The Count of Bogenberg’s proposal was not something that could be immediately decided upon.
The main reason lay in the political situation surrounding the Count himself.
If Keldric, who had just set foot into the broader world, rashly accepted the Count’s proposal, he risked incurring the early disdain of the nobles within the faction of Count Lassau.
This would undoubtedly make his future endeavors more challenging.
“Could this become unnecessarily troublesome?”
Moreover, from Keldric’s perspective, the vague nature of the proposed fiefdom was also problematic. The village near the great city of Bogenberg sounded promising in theory, but agreeing to it without knowing the practical details could lead to disaster. While it was unlikely, if the cost of maintaining and managing the village exceeded the taxes it generated, it would be a textbook case of a loss-making venture.
Of course, Keldric harbored aspirations of managing a proper city or castle one day.
A village near a major city would likely have a decent size, and starting from there step by step wasn’t a bad idea.
However, having such a responsibility thrust upon him immediately was a different matter entirely, he was completely unprepared.
Keldric lacked a reliable support base, meaningful connections, and even the budget to manage a fief.
Though he had earned a significant amount of money through the tournament, it was far from sufficient to manage a fiefdom to the standard Keldric desired.
While knights were not typically known to nitpick over such conditions when entering vassal contracts,
Keldric judged that he was not yet ready to take that step. Unable to give an immediate answer, Keldric decided to “wait and see a little longer.”
There was still time left in Bogenberg, and he concluded that this was not a decision to rush into.
Keldric’s value also became a factor.
Thanks to the battles he had fought and his performance in tournaments, Keldric had developed a reasonable sense of his worth.
He was confident that with further accomplishments, he could secure far better terms than what was currently on the table.
This was, in essence, a strategy to “increase his value.” Keldric believed it wise to extract the maximum benefit and had arrived at this conclusion after careful consideration, unlike more impulsive knights.
“Sir Keldric, if by chance you were offered a vassal contract by Count Bogenberg, I recommend holding off for now.”
“…I haven’t said anything about it.”
“I apologize if I overstepped, but if you’ve met with Count Bogenberg, I can’t think of anything else he would propose.”
Sharp and quick-witted, Alyssa had already deduced that Keldric had been offered a vassal contract.
As Keldric felt awkward about his futile attempt to keep the matter confidential, Alyssa continued with a serious expression, pointing her fingers to enumerate her reasoning.
“First of all, Sir Keldric still has plenty of opportunities to prove himself. There are tournaments in other regions, and if you were to win this very tournament in Bogenberg, your value would increase significantly.”
“I was thinking along the same lines. What’s the second reason?”
“The second reason is… the Church’s response.”
“The Church’s response?”
The mention of the Church was something Keldric hadn’t considered. Intrigued, he listened closely to Alyssa.
As a graduate of the Academia, Alyssa was far more knowledgeable about noble society than Keldric, who had grown up in a rural backwater. Her insights were worth hearing.
“Count Bogenberg hosted this tournament under the pretext of honoring Saint Benansius during Lent. Proposing a vassal contract during this time could be viewed critically by the Church.”
“Oh…”
“The reason Count Bogenberg summoned you privately is likely due to this. If you formally request a proper vassal contract, it will almost certainly include a clause about providing ‘sacred duties’ to uphold the authority of the Church.”
Acting like Count Bogenberg could just brush aside the Church’s authority?
While he was a member of the Prince-Electors and held considerable personal power, such behavior was far from an ideal choice.
With three archbishops among the Prince-Electors, any political advantage the Count sought would hinge on the Church’s support.
Thus, if Count Bogenberg wanted both the Church’s favor and a vassal contract with Keldric, he needed religious legitimacy. That legitimacy would come from Keldric promising to fulfill “sacred duties” to the Count.
In truth, this wasn’t some extraordinary clause. Defending the Church and protecting the weak were already principles that Keldric wasn’t opposed to.
However, given that this tournament was ostensibly held to honor Saint Benansius, if Keldric were to ever violate the terms of the vassal contract, it could be seen as going against the teachings of the saint.
Such a breach could lead to harsher punishments for heretics under the guise of religious fervor.
Though Keldric wasn’t entirely against such measures, his lack of strong religious zeal made him reluctant to commit.
“Sir Keldric, there is no need for you to enter into a vassal contract during Lent.”
“Hmm…”
“Why not wait a little longer? After all, it’s not as if a territorial war will break out immediately. The timing for such wars in the North is quite limited.”
Even if preparations for a territorial war were underway, time would still be needed to gather troops and stockpile supplies.
Furthermore, the vast northern territories of the Empire were prone to blizzards in both summer and winter.
While summer storms were brief, lasting only two to three weeks, winter brought bitter cold that froze everything solid.
It was currently spring. Preparing for war until summer and then initiating territorial conflicts after the summer storms subsided seemed to be the ideal timing.
It wasn’t uncommon for territorial wars to last for more than half a year—sometimes over a year, or even more than a decade.
In other words, Keldric still had time to increase his value.
After pondering for a long while, Keldric slowly nodded. Alyssa’s points were flawless.
“You’re right.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
“And, uh… could you keep this matter a secret? Not that I don’t trust you, but just in case.”
“Of course, Sir Keldric.”
