Chapter 1848 by Marina Vittori

“A fair competition?” Everyone exchanged surprised glances. They never expected Rufus to agree to Julius’ idea.

Rufus had already turned the situation around. All he had to do was command the generals of the Black Dragon Army to capture Julius and put an end to this crisis.

Instead, he offered Julius a chance to turn the tables, leaving everyone confused.

“Rufus-” Eloise was about to say something when Rufus raised a hand to stop her.

“It’s fine. I know what I’m doing.”

“Rufus, are you really going to allow your son a fair competition against me? “Julius was taken aback.

He had been ready to fight to the death, but he never expected Rufus to allow him a fair fight. What was this bastard up to?

“Since you want a fair fight, I’ll give it to you. I’m going to make you accept defeat on your own terms,” Rufus said calmly.

“You’ve said it!” Julius’ eyes narrowed slightly with a touch of satisfaction. He continued, “In West Lucozia, we value martial prowess. To become the Prince, one must prove their skills. Let’s settle this according to military rules. The winner will rightfully ascend to the throne!”

“Julius Rhys! Your audacity knows no bounds!” Eloise exclaimed in response.

“You’ve spent years on the battlefield, showcasing impressive martial skills. In West Lucozia, few can rival you. How is it fair if you’re tailoring the duel to your own strengths?”

“In this world, strength reigns supreme. Especially in West Lucozia, how can one command the loyalty of thousands of soldiers without formidable skills?

“Don’t tell me you believe a feeble scholar is fit to be the Prince of West Lucozia?” Julius asserted solemnly.

“That’s right! We will never accept a weakling as our Prince!” Elijah added.

“If the strongest automatically becomes King, then the world would have descended into chaos long ago!” Eloise countered.

“I can’t speak for the entire world, but to earn respect in the Black Dragon Army, a person must either possess formidable skills or boast numerous military achievements.”

Julius sneered, “If we base our competition on military achievements, the combined efforts of both Logan and Austin wouldn’t even amount to half of mine.

“That was why I proposed a martial arts duel to determine the winner through pure skill.”

“You-”

Eloise was about to retort when Rufus intervened. “Alright, I accept your proposal for a competition based on military rules. Whoever wins will be the future Prince of West Lucozia.”

“I’ll hold you to your word!” Julius’ eyes gleamed with excitement. He hadn’t disclosed to anyone that he had broken through to the level of an ultimate grandmaster several years ago.

With his current skills, he had 60 percent confidence in defeating Albert the Executioner.

As for Austin and the long-lost Logan, Julius believed they wouldn’t stand a single chance against him. Despite the appearance of a fair competition, victory already seemed assured in his hands.

“Rufus, you’ve always been wise but made a foolish decision this time. Let’s see how you deal with the consequences after your sons’ defeat.” Julius sneered inwardly.

He wasn’t concerned about Rufus regretting his decision, as many Black Dragon Army soldiers were present. Going back on his word would result in him losing all respect.

Simultaneously, Julius could seize this opportunity to consolidate support and establish his own prestige.

“Austin, how about it? Are you willing to give it a try?” Rufus turned his attention to Austin.

“How does Julius compare to Elijah?” Austin countered.

“While Elijah is strong, he pales in comparison to your uncle. How else do you think Julius has handled him?” Rufus chuckled lightly.

“Since Julius is stronger than Elijah, then I think I’ll pass.” Austin shook his head.

How was he supposed to fight Julius when he couldn’t even defeat Elijah?