Commoner A Becomes a Proxy

March 30, 2021: Fixed typos.

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The dance hall was a cacophony of murmurs. The reactions of the guests were a mixed bag—some watched with voyeuristic curiosity, others frowned in disapproval, and many were huddled together, whispering frantically.

In stark contrast, the students and teachers stood in stunned silence, watching the sudden annulment of the engagement and the ensuing challenge to a duel unfold like a slow-motion wreck.

"A-Allen?"

"You... are you that commoner from back then?"

Anastasia and the Crown Prince reacted simultaneously. Anastasia looked as though she’d been struck by a bolt from the blue, but the Crown Prince merely shot me a look of pure suspicion. Honestly, his choice of words was a bit much.

"Good grief. For the record, Your Highness, I’m technically in the same class as you. More importantly, Lady Anastasia—please, quickly formally recognize me as your proxy."

"Eh? Oh... yes. I recognize you."

I moved the conversation along before she could recover from her shock.

"Now then. What are the terms for this duel? Lady Anastasia, your requirements?"

"T-They are already decided. Retract the insults against House Ramslett and apologize."

"Understood. And Lady Amy?"

"Eh? Um... please don't come near us ever again."

Good grief, those are the exact lines from the game.

"Right. So, if Lady Anastasia wins, Lady Amy’s group will admit their previous statements regarding House Ramslett were insults and offer a formal apology. If Lady Amy wins, Lady Anastasia will no longer approach her. Does that cover it?"

"Incorrect," the Crown Prince interjected. "She is to stay away from Amy and the five of us."

"Understood. Let's go with that, then."

I decided to wrap up the administrative details as efficiently as possible.

"And the format of the duel?"

"You are but one man. Find four more proxies. If you cannot, I wouldn't mind holding five separate one-on-one matches every day until you've won five times in a row—if you're even capable of that."

The Crown Prince looked down on me—or rather, on both of us—with a sneer. It seemed he wasn't quite shameless enough to attempt a five-on-one lynch mob in public. Or perhaps he was just underestimating me because he saw me as a commoner.

"Ah, that sounds like a lot of hassle. How about all five of you just come at me at once? A one-on-five match—anything goes as long as no one gets killed. How does that sound?"

Claude was the first to snap.

"Hey, commoner. You actually think you can take us on and win? You, whose swordsmanship and magic are utterly average?"

I see. So that’s how they see me. That was perfect, actually. Since this was going to be the final act, I might as well provoke them for all I was worth. The angrier they were, the easier they would be to manipulate.

"Oh? Prince Claude... are you telling me you're actually scared of a commoner?"

"What did you say?"

Claude’s voice sharpened with irritation. If this were a manga or an anime, I’m certain he would have had a prominent anger vein throbbing on his forehead.

"Now, now, please calm down. However, Prince Claude does have a point." Marcus stepped forward, adopting a lecturing tone. "Your magic cannot reach mine or His Highness's, and your swordsmanship is nowhere near the level of Leo, the Prince, or Claude. We even have Oscar, a master marksman, on our side. A man like you has no chance of victory. I admire the courage it took to volunteer, but you’ve done enough. I’m telling you this for your own sake: withdraw."

From their perspective, that was the logical conclusion. On the surface, it sounded like sound advice, but it was incredibly condescending in its own right.

Still, I couldn't let myself get angry. I needed them to lose their cool, not me. I wanted to avoid any outside interference that might mess things up. I had to end this duel quickly.

With that in mind—though I didn't actually have any personal grudge against Marcus—I decided to poke the bear.

"Oh? It’s hard to find your words persuasive, Lord Marcus, when they’re coming from someone who consistently loses to a commoner like me in our studies. Do you have any actual points to make?"

"Wh—! Here I am, genuinely concerned for your well-being, and you...!"

He took the bait beautifully. I wondered if he just had zero resistance to provocation, or if he simply couldn't stand being mocked by someone he considered beneath him. Either way, with a boiling point that low, he was a total failure as a future Prime Minister.

"That’s hardly beautiful behavior, is it?" Oscar chimed in. "I suppose being a commoner means you can’t help but be barbaric."

"I see. So being a noble means you're nothing but a pretty face? Ah, but since there are plenty of noblemen who aren't like that, I suppose it’s just you and your friends, Lord Oscar? Besides, I think surrounding a single woman while neglecting one's own fiancée is far more barbaric. Honestly, a group of men swarming around one girl... didn't I read somewhere that honeybees do something similar?"

"You...!"

Oscar’s handsome face contorted in rage. Then Leonard stepped into my personal space.

"Such foul language is unbearable to listen to. Retract it."

"Even if you say that, you're the ones who started with the baseless accusations. And weren't you just trying to use your numbers to force a woman to admit to false charges? For the son of the Knight Order’s leader, which of us is truly foul, Lord Leonard?"

"What!?"

It was almost funny how easy it was to hit their buttons. This was entertaining in a twisted way, but I knew that if I started enjoying it too much, I’d turn into a real piece of work. I didn't want to fall into self-loathing later, so I decided to shut the door on my rising pettiness and end the conversation.

"Now then, Crown Prince Karlheinz. Surely you aren't going to run away from a one-on-five match—a deal that is overwhelmingly in your favor?"

"What?! You little... Fine! Very well! Don't come crying to me if you end up dead!"

"Oh? Is that a declaration that you intend to break the 'no killing' rule already?"

"...Just make sure you don't run. Get to the training grounds immediately. Hey! Someone act as a witness!"

"I shall handle it."

A middle-aged man stood up from the guest section. He was one of the men who had been laughing along with the Crown Prince earlier. Are they planning to rig the results?

Well, fine. If they tried anything, I’d just have to make sure they were never in a position to try it again.

"We will be waiting at the training grounds. Don't you dare run!"

With that, Amy, the Crown Prince, his entourage, and the middle-aged man hurried out of the hall.

"Lady Anastasia, I’m going to head back to the dormitory to grab my equipment. Please go on ahead to the training grounds."

I turned to address the still-dazed Anastasia. By the way, the reason I was unarmed was simple: carrying weapons was strictly prohibited inside the royal castle, and the academy dorms were only a stone's throw away.

Anastasia finally snapped out of it and lunged toward me with a terrifying intensity.

"Wh-What kind of madness is this?! It’s not too late. Withdraw your name as my proxy. No one will blame you given the circumstances. If something happens to you during that duel, it will be dismissed as a mere accident! I cannot allow a man of your talent to die in a place like this!"

"Oh? Are you actually worried about me? Don't worry, I won't die. In fact, against opponents of that caliber, I could win no matter how many of them showed up."

"What...? Allen?"

"Haven't you heard the rumors? That there’s an adventurer in the Royal Capital who holds the record for being the youngest C-rank?"

"Eh? Yes, I’ve heard the stories, but..."

"That’s me. My track record includes being the youngest C-rank adventurer, the conqueror of the Goblin Labyrinth, and the one they call the Goblin Slayer and Orc Slayer. I even pulled off a solo subjugation of a Blizzard Phoenix."

"Eh?"

For the second time that day, I got to see Anastasia’s mouth hang open in total bewilderment.

It was a bit sad to think that this might be the last time I’d see that expression. But this was what I had been preparing for. I was going to give it everything I had and win this fight.

"So, it’s a guaranteed victory. You can rest easy—I've got this."