It's more the General's general aura of absolute fury that clears the field that quickly, although most of the soldiers are looking at Lakshmi with some level of cautious apprehension, too. She's the first woman to have officially joined the Imperial Rangers, and while it's clear she has a close working relationship with both the Count and Countess, what kind of madwoman challenges the General to personal combat when he's this pissed?

The kind of madwoman who makes friends with people like Piotr, apparently, because he immediately swings to block her with a heavy clang of steel, not a hint of hesitation in his form, even in all his anger. The intent to kill, usually saved only for the battlefield, is just barely restrained now. He parries high and counters low with his rapier, intending to put an end to this foolishness as quickly as possible. She's making her point -- he'll make his.