58 Moon Festival Duel

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I woke up to gentle sounds of water being moved around.

What is that damn noise?! Why aren't you letting me go to sleep?!

I quickly sat up to face the direction of the noise.

To my surprise, it was the trashman… with only a towel hugging his lower half, displaying his very defined, toned upper body.

I could feel my face get hot. I quickly laid back down, in hopes that he did not see me, seeing him.

"You are as loud as a herd of elephants. You think I would not notice you being awake with all that tossing and turning?" A deep voice stated.

"G...good morning, daddy. I hope you slept well." I replied under the covers.

"You can get out from under the covers now. I have clothes on… well, where it matters, anyway."

I slowly lowered the covers off my face, only exposing my eyes. I averted my eyes towards his direction.

Oh my… his body… is… NO… I AM A FIVE-YEAR-OLD CHILD. I should be thinking about ponies and dolls. But his body… NO, STOP IT! THAT IS YOUR FATHER! At least he is wearing pants. This is not good for my health.

I blinked a few more times to only focus on the large scars that ran down his back.

"Daddy… where did those scars on your back come from?" I questioned as I sat up from the bed.

"Long before you were born. Don't question it further. Let's get you ready. Are you able to dress yourself up? Or should I get you help?" The trashman asked as he placed a white button-down shirt.

"Oh! I can put this kind of dress on! These are easy to put on! It's not like the usual dresses I wear back at the palace, daddy." I explained with joy.

"Very well. If you need help, just knock on the door. I will have one of the maids that work here help you." The trashman replied as he opened the door.

After he closed the door, I sighed deeply.

What an idiot. Of course, I know how to put on a dress. Come on. But… I wonder why he was so dismissive about his scars? If you were going to be dodging the question, you shouldn't be flashing your body like that. Geez.

I quickly put on the dress and my shoes, followed by my cloak.

I opened the door, only to see the knight standing by the door.

"May the sun and the moon shine brightly upon the Giodivonian empire. Good morning, Princess. His imperial majesty is waiting at the hotel lobby. Let me escort you there." Said the knight.

"There you are. Let's get this day over with, kid." Sighed the trashman as he crossed his arms.

Time flew by quicker than I'd imagine. We watched a play over the history of Giodivonia, we ate delicious food, I was able to play games and even won prizes. Still, most importantly, the trashman finally looked like a human being. He finally displayed a genuine smile! Is he finally opening up to me? Is he getting comfortable around me now?

When he holds my hand now, it feels gentle and not forced like it was initially. He is acting like… a father.

I can get used to this.

As we walked the crowded streets, I heard a loud man yell out an announcement. Just enough to catch everyone's attention who was nearby.

"Daddy? What is going on? I can't see." I questioned as I tried to look around while eating my treat.

"...Seems like a street sword fight is about to happen. Sword fighting is part of the moon festival tradition. Come, I will put you on my shoulders if you'd like to watch." He explained.

I nodded and held my arms up for him to pick me up.

He placed me on top of his shoulders and walked through the crowd for a better view. We got reasonably close to the front. More people continued to gather around.

A young man stood in the middle of the large space. He had an athletic build and was tall in height. He clearly looks like a fighter or a trained soldier.

"Who among this crowd would like to spar with me? Do not fear as this is the moon festival tradition! No one will get hurt! This is simply showing respect to our Giodivonian gods by giving them a good sword fight! If you have been training, this is the time to show your skills!" The young man announced loudly.

The large crowd all mumbled and looked at each other.

The young man looked around the crowd and walked towards us. He pointed at the trashman.

"You there! With a child on your shoulders! You seem like a tall, strong man! We possibly have the same build. I challenge you to a duel! Rejecting my offer is an insult to the Giodivonian gods, alas! you will be cursed!" He yelled.

The crowd began to cheer and called out the trashman.

"It is true! He cannot break the offer! He will be cursed for all of his future generations!"

"The man with the cloak has to do it! I am glad I was not chosen!"

"Oh my, he has a child too."

The crowd of people got louder and louder by the second.

