— The Sacred Martial Arts Tournament Venue, VIP Room
"That Dick Balm... lost?"
From the spectator seats in the VIP room, one of the nobles aligned with First Prince Gilbert Loto Amelia of the Holy Amelia Kingdom uttered those utterly bewildered words.
"Hey, Committee Chairman! What is the meaning of this?!"
The leader of the Gilbert faction, Marquis Lumpa Barrel, grabbed the collar of the short-haired, middle-aged man beside him who was still gaping down at the arena, and shouted.
Lumpa's demand carried two distinct points.
The first, naturally, was ensuring that Kai Heinemann's stat-boosting items had been rendered unusable. If items were the source of that brat's astounding strength, confiscating them was an indispensable countermeasure.
The other was the stat-suppressing magical garment Lumpa had supplied. It was a custom-made cursed tool prepared specifically in case the Gilbert faction's holy knight ran into trouble during this tournament.
The garment had been crafted by a former slave sorcerer blessed with a deranged Gift called "Cursed Tool Creation." Thanks to this cursed tool, the physical strength of a burly, B-rank hunter in Lumpa's employ had been reduced to that of a mere woman or child. There was no way an incompetent like Kai Heinemann could possibly resist its effects.
"We did everything precisely as you commanded, Lord Lumpa!" the tournament committee chairman shrieked.
"And yet, effortlessly tossing around a massive brute like Dick requires extraordinary physical strength. Could it be that he still has stat-boosting items equipped?"
At another noble's quiet speculation, chorus after chorus of outrage erupted throughout the room.
"That incompetent fool! He resorted to cheating again?!"
"Unforgivable! Committee Chairman, disqualify that coward this instant!"
However...
"To begin with, Dick Balm's flame abilities had no effect whatsoever. This is hardly a simple matter of raw physical strength. Or rather, before we even get to that—is Kai Heinemann truly an incompetent Gift Holder?"
A massive man with pineapple-shaped hair wiped the beads of sweat clinging to his brow, rejecting their consensus as he voiced his own doubts.
"Lord Ananas, what are you trying to say?"
Lumpa fixed a piercing glare on the pineapple-haired noble, demanding an explanation.
"You paper-pushing civil officials wouldn't understand. Those were the movements of a true warrior. And not just any warrior, but a seasoned combatant who has crossed the Death Line countless times."
"Which is why I'm telling you it must be the work of an item—"
"No! That is not the issue at all," Ananas cut in. "I repeat: those are not moves a mere incompetent could ever pull off. It pains me to admit it, but compared to him, our endorsed Guardian Knight candidate is practically a newborn babe. It wouldn't even be a contest."
Count Ananas's somber assessment sent a heavy wave of commotion rippling through the VIP room.
"My son... is inferior to that incompetent? Is that what you're claiming?" Marquis Lumpa snarled, his voice trembling with indignation.
"When it comes to martial prowess alone, that is precisely what I am saying."
"He hails from a family with a mere honorary knight peerage! In other words, a fake noble without a single drop of blue blood in his veins! Furthermore, he is the lowest of the low, bearing 'The Most Incompetent in the World'—a Gift utterly forsaken by the Holy God of War himself!"
"That... may well be true. Yet his martial skill is genuine. That much I can guarantee."
Count Ananas rose from his seat, swept his gaze over the assembled nobles, and spoke with calm finality.
"The circumstances have shifted. As of today, House Ananas is withdrawing entirely from this royal succession dispute."
Placing his right hand over his heart, he offered a dignified bow and strode out of the room.
His departure plunged the VIP room into an anxious frenzy.
And understandably so. Count Ananas was renowned as one of the Holy Amelia Kingdom's foremost military authorities.
His sudden defection from the Gilbert faction meant losing the very pillar of their martial credibility. This came on the heels of their failed scheme to marry Princess Rosemary off to the Empire. If things continued down this path, a substantial number of nobles might break away from the Gilbert faction entirely.
"Silence! Stop your disgraceful squawking! That incompetent will be crushed in his next match against Zack Power, so there is no problem!"
Zack Power was among the most formidable young pugilists in the kingdom, and Lumpa had already approached him about joining their faction. Defeating Zack in the finals rather than the incompetent would ensure the public recognized Lumpa's son as a worthy Guardian Knight for Prince Gilbert.
"Committee Chairman. A word regarding the upcoming match between Zack Power and the incompetent."
"Y-Yes, my lord..."
The tournament committee chairman offered a hesitant nod, his face pale with dread.
You've already stepped into the mud with us, Lumpa thought. I won't let you back out now. You're going to make yourself useful.
"Now then—"
Lumpa began outlining his scheme to eliminate the incompetent once and for all.