Chapter 186
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 186
It is a truth that needs no stating: a lord does not share his plans with every subordinate.
The more critical a plan is, the more vital it is to prevent leaks, and consequently, the number of people who know its true nature becomes minuscule.
Viscount Oleg Lerum’s plan was no exception.
“To think the bridge would collapse the moment we finished clearing the rockslide.”
“Looks like we’re stuck looking at those bastards for another two weeks. Talk about bad luck.”
The greenhorn knights, who had only recently been commissioned into the House of Lerum, clicked their tongues and glared at Lucian’s troops.
Even if they were guests, having five thousand soldiers from another territory stationed on their land was enough to cause unease. It might have been different if it were just soldiers, but the fact that three hundred knights were among them was the real problem.
“Did you see them walking by? Their necks are so stiff I thought they’d snap from arrogance.”
“They’re just swaggering because they serve a Duke. Insufferable bastards.”
“The Duke is their lord, not them. Do they think they’re the ones wearing the coronet? It’s absurd.”
The Viscount’s knights gathered in a corner, venting their frustrations.
Even if two knights possessed the same skill and were of the same age, their status differed vastly depending on the rank of the master they served. The knights under Lucian’s command looked down on the House of Lerum’s knights as if they were far beneath them.
For the Viscount’s knights, it was infuriating. If it were a veteran knight, they might understand, but being treated as inferiors by peers who were no different from themselves was hard to swallow.
As the conversation continued, the anger in their hearts flared up again.
“I wish they’d at least accept a spar, but they always avoid a real fight.”
“It’s because they lack confidence in their skills. They know they’d get thrashed if we actually clashed.”
“Do they know how to do anything other than press people down with their lord’s status? Northerners, I swear.”
“One of them even called himself a Royal Guard the other day. I could barely hold back my laughter.”
“Wait, seriously? That’s ridiculous. Who in this Empire recognizes the Duke as a King?”
“They must think they’re something special just because they’re backing the First Prince. Their intentions are transparent.”
What began as mere grumbling quickly started to cross the line.
Normally, someone would have stepped in to stop the conversation before it became this dangerous. However, everyone was so caught up in the heat of the moment that no one intervened. The news that they had to endure the Northerners’ arrogance for another fifteen days had caused them to lose their composure.
Before they knew it, the knights were laughing and shouting so loudly they didn't even notice someone approaching.
“A ‘His Majesty the King’ who can’t even clear rocks or fix a bridge.”
“The King’s dignity is in the gutter. Better to call him the Incompetent King.”
“How about the Parasite King? He’s certainly eating us out of house and home.”
“Haha! Both fit him so perfectly, it’s hard to choose!”
“Then shall I choose for you?”
The voice coming from behind them caused the House of Lerum’s knights to freeze in place.
As they slowly turned their heads, Hugo’s cold gaze met their eyes.
“You were having quite the interesting conversation. The ‘Incompetent King’ and the ‘Parasite King,’ was it?”
“S-Sir Hugo. That’s not what we meant…”
“Not what you meant? Then I’m curious to know what you did mean. Go on, speak up.”
At Hugo’s urging, the Viscount’s knights began to sweat buckets.
He was a man they had secretly looked down upon because of his background as a back-alley thug. But regardless of his origins, the fact remained that Hugo was Lucian’s closest confidant.
Now that their conversation had reached Hugo’s ears, it would undoubtedly be reported directly to Lucian. There was no telling how an enraged Lucian would react.
As the knights trembled in silence, realizing the gravity of the situation, Hugo spoke again.
“Nothing to say? Then this is simple.”
Snap!
“Gah!”
One of the knights let out a pathetic yelp as something struck him in the face. A moment later, the knights’ eyes widened as they realized the object was a glove.
“S-Sir Hugo.”
“Words are unnecessary. A duel.”
At Hugo’s declaration, the knights’ faces turned an even deeper shade of ashen gray.
A knight’s duel usually falls into one of two categories.
One where losing is a problem, but winning resolves the matter smoothly.
And one where you lose no matter what, regardless of whether you win or lose the fight.
The duel Hugo had challenged them to was clearly the latter.
Damn it, whether we win or lose the duel, he’s still going to report this to the Duke. Is there even a point to this fight?
Even if we win, there’s no gain. Showing the Duke’s confidant being defeated will only pour oil on the fire of his rage.
And we can’t just lose on purpose, either. We mocked the Duke so openly; he won’t let us live just because we admit defeat.
The knights forced into the duel clutched their heads in despair at the worst-case scenario. If they won, Lucian’s fury would only grow; if they lost, he would likely use it as an excuse to kill them under the guise of an accident.
Yet, if they refused the duel, they might lose the last chance to settle this quietly. They had to resolve this as a personal matter between individuals before it escalated. Otherwise, a vengeful Lucian might move his five thousand troops to wipe out the Viscounty entirely.
However, whether Hugo knew their plight or not, he continued to escalate the situation.
“The more witnesses to a duel, the better. I shall inform the others of the scheduled time. Meet me back here this evening.”
“W-Wait just a moment!”
“I refuse.”
Hugo ignored the knights’ pleas and walked away.
Left with no choice, the knights went to report the situation to Viscount Oleg. After hearing the details, Viscount Oleg’s face turned pale as he shouted.
