Chapter 118

[Translator – Angel Dust]

[Proofreader – Prototype]

Chapter 118

The Imperial delegation headed to Lasker with a crucial mission.

The mission, personally ordered by the Emperor, was to show maximum goodwill towards Lasker.

However, this goodwill was not to be achieved by the Empire bowing its head, but by making Lasker bow theirs.

The blueprint was already drawn. Some individuals from Lasker had plotted mischief within the Empire.

Fortunately, the Fifth Princess of Lasker had informed them beforehand, and Count Friedrich and his son personally stepped in to suppress Lasker’s momentum and gain the upper hand.

For Lasker, with a new Queen just crowned, this was an extremely burdensome situation.

Not only had some of their own engaged in political maneuvering in a foreign land, but that foreign land was none other than the Empire.

And above all, it was those who valued ‘honor’ who had committed such acts.

Therefore, the subsequent events unfolded smoothly. The Empire didn’t need to cross any lines.

It was the other side that had crossed the line, and they were the ones who felt indebted.

The Empire just had to sit back and smile, and they would become desperate and make various proposals.

Moreover, the Empire didn’t want territory, resources, or anything of the sort. They simply wanted Lasker to accept the Empire’s superiority. It was enough for Lasker to be internally divided and unable to form a unified opinion.

So, they showed goodwill to the newly crowned Queen by reducing the cost of gunpowder.

Additionally, despite the incident within the Empire, hadn’t they swept it under the rug with just one friendly match?

This would create two opposing opinions within Lasker.

Either they would show proper respect for the Empire’s goodwill and adopt a more humble stance, or they would view it as a political ploy, acknowledging the Empire’s superiority but remaining wary.

‘The conclusion of our Empire is always the same.’

War is always the last option. They wouldn’t choose it when there were other ways.

It’s a hell where countless lives are lost. Every single person is precious, and pushing them into that hell should be avoided.

Therefore, war should be avoided as much as possible. And the way to do that is to divide the opinions of potential enemies, preventing them from uniting their strength.

‘So far, everything has been going well...’

The Imperial delegation delivered their congratulations to the Queen of Lasker.

They also presented a letter expressing their wish for the kingdom and the Empire to work together for the harmony of the continent.

The head of the delegation thought they had done their part.

“Captain, Young Lord Karl Adelheit and the Lasker knights are having another friendly match...”

“What?”

He couldn’t believe it, but it was true. Karl was dueling with the knights again. And not just anywhere, but in Lasker!

“No! Why didn’t anyone stop him?!”

They had just shown goodwill to Lasker. This was troublesome! It couldn’t be allowed!

Was he worried that Karl might lose? No! It was quite the opposite!

It would have been better if it happened within the Empire. But if he defeated all the knights within Lasker, wouldn’t the situation become a mess?!

If this happened, everyone would unite against the Empire, and everything would be ruined. Did Karl not realize this and acted recklessly?

‘No, no. That can’t be. He had a private meeting with the Crown Prince before leaving!’

It was highly likely that he had been informed of the Empire’s stance.

Moreover, Karl was the Crown Princess’s brother. The Crown Prince’s brother-in-law! If such a person was part of the delegation, he must have heard something!

But a friendly match? In the Empire, it was a warning to Lasker for their actions, but there was no reason to do such a thing in their own country, was there?!

The third knight stepped forward.

This time, the opponent seemed a bit older than Karl.

Even the head of the delegation, who didn’t know much about swordsmanship, could tell that this knight had considerable experience.

Perhaps sensing a different opponent, Karl took a completely different stance.

He held the greatsword in a reverse grip. He even switched it to his left hand instead of his right and leaned forward slightly.

“That’s why knights, and honor, are more important than anything else to Lasker. It’s the foundation, the very essence. If it weren’t for that, we would have been absorbed by the Empire long ago.”

This stance was different from the one he used against the previous two knights.

Even the hand he used to hold the greatsword had changed. Noticing this, the knight hesitated to move.

He had thought that he gained some information by watching the previous two duels.

But with this change, Karl’s fighting style would be completely different. Everything became a blank slate.

Karl didn’t miss that moment of hesitation.

Once again, he aimed to end it with speed.

The knight tried his best to defend and counterattack simultaneously.

The problem was that Karl’s right hand, which was behind the greatsword in his left hand, struck first.

Although it lacked power, that single strike was enough to slip through the gap and hit the knight’s chin hard.

Thud!—

The knight, hit by the blow, collapsed.

In the last moment, Karl swiftly kicked the knight’s sword aside to prevent injury, a display of ease that drew sighs from the others.

“...But you see, that which was so precious. That which was our pride. It’s now the cause of our own downfall. They still believe that knights, that honor, are more important than anything else. But it’s just our foundation, not a springboard for the future.”

The next knight who came out was clearly a skilled swordsman.

His sword was fast, his footwork was precise, and above all, the aura emanating from him was distinctly different from the previous opponents.

Karl didn’t foolishly face such an opponent head-on.

He slowly tightened the noose from the outside, creating tiny gaps.

And at the last moment, he struck through the gap, hitting the opponent’s neck hard with the hilt of the greatsword.

The next contestant, and the one after that. They were all great knights.

But in the end, they all lost to Karl.

In the face of Karl’s extremely restrained, extremely practical, and thus extremely ‘murderous’ style, the knights who had been focusing on ‘beautiful swordsmanship’ were utterly defeated.

“While we were still focused on knights and honor, the Empire leaped far ahead. They discovered gunpowder, created new weapons with it. Now, a single soldier can easily defeat a knight.”

Finally, the last opponent. It was the middle-aged knight who had first guided Karl to Imir.

He was different from the others. More refined, faster.

And above all, he wasn’t overwhelmed by Karl’s killing intent. He too had experienced countless battles.

“So, that friendly match was a drastic measure I prescribed for ourselves. It was to tell us not to deny reality by dwelling on past glories, nor to be overly optimistic about the future.”

Hearing this, the head of the delegation sighed inwardly. And he quietly decided to revise his report on the Queen of Lasker.

She didn’t have a great animosity towards the Empire, but she was definitely someone to watch out for.

A Queen who could breathe new life into the crumbling Lasker.

Clang! Clang!—

Meanwhile, the final duel ended in a draw, with both stepping back simultaneously.

[Translator – Angel Dust]

[Proofreader – Prototype]