I didn't let my guard down. If anything, I was on high alert, putting everything I had into it. But apparently, effort isn't always enough.
As the commotion of the fight broke out, the patrons of the inn began to gather one by one, forming a circle around the two of us.
"Fight! Fight!"
"My gold is on the woman."
Some egged us on while others placed bets with their friends. It's a pretty common sight in this world.
In a formal duel, you aren't held responsible for the violence that occurs during the process. That's the Nord way.
Uthgerd the Unbroken cracked her knuckles, the sound echoing in the room. Facing her massive frame, a sudden wave of regret washed over me.
'No, I can do this.'
Uthgerd wore heavy armor, giving her high defense, but its weight made her slow. Plus, she wasn't wearing a helmet.
In other words, if I could dodge her attacks and land enough hits on her face, I had a real shot. Well, in theory.
"Hmph!"
Uthgerd threw a punch. It was a heavy, powerful strike, but that was it.
Just as I thought, she wasn't fast. I used every ounce of my reflexes to tilt my head and evade the fist, but—
She immediately tucked her extended arm and slammed her elbow right into my temple.
"Gah!"
I took a solid hit, but my HP had increased during my travels; I could at least tank one blow.
But surviving one hit wasn't the end of it. The blow to my head wrecked my balance and left me dazed. More importantly, she gave me no room to breathe.
A follow-up knee strike caught me right in the solar plexus, and I went down instantly, clutching my chest.
Uthgerd delivered the finishing blow—a punch square to the face—and I ended up splayed out on the floor like a starfish.
"Wohoo! Uthgerd wins!"
"I knew that guy would lose."
As the victor was decided, cheers erupted from all sides. Uthgerd basked in her victory, striking a pose that emphasized her brawny forearms.
I had given up on winning halfway through. But I'd hoped to land at least a few hits like a man. Instead, I collapsed like a wet rag. My face burned with shame.
Meanwhile, Choi Ha-neul and Eloise were busy selling off their loot at the general store. Since she was out in the market with a girl her own age, it felt like a waste to just head back immediately. They stopped by the Radiant Raiment and the jewelry stall, acting like normal girls for once.
Lately, their days had been a blur of clearing out bandits and fighting monsters without a moment's rest. Using the excuse that one needs to blow off steam to fight better, she spent a pleasant time with Eloise.
"How about this outfit?" Eloise asked, holding various clothes up to her body and waiting for Ha-neul's opinion.
"Hmm... those colors don't really suit you. You've got platinum blonde hair and green eyes, so let's go for something with a cooler vibe!"
"Then what about this?"
"Oh! That looks perfect on you!"
"Haha!"
Eloise was clearly enjoying herself too. So, while I was getting the stuffing knocked out of me, they were having a grand time shopping.
In the meantime, Lydia had been delayed. She had to report the bounties to the guard and give a full account of the bandit group they had wiped out.
The three women happened to meet in front of the inn and stepped inside together. They immediately noticed the crowd gathered in a corner of the common room.
"What is it? Is there a performance?" Ha-neul asked, her curiosity piqued by the crowd's intensity.
"It... doesn't look like a performance..." Eloise muttered.
"From the looks of it, it's a fight," Lydia correctly guessed. Hearing those words, Ha-neul suddenly had a bad feeling. The older Mister, who should have arrived early and been waiting for them, was nowhere to be seen.
'Don't tell me!'
Ha-neul pushed her way through the gap in the crowd and witnessed it—the scene of me getting pummeled.
"Mister!"
"Quick, a healing spell!"
Ha-neul and Eloise rushed to my side as I lay on the floor. They looked quite shocked. Eloise immediately began focusing her restoration magic on my face, which looked the most beat up.
Lydia, however, remained calm. She understood that this was a duel—a traditional Nord custom—so there was nothing legally wrong with it. But separate from the rules, someone had made her companion a mess. She intended to pay it back in kind with another duel.
Lydia approached Uthgerd and asked, "Why were the two of you dueling?"
"That man was harassing the bard. I decided to teach him some manners."
Uthgerd then explained what they had wagered on the fight.
"I see. In that case, would you care for another round with me? If you win, I'll give you 300 Septims. If I win, the wager you had with Mister Scalbart is nullified."
"Haha, fine by me! If you win, the wager's off and I'll pay you 300 Septims as well!"
