Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Duel of Honor
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5
I gazed at the horizon from atop the sturdy walls protecting Ballamut.
The army charging from the edge of the vast sandy plain was too numerous to count.
Just as the merchants' rumors had said, it looked like the full forces of both Wolverheim and Newcastl had assembled.
Five stars approaching amid a sandstorm.
If that army was dead set on invading, how long could Ballamut hold out?
Siege warfare usually favored the attackers with superior numbers... but that only applied when the military strength was somewhat evenly matched.
If the Federation was serious, even barricading the gates and hunkering down for a defense wouldn't last more than a week.
And that made sense from the Federation's perspective—dragging out a siege would give the Tekat Kingdom time to intervene.
No matter how many troops they brought, a head-on clash with Tekat Kingdom offered no chance of victory.
So they planned to take Ballamut swiftly, ensuring that by the time Tekat dispatched reinforcements, the Federation would already have seized it.
It would take about a week from now for Tekat Kingdom to muster forces and send them here.
Ding, ding—the urgent bell tolled, and the gates slammed shut.
Soon after, the Federation army halted just short of Ballamut.
Then, amplifying their voice with magic, they issued their declaration of war.
"People of Ballamut, hear us! We are the honorable 12th Legion of the Karmut Federation! We come not as unjust invaders, but to reclaim territory lost to the Federation! If you do not surrender by noon tomorrow, we will commence our attack!"
The stern voice sent a chill tingling through my fingertips.
I had known the Federation army was coming.
Even so, the sheer volume of them was terrifying just to behold.
Had I been completely unaware, I might have fled on the spot.
"That's a ton of them... Buddy, this is dangerous, right?"
"Of course it's dangerous. At least tens of thousands of soldiers are going to go berserk trying to overrun this place."
Tens of thousands of infantry alone, not counting siege weapons and supplies.
If that many troops assaulted Ballamut, the casualties would be beyond imagination.
"You've got something in mind."
Leon suddenly studied my face and said.
As expected of the protagonist—sharp instincts.
"You have... a plan...?"
Noel's hands trembled as she asked.
She had family in the city, so her worry was understandable.
I stroked her head reassuringly, like patting a child.
There was a plan.
This was exactly the time to leverage the trivial, detailed lore from Broken World.
The Federation's invasion was an event that never existed in Broken World.
But it wasn't some event dropped from the sky out of nowhere.
The relations between the Federation and Ballamut, the international situation, and other intel could still be used.
"Theo Agrit! Duke Theo Agrit, are you here!!"
Before I could respond, an official rushed over shouting desperately.
Now that the fire was at their feet, they finally felt like meeting me.
No reason to refuse, so I raised my hand casually.
"I'll be right back."
6
"Buddy, you can tell us now, right? What's the plan?"
Ethan paced the room anxiously as he asked.
I sank into the single-seater sofa, eyes closed, and gave a vague reply.
"Rest up until tomorrow. All of you will need to put in some effort then."
"Effort...?"
"There's a thing. You'll know the details tomorrow, so skip it... Don't worry. Noel, I won't let a war break out."
If I explained in detail how I'd posed as Ludwig's envoy and negotiated with Ballamut's king, no one would sleep.
Ballamut's king was petty and shallow-minded by nature.
He wasn't fit to be a king at all... but that made him easier for me to manipulate.
Even someone like Ludwig would have broken a sweat negotiating with him.
That said, it wasn't all good.
In the end, he was still a petty man.
Right after learning Nestor was a spy, I'd revealed myself as Ludwig's envoy and requested a private audience, but he wasted days "verifying" it—probably just pride.
Even though Tekat Kingdom's superiority over Ballamut was clear, they were equals as friendly nations in practice.
For a mere prince—not even a crown prince—from another kingdom to be welcomed with open arms would damage his dignity.
That's why I hated politics.
With the Karmut Federation invading, who cared about pride?
It didn't matter at all, of course—so Ballamut's king summoned me the moment the Federation army appeared.
By the time the Federation surrounded Ballamut, it was already too late.
I'd planned to contact the Knight Commander ahead of time to devise countermeasures...
But I never imagined even he was a Federation mole.
Nestor had even fled with his family in the night before the army moved.
At least I wouldn't have to see Marco Davila's punchable face anymore.
Anyway, I'd given the best answer possible for now, but Noel still looked uneasy.
Ethan, being simple, had nodded along ages ago, and Leon had eyed me before giving a casual nod.
In the end, without much explanation, everyone turned in early.
Thanks to that, we got some rest, however patchy.
I couldn't fully relax, but my condition wasn't bad.
As noon approached, I climbed the walls again, and a knight with no standout features rushed up to me.
"What are we to do now that you're finally here...! Agrit envoy!"
Envoy?
Ethan cocked his head.
The man charging toward me, Paul, was too busy sweating bullets to notice.
It couldn't be helped.
