper as she slowly wrapped her mind around the fact that her first instinct was to keep him from getting hurt, even though this was a duel for the right to pursue her in marriage.
She had never had any intention of being anyone’s blushing bride, but the simple and earnest way that Dominic smiled at her did something to her resolve.
Like maybe if it were to him, it might not be so bad to be a married woman.