The Champion's Duel (1)
Count Renkai's voice boomed like thunder inside the command tent.
The moment Viscount Rebion arrived, he had to hastily bow his head before the furious high noble.
"Oh dear! I am slightly late! I heard you had departed from Hanes County, but I did not know which route you would take, so..."
"Do you call that an excuse? Carrying such a bloated frame, it is no wonder your movements are so sluggish! How can a noble of the kingdom allow himself to grow so fat? What use is it? You are the very definition of a slothful man!"
"T-That is..."
Viscount Rebion broke into a cold sweat, pouring buckets.
In truth, this was not even his fault.
Why on earth would a royal envoy personally visit the borderlands for a mere territory war?
He had assumed, at best, a mid-level central official would be sent, so he had not prepared for this level of scrutiny.
Of course, he had set out immediately upon hearing the news, but the distance was simply too great, causing his delay. Yet, to have it blamed on his weight felt incredibly unfair.
Damn it! What in the world is going on here?
Even as he repeatedly apologized, Viscount Rebion was deeply shocked by the treasures resting on the table.
Having handled various luxury goods throughout his life, he possessed a keen eye, and even to him, the treasures inside the chest were extraordinary.
A silver wolf was engraved upon all three pieces.
Soon, the symbol of Count Renkai's house flashed through Rebion's mind.
Jeron, you sly fox! You've bought off the royal inspector with bribes!
For a noble, using bribes to secure an advantage was only natural.
Viscount Rebion had prepared his own bribes, but compared to what was on display, he felt too embarrassed to even present them.
Still, he had to show at least a token of sincerity.
"Your Excellency, I offer this gift as a gesture of my apology. I hope it pleases you."
"Hmph! I do not need to look to know what a slug's gift would be."
Rebion presented a chest made of solid gold.
Inside was a golden wolf he had commissioned, but compared to the masterpieces Jeron had presented, it was so crude that he felt ashamed to show it.
Still, gold was gold.
Owning a silver mine allowed him to spend lavishly.
However, there was one problem.
Because it had been rushed after hearing the news, the sculpture looked less like a wolf and more like a dog.
"Are you telling me to take this dog and get lost?"
"H-H-How could that be!"
Slam!
"Are you mocking me? If not, why did you go out of your way to carve this mutt and bring it to me?"
"Well..."
Viscount Rebion stared closely at the object he had ordered to be made as a wolf.
Depending on how one looked at it, it could pass as a dog, or perhaps a wolf. But if the recipient insisted it was a mutt, then a mutt it was.
For a moment, Viscount Rebion was utterly speechless.
"Take that away and sit down."
"My deepest apologies."
Viscount Rebion was thoroughly humiliated.
As a man who showered the central political stage with massive bribes, when had he ever been treated like this?
It was all because his offering paled in comparison to Jeron's.
Viscount Rebion could only swallow his rage in silence.
Damn you! Just you wait. You will soon be a ruined noble.
Though there had been a slight mishap, history was written by the victors.
If he won the territory war, the Count's favor would surely swing back to him.
"I assume you have the terms of the contract?"
"Right here."
Jeron and Rebion placed the contract on the table.
It only detailed the aftermath of the territory war; the method of the war itself was left blank.
This was because Jeron and Rebion had agreed to decide the format once the central official arrived.
Count Renkai spoke in a firm tone.
"Right now, it is uncertain whether war will break out with the Lapis Kingdom. In times like these, a large-scale territory war is out of the question. The same goes for even a medium-scale conflict. The only format the royal court will approve is a Champion's Duel."
Jeron and Rebion nodded.
They had expected this.
In fact, when Seria had lobbied various factions, she had steered the discussions toward this very outcome.
Jeron, who planned to use a gun from the start to demonstrate the majestic power of his guardian dragon, wanted a one-on-one duel.
Coincidentally, Viscount Rebion wanted the exact same thing.
Since he possessed a knight hailed as the strongest blade in the North, he believed a one-on-one duel guaranteed his victory.
"From what I see, this duel is heavily stacked against the Farrow family. Viscount, what do you think?"
"In exchange, we have made many concessions."
"Are you joking? The risk to the Farrow family is far too high! If the risk is this great, shouldn't the Farrow family stand to gain much more upon victory to make this a fair contract? Or are you a noble who has sold his conscience?"
"O-Of course not. ...Your Excellency is correct."
By this point, Rebion did not dare oppose Count Renkai. Arguing further would only hurt him.
