The County of Bogenberg
At its heart, the city of Bogenberg, which had grown thanks to the largest trade network in the region.
As its name directly came from the territory, Bogenberg seemed like an unbreakable fortress that would never fall, even if invaders struck.
It wasn’t because its walls were impossibly sturdy or that it was surrounded by impassable terrain….it was simply a matter of sheer scale.
“Is there a decent inn around here?”
“Sir Keldric, there’s nothing not to be found in Bogenberg.”
Just as Sir Henri said, there was nothing missing in Bogenberg, which connected the southern empire to the Avalontine Republic further south.
Among the countless goods lining the stalls, there were things Keldric needed and some he had never seen back in Belam.
While Keldric was busy browsing, Sir Henri approached him quietly and spoke.
“Sir, before you participate in the tournament, why not take a look at some weapons?”
“Weapons?”
“In tournaments like these, weapons occasionally break. You’d be in a bind if you didn’t have a spare.”
Indeed, Sir Henri had a point.
Apart from Sir Werner’s solid iron mace, there weren’t many weapons Keldric could truly rely on.
He had recently ordered a new shield, but after taking a few hits, that could easily break too.
Moreover, long swords often chipped, requiring maintenance after each fight.
If Keldric were merely wandering around, it wouldn’t matter, but for a large-scale tournament, having spare weapons was essential.
“There are about three days until the tournament, so tomorrow we should visit the artisan’s district and take a look.”
“Understood. Will you be coming with me?”
“I have to meet with some of my relatives, so that might be difficult. My apologies.”
“No need to apologize. I understand.”
While Keldric now had a clear need for backup weapons, he wasn’t hoping for anything of exceptional craftsmanship.
What he needed were affordable weapons—ones that could be used a few times in the tournament and then discarded. Something almost disposable.
Still, he couldn’t afford to buy trash, either.
He had to carefully choose weapons that were reasonably priced yet durable.
“Alisa, are you busy as well?”
“Yes, I have some errands to run myself… I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize.”
It seemed he would be wandering alone for the first time in a while.
Keldric quietly suppressed the slight loneliness he felt.
Having traveled with others for so long, the thought of going alone again felt unfamiliar.
“How is the quality of Bogenberg’s weapons?”
“There are many skilled artisans here, even some famous ones. The swords they craft here are exquisite—their edges are sharp and clean.”
“Oh…”
“They also make armor in the style of the Republic. Many knights appreciate it for its lighter weight.”
Keldric’s face showed growing anticipation.
Who knew what new styles of armor or weapons might be found in Bogenberg’s artisan district?
As if to prove this, Keldric spotted a building that looked slightly exotic.
“What’s that?”
“A building in the Republic’s architectural style. Not common, but not rare either.”
“There must be a lot of southerners here.”
“Many come by way of the Ronauen River…..mainly merchants or sculptors. Some even arrive from the Duchy of Firensa.”
Along the city’s main roads stood buildings with somewhat unfamiliar architectural designs.
Even within the same empire, lifestyles varied from the north to other regions.
In the snowy north, homes were built to protect against dampness and the cold. Conversely, in the warm and dry central and southern empire, there was less concern for moisture and chill.
Bogenberg, which bridged the empire’s north and south, was a mix of these conflicting styles.
Keldric observed the buildings, where northern architecture blended with the styles of the central and southern empire, with subtle curiosity.
Here and there, he also spotted buildings constructed in the Republic’s southern style or the Frankish kingdom’s designs.
Sir Henri, riding alongside Keldric, pointed toward one of them. Judging by the delicious smell wafting from it, it appeared to be a restaurant.
“That’s the kind of place where you’ll find real, authentic food. Have you ever tried Frankish cuisine?”
“Properly? No, I don’t think I have.”
“If you ever taste real Frankish food, you might never want to return to the empire. I can guarantee it.”
Keldric doubted it could be that good, but the Frankish kingdom’s reputation for fine cuisine was steadily spreading across the continent.
‘Maybe I should find something delicious to eat.’
Keldric had enough money to afford good food without a second thought, and if he won the tournament, that fortune would only grow.
Since he wasn’t in any rush to leave, Keldric decided to take his time.
He would have to stay in Bogenberg for at least a week to see through the tournament schedule anyway.
“Ahem! Sir, shall we head in now?”
“Hmm, are you in a hurry?”
“No, not exactly… you know.”
As Keldric showed interest in looking around the city a little longer, Sir Henri gave him a subtle nudge and gestured toward something.
It was an inn in the style of the Republic, with two strikingly beautiful women standing at the entrance, trying to attract customers.
Keldric immediately made a displeased face, recognizing Sir Henri’s less-than-noble intentions.
“…You have endless energy, don’t you? Aren’t you tired?”
“Sir Keldric, we’re in our prime. This is the time to enjoy these things.”
“I won’t judge you, but take care of yourself. What if you end up with an unexpected child?”
“T-That won’t happen! Sir!”
As if. Keldric scoffed inwardly.
Judging by Sir Henri’s behavior, there might already be some illegitimate children growing up somewhere in the empire.