“You absolute fools! How could you let your tongues wag like that?”
“We have no excuse, my lord.”
“This is no time for humble platitudes! Give me a solution, anything! Now!”
Despite the Viscount’s roar, the knights remained silent. The situation had long since spiraled beyond their ability to fix.
Eventually, Viscount Oleg let out a deep sigh and went to see Lucian personally.
“Your Highness, please forgive my knights’ mistake. No, you do not even have to forgive them. You may punish them yourself if you wish, so please, let us settle this matter amicably.”
“Settle it amicably? Are you asking me to act as if my knight’s challenge never happened?”
“That is correct.”
“Absurd. The time for the duel has already been spread far and wide, and yet you ask me to cancel it? Are you telling me to make a fool out of the knight who stepped forward for my sake?”
“N-No, that’s not what I meant…!”
“Enough. Do not insult my knight any further. Stand tall and face the duel. That is all I have to say to you.”
Faced with such a firm tone, Viscount Oleg had no choice but to bow his head and withdraw. He knew that clinging any further would only incite Lucian’s wrath even more.
In the end, Viscount Oleg had to face the evening of the duel without any plan in place.
As soon as the news broke that Hugo and the knights were dueling, a massive crowd of spectators gathered.
Naturally, the vast majority were the troops Lucian had brought with him. The soldiers surrounded the dueling grounds, whispering among themselves.
“I heard those knights insulted His Majesty the King?”
“They called us parasites who only eat, and they called His Majesty the Parasite King.”
“What? Are they insane? Forget a duel, shouldn't they just be executed?”
“They belong to another house. Even His Majesty can’t just execute them on a whim.”
“Then we should just start a war and wipe them all out.”
At the soldiers’ murmurs, not only the knights but even Viscount Oleg turned pale. The atmosphere was far too grim to be dismissed as the idle chatter of ignorant grunts.
This is bad. At this rate, all the hospitality we’ve shown will be for nothing.
The reason Viscount Oleg had treated them so well was simple: he wanted to ensure they wouldn't harbor hostility toward the House of Lerum, even if they were stranded. Even if the rockslide and bridge damage were framed as natural disasters, the soldiers’ frustration was unavoidable.
There was a risk that their resentment would turn toward the House of Lerum, the administrators of this land. Therefore, Viscount Oleg had treated the soldiers more generously than anyone else. He believed that if he showed his best as a host, they wouldn't be able to voice their complaints.
The plan was for the soldiers’ irritation and anger to lose direction, spin in circles, and eventually turn into lethargy. By repeating this several times, they would have lost all their momentum by the time they reached the House of Roglan… that was the original plan.
Viscount Oleg clutched his throbbing forehead. Everything had been going well until now; how could this happen in a single day? At this rate, they were going to earn the enmity of not just Lucian, but all five thousand soldiers.
“Both parties, step forward!”
When the appointed time arrived, Marius, acting as the referee, shouted loudly.
The opponent, a knight of the House of Lerum named Folkar, had no choice but to step forward at Marius’s call.
Damn it, I already didn't want to fight this duel, and now the referee is some suspicious sorcerer.
Folkar felt an inexplicable sense of unease. He knew that not all mages were like warlocks, but it was highly suspicious for someone who knew nothing of knightly duels to act as the referee. Who knew what kind of tricks he might play on Folkar during the fight?
However, he couldn't voice this complaint openly. A duel was already happening because they had insulted Lucian; if he rejected the Court Mage of Asagrim as well, the duel might very well turn into a war.
“May this duel be a fair fight, one that does not shame the Eight Gods.”
Fortunately, Marius stepped back after finishing the brief ritual. As soon as the words signaling the start of the match were spoken, Folkar drew his sword and rushed toward Hugo.
Since it’s come to this, I’ll end it as quickly as possible!
He couldn't insult Hugo, but he couldn't just die on purpose either, so he planned to aim only for his opponent’s weapon. If he could just knock the sword out of Hugo’s hand, he could claim victory without causing too much humiliation.
Just as Folkar, moving with maximum speed, was about to swing his sword—
What? Why isn't he even taking a stance?
Hugo hurriedly raised his sword to block Folkar’s attack, but his posture was incredibly sloppy. He looked as if he had been caught off guard by an unexpected ambush.
Folkar didn't understand why Hugo was being so careless, but he took the opportunity and swung his sword sideways.
Clang!
“Argh!”
“…!?”
The moment the blades clashed, Hugo let out a scream. From the sensation transmitted through his sword, Folkar realized something was terribly wrong.
This man… he didn't reinforce his body with mana!
In a fight between knights, reinforcing the body with mana was an absolute necessity. Even a light attack could be fatal if it struck a body that wasn't reinforced. Yet, Hugo had entered a knight’s duel with his bare, unenhanced body.
“No, why…!”
Thud!
“Guh!?”
As Folkar stood there in shock, watching Hugo get blown back, he was suddenly sent flying by a powerful impact. Felicia had leaped from the spectator stands like a bolt of lightning and kicked Folkar in the ribs.
As Folkar rolled on the ground, unable to comprehend the situation, Felicia’s roar thundered over him.
“To launch a surprise attack before the duel even began! How utterly despicable!”
“…!?”