I will repay this humiliation tenfold. It doesn't matter what conditions are added here. I just need to win.
From Viscount Rebion's perspective, he could afford to make empty promises.
"Then, what would you have me do?"
"Hand over one more city."
"What?!"
"You own three cities, do you not? Handing over one more would balance the scales."
"B-But if I lose, I will be ruined!"
"Then win."
"Uh... I suppose that is true."
"Are you afraid of losing?"
"Of course not! But this is still too much. If another city is added, the Farrow family will practically take half of my silver mine."
"If I lose, I will hand over the trade rights with the barbarians."
"What?!"
"What did you say?"
As Jeron interjected, both Count Renkai and Viscount Rebion gasped in shock.
Handing over the trade rights with the barbarians, which he had worked so hard to establish?
This carried the same weight as giving away a gold mine. Unlike a mine with finite reserves, trading with the barbarians required very little labor once established.
Yet the profits were astronomical, which was why even Count Renkai, who was on Jeron's side, looked bewildered.
"However, since I must keep my promise to Count Hanes, forty percent of the goods must still be sold through him. The remaining sixty percent will be distributed through you, Viscount."
"Hold on, young man. You must think this through."
Even Count Renkai tried to stop him.
But Jeron showed unwavering resolve.
Only with stakes this high would there be no complaints later.
"With the previous terms, Your Excellency's reputation would have been tarnished. People would have called you biased."
"You... are a true noble."
Count Renkai looked at Jeron with deep respect.
Jeron seemed to put others first no matter the situation, and the Count could not help but be moved.
Count Renkai glared at Viscount Rebion.
"The Baron has conceded this much. Surely you have no objections?"
"Of course not. How could I question Your Excellency's wisdom?"
"Write it in the blank space. We will notarize it immediately."
With the terms agreed upon, filling out the rest of the contract and getting it notarized was finished in an instant.
***
Inside the lord's castle of the Farrow Barony.
Jeron spared no expense for the banquet.
He had Kang Yu-jung prepare high-quality dishes and served whiskey brought from Earth.
Experiencing flavors never before tasted on the Karen Continent, Count Renkai was thoroughly enchanted.
"Is it truly alright for you to treat me to such rare delicacies? I doubt you have much of this for yourself."
"How could food compare to my bond with you, Count? They say a connection once forged is never truly broken. It is no mere coincidence that our paths have crossed, and I wish to cherish this bond."
"Haha! You are truly an exceptional young man! To value intangible bonds over the petty calculations of other nobles. I see now why you are rising so quickly."
"You flatter me."
Praise for Jeron flowed endlessly from Count Renkai's mouth.
The gifts Count Renkai received today were worth far more than the famous paintings usually gifted to the King. While paintings were common, gifts bearing his family's crest were tailored specifically for him.
A gift only held true value when the recipient cherished it.
Having won the Count's heart, Jeron's lobbying was a resounding success.
Though politics was a cold and ruthless world, a relationship built without touching the heart would never last.
After a few drinks, Count Renkai and Jeron were speaking like sworn brothers.
"Brother! Just win this territory war! The King has already given his approval to promote you immediately afterward."
Though he had expected it, Jeron's heart began to beat wildly.
He had thought he would need to achieve great deeds in a major war to be promoted to Viscount, but the royal court valued a famous painting far more than martial exploits.
Deeds only assisted; the groundwork beforehand was what truly mattered.
Unless one achieved something truly legendary, Jeron realized that lobbying was far more effective.
"After all, promotions rely on connections. If you continue to win people over as you do now, you might even rise to a high noble after the great war."
"I do not dare wish for so much. Becoming a Viscount is more than enough for me."
"Now, listen to your older brother. Our Crown Prince faction will back you. The King seems intent on raising you up as well, so you must capture His Majesty's heart at least until your promotion."
His face flushed red from the alcohol, the Count offered Jeron practical advice.
He explained that struggling in the borderlands would yield little results, and that he needed to build ties with influential nobles of each faction so there would be no opposition when his promotion was proposed.
If the King willed it, it would pass smoothly.
Jeron had already realized this during the trade rights incident.
Without Duke Langton's backing, securing those rights would have been impossible. For a low-ranking noble like Jeron, managing connections was the highest priority.
The Count was in such high spirits that he put his arm around Jeron's shoulder as they drank.
"Brother! Let's go all the way to Count. Understood?!"
"Yes, brother! I will surely rise to the rank of Count!"
"Good! Let's go!"
That night, Jeron drank with the Count until they were both utterly wasted.