The continent's wealthiest man and the true power behind the neutral region of Legion, a royal bloodline.
'Pierre de Bourbon.'
He lightly tugged at his curly mustache, like a pig's tail, and swirled his wine glass with an elegant pose as he spoke.
"So, you want to face the one bearing the name of Strange in the next match?"
The large man in the black cloak bowed deeply.
"Yes, Marquis Pierre."
"Hmm, interesting. Not only has Strange appeared in the arena, but he has also shown hostility towards us."
"It seems he's one of the distant descendants who inherited Strange's blood. I heard he's aiming for the Gold Class badge to enter the dungeon..."
"Aiming for the Gold Class badge to enter the dungeon? If he were the real Strange, would that be necessary?"
"I also thought his claim was a lie. But this was the response I received."
The large man opened the box.
Inside was Pereira's head, a clear message from Strange.
"Eek! Get that out of here! How dare you show such blasphemy while I am dining!"
"Apologies, Marquis. But I thought you should see this to understand the situation. What kind of relationship will Strange want to maintain with us going forward?"
"..."
"No matter how skilled they are said to be, we can't just sit by after they brutally killed a knight of Bourbon, can we?"
Pierre de Bourbon and Lois of Strange hold the same rank among the five titles granted by the Emperor. The difference is that Lois earned his title by conquering the South, while Pierre was born into royalty and thus secured his position.
Though they are equal in rank, their paths have diverged until now.
Pierre found this situation perplexing.
In this continent now dominated by Glazer, instead of being wary of each other, it would be wiser to join forces against the mages.
Why start a conflict unnecessarily?
"Hmm—"
"Then let's do this. I will arrange for you to have a match with the one bearing the name of Strange."
"Thank you, Marquis."
"However, ensure this incident doesn't sever our ties with Strange."
"What do you mean?"
Pierre took a light sip of his wine.
Slurp.
"Baron Duff, you know Strange is one of our biggest clients. It's not just about physical power; considering future profits, it's better not to turn our backs on each other."
"But... But they—"
"That's. Why. I'm arranging this match so you and Strange can resolve your misunderstandings. With your skill, Baron Duff, you should easily defeat this child of Strange, shouldn't you?"
"..."
"Show him how formidable the knights of Bourbon are. Then, we can address this matter through dialogue."
"Marquis Pierre, I'm sorry, but this issue is not so simple. They killed my subordinate."
Bang!
Marquis Pierre slammed the table with his wine glass.
"This time it was one head, but next time it could be all of ours."
"..."
"Our opponent is Strange. Move with utmost caution."
Duff clenched his fists. He wanted to argue but held his tongue.
He knew prolonging the conversation wouldn't yield the answers he wanted. Instead, he bowed to indicate his understanding and left Pierre's room, muttering to himself.
"Damn it."
* * *
Diberi the butler spoke to me with a calm expression.
"Young master, shall I send troops immediately to annihilate the Bourbon knights within Legion?"
His conviction was unwavering.
No matter how royal Pierre de Bourbon might be, declaring war for challenging Strange was his suggestion.
I took a brief sip of the tea in my cup and answered.
"No. I will handle this myself."
"…You don't need to dirty your hands. Given that they wronged us first, Lord Lois will surely permit retaliation."
"I want to handle the retaliation personally. Father would want me to resolve this since it's my doing."
Diberi hesitated for a moment, then smiled brightly and nodded.
"As expected, you are different, young master. To consider us so deeply at your age."
What does he mean by that?
"You mean to step in yourself to prevent the royal family from punishing us if things go wrong. Though I am just a butler, I cannot shield us from the Marquis of Bourbon."
He seemed to be under some misconception, but his reasoning wasn't bad, so I nodded.
"Then I will handle this matter myself. I only have one request."
"What is it?"
"I have a match coming up in the arena. I heard that Silver Class and Gold Class can be in the same bracket?"
Diberi stroked his chin with interest.
"Yes, that's correct."
"I want to face a knight from Bourbon in the arena. Could you arrange for us to be matched? If the duel is arranged, this issue can be resolved simply."
"The arena's bracket..."
"Is it possible?"
