Chapter 58: Now I Am Rich (2)
Chapter 58: Now I Am Rich (2)
He felt like stripping off his glove and hurling it straight into Viscount Valsen’s face that very second.
But before he could, Viscount Valsen quickly shifted his target.
“Let’s ask Baron Schneider himself. Baron, do you truly believe your soldiers had a significant impact on the course of the battle?”
Baron Schneider, who had remained silent until then, spoke after a moment of careful thought.
“I do not know.”
“You do not know? And why is that?”
“In truth, I was not present at the scene, so I cannot personally verify the facts.”
“You weren’t there?”
“Indeed, Viscount. At the time, I was leading my troops and waiting at the position designated by the Count. My son took fifty soldiers to assist the vanguard, but I cannot say for certain what feats my son and the family’s soldiers achieved there.”
“Hahaha! A mere fifty soldiers? Not even a hundred? And you expect us to believe they swayed the tide of battle?”
Viscount Valsen was diligently nitpicking every word. Baron Schneider replied calmly.
“It is, of course, possible.”
“What?”
“As Viscount Frace mentioned, the soldiers my son personally trained are strong. Their skills are already on par with those who are called knights.”
“You are making an utterly absurd claim.”
“Why would I tell a lie that would be exposed so easily? What I have said is the absolute truth.”
Baron Schneider spoke dispassionately, without a hint of agitation.
To Viscount Valsen’s eyes…
This man is a pro. His poker face is incredible.
It looked like the practiced bluffing of a highly experienced politician.
Making a bluff seem like the truth.
Making the truth sound like a lie.
These were skills anyone living in the political arena could and should possess.
I thought these country bumpkins in the East were all ignorant, violent savages, but it seems there’s at least one who understands politics.
Of course, he was mistaken.
Politics?
How could Baron Schneider, the greatest pushover in the East, be capable of such a thing?
The words he spoke were simply his honest, sincere thoughts.
He didn't consider himself a particularly great man. However, he knew exactly how much effort his son and the soldiers training under him had poured in. He knew what they had gained as a result.
To refuse to acknowledge the soldiers' skills here would be nothing less than an insult to the blood and sweat they had shed over the past five years.
That was why he simply stated the facts.
Even a good-natured pushover has things he will never compromise on.
That steady gaze momentarily made Viscount Valsen, the seasoned politician, flinch. But…
It’s a bluff. It’s definitely a bluff.
Changing the course of a battle with a mere fifty soldiers?
Soldiers with skills comparable to knights?
No matter how he looked at it, it defied common sense.
If a soldier’s skill was truly on par with a knight’s, they would have been knighted. Who would leave them as a mere soldier?
It was logically impossible.
“Very well. Then, to prove the Baron’s innocence, how about a duel between one of my knights and one of your soldiers?”
“That is…”
The Baron hesitated.
He believed in his soldiers' skills. However, he didn't know exactly how strong they were.
What if a soldier got hurt in a duel against a real knight?
Unlike most lords, Baron Schneider cherished every single one of his soldiers. He didn't want them to bleed just for the sake of achieving merit.
Viscount Valsen interpreted the Baron’s hesitation as his bluff being called and pressed his attack harder.
“Of course, I shall be the one to choose the soldier from the Baron’s house. If every soldier possesses the skill of a knight, it shouldn't matter who steps forward, should it? Hahaha!”
“……”
Seeing the hesitant Baron and the boisterously laughing Viscount Valsen, the onlookers were beginning to find the Viscount’s argument more credible.
Honestly, it’s nonsense that every soldier is knight-level.
It’s impossible.
Common sense says it’s obviously a lie, doesn't it?
Just then, someone stepped forward on behalf of the hesitating Baron.
“Understood. If you insist, I will gladly face the Viscount’s knight.”
The person who stepped forward was neither a noble from another territory nor even a knight.
It was Sanson, a mere soldier of the Schneider family.
“Sanson!”
“My Lord. Please trust us, and trust the Young Master.”
Sanson could no longer endure it.
He knew this wasn't a place where a mere soldier like himself should speak. He knew, but…
How dare he persecute the Baron.
Baron Schneider was his liege.
He was their lord, who cared for the people of the territory more than anyone else and had practiced benevolent rule in the barren Schneider Barony.
In the past, when the Schneider Barony was infested with monsters, the reason the people could still put down roots and live there, thinking it wasn't a bad place to stay, was thanks to the Baron’s selfless governance.
He could no longer stand by and watch the honor of such a man be insulted.
“Anyone will do. I will be the opponent.”
As Sanson took a step forward and spoke, Viscount Valsen momentarily flinched.
This guy… is he really just a soldier?
The Viscount had never seriously trained with a sword, but as a noble, he had developed an eye for talent by observing various knights.
Even to his eyes, this soldier named Sanson had a physique and an aura that were far from ordinary.
Perhaps there really were one or two soldiers whose skills were decent, even if they weren't quite at the level of a knight.
