I remembered this man who had the same surname as the renowned Marquess Blight, and back then, the Blight house had the most coordinated knights; they were known throughout the empire.
I myself was impressed by this back then when I first got here, that I immediately asked for a meeting with the Previous Marquess after my first mission, and he didn't disappoint me.
He told me the techniques and proper ways to handle the formation of the army. It was all interesting, but one thing had to hold him down.
"Hero, this is my second son, Luke Blight. He is eager to have your presence in our household." Beside him was his son, who is the current Marquess.
I didn't have particularly good senses back then, but when I looked into the eyes of the second son, I knew something was up.
I should have trusted my gut and told the Marquess what I felt back then. I didn't know he would meet a miserable end.
"Our hero, I'm pleased that you have agreed to have a talk with me," I remembered that after a few talks with Marquess. Luke, his son invited me out to the garden.
Of course, I thought nothing of it since he was someone who was at least respected in his household, and I didn't feel malice back then.
"No need to speak formally, young master. You are 4 years older than me."
"Please don't call me Young Master; my name is Luke Blight. Feel free to call me whatever you desire," he was being friendly back then.
"Arnold and Kaiser are 5 years older than me, and they speak informally, so I encourage you to do the same thing."
(Arnold is the current Duke Paisley, and Kaiser is the current Duke Albrecht. Arnold and Kaiser are their first names)
He looked away for a moment, and I heard him gritting his teeth. That was when I felt a hint of malice.
I noticed that as well in our future interactions, and when he turned back, his face returned to his normal smiling expression.
"Hero, I have prepared some of the finest tea. Please have a seat," he pointed towards a structure in the middle of the garden.
When I sat down, I didn't touch the tea. I was merely looking at it and waiting for Lucas to start a conversation, and he did.
"I know among the three heroes that you are the strongest, and my father is getting old, and my older brother is busy with his affairs. I don't want to give him any more burden."
"So? What do you want me to do?"
"I don't mean to beat around the bush, but I need your support! With your power, no one will defy you!"
"So you're telling me to defy the laws of the empire just because of one person?"
"I..." he looked hesitant. He must have thought I would be swayed immediately just because I'm from another world.
Too bad I watched a ton of shows and read a lot of novels, so this medieval-type scam won't work on me.
"How about this, if you can beat any one of the knights in this house, I will support you. But if you can't beat the chosen knight, then shame on you."
He looked at me like he was planning something, and of course, I knew back then, but I was confident in my decision.
"I am from the 6th Division Blight Knights. It's an honor to exchange swords with you, young master!" In front of Lucas was a nervous knight; from the looks of it, he was just recruited.
And 6th Division? That's the weakest of all the knight squads. I knew he was planning something, but it won't work either way.
The knight was shaking as he took his position; on the other hand, Luke was swinging his sword around like a nut job.
He seemed confident.
"The swords will be made of wood to prevent lethal injuries. Once the other side has fallen, immediately stop, okay? You may now start!"
As soon as I said that, Luke immediately jumped towards the knight and swung his sword left and right. The knight was guarding well, though shaky, he stood there blocking his attacks.
The fight didn't really last long; it ended when Luke stopped his attacks and the knight suddenly parried his last hit.
Luke's sword left his hand and dropped to the ground. With no weapon, it's an automatic loss for Luke.
It was at that moment that I knew Luke was messed up. The knights who were watching hid their faces, but their laughter could still be heard—a disgrace.
To be the son of a famous marquess and not being able to wield a sword properly, it's only natural for the household knights to either laugh or worry.
"Please escort Lord Esmond out. I need to be alone for a while," he ordered his guards, and I left the place immediately.
I hadn't heard anything from Luke since then until I returned 5 months later.
The knight died mysteriously a week after their duel, and 3 months after the duel, the eldest son fell into a sudden coma.
Fortunately, the Marquess was still strong, and that's when I treated Luke like scum. I still remember the time when he tried to talk to me during an important event.
I was surprised when I saw him 5 months later; his fat body and chubby face had suddenly changed, and he looked thin and pale. He had dark circles under his eyes, and I could tell he was malnourished.
Back then, I was sitting at the table with Ayla and Clovis beside me when he suddenly approached us and asked me if we could talk.
But it appears like he wants to talk in private, but I didn't allow it, so he had no choice but to speak in front of all the people.
He asked for a favor, which was bold of him at the time, but I didn't pay attention to it. He wanted my support again, and naturally, I declined.
His response wasn't pleasing as well; he looked at me with bloodlust.
But what I said later on may be the final nail in the coffin.
"A young master who can't beat a knight and can't hold a sword wants my support? I can't help you. Help yourself first and be better."
That was apparently a bad decision since Luke being defeated by a knight didn't spread outside, so no one knew of it until I said it.
I stained what little honor he had left. I came to a conclusion at that moment that the knights and guards who watched that fight were either in prison or dead.
A month later, the eldest son of Marquess Blight died, making Luke the new official heir. His father was deteriorating both mentally and physically.
Luke has secured his position as the new Marquess; all he needed to do was wait for his father to die.
And that time eventually came a year later when his father died in his sleep. The rumors said he didn't shed a single tear.
He became the head of a house before Albrecht and Paisley.
I guess my actions did affect the results, but this might have been better than siding with a nut job maniac who can't handle weapons.
I wish I knew that I was making an enemy.