WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Genius Knight of a Fallen Race ◈

Chapter 32: What Will We Do Going Forward

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After returning to the estate, Shan and Roden told Kalion, who had just finished work for the day, about Princess Serin's offer.

Naturally, they left out the part where Shan had punched her in the face and made her nose bleed. Instead, they said he had not known who she was, acted somewhat rudely, and ended up fighting her guard knights.

Kalion clicked his tongue after hearing the story.

“I knew she was ambitious, but it seems she intends to become queen herself. Surely she doesn't plan to endure every insult just to take in a powerful Alto knight and parade him around at her side.”

“Is that possible?”

“I don't know. There have been queens before, but in most cases only when there were no men in the direct line of succession. Even then, their prince consorts always handled many of their duties.”

After answering Shan's question, Kalion thought for a moment and added,

“But I can't say it's impossible. Most lords already support the two princes, but the princess has Count Paless, a powerful backer. She could also gain the support of administrators and mages, including the Magic Society...”

Count Paless was a powerful northern lord. His territory was surrounded by rugged mountains and rivers on all sides, making it one of the few safe regions in Pendia where monsters were scarce.

The land was also fertile black soil, excellent for farming. Forty percent of Pendia's grain came from his territory.

“Then does she plan to use Shan to explore the Demon Realm, excavate magic devices, and win the succession?”

“That seems most likely, but she may find another way. Her reputation as a genius in magic is well known. That isn't the important part, though. The vassal contract she offered lasts fifteen years.”

“It is much longer than usual.”

In truth, it was hard to claim that a long vassal contract necessarily disadvantaged either side.

A knight could not build greater fame, raise his value, and then seek out a stronger, wealthier lord. On the other hand, even if a knight died or suffered a grave disability and could no longer fight, the lord still had to honor the contract.

Unless there had been some disqualifying reason, a noble who failed to care for a knight who had died or been crippled fighting for them, along with that knight's family, was considered as dishonorable as a kin-murderer or heretic.

That was why nobles were also far more selective when choosing the knights they would take under their command.

In other words, if fierce battles lay ahead, it was actually more beneficial to keep the vassal contract short.

“So if she still set the period that long, is it because she thinks so highly of Shan's potential?”

“If he weren't an Alto, every king and noble would covet him. In a way, it means she values him that highly.”

Shan turned his gaze away, oddly embarrassed at being called talented.

“But that's one thing, and fifteen years is far too long. If ordinary royalty had made this offer, it would be cause for celebration. But if the princess loses the succession struggle and gets confined in some tower, Shan would be trapped there with her. He'd lose the best years of his life.”

Just as nobles had to care for knights who died or became disabled, knights also had to remain loyal for the duration of the contract even if their lord fell.

That remained true even if the lord could no longer properly pay them.

Refusing to pay despite having money was grounds to break a contract, but anyone who turned their back and left just because their lord had lost everything and become poor was despised as disloyal.

Put simply, there were two choices.

The first was to accept Princess Serin's offer.

If she became queen, Shan might even rise to become a landed noble. But the odds of success were low, and the price of failure would be enormous.

The second was to continue working independently and search for someone willing to grant him knighthood.

As the princess had said, finding such a person was nearly impossible. Still, if Shan continued hunting monsters and built an overwhelming reputation, a path might open up.

The first had a high ceiling, but failure meant ruin. The second had no real risk of failure, but little chance of accomplishing anything significant either.

Shan listened to the explanation for a long while before speaking.

“Can't we ask her to shorten it?”

“Shorten it?”

“If I put together what Roden and Mr. Kalion said, I could work for her for a few years. But fifteen years is too long.”

“Well, that might be difficult. Trying to bargain with royalty...”

Roden was about to say no when a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

It should have been obvious, but he had failed to consider it because their opponent was royalty of the highest rank.

“No, it may not be a bad idea.”

“What do you mean?” Kalion asked.

Roden answered with certainty.

“We should make the princess choose, not us. Right now, we're being completely led around by her.”

The princess had somehow gathered all the information about them before deliberately approaching them.

Rather than letting her lead them around, Roden thought it would be better to redraw the board entirely.

Always stay informed and take control of the situation.

For a moment, pride showed on Kalion's face when his son put into practice words he had always repeated.

“Be specific.”

“First, we'll act as though we have little interest in her offer. If the princess came to us in person, she must be quite eager. Shan also showed his ability by defeating two knights without a weapon. If you think about it, this is the princess's life on the line. Shouldn't she be the more desperate one?”

Even if Shan did not become a knight, he had countless ways to make a living as a monster hunter or mercenary.

