Bidding for a Master
After the simple contest concluded, the maids returned to clean up the messy dueling ground and restore the tables to their original state. In the now-restored conference hall, an array of mouthwatering dishes began to appear one after another.
Kyle gazed at the foods giving off an almost heavenly aroma and realized the Second Prince's past remark had been wrong. "What, the academy cafeteria is better than the imperial palace?" Then what exactly was this spread before his eyes? Whether the Second Prince had been mistaken or not, it was clear that the imperial menu had undergone some drastic changes.
"This is a cold dish made from finely sliced jellyfish flesh."
"A premium steak from the black cattle of the Philite Kingdom."
"A medicinal dish prepared according to Eastern traditional cooking methods."
"Oh."
Kyle let out exclamations of admiration as the dishes kept coming without end. The royals present didn't look like they could finish even half of it—yet they were spending this much on a single meal. Still, that thought lasted only a moment. Once the food display ended, the Emperor smiled benevolently and nodded.
"Eat."
At the eldest's permission, the royals began their meal with refined grace. Kyle also ate while maintaining as much dignity as possible. He even had enough composure to teach Arthur, who was flustered and unsure how to eat properly, the correct table manners.
"Was it Kyle Meyer?"
At that moment, the First Princess called out to him. Kyle, who had been eating, lightly ignored her, but the princess continued speaking without even realizing she had been disregarded.
"Your skills were quite impressive. How about it—won't you come under me?"
"Mm, oh. This is delicious."
"……Kyle Meyer?"
Only then did the princess realize she had been ignored, and her face twisted in confusion. Having never experienced disregard in her entire life, she had no idea how to respond to such a situation. Unable to simply stare blankly at him forever, she wiped her mouth with a napkin and frowned.
"Are you ignoring me right now—"
"Sister, that's enough."
Seeing Bellion cut her off, Ludmila thought even he was now ignoring her and broke into a wide, sky-piercing grin. They say laughter is how beasts express anger—looking at the princess's face in that moment, it was clear humans were no different from beasts.
"That's far enough, my lady."
"……Myungwol."
Ludmila, who had been about to vent her fury, stopped short at the sight of Myungwol, who had returned after treating his injuries. Though she was a princess, most Masters loyal to the empire sided with the Emperor or the First Prince. She couldn't ignore the words of her only Master, Myungwol.
Myungwol halted Ludmila and shot Kyle a sidelong glare before continuing.
"This man is Young Master Bellion's retainer. If you wish to speak with him, it would be proper to address the young master rather than him directly."
"……You're right. I was hasty. My apologies, Bellion."
"Not at all, Sister."
At Myungwol's words, Bellion cheered inwardly. How had things worked out so perfectly? Myungwol had cleanly severed the knot Kyle had tied. If only he could trade Kyle for Myungwol!
But that was impossible. Kyle was his friend, not his subordinate. The fact that he had even come here was purely out of goodwill. If Bellion acted as though he were Kyle's master, it would all fall apart. Even the princess, whose relationship with Myungwol was closer to master and servant, never spoke down to or ordered him around. That was what a Master was—someone who could follow another, but never become a tool.
"Then if I want to recruit Kyle, I should speak with you?"
"Yes. Of course, that doesn't mean Kyle is my subordinate…… but before coming here, he said such matters were troublesome and left them to me."
"My, as expected. Is it because you're young?"
At first glance, it might have seemed like youthful recklessness, but when the one acting that way was a Master, it only appeared as overflowing confidence. That confident demeanor only served to raise Kyle's value even higher. After all, he was an unprecedented talent who had become a Master in his teens. At this age, he had already defeated two Masters in sparring—there was every reason to recruit him immediately and even greater potential for him to grow stronger later.
"Bellion, yield Kyle to me."
"Yes, I will."
"……Really?"
Ludmila looked at Bellion in bewilderment. She hadn't expected him to actually accept. Bellion nodded and spoke.
"Yes. Provided you offer favorable terms."
"Terms?"
"Did you think I would introduce Kyle to you for free?"
