Chapter 208: Noble's Entertainment
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 208: Noble's Entertainment
“Could I hear a more detailed explanation about this duel tournament?”
“Hmm, so you really didn’t know?”
Pompiné’s lips curled into a smile. The faint dimples that formed made her all the more charming.
“Baron Allanton never mentioned anything of the sort…”
“It seems he didn’t even bother looking, thinking it was a tree he couldn’t climb. It’s too grand a stage for his level of ambition, and to even participate, you need a champion who ranks among the top five in the South.”
Pompiné subtly added that no warrior of that caliber would ever work with someone like Baron Allanton.
“Is Duke Babel planning to recruit a guard knight through this duel tournament?”
What I was focused on was the tournament’s purpose. After all, my own goal was to become Duke Babel’s guard knight.
It was to confirm whether Vivian had sought refuge with Duke Babel, one of the Three Powers of the southern continent.
And that opportunity had arrived sooner than I expected.
If he was truly recruiting a guard knight through a duel tournament, the time required to achieve my goal would be drastically shortened.
“It hasn’t been officially announced. It’s just a rumor for now.”
“A rumor.”
“Duke Babel wouldn’t host such a large-scale tournament just for fun. There must be a purpose compelling enough to justify such an expense, and the most likely reason is that he’s looking for a master of dueling to hire as a guard knight… or so the rumor goes.”
“Isn’t that a bit excessive?”
Holding a nationwide tournament just to recruit a single guard knight? I couldn’t shake the feeling that the costs far outweighed the benefits.
Pompiné seemed to think differently.
“The Art of War states that an army that has lost its head will collapse on its own. In these times of intensifying competition among the Three Powers, the greatest threat is assassination. Duke Babel would surely value his own life more than a mountain of gold.”
She had a point. Knights were an elite force.
To become a knight, one had to be from a proven family and learn civilities like obedience, virtue, piety, faith, and etiquette from a young age.
As they grew, they would serve as a knight’s squire, mastering the seven knightly arts and other required skills.
That’s why it would be a waste to use them as mere guard knights, whose required skills were little more than exceptional swordsmanship and proper etiquette.
Still, the reason I was skeptical was that the cost of hosting a massive tournament was far greater than the cost of training one competent knight.
Moreover, the prize was said to include not only a title but a manor as well. At this level, wouldn’t even knights be chomping at the bit to participate?
‘He needs the strongest possible warrior, regardless of the cost.’
Why? Because to stop me—or at least to buy enough time to escape from me—it would be impossible without a warrior of that caliber.
In other words, I suspected that the guard knight wasn’t for Duke Babel, but to protect Vivian.
What fueled that suspicion was the timing of the tournament’s announcement.
“It was three months ago?”
Of all things, the timing of the tournament’s announcement overlapped with when Vivian had fled the Western Continent.
This was something I had to participate in and confirm, no matter what. The problem was that three months had already passed.
“There are also three months left until the tournament begins.”
Only the most renowned warriors from each region could participate, and time was desperately short.
Considering the vastness of the continent and the poor transportation, three months was by no means a long time to earn the fame required to enter the tournament.
“Three months…”
“You have the skill, so if you’re lucky, you might be able to participate. They say opportunity comes to those who don’t give up, don’t they?”
“Like you, Lady Pompiné?”
Pompiné’s eyes widened slightly before curving into a smile.
“If you’re willing to try, I can look into it for you.”
“That is far too generous.”
It wasn’t common sense for a noble to personally act on behalf of a mere commoner. Pompiné, who surely knew this, simply smiled.
“I repay favors with favors. I believe I told you that?”
As if she wouldn’t accept any argument, Pompiné rose from her seat first. Watching her walk away, I realized.
“So she hasn’t given up yet.”
As I thought, Pompiné was a greedy one.
*
On the way back to my lodging.
‘I have to make a name for myself as one of the top warriors in the South within three months.’
This was a golden opportunity I couldn’t possibly ignore. Sink or swim, I had to take on the challenge.
Pompiné had mentioned luck, but I had never once entrusted my fate to something as uncertain as luck.
‘Should I incite Baron Allanton?’
It wasn’t a pretty picture, but in the end, Baron Allanton had won a great deal of compensation from this duel.
And as they say, infamy is still a form of fame. I had also succeeded in my original goal of making my name known. In other words, his gamble had paid off.
A typical gambler like Baron Allanton, drunk on a small success, would surely be tempted to try a bigger gamble.
