The Duke's Gambit
The Valkart royal court, usually a place of relative peace, had recently become a chaotic mess. "How could such a thing happen!" "Indeed! It is an act that simply cannot be tolerated!"
The incident involving Count Berzen—where a noble residing in the capital was brutally slaughtered and his entire family perished in a fire that consumed their mansion—had poured boiling oil onto the tongues of the nobility. They had swarmed the royal castle like a pack of wild dogs, barking every single day. King Adrian, much like an apartment resident suffering from incessant noise from the floor above, was covering his ears and furrowing his brow.
"What exactly do you expect me to do about this? The Duke’s vassal stopped a traitor who was trying to stab him in the back. Are you asking me to punish him for that?"
"That is not it, Your Majesty!"
"While the Duke of Valentia’s response may have deviated from established law, it could certainly be viewed as justifiable self-defense."
"We are not taking issue with that, Your Majesty."
"Then what is it you want? I truly cannot fathom what you are thinking, coming to me and demanding I 'take heed' of this matter."
They had already discussed this same issue several times. Initially, these nobles had barked that the Duke’s actions were an atrocity that must be punished, all to break the influence of a Duke who maintained political neutrality. However, as the days passed and the evidence left behind by Count Berzen revealed the deeds of the Count and his followers, their petitions lost all steam. By now, they had reached a unified consensus: *'That bastard Berzen deserved to die, didn't he?'*
And yet, here they were again, demanding the King 'take heed.' King Adrian was seriously considering whether he should grab a candlestick and drive it into each of their eyes. This was the danger of noise pollution from the floor above.
"Your Majesty. Have you not heard the rumors that began to spread today?"
"Marquis. Do you have some grievance against me? You are the ones who swarmed here before breakfast, barking about 'taking heed,' so what is it I am supposed to have heard? Since early this morning, I have heard nothing but the footsteps of my maids and your incessant whining."
The King’s killing intent was genuine as he glared at the Marquis, wondering if he should indeed drive a candlestick into his eyes. He hadn't even eaten breakfast, so he was already irritable; having them act like, *'My Lord, you don't know? How can you not know as the King?'* was enough to make anyone snap.
"They say the one who killed Count Berzen is, in fact, a commoner-born knight of the Valentia Duchy, and that he committed the slaughter on his own judgment, without receiving orders from anyone."
Adrian genuinely wanted to unleash a string of profanities. So what? The rumor and the result were no different. They were people who needed to die anyway, so what exactly was the problem? It was already public knowledge that the Duke had been poisoned by Count Berzen first. Surely these insane nobles weren't going to argue that because the knight was a commoner, this should be treated as a crime of a commoner murdering a noble?
As he waited quietly, hoping for a shred of sanity, they continued.
"Your Majesty. In the capital, voices are rising to praise him as a 'Knight of Loyalty'."
"If we leave this be, it will set a ridiculous precedent where any commoner knight can slaughter a noble family under the excuse of 'loyalty'."
""We implore you to take heed!""
"Wow."
Were they truly insane? Because the evidence had stripped them of the chance to attack the victim, the Duke, they were now trying to kill the commoner knight who had triggered—no, concluded—this situation, all to preserve their own safety as potential criminals. King Adrian felt a sense of embarrassment so profound he wanted to squeeze his own brains out.
"You realize how baseless your claims are, don't you?"
They had their own skeletons in the closet. They were terrified that if this incident were tolerated, commoner knights would start dancing with their swords, lopping off noble heads, and they were scared to death that someone might come knocking, claiming they would 'find the evidence of their evil deeds later.' That was why they were preventing the King from eating his breakfast. The King began to seriously consider that if he just cleared out everyone in this room, he might be able to drain all the pus from the kingdom.
"Your Majesty. This is a matter where the initial response is crucial."
"If you tolerate this behavior, those who have merely received the rank of knight will start wielding the logic that they can kill nobles first and find evidence of their crimes later, all while shouting about loyalty and devotion."
"I understand."
"Your Majesty?"
"I will speak directly with the Duke to ascertain the truth of this incident, and if that knight is truly guilty, I will punish him. So, all of you, withdraw now..."
—*Creak.*
"…?"
The King, who had been about to deliver a "I've heard enough of your idiotic nonsense, get out," was interrupted by the sudden opening of the audience chamber doors. Even if it wasn't a formal meeting, the number of people in this country who could open the doors of an audience chamber led by the King in such a manner could be counted on two hands. The moment those doors swung open, Adrian felt a sensation bordering on certainty that something troublesome was about to arrive.
"There are so many people here with such an overwhelming interest in the affairs of another man's house. I have so much work that I have no time to rest, even while suffering from the aftereffects of poison, yet it seems you all have far too little to do."
"Th-the Duke of Valentia…!"
"Your Majesty. I, Luss Valentia, offer my greetings after a long time."
