Chapter 103

# Episode 103: The Tin Knight and the Martial Arts Tournament (10)

“Looks like that old Gerhardt knocked that lazy bum Rene down a peg. I was expecting some kind of monster, but turns out it’s just a super cute kid.”

Maris couldn’t help but laugh as she recalled Adelheid’s weary figure trudging along.

News that a girl from the branch family had landed the head instructor position at the Lenart Dojo stirred quite a commotion even in the main household.

Of course, once it was revealed that she was the youngest daughter of the Friedel territory and competing against Gisel for the position of heir, it became even more sensational.

It’s not every day you get gossip as juicy as this.

However, it wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine.

“…Are you sure it’s alright? Sending a new lord candidate from Friedel to help with the reconstruction was the Duke’s decision. If that girl’s position grows more than necessary and messes up our plans, it will complicate things for you too, my lady.”

The Blonde Knight beside Maris spoke with a look of concern.

But Maris remained unfazed.

“Father wouldn’t concern himself with such trivial matters. Even if he gave the command, the elders are the ones pulling the strings. The mess Friedel is in? That’s mostly their fault. Sending Gisel is just an attempt to brush their mistakes under the rug.”

The annihilation of the Friedel lord and his forces was one of those bizarre incidents that seemed to vanish from rumor.

Many of the nobility didn’t even know there had been a battle, who it was fought against, or how they were wiped out, let alone the fact that it had happened at all. The Senate had imposed a gag order.

Even Maris, being the Duke’s own daughter, struggled to gather accurate information, which meant there was little chance that proper news had reached the families left behind in Friedel.

And that also meant that the more attention Adelheid received and the more people showed interest in her and the Friedel territory, the more uncomfortable the elders would become.

“I have a feeling things are about to get tough; I wonder if that child will be okay.”

Though Maris was mindful of the elders, the knight beside her seemed to interpret it differently.

“Well, I doubt those fools would actually touch her in this situation, no matter how foolish they are.”

“Hmm?”

“Weren’t you worried the Patriotic Youth Corps would retaliate?”

“Oh, right. I suppose that’s true. Maybe not now, but surely when they think it through, they wouldn’t provoke her right now.”

Maris wasn’t worried about that.

No way they could be that stupid.

***

At the Patriotic Youth Corps hideout.

“How dare you! How dare you put me through such humiliation!? I will never forgive this!”

“Preventing the rightful punishment of our lord is certainly proof that they are all in cahoots!”

“What does it mean for Maris von Lenart to step in? Isn’t that clear evidence that the Duke’s family is behind this whole ordeal!”

The Captain Fool’s shout prompted his foolish subordinates to start babbling nonsense.

Watching them, the few rational members of the Youth Corps sprang into action, sensing that they might actually cause trouble.

“Calm down, my lord. Even so, assaulting Maris here is far too dangerous!”

“There are too many eyes around. Besides, we can always have our revenge at the tournament, so let’s be patient for now.”

“You want to just let that cursed Lion Duke’s Bloodline scheme away? Are we just going to sit by?”

“You cowards! You clowns are the reason our lord suffered such humiliation! If we were there, we would have wiped them out in an instant!”

“Shut up, you idiots! If it were that easy, our parents would’ve settled this ages ago!!”

The Patriotic Youth Corps split into two camps, bickering away.

Those filled with baseless confidence in their own abilities insisted on striking back immediately, while the more rational members desperately tried to keep them at bay.

Normally, they would obediently follow Maximilian, who was always the loudest voice, but this time they imagined the repercussions of doing what those fools suggested, and it could be enormous.

“My lord. The Marquis definitely won’t allow things to escalate beyond this point.”

Even mentioning the Marquis’s name from the opposing side didn’t bring Maximilian’s clenched fist down easily.

“Hmm… Maris? I can understand that, but why not deal with that masked girl? The Lion Duke’s Bloodline can’t even be considered a noble of the Empire.”

“That girl, Adelheid, is situated in the Specials like us. Security is tight, and with the main players of all nations gathered here, it would be very hard to silence anyone.”

“If we made any sudden moves, it would cause all sorts of trouble.”

“Most importantly, that girl…”

‘…She’ll run into our lord at the tournament, so we can settle it then, right?’ That thought couldn’t finish itself.

Seeing the subtle change in Maximilian’s expression made them realize he didn’t want to discuss this topic.

‘…Could it be that he’s avoiding fighting that girl?’

Of course, this was not something anyone would dare say out loud.

Even if that guess were true, mentioning it would seriously scar the honor and pride of Maximilian.

So, he hurriedly changed the subject.

“…Perhaps our lord feels this is beneath him?”

That answer seemed to satisfy and Maximilian nodded.

“You’re right. But we can’t just leave it be, can we?”

“In that case, how about this?”

One of the Youth Corps members seized the chance to flatter Maximilian, proudly starting to outline a plan.

The expressions of those in the Youth Corps changed subtly upon hearing the plan.

‘Is he serious about this?’

‘How could he suggest something so shameless and void of honor…!’

‘Will that even work?’

With skepticism, disdain, and doubt brewing, they couldn’t voice their thoughts, and the reason was clear.

“Hmm.”

Maximilian showed signs of being tempted by the plan.

That changed the atmosphere.

While they liked to tout the mighty name of the Patriotic Youth Corps, most of the members were the ones who had been ousted in the heir competition and held a vague position in their families.

