IV. Chivalric Romance and the Bastards (12)

Sir Herman, the lord of Bellam, the Cradle of the North, and House Kassel were suddenly engulfed in scandal.

Had the rumors been something like Sir Herman frequenting the brothel outside the outer wall, people would have shrugged it off and let it die down.

But the rumor that spread this time was not the sort that could simply be hushed up.

"Lady Kassel did?"

"Shh! What if someone hears you?!"

Rumors were everywhere that Sir Herman's wife, the mistress of House Kassel, had held secret trysts with Guild Master Anselm of the Mormont Trading Company.

As Keldric followed the fuming Sir Herman, he glanced at the soldiers and some of the servants whispering among themselves.

'How had it spread so quickly?'

Regardless of the truth, the speed of the spread was absurd. It was more accurate to assume this had been prepared in advance and detonated all at once.

If one person spread a rumor here and there, it traveled slowly, but if several people babbled about it at once, it jumped from place to place in an instant.

Coincidentally, the subjects of the rumor were Lady Kassel and Anselm, so it was highly likely that the one who had instructed the rumors to be spread was Anselm.

The problem was, Anselm was sitting perfectly sound in the underground dungeon.

That meant Anselm might have another collaborator within Bellam.

Or, there might be someone with a loose tongue who had no collaborator but had swallowed some nonsense Anselm spouted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as absolute truth and was blabbing about it everywhere.

"Where did the rumor originate?"

"Damned if I know. Had I known, I'd have grabbed a whip long ago."

Sir Herman's expression as he answered looked somewhat desperate.

And with good reason—for a knight's wife to be caught up in an adultery scandal was a humiliation of the highest order.

House Kassel's honor would naturally hit rock bottom, and Lady Kassel's maternal family, House Hohentüringen, would suffer an unspeakable loss of face as well.

When that happened, people's fingers would point at Lady Kassel, but they would naturally shift to her husband, Sir Herman, too.

That his performance in bed must be terribly lacking, that he didn't love Lady Kassel and had been seeing another woman—all manner of dishonorable rumors were sure to swarm.

And for a knight, having his family insulted and his honor trampled was a disgrace so great that death would be preferable.

"The Church has been interrogating me as well. Asking whether the rumors flooding the marketplaces of Bellam were true!"

To make matters worse, an inquisitor and several church monks were currently in Bellam for Anselm's trial.

At a time like this, for a married woman to commit adultery was nothing short of a mortal sin.

Marriage was a sacred covenant made under God's blessing and love, so to abandon one's husband and entangle herself with another man was no different from discarding faithfulness like a worn-out shoe.

When the situation flowed that way, the one in the gravest danger was naturally Lady Kassel.

The likelihood that the Church would demand a public confession or a humiliating act of penance was more than overflowing.

That would be an outcome that dragged the family's honor through the mud, and House Hohentüringen would hardly embrace an adulterous Lady Kassel with warmth.

Since the Church considered marriage a sacred covenant, the chances of divorce were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠slim, but even that was uncertain.

Of all people, the rumored partner was a traitor from a city that followed a heathen faith.

"This is absurd! She whispered her love to me just last night! How could that heathen bastard lay a hand on my woman?!"

Sir Herman raged with fiery anger, yet his complexion was pale and his hands were trembling violently.

Sir Herman, who loved chivalric literature, knew it well.

That whether it was true or not, people would love to chew up and pick apart an outrageous adultery scandal involving a highborn person, and once that happened, regardless of the truth, it was only a matter of time before Sir Herman's honor was driven into the ground.

And he also knew exactly how miserable a knight whose honor was driven into the ground became.

This time, Anselm had devised a devastatingly lethal plan.

It wasn't elaborate, but at the very least, it was a plan infused with the tenacity of a man who refused to die alone.

Nothing had yet been proven to be Anselm's doing, but if it wasn't him, there was no one else who would spread such malicious rumors.

'What a shitshow.'

Keldric clicked his tongue softly.

He'd thought perhaps he could resolve this one somewhat amicably, but as always, the affairs of men were something you had to see through to the end.

"This preposterous... It's so shameful I can't bear it! How dare that lowborn heathen merchant wretch challenge my honor!"

When Sir Herman arrived at the office with Keldric, he was in a rage that looked ready to smash every object in the room the moment he stepped inside.

No, he was actually smashing things.

Sir Herman was going around punching everything in sight. Bang, bang.

The desk was caved in with fist-shaped dents, and as a bookshelf toppled over, the expensive books inside came crashing down in a cascade.

Several servants came running breathlessly at the loud noise, but Keldric sent every one of them back with a glance.

If they got caught up in this for no reason, it could be the innocent servants whose necks were on the line first.

No one could stop an enraged knight. Not even Keldric.

But giving in to anger all day would change absolutely nothing.

