Vol. 5 Chapter 13 – Lord Liam Doesn’t…
It was natural for me to win the battle.
Even so, many people including Brian expressed surprise at my victory.
Linus had been fighting Calvin with his back faced towards me, and I had simply stabbed him in the back while he was distracted.
Why would anyone think I’d lose?
—Anyway, I returned back to my territory to encourage my subordinates to continue working hard on whatever they were doing.
I’m at least considerate and capable enough to praise my subordinates for their efforts.
In the first place, giving out praises doesn’t cost me any money, so I’m more than willing to do so.
In the audience room of my mansion, I sit on the chair like a king would.
Imposingly and with crossed legs –– or so I wish.
Unfortunately, that would make many people unhappy, so I fix my posture.
All the civil and military officials line up… but aren’t there too many of them?
There are way more than a hundred of them.
Just how many subordinates do I have?
The number of subordinates has increased dramatically before I noticed anything.
It isn’t just the knights or the military officers.
There are more administrative government officials as well.
It was really difficult in the beginning, but it has nearly been a century since I was reborn in this world.
Back in the days, I was dirt-poor, but now, I’m filthy rich.
Not only that, I have many subordinates that are ––
Are they reliable?
I have ambivalent thoughts about Tia and Marie who are the head and the vice-head of my knight order.
Although they accomplish their jobs well, they have disappointing personalities.
It appears that the quality of my subordinates is still somewhat lacking.
Now, as for today’s ceremony, I’ve left it upon the hands of Klaus, the knight who has been serving as my escort.
He’s a useful subordinate who can handle anything smoothly.
I’ll make sure he continues to serve under me.
“Lord Liam.”
I get up from the chair upon being called.
“Everyone has been giving their all recently. The past few years have been a struggle, but we were able to successfully kick Linus down and push His Highness Cleo one step closer to the throne. For that, I’d like to thank you all.”
The sight of everyone kneeling is always pleasant to behold.
It allows me recognize how great I am.
Klaus makes a difficult face for some reason and proceeds with the ceremony.
“Next ––”
“Klaus, next are the rewards, am I right? Who made the biggest contribution this time? I’ll reward them personally.”
There are many people that deserve praise, so most of them will be bestowed medals at a later date.
However, I’ll personally award the person with the most outstanding achievement.
Klaus looks nervous.
“Chengshi Sera Tourei – Step forth!”
“Yes!”
A woman with mysterious s.e.x appeals presents herself before me.
Everyone’s gaze lands on the woman.
Both Tia and Marie are glaring at the woman as if they’ve been fed earthworms.
If I am to describe her, she’s – a Chinese-esque beauty.
Come to think of it, isn’t she the knight I chose as an escort based on her appearance alone?
Klaus lists out Chengshi’s achievements.
“In addition to her performance during this time’s incident, she has made various other achievements, ranking her in the first place. She has shot down over 600 enemy battleships, which is second only to Lord Liam in the Banfield family.”
“Six hundred?”
When I c.o.c.k my head, I hear the regretful voices of Tia and Marie.
“What’s the point in counting the number of enemies she defeated alone?”
“If I’m provided the same amount of battleships, I bet I can perform twice as better.”
The defeated dogs are barking.
Hm, now that I think about it – having a Chinese-style beauty by my side is not bad.
There’s a certain element of mysteriousness about it.
Klaus continues.
“She is the only person in the Banfield family to achieve so much in such a short period of time. That said ––”
Ignoring the troubled Klaus, Chengshi walks up to me.
“Lord Liam –– there’s one thing that I desire more than anything else.”
How fearless of her to ask for a reward so boldly.
I like it.
I love talented subordinates.
“And that is?”
Chengshi takes out a tubular hidden weapon from her loose cuffs which turns into a spear.
Disregarding the knights that are growing agitated, Chengshi takes a step forward.
“I want your head!”
She declares this with a ferocious smile.
–– Why are so many of my subordinates like this?
They’re competent, but they each have some type of problem.
After stepping forward, Chengshi directly pounces on me.
The distance between us shortens in an instant.
She’s rather fast.
“Show me what it took to kill a Sword Saint!”
Occasionally, there are times when a stupid knight who could only fight appears.
The saving grace is that Chengshi is more interesting to fight against compared to the Sword Saint.
“I’m disappointed with you ––Nonetheless, your speed is worthy of recognition.”
Chengshi opens her eyes wide and twists her body.
The next moment, her right arm which is holding the spear gets cut off.
She jumps back immediately by kicking the air and readies another hidden weapon in her left hand.
“You used the air as a foothold to kick yourself back? Hey, that’s really fascinating.”
She’s much more entertaining to battle than the Sword Saint.
A sword that she takes out transforms into a Chinese falchion.
“You brought along a lot of expendables? You should’ve brought a more proper weapon. Men, give her a weapon.”