"Of course, it's a simple task. The current manager of the Legion arena is also one of our Strange affiliates."
"Manager?"
"Yes, he was once the head of a mercenary group that played a significant role in the Northern War. Now, he lives quietly under orders from Lord Lois."
This was the first time I had heard this.
Well, I hadn't been interested in these matters in my past life, so even if I had heard about him, I wouldn't have remembered.
"What is his name?"
"Jack, Jack Clarke."
"Jack Clarke? That's a name I haven't heard before."
"He's only stayed within the Diamond Class, so you wouldn't have seen him."
"I see."
So he was someone I hadn't encountered in my past life either.
I had never been to the Diamond Class until now.
"I'll ask him to visit the mansion soon."
"No, since I know his name, I'll go meet him myself."
"Understood. Then, please inform me of the party name of the Bourbon Knights you wish to face and the desired date, and I will arrange it immediately."
"Yes, I haven't decided on a date yet. I'll send the party name along with the date through Rox."
"Very well. Oh, and by the way, the auction you mentioned is happening this evening. It seems there are two 'Beast Giants' corpses up for sale."
"This evening?"
"Yes, if you wish to attend, please let me know. I will secure a spot for you."
---
That evening.
Dark clouds filled the sky over Legion.
As raindrops began to fall and the darkness grew so thick it was hard to distinguish the path ahead, those who had been hiding in secret locations started to emerge one by one.
"…Is it certain that the young lad is heading to the auction house?"
When a shadowy figure in a black cloak spoke, a middle-aged man dressed as a hunter nervously looked around and replied.
"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. He left in a white carriage with the butler called Diberi."
"If this information is false, not only you but your family and everyone you share blood with will die."
"Of course not!"
Their conversation was brief.
The man in the black cloak handed over a pouch of money. The hunter quickly disappeared with it.
"Prepare yourselves."
The black-cloaked figure raised his hand over his head.
Simultaneously, hundreds of knights bearing the eagle emblem began blocking the paths around the auction house.
Of course, they didn't block the main roads frequented by nobles, only the small, unlit alleys.
Clomp, clomp, clomp.
A burly man in a black cloak approached the shadows.
"Nunes, if we fail, we all die."
The figure hidden in the shadows slowly revealed himself.
"Leave it to me, Baron Duff. However, even if this mission succeeds, Marquis Pierre will be in danger. Are you alright with that?"
"It doesn't matter. In fact, this is the perfect chance to cut ties with both Bourbon and Strange and align ourselves with Glazer."
"Is it possible?"
"Yes, everything has been arranged with Glazer regarding this matter. We have enough money saved up through Bourbon for our travels. Once we kill that kid tonight, everything will be resolved."
Duff removed his hood, revealing his eyes glowing with a strange light.
The five lines crossing his face reflected the light and shone.
"It's time to sever ties with that fool Marquis Pierre and head to the tower."
Clomp, clomp, clomp.
Nobles began arriving at the auction house in their carriages. Wealthy individuals from the city laughed heartily as they entered the auction house. The guards at the entrance held and released their weapons as each carriage arrived, prepared for any potential threats.
Some had wary expressions, aware of something amiss. These were the spies planted by Duff.
"I heard the corpse of a Beast Giant will be auctioned tonight. Is that true?"
A plump man heading to the auction house asked, rubbing his belly. A thin man adjusting his tuxedo replied.
"It is true, but it's best not to aim for it."
"Why?"
"The butler from Strange, Diberi, was here this morning. He notified that Strange will be taking all the Beast Giants."
"Strange?! Haha—Good thing I heard in advance. I might have made a mistake."
"Mistake? The manager usually notifies in advance before the auction starts."
"I suppose so…."
Duff's spy pricked up his ears at the conversation.
He waited until the nobles entered the auction house, then scratched his neck while looking in Duff's direction.
Seeing this, Duff nodded and smiled meaningfully.
Shhhhh!
The rain began to fall harder.
Soon after, a white carriage arrived.
Creeeak—
The carriage door opened.
Clomp, clomp, clomp.
A figure in a white cloak bearing a cross emerged.
"Welcome, Young Master Verdin!"
The guards at the auction house's entrance gripped their weapons tightly.