He was only aiming higher because of his personal ambition and the wishes of people close to him, including Roden.

The same was true for Princess Serin.

If she did not make such a fuss about joining the fight for the throne, she could marry into a decent family and live comfortably enough.

It was a contest of nerve.

The side that wanted it more had to bow first. It was the world of merchants, where fierce negotiations and careful bargaining played out constantly.

The idea itself was nothing unusual, but for an Alto and a merchant to dare try such a thing against royalty was an enormous breach of convention in a society built on status.

“If she doesn't contact us, it only means she didn't want us that badly to begin with. Even if Shan became her vassal, she probably wouldn't have treated him well.”

Then, when the princess contacted them, they would make a counteroffer on terms much more favorable to their side.

Kalion laughed as if he found Roden's suggestion absurd.

“Hah... It's so disrespectful that I could never have dared even dream of it.”

Kalion had spent his life bowing to not only royalty and nobles, but even the servants who acted as their hands and feet. It was not an idea a merchant like him could easily imagine.

It already felt terribly presumptuous to refuse the princess's demand. To stand firm and wait for her to yield first?

That was a choice possible only because of a young man's boldness.

“Fine. Handle the next conversation among yourselves as well. I don't think it's an area where I can help.”

“What? But, Father...”

Kalion would naturally be drawn in depending on Shan's choice. Anyone who investigated Shan's past support would quickly learn who had backed him.

“I'm old now. Getting older is not always a good thing. Along with wisdom, it teaches you how to be afraid and how to become servile. I'd probably bow and scrape before the princess out of habit, and I don't think that would help with negotiations.”

Kalion took a light sip of the tea before him and sighed.

“You are twenty now. At your age, I had already built a trading company. You still have much to learn about work, but your head is on straight. I believe you can handle something like this yourselves.”

* * *

For more than ten days afterward, Shan truly did nothing, just as Roden had suggested.

Of course, that did not mean he neglected his usual routine of keeping his body from growing stiff and weak.

He simply stayed inside the estate.

The only time he went out was after the blacksmith Kalion had introduced him to sent word that the items were finished.

The work must have been exhausting, because the blacksmith looked more worn out than when Shan had first met them.

“Here you are.”

“Oh.”

Shan let out a quiet exclamation as he looked at the helmet and shield the blacksmith offered him.

The shield was only a little larger than an outstretched hand. It was shaped less for passive defense and more for actively knocking attacks aside.

As requested, the helmet left the entire face exposed and did not obstruct his vision.

The metal, once pale, had turned a dark, murky color. Even if the original owner returned from the dead, they would likely be unable to recognize it.

“You can see the internal structure is unusual, right? I added a few materials to the original alloy and worked it into shape...”

Once the complicated parts of the blacksmith's explanation were stripped away, the conclusion was simple.

If an impact struck the center of the small shield, the force would be dramatically weakened.

The edges were somewhat fragile instead, making it difficult to use. It required extraordinary reflexes to position the shield precisely against an attack.

It was a weapon perfectly suited to Shan.

“It's amazing that something like this can work without magic...”

“This is what I spent my whole life learning to do. I can put the bill on Mr. Kalion's account, right?”

“Yes!”

Grinning from ear to ear, Shan returned to the estate and immediately called Roden out to the garden.

Naturally, he wanted to test his new shield.

“You want me to hit you as hard as I can?”

“Yeah. If we both stay guarded, it won't be practice.”

“Not like it'd be dangerous even if I put some strength into it.”

Roden gave a hearty laugh, then his expression sharpened as he raised his large flail.

With a shout, the metal-bound weapon came flying at Shan with enough force to crush him.

'Just as I thought...'

As Sir Darkal had said before, Roden's inborn talent as a warrior was not bad at all.

More precisely, his talent for technique was relatively ordinary, but his physical talent was exceptional.

His superior build and the monstrous strength it produced were no less impressive than those of the knights Shan had seen so far.

The problem was the Spirit that had stopped halfway through refinement when Roden gave up training, along with the fear that froze him whenever he faced a blade.

As the thought passed through his mind, Shan precisely placed the shield strapped to his forearm against Roden's flail.

Bang!

A thunderous sound rang through the middle of the garden.

“Oh, I hit harder than I expected... Are you okay?”

“Yeah. This is really good. It's hard to believe it isn't enchanted. My arm doesn't hurt at all. You can hit harder.”

Shan smiled without realizing it, fascinated by the shield on his arm.

An attack that strong should have sent a shock through his body even if he blocked it properly. Instead, the shield hummed as it scattered the force he should have taken.

