Chapter 20: Aleck Vs Julies [1]
I couldn’t help but laugh.
It slipped out—dry, breathless, and sharp around the edges. Not because I found any of this funny, but because of how absurdly fitting it was.
Of course it would end like this.
A duel at the gates of the Duke’s castle, under a sky heavy with snow and silence. Aleck standing there like a statue carved from war, unmoving, unreadable. Everything I had endured—the desert, the dungeon, the secrets buried under sand and blood—all of it had led me back here. And the moment I stepped out of that carriage, the world reminded me: nothing comes easy.
The system chimed in my head.
[New Objective: Face Knight Aleck to prove your worth.]
[Condition: Defeat him in combat to gain entry into the Duke’s estate.]
[Reward: Main story progression unlocked.]
Yeah. Just like always.
One more wall to climb.
One more monster to kill.