The Second Son of the Marquis Wants to Laze Around-Chapter 42: The d’Armand: Knights (2/4)

On the day he finally decided to visit Carlos and resign from knighthood, he overheard something that stopped him in his tracks.

While passing through the corridor, he heard two maids whispering—about Lady Mereoleona.

Apparently, the Count’s daughter had been training relentlessly in the elite section’s training grounds. Unlike Bolder, who was a standard knight, Lady Mereoleona held the rank of an elite knight.

He even learned from fellow knights—and his friend Harry—that Lady Mereoleona had been frequently requesting sparring matches with Commander Carlos himself, pushing herself harder than ever.

After learning about that, Bolder decided to visit the elite training ground to observe the duel between Lady Mereoleona and his teacher, Commander Carlos. He wasn’t the only one who had the same thought—many other knights were also present, drawn by curiosity and the rare chance to witness such a battle between elites.

As they all watched, Mereoleona was engaged in a fierce sparring session with the commander. The scene unfolding before them was intense—she was unleashing her Aura and attacking the commander with everything she had. The way she swung her sword, perfectly executing the d’Armand Knight techniques, and her display of swordsmanship left everyone breathless. It was awe-inspiring to those who stood below her rank. She looked every bit like a true elite knight.

Yet, despite all her effort, she still ended up losing. Commander Carlos, a Level 5 Awakener, was simply too powerful. Even though Mereoleona enhanced her physical abilities with her Aura and struck with unrelenting force, she couldn’t land a single clean hit. The commander effortlessly blocked or deflected every one of her attacks, his calm expression never once breaking.

And every time she failed, she was knocked back to the ground. But that didn’t stop her. She would rise again, her body trembling, her breathing ragged, and shout the same words over and over: "One more time!" and "Again!"

She repeated this for nearly an hours.

The fire in her eyes, the determination that burned in her soul—these things affected everyone watching, including Bolder. He felt chills run down his spine as he witnessed her refusal to give up, even after so many losses.

Watching the young lady endure failure and still rise again awakened something long lost in Bolder’s heart.

He came to understand why Lady Mereoleona was behaving this way. It all traced back to that humiliating duel against the noble boy Eren Valmont. Although Bolder hated to admit it, the raw power that Eren had shown that day—the effortless way he defeated him—had stunned everyone, especially Mereoleona.

That duel had shattered their understanding of strength. It revealed a harsh truth: the world isn’t fair. No matter how hard you train, no matter how far you push yourself, there will always be someone out there whose power seems beyond reason.

Eren Valmont, a boy with a terrible reputation for being lazy and frail, someone rumored to have never trained a day in his life with a sword—turned out to be a prodigy. Reality had slapped them both in the face.

That moment didn’t just teach Mereoleona a lesson. It taught Bolder one too—a painful one. But just like the Count’s daughter, Bolder felt the fire of ambition reigniting in his chest. That same feeling he once had when he first joined the d’Armand knights. That same excitement he felt when he saw his teacher, Commander Carlos, dominate the battlefield alone against overwhelming odds.

From that day forward, Bolder’s thoughts of quitting the knighthood vanished. They were replaced by a renewed sense of purpose. A stronger determination now filled him—the desire to grow stronger, to never lose like that again, and to make sure he never brought shame to the d’Armand household or his family name.

---

As Bolder turned to leave the training ground, ignoring the hushed laughter and quiet mockery behind him, one voice rang out above the rest. Sever, the blond-haired knight standing with his group of friends, felt irritated by Bolder’s calm attitude. The lack of reaction from Bolder stung his pride. He didn’t want to feel like he was the one losing.

"Hey! Are you really running away?" Sever shouted, hoping to provoke him.

Still, there was no response. Bolder continued walking without looking back.

Sever’s grin widened, and he raised his voice again with a sharper insult. "What? Gonna go cry to your mommy?"

—Silence. Then a pause.

This time, Bolder stopped walking. Sever grinned mischievously, pleased that he had finally gotten a reaction.

He knew well that bringing up Bolder’s mother was a sensitive topic. In the past, a knight had once insulted her out of jealousy—and ended up being beaten by Bolder like a wild beast. Everyone knew how he reacted when it came to his mother.

