Chapter 51
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
Chapter:51 The Plan(1)
***
“Did you say it’s a private meeting right now?”
But Jacques Noiré began to walk without answering the question.
As usual, Jacques Noiré didn’t offer any explanation. Jackson sighed and folLowed his master.
They arrived at a tent used by the Earl Copperhead.
As expected of the Earl’s quarters, it was the largest tent, and elite knights stood guard.
“Let’s go in.”
Jacques Noiré headed for the tent. Surprisingly, the knights did not prevent Jacques Noiré from entering.
It meant Jacques Noiré had been here several times before.
Inside, Jacques Noiré sat in a guest chair.
“Master, since when have you been in contact with the Earl?”
Jackson couldn’t contain his suspicion and asked again.
“Two days.”
Jacques Noiré replied briefly. Jackson was deeply shocked by this revelation.
Two days ago was the night of the banquet. In other words, it was before the tournament even began.
‘He really didn’t trust me…!’
He didn’t know Jacques Noiré’s intentions.
But he knew that to fulfill those intentions, he had to win the tournament.
Jacques Noiré judged that Jackson had no chance of winning and contacted the Earl to achieve his goals in another way.
“Master, what on earth are you thinking? Why do I have to marry Lady Olivia? Please explain even a little…”
It was when Jackson Cutter was pressing for an explanation.
The Earl Copperhead entered the tent. Olivia Copperhead was by his side.
“Sir Jacques, my apologies for keeping you waiting. I had to settle matters regarding the event before coming.”
“No need to worry. We just got here, too.”
Surprisingly, even in front of the Earl, Jacques Noiré spoke casually.
Even more surprising was that the Earl didn’t mind at all.
“…Father, what’s going on here?”
Olivia asked with a confused expression.
“Olivia, I haven’t told you yet. Let me introduce you. He’s Sir Jacques Noiré, and you must have seen him before. And on this side… you must have seen him too. He’s Jackson Cutter, Sir Jacques’s disciple.”
The Earl added with a bright smile.
“We are here today to discuss about marriage between Jackson and you.”
***
“Don’t talk nonsense!”
Olivia shouted, immediately expressing her resistance.
“I’ve never had a proper conversation with that person! And yet, you’re talking about a marriage proposal?”
Olivia seemed just as clueless as Jackson, not having heard any explanations.
“How can you make such a decision without consulting me even once!”
In response to Olivia’s outcry, the Earl spoke calmly.
“Olivia, don’t misunderstand. You’re the eldest daughter of our family. Your marriage is not something you can decide on your own. It’s for the head of the household to judge and decide.”
“But what right does Father have to judge!”
“Of course, I’m talking about the benefits our family can gain through this marriage.”
Olivia stood still and glared at the Earl.
“…What about Damien Haksen? Weren’t you considering him for me!”
“That’s right. But Sir Jacques has offered much better conditions.”
The Earl turned to Jacques Noiré. Unlike when dealing with his daughter, he had a very gentle expression.
“Sir Jacques has agreed to serve our house as a Middle-class knight if this marriage is finalized. Do you understand, Olivia, what I mean by Middle-class?”
The Earl’s eyes sparkled.
“Among the nobility in the West, only Duke Goldpixie and the Marquis Ryanbloom have the Middle-class knights. Through this marriage, our family can acquire a powerful force like the Middle-class.”
Middle-class Knight.
A strategic weapon that could change the course of the war.
In Earl’s eyes, Damien was no match for Middle-class Knight.
“Damien may be an excellent knight, but at best, he’s only Low-class. There’s no guarantee he’ll ever reach the Middle-class.”
The barrier between the Low-class and Middle-class was extremely high.
The majority of Low-class individuals struggled to surmount the barrier, ultimately remaining Low-class knights until their deaths. Among them were those who were once hailed as geniuses.
“And that’s not all. He even promised to provide our family’s knights with swordsmanship and mana cultivation techniques. He said he would provide those used by the master class.”
Jackson was astonished by this statement.
