My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 178

§ 178 – The Outcome of the Match

The final, fifth match of the bet: Sian versus Yale.

“Well… it’s a bit difficult to determine the outcome,” Leah replied with a nonchalant expression.

“Then, may I offer my opinion?”

“Your opinion? What is it?” Conrad slowly turned his head, looking at the Royal Knights and the residents of Ruben present.

Soon, Conrad slowly opened his mouth. “How about we call it a draw?”

“A draw?”

Conrad nodded slightly. “Actually, this bet was about selecting representatives who matched each other’s level for the duel. But Yale and Sian… their levels didn’t match.”

“Hmm…” Leah neither nodded nor shook her head.

What Conrad said wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t entirely right either. After all, wasn’t Kendrick the same? This confrontation was nothing more than a result of mutual concessions.

So, to tell the truth… it could be said that Yale won. Therefore, it could be said that the Royal Knights won. But Conrad proposed a draw.

Well, it wouldn’t be a big problem to consider it a draw. The duel was conducted for friendly purposes, and it wasn’t a life-or-death struggle that would only end when one side’s life was taken.

“But then the victory and defeat won’t be decided.”

However, if it ended in a draw, the victory and defeat would not be determined. It would be different if it were a simple friendly match, but this was a bet. The losing side becomes the practice tool… no, the practice machine… of the winning side. Anyway, that was the bet.

And currently, the score of the bet duel was 2:2, and this match was the final, fifth match. It might have been different if it were the previous first to fourth matches. Now that the bet’s victory or defeat is not determined if it ends in a draw, it was difficult to end it in a draw. And of course, Conrad was well aware of that fact.

“How about we both fulfill the contents of the bet, befitting the result of a draw?”

“Fulfill each other’s bet contents?” Conrad nodded lightly.

The conditions of this bet duel were as follows: If Ruben wins, the Royal Knights will become practice partners for Ruben’s soldiers and knights whenever they want. If the Royal Knights win, Kendrick will become a practice partner whenever they want.

In fact, there were no overlapping parts between the two, so there would be no major problem even if both were fulfilled. However…

“However, Your Highness, if that is the case, there will be a disruption in guarding Your Highness and the Princess.”

If that happened, the Royal Knights would not be able to escort Conrad and Elena. At Yale’s words, which were heard in an instant, the gazes of people, including Conrad, were focused on Yale’s battered appearance, telling how fierce the duel with Sian had been. And if this duel were to end in a draw, as Yale said, and thus, if they were to fulfill each other’s bet conditions, the Royal Knights would have to come out in full force. In reality, it was right to assume that they could not perform the escort mission.

“It’s alright,” Conrad said to Yale and the Royal Knights. “I don’t think there’s a need for an escort in Ruben.”

Honestly… escorting didn’t have much meaning in Ruben. Ruben, located in the Dark Forest, was why he was somewhat nervous. Also, it was true that monsters had actually invaded Ruben, but that was it. There was only the fact that monsters were invading, but it was not a threat at all. Rather, he could only see Ruben’s soldiers happy that an ogre had come, saying that its sinews were expensive.

And Kai and the White Wolf Knights—even they couldn’t do anything to Ruben. They had to turn back their steps in the end without breaking through Ruben’s forces. What kind of threat would he receive in this Ruben? No, does escorting even have meaning in this Ruben?

To put it bluntly, let’s say Ruben’s forces are determined to attack. The Royal Knights couldn’t stop it. Leah and Kendrick are right in front of him, and Sian, who competed with Yale, is as well. In addition to Ruben’s soldiers and knights, then there was nothing he could do. Of course, it was only an assumption, but would Sian actually rebel?

Honestly, it was clear that escorting didn’t have much meaning. But even if it had no meaning, the duty was still a duty. Conrad didn’t know that fact, so he didn’t say anything special. But if the situation flowed like this, the story was different—to be exact…

“Yale, weren’t you also blocked by a wall?”

He didn’t want to take away the opportunity for the Royal Knights to develop. Conrad knew that as a descendant of Charlotte, Conrad was also walking the path of a knight. Although he had been appointed as the Crown Prince and was now overwhelmed with work, Conrad knew how helpful it is to duel with a knight of a higher level, even more so if that level reaches Yale, a mid-level Master [a rank of highly skilled knight].

However, it was difficult to find a knight of a higher level than a mid-level Master. It was not just difficult to find, but it could be said that there was only one person, and dueling with that one person was virtually impossible. So, there was no such opportunity—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a leap to a higher level, not only for Yale but also for Philip and even the other Royal Knights. He didn’t want to lose such an opportunity by being bound by the duty of escorting.

“…”

Yale didn’t answer Conrad’s words because it was the truth. It wasn’t that Yale didn’t want it, and not only Yale but also Philip and the other Royal Knights felt the same way. Conrad smiled at Yale’s expression. Then, looking at Sian, he slowly opened his mouth. “What do you think, Sian?”

