Chapter 203: Champion Balak
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 203: Champion Balak
The mayor's face turned deathly pale. He realized he had no way out. The mayor, elected by the consensus of the citizens, had now lost their support.
His power was bound to crumble once its foundation—the people's will—was gone.
“How, how could you do this to me! After all I've sacrificed for this city! Without me, you would have neither freedom nor prosperity!”
The mayor launched into a tirade, trying to appeal to the citizens' conscience.
But the citizens, their minds already made up, simply turned away. When the mayor’s accusations grew harsher, one of them shouted with a sullen face.
“That was then, this is now! We’re not saying we don’t know about your sacrifices, but you’ve been abusing the power you held!”
“Who said that! Come out and say it to my face! You coward!”
“You’re the coward! If you’re the mayor, if you’re a man, and if you’re the father of a wrongfully killed child, then you should step forward and fight the duel with dignity!”
“You bastard…!”
His face flushing red, the mayor whipped his head around, searching for the owner of the voice, but it was impossible to find him in the dense crowd.
“Booo—He’s right! Clean up your own mess!”
Instead, he was met with the jeers of the citizens.
“You…!”
The mayor’s fists trembled with rage. It was then that I stepped forward.
“If you don't want to duel, you could always admit your guilt.”
“Don’t you dare frame me! I am not guilty! I have committed no crime!”
“It seems you’re the only one who thinks so, Mayor.”
The mayor ground his teeth as he once again faced the cold stares of the citizens.
But he had no other choice. Admitting his guilt wouldn't bring back his power. The only way to keep it was to win the duel.
“You bastard…! Fine! I accept the duel!”
The mayor snatched the gear from a soldier of similar build and put it on. He looked rather convincing with a sword and shield in hand.
I had a feeling when I saw him commanding his soldiers, but it seemed he had some knowledge of swordsmanship.
That must be why he was willing to step forward himself, even after seeing ten of his soldiers die, unable to handle me alone.
If not, he would have admitted his guilt and avoided the duel. After all, it's better to live in disgrace than to die.
In truth, the mayor's swordsmanship was a cut above the soldiers I had faced earlier. But that was all it was.
Schlick.
The sword I thrust through the mayor's chest jutted out from his back.
Dropping his sword and shield, he grabbed the blade piercing through him, his face a mask of disbelief as he collapsed to his knees.
“I… I did nothing wrong… Baron Allanton, you, and even those traitors who betrayed me… if you had a single child to carry on your family name, you couldn’t help but dote on them… Gah, I… I did nothing wrong…!”
The mayor muttered, staring blankly at the ground. Standing before him, I clicked my tongue.
“The problem was how you doted on him. That son of yours had already made plenty of enemies. Even if he had gotten through this unscathed, he wouldn't have lived long.”
It was only a matter of time before things blew up.
“And even if he had survived by some stroke of luck, I doubt the future would be bright for a man who has earned so much resentment. Resentment is like a shadow; you can never shake it off, no matter how hard you try.”
The mayor slowly lifted his head. The blood spreading from the sword in his chest was gradually staining his entire outfit red.
“Are… are you saying it was all my fault…?”
“You’re only just realizing that now?”
A realization that came far too late. I clicked my tongue and pulled out my sword. As if staining his clothes red wasn't enough, blood gushed from the wound.
“…”
The mayor tried to say something more, but only bloody foam escaped his lips. A moment later, he pitched forward onto the ground.
The sound of his breathing ceased. It was the end of a man who had once held the small city of Monju in his palm and wielded absolute power.
An indescribable atmosphere settled over the crowd. Though he had abused his power, the mayor had also been their neighbor and a hero who had led the fight to win the city's freedom.
Clap, clap.
It was Baron Allanton who stepped forward then.
“Everyone, clap and cheer! A brave warrior has restored justice to this land! The city will now return to normal!”
It was the moment the small southern city of Monju fell back into the hands of Baron Allanton.
The citizens were not entirely pleased. Perhaps it was the anxiety that they had escaped a wolf only to run into a lion.
Besides, there must have been a reason the city had won its independence from the baron in the first place. The only one smiling was the baron himself.
I spoke cautiously to him.
“It's not over yet.”
My gaze shifted from Hugo’s wife, who was still weeping over Casino’s body, to scan the area for Hugo, who had vanished.
It seemed he had fled in the middle of the fight. Having framed me to force a trial by combat, he must have feared the consequences.
‘Prepared to die?’ A man like that wouldn’t have sought out a champion.
