Chapter 46

The celebration was enlivened by the appearance of the crown prince, the guest of honor.

Beside the crown prince, several young nobles from the ducal family and other famous noble families gathered and engaged in lively conversation.

Sora of the Kleinzelt family, though from a well-known family, was left out of the circle, but he showed no sign of caring.

In the grand hall where the event was held, the young nobles gathered in the center with the crown prince, and the adults surrounded them, watching over the scene. In one corner, the Duke of Berzé was keeping an eye on Sora's movements.

The Duke of Berzé had no children. His nephew was only two years old this year, and he had not brought him to the celebration. Without a child to supervise, he was observing Sora.

"Berzé, have you found something interesting?"

Surprised by the voice of the person who had suddenly appeared beside him, the Duke of Berzé was unusually flustered.

"Your Majesty! I didn't realize you were here. I apologize."

"Don't worry about it. More importantly, you were looking quite intently. Is your object of interest—Chaff Traynen?"

Following the Duke of Berzé's gaze, the king assumed the target was Chaff Traynen, not Sora.

"He's good. Truly, he will make an excellent general. He may be a bit too serious, but that's not a bad trait for someone in command."

The king seemed to have a high opinion of Chaff, and this evaluation was shared by the nobles in the hall.

The Duke of Berzé looked at Chaff for the first time.

"Indeed, he will be well-respected by the military. However, he is weak in information warfare. I think he would be more stable with a capable adjutant."

The king's lips curved upward at the Duke of Berzé's analysis.

The young nobles surrounding Chaff had all been misled by the false information spread by the malicious nobles at the pre-party. The Duke of Berzé must have deduced this from the composition of the group.

"Very perceptive. You observe well. Do you have a candidate to support him?"

"…I can't think of anyone."

The Duke of Berzé's response made the king narrow his eyes.

"I thought you would recommend Sora Kleinzelt."

It was already common knowledge that the Duke of Berzé and Sora Kleinzelt were on equal footing. The king suspected that the childless Duke of Berzé was using Sora.

"Sora Kleinzelt is too much of a talent to be just an adjutant."

"Indeed, you say that so boldly. He is the legitimate son of that fat pig. His potential is limited."

The king outright rejected the Duke of Berzé's honest evaluation and shrugged.

"I thought you were better at judging people, but the puppet you control doesn't even look human."

Turning his back on the Duke of Berzé, the king said and left.

While the king's dislike of fat people was a headache, the Duke of Berzé scratched his cheek. He then seemed to notice something and furrowed his brow.

He felt something odd about the movements of the group Chaff Traynen belonged to.

The group was focused on a single point in the hall, and Chaff Traynen, in particular, was brimming with hostility. The target of his hostility was hidden behind the children and not clearly visible.

Turning his gaze to Chaff's father, the Duke of Traynen, the Duke of Berzé saw the stern-faced warrior frowning. Church-aligned nobles were taking turns speaking to the Duke of Traynen, seemingly trying to prevent him from moving.

Other nobles in the hall also began to pay attention to Chaff Traynen's group. Some of them seemed to find the situation amusing.

The young nobles, noticing Chaff's hostility, began to back away, trying not to get involved. This created a path leading to a young boy.

Chaff Traynen and his group stepped onto this path and glared at the boy at the end.

The hall fell silent, and everyone watched the unfolding scene.

Since the basic rule of the party was non-interference in the actions of the young nobles, no one tried to stop Chaff, whose intentions were unclear.

If it came to a physical fight, it would be stopped immediately, but since Chaff was maintaining his composure despite his visible hostility, neither the Duke of Berzé nor the Duke of Traynen could intervene.

"I've heard many things. This can't be just a rumor."

Chaff's serious face was filled with anger as he spoke to the boy at the end of the path.

"The role of a lord is to protect the people, yet you, the son of a corrupt noble, have the audacity to show your face at the prince's celebration."

The young nobles, intimidated by his presence, took a few steps back, widening the path. Chaff's group spread out, closing the distance to the boy.

"I will beat the corruption out of you, the one who indulges in luxury with the money extorted from the people. If I win, my family, the Duke of Traynen, will supervise the management of your family's territory!"

The nobles murmured at the excessive demand.

The Duke of Berzé, sensing the impending situation, tried to intervene but was too late.

Finally standing close to the boy, Chaff pointed at him.

"Fight me!"

The boy, who had remained motionless until then, suddenly turned back to confirm that no one was behind him, then turned to Chaff and smiled.

"I decline."

As if it were the most obvious thing, the boy, Sora Kleinzelt, easily refused.

Chaff's temple twitched.

"Do you have no pride as a noble, Sora Kleinzelt!"

Chaff's scolding, which was understandable, was deflected by Sora's smile, as if he were dealing with a tantrum-throwing child.

"Chaff, think about it. If the son of the 'Impenetrable Array' Duke of Traynen challenges a child like me, who is more than five years younger and of a completely different build, to a duel, it will be seen as bullying the weak, regardless of the outcome. Even if you are satisfied with it, do you think it will benefit the kingdom for the son of one of the kingdom's top warriors to be disrespected?"

Sora's logical response left Chaff frustrated, but he could not deny the logic.

It seemed the situation would be resolved, but Chaff's followers interjected.

"Then, let's have an equal fight by commanding the soldiers we bring. We can use mock swords to avoid casualties."

"Commanding the soldiers of the 'Impenetrable Array' Duke of Traynen would demonstrate the Duke's strength, not Chaff's."

"That's true, but—"

The followers were frustrated by the quick rebuttal.

The nobles understood that Sora was several steps ahead and showed their reactions.

The Duke of Berzé sighed in relief with a wry smile. He did not want a supervisor for Sora due to the white oak deal.

The Duke of Traynen quietly closed his eyes to hide his emotions. He hated the Duke of Kleinzelt, but he believed Sora was a puppet of the Duke of Berzé and did not want to oppose him.

The Duke of Kleinzelt glared at Chaff Traynen in anger. Supervising the management of the territory was essentially colonization. Even if he won the duel, the demand was too excessive. It seemed like a mockery.

The church-aligned elder drank his wine without concern, seeing the failure of the harassment.

He had incited the serious Chaff to challenge the Duke of Kleinzelt family to a duel and guided him to propose a duel using soldiers instead of a personal duel. Even if he won, the demand would not be met.

However, the Duke of Kleinzelt's army would likely suffer a crushing defeat against the 'Impenetrable Array' Duke of Traynen, ruining his reputation. The Duke of Kleinzelt would not let this happen.

The church-aligned elder intended to lend excellent soldiers in exchange for a minor demand.

Just as the nobles were losing interest, the biggest wildcard was played without realizing it.

"If I lend soldiers to both Sora Kleinzelt and Chaff Traynen, the problem will be solved."

Clapping his hands, the crown prince, the guest of honor, proposed a solution for the duel.

He did not yet realize the weight of his words.