"Ugh… Yes, come in."
Ah. I'm screwed. The King began to regret immensely that he hadn't just made these bastards wait while he went to eat breakfast. The Duke was a pillar of the kingdom, even if his individual martial prowess had waned. Furthermore, the western territory he held was the kingdom's largest granary, known as the [Liver of the Kingdom]. In other words, if he got ticked off and locked up the food supply, prices would skyrocket, the people would starve, and the royal family would be the ones cursed. He was a truly difficult opponent.
"Duke. I heard the news. I heard your body was severely damaged by the aftereffects of the poison. What brings you here in such a difficult state?"
"Thanks to the medicine Your Majesty sent, I have recovered enough to come and offer my thanks. I am grateful."
Bullshit. The Duke was a pillar of the kingdom. Since he was a neutral noble who had suffered such a misfortune, it was only natural for the King to send medicinal herbs for his recovery. But that was purely a political gesture; he hadn't sent some priceless elixir that would truly heal him. If such medicine existed, he would have taken it himself.
"However, it seemed you were discussing some very interesting topics. Why don't you continue? Marquis Girardby."
I wish you wouldn't.
"Ahem! Duke of Valentia. You must be aware of the rumors spreading throughout the royal capital."
"Of course. How could I, the party involved, be unaware of the delightful rumor that a thankless, shameless piece of trash named Berzen tried to scheme to kill a Duke of the realm, only for his entire family to be burned to death?"
"Th-that is not the story I am referring to. I am speaking of the knight who executed that shameless Berzen."
"Ah. Leng Dust. Has the talk of that 'Knight of Loyalty' begun to spread? Haha. I was holding off on the official commendation, so I had kept it quiet, but the human tongue is a difficult thing to control."
"Commendation?! Are you saying you intend to reward that reckless commoner knight who, without regard for the noble law, beheaded a man clearly listed in the noble registry based on his own personal feelings?!"
What on earth was the Marquis thinking, pointing his finger at the Duke with such confidence, as if he had successfully counterattacked? Our kingdom's social hierarchy—is it really okay like this? Ah. My blood pressure is rising.
"Marquis Girardby. Your words are a bit strange."
"What do you mean…"
"Certainly, as you say, the knight Leng Dust is a commoner. But he is a knight of the Valentia Duchy."
"What does that matter…"
"My son is the heir to the Valentia Duchy. Berzen participated in the murder of my son, tried to kill my only remaining son, and attempted to poison my wife and me to death."
"Now, think carefully before you answer. Why is it important that Leng Dust is a commoner?"
A tiger, even if it dies, leaves its skin. No, even if he ate poison, he is still a Duke. They had tried to charge the knight with noble assault on the grounds that he was a commoner. But from the moment the Duke asked that question, the story changed entirely.
—*'He revealed the truth of the young Duke's unjust death, and the benefactor of the Duke and Duchess is a commoner. What does that have to do with what you are saying?'*
He wasn't a slave; he was a commoner. He had even received a knighthood. It was not uncommon for those with exceptional abilities in noble houses to be treated as benefactors. The Duke was asking them, *'What does it have to do with you that the benefactor of our house is a commoner, you bastards?'* If the Marquis were to say that it didn't matter...
"Th-that's not what I'm arguing! He is, regardless, a commoner! Even if Count Berzen committed crimes, he should have been dealt with according to the state law…!!"
Wow. He actually said it. Is he truly insane? Why doesn't he think before he speaks?
"So, you are saying you wish to punish the benefactor of our house?"
"N-no! That's not what I meant…!"
"Marquis."
"Wh-what is it."
"Marquis?"
"…?"
"Marquis."
"Ah, no. What on earth is this right now…"
"Territorial war."
"Eh…?"
"Shall we have one?"
"!!"
A declaration of total annihilation in front of the King. This was absolutely not a joke. The Duke had officially announced in front of the King that the knight named Leng Dust was a benefactor of his house, and he was declaring that if anyone touched him, he would physically retaliate, regardless of who they were. Ah. This is getting interesting.
"D-Duke!! What kind of nonsense is this…!!!"
"Indeed. I am a Duke. You are a Marquis."
"Damn it!! Even if you are a Duke, such disrespectful behavior in front of His Majesty…!!"
"The reason you can be so disrespectful in front of His Majesty is likely because, even though I am over fifty, I do not engage in politics and am merely a 5th-grade knight. And since I have been poisoned, I can no longer act as a knight, so how laughable I must seem."
"……"
"But you were a 4th-grade mage, just like Berzen, were you not?"
"……"
"Our benefactor, Leng Dust, gifted me the head of Berzen, a 4th-grade mage."
"……"
"But do you know something? That fellow is not even the captain of the Duke's knight order with that level of skill."