Ludmila nodded at that. Indeed, it made no sense to introduce a talent on the level of a Master without any conditions. Since she couldn't monopolize Kyle, the other royals' eyes lit up at the prospect of being introduced to him and receiving whatever scraps fell their way. Introducing a Master without compensation would have seemed suspicious, but in this case, the ulterior motive was crystal clear—an opportunity to obtain a Master without any backlash.
"Ahem, Bellion. I'll grant you the territory I received as a child. You said you wanted it, didn't you?"
"Yes, that land would be quite useful in many ways."
"Will this do?"
"I wonder."
"What do you mean 'I wonder'—are you joking with me right now—"
"Ludmila, use your head properly."
At that moment, the Second Prince, Rage, spoke up. Ludmila glared at her younger brother for dropping the honorifics, but Rage paid no mind and continued.
"Giving Bellion a finder's fee is one thing, but you haven't even mentioned what you'll give our Master, have you?"
"Ah—"
Indeed—while Bellion was the one making the introduction, the actual party to the contract was Kyle. If the offer to Kyle himself was shabby, no matter how valuable the gift to Bellion, it would be meaningless. Furthermore, if they focused only on Kyle and ignored Bellion entirely, Kyle might prioritize his friend's interests. In the end, to obtain Kyle, they had to satisfy both him and Bellion simultaneously.
"Kyle, I'll grant you access to the imperial treasury."
"You—! Where did you get that authority!?"
"I received it on my fifteenth birthday. And I still haven't used it."
When Rage brought up a right he had held for nearly ten years, Ludmila stared at him as if to say, You still haven't used it? She had assumed he must have opened it in secret since there had been no news, but to think he hadn't touched it at all? His patience was almost sickening.
When the First Princess fell silent, the Second Prince grinned and offered Bellion a similar right.
"To you, Bellion, I'll gift the Golden Granary region."
"Do you mean the Golden Granary in the east?"
"That's right."
Bellion looked at the Second Prince in surprise. It was said to be the most fertile territory among those the Second Prince possessed, with profits that far surpassed those of his other lands. To give it up so easily? It showed just how highly the Second Prince valued a Master.
Well, of course—Big Brother doesn't have a Master of his own……
The First Prince had the commander of the imperial knights, and the First Princess had won over the wandering swordsman from the East. Both had Masters to protect them. But the Second Prince had none. Considering the vast difference having a Master made, it was clear why he was so desperate to recruit Kyle.
"Hmm, you're all offering quite a lot. I don't have much to give, so……"
Though the First Prince hadn't seemed particularly interested in recruiting Kyle, he apparently couldn't stand watching the others claim a Master right before his eyes and began to sabotage the process. Under the logic that if either of the other two obtained the Master, he should inflict maximum damage, he started inflating the price dramatically.
"Brother…!"
"Oppa!"
While the two royals wore troubled expressions, only Bellion and the First Prince smiled broadly. The First Prince was pleased that his siblings were suffering losses, and Bellion was pleased that he stood to gain. The royals began offering everything they could. They didn't play all their cards at once, but the mounting losses were severe. As the royals' battle of wits began in earnest—
Kyle thought, Oh, this is delicious.
He had nothing on his mind at all.
* * *
"You're really going to do it like this!?"
"Of course. You expect me to just watch a Master get taken?"
"Aren't you both being too greedy? You should at least yield to me, who doesn't even have one Master……"
While the three royals fiercely competed for recruitment, Bellion, who had been quietly observing, cautiously made a suggestion.
"How about this instead?"
"What? What's this all of a sudden?"
"Instead of making Kyle your direct subordinate, you request his aid as reinforcements whenever needed."
At Bellion's words, the First Prince let out a chuckle. His intentions were obvious.
"And you'll receive something each time you call?"
"It would be better than fighting like this, wouldn't it?"
"Ha, this bastard……"
They weren't fools. The royals immediately realized that this entire situation had been orchestrated by Bellion. It was quite irritating, but in the end, they formed a contract with Bellion and Kyle that resembled a mercenary agreement. For Bellion, it was the best possible outcome.