Chapter 63

#63 Episode: The Tin Knight and the City of Gears Act 3 (5)

The representative of the new forces, Rene von Lenart, thought to himself,

‘It’s impossible to turn a beginner into a proper warrior in just a week. The best course of action is to build confidence and adaptability through proper difficulty adjustment and a variety of victory experiences.’

The representative of the conservative forces, Gerhardt von Lenart, pondered,

‘In fights among the weak, the outcome is ultimately decided by mental strength. Experiences gained from pushing oneself to the limit, believing there’s no way to move anymore, will solidify mental fortitude.’

The weightless, no, the strange representative of the invading forces, Adelheid von Lenart, thought,

‘Hang in there! Keep going! Let’s do this!’

Despite one oddball among them, it was clear that their basic judgments were similar, though with subtle differences.

– Dramatic improvements in physical ability or technical proficiency in such a short span of a week are impossible. Therefore, focusing on strengthening mental aspects is key.

One side aimed to create an ideal state through a series of successful experiences, while the other prepared for the worst with unshakeable perseverance in difficult situations.

On the stage.

The representative from Rene’s side wore a confident expression, radiating self-assuredness as if they could achieve anything.

The representative from Gerhardt’s side projected an air of arrogance, as if these children’s fights were nothing substantial.

However, what truly captivated the audience’s attention was not the two of them, but rather the final individual standing beside them.

“Grrrr…!”

Veins bulging in their eyes. Sunken eye sockets. Unkempt hair. A beast-like growl escaping their lips.

This was an individual so potentially dangerous that one might feel the urge to run away even if encountered in a dark alley at night—or even in broad daylight next to the guards’ station.

“Uh, um. Ahem.”

In between the three competitors, the squad captain, reluctantly cast into the role of referee thanks to a cheerful command from his boss, wore an embarrassed expression as he spoke up.

“Um, Lady Adelheid, may I ask you something?”

“Oh, yes! Please, go ahead!”

“Your physical condition seems… well, a bit off. Is participating in the competition manageable for you?”

Honestly, it didn’t just seem slightly off; it looked quite bad. But the captain was a gentleman who knew the difference between what to say and what not to say to a lady.

“I’m fine! Just a little too eager, that’s all! I made sure to get checked by Mr. Ernest before the match!”

At those words, all the vassals of the Count’s household turned their attention toward Ernest.

‘You really think that’s okay? Really? Is something wrong with your head?’ Their gazes bombarded him, causing Ernest’s cheek to twitch.

He struggled to maintain his composure as he responded,

“…The examination showed no particular issues.”

Yes, there was that little hiccup before the match where the Tin Knight brought along a drug that “makes people go crazy” and asked if he could take it before the fight, but he gave up after hearing it was a no-go, so it wasn’t a big deal.

However, the fact that Adelheid looked that way without any drugs seemed far more serious. But perhaps due to a week of frantic training, even Ernest’s senses were a bit dulled. This is why one’s usual environment is so important.

“Well then…”

The captain nodded, albeit with a slightly reluctant expression.

He knew Ernest’s honest and dedicated nature well. If he felt there was no issue, that assessment was trustworthy. Although, truthfully, no matter how you looked at it, it did seem a bit concerning.

“The conditions for defeat are being unable to fight, forfeiting, or being thrown out of bounds. The team of the last survivor in this three-way fight will earn points. Are we all ready?”

“Yes!”

“Sure.”

“Grrr.”

“Uh, that response… no, never mind.”

Shaking his head in resignation, the captain moved away from the center of the arena to the edge.

And then he declared,

“Let the match begin!”

***

A 1:1:1 three-way match.

The standard strategy is as follows:

Is there one particularly strong individual? Then the two weaker ones unite and launch a surprise attack on the strong one.

If the two strong ones’ skills are similar? Then they should team up to deal with the bothersome weaker one first.

If all three are of similar skill level? Then based on personal relationships or connections, the two closest team up to take down the remaining one.

You might ask what’s with all this strength-in-numbers strategy, but it’s called standard for a reason: because it’s familiar and consistently effective.

Thus, the early exchanges of the three-way match were purely a contest of wits.

They had to discern who among them was the strongest and who was the weakest, adjusting their actions accordingly.

And ignoring the standard entirely, the representative of Team Adelheid dashed forth at the signal and swung their wooden sword squarely at the face of the representative of Team Rene.

Whack!

A sound that could only be described as solid, but not exactly melodious, echoed through the air.

Amidst the astonished faces of the audience, the body of the representative from Team Rene fell backward in what felt like slow motion.

Without hesitation, the representative from Team Adelheid followed up with another strike toward their chest.

“Grrr!”

With the look of someone who had lost touch with human language, the representative from Team Adelheid fixated on the next target.

Gerhardt’s representative instinctively flinched, but upon seeing Team Adelheid come charging at him, he swung his sword.

With a heavy sound, the two wooden swords clashed together.

Clang! Clang! Thump!

At the third clash, the wooden sword slipped from the grasp of the representative from Team Adelheid.

Though their physical abilities and grip strength were similar, the fatigue from battling Rene’s team had drained the strength in Adelheid’s hands first.

A strike from Gerhardt’s representative smacked down onto Team Adelheid’s left shoulder.

Yet, Adelheid was too far gone to fully register the pain or shock.

Thud.

“Uh?”

Securing the wooden sword striking down on their shoulder with both hands, the representative from Team Adelheid hunched forward and collapsed.

In a reflex reaction to not lose his grip on the sword, Gerhardt’s representative tightened his hold, but the weight of an entire person pivoting onto one wrist caused his body to tilt, compromising his stance.

