Succession Round 2, Duke Ransel. (5)

“Please, show me your best, Lancel.”

Marigold, raising her Wooden Sword, emanated a different kind of pressure than before.

“…I’m going to go all out.”

“Scary, Mary.”

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—Imperial Calendar 820, August 4th, Evening. Weather: Clear.

—Marigold has achieved 32% mastery of Advanced Swordsmanship.

※List of part-time job interviews has been updated. S-Rank Adventurer, General, Imperial Knight Commander, Rebel Leader, Dragon Slayer, Pilgrim, Demon Slayer, Ancient Ruins Explorer, and Dragon Rider have been newly added.

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‘Kyle deserved to lose without even putting up a fight.’

At the very least, Marigold’s skill was two levels above Kyle’s.

Just because they were on the part-time job interview list didn’t mean she could do them right away, but it was proof that she was at a similar level to them.

Marigold must have been like a wall to Kyle Dante, who still needed a lot more training to become a Knight Commander.

“The one who drops their sword first or allows a direct hit loses.”

Viscount Dante’s voice.

Lancel and Marigold looked at each other.

“Forgive me if I can’t control my strength, Mary.”

“That’s exactly what I was going to say, Lancel.”

Sparks flew between the two smiling people. Viscount Dante’s hand went up.

“Begin.”

The two bodies dashed forward simultaneously. The Wooden Swords were drawn out long and flew towards each other.

9.

“You’re saying you’re going on a trip, just the two of you, without any guards?”

“Yes.”

Lancel’s mother.

Lady Dante sharply raised her eyebrows.

“Are you out of your mind?”

“…It’s not really a trip, Mother, we’re just taking a slightly longer route to the Imperial Capital.”

“Haa… I don’t know why he likes going out of the house so much. I thought he’d change a bit when he got a spouse, but now he’s even dragging his fiancée along? What is this all about? Can’t he just stay put somewhere quietly like your brothers?”

Lady Dante’s nagging continued until Viscount Dante intervened.

“Wife, just leave them be. A young knight should experience some hardship in rough terrain. He won’t be able to do this once he joins the Knights, so let him do as he pleases now.”

“Haa, really…”

While soothing his wife, Viscount Dante asked Lancel.

“So, Lancel, when did you say you were leaving?”

“Not right away, I’m planning to leave around next spring.”

“Then there’s some time left. Prepare well from now on and go.”

“Of course.”

The rumor that Lancel and Marigold were leaving had spread to everyone in the Dante Family as of yesterday.

Lancel Dante was someone who ran away from home like it was a daily routine, so the family’s reaction was a bit lukewarm.

Marigold was different.

“Do you really have to go…?”

“It would be nice if you could stay with us in the Dante Territory…”

“Could you perhaps call for us if you go to the Imperial Capital, Miss Mary….”

“Imperial Capital! Me too! I want to go too!”

The maids were clamoring.

Lancel felt a little complicated.

‘They’ve never said anything like that to me, have they?’

It’s not that I’m upset.

It’s just… you know?

It’s not that I’m upset, but still.

“Just tell Lancel to go alone…”

‘Hey, that’s too much.’

Going that far was too much.

He was starting to suspect whether he was the adopted husband of this house and Marigold was the real daughter.

“Ahem.”

Lancel made a noise and approached.

The maids, who were fixing Marigold’s hair, shot him sharp, pointed glances.

“Lancel, you should knock before coming in, shouldn’t you?”

“……”

Hesti’s sharp gaze.

“Ah, sorry.”

Nothing could be done. She was the type to force even the Emperor to knock. Lancel turned around, knocked again, and came inside.

Even this time, the reaction wasn’t very pleasant.

“Making bruises on a lady’s face. That was too much, Lancel.”

“That’s right. What if it left a scar?”

“And in such a noticeable place…”

The maids pointed to Marigold’s one swollen eyelid.