After spending a long while shouting at the top of his lungs and destroying everything in reach, Sir Herman, at the very end, tried to tear up a treasured work of chivalric literature but gave up.

Even in this state, it seemed he could not bring himself to insult chivalric literature.

Keldric figured that, at this point, the roaring blaze had been extinguished somewhat.

Having watched Sir Herman's ferocious spectacle for a while, Keldric approached the still-seething Sir Herman and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Sir Herman. Are you all right?"

"Hoo... My apologies. I've shown you an ugly sight."

"You're well aware, I see."

"..."

Sir Herman looked around at his completely wrecked office and his face twisted into a grimace.

He was already miserable to the point of despair, and then his uniquely knightly brutishness had kicked in and he'd smashed everything to bits—all of which cost money.

With raw coin about to drain away in streams, Sir Herman finally collapsed weakly into a chair as if crumbling apart.

"What... am I supposed to do?"

"..."

"My wife has loved only me from the very beginning. Upon my manhood, I can stake my honor and swear to that."

For a knight to stake his honor was no different from entrusting his life.

Keldric nodded with a slightly stiff expression.

"I do not doubt your innocence."

"Sir Keldric. You are, truly..."

"However, Sir Herman. The fact remains that the situation you find yourself in is a damn thorny one."

Sir Herman's face, which had brightened for a moment at Keldric's words, quickly grew overcast again.

The fact that he was a greedy merchant who had tried to betray the city, had even tried to side with a hostile lord, and was a heathen was of no use whatsoever in this situation.

Anselm's filthy, vile crimes were, this time, instead becoming a leash tightening around Sir Herman's throat.

The further the man named Anselm fell, the more Lady Kassel, the subject of rampant rumors that she had played around with him, would be dragged down as well.

But trying to openly ignore it or explain that it wasn't true would mean nothing to the public, who had already gotten a taste of the scandalous gossip.

Since Anselm had latched onto Sir Herman's honor in a 'let's die together' fashion, Sir Herman could no longer overlook this situation.

To explain would require a way to prove a false scandal, and proving it with virginity was impossible since Sir Herman and Lady Kassel were already into their fourth year of marriage.

It was, in the truest sense, a checkmate. Sir Herman was now in a position where he could do neither one thing nor the other.

Keldric thought anew that the man named Anselm was truly cunning and shrewd.

In case he was captured and all his plans came to naught, he had even preemptively devised a way to self-destruct and take everyone with him, rather than dying alone.

It was a method that an ordinary resident or serf would never even dream of.

It was possible only because Anselm wielded a certain degree of influence in Bellam.

Keldric found that vicious, relentless method distasteful.

"Is Anselm... trying to use this as an opportunity to preserve his own life?"

Sir Herman asked in a tone of utter despair.

He didn't seem to expect an answer, but Keldric resolved to give him a frank one.

"I can't guarantee it goes that far. But at the very least, I can see that this is a situation Anselm desired most desperately."

"Was I too complacent?"

"No, you were not complacent. No one could have anticipated this."

"...When she heard this rumor at dawn, my wife tried to end her life with a sword."

As for Lady Kassel, Keldric too had seen her several times at the dining table over the past few days.

The image of her tending devotedly by her husband Sir Herman's side with a manner of utmost purity and fidelity left no room for the thought that she would ever play around with another man.

And what's more, a heathen? From what Keldric had observed, Lady Kassel was deeply devout.

For her to be caught up in such an absurd scandal, it was understandable that she felt a shame so great she wanted to die.

"What... should I do now?"

Keldric sank into thought.

In this situation, Sir Herman had few options to choose from.

Ignoring it and bulling ahead was out of the question.

Even if Sir Herman ignored it, the public, the Church, and both House Kassel and House Hohentüringen would not stay silent.

'In that case, what?'

Just as Keldric was rubbing his chin, deep in thought, someone knocked on the office door.

Sir Herman, in his despair, nodded weakly. Seeing that, Keldric spoke to whoever was outside in a firm voice.

"Enter."

The door opened, and it was a servant of the castle.

He finished his greeting with a slightly hesitant air, then opened his mouth in an extremely tense tone.

"Sir Herman. Guild Master Anselm has made a forceful request to the monks who came from the Church."

"...A request? That heathen bastard is making a request?"

"Y-yes. It is..."

"What is it? Don't drag it out. Spit it out."

When Keldric urged him, the servant, his face gone a little pale, quickly nodded.

"Ah, Guild Master Anselm has requested a trial by combat. The knight who is to stand in his place has just now arrived at the castle."

"...What?"

Sir Herman stared at the servant with an expression of disbelief.

A trial by combat was ordinarily something a noble requested of another noble; no matter how much of a guild master he was, a mere merchant had no standing to issue a challenge to a knight.

Anselm, knowing nothing of such things, had brazenly requested a trial by combat, and this too was an insult to Sir Herman.

However, the current situation carried the special circumstance that the Church had intervened.