Even though the man who had lured me into a death trap with his lies was gone, I wasn't worried. I wasn't the only one who wanted to repay him for his deception.
Sure enough.
“Let go! Let go of me!”
Hugo’s voice came from the direction of the waiting room. The sound grew closer, and soon Hugo appeared, dragged by the collar by Orin. His face was swollen as if he’d been punched.
“Where do you think you’re going after making such a mess, you son of a bitch?”
Orin looked at me as if to ask if he’d done right. From what he said, it seemed Hugo had tried to escape on the horse he claimed to have prepared for me.
I nodded and turned my gaze to Baron Allanton.
“Their crimes are no less than the mayor’s.”
“The two of them will pay a fitting price. I swear it on my name.”
The baron kept his promise. Late that afternoon, from a gallows hastily constructed on the dueling stage, Hugo and his wife fell.
It was a signal flare announcing the return of Baron Allanton's rule.
That evening, a party was held at Baron Allanton’s villa on the outskirts of Monju. As an invited guest, I found Orin holed up in a corner of the banquet hall, sipping wine.
“Oh, there you are! Excuse me, everyone. I have something to discuss with this friend of mine.”
He had been surrounded by invited city magnates, but his face lit up the moment he saw me, and he pulled me out into the garden.
The banquet had just begun, so the garden was empty. Orin finally let out a long sigh.
“Not enjoying the party?”
“You saw it too, didn't you? Those same bastards who gave me the side-eye for helping Hugo a little are now fawning all over me. Ha. It’s ridiculous. I get why they’re doing it, but it makes me uncomfortable.”
On the dueling stage, Orin and I were the only ones personally invited by Baron Allanton.
The city's magnates were likely planning to use Orin to get in with their new connection, Baron Allanton. And Orin hated it.
He continued, “If the baron hadn’t invited me himself, I wouldn’t have come.”
Orin was a man who lived as he pleased, without regard for personal connections or political considerations. In a small society, only those with the skills to back it up could afford to live that way.
‘Well, his swords were quite good.’
A blacksmith who could forge a proper sword was highly valued. And the southern continent was a land where all sorts of powers vied for supremacy.
“Isn’t it the same for you?”
Orin was not unobservant.
“Refusing a noble's invitation is an insult to their honor. If a noble, who values face above all, were to retaliate, I'd have no defense.”
“Heh heh. Just like me. Just hang out in a corner, enjoy the food, show your face to the baron once, and then leave.”
“I’m not sure that will be possible.”
That might work for Orin, who was invited for catching the fleeing Hugo, but my situation was different.
“Why? Did the baron ask to speak with you separately?”
“He’s given me a room to stay in. That should tell you something.”
As I said, a noble’s invitation was an invitation in name only; it was practically a command.
“Hmm, looks like the baron saw your skills and got greedy.”
It was just as I had hoped. However, I didn't yet know if he wanted me as a champion or as a knight.
‘If it’s the latter, I’ll have to refuse.’
The baron’s help would make it easier to achieve my goal of making a name for myself as a champion, but I wouldn't have a problem even without it. I had already gained some renown from this incident.
“What will you do if that’s the case?”
“What will you do? The city will be under the baron’s rule again.”
Orin smirked. He knew I was changing the subject.
“What do you mean, what will I do? I’ll just keep living like I am now. Not much will change. The baron must have realized that a ‘reasonable’ amount of freedom is profitable.”
“So they’ll maintain their autonomy?”
“Of course, he’ll take more in taxes. That’s why those shrewd bastards are so desperate to get a line to the baron.”
He meant that the city magnates I had seen earlier were trying to get in the baron’s good graces to aim for the now-vacant mayoral seat.
“Wise of them…”
“More like greedy. Anyway, let me see that sword.”
Orin took the sword I gave him and turned it over in the torchlight, clicking his tongue.
“It’s pretty banged up.”
“I avoided hitting any armor, so if it’s that damaged, the quality must have been poor, no?”
“Hey, you…?”
Orin grinned. He knew I was joking. The reason I had gotten involved in Hugo’s affair was because this sword was quite good.
“This won’t do. Looks like I’ll have to show you my real skills for the first time in a while.”
“I’d be grateful for that, but… more importantly, when are you going back in?”
“You go on ahead. The more I think about it, the more it seems like hanging around you will get me into trouble.”
I shrugged and headed back toward the banquet hall. I was just about to step inside the building when Orin’s voice struck me from behind.
“Hey! You need to control your strength better! The hilt is a complete mess!”
I flinched and turned around, but Orin was already gone.
‘Hmm, is he more skilled than I thought?’
