Chapter 144

Episode 144: The Tin Knight and the City of Scales (4)

It’s rare to find someone who doesn’t know the name of the Holy Kingdom.

Yet, it’s even rarer to find someone who knows much about it.

Even though it’s in the same continent, if there’s a physical distance, it’s normal not to know much. And in this case, we’re talking about a being that’s literally untouchable up in the sky.

Virtually no one knows the true nature of that existence; only wild rumors circulate.

Some even dismiss the very existence of the Holy Kingdom as a mere fantasy.

But that’s just the talk of ordinary folks.

The higher-ups above had a somewhat different perspective.

“Adelheid, what do you think is the thing that scares the most powerful people in the world?”

“Um, losing their power?”

“That’s not wrong. But there’s something far more superficial and pressing than that.”

“What is it?”

“Losing their health.”

“Huh?”

Adel blinked in confusion.

Amused by her reaction, Maris continued to explain.

“There are those who spend their entire lives saving every penny just to afford a single meal. Then there are those who indulge in pleasures surrounded by dozens of young, beautiful partners. Some can control armies with just a word. Yet, no matter how much they have, once they die, it’s game over. That’s why they’re horrifically protective of their bodies.”

“Isn’t that just common sense?”

“Of course! And that’s why it’s so desperate. But surprisingly, there are few ways to fulfill that desperate desire. Magic? There are countless means to harm someone, but healing isn’t as reliable. Martial arts? Regular training certainly keeps the body healthy, but one wrong illness can be the end. Elixirs? Healing potions that can cure simply by eating are extremely rare, and even among the powerful, they have to compete with each other, so supply drastically falls short of demand.”

Maris paused for a moment.

“But divine power? With just a little light, wounds heal, fatigue fades, and all kinds of illness lose their strength and retreat.”

That, Maris stated, is the source of the influence the Holy Kingdom holds.

“The Holy Kingdom sends priests to the powerful on the ground. Those who have priests by their side are freed from the fear of illness and can even slow down aging. While true immortality is likely a myth, they can at least achieve longevity.”

No matter what anyone says below, the rulers of the continent do not doubt the existence of the Holy Kingdom.

In fact, rather than doubting, they strive to interact and gain goodwill from them.

The more power and wealth a ruler possesses, the more so.

And the easiest way to gain someone’s goodwill? Gifts.

“This place, Justitia, is land given to the Holy Kingdom by a king of the Lokria Federation. Technically, it’s considered Federation land, and the officials running the city are Federation people, but the one holding the title of lord is a priest from the Holy Kingdom. The rules I mentioned before were established by that priest.”

“So, that means no one can recklessly punish wrongdoing here from the outside. That would undermine the authority of the Holy Kingdom.”

“Correct.”

With a heavy sigh, Maris slumped her shoulders.

“Because of that, the inner city is complete chaos. Whatever wrong you commit, as long as you pay enough money, you’re forgiven, and what you did here won’t be questioned from the outside. The ones with some sense are cautious, but oh boy, there are plenty of moths who only care about living for today and not tomorrow.”

At that moment, Sophia, who had been silently listening, spoke up.

“May I ask one thing?”

“Hmm, if you’re a cousin’s acquaintance, you’re not a stranger to me. Go ahead.”

“I believe there’s one of the Lenart Dojos here, isn’t there?”

“And?”

“So, is your thorough explanation of the city’s situation for Adel because of that dojo?”

At Sophia’s words, Maris’s gaze shifted.

She looked intrigued but cautious, and with a hint of curiosity, Maris asked, “What makes you think that?”

“I understand you are an important figure in the Duke Lenart’s household, Maris. Compared to that, Adel is from a branch family, and there’s no clear succession right, just a minor individual. Yet, your attitude towards Adel seems excessive.”

“Even the Lion Duke bloodline flows through her, in the end, she’s just a person with hot blood. I’m just being a little nice to a cousin who might be involved in a mess because of me, isn’t that a bit twisted to take it that way?”

“Well, that could be true.”

Sophia didn’t deny Maris’s words and simply smiled softly.

“I just want to mention that sometimes, a simple ‘Can you help me?’ can be more effective than saying, ‘You have to cooperate because of this and that.’”

Maris fell silent.

As if lost in thought, she hesitated to speak. Instead, one of the escorts behind her spoke up.

“Please be mindful of your words.”

While the escort’s gaze was sharp, his tone remained polite, considering that Adel’s group was ‘guests’ invited by Maris.

Upon hearing those words, the Tin Knight turned his head sideways.

Adel, making eye contact with the Tin Knight, flinched and waved her hands, while Sophia quietly shook her head.

