Episode 365

That brat hadn’t come to trade with him, but to control him.

Duke Ikaldoren felt a cold sweat run down his spine.

“……”

“Are you alright, Your Grace?”

The guards shouted in alarm at their master’s sudden change in condition.

It was extremely rare for the duke—surrounded by countless expensive magical protections—to show such a state.

Just what had happened?

“It’s nothing. I… just don’t feel well.”

“I will summon a priest immediately.”

“No need. I’ll get better with a little rest. Sorry, but I’ll excuse myself first.”

Duke Ikaldoren rose from his seat.

He needed a moment to sort out this confusing situation.

It was truly hard to believe.

For him to be so spooked as to be the first to withdraw.

Not even before the great Patriarch of the Wardanaz Family had he felt this…

‘What sort of monster has the Wardanaz created!?’

As the duke left his seat and exited the banquet hall, Lee Han frowned.

“What’s wrong?”

“That’s odd. Someone like the duke wouldn’t just suddenly feel unwell.”

He was in a position where, with a snap of his fingers, he could flood himself with potions and magical scrolls.

Duke Ikaldoren always carried artifacts on his person worth more than the price of a castle, so there was no way he would skimp on magic.

“Y-yes, that’s true.”

Rowena was amazed at Lee Han’s insight.

She had merely thought the duke was feeling sick, but this boy from the Wardanaz Family had sensed something more.

“There’s only one reason left.”

“What is it?!”

“He’s faking illness because he doesn’t want to give us souvenirs.”

“…Excuse me?”

Rowena, having listened with great anticipation, was now embarrassed.

“There’s no other reason, is there?”

“…I’m not sure I understand…?”

Even Rowena, who respected Lee Han’s discernment, found this theory hard to accept.

• * *

Oblivious to the very rude misunderstanding brewing below, the duke went to rest.

The magical circles set up in his study helped clear his mind and restore his energy, but as long as the cause remained, his troubled heart wouldn’t be eased.

‘Do I need to wash my hands of Einrogard?’

By this point, he was starting to think it might have been better not to meddle in Einrogard at all.

He had relied on his own power and probed, but the more he got involved, the more it felt like sinking in a bottomless swamp.

If only he could be sure he’d recovered his men, he would have seriously considered it…

“My lord.”

A careful voice came from outside.

Those who had served the duke a long time could tell that his mood had soured.

Everyone was being extremely cautious, afraid they might get caught in the crossfire by saying the wrong thing.

“The knights have arrived.”

“…What is that supposed to mean?”

The duke’s voice dropped another level, so icy it felt like the air chilled.

“Was there a knight order scheduled to visit the mansion today?”

“W-well… It appears the knight order confused the date and visited today by mistake…”

“……”

The sound of splintering came from the armrest of the chair where the duke was seated.

“Hik!”

“Are all knights just idiot bastards? Don’t they even know how to count?”

Normally, this wasn’t enough to make him angry.

Visiting on the wrong day wasn’t such a terrible mistake.

What mattered was how important the guest was—if they mattered, the duke didn’t care if they arrived a few days early or late.

But after today, the duke’s patience had run dry.

In the morning, the beastly students from the knight families made a mess, and in the afternoon, the knights themselves failed to count and showed up on the wrong day.

“Should I… should I send them away?”

“…Forget it. Scolding dumb bastards won’t fix them. Prepare to host them. I’ll rest a little more before going out.”

Still, the duke calculated coolly.

It was better to feed them well and send them off with praise, rather than create needless complaints by embarrassing or shooing them away.

Treating invited guests well was also the duty of a great noble.

A little while later.

A servant came to the duke, who was resting with his eyes closed.

The servant trembled all over, looking like he really didn’t want to deliver his message.

“The knights wish to thank Your Grace in person…”

“…Tell them to sit down and eat quietly before I kill them.”

“……”

The servant lingered, unable to bring himself to relay that.

The duke sighed softly.

“Tell them clearly that I will come out after more rest. If anyone comes to fetch me again, I swear I’ll bury them. Understood?”

“…Yes!”

• * *

The White Oak Knights were a group of knights who traveled the empire helping the weak, seeking danger and honor, but in fact, the White Oak Knights were unusual among knightly orders.

Who in their right mind would want to travel the empire with no reward? Knight or not, it was a hard and painful life.

Most imperial knight orders were much more comfortable, local clan gatherings for regional protection or socializing, and intended for mutual benefit.

The Beech Knights were in the latter category.

The Beech Knights, who operated near but outside Granden City, were very full of themselves about the duke’s invitation.

“A great noble of the empire, the invitation of Duke Ikaldoren is an honor not granted to just anyone. It’s thanks to the glory of the name Beech.”

“Those layabouts…”

“Some glory. I bet they just gather to play mage cards.”

“Shh. Keep your voice down.”

The young squires of the White Oak Knights, moving together with the Beech Knights, grumbled.

The regular knight who led them cautioned them to be careful.

“If you are rude to the knights of another order, I will not forgive you.”

