With word spreading that the war would begin the next day, the camp was a hive of activity. Amidst the chaos of soldiers and logistics crews preparing for battle, Rei walked through the Kingdom of Mireana’s main camp, escorted by Sanju, a knight under Margrave Larkus’s command.
The destination loomed ahead—a gargantuan pavilion. Its sheer scale was so immense that it could hardly be called a tent anymore; it was more like a portable manor.
However, as Rei looked upon the massive structure, his expression remained perfectly flat.
Enormous as it was, it was still just a tent made of fabric and poles. It wasn't a magic item like the ones used by Elena or Daskar. To Rei’s eyes, this immediately signaled that while the people inside might have high status or political standing, they lacked the individual capability or wealth of the other two.
Of course, a noble’s true power was usually measured by their influence. From that perspective, the inhabitants were members of the King’s Faction who had been appointed as the Supreme Commander and staff officers of the Expeditionary Force. It wouldn't be strange for them to possess significant authority.
Then again, it was fundamentally unfair to compare them to someone like Elena—the Princess General and daughter of a Duke, the highest rank of nobility—or Daskar, the Margrave who ruled the frontier.
"Right, we're here," Sanju said, pausing. "Lord Daskar doesn't care much for formalities, but the King’s Faction and people like Lunojis are sticklers for etiquette. For heaven’s sake, don't do anything disrespectful."
"It’s a bit much to expect formal etiquette from an adventurer... but I’ll do my best," Rei replied.
Sanju sighed and gave a weary smile at Rei’s bluntness before addressing the guards stationed at the entrance.
"I am Sanju, knight to Margrave Daskar Larkus. I have brought Rei as summoned. Please announce us."
"Sir! One moment, please."
One of the guards performed a crisp salute, touching his right fist to his heart, before disappearing inside the pavilion.
Watching the exchange, Rei noted that the quality of the guards was actually quite high.
From what I’d heard, the King’s Faction is acting like this victory is a foregone conclusion... but the soldiers seem well-trained, Rei thought. I expected them to be completely slack. Maybe it’s just the nobles who are lazy, while the soldiers who have to actually stand on the front lines know better. Slacking off on a battlefield is a death sentence.
Though this was Rei’s first formal war, his extensive experience fighting monsters and other people allowed him to reach that conclusion quickly.
"Listen, I mean it. Do not be rude," Sanju whispered urgently while they waited. "If you make a scene, you’ll be bringing shame upon Lord Daskar as well."
Rei nodded just as the guard returned from the tent.
"Please enter. Everyone is waiting for you."
Everyone, huh? Rei mused. I wonder what kind of 'everyone' is in there.
Sanju surrendered his sheathed sword to the guards, and Rei followed suit, handing over the Mithril Knife hidden inside his dragon-robe.
As they stepped inside, Rei saw the nobles divided into three distinct groups arranged in a broad U-shape.
"Ho, so that is the boy everyone is talking about?"
"Good heavens, he’s just a child. Lord Lunojis was right; he certainly looks like a questionable character."
"Nonsense. Strength is what matters for an adventurer. If he truly has the power to lead the vanguard, I couldn't care less how he looks."
"In that case, we shall have to see that power for ourselves."
"Lunojis is making a fool of himself. He might be confident in his own status, but even I can tell that child... no, that adventurer, possesses extraordinary strength."
"Oh? It's rare to hear you praise anyone. You think he's that capable?"
"He’s just an adventurer. They’re nothing like us nobles with our sacred bloodlines. We should just use him as a human shield."
"Indeed, indeed. If Lunojis can't handle a commoner like that, the future of Marquis Imahen’s House is looking grim."
"Hie... hieeeeeeeee!"
The moment Rei entered the room, a cacophony of voices erupted from the nobles gathered in the tent. As expected, most were filled with contempt based on his appearance, but a few clearly sensed his true strength. It wasn't quite as much of a den of enemies as Rei had anticipated.
However, the reaction of one specific individual brought the entire room to a sudden, jarring halt.
One of the nobles waiting inside let out a strangled shriek the moment he saw Rei. He leapt from his chair and collapsed to the floor, clutching his head and trembling. He looked like a small child curling into a ball to hide from a terrifying thunderstorm.
Most of the nobles simply stared in stunned silence. The man continued to huddle on the ground, acting as if he desperately wanted to see, hear, and say nothing.
Among the crowd, however, the truly powerful elites and those who already knew Rei's strength understood exactly what had happened.
...I see, Rei thought.
He had seen this before. The noble currently cowering on the floor clearly possessed a high sensitivity to magic power and had been overwhelmed by Rei’s massive reserves.
"...What on earth is going on?" one noble muttered into the silence.
Most of the assembly turned their gazes toward Rei. They knew he was the cause. However, since Rei hadn't actually moved or cast a spell, they couldn't flatly accuse him of anything. A heavy silence dominated the tent.
Finally, a man in his fifties sitting in the center—wearing armor so heavily decorated it looked gaudy—shouted irritably at the cowering man.
"Enough! You disgrace to the King’s Faction! Guards, take this man away!"
On the commander's orders, the trembling noble was dragged out. The man in the center then fixed a sharp gaze on Rei.
Now that the distraction was gone, Rei took the opportunity to scan the room properly.
He recognized several people. Daskar, his direct employer, was the most obvious. There were also the nobles who had been present when the Lead Unit was assigned. At the edge of the King’s Faction line, Siminal was watching with an amused smirk. Opposite the Neutral Faction stood the Noble’s Faction, where Elena turned a gaze of absolute trust toward Rei without a word. Near her stood Lunojis Imahen, the man responsible for this whole ordeal. When their eyes met for a split second, Lunojis made a face of pure disgust, as if he were looking at a rotting goblin corpse on the road. And then...