Jacques Noiré had gathered and researched a vast amount of knowledge to reach the level of a master.
Among them, what he cherished the most were the techniques used or directly created by the master class.
To openly offer things that even he hadn’t shared with his disciple.
“Now do you understand why I accepted this marriage?”
Olivia bit her lip. Even to her, the conditions seemed too good.
“Well then, let’s sit down. The discussion with Jacques Noiré is not over yet.”
Olivia helplessly sat back in her chair.
“Are you willing to accept the marriage proposal?”
Jacques Noiré asked as the father-daughter conversation came to a halt.
In response, the Earl nodded.
“That’s right. There’s a bit of a problem.”
Jacques Noiré’s eyebrows twitched at the Earl’s words.
“What might that be?”
“Your conditions are satisfactory. But bringing in a knight who hasn’t even made a name for himself in the tournament as a son-in-law is rather embarrassing, wouldn’t you say?”
In essence, it was a statement that Jackson Cutter’s reputation was inadequate to be accepted into the family as a son-in-law.
“If that’s your concern, there’s no need to worry. My disciple will win the tournament tomorrow.”
“Just performing well in one match may not be enough.”
“What if he not only wins but also defeats Damien?”
The Earl’s expression became peculiar at that remark.
“If he defeats Damien… we would indeed gain a reputation worthy of our title as the son-in-law of Earl. But is it possible?”
The Earl had doubts too.
The techniques Damien displayed in the tournament were truly extraordinary.
It was doubtful whether there was anyone among the Low-class who could defeat Damien.
“It’s possible. And if he fails, I’ll offer swordsmanship and mana cultivation techniques without conditions.”
“Well, even that… If those are the conditions, then I’ll accept.”
“In return, I have something to ask from your side.”
The Earl spoke with a hint of discomfort.
“We have no relation yet. I can’t accept unreasonable requests.”
“It’s nothing grand. I just hope that if Damien dies tomorrow, the Earl will refrain from interfering.”
The Earl pondered the request.
“I can agree to that extent.”
“One more thing, I must be the one to see his body first.”
“That shouldn’t be too difficult. But why do you want to see Damien Haksen’s body?”
Jacques Noiré responded to the Earl’s question with a faint smile.
“There’s something I need from him.”
***
“Master, why are you doing this!”
As soon as they stepped outside, Jackson Cutter asked Jacques Noiré.
“A marriage proposal. Without even asking for my opinion…Ahh!”
Jacques Noiré punched Jackson in the stomach.
He rolled on the ground clutching his stomach.
“Shut up for a second, I’m in a very bad mood right now.”
Jacques Noiré looked down at Jackson with a contorted face.
“If you had the skill to win the tournament, I wouldn’t have to make such proposals to the Earl. I wouldn’t have to waste my resources and knowledge.”
Gasping for breath, Jackson Cutter couldn’t do anything.
Only then did Jackson realize why Jacques Noiré had demanded him to win the tournament.
Undoubtedly, the winner of the tournament was the best option to be the candidate for the marriage.
“If you understood, shut up and follow my orders.”
Jacques Noiré utilized his mana to alleviate the pain, allowing Jackson to finally find relief.
“M-master… I-I have Sofia…”
Jackson gasped for breath as he spoke.
“That woman is now useless. Get rid of her.”
Jacques Noiré cut him off sharply. Jackson looked up at Jacques Noiré with a shocked expression.
“I allowed you to associate with Sofia Russell to receive support from the Russell family.”
Jacques Noiré continued with a stern tone.
“Thanks to the Russell family, I was able to obtain the swordsmanship books I needed. And you were able to obtain the potions you needed when you rose to the Low-class.”
With the support of Viscount Russell, who even incurred debts on their behalf, both of them managed to attain their desires.
“But the Viscount Russell doesn’t have the ability to offer more than that. So now, I’m looking for a new family.”
“The new, new family is the Earls of Copperhead? Are you looking for support like the Russells?”
“I’m not looking for support. I plan to dominate this family through the marriage.”