With Spirit reinforcing it, he felt that it could even withstand the cockatrice's attacks to some degree.

Of course, that was something no ordinary person could even attempt. If the impact missed the exact center even once, the shield would be crushed along with him.

After that, Shan took Roden's wild flail swings again and again without moving a single step.

The repeated clash of metal made the servants peek into the garden in alarm several times.

Before long, Roden finally surrendered first.

“Hah... Damn it. I really can't keep going.”

“Good work.”

Although Shan had blocked more than a hundred attacks in a few minutes, only light scratches remained on the shield.

He was happy with his new companion's performance, but only briefly. For the final test, Shan put on the helmet and clasped his hands behind his back.

“...Are we really doing this?”

“Yeah.”

“I still think it's dangerous.”

“It'll be fine. It's not like I'll die.”

“Be careful.”

After trying to stop Shan and warning him several times, Roden took a deep breath and swung the flail.

Clang!

Shan's head rang, and his vision flashed white.

“Urgh.”

“Are you okay?”

“More or less... Wow, it really feels like my brain got shaken around.”

Shan sat down, removed the helmet, and rubbed the back of his numb head in amazement.

Roden had not swung hard enough to crush his skull, but the blow still had enough force to knock someone unconscious. The helmet had absorbed the impact far better than Shan expected.

The two continued playing around with their weapons, as young men their age often did, until they were drenched in sweat.

Then a maid approached and called for Roden.

“Um, Young Master. Please excuse me, but you have visitors.”

“Who is it?”

“They said you would know if I told you Mage Rin was here...”

The moment Shan and Roden realized who it was, they looked at each other.

She had no real talent for choosing aliases, whether she had called herself Sheri before or Mage Rin now.

Then again, she had probably chosen the name so they would understand.

“How many people came?”

“Three.”

“Tell them we'll wash up and see them right away.”

After the maid left, Shan looked at Roden with curiosity.

He had not expected her to come back this quickly.

“She came really early.”

“I did pull a few tricks.”

“Tricks?”

“I bought some monster-hunting potions and tools recently.”

Roden had bought several things an explorer in the Demon Realm might use from the Magic Society. Naturally, word of it would have reached Princess Serin, who had connections with mages.

The warriors gathered by the two princes had also begun leaving for the east a few days ago, so she might suspect Shan and Roden intended to join them.

If she still had not come after that, they had truly planned to leave for the east.

They would not go to Sedil City, where the two princes were likely expanding their influence. Instead, they would hunt monsters somewhere else in the eastern region.

* * *

After leisurely washing in the bathhouse and changing clothes, Shan and Roden headed to the reception room.

As expected, Princess Serin was waiting for them.

She wore the same amethyst glasses as before and had pulled a hood low over her head as a disguise.

“Greetings, Princess.”

After politely greeting her, Shan raised his head and looked at the two guards standing behind Serin.

They appeared to have received enough treatment over the past ten days for their broken bones to heal.

Their expressions were filled with hostility, but Shan could see unease and fear in their eyes.

Serin looked from Shan to Roden, then held out a wooden basket instead of speaking.

“Take it.”

“...Pardon?”

Caught off guard, Shan accepted the basket with a confused look.

When he pulled away the cloth covering it, he found a nicely baked brown apple pie inside.

“I brought it to apologize for my rudeness last time. It is embarrassing to boast, but I kneaded the dough and baked it myself.”

An apple pie made by a princess herself was a luxury even great nobles would rarely enjoy.

It would have been better if it had not come from Princess Serin, known as the Witch.

Looking at the girl's sinister gaze, Roden immediately sensed that she must have done something to the pie.

Who knew what wicked potion an accomplished mage like the princess might have mixed into it?

She surely still held a grudge over being beaten badly last time, too...

“Thank you, Princess. It looks delicious. If it isn't rude, may I have a bite?”

“Go ahead. Seeing someone enjoy it makes the maker happy.”

Shan ignored Roden's concerns entirely, thanked her, and took a bite.

Then, admiring the pie, he offered Roden a piece.

“This is really good! Roden, you should try some.”

“Uh, sure...”

In this situation, Roden could not exactly say, 'I can't eat it because I don't know what that woman put inside.'

He forced himself to eat a piece of apple pie as well.

Serin smiled faintly.

“I'm happy you enjoyed it. That is also tribute from a loser to a victor.”

“Pardon?”

Did she mean she had lost because Shan beat her last time and made her nose bleed?

At Shan's bewildered reaction, Serin shook her head.

“It is embarrassing that I must say it twice. I acknowledge my defeat. I came to you first, after all. State the terms you want.”