At Conrad’s question, Sian paused for a moment. Honestly, it wasn’t a bad offer. Sian’s purpose in the bet duel was one thing: to make the Royal Knights a practice tool—no, a practice machine—no, to have a justification for that. If he achieved that goal, he honestly didn’t care whether he won or lost. He didn’t care about the victory or defeat of the bet duel, and strictly speaking…

‘If I only consider the match, I might have lost.’

Objectively, it was no different from Sian’s defeat. Conrad suggested a draw, saying that Sian and Yale’s levels didn’t match, but if you looked into it, it was no different from an unreasonable demand. If the person making the suggestion was Sian instead of Conrad, it would have been nothing short of a tantrum. Regardless of the difference in level, whether there was a slump in condition or not, it was just an excuse. Even if you take into account the circumstances of the duel, it was still an excuse. No matter what words you string together, losing was losing, although it was a result decided after a close match. Sian couldn’t surpass Yale yet, and perhaps… Conrad knew that fact.

Nevertheless, the reason Conrad stepped up like this was simple.

‘Was this what you were planning from the beginning?’

Conrad seemed to have been thinking about this from the beginning. So, even if Ruben lost, he was willing to let the Royal Knights be Ruben’s practice partners. And to be honest, in fact, Sian was going to do that too. Even if Ruben won, Sian was going to let Kendrick and the Royal Knights duel whenever he had time.

Sian smiled slightly and nodded. Sian and Conrad, the lord of Ruben and the crown prince of the empire—the difference in their respective positions is different. However, the position of being the one who leads people from the front was the same. Perhaps, thinking of their own people was the same, even though there was no particular benefit to themselves.

“I will follow Your Highness’s opinion.”

At Sian’s answer, Conrad gave a deep smile, as if he knew Sian would do that. Soon, Conrad looked at Leah again. At Conrad’s gaze, Leah nodded her head greatly and shouted, “Okay! Then the result of the bet duel is…”

And Leah’s shout that followed: “A draw!”

At the same time, a tremendous roar erupted, filling the arena.

#

Soon after the bet duel ended in a draw, the people who gathered scattered in all directions. Accordingly, the heat of the festival that had been hot also subsided, but another heat was rising in the arena.

Clang! Clang!

It was none other than a training craze disguised as a duel, with not only Ruben’s soldiers and knights but also the entire Royal Knights filling the arena and unfolding their respective duels—an opportunity for each to reach a higher level. However, only Kendrick was not. Kendrick was virtually only giving, so Sian couldn’t help but feel sorry for Kendrick.

“Please don’t worry about me,” Kendrick was surprisingly unconcerned. “My lord’s knights are also my members.” Kendrick was currently serving as the commander of Ruben’s knights and had been teaching Ruben’s knights all along.

“If the members can grow greatly, it is natural for the commander to help. And I am not without help either.” Kendrick’s level was an upper-level Master, making him the most outstanding knight here. So, from Kendrick’s point of view, it was just dueling with a lower-level knight. However, even if it was a lower-level knight, it was not without any learning.

“While dueling with the knights, I think I am gradually seeing things that I didn’t see and things that I missed.” Although he was an amazing level of upper-level Master, ironically, Kendrick was facing the limits of his talent.

“Perhaps… I think that reviewing in a lower place, not a higher place, may be an opportunity to break down the wall I am facing.” Kendrick continued to duel with the Royal Knights more diligently than anyone else.

As the training craze swept across Ruben, Sian’s office, located in the Lord’s Castle Lv.3 [Level 3], was quiet.

“Haa…” Sian buried himself in the chair. Was it because he had just dueled with Yale, or was it because of the backlash of ‘Extreme – Asura Heavenly Slaughter’ [a powerful martial arts technique]? It seemed like it would be both, but anyway, an indescribable sense of exhaustion poured out from his whole body. Still, thanks to the blessing of the World Tree and the efficacy of the elixir, he could stop at exhaustion. If not, his insides would have been shaken up once again, like in the clash with Kai.

Well, anyway…

“Haa…” Sian was buried in the chair and pondered. Sian’s level, which had advanced several stages by absorbing the power of the elixir, and the duel with Yale—Sian’s level that he could grasp from it…

“It’s ambiguous…” It was ambiguous, so he couldn’t just cut it off and say it was here. First of all, it was certain that he was comparable to a Master. If not, he wouldn’t have been able to put up such a close fight with Yale. So, it was true that he was close to a Master, but if you ask if he was at the level of a Master, that was not the case either. Again, having directly dueled with Yale, Sian himself could feel something lacking. In fact, he lost to Yale. Of course, Yale had reached the middle level of Master, but even so, it was somehow unsettling to call him an early Master. The power of his magic itself had reached the Master level. However, a Master is not called a Master just because he is strong. His power had reached the Master level, but his enlightenment and experiences had not reached the Master level? So, Master (Jin) [a hypothetical rank between levels]?

“It’s really ambiguous.”

Sian was buried in the chair and was lost in thought, and right then…

“Sian!” Suddenly, a woman’s head popped up in front of Sian’s eyes—a possessor of silver hair and a captivating appearance. It was none other than Leah, and Leah appeared literally abruptly, as if to surprise Sian. But…

“Yes,” Sian was calm without showing any signs of surprise.

“What? You’re not surprised?”