The Tin Knight returned to a stiff posture.

At that moment, Maris broke her silence.

“I wasn’t trying to deceive or use you. It’s just that nobles tend to speak in roundabout ways, so I hope you can understand, Adelheid?”

“Huh? Ah, yes.”

With a demeanor that seemed to say ‘I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s okay’ radiating from her, Maris couldn’t help but laugh again.

She found her cousin increasingly charming. There was a purity about her that was hard to find in the political turmoil of their main household.

Moreover, it seemed she had allies who would help protect that innocence, which made her even more inclined to help.

“Thank you. So, I’ll cut the fluff and get to the point. ─As things stand, the survival of the Lenart Dojo is in jeopardy.”

Adel’s eyes widened in shock.

***

The incident began a month ago.

While Lenart Dojo’s apprentices were having a drink at an inn, they got into a fight with other drunken patrons.

The dojo’s apprentices trusted their skills and the name of Lenart, but unfortunately, they had the wrong opponent.

The rough sailors who came over the sea were both hot-headed and skilled, and they didn’t know how much influence the Lion Duke’s name held on this continent.

The inn where the fight broke out turned into a battleground, and one of the apprentices lost his life.

The sailors weren’t unscathed either, but in any case, a loss is a loss.

Upon hearing the news, the instructors of the dojo were troubled.

It wouldn’t look good for them to intervene in their apprentices’ drunken brawl, but they couldn’t just turn a blind eye now that one was dead and another left crippled.

The instructors wanted to demand an apology from the sailors and the ship’s captain who employed them, but the other side moved quickly.

The shipowner accused Lenart Dojo of assaulting his sailors, claiming they were the ones who had been attacked.

In a trial presided over by the lord, both Lenart Dojo and the sailors’ wrongs were placed on the scales.

The scales tipped in favor of the sailors. It was clear that their sins were greater.

The sailors received prison sentences, and the dojo members felt relieved.

The problem arose next.

The shipowner offered to pay the sailors’ penalty in exchange for balancing the scales with money.

The priest-lord accepted this, and thus the incident’s settlement came to an end.

One of the dojo’s apprentices was dead, and the opponent simply brushed it off with some money.

The dojo lodged an appeal to the decision, but it was not accepted, and the shipowner and sailors quickly fled with their cargo.

Because this was an incident that captured the attention of many, the process and outcome spread like wildfire.

People began to say,

“No matter how mighty the Lion Duke’s bloodline, they have no choice but to wag their tails in front of the authority of the Holy Kingdom.”

From then on, a multitude of various people began to pick fights with anything related to the dojo.

If they tried to endure the swearing and sarcasm, the nuisances only escalated with time; if they retaliated with force, it would just lead to the dojo facing punishment or fines. The scales swung heavier towards physical violence than verbal abuse.

Moreover, while the dojo had limited personnel, their opponents seemed to have no end in sight, which was another problem.

These vague troublemakers kept bothering them unceasingly, making daily life unbearable for both apprentices and instructors. Naturally, the dojo’s operations were severely affected.

“So, what brings Maris here?”

“I received a funding request from the Justitia branch. I came personally to assess the situation…”

Maris let out a deep sigh.

“No, this won’t do. It’s like pouring water into a bottomless barrel. For the past month, the dojo has spent over 800 gold coins. The old folks back home are yapping about burying anyone who dares to undermine the family’s prestige, regardless of how much it costs. But from my perspective, the numbers simply don’t add up. Killing people just adds to the family’s infamy, and instead of new apprentices coming in, the current ones are bailing one by one. Killing people will ultimately just lead to more fines being stacked up on top of everything. Why maintain authority that’s being stripped away by the Holy Kingdom? We should just relocate the dojo.”

Maris knew full well what would be said if the dojo closed down.

But if she continued to keep the dojo open out of fear of losing prestige, the expenditures would just skyrocket endlessly.

Even worse, the more those expenses increased, the louder the voices moaning about the sunk costs of past investments would grow.

It would be far more beneficial to withdraw while they were still in the initial phase instead of letting things spiral out of control.

Adel tilted her head.

“Then, what is it you’d like to ask of me?”

“Creating a pretext.”

“A pretext?”

“In an ideal world, I’d like to just pack up and leave quietly, but neither the local dojo members nor the old folks back home seem willing to listen to that. So, instead of running without a word, we need to hit back at those who looked down on this city and us. It needs to be provoking enough for them to scream, ‘What, are you kidding me?’ So I was thinking…”

Maris hesitated for a moment.

“…how about wearing a mask?”

─In my opinion, there’s nothing better to throw shade than that.