I can’t give them any openings.
Having made up his mind, Viscount Valsen replied immediately.
“As I said before, I will designate the opponent. That is the only way to properly verify the truth of your liege’s words.”
“It does not matter.”
“Good. Count, would you be willing to act as the witness for this duel?”
“A duel between a knight and a soldier, you say.”
“In a small sense, it is to judge Baron Schneider’s honor, and in a larger sense, it is to uphold the order of the entire East through a proper distribution of rewards.”
“…That tongue of yours never stops.”
“Pardon?”
“Never mind. I permit it.”
Count Parmas had no choice but to allow it at this point.
A duel between a soldier and a knight?
It was absurd, but according to the logic flowing from Viscount Valsen’s tongue, it was necessary for the order of the East. When all the surrounding nobles had expressions that said, ‘He has a point,’ what else could he say?
He couldn't simply use his authority as the Margrave and leader of the East to suppress everyone here.
“We shall move. The duel will proceed.”
“Yes, sir!”
With that, all the nobles of the East headed out of the barracks.
* * *
A sudden duel.
Though it was a duel heavily laden with political meaning, the Eastern nobles were actually quite interested in the fight itself.
“The Schneider family’s soldiers have long been rumored to be strong. Their territory is in the harshest region of the East, after all… You know how it is, don't you?”
“Hmm, that may be true, but it’s only a matter of degree. Aren't most of us Eastern nobles facing off against the monsters of the Great Forest?”
“True. And still, the claim that a soldier’s level rivals a knight’s is a bit hard to believe.”
“That is true, but…”
Since the Eastern nobles were essentially military lords, they paid a great deal of attention to martial matters.
Most of them had trained with the sword since childhood, and unless they were completely devoid of talent, they had reached at least the 1-star or 2-star level.
What about Baron Schneider?
He was hopelessly untalented, so it was impossible for him, but it wasn't as if he hadn't trained.
These Eastern nobles showed genuine interest in the duel.
Ignorant country bumpkins…
Viscount Valsen was displeased with the situation.
The Eastern nobles were watching this duel with curiosity, as if it were a long-awaited spectacle.
They didn't even realize the true significance of this duel.
Stupid fools, just live like that for the rest of your lives.
While he was stepping up to fight like this to prevent Count Parmas’s influence from excessively dominating the entire East, these men were just watching the duel for fun, like it was someone else’s problem.
They didn't understand the weight of this duel in the slightest.
I will win this duel and prove my judgment was correct. I will use the fact that I led the dissent against the Margrave of the East politically to form my own faction here. Using that faction as a stepping stone, I will one day return to the central government.
Viscount Valsen was already counting his chickens before they hatched, but his ultimate goal was, in any case, a return to the center.
He had no intention of rotting away in this barren, backwater East for the rest of his life.
Challenging Count Parmas and belittling Baron Schneider were merely means to build his political track record.
To that end…
I must win this duel. Only then can I prove my judgment was right.
“Sir Miranda.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“You step forward personally.”
“Me, sir?”
“I know it might be unpleasant to face a mere soldier. But this is important, so you must be the one.”
“…Yes. I understand.”
The knight Viscount Valsen designated was a 3-star knight and the person he trusted most.
It wasn't that the general level of the knights in his house was high, but this man was a genuine knight he had hired by paying a large sum of money and offering high treatment.
He even had to choose his words carefully when giving orders, despite being the man's superior.
Asking someone like Miranda to duel a soldier was normally a difficult request to make. However…
I must leave nothing to chance.
Because he had made up his mind, he pushed through with it. And since he had put forward his strongest card, the next step was to find the weakest card among the opponents…
That one looks good.
A certain soldier caught Viscount Valsen’s eye.
He was tall, but had a slightly leaner build than the other soldiers, and there was a somewhat distracted air about him.
If it weren't for the armor and equipment he was wearing, one might have mistaken him for a street urchin or a petty thief rather than a soldier.
“Baron Schneider. As promised, I shall designate one of your soldiers.”
“Please do so.”
“Hmm, you there.”
Viscount Valsen pointed to a soldier without a moment’s hesitation.
The soldier who was pointed out pointed a finger at himself with a look that said, ‘Me?’
“Yes. You have a fine physique. Someone like you should be quite strong even among soldiers, so it will be a fair match.”
“…Are you sure it’s me?”
“If you are afraid, you may admit defeat and step back. I have no intention of forcing a mere soldier beyond his limits.”
“No, it’s not that…”
The designated soldier looked bewildered. Then…
“Well, if I have to do it, I guess I’ll do it.”
He bowed his head to Baron Schneider and spoke.
“My Lord. I’ll be back then.”
“Hmm, there is no need to overdo it.”
“I won't do anything like that.”
A relaxed smile played on the soldier’s face as he spoke. He then stepped forward and announced:
“I am Oliver of the Schneider territory.”
The person designated was Oliver, often known simply as Soldier A.