# Episode 100: The Tin Knight and the Martial Arts Tournament (7)
The Wizard was the most recognized school in the Empire.
No, honestly, even calling it a school felt a bit lacking.
After all, the image of “wizard” that ordinary people conjured in their minds was that very Wizard.
There were even cases where the word “Wizard” was used interchangeably to mean “magician.”
“Oh! You’re a Wizard! Then you must be able to use Fireball, right? What? You can’t? Different school? Ah, bullshit. You’re a fraud. Get lost!”
This was a vivid anecdote showcasing how the general public perceived wizards.
People thought that a wizard naturally should shoot fireballs, create blizzards, and slice enemies with blades of wind.
Other schools like Alchemists or Enchantresses tried their hardest to change that perception, insisting that magic wasn’t just about smashing things and killing people, but the masses ignored them completely.
Of course, the weak and poorly reputed Necromancer had no say in this matter at all. (The one person who might have had a say wasn’t interested in the topic.)
Even when Alchemists talked about the basic elements that made up living beings and materials, or how they rearranged them to alter properties and forms, people struggled to understand.
Enchantresses managed to create powerful talismans or magical tools by inscribing runes or circuits on objects, but folks found it cooler to wield a magic sword than to create one.
On the other hand, Wizards provided magic that was straightforward, easy to grasp, and flashy.
Shooting a fireball to burn the opponent was way quicker and stronger than summoning a fire-breathing creature or enchanting a sword with fire magic.
The South Witch was at the pinnacle among such Wizards, and Alingd was her top disciple.
In other words,
“I really don’t want to face them, honestly.”
If a frail (or so they thought) Necromancer confronted them directly, the chance of winning couldn’t even be considered a compliment.
[“The Tin Knight claims he won’t lose!”]
Dorothea observed the Tin Knight, who was busy promoting himself fervently.
He sliced through people, thieves (as the Tin Knight calls them, human-like monsters), real monsters, golems, even giant trees, in short, he cut through all sorts of things. Dorothea was well aware of the Tin Knight’s combat power.
Thus, instead of scolding him, she sighed.
“You might be fine, but what about me facing him?”
Dorothea recalled the last spell Alingd had displayed.
The casting time was extremely short, and there weren’t any particular incantations or preparatory movements—just extending a hand was all.
Yet, despite its simplicity, the power was overflowing, launching two heavily armored soldiers away in an instant and erasing the fog created by the wizard without a trace.
“If I’m attacked, I won’t endure it. You might be able to keep them at bay, but then you’d be stuck in place.”
“That short casting time is still just a guess, isn’t it? Just because it wasn’t obvious doesn’t mean it didn’t take some time to prepare while standing still.”
Sophia proposed a theory. Dorothea didn’t outright refute it.
“That might be true. However, we should also prepare for the possibility that it isn’t.”
[“The Tin Knight asks if there’s a plan in mind!”]
Dorothea shrugged, pointing at a large jar in the corner of the room.
Inside the jar was a thick oil with a distinctive smell and a big log marinated in it.
“When looking at the tournament brackets, facing Alingd would be the finals. Until then, I’ll turn this into a staff. Since I probably won’t have the energy to do anything else but briefly show my face at the tournament, try to avoid causing a fuss.”
The Tin Knight thought,
“Whenever you say something like that, something always seems to happen in between.”
***
“I see. So does that mean I won’t be able to meet you, Dorothea?”
“Um, yes. She’s holed up with Sophia doing stuff and only comes out for the tournament she can’t avoid.”
Lorenz Halder expressed a look of deep regret upon Adelheid’s response.
“Ah, I see. I wanted to personally apologize for the incident caused by one of my employees….”
[“The Tin Knight reassures that he probably already forgot about that incident anyway!”]
Naturally, Lorenz couldn’t hear the Tin Knight’s voice.
As he watched the Tin Knight give some pointless consolation, Adel pondered.