‘Better than a brothel, I suppose…’
The inn looked high-quality and clean, which meant it would be expensive.
Not all inns were like this, but those with higher prices often employed their own hostesses to entertain guests.
For the knights and nobles who occasionally stayed there, the innkeepers were always looking for ways to squeeze out a little more money.
Unfortunately, it seemed Sir Henri had already fallen into their trap.
“Alisa, will you be alright?”
“Well… I just hope the walls are soundproof.”
If Sir Henri were some unremarkable man, it wouldn’t matter, but even at the inn they had stayed in Salzfluss a few days ago, cries of pleasure had echoed through the night. This time would likely be no different.
For some reason, Sir Henri’s overly dramatic flirting and expressions were surprisingly effective with women.
The problem, though, was that the women who fell for it were usually prostitutes.
If this kept up, Sir Henri’s manhood might one day resemble a troll’s crude wooden club, but Keldric had no reason to worry about it.
“Very well……we’ll stay there.”
“An excellent choice. You have good taste, Sir Keldric.”
☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩
The inn’s interior was as neat as it appeared from the outside, and the unfamiliar but delicious smell of food filled the air.
Keldric was quite pleased to be experiencing something so different.
While this kind of thing was best enjoyed by traveling to the actual location, this brief encounter still managed to whet his appetite and fulfill his sense of anticipation.
‘Oh. Those people…’
Among those seated in the hall, there were a couple of men who appeared to be knights. Keldric’s gaze narrowed slightly as he scanned them.
If they were knights staying in Bogenberg at this time, they might be participating in the tournament. It was possible they could even be his opponents.
“Sir, do you see any familiar faces?”
“Hmm… No. I don’t see any knights I know.”
Even Sir Henri, who was always eager to make friends, didn’t recognize anyone.
This likely meant they were relatively new knights or had come from far away.
It wasn’t something Keldric particularly needed to concern himself with, but among knights, it was customary to introduce oneself by name and family when meeting others.
As if realizing this, one knight seated with a young squire stood and approached Keldric and Sir Henri.
“May the gods embrace you. I am Alan of the Hawksworth family, sworn to the Duke of Bankeshire. It is an honor to meet you.”
“May the gods protect you. I am Keldric of the Bellaf family. The honor is mine as well.”
Sir Alan of the Hawksworth family appeared to be from the Kingdom of Brittas.
However, Keldric wasn’t very familiar with the Duke of Bankeshire, whom Alan served, so he quickly concluded the introductions to avoid the conversation drifting in that direction.
“A fateful meeting, as determined by the gods. It is a pleasure to meet you. I have heard much of the Hawksworth family’s valor.”
“And you are…?”
“Henri of the Candillon family. But more importantly, Sir Alan, I’ve heard the previous head of the Hawksworth family fled with his tail between his legs when he saw the pagan army. Is that true? I’m not too well-informed, you see.”
At this, Keldric turned in shock to stare at Sir Henri.
‘Is he insane?’
No, he wasn’t insane—he’d clearly lost his mind. That was essentially an insult delivered straight to Alan’s face.
Alan’s expression twisted immediately, like a crumpled sheet of paper, as he clearly understood Henri’s mocking tone.
“…I must have misheard. What did you just say?”
“Oh dear, did you not hear me well? I was just singing praises of Hawksworth’s valor.”
“Such bold words coming from your mouth. Do all knights of the Frankish Kingdom act so ‘honorably’?”
“Well, compared to the lowly knights of Brittas, I dare say we are slightly more honorable. Such a shame for you.”
There was something Keldric had briefly overlooked.
The Kingdoms of Brittas and Frank were notorious for having poor relations.
This animosity stemmed from disputes over the royal bloodlines, which had become tangled like stray mongrels. The kings of Brittas and Frank, fifth cousins, both claimed ownership of territories across the sea, asserting their inheritance rights.
For nobles and royals, bloodline was one of the most critical matters. It determined who inherited a family’s legacy and had to be perfectly clear.
However, under the belief that “noble blood must mix only with noble blood,” such intermixing of lineages gave both the Brittas and Frankish kings a claim to each other’s lands.
The resulting disputes had led to war in recent years.
War meant knights, desperate to prove their loyalty and honor to their kings, had participated—and it also meant that knights from both kingdoms were far from friendly when they met.
“In that sense, isn’t the Candillon family also worthy of praise? I heard there was a bastard knight who abandoned his fiancé, a wizard, because he was afraid of magic. I don’t know who that is.”
“That’s strange. What I heard was slightly different—that an adopted son of the Hawksworth family didn’t know his place and usurped the position of head of the family.”
The inn’s interior was as neat as it appeared from the outside, and the unfamiliar but delicious smell of food filled the air.
Keldric was quite pleased to be experiencing something so different.
While this kind of thing was best enjoyed by traveling to the actual location, this brief encounter still managed to whet his appetite and fulfill his sense of anticipation.
‘Oh. Those people…’
Among those seated in the hall, there were a couple of men who appeared to be knights. Keldric’s gaze narrowed slightly as he scanned them.
