The Hero Party Couldn’t Kill Me

Chapter 7: Madness of the saintess and Iris (complete)

‘Awakening… It’s kind of a wake-up call. Seeing how he speaks without interruption even in the middle of it.’

Meanwhile, I watched Iris speak during the meeting.

Well, it wasn’t particularly great what she said, but for quite some time she did speak her words well for someone who didn’t get her proper sleep.

Above all, he didn’t stop at all from the tackle of the Duke of Valois. Rather, it was the Duke of Valois who fell into the bog.

‘Perhaps I overestimated the Duke of Valois…….’

It was good to lay the plate well on your own home ground. He was in too much of a hurry

And when I thought about the cause of his rush, it was Archduke Charles.

Since he asked Iris first, the Duke of Valois’ right to speak was restricted.

“Now it seems that my vague thoughts have been sorted out. Thank you all.”

In the end, the meeting ended without any twists and turns.

Archduke Charles looked at Iris with a satisfied expression, and the Duke of Valois wrinkled his expression.

He has failed to shake off the image of a second-person man.

“… Then, how about sparring with the escort knights to change the atmosphere?”

When the situation came to this, the Duke of Valois pulled out his last card.

This time, Iris had no reason to stop him, and Archduke Charles had no particular objections.

‘In the end, it can’t be avoided.’

I closed my eyes gently. When I came to my senses, we were already at the training ground inside the mansion.

First of all, the other nobles’ escort knights first sparred. The faces of the victorious nobles brightened, and the faces of the defeated nobles darkened.

Anyway, it can be seen that this sparring also serves to organize the ranks among the nobles in a way.

“Duke Rossier, I want to see the skills of your escort knight.”

The moment finally arrived. The escort knight of the Duke of Valois smiled as he relaxed his itchy body.

I thought about it until the end. Is it right to just go with the original skill, or is it better to imitate Arthur’s swordsmanship as much as possible?

The conclusion I came to after long contemplation is to just watch the game as quickly as possible.

I’ve heard of Arthur’s swordsmanship style in words, but I’ve never seen it myself, so it’s impossible to completely imitate his swordsmanship. So, if possible, not mixing swords for a long time is a way to incur less suspicion.

And judging from Iris’ remarks and the various stories I heard at the Rossier family’s mansion, Arthur’s skills were quite good.

I took a deep breath and faced the escort knight of the Duke of Valois in the middle of the training ground.

With an impressive scar over his left eye, he glared at me like he was going to kill me. After a brief handshake, we returned to the starting position of the battle.

The opponent pulled out a greatsword the size of his body and took a ready stance. Meanwhile, I still put my sword in the scabbard.

It was because I didn’t know Arthur’s preparation posture.

“What are you doing?”

Iris yelled at me,

“… Aren’t you ready yet?”

The Duke of Valois asked me.

“I am ready.”

I said calmly. Accepting this as a provocation, the Duke of Valois’ expression distorted. Likewise, the eyes of his escort knight turned to life.

“Now what…”

Iris protested, but the Duke of Valois proceeded with the sparring right away.

“… If so, let’s begin.”

“Puuu!!”

With the sound of the trumpet announcing the start of the battle, the opposing escort knight rushed at me like a bullet. Then I grabbed the handle of the sword and waited for the timing to draw it.

And when he came within reasonable distance, I quickly drew my sword.

Chaeeng!!!

A loud roar echoed throughout the training ground. When the roar died away, the escort driver stopped a few steps behind me.

Chang-Geurang!!!

Then his heavy sword broke and fell to the ground.

When I turned around and looked at the escort knight, the life from earlier had gone and only fear remained.

“This… what is this…….”

The pupils of the Duke of Valois shook at the completely unexpected result. The other nobles also didn’t expect this result, so only silence lingered.

Clap clap clap clap clap…….

Only Archduke Charles applauded. While the other nobles were still bewildered, he came up to me and asked.

“I have seen many swordsmen, but your skills are amazing! May I ask your name?”

