Just as Tianna had expected.
Jarvan III ultimately, albeit reluctantly, accepted the nobles' petition and personally presided over the duel.
As for why he didn't forcefully stop the duel—perhaps the nobles' voices were too loud, or perhaps he himself wasn't so willing—that remains unknown.
Seemingly to avoid any mishaps, he even brought his steward, Xin Zhao, to act as the duel's referee.
From this choice, it seemed he at least did not wish for anything to happen to Lux.
Similar to the previous engagement ceremony, almost all the prominent nobles in the entire Demacia Capital attended as spectators for this duel—even the Illuminator Bishop, who had officiated the engagement, was present.
It's no exaggeration to say that the outcome of this duel would determine the political direction of The Capital for a long time to come!
Although tradition dictated the duel begin at nine, by eight o'clock, the viewing stands of the Duel Hall were already filled with people.
As a result, Lux and Fiora, the two participants in the duel, were the last to arrive.
...
Speaking of which, this was Lux's first time in the Duel Hall.
This ancient building, completed at the same time as the Dawn Fortress, was once the place where Demacia nobles resolved conflicts and arbitrated disputes among themselves.
In terms of history, its significance was even greater than Demacia's first written law.
However, over the long years, as the distance between nobles and commoners grew, the nobles, mindful of superficial harmony, used this hall less and less.
And today, this long-silent hall would finally welcome two young duelists.
In the challenger's preparation room, Lux, with the help of a servant, changed into a light armor.
The main body of this armor was made of rune steel; the not-so-thick armor plates, after fine forging, were connected by overlapping parts with metal wires, making the overall design light and comfortable, providing sufficient defense while ensuring the wearer's flexibility.
Without affecting performance, the armor smith also simply polished this armor and adorned many subtle details with the Crownguard family crest—if it were in the past, Lux might have adored this armor, but now, she only felt its unexpected heaviness.
Lux's silence made the servant helping her with the armor afraid to speak; although Lux was usually approachable, when she became serious, those around her would instinctively fall silent in awe.
The result was that the servant's silence and fear made Lux even more uncomfortable.
Ultimately, she could only force a smile and tell the other person to leave, stating she needed some time to prepare—then, after the servant carefully left the preparation room and softly closed the door, she plopped down onto a chair and let out a long sigh.
"I really feel like I should leave for a while now," Lux said to Klein with some helplessness. "There are just some things that, once you know them, you can no longer pretend not to see."
"What you need more right now is to clear your mind," Klein, however, did not pick up on that topic. "The duel is about to begin; this is your final exam, give it your best shot, don't embarrass your teacher!"
"It's hard to relax," Lux shook her head, a little helpless. "How about this, Klein—sing me a song!"
"Sing?"
"Yes!" Lux took a deep breath. "You told me that before Setaka fought for her people, the children who couldn't participate in the battle would sing for their Great Leader, and Setaka would maintain her weapons and step onto the battlefield amidst their songs."
"..."
"Now I'm dueling someone for the first time, so it counts as stepping onto the battlefield, right?"
"..."
"Sing me a song too!" A smile appeared on Lux's face. "Make it a cheerful one!"
"A cheerful one?" Klein thought for a moment, finally agreeing to Lux's request. "Alright then—I'll sing my favorite, 'Into the Yellow Sands'."
...
Amidst Klein's singing, Lux drew her sword and performed one final maintenance.
The Sai's strong winds stirred the yellow sands, soft veils floated on the river; Setaka stood on the riverbank, her cross-bladed sword reflecting the morning light.
Wiping the blade clean, Lux sheathed her sword and stood up to warm up; as she moved her body, her Rune Steel Armor clanked.
Setaka stood on the riverbank, her cross-bladed sword reflecting the morning light.
Lux took a deep breath, no longer thinking about the problems that bothered her, only gripping her sword hilt tightly, gripping Klein.
Children sang beautiful songs, they sang of the glory of civilization; they sang of their respected leader, they looked forward to growing up quickly.
Lux exhaled the excess air from her lungs, picked up her helmet, breathed onto it, and polished it thoroughly with the leather outer cover of her skirt armor.
They sang of their respected leader, they looked forward to growing up quickly.
The helmet was placed on Lux's head, covering her pinned-up golden hair; she blew upwards, tucking the last stray hairs into the helmet.
Ah, this song, the children's song, fly with the bright sun; go to the warriors on the distant frontier, convey the children's greetings.
The bell signaling the start of the duel finally rang officially; Lux calmly stepped forward, came to the door, and pushed open the door of the preparation room.
Go to the warriors on the distant frontier, convey the children's greetings.
Bright sunlight shone on Lux's young face, dyeing her eyes the color of sapphires, and her long eyelashes became crystal clear.
Young warriors following their leader, their hearts filled with endless hope; the flame of civilization has been ignited, no one can defeat Shurima.
Lux raised both hands to salute all the spectators and flashed a confident smile towards her mother and aunt.
The flame of civilization has been ignited, no one can defeat Shurima.
Jarvan III announced the start of the duel. Lux pursed her lips, took the deep red pigment from a servant's hand, and applied it below her eyes.
The Sai's strong winds stirred the yellow sands, soft veils floated on the river; Setaka stood on the riverbank, her cross-bladed sword reflecting the morning light.
Under the gaze of all the nobles, she finally drew her sword, assumed a basic Shuriman sword stance, and stood before Fiora.
Setaka stood on the riverbank, her cross-bladed sword reflecting the morning light.
The bell rang again, and as Fiora stepped forward and extended her arm, this duel, which gambled the honor of two families, officially began.
A sudden, unscheduled update, and I quietly added a chapter, hehe.
Last time, someone mentioned wanting the lyrics sung, so this time I invited a voice actor from the author group to perform it!
Below is the direct link to his book.
If you haven't heard the performance, it's probably because it hasn't passed the voice-over review yet; just wait a bit and you'll hear it.
When this book starts making money, if Klein sings again, I'll definitely hire a professional to sing!
I wonder if everyone likes this format...