I walk down the short stairs while grinning.
This Chengshi had avoided my slash.
She had dodged a serious blow from me.
She’s undoubtedly strong.
The way she’s raring to fight even after she lost an arm is commendable.
However, some knights including Klaus form a human shield in front of me while the others surround Chengshi.
Tia screams furiously.
“You better not hope for an easy death after dishonoring Lord Liam during a sacred ceremony!”
Marie, who is holding an oversized tomahawk, glares at Chengshi with bloodshot eyes.
“I’ll make minced meat out of you.”
You guys don’t seem to understand your master’s heart.
Irritated, I pa.s.s an order to them.
“Withdraw. Don’t ruin my fun.”
Klaus turns towards me in protest.
“B-but Lord Liam!”
“—— Don’t make me repeat myself. Tia, Marie, the same applies to the both of you. In fact, you two should fetch her weapon. We’ll be starting over.”
From my pocket, I take out an elixir that I carry around as insurance.
I toss it at Chengshi and command the knights near her.
“Hey, bring her amputated arm and have her attach it back.”
“W-will that be wise? This person wants your life, Lord Liam!”
“And what’s wrong with that? She wishes to fight, yes? Then I’ll award her with a fight. Granted, my head is off-limits. My head isn’t that cheap.”
Tia and Marie return despite their frustration.
Chengshi’s weapon is on their hands.
I take it from them.
“Mediocre quality. Whatever. Here, have it back.”
I throw the weapon at Chengshi while she’s reattaching her arm.
Her breaths are a little rough.
Nonetheless, she picks up her weapon and takes her stance.
She giggles in spite of the cold sweat running down her cheeks.
“I don’t dislike that boldness of yours.”
“Bold? You think I’m bold? I must say that your eyes are clouded. What a letdown.”
The fact that she called me bold is enough proof that she’s also another one of those disappointing girls.
Her appearance isn’t bad –– but she isn’t qualified to enter my harem.
In the midst of everyone’s vigilant stares, Chengshi rushes at me.
I parry her attacks with my katana, only to have her strike back with greater momentum.
“An intriguing swordsmanship. It’s honestly a better source of reference than the Sword Saint’s.”
Chengshi responds to my compliment with a kick.
A kick from a pin-heel could be devastating, so I leap back.
Chengshi follows up by kicking hard on the floor and charging at me with her elbow out.
It’s interesting how she has weaved in physical techniques into her swordsmanship.
It’s nothing mind blowing, though.
There are similar techniques in the school of One-Flash.
“Was it like this?”
For the first time in a long while, I demonstrate a technique that can be used when someone’s sword is shattered.
It’s a grappling skill that utilizes the opponent’s momentum.
I throw Chengshi into the air and have her spin as she crashes drown to the ground.
She spasms when her back hits the floor.
I stare down at her and very much enjoy the look of pain on her face.
“What’s wrong? I thought you wanted to claim my head? I gave you a chance, but your attacks aren’t reaching me at all.”
Chengshi slowly stands back up and breathes unevenly.
“Do you understand now that we’re on different levels?”
Chengshi slashes at me when I purposefully show a gap in my defense.
I try to deflect her attack with the katana.
Surprisingly, Chengshi’s blade twists like a piece of cloth and continues to approach me unhindered.
Tia shouts.
“Lord Liam!”
I eye Tia and Marie, warning them not to intervene.
The blade that nearly reaches me –– gets caught between the fingers of my left hand.
“That technique was pretty fascinating.”
Chengshi’s eyes widen a bit.
“––No way. I didn’t think you’d be able to see through it at first glance.”
“Is it unbelievable for you? For a license holder of the One-Flash, this is a piece of cake.”
Many years ago, Master Yasushi had once attacked me with a whip.
The whip was special, making its trajectory difficult to read.
I suffered quite a bit to figure out a way to defend against it.
Thanks to that training, I was able to react instantly this time.
I put some pressure into my fingertips, breaking the bladed section of Chengshi’s weapon.
Chengshi whips out yet another hidden weapon and performs her next technique.
It’s a technique that allows her to spin like a tornado as she attacks.
Normal slashes will be fended off, opening an opportunity for Chengshi to retaliate.
Regrettably, it’s quite a boring technique.
“Are you already out of materials to display?”
I swing down my katana, but Chengshi avoids it once more.
She managed to dodge twice –– it honestly disturbs me.
Have I been too lazy nowadays?
It seems necessary to train myself again.
Chengshi’s spin is interrupted, and her left hand and left leg fall to the floor.
Even in that state, Chengshi doesn’t give up and aims for my neck with a weapon in her mouth.
Using her remaining arm and leg, she springs forward by kicking the ground.
I plunge my katana deep into Chengshi’s belly and lift her up.
Chengshi drops the knife with a pained expression and vomits out blood.