“Well…” He already knew Leah was coming. If it were normal, he would have been surprised. Leah hid her presence and suddenly appeared, but perhaps it was because he had definitely grown. His more expanded sense of energy than before could sense Leah’s presence long ago.

“Tch. No fun,” Leah pouted her lips as if she was completely out of energy. Sian chuckled once and said to Leah, “Where did you leave Your Highness and the Princess and stay here?”

“Your Highness and the Princess? Ah, those guys? They said they were watching the kids fight. I just came.”

Fighting meant dueling. It seemed that Conrad and Elena were watching the duel.

‘But those guys…?’

Leah calling Conrad and Elena those guys—if anyone heard it, it would be a serious crime of insulting the imperial family, punishable by extermination of seven or eight generations. But well… what could he do if Leah was going to call them that? She called the emperor a nobody. Those guys were quite a euphemism. At least it was a personal pronoun. Well, anyway…

“No, not that. I have something I’m curious about.”

“Something you’re curious about?”

“That’s, it was a little strange. Why don’t they use your brother’s swordsmanship?”

At Leah’s words, Sian paused for a moment. That was because he had to think about who the ‘those guys’ Leah was talking about this time, and considering the words brother’s swordsmanship later—so, considering that it was Charlotte’s swordsmanship, it didn’t seem to mean Conrad and Elena earlier. Elena didn’t suit swordsmanship, let alone Conrad.

“Are you talking about the Royal Knights?”

“Yeah. The knights who follow those guys.”

The those guys she was talking about this time were none other than Conrad and Elena. Looking at it this way, it was really… Those guys seemed to be a magical word. Well, anyway, Leah’s curiosity was why the Royal Knights didn’t use Charlotte’s swordsmanship. Perhaps that part was strange in the arena. Especially Yale’s swordsmanship was even more so. Yale’s sword was a sword made thoroughly for practical use.

Sian nodded once and answered. “Charlotte’s swordsmanship is only passed down to the imperial family.”

Charlotte, the first emperor of the Charlotte Empire and the leader of Arnaise [a legendary group of knights], the swordsmanship he used was ‘Zodiac Sword’ and had been passed down to the imperial family for generations. The Royal Knights were knights who guarded the imperial family, but they did not learn Charlotte’s swordsmanship.

“Really? My brother taught it to the knights who followed him. I guess it’s not like that anymore.” He didn’t know what Charlotte was like a thousand years ago, but it wasn’t like that now.

“Huh? Isn’t it? Still strange?” At that moment, Leah tilted her head as if something was strange. Sian shrugged his shoulders at Leah’s appearance. Well, whatever the facts were a thousand years ago, it didn’t have much meaning now.

“Charlotte’s swordsmanship has already been lost.”

“Huh? My brother’s swordsmanship is lost?”

“Yes.”

Charlotte’s swordsmanship was lost. Originally, it had been passed down through the imperial family for generations. However, it was lost several hundred years ago. Sian also did not know the detailed circumstances of why it was lost. He only knew that a great crisis had struck the empire a long time ago. At that time, the emperor was assassinated, and Charlotte’s swordsmanship was also lost. In addition, he heard that a great crisis that threatened the empire’s survival had struck…

It was Elandur who raised the empire at that time. He knew that the Elandur family was the beginning of becoming a prestigious family in the empire. So, at first, he wondered if he could learn Charlotte’s swordsmanship from the beginner growth martial arts package.

‘Kyle’s martial arts came out instead.’

Sian chuckled as he recalled the memory at that time, and right then…

“That can’t be?” Leah tilted her head and continued. “Aren’t you misunderstanding something?”

“No. I’m sure of it,” Sian shook his head firmly because it was a definite fact. Could he possibly misunderstand such an important fact? Not only Conrad but also the current emperor did not know Charlotte’s swordsmanship. Of course, the sword used by Charlotte, ‘Zodiac Sword’, remained, but that was just a sword with the same name. To be exact, Charlotte named the swordsmanship after the name of the sword. In a word, Charlotte’s swordsmanship was not left.

“Strange… then what is he?” But for some reason, Leah kept tilting her head, and here, he couldn’t guess who the ‘he’ Leah was talking about was.

“Who are you talking about when you say he…?”

“That why. There’s a guy you fought with. That unlucky guy.”

“If it’s someone I fought with…” Sian had fought with quite a few people. However, considering the time and the person Leah could call a guy… he could narrow it down to about two people. The first was Yale, but he couldn’t possibly be talking about Yale.

“Kai?”

There was only Kai.

“You mean the wolf-like guy. Is that guy’s name Kai?”

“Yes. That’s right.” It seemed like he was talking about Kai.

“Why Kai?”

That’s why Sian couldn’t help but wonder even more. Why did Leah suddenly mention Kai? Leah didn’t answer right away. She kept tilting her head with a strange expression and asked Sian again. “You said Charlotte’s swordsmanship was definitely lost, right?”

“Yes.”

“Strange…” Leah muttered quietly, and Leah’s one word that followed: “He definitely used my brother’s swordsmanship?”

“…… Yes?” Sian’s expression suddenly froze.