On the night of the duel, despite the biting winter cold, banquets were being held in every corner of Gilm.
The people who had witnessed the winter festival—and more importantly, the high-stakes duel—were making a massive ruckus, their excitement still far from cooling down.
...While the majority of the city was in high spirits, drinking and feasting, not everyone in Gilm was joining in the festivities.
In a manor within the Noble District belonging to a noble of the King's Faction, a group of nobles held a gathering of their own, though their expressions were bitter as they drank. Expensive liquor and dishes made from rare ingredients had been laid out, but the men surrounding the table were in no state to actually enjoy the flavors.
"Damn it! What is Count Eriel's House thinking, sending such a fool to represent them!?"
One noble shouted, slamming his cup onto the table as if it were his parent’s murderer.
The reactions of the others were divided. Some merely watched the shouting man with grim looks, while others shouted back in agreement. Although they had all gathered under the banner of the King's Faction, it was the largest of the three great factions of the Kingdom of Mireana; naturally, it was subdivided into several smaller internal cliques.
Those wearing the most bitter expressions were the ones belonging to the same sub-faction that had sent Keep to the city. The ones shouting in agreement with the first man were from the rival cliques.
One of the nobles from the latter group eventually spoke up.
"If this continues, the reputation of the King's Faction will be dragged through the mud. It was bad enough that he tried to seize a maid from a poor noble family like Baron Cisne's House by force, but to then instigate a duel and suffer a pathetic, crushing defeat... And what was he thinking, wagering half of Count Eriel's House property? To make matters worse, the bet has already been legally processed."
"Indeed. I cannot fathom what possessed that man to act in such a manner..."
"It's likely because he wasn't thinking at all. Regardless, Keep’s performance was the height of folly. But the real problem is that he is associated with the King's Faction. ...I must ask, what was your sub-faction's aim in sending such a person to Gilm?"
Accusing glares were directed at the nobles who had maneuvered to have Keep sent to the frontier. One of them spoke, his face twisted in a grimace.
"To be perfectly honest, we never expected him to do something this incredibly stupid. The original plan was for him to cause a manageable level of trouble so that the King's Faction upper management could intervene, allowing us to drive a wedge between the Neutral Faction and the Noble's Faction, but..."
"For it to end like this... truly, we never imagined he would cause such an idiotic scandal."
"Precisely. Those in the Royal Capital who sent him are the ones truly at fault. We here in Gilm must join hands and cooperate as fellow members of the King's Faction."
The other nobles looked disgusted by the convenient excuse, but they refrained from voicing their complaints. The reality was that they did need to cooperate. While they were part of the kingdom's largest faction, Gilm was the Neutral Faction's headquarters. If they fell into infighting now, Margrave Larkus and the other Neutral Faction nobles—or perhaps even the Noble's Faction—might seize the opportunity to interfere. To prevent that, they had to present a united front, especially since the day's duel had left the King's Faction with a significant wound.
"...Very well. It is true that we must work together."
With those words, the debate over responsibility was shelved for the time being. That left the matter of Keep.
"So, what do you intend to do about that Lord Leaks-a-lot?"
At the mention of the nickname, several nobles couldn't help but snicker. No one in the room had ever expected a man who was the heir to a Count’s house to actually soil himself in public.
"Knowing Lord Leaks-a-lot, he’ll likely resort to some short-sighted impulse."
"Like an attack on House Cisne to massacre everyone and try to make the whole mess disappear?"
"But he already tried that, didn't he? And he was driven off by the adventurer hired to guard the mansion... Surely even Lord Leaks-a-lot wouldn't use a tactic that has already failed?"
"I think precisely because he is Lord Leaks-a-lot, he’ll gamble on a total reversal if he feels cornered."
"Hmm. Then what? Should we inform Margrave Larkus? At the very least, that would show that the King's Faction doesn't condone his actions."
"...Yes, that might be the best course of action."
The nobles all nodded, and were just about to send a messenger to the Lord's Mansion when—
The sound of a door being thrown open violently echoed through the room. Every head turned toward the entrance. Their gazes were heavy with reproach—a natural reaction for nobles dealing with such a rude intrusion.
The master of the house shouted irritably at the intruder.
"What do you think you're doing!?"
However, the man who had burst in looked relieved to have reached them, and he hurried toward his master. The master of the house frowned, sensing something was wrong, and waited for the man to approach. The man leaned in and whispered the news that had just arrived.
"Impossible! That's far too soon, no matter how you look at it!"
The master of the house shouted in disbelief. Naturally, the other nobles were now burning with curiosity. Ignoring their stares, the master of the house spoke immediately to share the report.
"I’ve just received word from my subordinate. ...That man, Keep, has taken every bit of military force he could get his hands on and headed toward Baron Cisne's House. They say his numbers exceed fifty men."
"What!?"
A chorus of shocked cries filled the room. They had expected Keep might eventually attack Baron Cisne's House, but they never dreamed he would launch a raid on this very night.
"He’s moving far too fast!"
"He’s a fool! He’s acting on impulse without a single deep thought in his head!"
"Over fifty men? How did he gather that many so quickly?"