Her unexpected words made Shan look startled without meaning to.

She acted as though she had known all along that they would deliberately make her anxious and prepare a counteroffer.

Anyone watching might have thought she had overheard their earlier conversation.

Roden, who was equally surprised beside Shan, gave a light cough before speaking.

“Please forgive me, but fifteen years is too long.”

“I need a safeguard. You should have at least the resolve to fall alongside me if I lose. Only then will you fight more faithfully.”

“Once Shan receives knighthood from Your Highness, he will have no chance of making a vassal contract with anyone else anyway.”

“Shan could build tremendous fame even as a wandering knight. A knighthood once granted cannot be stripped away, so I need assurance that you will remain with me.”

Roden filled his chest with courage and faced the princess without shrinking back.

He ignored the glares from the two knights behind her, who seemed to be thinking, That disrespectful bastard.

Neither was any match for Shan anyway...

“Fine. How much do you want to shorten it?”

“Five years.”

“That is too short. Seven years...”

“Princess.”

At that moment, Shan, who had been quietly sitting there, interrupted the flow of the conversation by calling out to Serin.

Everyone looked at him.

“Speak.”

“If I make a vassal contract with Your Highness, I would like to know exactly what I would be expected to do and what your plan is.”

Roden nearly showed his shock at the unexpected question.

He wanted her to tell them beforehand what they would have to do?

If Princess Serin was in her right mind, she would never agree to that. Whatever her plan was, if they heard it and spread it elsewhere, there was no telling what kind of interference she might face.

As expected, discomfort was clear on the princess's face beneath her glasses.

“You would decide whether to be loyal only after learning my grand plan? Those are not very knightly words.”

“I'm not a particularly good person myself, but I still don't want to follow a bad person.”

“Can you not overlook even a small wrong for the sake of your dream?”

“I asked because I want to know whether it is small or not.”

It was eloquence that did not suit Shan's usual self.

That was because he had only made his manner of speaking more polite. He had not dressed up his honest feelings in the slightest.

“Is that a condition?”

“If our intentions do not align, Your Highness would be the only one at a loss, so I cannot call it a condition.”

When Serin subtly tried to turn it into one, Roden stepped in and cut her off.

She clicked her tongue lightly, then sighed.

“Fine. I’m the one who needs this more, so it cannot be helped... I intend to become queen one day.”

“Princess.”

The female knight among the guards looked startled and tried to stop her master.

Many people likely suspected it already, but hearing it openly from Serin herself carried an entirely different weight.

“Enough. They wish to hear it, so I should tell them. Why do I want to become queen? Because Conrad and Elvin, the two set to inherit the throne, are both worthless idiot bastards. If either of them becomes king, Pendia will be ruined. Though it is already a wretched hole with little left to ruin. I do not want that. I want to change this country for the better, and I know that only I can do it.”

The guards standing behind her squeezed their eyes shut at the crude, arrogant tirade, words they could never have imagined coming from a princess's mouth.

Shan looked at Serin and asked,

“Why are you the only one who can change the country for the better?”

“Because I recognize this country's problems and have the ability to change them. Did you know Pendia's population has remained stagnant for the past few decades?”

“No.”

“There is still land all across Pendia where people could live. There are fertile fields where wheat would grow thick if someone simply plowed the earth and scattered seeds. Yet everyone except a few members of the upper class must stay trapped within walls, trembling in fear and starving.”

Shan had already traveled across Pendia, so he understood what she meant.

Most commoners in Pendia lived behind wooden or stone walls. They went out to work their fields or gather firewood in the forest while fearing a monster attack at any moment.

When someone was snatched away, they simply accepted it as unavoidable.

“Can Your Highness solve this?”

“Yes. Once the research currently underway is complete, I am certain that we can use it as a foundation to drive the monsters' range of activity completely beyond the Demon Realm.”

“That research...”

“I cannot tell you what it is yet. It is confidential.”

Her tone made it clear that she would never reveal that.

Shan took a step back as well.

Watching from behind, Roden realized that the mood had changed strangely.

'This is...'

Originally, this meeting was supposed to discuss the terms under which Shan would receive knighthood from the princess.

At some point, it had become Shan questioning the princess as though testing her, while Serin pleaded her case for why she deserved to become queen.

“I will reveal the research and begin pursuing the throne in earnest at the same time. Naturally, those two will use every underhanded method they can to hurt me. The problem is that I lack the physical strength to stop them.”

That was why she needed a knight as powerful as Shan.

Serin removed her glasses and looked at Shan with fierce reddish-brown eyes.

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