Pomp and color punctuated the occasion. Beautifully dressed guests made their way to the Rono family castle, where the two boys of the second young master of the Rono house would be celebrating their name day.
Ten years old, the two had grown to be astounding figures. Even the younger of the two, despite his weak body, had a lofty presence and an outstanding temperament.
Alongside the two, their younger sister was also a captivating little bud in her own right. Beautiful, and quite headstrong, she had managed to capture the heart of many who came across her. She was also a favorite of the patriarch, who loved the little girl to bits.
Nothing much needed to be said about the eldest twin. Just a look and everyone would know that he was a powerful person.
By now, the entire capital already knew of Zukov's advancement into the second tier. He was already being hailed as one of the leaders of the younger generation. While he was not the most accomplished in the country, his charisma and influence served as a big boost, propelling him to the height of royalty.
Due to their own notoriety as well as their family's prestige, all the who's who graced the occasion. This was also a point to showcase their influence and draw more people. Of course, to the Sun scepter sect, it was a slap on the face.
The more pomp the even was, the more disregard the Rono clan seemed to give them. It seemed as though these people were angling for their crown, and the sect wasn't having any of that.
Despite their many thoughts and preparations, the boys did not seem concerned. Rather, they seemed to be enjoying themselves quite well.
As for the two guests of honor, they were staring at the newly created sword.
"This is it?" Zukov asked, as he stared at the sword. Somehow, the sword did not inspire confidence.
"Trust me, this is the best sword ever, it will make Matti go home crying," Keita assured Zukov, who did not seem convinced. However, looking at his brother's confidence, he wondered if he had made a mistake.
By now, even Zukov could understand the stakes against them. He understood that his opponent would be receiving a sword that was forged by the elders of his clan, while he was using a sword forged by his brother.
No one liked to lose, and especially not to their nemesis. Naturally, Zukov did not want to come out as the losing party.
More to that, he had come to understand the same his family would suffer should they lose, and he did not want to bear the blunt of it.
Whatever he had in his mind, Zukov could not say since Keita had delivered as he had promised. He too had promised to wield his brother's sword. Since he had, he had to see it through.
"It matters not. Should the weapon fail, I can just use my superior fighting skills," Zukov knew Matti was not a match, but with the weapon, perhaps he could pose a threat.
However, he still chose to trust his brother. Seeing the confident look and the assuring words, he thought of how it would look if he managed to put that Matti in his place.
"No matter the case, let's go fight," He answered, as the two made their way to the ballroom.
"See, what did I tell you, Zukov would rather hide from his own name day than face me," Matti's loud voice could be heard from afar, and it was clear he had come with the intention to humiliate.
All the younger generation were gathered around him, and he was already attracting the attention of the adults.
"Matti, you think I can hide from a coward such as you!" Zukov exclaimed as he heard his nemesis. "Mister Renolo, quickly set up the challenge square." Mister Renolo was the butler of the house, and he went about following Zukov's orders.
As he did, the adults were also attracted to the commotion caused. A duel between two young vasilis was always entertaining. Moreover, it did not bear the kind of ramifications a duel among adults would.
Hence, it was commonplace to see young vasilis dueling. As long as there was sufficient supervision, the children would not hurt each other.
As many were wondering what the duel was about, Zukov jumped forward and announced.
"On this day, we shall put to bed which sword is better. The Sun scepter sect claim to have the best swords in the realm, but can they match up against mine!" His dramatics attracted the crowd, and everyone was eager to see what would happen.
"Where did you get the sword?" One of the older members of the Sun scepter sect, unable to hold himself back, asked. Since this event was happening, they might as well garner some prestige for the sect.
The members of the sect were very confident in the prowess of their elders in sword smithing. They did not have a doubt that the sword in Matti's hands could cleave through anything the young master of the Rono family placed before it.
If the maker of the challenger sword turned out to be famous, they could gain some prestige.
However, their expectations were dashed when they learned that the forger of the sword was none other than the challenger's brother. Both were ten years old.
In fact, once Zukov said the sword was Keita's creation, everyone burst out laughing, treating the event as a comic relief. No one thought Zukov would come out on top, and the attitude made even the courageous Zukov start to lose confidence.
Contempt, ridicule, and amusement was all Keita could see whenever anyone looked at him. Even his own elders were eyeing him with anger written all over their faces, to put their family through such shame!
The pressure was suffocating, and for once, Keita did a double take, wondering if he had bitten off more than he could handle.