Checkmate. Our benefactor took down a 4th-grade mage, and you are also a 4th-grade mage? Do you want to try dying by his hand too? That was the implication. Unlike the Marquis, whose complexion was turning pale, the Duke's face was extremely calm. His movements were very slow, as if to emphasize the aftereffects of the poison, but he was overwhelming everyone in the room except for the King.
—*Tap, tap.*
"I understand you have only one son, so treat him well. I realized it after losing one myself. Losing a child first due to one's own inadequacy is a truly painful thing."
The end!!! The words the Duke spoke while patting his shoulder pierced the Marquis's heart. *I've lost a son, so I'm already on the edge, and if a nobody like you keeps acting like a noble and provoking me, you'll end up just like me. I can make that happen.* Even though the position of neutrality in politics was truly difficult to maintain, the words thrown by a Duke who had maintained it his entire life carried a different weight.
"Y-Your Majesty… We will take our leave first."
"Hmm! Go ahead."
The King, who was struggling to suppress the urge to smile as the troublemakers who had interrupted his breakfast fled with their tails between their legs at the Duke's few short words, quickly sent them away. Then, seeing the Duke left alone looking at him, he finally let out a string of profanities.
"Oh, crazy… I thought I was going to die laughing."
"Your Majesty is the sovereign of the Valkart Kingdom, why not laugh to your heart's content?"
"The Duke has become a viper after eating poison. What is it? Since you can no longer even lift a sword, are you planning to play political games befitting your age?"
Adrian and the Duke were, in fact, close comrades who had served together on the magic beast front, fulfilling their duties as nobles while attending the Academy. In fact, when the eldest son died, he had comforted him privately and secretly over several days so that his political rivals wouldn't know. However, the Duke's talent and skill were too ordinary for his rank, and knowing that he would be of no help to the King as a close aide, he had always acted in perfect neutrality. Of course, he had sworn that if his comrade, the King, were ever in danger, he would draw his sword at any time. But the Duke didn't believe that even if he drew his sword, it would make a difference if a powerhouse like the King were in danger. And so, they had become ambiguous friends whose hearts had drifted apart as their bodies grew distant.
"As I said before, I have no intention of engaging in politics. This time, I have even suffered a physical disability, so I intend to return to my territory and spend the rest of my days there."
"Tsk. I told you repeatedly, didn't I? That it would be better to excise the rotten parts of your house quickly."
"It was because I lacked the strength and regretted losing the power they provided. Honestly, I did not expect Berzen or the other vassals to go this far."
"Honestly… I saw it that way too. What on earth gave them the guts to act like that? If the direct line of a Duke's house were to die suddenly within a year, there would be no reason for the Kingdom not to launch an investigation. Did they have their brains melted like Marquis Girardby just now?"
The fact that the vassals were plotting and committing evil deeds behind the Duke's back was something both the King and the Duke vaguely knew. But to suddenly escalate to murdering the young Duke and poisoning the Duke to take over the house? This was not the behavior they had expected from Count Berzen or the vassals.
"Well. I suppose I can't ask a burnt head."
"It is a burnt head, so I cannot find it either."
"Yes. Well done. If your family had all died, I would have made it so anyway. In that sense, the way that fellow Leng handled things is truly to my liking. I heard he is only in his mid-twenties, yet he took down a 4th-grade mage. He is quite an outstanding figure. If you are going to return to your territory and rest, how about handing him over to me?"
"I apologize, but as I am in this state, I believe that is impossible."
"Tsk. Could the church's healing not do anything?"
"Yes. They said the poison had accumulated for too long. My wife seems to have started from the time our eldest son died, but they say mine has been over five years. Unless I break through the wall of the 4th grade now, recovery is impossible."
"That, that…! Ugh. You frustrating fellow. You were being fed poison for so long, how could you not know?"
"My personal physician was mixing in a tiny amount of poison once a month, so… I am just ashamed."
"…That physician, if I recall correctly, was a vassal who had served the Duke's house since the previous generation, was he not?"
"It is entirely my negligence."
The Duke and the King shared their regrets while discussing matters that were anything but light. As they talked, the King, eventually starving, ordered soup to be brought and asked the Duke for his main purpose.
"Why don't you just go to the dining room and talk? I don't know what you came to ask, but I don't intend to make myself sick."
"Anyone would think I only come when I have a favor to ask."
"I wish you would come to ask for a favor. You've maintained such neutrality and never came, so I even suspected that your heart had completely left me."
"I am ashamed."
"So. What is it you came to say, you stubborn fool who wouldn't even refuse to send your son to the magic beast front to fulfill his noble duty?"
King Adrian had prepared everything so that Deolis, the Duke's eldest son, wouldn't have to go to the magic beast front even after graduating from the Academy. But he didn't come. He didn't even think to use the Duke's privileges, letting his son experience the same magic beast front they had endured, fulfilling his noble duty. Such a Duke—surely he hadn't come to the palace just to mock the Marquis for bothering his benefactor.