And in that moment, the representative from Team Adelheid sprang back up like a spring and headbutted the opponent’s chin.

“Gack!”

“Uwaaaaaah!”

Letting out a primal scream, the representative from Team Adelheid continued to strike their opponent again and again.

There was no swordsmanship here. No martial arts. Just pure brawling—throwing punches, kicking, and body slamming, the raw essence of a street fight.

Gerhardt’s representative attempted to retaliate, but with each attempt, he found himself more and more intimidated by Adelheid’s furious onslaught.

Completely huddled up, he didn’t even dare to fight back, and finally, the captain intervened.

“That’s enough! Winner! Team Adelheid!”

“Yay!”

“Woohoo!”

“Well done!”

The winners cheered, and their teammates responded in kind.

In stark contrast, the members of the other teams were collectively caught with dumbfounded expressions.

“U-Um, Representative, is that okay?” one of his subordinates asked.

Rene responded,

“Is what okay?”

“Um, it seems a bit too barbaric. At this rate, it’s not a duel for warriors; it’s just a gang brawl, isn’t it?”

“…That is true. But is that really a problem? It’s not like they broke any rules. In the end, they just fought desperately.”

“Well, uh…”

“Right? You don’t have anything to say, do you? Neither do I.”

Rene let out a laugh, half in disbelief.

If only someone had showcased some extraordinary sword technique or exhibited remarkable physical prowess, there would be some analysis to do, but winning like that left nothing to discuss.

“Next time, we need to win. Tell the contestants to be wary of the first surprise attack.”

***

“GAAAAAH!”

At the sound of screams echoing from the stage, Gerhardt twitched his eyebrows.

There was his former apprentice, who he had personally trained, screaming as their hand was clamped down with teeth.

Desperately fighting to shake off the opponent, the apprentice flailed for a solution—hitting their head or pushing with their other hand—but it didn’t budge; the biting only tightened, leading to a surrender.

As the declaration of the second victory for Team Adelheid rang out, Gerhardt’s subordinates collectively sighed.

“W-What?!”

“How could they be so weak! Their head was completely exposed! If they’d continued attacking, they could have won!”

“Captain, shouldn’t we protest? What a disgraceful sight for a sacred duel to decide the representatives of the dojo!”

Responding to the discontent, Gerhardt’s face hardened.

“Are you telling me to defecate on my own face?”

“Pardon?”

“It was expected, both by me and that damned rookie, that this fight would be one of mental strength rather than physical or technical prowess. That’s why I trained my students’ mindsets with all my effort, and this is the outcome. You want me to deny that in an ugly manner?”

“Still, it’s not the right way.”

“Results are results.”

Even while grinding his teeth in dissatisfaction, Gerhardt did not deny the win or loss.

An obstinate old man had his own philosophy.

“We still have three chances left. We just need to win.”

***

Despite the overwhelming momentum leading to two consecutive victories for Team Adelheid, the flow changed after the third match.

Thinking that losing just one more point would end the contest, the representatives of the remaining two teams began to openly target the competitors from Team Adelheid.

Given that the differences in their skill levels weren’t that great, no matter how united they stood, turning the tides in a 2 vs. 1 contest would be a tall order.

After the fourth match, the scores stood at Team Rene 1, Team Gerhardt 1, and Team Adelheid 2.

“Everyone, hang in there!”

Adelheid anxiously watched the final representative step onto the stage.

For a week filled with inexperience and lack of expertise, she had done her best as a mentor.

Seeing her students fight so desperately, it saddened her that all she could do was cheer them on.

A cold, solid hand patted her shoulder.

[‘Tin Knight’ declares you need not worry!]

[‘Tin Knight’ asserts to trust in their ability to teach them!]

“Knight….”

Adelheid looked up at the Tin Knight, and with renewed determination, she turned her gaze back to the stage.

It was a difficult demand to trust her students when she could hardly believe in herself.

However.

Even if she couldn’t believe in herself, Adelheid knew she could trust the Tin Knight.

He was quirky and sometimes did the unimaginable, but as far as Adelheid knew, the Tin Knight was the strongest entity that never lost.

“Let the match begin!”

The representatives from Team Gerhardt and Team Rene exchanged glances.

The unspoken agreement was to take out the representative from Team Adelheid first and then decide the final outcome.

This was the flow that had repeated during the third and fourth matches.

So.

“You two together can’t even compare to my mentor!”

The final representative of Team Adelheid, a young man, overwhelmed the two opponents in front of him, and everyone present was left in shock.

[‘Tin Knight’ states that the fight among the weak is a guaranteed victory for the contestants!]

[‘Tin Knight’ states that the toughest fighter wins!]

[‘Tin Knight’ claims they can secure 1 victory through ambush and 2 through toughness!]

[‘Tin Knight’ argues that if they can secure 2 victories without regard to losses, the importance of strength only matters for the remaining single victory!]

[‘Tin Knight’ argues that efficient resource allocation is the foundational strategy of the points battle!]

Team Adelheid consisted of only 7 members.

Compared to other teams that unleashed their finest competitors from pools of twenty or more, their talent pool was bound to fall short.

But. If even a weaker pool could somehow secure 2 victories.

In other words, if it were possible to achieve 2 points with a team that had put in the least amount of effort.

Then, it would also be possible to channel all the resources, all the efforts, into nurturing just one of the most talented individuals.

By providing intense motivation.

By supplementing rest and recovery time with drugs, extending a week’s worth of training into eleven days.

And by gradually investing every resource, without regard for efficiency, into just one individual.

“─Winner! Team Adelheid von Lenart!”

Victory smiled upon them.

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