“——To be fair, I was shocked to see that you avoided my blows twice in a row. There’s no doubt that you’re an excellent swordswoman.”
I tell her my honest impression.
The knights draw their swords behind Chengshi with bloodthirsty eyes, ready to kill Chengshi whenever I give the signal.
Tia appears excited.
“Lord Liam, the winner has been decided. Now, please order us to dispose of this fool!”
Marie isn’t any different.
“Let’s heal her a moment before she dies and torture her again, repeating the process until she begs for death!”
These girls…
“When did I say that I’m going to kill her? I’ve taken a liking to this one.”
“H-however!”
“Lord Liam, this woman is dangerous!”
As if you two aren’t! —— And in many regards at that.
Chengshi glares at me.
It’s admirable how she still has the guts to challenge me in spite of her condition.
Also, I like how she has just the right amount of skills to be deemed excellent without having the ability to actually kill me.
I pull the katana out from Chengshi’s stomach and slam her to ground before staring down at her.
“This is the end of your reward. Acc.u.mulate more merits and challenge me again. I won’t decline from a fight.”
Klaus confirms what I said.
“Are you certain? She’s someone who aimed for Lord Liam’s life. Not only that, it was during an important ceremony.”
“Is anything wrong with that? I like her, and that’s enough reason for her to live. Get her treated straight away. Also, we’ll be continuing the ceremony. Klaus-kun, as the MC, shouldn’t you proceed with the ceremony?”
“Y-yes, sir!”
The injured Chengshi is swiftly carried away and the ceremony resumes as it was.
On second thought, it would’ve been a better idea to adjourn the meeting for a while.
I should’ve at least ordered someone to clean up the mess on the floor.
◇
“Lord Liam! Why did you decide on keeping such a mad dog by your side!?”
Having heard about what transpired during the ceremony, Brian is bawling in front of me.
I would’ve rebuked him and chased him out if he was simply being rowdy –– but I’m not good with tears.
Also, the look that Amagi is giving me – I’m not good with it either.
“Master, a knight like her would not give up easily. She’s the type of knight that loves to battle, so she’ll target master’s life again.”
“I’ll just counterattack if things come to that point. Also, isn’t she the kind of person that wishes to fight against the strong? That means she won’t be making any underhanded moves.”
Brian shakes his head.
“Isn’t it quite underhanded to aim for someone’s life during a ceremony? Anyway, there’s something else that Lord Liam has to know.”
“Did a problem arise?”
“Yes, it can be cla.s.sified as a problem. We don’t have enough military personnel. Our military is tasked to protect the newly acquired territories, patrol the borders, and exterminate the pirates.
On top of that, troops have been dispatched to His Highness Cleo.
Every single ship has been sortied, except for the ones under maintenance.
Amagi also conveys her concern about the deployment rate of the military.
“There’s a military school inside our territory and we have been securing some personnel from there. Nevertheless, it isn’t nearly enough. The military has proposed to have the students train faster and to have some citizens conscripted.”
“—What was that about conscripting the citizens?”
Brian wipes off his sweat with his handkerchief, probably realizing that the atmosphere around me has changed.
“Yes, a portion of them has been drafted. We’ve already gathered reserves to deal against unexpected situations. Lord Liam, from my understanding, we are at a critical juncture. That’s why the people should also bear some of the burden and—”
“You idiot!”
Brian and Amagi close their mouths when I smash my fist down on the desk.
“You drafted the citizens of the territory? You thought I’d be fine with that!?”
Brian sounds moved.
“Lord Liam is thinking for his people!”
On the other hand, Amagi sounds somewhat exasperated.
“Master, what are your true thoughts?”
What does she mean by my “true thoughts”?
My policy has never changed.
“I’m the only one who is allowed to oppress my people!”
I will not tolerate any form of exploitation unless I’m inside the territory.
Exploitation is the source of my pleasure!
I have no intention of sharing this joy with anyone else.
Brian’s head droops down.
“—Is that so? Well, this Brian won’t say anything since Lord Liam doesn’t wish for the citizens to be harmed.”
Amagi requests for a solution to the problem.
“We’re severely lacking military personnel. Lord Liam, this issue cannot be put on hold for long.”
It would be difficult to resolve if I try to prepare all the personnel on my end.
That’s why I’ll just bring them from somewhere else.
“It should be fine if we steal some soldiers from the Imperial Army again.”
“There is still a limit to that. Please be aware that we would have to weed out spies in the future.”
In the likely event that I get involved a full-scale confrontation with Calvin, there’s a good chance that spies will be sent my way.
“—This is rather troublesome.”
Marie enters the office just as I am contemplating.
“Lord Liam, Thomas-dono is requesting an audience for an urgent business.”
“Thomas? At a time like this?”
I reluctantly head out to deal with Thomas.