If they were knights staying in Bogenberg at this time, they might be participating in the tournament. It was possible they could even be his opponents.
“Sir, do you see any familiar faces?”
“Hmm… No. I don’t see any knights I know.”
Even Sir Henri, who was always eager to make friends, didn’t recognize anyone.
This likely meant they were relatively new knights or had come from far away.
It wasn’t something Keldric particularly needed to concern himself with, but among knights, it was customary to introduce oneself by name and family when meeting others.
As if realizing this, one knight seated with a young squire stood and approached Keldric and Sir Henri.
“May the gods embrace you. I am Alan of the Hawksworth family, sworn to the Duke of Bankeshire. It is an honor to meet you.”
“May the gods protect you. I am Keldric of the Bellaf family. The honor is mine as well.”
Sir Alan of the Hawksworth family appeared to be from the Kingdom of Brittas.
However, Keldric wasn’t very familiar with the Duke of Bankeshire, whom Alan served, so he quickly concluded the introductions to avoid the conversation drifting in that direction.
“A fateful meeting, as determined by the gods. It is a pleasure to meet you. I have heard much of the Hawksworth family’s valor.”
“And you are…?”
“Henri of the Candillon family. But more importantly, Sir Alan, I’ve heard the previous head of the Hawksworth family fled with his tail between his legs when he saw the pagan army. Is that true? I’m not too well-informed, you see.”
At this, Keldric turned in shock to stare at Sir Henri.
‘Is he insane?’
No, he wasn’t insane—he’d clearly lost his mind. That was essentially an insult delivered straight to Alan’s face.
Alan’s expression twisted immediately, like a crumpled sheet of paper, as he clearly understood Henri’s mocking tone.
“…I must have misheard. What did you just say?”
“Oh dear, did you not hear me well? I was just singing praises of Hawksworth’s valor.”
“Such bold words coming from your mouth. Do all knights of the Frankish Kingdom act so ‘honorably’?”
“Well, compared to the lowly knights of Brittas, I dare say we are slightly more honorable. Such a shame for you.”
There was something Keldric had briefly overlooked.
The Kingdoms of Brittas and Frank were notorious for having poor relations.
This animosity stemmed from disputes over the royal bloodlines, which had become tangled like stray mongrels. The kings of Brittas and Frank, fifth cousins, both claimed ownership of territories across the sea, asserting their inheritance rights.
For nobles and royals, bloodline was one of the most critical matters. It determined who inherited a family’s legacy and had to be perfectly clear.
However, under the belief that “noble blood must mix only with noble blood,” such intermixing of lineages gave both the Brittas and Frankish kings a claim to each other’s lands.
The resulting disputes had led to war in recent years.
War meant knights, desperate to prove their loyalty and honor to their kings, had participated—and it also meant that knights from both kingdoms were far from friendly when they met.
“If we’re discussing honor, isn’t the Candillon family worthy of praise? I hear one knight was so terrified of magic that he abandoned his betrothed, a sorceress. Now, who could that be….I wonder”
“That’s strange. What I heard was slightly different—that an adopted son of the Hawksworth family didn’t know his place and usurped the position of head of the family.”
“Noble Sir Henri, by any chance, did you not participate in the Lamburg campaign?”
“…Why bring that up?”
What had started as a simple exchange of greetings was now spiraling out of control.
At this rate, they’d soon be dragging up the color of last week’s stool, so Keldric quickly intervened, stepping between the two knights.
“Now, now, let’s all calm down. Sir Henri, Sir Alan, what are you two doing with so many eyes watching? This is not honorable.”
“Oh, my mistake. I suppose Brittas knights wouldn’t even know what honor is. I’ll just have to teach you.”
“That sounds excellent. Before that, shouldn’t someone teach you how to fight properly, seeing as you fell off your horse during a charge?”
Sir Alan, who had appeared composed earlier, had now turned icy cold. Meanwhile, Keldric was taken aback, as he had never seen Sir Henri act this hostile before.
The situation was now alarming enough that Keldric considered separating them by force.
Of course, brute force didn’t always work as a solution.
“You miserable, gloomy Brittas bastard! How dare you trample on my honor?”
“You filthy coward Frank! You’re the one who insulted my honor!”
“Wait a minute.”
Both knights suddenly drew their weapons.
Sir Henri snatched a messer and shield roughly from his squire, while Sir Alan grabbed a poleaxe.
“I challenge you to a duel! You pig-headed, insufferable bastard!”
“I accept the duel! You will pay for insulting my honor!”
They continued to glare at each other, hurling increasingly vulgar insults, before both turned to Keldric.
“Sir Keldric! Serve as the witness!”
“Indeed! An honorable man like Sir Keldric can be trusted!”
When have I ever been honorable?
Flabbergasted, Keldric let out a long sigh.
Ignoring this mess and smoothing things over would have been preferable, but the truth remained that both knights had insulted each other’s honor.
And a knight whose honor had been slighted could not simply leave the offender be.
Thus, fueled by youthful fervor and wounded pride, the duel between the two knights was hastily arranged.