In contrast, Maximilian was undoubtedly destined for a higher position, simply for being the second son of the Haidern family regardless of his abilities.

In politics, trust was worth more than ability, and the Haidern family could never betray the Empress because of their standing.

If the eldest were to follow the Marquis into politics, the second son would be in charge of the new emperor’s military.

To share that honey in the future, the Youth Corps members had to make sure they ingratiated themselves with Maximilian.

They quickly started babbling what Maximilian wanted to hear.

“I think it’s a good plan, my lord.”

“Cleaning up trash is the job of a janitor. When dealing with a lowly jester, there are fitting methods to make it work.”

“Exactly. Even if they’re despicable beings we’d rather not associate with, if we use them to deal with equally detestable individuals, then isn’t that beneficial for the Empire?”

Those who had initially cried for revenge willingly agreed, while those who had previously opposed this plan now felt no need to voice their objections.

Unlike the reckless plan to physically storm in and beat them up, this new proposed ‘plan’ was still cowardly and despicable, its practicality doubted, but it had the major advantage of not being noticeable.

Maximilian nodded.

“Agreed. Make it happen.”

He wore an excessively serious and solemn expression despite the content.

***

Bam!

A clash of swords sent the one-handed sword flying into the air to land on the ground.

“…I concede.”

“Uh?”

As a bewildered Adel looked on, the judge proclaimed, “The winner, Adelheid von Lenart!”

Amidst the roaring cheers, Adel quietly exited the arena.

Only one question filled her mind.

‘…She seemed to have plenty of fight left. That’s strange.’

And at the opposite entrance, the youth from the Patriotic Youth Corps who advanced to the finals alongside Maximilian let out a quiet sigh.

In his hand, he held several strands of long, curly blonde hair.

For a moment, self-deprecation flashed across his face, but soon after, it disappeared as he excused it away.

Soon after, the semifinal matchups were announced.

Individual Matches.

Kalidahs VS Peter

Adelheid von Lenart VS Maximilian Eghir Haidern

Team Matches.

Dorothea Team VS Kumara Team

Alingd Team VS Maris Team

***

In a dimly lit, remote chamber.

A well-dressed youth faced off against a man cloaked in black robes.

“I’ve handed over everything you requested. If you dare to run away without doing your job properly—”

“If all you want to say is that I won’t be let go, you might as well save it. That’s such a cliché, haha.”

“You…”

The youth flared up for a brief moment at the interruption but quickly suppressed his anger with a click of his tongue.

The robed man chuckled at his reaction.

“However, my lord. What you have provided is clearly insufficient.”

The youth frowned.

“Didn’t I bring that girl’s hair as you requested? I have also handed over the funds for other materials!”

“I made it clear, didn’t I? I need blood and hair from the target for the curse. Sure, you can use just the hair to set a target, but the curse will be much weaker.”

“Enough with the chatter. What do you want?”

“If the quality is lacking, it must be compensated with quantity. I will need you to provide more funds to procure those.”

“…Tsk. How pathetic.”

Even while hearing the disdainful remark and insults, the robed man remained unfazed.

Though the youth simmered at his nonchalant demeanor, he eventually reached for another pouch of coins.

He had already made a big deal about asking Maximilian to handle things, and now he had even sought out assistance from other Youth Corps members to get those strands of hair at the tournament.

If everything ends in failure now, it would mean his head would roll.

Of course, if he could gain prominence with Maximilian because of this, then such petty losses would be forgotten in no time, he repeated to himself.

“Thank you very much.”

“You must handle it cleanly. Failure means not just my blade will be aimed at your neck, but the whole Empire will come for you.”

“Rest easy. That won’t happen. Didn’t the last one turn out well for you?”

The robed man, a Necromancer specialized in cursing others when hired, grinned slyly as he continued.

“People mock and belittle us as insignificant and weak, but that’s because they don’t understand. While we may not be efficient at breaking things directly, there’s nothing better than us for killing someone indirectly. Because it’s primitive and primal, it is extremely hard to rationalize and calculate like other forms of magic.”

“If it’s so convenient and powerful, shouldn’t you all be ruling the world by now?”

“Ha, of course, there are limitations. Curses won’t work on clergy who handle holy magic and the nobles who can keep such figures by their side. If our energy is like paint, then holy power is simply the water that washes it all off. But this girl you’re targeting is exceptional in skills, yet her status isn’t high. How can she seek the help of a cleric?”

The youth nodded at the Necromancer’s words.

Most clerics resided above the skies governed by the Holy Kingdom, leaving only a handful on the ground.

Treating a cleric as a personal healer was impossible even for the Youth Corps members.

There’s practically no chance that a girl with a mere entourage could afford to do so.

“Are there any other weaknesses?”

“Perhaps a fellow necromancer, or a wizard holding ancient secrets like one could resist. However, that’s highly unlikely. Necromancers are usually the short-lived type, making it exceedingly rare to find any still walking around. Heh.”

“…Alright, I’ll leave it to you.”

In that dark chamber, a wicked and terrifying plot began to stir.

***

“Achoo!”

“Oh dear, Adel. Are you coming down with something? Here you go.”

“Thanks, Sophia. But really, you didn’t have to bother with something this trivial… Oh, where’s the witch?”

“She’s been engrossed in making her staff for several days now, quite grumpy from lack of sleep, so it’s best not to disturb her.”

“I see. I’ll be careful then.”

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