Sever’s four companions standing beside him paled with concern. They understood the danger. But Sever, arrogant as always, didn’t feel fear. He kept going.

"Yeah, that’s right. Go back to your fat mommy and cry in her arms, you disgraceful coward!"

The entire training ground fell silent. The surrounding knights turned to look, their expressions shifting to nervous tension. Even Harry, Bolder’s friend, turned pale. He looked toward Bolder, who now stood completely still.

Then, slowly, Bolder turned his head to look back at Sever.

His expression was dark. A thick orange Aura flared around him like a wave of fire, sending chills through the knights present. A vein pulsed on his neck, and his gaze turned into a deathly glare. His sheer presence made the others flinch—except for Sever, who continued to smirk defiantly.

Bolder began walking toward him, each step heavy and deliberate.

"Bolder, stop! He’s not worth it!" Harry called out, trying to reach him. But Bolder didn’t respond. He didn’t stop.

Now face-to-face, Sever stood with a smug grin, trying to look unfazed, ready for a fight. The tension between them crackled like electricity.

They stared into each other’s eyes, a silent clash of wills.

Sever wasn’t worried—because in terms of official knight rankings, they were equals. Both had joined the knighthood at the same time, and both had been fierce rivals for the top spot. The animosity between them had been brewing for years.

Sever resented Bolder because, despite being a commoner, Bolder had been given private lessons from Commander Carlos—thanks to a personal connection between Bolder’s father and the commander.

While Bolder hated Sever because he was the son of a Baron who constantly boasted about his noble status and his early talent in swordsmanship, claiming himself to be a genius, there was more to it. Sever didn’t shy away from telling others that he was destined to marry the daughter of the d’Armand family once he rose to the rank of commander and proved his worth. He often flaunted his noble birth and future ambitions without a hint of humility.

In other words, Sever was arrogant and completely self-centered.

...

Meanwhile, at the top of the training ground’s stone wall, a middle-aged man with stark white hair watched the unfolding drama silently, arms crossed. He had no intention of interfering. That man was none other than the knight commander himself—Carlos.

"..."

As all the knights in the training grounds held their breath, watching the tension rise between the two young knights, Bolder spoke in a cold, low voice, his eyes wide with fury.

"Take back what you said," he demanded, his Aura flaring stronger with each word.

In response, Sever released his own Aura, clashing with Bolder’s in a violent surge of energy. The air around them grew heavier.

"Why? What are you going to do, huh?" Sever taunted, flashing a smug grin, clearly enjoying the reaction.

To everyone’s surprise, Bolder calmly removed his glove and hurled it at Sever’s chest.

—Slap!

"Then I will make you," he said in an icy, composed tone.

Sever’s eyes widened for a second, surprised that Bolder had formally challenged him. His original plan was to provoke Bolder into attacking first, so he could play the victim and accuse him of starting the fight like always. But this? A public duel was not what he expected.

Just as he opened his mouth to refuse, Bolder’s voice cut through his thoughts.

"What’s wrong? Trying to run away with excuses, coward?"

The words hit Sever like a slap. The same insult word he had thrown earlier was now being tossed back at him in front of everyone. Several knights gasped and whispered among themselves. A vein throbbed on Sever’s forehead, his pride wounded.

Without a word, Sever knelt down and picked up the glove from the ground, accepting the challenge.

...

After the duel was accepted, word spread fast. Knights from every level—upper ranks, the elites, and the lower one, the trainees—all rushed to the training field to watch the duel between two of the top-ranked knights.

In the center of the training ground, a knight stepped forward as the referee, while Bolder and Sever stood on opposite sides, gripping real swords, fully armored and ready for combat.

Funny enough, some of the knights even started placing bets. It was a common pastime whenever a formal duel was declared. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Once both duelists were in position, the referee raised his hand high before swinging it down.

"Begin!"

—Bang!

Sever was the first to move, dashing straight toward Bolder with a powerful strike. But instead of countering, Bolder took a defensive stance, calmly blocking the attack.

—Clang!