“W-why… why go to such lengths…”
“For the sake of my ambitions.”
Jacques Noiré’s ambitions meant becoming a master class.
To become a master, you needed elixirs to enhance your senses and the knowledge left by the masters.
And such items were expensive. Not just expensive, but expensive beyond imagination.
“I need as much money as possible. The Earl Copperhead will be a stepping stone for fulfilling my ambitions.”
Only then did Jackson Cutter realize why Jacques Noiré had taken him as a disciple.
To lure in wealthy families.
Jacques Noiré truly saw him as nothing more than a tool.
“I… I can’t obey this order.”
Perhaps due to this rebellion, Jackson Cutter spoke through gritted teeth.
“I have Sofia. I can’t abandon Sofia!”
“You’re still attached to a woman who just flutters her tail at the first sign of a better suitor?”
It was the first time.
Jacques Noiré’s words left Jackson speechless.
“Sofia Russell no longer intends to keep her loyalty to you. Are you willing to disobey my orders for such a cheap woman?”
“T-that’s…”
Jackson Cutter’s pupils shook greatly. Jacques Noiré drove the nail in.
“If you reject my proposal, you will never be able to defeat Damien Haksen.”
Jackson hesitated for a moment then asked slowly.
“Was what you said inside true? Is there really a way to defeat Damien Haksen?”
In response to that question, Jacques Noiré nodded.
“Have I ever lied to you?”
“Well… what exactly… What kind of method is possible? O-or are you going to tell me about a secret method to defeat Damien Haksen…”
Jacques Noiré pulled something out of his pocket.
It was an old bracelet made of brass. Besides that, it had no other features or peculiarities.
But for some reason, Jackson Cutter felt a sense of danger when he saw the bracelet.
“This bracelet has the effect of disturbing the enemy’s mana. If used skillfully, it can even induce a mana overload.”
Mana overload.
It was a phenomenon in which the mana in a person’s body escapes their control and runs wild.
During a mana overload, not only does the user experience a massive drain of mana, but the body also sustains severe damage.
As a result, knights who experienced a mana overload lost most of their strength.
“This old bracelet… does it really have such remarkable abilities?”
“However, it’s not an ability you can use recklessly. It requires some of your mana and life force.”
Upon hearing this, Jackson frowned.
The cost was too high. Of course, it could be considered cheap if it meant defeating Damien Haksen.
Then suddenly, Jackson remembered.
Bringing about an effect by paying a price. It was like…
“Master, is this bracelet perhaps… dark magic?”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Jacques Noiré said in a menacing tone. Jackson sealed his lips shut.
“Choose. Will you accept my proposal, or will you refuse it?”
After deep contemplation, Jackson spoke.
“…I will follow your words, Master.”
“You’ve thought well.”
Jacques Noiré tossed the bracelet to Jackson.
Jackson caught the bracelet and held it close to his chest.
“Tomorrow, wear that bracelet and fight Damien Haksen. If Damien experiences a mana overload…”
Jacques Noiré added firmly.
“Kill him in the name of showing mercy.”
***
That night.
Olivia Copperhead made a decision.
“…I can’t just stand by like this.”
She had always been manipulated by her father’s orders.
The Earl Copperhead completely ignored Olivia’s wishes and handled everything.
Even this tournament was not what she wanted.
She took out a dagger from the drawer.
The tent was firmly fixed to the ground, making it impossible to lift the fabric except at the entrance.
Olivia used the dagger to tear through the tent and slipped out through the torn opening.
She hurriedly ran, avoiding the gaze of the guards protecting the tent.
She made her way to the tent where Damien was.
Having listened carefully during her conversation with Abel, she knew exactly which tent he was in.
Olivia Copperhead lifted the tent and entered.
“If brother wins, Father will be greatly surprised… Olivia?”
Damien and Abel, who were chatting, were surprised to see Olivia.
Olivia caught her breath, roughened from running, and spoke to the two.
“Sir Damien, someone is targeting your life.”
***
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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