Work Prophet
Chapter 426 - 44 Ireya’s New Nickname

Chapter 426: Chapter 44 Ireya’s New Nickname

Li Yu had not even spoken when the Lady already sneered, "What kind of dream are you having? Let’s not even mention whether we have that much giant dragon blood; you yourself said that this stuff sells well in the Royal Capital, right? Why should we pay you so much money for nothing?"

"Because you will need my friendship," Geoff confidently stated.

Miss Rabbit was amused by him, "Have you drunk too much wine and lost your senses? You’re trying to swindle me now. In the West, ask around—has anyone ever taken advantage of me? If that doesn’t work, go ask your cousin Leo.

"I don’t care what identity you hold in the Royal Capital or who backs you up; this is the West, and your little tricks won’t work here."

"You’re right, but I could still be of help in the Royal Capital."

"I’m not going to the Royal Capital," Miss Rabbit pouted, "The West is quite nice."

"That might not be true forever; as the saying goes, everything is unpredictable." Geoff laughed softly, "His Majesty plans to hold a Duel Arena in the Royal Capital in three months. Anyone can register, and those ranked high will receive generous rewards. The champion will even get land and a large sum of money."

Fosto frowned, "If I remember correctly, the Empire hasn’t held a national Duel Arena for almost four hundred years, right?"

"Yes, my great-grandfather, Benevolent Lion Andrea, thought such duels were too bloody, so he ordered their cancellation; but now, His Majesty feels that the noble sons of the Empire lack courage, so he has decided to re-establish the Duel Arena to select true heroes."

"But what does that have to do with me?" The Lady was indeed tempted by land and money, but she was self-aware.

Her family did have some experts now, like her current Guard Captain Thomas, and Juan, who had performed excellently in dragon seeking and was granted knighthood, as well as some of the older generation like Miss Rabbit’s own Guardian Knight Alfred, and Alfred’s hot-tempered nemesis, Pablo...

But these people were not so outstanding within the entire Empire.

Moreover, duels were highly dangerous. Ireya’s father, Blood-eyed Ruse, had died in a sparring match, and in real duels, everyone used real weapons.

Although there was a rule to stop just before causing injury, in real fights, unless there is a great disparity in strength, it is very hard to control the force.

So, historically, each Duel Arena had seen many accidents, and it was normal to come back missing an arm or a leg, with many even dying directly in the arena.

This was also why the Benevolent Lion had stopped the Duel Arena.

However, the Empire still had many nobles who were enthusiastic about this ancient competition, especially in a relatively peaceful era, where it seemed like the only place where men could demonstrate their bravery and pursue honor.

However, clearly the Lady had no such fetish and did not want to send her people to die.

Later, however, she heard Geoff say, "Of course it concerns you. His Majesty was determined to hold the Duel Arena; the first person he thought of was you.

"He shouted in the Imperial Conference, ’How can we have a Duel Arena without that someone from the Tagris Family? Bring me the Dragon Slayer Heroine! Let everyone see what a true hero is!’ This is why I am here now."

?!?!

"His Majesty wants me to join the Duel Arena in person?" the Lady was bewildered.

"Obviously, our Emperor has some misunderstandings about you," Geoff said, "But you can’t blame His Majesty entirely, because in those old tales, the Dragon Slayer Heroes are supposed to be burly and broad-waisted, looking very formidable."

"Additionally, the new play ’Death of the Demon Dragon’ involving love and honey wine also played a certain role in promoting this, I heard the theater troupe leader, Timothy, knows you and he found an actress to play your role who is exceptionally burly, a whole head taller than the average man.

"Standing on stage, she looked like a small mountain, hence everyone affectionately calls her ’Meat Mountain.’ So, if someone calls you that on the way to the Royal Capital, please do not take offense."

"That wretched Dwarf, he is definitely taking revenge on me! Revenge for forcing him to take on the new play!!!" Lady Ireya fumed.

As for that ’Meat Mountain,’ although the name sounds rather imposing, it couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to her.

Ireya took quite a while to suppress the urge to drag Timothy away to stew him with turnips, then said to Geoff,

"Now that you’ve seen me, you should know that all the prior rumors about me were false. Please go back and tell the Emperor that I won’t be attending his Duel Arena."

"It’s not that simple," Geoff shook his head, "The Emperor is a very face-conscious person. He boasted about you in front of many people a few days ago, calling you a pillar of the Empire, endowed with unbeatable bravery and even wanted to recruit you to lead the Imperial Guard. Although he was quite drunk at the time, this still shows how much he values you."

"Not to mention, when he heard about your successful dragon slaying, he got so excited that he even gifted you his treasured sword ’Beast Claw.’ If you don’t go, it will make him lose face."

Geoff’s face bore a hint of schadenfreude as he said this.

"..."

He purposefully paused for a while, giving Lady Ireya time to fully grasp her situation, then changed tack, "But there is a solution to this problem. My sister has a good relationship with Princess Ellani, and I can persuade the princess to help you."

"How can she help me?"

"By saying your martial arts skills are unparalleled, and attending the Duel Arena would be unfairly disadvantageous to the other competitors. You could instead serve as a judge, though this would require you to pay a small price."

"You’re extorting me!" gritted Lady Ireya.

Geoff did not deny it, "Compared to life, money is but an extrinsic possession. I don’t need to tell you how dangerous the Duel Arena can be. Besides, because of the Emperor’s praise and your special identity, many competitors will be eyeing you fiercely."

"No one can bear the shame of being defeated by a woman, so they will certainly give their all against you."

"Then I’ll just surrender immediately."

"What nonsense are you talking, even if you disregard the honor of the Arias family, you can’t embarrass the Emperor like that."

At this time, Miss Rabbit’s face looked very uncomfortable.

Then, previously silent Li Yu suddenly spoke, "I can give you three hundred slices of giant dragon blood, but you must ensure Ireya’s safety in the Royal Capital."

Geoff, elated by the proposition, replied, "Sure, sure, as long as I have the Sea Tide, I will definitely try to help you."

"Not try, you must make sure the judge role happens before I hand over the medicine,"