It was slightly torn and bruised from being hit by the Wooden Sword.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. It’ll heal quickly.”

Even though Marigold answered with a smile, the maids’ eyes didn’t soften. The swelling was definitely a bit large.

But Lancel decided to brazen it out.

“Such injuries are nothing in a knight’s duel. What would you maids know? Stop your idle chatter and quietly bring some tea.”

“We’re busy right now. We’ll bring it later.”

‘If that’s how you want to play it.’

Lancel stroked his chin and opened his mouth in a subtle tone.

“…I’ll need some servants to settle down in the Imperial Capital… I wonder who to take from among you…”

“I’ll bring it right away!”

The maids rushed out as if competing.

For them, who had lived their whole lives in a remote area, the opportunity to enter the Imperial Capital was not common.

In an era where it was natural to live and die in the place where you were born, heading to Rodniss in the Imperial Capital was close to impossible unless someone called for you.

“Me first!”

“Don’t push!”

Lancel could only chuckle as he watched the childish backs of the young maids.

“How are you feeling?”

“I feel better after lying down. My head must have been spinning for a moment.”

Marigold answered with a bright smile. One eye was swollen, and the movement of her facial muscles still seemed dull.

“I wanted to beat Lancel just once…”

“You’re still 10 years too early.”

With hundreds of years of accumulated know-how.

‘It would be more surprising if I lost.’

Even if I’ve lived this life like a bum, I’m not at the level where I’d lose to Marigold.

“Begin.”

That day.

The match was decided in just one minute after Viscount Dante’s signal.

Marigold, aiming for an opening, and Lancel, deflecting attacks and retreating.

“Oh, what’s happening?”

“Sir Lancel, he’s defending better than I thought…?”

The next moment.

Lancel, who had only been retreating, changed the direction of his Wooden Sword.

“Ah…!”

An exclamation burst from Marigold’s mouth. The Wooden Sword pierced through at an angle that caught her off guard.

“Good momentum, Mary.”

The two Wooden Swords crossed each other.

It was the moment when Lancel’s blade struck Marigold.

Thwack-!

“Keung!”

Marigold’s head snapped back. Blood splattered from her torn forehead.

Her knees buckled, and she collapsed straight to the floor.

“Miss Mary!”

“Blood!”

“Kyaaak! Lady Mary!”

The people of the Dante Family rushed to Marigold, who had closed her eyes and fainted.

Marigold, who had suffered a slight concussion, had to be knocked out for half a day afterward.

That was why Lancel was being grilled by the women of the house for planning to send his hard-won fiancée to the afterlife.

‘It’s just that this girl wasn’t an easy opponent.’

Marigold had built up her skills to the point where she could get hit if you let your guard down. There was no way I could control my strength against someone like that.

Although she didn’t reach Lancel’s level, she was now on par with or better than the genius knights who were making a name for themselves in the Empire.

Even if Rio Dante, the heir of the Dante Family and the Knight Commander, was put up against her, he wouldn’t lose easily.

“I worked so hard, barely holding back from wanting to play, ugh, I’m so frustrated, so frustrated…!””

“Really? I played as much as I wanted.”

“……”

Marigold’s expression turned sulky.

“Is that the arrogance of the victor?”

“Maybe.”

Of course, there were still quite a few people who believed that ‘Mary Marigold held back to boost Lancel Dante’s morale!’

The most representative person was Kyle Dante.

-There’s no way Lancel could have won against Mary purely with skill! I’ve never seen that guy swing a sword since he came of age! This is some kind of conspiracy!

He must have been experiencing cognitive dissonance. In reality, the Lancel he remembered wasn’t a very great swordsman.

‘The fiancée sacrificed herself for the sake of her good-for-nothing husband!’ seemed more likely.

If he had stayed here, he would have been jumping around asking Lancel for a duel right away.

-Just you wait when I get back, Lancel!

But coincidentally, Kyle Dante and Rio Dante, who had received urgent telegrams from the Knights, had both left the mansion.