What could that behavior even mean? Was it a meaningful act, or was he just doing it impulsively without deep thought?
“I guess it’s more likely the latter.”
Adelheid was indeed an exceptionally perceptive disciple regarding her master. It was indeed odd that she still held admiration for him even after understanding him.
Setting aside her contemplation of the Tin Knight, Adelheid spoke up.
“After the tournament, we’ll have a chance to meet, so don’t be too disheartened.”
Although Adelheid wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about economics, she knew that a great trading company’s manager was a very busy position.
Considering he was a prominent manager in the Empire, his workload was usually heavier than that of a noble from most kingdoms.
The fact that someone of that stature personally came to apologize for the actions of a mere branch manager showed his utmost sincerity.
Adelheid didn’t want to rebuff someone like Lorenz.
And she believed Dorothea would feel the same way.
“Hohoho.”
Perhaps because Adel’s considerate nature reached him, the damp, cold look on Lorenz’s face seemed to warm up like spring winds.
“This might be impolite to say, but she really is a kind and good child.”
Through various investigations, Lorenz learned of the recent events that took place in the Friedel Territory.
Having experienced such matters at a young age, it wouldn’t be strange to harbor resentment against the world. Yet, here she was, holding onto such kindness and purity—quite astonishing.
“With her background and personality, she’d make an excellent daughter-in-law… Should I take a shot at it?”
“I’m relieved to hear you say that. That Mick was so anxious to apologize to you all after hearing about this incident, he couldn’t sit still. He regretted not being able to come along due to other commitments.”
“Oh, really?”
A brief silence followed.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock. The sound of the clock echoed.
As Adel’s eyes began to waver, the Tin Knight suddenly spoke.
[“The Tin Knight asks if this is about the son he’s seen before!”]
“Ah, oh! Yes! Please tell him he doesn’t need to worry about it!”
Ha ha ha, the effortful smile on Adel’s face made Lorenz Halder’s heart bleed internally.
Oh, that poor son of mine. It’s one thing not to see him as a romantic interest, but to have his very existence forgotten is a different matter altogether.
Giving up on his impossible romantic strategy, Lorenz decided to win their favor through bribery or flattery instead when suddenly—
“Master.”
One of Halder Trading Company’s subordinates approached and whispered something in Lorenz’s ear.
Lorenz’s eyebrows twitched.
Adel raised her head in confusion.
“Is something the matter?”
“Well, it’s nothing major. Just a customer causing a commotion at the store, so you don’t need to worry about it.”
Right, thought Adel, about to agree, but the Tin Knight chimed in.
[“The Tin Knight points out that nothing described here is actually trivial!”]
[“The Tin Knight insists that in such cases, it’s often better to intervene early than to let things escalate!”]
Adel momentarily paused.
She thought,
‘If it were the Witch, she’d probably say meddling in this would just lead to unnecessary trouble.’
The Dorothea she knew was a wise and quick-witted woman.
The Black Witch’s knowledge and common sense usually held true in most cases. The only exception being her strange fashion sense.
But,
“If the Knight says it, it’s usually right.”
If asked whom she trusted more between the ‘common sense’ of the Witch and the ‘instinct’ of the Knight, Adel wouldn’t hesitate to choose the Knight.
Having witnessed many instances where the Knight’s instincts crushed the Witch’s common sense, she decided to speak up.
“You don’t need to worry about me. If I can help, I’ll lend a hand.”
“Hmm.”
Lorenz, surprised for a moment, soon resigned himself and said, “Alright. Then, let’s go together.”
***
Whispers filled the air.
A commotion spread in the Halder Trading Company’s Trakus branch, but the visitors weren’t there to shop.
They were more like onlookers drawn by the sudden ruckus.
At the center of the commotion stood a group of young men.
Crash!
“Calm down, my lord. You can’t just break everything like this.”
“How dare you command us like this, you little brat!”
“Looks like you’re still not aware of your situation!”