"I would like to ask for the authority to confer the titles recovered from the cadet branches."
"Hmm? You are a Duke. Can you not bestow titles up to Viscount as you please?"
"……"
At the sudden silence, Adrian spoke, wondering if it could be true.
"…Surely there isn't someone you want to bestow the Count title recovered from the Berzen family upon?"
"Yes."
"That wouldn't be a commoner, would it?"
"It is."
"Wow…"
Crazy bastard. Those words rose to the tip of his throat. Was this the trouble he had felt earlier? No matter how much he was a benefactor of the house, to suddenly want to make him a Count? Of course, he was the one who had taken revenge on the bastard who killed his precious eldest son. Who wouldn't want to do more for him? But even so, a Count title for a commoner knight in his late twenties was a bit much. Especially since he was a hot potato right now, with all the nobles eyes burning, saying, *'That bastard must be killed!'* And here, the Duke was asking for the authority to bestow a Count title? Even the title of the very noble he had slaughtered? The King held his head again at the auditory hallucination of floor noise.
"That is… a bit… No, first, bestow the Baron title, and as he slowly accumulates achievements…"
"My son is entering the Academy this time."
"Who. The second son? Why is he entering? You said you were returning to your territory. Weren't you going to pass on the title and retire?"
"My son wished for it. He said that since he hasn't yet punished all those who killed his brother, he must go to the Academy."
"………Ah."
The King also knew. Count Berzen, that damned bastard, was dead, but there were still a few left who had blocked the investigation into the eldest son's death. Some were humans at the Academy. The problem was that even the royal intelligence agency had found circumstantial evidence, but no physical evidence. They hadn't even known the young Duke had been murdered until after Count Berzen died, so there was no way proper information could have been gathered.
"That… I hate to say this, but. Your second son's ability is a bit… You are also getting on in years, and I heard your wife has been ill lately. Wouldn't it be safer for the second son to…"
"That is why I need it. The Count title."
"…You are going to elevate that knight to the Count title and put him in the Academy?"
"Yes. It is the first request my second son, who has never asked me for anything in his life, has ever made."
The Royal Academy was a place one had to enter to fulfill noble duties. However, talented commoners could also enter if they passed the exam. But one couldn't just let anyone take the exam. The point of the discussion now was the age limit. One couldn't drop 30 or 40-year-old veterans among children being raised for the future. No matter how uneducated they were as commoners, veterans who had worked as mercenaries on the battlefield until that age were monsters to most young students. In other words, those over twenty-seven could not enter. However, there was one way to bypass it.
"A new noble receiving a title above Count must attend and graduate from the Academy for at least one year to fulfill noble duties, and has a duty to serve on the magic beast front for at least six months. ……How did you come up with that obsolete law that hasn't been used in over a hundred years?"
"My son knew of it. He sought out that fellow, hoping he would become a new noble and enter."
"If it's for your son's protection, couldn't you just take him as a guard knight? In the first place, your eldest son died while attending the Academy. If the Academy opposes that fellow going as a guard, the royal family will apply pressure."
"If he enters as a guard, there will be classes he cannot follow."
"Just… couldn't you raise the second son quietly in the territory?"
"It is the request of a lifetime. Your Majesty. Please, take heed."
It was the request of a comrade and his only friend. Naturally, King Adrian wanted to grant it. However, no matter how he thought about it, the repercussions that would erupt from there… were too great and troublesome.
"This is… really… Ah, it's annoying."
"……"
"Really, really… I'll mark this as a truly massive debt. Do you understand?"
"Your grace is overwhelming…"
"Forget it. You don't even think that."
But the heart of a comrade who had lost a son must already be in tatters. He didn't know what on earth that fellow was thinking, but he was expecting something from his second son. If so, even if he couldn't provide massive help on the surface, he should at least clear away the flies that would interfere.
"Don't… lose the second one."
"Yes. I will keep that in mind."
Taking the King's sincere concern to heart, the Duke bowed respectfully and recalled the explanation Carix had given him before coming to the royal palace.
—*"It also means using him as my limb, but it's a declaration of war against those who stuck with Count Berzen and killed my brother."*
—*"A commoner-born knight who cut off your heads has become a Count. Who wants to be the next to die and become a sacrifice for his success?"*
—*"If they just have a seizure at the royal palace, that's average for a noble, but you should consider anyone who uses the media or prepares physical actions as a potential suspect."*
—*"Are you worried Leng will be in danger? Father. Now that my brother is dead, who can be safe?"*
'I leave it all to you. Carix.'
It wasn't long before the rumor that a commoner-born knight who had slaughtered a noble had been appointed a Count slapped the faces of the nobles in the capital, following the Duke's petition.