...Who is that?
At the center of the Noble’s Faction, occupying the same relative position as Daskar, was a single man. The moment Rei saw him, a powerful sense of déjà vu washed over him.
He felt as though they had met somewhere before.
Perhaps sensing the scrutiny, the man returned Rei's gaze.
Ho, did he realize? the man thought. I made sure to hide my face when we fought in the City of Gilm.
The man was Filma Desir, Knight Commander of Duke Kerebel’s Knight Order. He was present as Duke Kerebel’s Representative, leading the Duke's personal army. He had once fought Rei in Gilm on the orders of Liberte Kerebel, who had wanted to test Rei’s abilities after hearing about them from Elena. Despite Filma having been disguised at the time, Rei’s instincts were screaming that something about the man was familiar.
However, while Rei was a match for Filma in combat, he was no match for him in the art of political maneuvering. Filma kept his expression perfectly neutral, looking at Rei as if they were meeting for the very first time. Rei began to wonder if he was just imagining things.
Suddenly, a noble standing near Filma stepped forward.
"You! How dare a mere adventurer stare so shamelessly at the Knight Commander of Duke Kerebel’s Knight Order! Know your place!"
The voice was thick with arrogance. A few other nobles actually winced at the man’s tone, but he was too busy sneering at Rei to notice.
It was Lunojis Imahen, the primary reason Rei had been summoned to this meeting in the first place.
Lunojis seemed determined to remind Rei of the status gap between a noble and an adventurer. It was obvious why he was putting on such a show—he kept shooting glances at Elena, who stood beside Filma.
Unfortunately for him, Elena was staring back at Lunojis with a look that could have frozen the entire camp. The fact that he didn't realize he was digging his own grave was almost pitiable.
"..."
Remembering Sanju’s warning not to cause trouble for Daskar, Rei remained silent. He kept his mouth shut and looked toward Daskar instead.
Daskar, realizing Rei was holding back to protect his employer's reputation, turned his gaze to the gaudy man in the center of the King’s Faction.
"Lord Alius, the man in question is here as you requested. What now?"
"Hmph. The issue was whether this adventurer truly has the strength to be entrusted with the Lead Unit, was it not?"
"So it seems," Daskar replied calmly. "Naturally, as he is an adventurer who has achieved much in Gilm, I have full confidence in his skill. I have no reservations about him leading the vanguard. He reached C-Rank in record time after registering at the guild, and he even has a Gryphon as his familiar."
A stir ran through the tent at the mention of the Gryphon. Such a creature commanded respect through sheer presence alone.
But Lunojis was not about to let it go.
"Hah! Margrave Larkus, you certainly have a sense of humor."
"Oh? A joke? Please, tell me what you find so funny," Daskar countered.
"The boy's skill, obviously. He might have reached C-Rank in record time, and I’ll acknowledge the records exist, but isn't that entirely due to the Gryphon rather than his own power?"
The nobles began to buzz again.
Many—especially the Noble’s Faction members close to Lunojis and those in the King’s Faction who wanted to see the other factions squabble—agreed. They argued that even a child could rank up easily if they were being carried by a creature as powerful as a Gryphon.
The King's Faction, in particular, was eager to fan the flames. They hoped that if the relationship between the Noble’s Faction and the Neutral Faction broke down, both sides would suffer heavier losses in the war against the Bestia Empire, weakening the King's political rivals.
Fools, Daskar thought, clicking his tongue internally. The Bestia Empire has the advantage as it is, and they’re trying to start a civil spat here?
Daskar realized the situation was spiraling out of control. Furthermore, he suspected the King’s Faction nobles were still stinging from the humiliation of their colleague collapsing earlier.
The noble who had cowered in fear was a famous and talented mage within the King’s Faction. Having his dignity crushed so publicly was more than enough reason for the faction to be hostile toward Rei.
As Daskar considered how to settle the matter, his eyes met Filma Desir’s. The Knight Commander of Duke Kerebel’s Knight Order exuded a sharp, martial aura that demanded respect.
Heh. It looks like he and I are on the same page, Daskar thought.
In that brief moment of eye contact, the two veteran leaders reached an unspoken agreement. They both nodded, and Filma raised his voice.
"Silence!"
As expected of one of the greatest warriors of the age, his voice carried immense weight. With a single word, he silenced the room. No one dared to interrupt.
"If you wish to ascertain the power of this man, Rei, then we simply need to see him fight," Filma declared. "Lunojis, this commotion began with your accusations, correct?"
"...Yes," Lunojis replied, his arrogance momentarily suppressed by Filma's sheer presence.
"Then the matter is simple. Lunojis, you shall duel this adventurer yourself. Test his strength with your own hands."
"You want me to fight a mere adventurer?"
"I do. Do you have an objection?"
"...No. I shall follow your command."
Though their families were both of high rank, Lunojis was only the second son—a spare—whereas Filma was the commander of the most prestigious knight order in the kingdom. Lunojis couldn't withstand the pressure Filma was radiating and was forced to agree.
"Lord Alius, I assume this is acceptable?" Filma asked, turning to the Supreme Commander.
"Umu. I, too, would like to see what the boy is made of," Alius said grandly.
With Alius’s approval, the duel between Lunojis and Rei was set.
Meanwhile, Siminal sat at the edge of the King’s Faction, watching the entire spectacle unfold with a thin, amused smile.