"What do we do!? If that Lord Leaks-a-lot brings trouble down on our heads, it’ll be a catastrophe!"
Caught completely off guard by the timing, the nobles of the King's Faction found it impossible to reach a quick consensus on their next move.
Time rewinds.
After the duel ended and the winter sun had dipped below the horizon, Keep was in the middle of a violent tantrum in his guest room.
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaah! Damn it! Damn it all! Why did it turn out like this!? What did I do wrong!? Why is everyone laughing at me!?"
He grabbed a spear that had been on display and swung it wildly, taking his rage out on the furniture. Lacking any physical training, his swings were slow and clumsy, devoid of any real technique. Even so, he managed to smash some of the smaller pieces of furniture. However, when he struck a heavy mahogany desk, the impact sent a jarring numbness through his arms.
Even that irritation only fueled his rage as he continued his path of destruction.
"That's right... I’m not the one at fault. No matter who looks at it, I’ve done nothing wrong. The ones to blame are those poor nobles who dared to defy me. To think those paupers with such a lowly title of nobility would dare stand against me... If they were gone, my failure would vanish with them. Yes... if I just erase those obstacles..."
In Keep’s mind, the history of the duel was being conveniently rewritten to ensure that Baron Cisne's House was the sole villain.
"If that source of all my woes were gone, I could still... I could still start over. Yes, I don't care who the opponent is; anyone who gets in my way is the enemy. I'm not wrong. It's their fault for attacking me first. Yes, it has to be."
Keep continued to mutter to himself as he stared at the gouges he had carved into the wall with the spear, but he fell silent when he heard a knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
"It’s me, Lord Keep. As we discussed before the duel, preparations for the attack on House Cisne are complete. All that remains is for you to give the command and lead the charge. If we strike now, everything will be settled."
Fultos stepped into the room. Keep’s eyes lit up for a fraction of a second, but when he heard he was expected to lead the charge, he immediately hesitated.
"I... I’m to stand at the front? Why must I do something so dangerous?"
Despite his usual arrogance, Keep immediately recoiled the moment his own safety was at risk. Fultos knew Keep’s personality well, but he couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly.
(If I’m going to slip away from this place, I need someone to cause a massive distraction elsewhere. The best option is for this man—who is already the center of attention—to go on a rampage. I have to find a way to motivate this coward...)
Keep’s disinheritance was an absolute certainty once he lost the duel. As his subordinate who had accompanied him to Gilm, Fultos knew he wouldn't get off easy either. Losing his job was one thing, but there was a high chance he would literally lose his head to appease the family’s rage. He had zero intention of being executed as collateral for a man like Keep.
His only option was to use Keep as a decoy to draw all eyes away, giving him time to vanish with as much treasure as he could carry. For Fultos, it was imperative that Keep launch a conspicuous attack on Baron Cisne's House.
"Please, rest assured, Lord Keep. We have gathered over fifty men. No matter how strong that Rei might be, he cannot overcome such a numerical disadvantage. Furthermore, if you lead the attack now, you can finally claim that maid you wanted. However, if the men go without you... without leadership, they might decide to do as they please with her."
"...What?"
Keep, who had been trembling with fear, suddenly froze at Fultos’s words. Even Fultos was slightly surprised by the reaction.
(Why is he so obsessed with that maid? She wasn't even such a world-class beauty. Is it because he’s suffered so much humiliation for her sake that he feels he has to possess her as a consolation prize? Well, either way, it works in my favor.)
Fultos didn't care about the logic behind the obsession; Keep showing motivation was all that mattered.
"Therefore, I believe the best course of action is for you to lead the attack on House Cisne and wipe this slate clean. Once Baron Cisne is dead, that maid will have no choice but to accept your protection."
The manipulation was incredibly blatant. Normally, even Keep would have sensed something suspicious in Fultos’s tone. But Keep was currently far from sane. Anger, shame, and lust were all swirling within him in a toxic cocktail of negative emotions. When offered a way to resolve all of them at once, he couldn't resist.
"Fine! I'll go! I'll go! I’ll make those people who humiliated me pay! Are the other men reliable!? You didn't just scrape together a bunch of useless trash like the ones in the duel, did you!?"
The fact that he still needed to ask confirmed his underlying cowardice.
"Yes, we have many skilled warriors ready. You will be able to rampage exactly as you wish, Lord Keep. Please, unleash all that fury. You are the heir to Count Eriel's House; a pathetic Baron’s family is beneath you."
"You're right. Yes, of course you're right. I am right about everything. It was a mistake to ever be troubled by such peasants. I’ll clear away this resentment once and for all!"
Keep marched out of the room, spear still in hand. Fultos watched him go, then saw the knights waiting in the hallway fall in line behind him. A smile spread across Fultos’s face. It was a cold, mocking sneer.
"Now that my decoy is off to make a spectacular scene and draw everyone's attention, I suppose I should get moving as well. I'll be taking anything of value as a parting gift, so please, do your very best to stand out, Lord Keep."
Despite the honorific, there wasn't a shred of respect in his voice as Fultos left the room to finalize his escape.