Despite her assurances, Keldric couldn’t help feeling uneasy. This was a matter he had tried to keep under wraps from the beginning. Though it was unlikely given Alyssa’s personality, any loose talk could cause significant trouble.
Keldric awkwardly scratched his chin before heading back to the hall with Alyssa.
“I suppose I’ll need to keep her by my side for the time being.”
Given the circumstances, Keldric decided to keep Alyssa close until he could resolve this issue.
For that to work, Keldric would have to foster a more trusting relationship with her—a bond where they could confide in one another.
Nothing more, nothing less. At this moment, that was precisely what Keldric wanted.
☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩
Despite being Count Bogenberg’s 50th birthday, the banquet was relatively brief, lasting only a single day.
Having understood that it was held to maintain the Church’s support, Keldric harbored no complaints. And with the banquet concluded, the tournament was naturally set to resume.
“Not many are left, it seems.”
“Exactly as you said, Sir Keldric. Many knights have been eliminated.”
“It looks like that pitiful Brittas knight will be among the next to fall.”
“You bastard…”
Now in its fifth day, the Bogenberg Tournament was entering its final stages. A significant number of knights had already been eliminated.
Keldric, however, was not one of them. Having survived with an undefeated record thus far, Keldric was curious about what kind of match would come next after the group combat events.
“Another group battle today?”
“They said today’s schedule is mixed. A group combat match followed by infantry duels and jousting.”
Though many knights had been eliminated, a fair number remained in the competition.
For instance, Sir Alan was still in the running. To narrow down the remaining competitors, the tournament organizers had set up another group combat event.
“Your team… you were with the Blue Dragons, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Lucky you. I heard the Blue Dragons don’t have to participate in today’s group match.”
The surviving teams included Keldric’s Blue Dragons, Sir Alan’s Yellow Rapeseed team, and Sir Ortwin, the “White Horse Knight,” with his Green Woodpecker team.
Since Keldric’s team had remained undefeated in the group matches thus far, they advanced directly without competing that day.
Thanks to this, Keldric found himself relaxing in the stands, watching the match unfold without expending any energy.
“White Horse Knight!”
“Sir Ortwin! You must win!”
By the fifth day, the Bogenberg Tournament had reached a fever pitch of excitement and cheers.
With the finals scheduled for the next day, the stands were packed with spectators eager to see which knight would make it to the final, glorious stage.
The banquet the previous night had also drawn more prominent guests, some of whom Keldric vaguely recognized from the gathering.
“Sir Alan, go embarrass yourself. If you’re a Brittas knight, you should wet yourself and flee in disgrace.”
“Shut your mouth.”
“Terrifying. But I bet you’ll be cowering like a whipped dog in front of Sir Ortwin.”
As Sir Alan stood to head down to the arena, Sir Henri continued to hurl insults at him.
Though they seemed to be on somewhat friendly terms, the two knights didn’t appear to be growing much closer. It was understandable, given that they were merely temporary companions for the tournament.
Once Alan left, Keldric shifted his attention to the arena.
Soon, the familiar steward of Kuno Castle stepped forward, raising his voice to announce the upcoming match. The cheers in the stands swelled with each knight’s name and family being called. Keldric spotted Sir Alan entering the arena.
“Sir Keldric, how do you think this will go?”
“Sir Ortwin will win.”
“I thought the same. No Brittas knight could be a match for him.”
While other knights might have been a toss-up, Sir Ortwin’s skill was undeniable in Keldric’s eyes.
The rumors of Ortwin’s 24 tournament victories didn’t seem like exaggerations. His equipment, movements, and bearing were in a league of their own.
“Knights! Prove your skill and bravery! Fight for the honor of your houses and your lords! May God bless the valor of these courageous warriors!”
As the match began, Keldric watched Sir Ortwin closely as he moved.
The chances of Sir Alan’s Yellow Rapeseed team prevailing were slim. That was due to one overwhelming factor: the White Horse Knight was among their opponents.
Whether it was fate’s trick or divine amusement, Keldric had yet to face Sir Ortwin in a match. However, that was about to change.
Sir Rupert, who had faced Sir Ortwin in the first match, was more skilled than Keldric had anticipated, but that was all. He neither posed a significant threat nor created the tension of a truly gripping duel.
The group battle unfolding in the arena progressed without much surprise. Knights collided, forming natural lines of engagement, and at the center of it all, Sir Ortwin pierced through the opposing knights with overwhelming dominance, securing yet another decisive victory.
“The match is decided! May God embrace the defeated!”
As Sir Ortwin’s team once again claimed victory and acknowledged the cheering spectators, Keldric watched the White Horse Knight with eager eyes.
“I’m looking forward to this.”
Sir Werner had grown too old, and Keldric had yet to face Sir Theodor.
Sir Rupert was a reasonably skilled knight, but their fight had taken place in the chaos of a melee, and his performance had fallen short of Keldric’s expectations.
But Sir Ortwin… he might be different.
Keldric was the type to seek learning in every situation. If there was something to learn from Sir Ortwin, that alone would make the duel worthwhile.
But if Keldric were to win…
The cheers and flower petals currently showering Sir Ortwin would inevitably be his instead.
And truth be told, Keldric couldn’t imagine himself losing.