If the Church people doubted Lady Kassel's fidelity, they could very well accept Anselm's trial by combat.

"That... that heathen merchant bastard I'd like to tear to pieces, what does he want?"

"W-well, that if he wins, to spare his life..."

If Anselm kept his life, it was clear that, unless he had gone mad, he would flee straight to Baron Gofrit.

"And the knight who will fight as his champion? What is his house and name?"

"Sir Johannes of House Fyrnstern."

Upon hearing that name, Sir Herman's face contorted into a grimace.

"What is it?"

"...House Fyrnstern. A vassal house of Baron Gofrit."

Baron Gofrit made no secret of his ambitions.

If Sir Johannes made the excuse that he had simply come here to earn money, there would be nothing to say, but no fool would think that Baron Gofrit's influence wasn't behind this situation.

Sir Herman rubbed his face dry with his hands again and again.

A trial by combat—it sounded fine.

To put it bluntly, there was no need to agonize over it. Sir Herman could simply rush out, crush them all, and be done with it.

But there were three problems with this. The first was a matter of face.

Sir Herman was the knight who governed Bellam.

While it wasn't exactly wrong to think all knights were valiant warriors, Sir Herman was someone who administered the city on Baron Yaven's behalf, exercising administrative and judicial authority.

For Sir Herman to personally step forward was not only beneath his station, but a blow to his dignity as well.

Furthermore, if Sir Herman entered the trial by combat and was injured or killed, he would be disobeying Baron Yaven's command to govern Bellam, which was another problem.

It went without saying that Bellam's governing structure would be shaken and chaos would ensue.

Lastly, there was Sir Johannes's martial prowess, which was either comparable to or exceeded Sir Herman's.

Judging by Sir Herman's slightly uncertain expression, it seemed Sir Johannes's martial prowess was indeed on the superior side.

"Sir Johannes is a famous knight. He has achieved victory in tournaments no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fewer than eight times."

"If you fought him, how do you think it would turn out?"

"...I am ashamed to admit it, but he is a man of slightly greater skill than I am. If we crossed swords ten times, I believe I would win perhaps four of them."

Even as he said it, Sir Herman let out one heavy sigh after another.

The trial by combat could not be avoided.

Under normal circumstances, he could simply ignore a trial by combat requested by some insignificant merchant, but this incident was a matter of Sir Herman's honor.

And unlike the troubled Sir Herman, Keldric saw a possibility here.

"Sir Herman. I would ask you one favor."

"A favor? Gladly would I grant a request from you, but right now is a little..."

"For the sake of your honor, I wish to stand as your champion."

Sir Herman stared at Keldric with wide eyes.

He had never once witnessed Keldric's martial prowess, but judging by his massive build and imposing spirit, he was not a man to be underestimated.

Moreover, he had smashed a band of mounted bandits and killed a Rock Troll with his bare hands, so if the reports were true, his martial prowess was guaranteed to some degree.

But standing as a champion in a trial by combat carried a different weight than simply brawling with the local village lads.

Since he was stepping forward in Sir Herman's honor, proven skill was the bare minimum, and it was best if the person taking up the fight had some justifiable standing as well.

Keldric, who was staying as a guest, met both conditions without fault, but it was Keldric alone who would have to bear the burden of not only his own honor but Sir Herman's as well, and shoulder the risk of possible death.

"S-Sir Keldric. That is not a thing to be decided lightly. Your own honor and safety must be considered as well."

"Sir Herman. Over these past few days, you have treated me with the utmost hospitality and cherished me without lacking a thing. You even saw to the punishment of the Guild Master Anselm on my behalf."

"That was..."

"And as for safety? As a man who has been made a knight, how could I refuse a fight in which I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠can defend the honor of a friend?"

Sir Herman looked as though he had been struck on the head with a hammer.

Toward him, who adored chivalric literature to the point of obsession, Keldric added a fine-sounding declaration.

"It seems the time has come for me to repay you. For your honor and my own, I will entrust you with my sword, if only for a short while."

Upon hearing Keldric's solemn words, Sir Herman's face instantly crumpled into a tearful expression, and soon he threw his arms around Keldric and began sobbing openly.

"Sir! You are truly... a more honorable knight than even Sir Gernhilt! Never in my life have I met a knight as noble as you!"

Feeling the area around his shoulder joint growing damp, Keldric nodded with a faintly awkward expression.

Keldric had never once seen Sir Johannes's martial prowess.

Therefore, stepping into the trial by combat could prove to be a fairly reckless act.

However, if Sir Johannes's skill only slightly exceeded Sir Herman's, as Sir Herman had said...

'I'll have to make a cripple out of him.'

His opponent was Baron Gofrit's cat's-paw, a man who had not hesitated to involve himself in dirty work.

There was no need to weigh the pros and cons. It seemed that this time as well, Keldric could simply go and smash everything to pieces.