With Knight Commander Nestor having fled and the deputy resigning under pressure, Paul had become Knight Commander overnight.
And right after taking the post, war.
It was impressive he hadn't quit like the deputy.
"Paul, Knight Commander—did things proceed as planned?"
"Well... not yet... But will that plan really work...?"
I understood Paul's anxious question.
Honestly, even I wouldn't have believed it.
I turned my gaze outward beyond the walls.
At the forefront of the Federation army stood a middle-aged knight in silver wolf armor.
Jeno Wolvern, ruler of Wolverheim and a knight.
His exceptional leadership had earned him command of the 12th Legion as well.
His loyalty to the Federation paired with his emphasis on honor made him a shame to have as an enemy.
Simple reason I knew all this: he appeared in Broken World.
Later, Leon clashed with Jeno's 12th Legion, using his skills to single-handedly force their retreat.
What I had to do now was recreate that.
Too many variables for it to play out exactly... but it was the best option.
A glance at Paul showed him still sweating profusely.
He was in no state to entrust anything to, so I sighed, took a deep breath, and bellowed loud enough to shake the walls.
"Jeno Wolvern!! To you, a knight who values honor, I challenge you to a fair duel!!"
7
"You knew... the Federation would accept the proposal...?"
Noel cautiously asked as she stretched and checked her ammo.
Beside her, I donned the armor borrowed from Memphis.
I'd expected the thick metal slab to be heavy, but it wasn't a big deal.
Wearing armor wouldn't weigh me down.
As expected of Memphis.
"Knew, or rather, maneuvered it this way. It turned out like this in the end. It's not a bad proposal for the Federation either."
The moment I invoked honor, Jeno Wolvern had no choice but to accept.
In the main story, Leon challenged him to an honorable duel, and he accepted gladly.
It wasn't just about honor, of course.
War consumed massive resources even for the invaders.
Even if toppling Ballamut took less than a week, the cost would be immense.
Condensing that into a single duel was appealing, both temporally and resource-wise.
If things went south, the Federation could always discard honor for a dirty win.
The finalized duel format: best of five single combats.
The Federation had brought ten knights, including Jeno Wolvern.
Ballamut's knights, on the other hand...
With the Knight Commander exposed as a spy and confined, what could be said?
"So we're stepping in instead."
"Correct. Sharp as ever."
Leon inspected his holy sword's blade and shrugged.
Of Ballamut's knights, only Acting Knight Commander Paul would fight.
For the rest, we'd already settled it with the king.
He wanted Tekat's aid, so he was fully complying, plus I'd taken some insurance.
Simple reason for our participation: Leon was stronger than most knights.
Same for Ethan and Noel. As for me... bonus.
"You're up first, Leon. Go shake their morale."
"Shoulders feel heavy."
"No whining. And no holding back. Armor?"
"It just weighs me down."
Not really heavy, though.
Leon, holy sword in hand, calmly stepped out to the dueling ground.
The hastily made arena was spartan: just ropes marking lines in the sandy plain.
At the edge, Leon silently drew his sword.
His opponent was a knight twice his size.
Clad in heavy full plate and wielding a greatsword larger than a man, he looked less human and more orc.
"Haban Neves."
"Leon Hilfenberg."
The orcish giant gave the formal greeting.
Leon nodded back.
"Would you look at that—drawing a kid like you in a war. Ridiculous."
Haban Neves sneered, greatsword slung over his shoulder.
A simple taunt, but Leon showed no reaction.
He just gripped his hilt, glaring at the foe with sharp red eyes.
"Going all out on a kid wouldn't be knightly. I'll yield the first move. Watch and learn."
Haban Neves was going for the pride angle.
But he didn't know Leon at all.
Pride was the most meaningless metric to that guy.
"I'll accept, given the circumstances."
Leon nobly gripped his hilt.
Jeno Wolvern shouted as Leon regulated his breathing.
"Begin!"
The duel started.
But Leon didn't move rashly.
He simply raised his sword, gathering and refining his power.
Intense pressure blanketed the arena and beyond.
The chilling sensation twisted Haban Neves's face.
His expression was obvious: he'd realized something was wrong.
"W-Wait...!"
Haban Neves lunged forward hastily.
Leon moved at the same instant.
A textbook overhead strike, perfectly vertical.
Haban reflexively raised his greatsword to block, but it was futile.
The golden holy sword sliced through the greatsword like tofu.
It even rent the thick armor with ease.
Boom!
No intent to kill, so no blood spray, but Haban Neves flew out of bounds with a thunderous crash.
Leon, who had swung so perfectly, hadn't budged an inch.
Overcoming his foe with pure skill and strength in one blow, he calmly asked Jeno.
"The result."
"...Your victory."
Leon sheathed his sword and returned.
Cheers erupted from our side, a beat late.
The Federation's morale, questioning voices rising, was utterly shattered—no need to check.