It was news that remnants of the rebels had been found, so we probably wouldn’t meet again this time.

‘I would have sent them flying in one hit if they had challenged me.’

Good luck, Kyle Dante.

.

.

.

One morning in March, when the spring spirit was sprouting.

That day was the day when Marigold, who had turned nineteen, was leaving the Dante Territory.

The people of the Dante Family, who had grown fond of her over the past few months, saw her off with tears.

“It’s not like we’ll never see each other again, why are you all like this?”

Marigold, who had barely calmed the wailing maids, got on her horse.

The purpose of the journey was only one, to find the existence of the ‘Demon King’.

“What if we don’t find anything after all?”

That was Lancel’s concern.

He had never been aware of the existence of something called the Demon King in the hundreds of years he had lived.

He was a little doubtful whether it would be possible to find the existence of the Demon King, who only existed in legends, now.

Moreover, they only had 6 years. It wasn’t short, but it wasn’t long either.

“It’s okay. We’ll be able to find it.”

Marigold answered in a cheerful voice.

“And even if we can’t find it…”

Suddenly, her mouth stopped.

A moment of silence. Then, she smiled.

“No. It’s nothing.”

“How bland.”

10.

Knock knock.

“This is Rio Dante.”

“Come in.”

Opening the large door revealed a space covered with red carpets.

Rio Dante approached the one standing at the end and bent one knee.

“Rio Dante greets Your Highness.”

“Raise your head.”

First Prince Delphi Aaron Phrygia. The second-in-command of the Empire was staring at Rio Dante.

“The Knight Commander of Budnia, the heir of the Dante Family… You’ve suffered a lot in the distant frontier at a young age.”

“It is merely a fitting duty as a knight of the great Empire.”

“You’ve already heard why I’ve come here, haven’t you?”

“Yes. I heard it was to directly find and punish the remnants who oppose the Empire, Your Highness.”

The First Prince picked up the glass placed next to him.

He poured the remaining alcohol inside into his mouth in one gulp.

He let out a long sigh from the strong alcohol and opened his mouth again.

“No. It’s a simpler matter than that. I just need you to find someone and bring them to me.”

“I understand. If you tell me what kind of person they are, I will definitely bring them before you.”

“I’ll only say it once, so listen carefully.”

The First Prince’s eyes curved into crescents.

“A woman who has just come of age… A blonde girl with blue or green eyes.”

It was an answer that came with a playful smile. Rio Dante barely managed to suppress his expression from distorting in bewilderment.

“Did you hear me clearly?”

“……”

Rio Dante couldn’t easily speak. Only the question of whether this was all there was to it came to mind. Weren’t those characteristics too common to specifically capture?

But before he knew it, the First Prince’s eyes were lowered. It wasn’t a joke. He was serious.

“From now on, if there is a woman similar to that in the areas I mention, capture them all and bring them to me.”

“All of them, you say?”

“Yes. Whether they are nobles, wealthy people, commoners, thieves, prostitutes, or young ladies from ordinary families, it doesn’t matter at all, just bring them before my eyes.”

“……I understand.”

“If there is someone I want among the women you bring, I will bestow a great reward upon you in the name of the Imperial Family.”

The First Prince smirked again with a playful smile.

“I will bring your family to live in the Imperial Palace. You know what this means, don’t you?”

“……!”

A chill ran down Rio Dante’s spine.

The entire family entering the Imperial Palace?

This was treatment as an ‘Imperial Hero’. It was an honor that would raise the Dante Family above even a considerable Duke Family.

Faced with overwhelming merit, Rio Dante felt all the questions that had been running through his head disappear.

“There are many mercenaries and knights who have received this mission besides you. Please don’t miss this opportunity.”

Rio Dante raised his glittering eyes.

“It is also a virtue of a knight to seize the given glory. Even if I have to mobilize all the knights and family members under me… I will find the one Your Highness desires.”