I will Save this Doomed Plot

Chapter 159: The Unexpected Quest(3)

"Wait, what did he just say?"

"Does he want a Pierce to work for him?"

"Has he gone insane?!"

In an instant, Marcel's vision darkened and his face hardened. He then cast a murderous glare at Lance.

"All right... Let's do it."

"Sure."

Marcel clenched his teeth and trailed Lance as he walked towards the training grounds. The knights they meet on the way all looked at Lance with a confused look but pardoned it when they saw Marcel following behind. Lance took a sword from the storage room as Marcel began stretching when they arrived at the training grounds. Crowds of children watching from behind him are all cheering for Marcel. Marcel looked at them and just nodded at them as if he's saying he will definitely win. He cannot bear to goof around so he is trying to be serious.

"Let's get started."

Marcel's focus shifted to Lance, who had finally obtained a sword. Marcel then scoffed as he observed Lance's form... He has no form at all, he is simply standing.

'He dares to challenge and swordsman with his form like that?!'

One of the children walked between Lance and Marcel, looking at both of them before raising his arm; he is the duel's starter.

"Let the duel begin!"

To avoid disrupting the duel, the kid dropped his hand and dashed back towards the crowd. Marcel then grabbed his sword and dashed towards Lance.

"Take this!"

Marcel then slashed his sword vertically at Lance, who simply dodged it, taking Marcel by surprise.

'He evaded it?!'

Marcel clenched his teeth and swung his sword at Lance once more, but Lance just kept avoiding with no expression on his face, which irritates Marcel. Lance simply looked at the short-fused Marcel glaring at him, sighed deeply, and crouched down to level Marcel's ear. He then said something to Marcel that surprised him.

"Your swordsmanship sucks..."

"What?! Why you-!"

Marcel was about to slash his sword at Lance's neck when Lance crouched even lower and kicked his foot, causing Marcel to lose balance and fall off on his buttocks. When Marcel looked up, he saw Lance's gleaming sword in the sun aiming down at him. Fortunately, Marcel reacted quickly and moved back, causing Lance's blade to miss and strike the ground instead. Marcel frowned and rose to his feet. He was just about to do his form when Lance immediately rushed forward towards him.

"You're too slow; even the assassins who come to my bedroom to try to kill me every day outperform you."

Lance's sentence caused Marcel's eyes to widen.

'What? Assassins? Every day, he is assassinated?!'

Marcel gulped and managed to avoid Lance's blade in time while processing what Lance had just said. Marcel then stepped back, creating some breathing room between them. Marcel then takes a deep breath to catch his breath.

'This... This guy is even crazier than I thought...'

While looking at the calm Lance, beads of sweat began to form on Marcel's brow. He now realized Lance is not ordinary; he is capable of saving himself from assassins, and he does so on a daily basis! He is not a child...

He is a fucking monster.

Marcel has no reason not to believe Lance's words. Lance is more used to evading and doing one thrust fatal movements, he could tell just by looking at his form as he dodged his attacks. Lance's movements are like fighting an adult's.

"Pay attention to the duel."

Marcel's eyes widened as Lance's face obstructed his vision. He's so deep in thought that he doesn't notice Lance approaching him. Because Marcel couldn't avoid Lance's attack, he decided to parry it with his sword, causing them to come to a halt while trying to push each other back.

"Marcel Pierce, a member of the infamous Pierce family, who rose to prominence after founding the first, and possibly last powerful Mercenary guild. Belongs to no kingdom and controls all of the continent's information."

When Lance started talking about his family, Marcel flinched but quickly smirked.

"That's correct. You appear to know quite a bit about my family."

Lance locked his gaze on Marcel's cocky expression. Lance then said something that only Marcel could hear. And this information absolutely shocked Marcel.

"On the outside, the Pierce Family is known as the founder and leader of the Mercenary Guild, but on the inside..."

Lance gave Marcel a small cold smile that sent shivers down his spine.

"...The Pierce family rules the Underworld. And you, Marcel Pierce, are the next heir to become the King of the Underworld. It is nice to see a fellow soon-to-be-king here."

Marcel's mind went blank, and he was too stunned to move. Lance became aware of this and slashed his sword; fortunately, Marcel snapped and sloppily blocked the blow. Since Lance's swing is strong and Marcel's blocking is weak, Marcel's sword flew away. Marcel looked at his sword, which had flown away, and then at Lance. When he saw Lance's blade inches away from his face, his eyes widened. Marcel can't avoid it; it's too late.

Slash!

"Aaahh!!"

Marcel collapsed on the ground while holding his bleeding right eye. Marcel's eyes widened and his eyes are shaking. When Marcel looked up, his entire body froze.

Lance stands in front of him, holding a bloodied sword and looking down on him. Lance's emerald green eyes shone with malice as he looked down at Marcel as if he were nothing more than a worthless ant. Marcel feared someone other than his father for the first time, and it is this eight-year-old kid who is looking down at him with a mature gaze. He could do nothing but stare at the cruel green eyes while sitting on the cold hard ground, holding his bloodied right eye.

Marcel's body jolted and shook as Lance crouched down towards him. Lance then reached into his pocket, Marcel expecting him to pull out a weapon or something that would end his life, but Lance pulled out something unexpected. It's a healing potion.

'What? He had a healing potion with him the whole time? What exactly does he need that for? Wait... Don't tell me he expected me to lose?!'

Not knowing about Marcel's thoughts, Lance puts down the potion on the ground and looked at Marcel directly in the eye. Lance then addressed him while looking at him.

"I won, and now you must work for me. Now, heal that injury of yours; I don't want to be held accountable for it."

Lance then stood up and passed by the frozen crowd of children. Marcel just looked at Lance's back walking away from him. Lance's body was so calm that you'd never guess he'd just fought a duel seconds before.

And so, Marcel will never forget the day his pride was shattered by an abandoned prince, and the day he wore the scar in his right eye to symbolize his submission to Lance's rule.]