With rough kicks, stalls were smashed, and various items from the displays scattered across the floor.
After a while of the young men turning the store upside down, one man quietly stepped forward, who had been observing from the back.
“Enough.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The young men, all dressed in luxurious clothing and equipment, clearly nobles, bowed their heads in unison.
Taking their greeting as a matter of course, the man—Maximilian Egir Heydern—spoke.
“Did I hear this is the Halder Trading Company? I’ve heard your rumors. You sold suspicious potions claiming to enhance the body and recover fatigue, without proper verification, right? And I’ve even heard that some have suffered heart problems or died due to your medicine. And to top it off, you’ve shown no hesitation in associating with scoundrels and exercising violence. Truly the worst of the worst, what lowly scum who have thrown away morals and honor!”
At Maximilian’s words, the crowd began to murmur.
A Halder Trading Company employee exclaimed in shock.
“P-please wait a moment! Your Excellency, while it’s true there was such an incident, it was something that the former branch manager did out of control! The current branch manager has been dismissed, and we are compensating the customers who were affected, including their families. We reported this to the Lord of Trakus and are awaiting punishment! We’ve done everything we can at the company, so please, calm your anger-”
“Shut your nonsense!”
Maximilian scolded the employee loudly.
“Is punishment something the sinner can choose to take or leave? If you truly regret your wrongdoing, how can you say you won’t take the punishment I give because someone else is already scheduled to be punished?”
“B-but…”
“I don’t want to hear it! You talk about remorse and compensation, but your real intention is simply to brush the incident under the rug, isn’t it? Am I wrong?”
“Right! Right!”
“Corrupt company, get lost!”
As if responding to Maximilian’s words, voices of agreement erupted from among the crowd.
While it was less than a tenth of the total crowd, Maximilian wore a satisfied expression as if all of them were on his side.
“I, Maximilian Egir Heydern, declare! If you genuinely regret your wrongdoings, don’t try to avoid the matter with a mere pittance. You must return all the wealth earned through your vile tricks to the people here in this city!”
“Oh, ohhh!”
“Maximilian! Maximilian! Maximilian!”
Hearing the promise of money, those who had previously been indifferent began to cheer enthusiastically.
On the other hand, Halder Trading Company employees felt as if they were in hell.
Though asking for more than just insufficient compensation made sense, the demand for all the company’s assets to be returned to the city felt utterly outrageous.
Even if Halder Trading Company uprooted every piece of its foundation, people wouldn’t acknowledge that they regretted their wrongdoing; they would be too busy praising Maximilian.
While he had the talent to show off while they had to bear the losses, his intentions were patently obvious.
Yet, they couldn’t speak up in protest.
With several young men armed with swords glaring as if they would slice them in half at any moment, one could certainly see how powerless they were against a noble. Especially against a highly ranked noble like Maximilian.
Whether a mere temporary branch manager or even Lorenz himself could resolve the situation seemed doubtful.
Looking down at the despair etched on the employees’ faces, Maximilian opened his mouth.
“Now, if you understand—guh!?”
But that sentence was never completed.
Because a red fruit suddenly flew toward his face.
Maximilian reflexively swung his sword to block the fruit, but some juice splattered on his face instead.
“M-my lord?!”
Amidst the shocked voices of his subordinates, Maximilian’s face turned red with anger.
He glared at the direction from whence the fruit had come.
“Who dares?!”
No response came.
However, a mysterious figure leapt high into the air and landed on the roof of Halder’s building.
Sturdy long boots, practical leather armor, bright curly golden hair, a petite stature, and a pair of smaller twin swords.
And a mask disguising their face.
The mysterious intruder looked down at Maximilian and spoke.
“Uh, um, bro. Any further mischief will not be forgiven!”
The Trakus citizens, who had been overly excited about the nearby martial arts tournament, suddenly thought the same thing.
‘…If you wanted to conceal your identity, shouldn’t you cover something other than just your face??’
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