If I just gave him a little push, he might even find a sacrificial lamb to serve as a stepping stone for my fame, sacrificing himself in the process.
‘No, I’m certain of it.’
Wasn’t this the same man who sent a false matchmaker just to force a duel?
Just as I was deciding on my future course of action, the shadow of a person pacing restlessly in front of my lodging came into view.
As I got closer, I saw it was Baron Allanton, walking in large circles and muttering to himself like a madman.
When he finally noticed me, Baron Allanton’s gloomy face brightened. It seemed he had been waiting for me. And just as I expected…
“Why are you so late! At a time like this! This is a disaster! We’re all going to die!”
“What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong? I’m about to burst from frustration! This is no time to be talking so leisurely! I’m telling you, it’s a disaster!”
Baron Allanton didn’t seem to realize that he was the one beating around the bush instead of getting to the point.
It was only after we moved into my room that I got a detailed explanation.
“So, Count Valliere wanted me, and you refused? It sounds like the matter is settled, so what’s the problem?”
“You frustrating man! What do you mean, settled? Do you really think that greedy Count Valliere will back down so easily? Huh?”
Baron Allanton added that he had already received what amounted to a threat.
“A threat, you say?”
“Count Valliere is one of the most powerful men in the South. I don’t have the power to stand against him. The bigger problem is that he comes from a family with a long history, so he has deep connections with many other nobles. We’ll be pressured from all sides, both tangibly and intangibly.”
Baron Allanton’s voice trembled slightly, as did his eyes. He paced restlessly, not knowing what to do.
“Then why didn’t you just accept his offer?”
“That’s…”
Baron Allanton fell silent. As the room quieted, I finally had a moment to think about Count Valliere’s offer.
‘Count Valliere.’
At first glance, it seemed like a decent option. If a powerful figure in the South were to become my sponsor, it would be easier to gain fame.
But a closer look revealed a hidden trap.
Bugs are naturally drawn to beautiful flowers. Since his faction was powerful, it was obvious that he would already have a host of skilled individuals under his command.
‘It means even if I received his support, I wouldn’t be a priority.’
Furthermore, I was an unproven resource. If I were Count Valliere, I would choose a vassal I had known longer, even if our skills were equal.
No, I might not be chosen even if I proved my skills were superior.
“Perhaps it’s a way to keep me in check.”
“In check?”
“The easiest way to eliminate a threatening competitor is to make them your ally.”
If Count Valliere also had his eyes on the duel tournament, and if he was a meticulous man, it was a definite possibility.
“…Right! That must be his aim! The cunning bastard!”
Baron Allanton’s fear vanished, replaced by anger.
‘Count Valliere won’t be so easily moved.’
Baron Allanton’s only option was me, but the Count likely had several.
If my guess was correct, he was an incomparably more capable man than Baron Allanton, which made it even more certain. As I thought, Baron Allanton was my best bet.
However, it seemed I could make use of Count Valliere. The fact that he wanted me enough to threaten me meant he wouldn’t give up easily.
“Yes. If you accept his offer, you’ll be playing right into his hands.”
“I have my pride to think of. I can’t let that happen. No, absolutely not.”
“What will happen if you refuse him to the very end?”
Baron Allanton, who had been in the middle of a heated tirade against Count Valliere, froze. The cold reality seemed to have extinguished his anger.
“…I hate to even think about it, but he might resort to direct force. There are many wicked nobles who would rather destroy what they can’t have. Count Valliere is the epitome of such a noble.”
With an even darker expression, Baron Allanton continued.
“He is also a noble with the power to force a duel. He wouldn’t need to use petty tricks to create a justification like I did.”
In a world where a class system truly existed, there was no such thing as fairness.
The more I heard Baron Allanton’s explanation, the clearer the image of Count Valliere, a man I had never met, became. The outcome was remarkably similar to what I wanted.
“Then who do you think he will put forward as my opposing champion?”
“In the worst-case scenario, he’ll put forth Sir Pamel, one of the top five warriors in the South. He’s as cruel as he is skilled, earning him the nickname ‘the Butcher.’ Surrender might be meaningless against him.”
“Is that so?”
“Hey, is this really the time for you to be smiling?”
Baron Allanton chided me with a look of disbelief.
But I couldn’t help but smile. A sacrificial lamb was willingly walking to the slaughter. How could I not smile?
“This could be an opportunity. An opportunity for us to enter the big leagues.”
“…An opportunity?”
Baron Allanton’s ears perked up. Spoken like a true gambler. He listened to my words with immense interest.