Just as the match between Lydia and Uthgerd was about to be set—
Ha-neul stepped in front of Lydia. "Big sister, let me handle this."
"Are you serious?" Lydia asked. Ha-neul nodded without a word. Lydia wanted to stop her, but seeing that dead-serious expression, she eventually gave in. She added a firm instruction for Ha-neul to win at all costs.
With the concern of Lydia and Eloise behind her, Ha-neul threw down the gauntlet to Uthgerd.
"The blue-haired elf is fighting Uthgerd!"
"This'll be good! Teach that Thalmor knife-ear a lesson!"
The crowd was even more hyped than when I was fighting. A scrap between a slender woman and a giantess was a rare sight, after all.
Ha-neul shrugged off her white mage robes. It was fine since she had form-fitting underclothing underneath. The robes were just cloth—they provided no protection and would only get in the way.
Not to be outdone, Uthgerd removed her steel cuirass. The two stared each other down in silence, settling into their stances.
Thus, the big match began: The undefeated Uthgerd vs. the Dragonborn, Choi Ha-neul.
Ha-neul bounced on her feet, measuring the distance. Her guard had no openings. Unlike her experience with me, Uthgerd instinctively felt that Ha-neul was on a different level.
"What's your name?" Uthgerd asked. Ha-neul didn't answer.
"You don't need to know. Just come at me."
Slightly annoyed by the prickly attitude, Uthgerd threw a straight punch. Ha-neul caught the heavy fist on her guard and fired back with an uppercut, but Uthgerd tilted her head back just in time.
Uthgerd followed up with a left middle kick—the same one that had knocked the wind out of me. But instead of letting her waist take the impact, Ha-neul caught the leg. She yanked the limb with all her might.
Uthgerd tried to resist, but she couldn't overcome the terrifying grip of the Dragonborn. She hit the floor hard, and Ha-neul immediately mounted her, raining down punches.
"Ugh!" Uthgerd covered her face, desperately trying to block the barrage. Realizing she might actually lose like this, she abandoned her guard and used both hands to shove Ha-neul's chest, forcing herself back up.
It was only possible because of Uthgerd's raw, stubborn strength and Ha-neul's light weight.
"Yaah!" Ha-neul fell back, and Uthgerd scrambled to her feet in that opening. However, Ha-neul used her arms to push off the floor like she was doing a handstand, springing back into a fighting stance with incredible momentum.
"How dare you!" Uthgerd threw a jab to repay the humiliation. For some reason, Ha-neul didn't dodge or block. She just watched the fist flying toward her face.
—Zip.
The fist stopped just as it grazed her nose. It was thanks to Ha-neul's incredible sense of spacing; she had maintained a distance where Uthgerd's reach fell exactly a fraction of an inch short.
Because she had fully committed to the jab, Uthgerd was left wide open. Ha-neul immediately drove an uppercut home and continued to batter the giantess's face while she was dazed from the impact.
Finally, Ha-neul lifted Uthgerd—who was at least a full head taller than her—and slammed her into the ground. Uthgerd the Unbroken was knocked cold.
"...."
The inn fell deathly silent. After a long moment, someone finally broke the stillness.
"I don't believe it..."
"Uthgerd... lost?"
The spectators were speechless at the sight. 'That was a hell of a fight,' I thought to myself. I don't know if Ha-neul heard my internal voice, but she looked over at me—now fully healed—and gave a bright, cheery smile.
Seeing a cute girl waving with blood-stained hands was certainly a surreal sight.
Considering I was technically the one who had provoked her, we treated Uthgerd's injuries. I also clarified that I wasn't "harassing" Mikael, but rather that the bard had been persistently annoying Carlotta.
"Is that so? I didn't know the full story... I'm sorry about that."
"It's fine! It was all this Mister's fault anyway," Ha-neul said before flicking my forehead. Ow. That's the first time she's hit me. Well, if I had just explained the situation instead of fighting, this whole mess wouldn't have happened.
I offered my own sincere apology to Uthgerd. And then—
"By the way. I believe we have something to collect?" Ha-neul asked. Uthgerd gave a bitter smile and handed over 300 Septims. She didn't hold back her praise for Ha-neul.
"That was a magnificent fight. I never imagined someone could neutralize my punches just through a sense of distance alone."
"Hehe. It's all raw talent!"
Learn some humility, Ha-neul. For Akatosh's sake.