Chapter 37: Are you dumb?

"Then isn't he even more of a waste if he got beaten up by a waste?

Why are we even discussing this any further when only a trash was shown his place?"

Vaan spoke with an uninterested look on his face.

"What right does he have to call me a waste? You cannot disrespect someone and expect them to not retaliate, I believe it was Karl's own fault. He should have picked his opponent more carefully. If he was expecting Astra Elysia Vesta's son to simply accept his bullying, then I apologize, but that will not happen.

I am not that easy to bully."

Vaan looked straight into Rylan's eyes.

It was as if he was sending out a message.

Astra observed Vaan for a while, at first, she thought that she needed to punish Vaan, however... maybe...

Maybe what Vaan was doing was necessary.

Astra decided to trust her son and let it play out.

Hearing Vaan's words, Rylan and the other people in the Hall were taken aback.

Was... was he really the same Vaan? What happened to him? When did he get daring enough to talk back in the Vesta Hall?

"You are bragging about all this when the only thing you did was attack him when he was not prepared. You say that you did all this because your mother's name is connected with yours and you cannot shame her, but don't you think these cowardly methods of yours are ruining your mother's image more?

The only son of one of the Strongest Mages in the world is attacking an unprepared opponent and is now bragging about it in the Hall in front of everyone, you think this is appropriate?" Rylan questioned as he narrowed his eyes still trying to pressure Vaan.

"I won. Why does it matter how I did it? Also, cowardly? What cowardly action are you talking about? He walked towards me without any defenses, was it my fault that I used it to my advantage? You think your enemy would let you go just because you are dumb?"

"But he was not your enemy."

"I do not know about you, but anyone who disrespects me or my mother is an enemy in my eyes."

"..."

Rylan turned silent as he glared at Vaan.

Someone like Vaan talking back to him in front of everyone, it was embarrassing.

Rylan was angry. He clenched his trembling fists, then, another idea popped up in his mind.

Rylan controlled his anger as he took in a few breaths, then, with a scheming smile on his face, he looked at Vaan and,

"You are proud that you defeated him, aren't you?"

"Not really."

Vaan shrugged.

It was as easy as beating a child. That Kael dude didn't know jackshit about fighting.

What kind of fool would try and gather Mana rather than trying to get away from the opponent who is stomping his face?

"Then why don't you two settle your grudges in a Magic Duel, like the real Vestas do? How about it?" Rylan spoke with a big smile on his face.

Vaan narrowed his eyes,

"Are you asking me to fight him using Magic?"

"Didn't you say you do not wish to ruin your mother's image? How about you shut everyone up by defeating Kael in a Magic Duel? I am sure that would solve everything, wouldn't it? You have done it before, what's stopping you from doing it again, right?"

"..."

Vaan turned silent.

Seeing this, Rylan's smile widened.

"What happened, Vaan? Why are you silent now? You aren't thinking of backing away, are you? You won't do it after all that talk about how your mother's image is important to you, right?"

Rylan's smile was so big that it almost looked inhumane.

He finally got this bastard. He dared to go against him? Now it was time to pay for what he did.

Vaan was trapped. He couldn't possibly fight, neither could he back away. both the choices in front of him were bad.

Or...

That was what Rylan thought.

But,

"Are you dumb?" Suddenly, Vaan questioned.

"Huh...?"

His question created a ripple of shocked gasps.

Silence fell all over the Vesta Hall.

Did... did Vaan just call Rylan Vesta, his uncle, dumb...? That too in a full Hall, in front of everyone...?

Nobody could believe what they heard.

Even Astra was taken aback.

"What... did you say...?"

Rylan questioned. He still couldn't believe what he just heard.

"Asking a 1st Circle to have a Magic Duel against a 3rd Circle Mage? Isn't that just dumb? Why the hell would I do that?"

Vaan questioned.

Did this bastard really think he could push him to fight someone stronger than him?

He wasn't one of those dumb 'heroes' who get manipulated by enemies and then try to do something clearly impossible only to get in trouble later.

He was the one who manipulates, not the one who gets manipulated.

"You defeated him before, did you not? What's the problem now?" Rylan smiled.

There is no way he would allow Vaan to get out of this situation, especially now that Vaan dared to say those words in front of everyone like that, in Rylan eyes, Vaan was no longer a 'medium' to target Astra. He was now the target.

Of course, Vaan couldn't care less.

Rylan's foolish tactics, he would make sure to shove it back into his ass.

"You are a 6th Circle Mage, aren't you?"

Vaan questioned with a slight smile on his face.

"Huh? What does that have to do with this situation?" Rylan narrowed his eyes.

"Let's not talk about an 8th Circle Mage, just have a Magic Duel against a 7th Circle Mage, my mother.

If you agree to it, I would agree to duel against the Karl dude as well, how about it?"

Vaan suggested.

Rylan's expression changed.

"This is not the same." He retorted as he narrowed his eyes.

"Huh? I mean, if you think I can fight against someone with 2 more circles than me, then I am sure you are capable of fighting someone with just 1 more circle than you, right?

You aren't insinuating that you are more of a waste than me, right?" Vaan smiled.

"You..." Rylan's face reddened in rage,

"What happened, Uncle Rylan? Why are you silent now? You aren't thinking of backing away, are you?" Vaan repeated Rylan's own words against him. The expression on Rylan's face was a sight to see.

"A Magic Duel huh? It has been a while since people have witnessed a battle between high-level mages, it would be an eye-opener for the younger generation,

What do you think, Rylan?"

Suddenly, Astra questioned with a slight smile on her face.

"I... I would love to volunteer but I am in the middle of M-Magic Research, even taking out time for this Hall m-meeting was difficult, a duel would be very difficult, Family Head. I apologize...."

Rylan stuttered, cold sweat covering his face.

"Magic Research, huh.

Must be quite an important research, do share the results with us, Uncle Rylan. I am sure it would be something amazing since it is something Uncle is spending his time on.

Heh."

Vaan laughed out loud.

Not only he, but other mages in the Hall were also all smiling as well. They all knew this 'Magic Research' was nothing but Rylan's way of getting out of this situation.

Rylan lowered his head in embarrassment.

Since he had shut up, the matter regarding Kael quickly died down.

Judgment was passed,

Kael was disrespectful and acted out of line, his condition was his own fault, however, Vaan's blows were a little too heavy, and since Vesta Family doesn't encourage fights like these, Vaan was punished to stay inside the library for 48 hours.

With this, the matter settled down 'fairly'.