“But aren’t those guys too arrogant…”

“I told you to stop!”

When the regular knight showed anger, the squires clammed up tight.

He understood their feelings, though.

The Beech Knights, like many knight orders with wealth, acted more like nobles than knights.

Placed together with the White Oak Knights’ squires, they should have shown mutual respect, but their constant sneering at attire and arms made the squires angry.

“Wait a moment. Why are we being led this way?”

A knight from the Beech Knights sensed something was off and asked.

The duke’s city mansion had many large spaces suitable for banquets.

But the main hall at the center was obviously the primary banquet venue.

Yet now, the servants were leading them to the hall on the left.

“There is a guest already present.”

“A guest?”

The knights murmured.

It was surprising there were prior guests, but even more galling that those guests had taken the better hall.

It didn’t feel good.

“Who are they?”

“Students of Einrogard.”

“……”

Displeasure rose on the knights’ faces.

If it were heads of other houses it would be another matter, but to have their spot taken by mere students of the magic school.

Of course, if they thought rationally, they could calculate the average status of these students, but instead the knights chose to argue.

“Was it His Grace who assigned them?”

“Of course not.”

For the servants, it was impossible to blame such things on the duke. That would be suicidal.

“Then what is going on?”

“We don’t really know, but…”

“The students must have entered first.”

The knights took the servants’ cautious answers to mean something else.

“They’re young, so a mixup is understandable.”

“Can’t we just use the left hall?”

A regular knight of the White Oak Knights spoke up cautiously.

Given the status of the Einrogard students, he didn’t want a brawl over a banquet hall.

But the Beech Knights bristled and replied,

“Why should we yield the banquet hall that is rightfully ours?”

“Just because they’re students, it’s not right to let it pass! If it’s wrong, it’s wrong. The White Oak squires may be fine with this treatment, but we’re not.”

“……”

At this open sneer at the squires, the regular knight’s eyebrow twitched.

His threatening manner seemed to make the Beech Knights realize they’d gone too far, and they quickly changed the topic.

“Go tell them there’s been a mistake.”

• * *

“Wardanaz ruined our fun party.”

“Yeah. It was such unrestrained, perfect fun…”

“If any of you keep grumbling, I’ll stick your head in a barrel, so shut up and eat.”

As the White Tiger Tower students woke and grumbled their way through their meal, Lee Han warned them.

Just thinking about earlier made him feel he was being too generous giving out food.

“Um, Wardanaz-nim.”

“??”

A servant ran up and whispered, pale-faced, making Lee Han curious.

What was this?

‘Don’t tell me he’s about to ask us for silver coins.’

It was absurd, but in Lee Han’s mind, the duke’s stock had dropped that low.

“The knight orders…”

“…?”

After listening to the situation explained, Lee Han tilted his head in confusion.

Noticing something amiss, his friends gathered around and murmured.

“Why are the knight orders here? And today of all days?”

“That’s weird.”

Students from noble families knew well that large groups typically weren’t invited at once on the same day.

“Didn’t they just get the dates wrong?”

“No way. They can’t be that crazy.”

“Look at the White Tiger Tower brats. Dumb, but not that dumb.”

“Tutanta. Want to die?!”

“Shut up. You lot passed out drunk in a host’s hall.”

“We weren’t passed out drunk! We got knocked out by Wardanaz!”

“Hey… that’s embarrassing, keep your voice down…”

While the friends bickered, Lee Han asked the servant,

“So, they’re asking us to give up the banquet hall?”

“No way! Wardanaz!”

“That’s crazy talk!”

The White Tiger Tower students reacted the most fiercely.

They had much experience mingling with knight families, so they were bound to be sensitive.

Unlike gatherings of noble families, knight family gatherings were known for their fierce nerves.

Trying to take over a hall someone else was already using was one of those situations. As children of knight families, it was an issue of pride.

“Can’t we just give it up? We’ve finished eating, haven’t we?”

“No, Wardanaz!”

“Get a grip! That’s not who you are! You’re the kind of guy who’d break anyone’s bones for picking a fight with you!”

“…I see how you all think of me.”

Not only the White Tiger Tower crowd, but the others showed open resistance too.

Seeing this, Lee Han gave up and readily agreed.

“Fine. If you don’t want to go, then. Tell them we refuse.”

The servant, caught between groups, bowed miserably and dashed out.

Soon, he returned and said,

“Um, Wardanaz-nim. The knights ask if we might decide it lightly with a brief contest of skill…”

‘What, is there honey smeared on this banquet hall?’

Lee Han couldn’t understand the knights’ crazy obsession with the hall.

Was there some ley line of magic here?

Why go this far?

“Hah… Hahaha! Digging their own graves, those idiot Beech Knights!”

“Those Beech Knights. Still don’t know how big the empire is! They’re dead today!”

“????”

The servant was bewildered by the White Tiger Tower students’ reaction.

He’d expected them to refuse such a rude, ridiculous challenge.

‘What the…?’