As I observed the large crowd, which only gained more attraction, I felt the tension grow by the second.

The trashman released a sigh as he shook his head.

"No, it is alright. No need to attack. He is harmless and useless. Stay alarmed and stay put until I give a sign if I see it can get worse. Tell the others to stay put and to keep a close eye on our surroundings." Whispered the trashman to the air. I am assuming it's one of the knights that are under the invisibility spell.

"I don't have a sword. Also, I have this child with me- the Giodivonian gods will understand." He explained to the young, tall man.

The crowd grew louder and began to yell.

"Give this cloaked man a sword! He will battle with me today! Remove this child off his shoulders!" He demanded out loud.

People from behind began to touch, trying to bring me down off of his shoulders.

I began to panic as countless hands tried dragging me down.

"Daddy! Help me! Why are they touching me?!" I screamed.

He held tight around me and took me off his shoulders. He carried me tightly. A strong aura of green mana felt heavy and cold. His powerful mana made the crowded people back away from us as a strong gust of wind pushed them. Is he using his mind control ability?

"Stand down! Do not touch the child! Do not cause an issue unless you want to pay with your lives! Hand me the sword. I will shut your loose mouth. This will be over in an instant!" the trashman commanded.

By his body language and the intense tone of his voice, this man means war. Is he mad because he is being forced to duel with a stranger? Or because people tried to hurt me?

"You, there! Old lady, take care of the child for two minutes. Protect her with your life. This joke of a duel won't take long. And you, how dare you to challenge me to a duel you know you cannot last in. This is your last chance before I humiliate you in front of this large crowd. You will regret it!" The trashman yelled in anger.

The young, tall man laughed as he held his stomach.

"Me? Regret it? I have been in swordsmanship training for years. I have never lost a match. You should be trembling, my friend. Remove your cloak at once for a fair fight. Can you believe it? Two minutes? You sound confident!" The young man said.

"If you want a duel, I will keep my cloak on, and two minutes is enough time. I am being generous. I can make it into one minute if you prefer." He said as he grabbed the sword from the crowd.

"HAHAHA! I like your spirit! Fine, keep your cloak. But I am removing it once you are on the floor, begging me to stop." The tall man said confidently.

Both the trashman and the tall, young man went into the middle of the circle. As Giodivonian tradition, they both placed the sword on the ground, facing horizontally in front of them. Simultaneously, the opponents got on one knee, holding their opponent's left shoulder and one arm kept behind their back.

The tall man smiled in a snarky manner and looked at the trashman. His eyes quickly grew large as he got a glimpse at the trashman's face. He saw his glowing, emerald-colored eyes. The trashman smiled back as the tall, young man's facial expression changed into fear.

"Do you like what you see?" Chuckled the trashman.

The horns blew as a sign to commence the duel.

The trashman quickly grabbed his sword at an inhuman speed.

The crowd cheered as they both began the sparring.

The tall, young man looked like he had seen a ghost as he swung his sword.

The trashman dodged every sword swing like a professional. He quickly blocked his hit and knocked the sword out of his hand, causing the tall, young man to fall on his knees in fear.

"Please, spare me. I did not know who you were, your M…"

"Keep your mouth shut if you want to live. Do not speak another word of my identity unless you want me to rip your tongue out right here, right now. If I were you, I'd be careful about boasting your skills on swordsmanship after today." He whispered into the tall, young man's ear as he forcefully tightened his grasp at his cheeks.

The trashman stabbed the ground, close to the man's crotch with the sword, and walked towards me. He picked me and looked around. He nodded at the air, which I assumed were the invisible guards, and walked away from the cheering crowd.

I was in disbelief. I have never seen the trashman hold a sword before. His quick movements and natural talent in swordsmanship made me respect him a bit more. I guess the rumors are true; he is a talented god in combat and swordsmanship.

"Daddy? You were amazing! You are my hero!" I smiled as I looked at him.

He smiled gently and patted my head while he carried me with his other arm.

"I want to train too! I want to be a hero like daddy in swordsmanship!" I said confidently.

His eyes grew in shock as he looked at me.

Why is he looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?