“… Arthur Wilmore, Duke Rosier’s escort knight.”

“Yes, Sir Wilmore. Your swordsmanship is splendid. Can I compete too? I want to know your swordsmanship.”

Looking at the sparring from a while ago, it seems that the desire to compete is burning hotly in his heart.

I’m embarrassed. I just had to fight moderately.

“I think we need to get permission from Duke Rossier.”

“Oh, I see. Duke Rossier, what do you think? Will you allow me?”

I swallowed dry saliva and looked at Iris. Considering her personality, she couldn’t miss such a good opportunity…….

“I don’t think this place is suitable for such a confrontation. If you visit our mansion later, I will gladly allow it.”

Fortunately, she put it off.

“Heh heh heh!!! Right. Because I can’t take this stage away. Got it. Commitment to the next.”

And Archduke Charles passed without much complaint.

I let out a sigh of relief and went back to Iris’ side.

“… When did you learn the art of footwork?”

She asked me in a whisper.

“I have been training for a long time to protect the duke.”

“… Is it. Well done anyway.”

Iris didn’t doubt much. To be honest, I wasn’t the type who liked to use swordsmanship, so it must have been difficult for him to recognize that I was Edmund just from the swordsmanship I had just a moment ago.

That’s how I passed the hurdle.

***

“Archduke Charles, do you have a minute?”

From noble mtl dot com

On the way back after all the schedules, Iris caught Archduke Charles.

She took Archduke Charles to a deserted place.

“What happened? Oh, is it because of the sparring earlier?”

“… ….”

Iris pondered for a moment.

I wanted to propose an engagement right away, but I thought it was too soon.

Although it seemed that Archduke Charles had passed on to her, she did not need to rush things too much. So she immediately changed her mind.

“Next month, Roswell is having a big festival honoring our ancestors. It will be the biggest festival of the year.”

“Ah, I heard that too. I wanted to go at least once, but…….”

“And I hope that Archduke Charles will also come to this festival.”

Iris suggested it. She looked at Archduke Charles.

I thought he would get over it right away, but he seemed to be quite worried.

“As you have already said, the most important thing to me right now is to grow as much power as the princess. And more importantly, maintaining such a united force.”

“… ….”

“And now, as I see it, the biggest problem right now is your relationship with the Duke of Valois. Why do you think you don’t know? They are holding each other in check to become the head of many nobles.”

“What do you mean by that now?”

“… I’m curious. Would my attendance at the festival be the seed of discord? Am I not a chess piece in the power struggle between you and the Duke of Valois?”

Iris sweated at the words of Archduke Charles, who were sharper than she thought.

“I hope you don’t think so. This kind of festival is not such a political place, but a place of friendship and solidarity. It’s not necessarily a place where only nobles allied with us attend. It is not my intention to keep the Duke of Valois in check.”

“… But.”

“This is a great opportunity to meet other nobles you haven’t met, are you going to turn it down?”

At her question, Archduke Charles pondered. Certainly, increasing power is important.

“If you’re worried about the Duke of Valois, I hope you don’t worry too much. He’s not a narrow-minded person enough to argue with Archduke Charles just because he attended the festival.”

It was half a lie, of course, but it helped to solidify Archduke Charles’s resolve.

“Good. Then I will attend.”

“Thank you.”

I succeeded in persuading him. But Iris became uneasy.

Even though I did not ask for an engagement proposal, but simply asked to attend the festival, Archduke Charles seemed worried.

If he had proposed an engagement now, he would have rejected it with a single blow.

‘In the end, I have to somehow subdue the Duke of Valois… ….’

I had a new assignment and my head was complicated.

As Archduke Charles disappeared from sight, Iris turned around, clutching her clenched head.

Meanwhile, Edmund, following her, smiled meaningfully.

‘… Then Archduke Charles is also attending.’

I know very well what Iris intends. Perhaps she was going to make an engagement proposal to Archduke Charles at that festival. Anyway, thanks to that, the scale of the finale grew as much as he wanted.

Her All that’s left of her now is to bring her down.