It seemed my habit had left traces of my superhuman strength on the hilt. Still, I wasn't worried. Telling me this way meant he intended to keep it a secret.
In any case, it seemed I could look forward to his work a little more.
“Oh, Sir Balak. I watched your duel. Your skills are truly magnificent.”
As soon as I returned to the banquet hall, the city’s magnates swarmed me as if they had been waiting. Among them were men who had brought their daughters.
“Haha, isn’t she beautiful? And I’m not just saying that because she’s my daughter. Thankfully, she takes after her mother instead of me.”
“Oh, Father…”
The daughter blushed as if embarrassed, but she never stopped sneaking glances at me. It seemed both father and daughter were quite taken with me.
“I don’t know how to thank you for welcoming a mere stranger with such hospitality…”
“Nonsense! Is this not an age of barbarism? Building a friendship with a skilled man is always beneficial, no matter the situation.”
My humble attitude seemed to please them even more, and the number of magnates flocking to me grew.
As more competitors arrived, the look in the daughters’ eyes, who had naively followed their fathers, began to change. One father, noticing his daughter’s cue, stepped forward.
“Ahem. My daughter has been strictly educated in etiquette and culture. She is on a different level from those women who associate with scoundrels like Casino.”
That part was true. Casino only ever bothered women whose families couldn't retaliate.
Baron Allanton approached me while I was dealing with the city magnates and their daughters.
“It seems none of the maidens here meet your standards?”
The city magnates saw their chance and tried to approach the baron, but the knights accompanying him made them keep their distance.
They looked like puppies ordered to wait in front of a treat. It was amusing.
“I simply think they are out of my league.”
“Nonsense. What man would refuse ten women? No, wait a minute. Surely your tastes don't... lean that way? Ah, just a joke, a joke.”
It was a way of talking that made you the bad guy if you took it seriously. It was unpleasant, but that was all. It wasn't the first or second time a noble had acted this way.
“I simply haven't found a partner I connect with yet.”
“That’s a roundabout way of saying you have high standards.”
Still, for Baron Allanton, his attitude was favorable. After all, I had basically handed him back the city he had lost without him having to lift a finger.
Baron Allanton continued.
“In any case, your skills are too good to be wasted in a small city like this.”
Even with the restrictions I’d placed on myself, my skills had apparently looked impressive to a provincial baron. It seemed Baron Allanton intended to employ me as a knight.
“Do you have need of a champion?”
Baron Allanton's brow twitched. He knew my words were a refusal.
Though I had put it indirectly, it was still a noble’s offer. For a mere champion to refuse was bound to be offensive.
I knew that, but it was necessary for my own goals. And given the goodwill he had shown, I thought it would be fine.
“I don’t understand.”
“Through this incident, I have acquired all of Hugo’s wealth.”
“But he was merely the master of the artisans’ guild, was he not?”
Baron Allanton looked even more confused. To him, the master of an artisans’ guild and a knight were not even worth comparing.
“If I use this as an opportunity to become a noble’s champion, I could acquire even more wealth.”
“Even so, it can’t compare to becoming a knight and being granted a manor.”
“I value my safety more.”
“Ha, then you should obviously come to me. Does a duel not require you to risk your life every time?”
I shook my head.
“But as a champion, I can choose the circumstances of my fights. If I think a request is too dangerous, I don’t have to accept it. A knight, on the other hand, is not permitted to disobey. He must go even if he knows it's a death trap.”
It was a declaration that I preferred a long and quiet life over a short and glorious one. Only then did the baron’s expression change. His eyes grew even more covetous.
“Wise.”
After a brief pause, he continued.
“But disappointing for me.”
The atmosphere instantly grew heavy, so much so that the city magnates, who had been looking for a chance to approach, subtly backed away.
I, on the other hand, smiled. A noble who had indulged in every pleasure wouldn't be interested in a conventional approach.
“Don’t worry. Since fate has brought us together, I will give it top priority and consider it if you ever have need of a champion.”
“Consider it? Not accept it with open arms?”
“As I said before…”
“Haha, yes. The Art of War also states the importance of fighting on favorable terrain. You have already mastered the teachings of our ancestors.”
Baron Allanton laughed heartily, and the heavy atmosphere vanished in an instant.
“Is that so?”
I asked back with a face that said I knew nothing about the Art of War. Fortunately, he didn't seem suspicious. The baron, who had been pondering for a moment, suddenly had a glint in his eye.
“Hmm. A champion, you say… As it happens, I have a job that requires one.”
Those were the words I had been waiting for.