“Have you heard that Duke Babel is hosting a duel tournament?”
“Of course! How could I not know about such a grand stage? I was just swallowing my disappointment because I had no viable way to participate.”
It seemed the ‘big leagues’ Baron Allanton had mentioned wasn’t the duel tournament itself, but perhaps a stage or two before it.
“Don’t tell me? The opportunity you mentioned is…”
“If we defeat Count Valliere, a renowned power in the South, and his champion, won’t we earn the right to participate in the duel tournament?”
With this, I could gain the necessary fame within the three months remaining until the tournament. Baron Allanton seemed to have reached the same conclusion, his eyes widening as if they would tear.
“That’s it! No, wait! There’s no guarantee we’ll win, is there?”
“There’s no guarantee, but there is a possibility.”
“A possibility…?”
Given the circumstances, it was clear that Count Valliere was also aiming for the duel tournament.
If his champion became Duke Babel’s guard knight, he could use that connection to approach or strengthen his ties with the central powers.
“Why do you think he tried to keep you in check, Baron? It must be because he judged that I, your champion, would be an obstacle to achieving his goal. In other words, Count Valliere himself has guaranteed that we have a chance to win.”
“!!!”
He probably didn’t think the chances were high. He had only seen my skills once, and even then, I hadn’t shown half of my true strength.
In other words, he was just being cautious of a one-in-a-million chance.
Baron Allanton probably knew that too. But I wasn’t worried. Wasn’t a gambler someone who would take a chance even if the odds were only 1%?
Just as I expected.
“The problem is, there’s no guarantee the Count will move as we wish, is there? He is greedy and holds a grudge, but he is also a cautious man.”
“That’s why we must create a situation where he has no choice but to move as we want.”
The most crucial part was for Baron Allanton to endure the tangible and intangible pressure from Count Valliere until the duel was arranged.
If Baron Allanton got scared and knelt first, the duel would never happen, no matter what I, a mere champion, did.
“I have to endure? Me?”
Baron Allanton’s face showed a lack of confidence.
“If you just hold out, Baron, you will achieve a tremendous leap forward. If things go our way, Count Valliere will try to force a duel, and he won’t entertain the slightest thought of losing. That means there’s a high chance he’ll accept whatever we demand as the price for the duel.”
I was telling him this was a gamble with incredibly high stakes. Baron Allanton seemed tempted, but his worry still outweighed his greed.
I drove the final nail in.
“And is that all? If you participate in the duel tournament hosted by Duke Babel and achieve a good result, you might even be able to surpass Count Valliere.”
How could Baron Allanton not have a desire for revenge? He was a noble, too. A noble who was nothing but a corpse without his honor and pride!
He had only endured because reality was harsh, but it was obvious he had gritted his teeth every time he was oppressed and threatened.
And I had just opened the door to his chance for revenge. The probability was minuscule, bordering on zero, but for a gambler, it was a chance well worth taking.
“Revenge. I can get revenge…?”
Baron Allanton’s trembling eyes grew firm. The fierce glint in them seemed to reveal his heart.
No more persuasion was needed. Once he made up his mind, Baron Allanton played his part so well it surprised me.
He ignored the pressure and appeasement from neighboring nobles who had deep ties with Count Valliere.
When Count Valliere’s minions, disguised as bandits, ravaged a village in his domain, he instead evacuated the village, making it clear he would not back down.
He also suffered financially when his chartered merchants were plundered, cutting off ties, and when the city of Monju, which he had just regained, betrayed him once again.
Despite it all, Baron Allanton endured the losses. In fact, the multi-pronged attacks seemed to have stirred his fighting spirit.
“Since it’s come to this, it’s do or die!”
Eventually, Count Valliere was forced to play his final card. He came to face me, a commoner, and made a direct offer.
If I abandoned Baron Allanton and came to him, he would treat me in a manner befitting my skills.
Of course, I had only one choice.
“I refuse.”
Count Valliere’s face crumpled like a piece of paper.
“Do you have any idea what it means for a mere commoner to refuse my offer?”
Unlike him, I maintained a calm expression, which seemed to displease him even more.
“Even commoners have their fidelity.”
“Ha. A pair of fools who don’t know their place dare to insult me?”
Count Valliere shot to his feet, glaring at me as if he wanted to kill me.
“We shall see if that conviction of yours lasts until the end.”
Less than a full day after he left, Count Valliere sent a letter of challenge for a duel, under the justification that he had been insulted.