Chapter 147 The Impartial Arbiter
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
There was an unannounced attack by Duke Crowley, and Prince Liam stepped in to mediate. In the middle of it, the dwarf princess Eil appeared, and the suspicions about me were cleared.
Eil’s testimony turned the situation around. It was Duke Crowley, the one who had been accusing me, who now found himself cornered. It was barely in time.
Then, the manor door groaned open.
Cold light flooded in from outside, and with it, Princess Elisabeth of the Empire appeared.
The leftover traces of an offensive spell, air mixed faintly with the smell of gunpowder, stirred the hem of her rich dress. Her heels clicked against the garden cobblestones, and she moved forward smoothly, as if gliding across a ballroom floor. Her face was as white as porcelain, without any expression, yet in the depths of her eyes, cold reason and flame-like will sat together in quiet balance.
”What exactly is all this commotion?”
She stepped forward, her skirts swaying slightly, and asked with the poise of a leading actress delivering her lines. Impatience and blame bled clearly through her voice.
”…Princess Elisabeth? Why are you here…?”
Her arrival was clearly unexpected for Prince Liam. He could not quite hide his shock.
And for me, too, this was not a development I had expected. It was not in my plan.
”In any case, I will take charge of this situation. Lay down your arms, both of you.”
At Prince Liam’s mediation, the blades between me and Duke Crowley’s private soldiers clashed one last time, then lowered at the same time. The three mages lowered their staves as well.
The cold edge of the sword at my throat was gone. Duke Crowley wiped the sweat from his forehead with a rough hand and let out a sigh of relief. But the air at the manor’s front gate still churned with the killing intent of both forces, and a thick, dusty tension hung over everything.
”Lord Duke Crowley here claims that the dwarf princess is being held as a slave at Lord Grimlock’s manor,” Prince Liam explained. “I came to look into the matter, but, Princess Elisabeth, what brings you here?”
His question was reasonable. Her schedule for today had not included a visit to this estate.
”Actually, the other day at Lady Violetta of the Azalea Ducal House’s tea party, I was accused of attempted poisoning. Lord Grimlock here was kind enough to investigate the matter and clear my name. So I came to thank him.”
”I see. That is quite an incident, and quite discourteous to you.”
Prince Liam’s calm expression did not waver, but I could tell he was shaken inside. His pleasant smile twitched at the edges, and I did not miss it.
”Please do not concern yourself. I am well aware that I am not exactly welcomed warmly in this country. There was even that ‘cannon fire’ during my stay.”
Her voice was calm, but it carried a frightening edge. The air grew noticeably colder.
”Th-that is… I had no idea, but I am deeply sorry…”
Duke Crowley, pale and bloodless, broke into a cold sweat and began apologizing over and over. His thin frame trembled visibly.
An attack on a guest under the Empire’s and the Royal Family’s protection. He finally seemed to understand how serious a crime that was.
Elisabeth commanded complete authority over the room.
Her bearing was filled with a dignity that could have stepped straight out of a painting. The soldiers’ hostility, the Duke’s panic, before her they were nothing but background noise.
That dignity, that composure.
She was like a queen wearing a crown made of ice.
Not a trace remained of that feverish, sweet expression she had shown in my arms not long ago. She was like a different person, commanding the Prince and Duke with unshakable authority.
If she was on your side, there was no better ally to have.
…Women, I thought to myself with a dry chuckle, are a terrifying kind.
”And what about the suspicion that the dwarf princess was being enslaved?”
Eil had already fixed her shirt and was standing quietly behind me. Elisabeth seemed to understand from the atmosphere that things were not going badly for me.
She turned to Prince Liam with a confident expression.
”The suspicion against him has already been cleared.”
”Then is everything settled?”
At her question, Prince Liam hesitated. “Well, not exactly.” He began explaining the claims about the Dwarf Tribe being exploited in Duke Crowley’s lands.
”So, Your Highness, what kind of arbitration do you plan to offer?”
”As I see it, this case is a private fight between the parties involved.”
His words only made the already tense air heavier.
”Starting now, I ban all combat within the Royal Capital and the Crown’s direct lands. Duke Crowley’s attack on Lord Grimlock’s estate is judged to be without just cause. Lord Grimlock is hereby given the right to fight back.”
Prince Liam paused, then went on.
”From this point forward, the combat zone and the conditions of victory will be set in the presence of His Majesty the King, in a way both sides can accept.”
Prince Liam had apparently worked together with Duke Crowley to plan the attack on the manor. But with the claim that I was holding the dwarf princess as a slave now proven false, he was forced to play the role of a fair judge.
Worse still, the Duke’s control over the Dwarf Tribe was now being questioned, and the cannon fire aimed at an estate housing an Imperial Princess was a deadly political mistake. Supporting Duke Crowley any further was now politically impossible.
”And what does the winner get?”
I spoke to the Prince directly. This was the key point.
”If Duke Crowley wins, the assault is forgiven. If you win, control over the Dwarf Tribe will be moved from the Duke’s family to yours.”
”Your Highness, that is!”
Duke Crowley’s voice cracked with panic at the conditions Prince Liam had laid down. His eyes went wide with disbelief.
The control of the dwarves, a source of huge profit. It was far too high a price.
And even if he won the fight, now that Prince Liam knew about his exploitation of the dwarves, a major restructuring of that system was unavoidable. Either way, the profits he had enjoyed from keeping control over them would be greatly reduced.
If I won the fight, I could fulfill my promise to Eil.
The Duke was in an impossible position, kicked while he was already down. He had no room left to argue. He bit his lip, eyes lowered, fists shaking on his knees. He must have been regretting the pride and overconfidence that had brought him to this point. He tried to stay calm, but inside, he must have been going over the moment again and again, wondering what he could have done differently. His silence was filled not only with the pain of defeat, but with anger at his own foolishness.
But no matter how much he regretted it, it was too late.
Duke Crowley had no choice but to accept the conditions as they stood.
—
Summary:
The attack on Grimlock manor collapses as Eil’s testimony and Elisabeth’s arrival force Prince Liam to abandon his conspiracy with Duke Crowley and rule as an impartial arbiter.
Duke Crowley’s jurisdiction over the Dwarf Tribe is put on the line as the stake of a sanctioned feud, with Xenos gaining the chance to fulfill his promise to Eil if he wins.
Elisabeth’s controlled fury over the cannon fire near her residence becomes the diplomatic lever that seals Duke Crowley’s political ruin.
—
Trivia:
Elisabeth was previously accused of poisoning at Violetta’s tea party, and Grimlock helped clear her name – creating the debt that brings her to the manor today.
Prince Liam’s smile twitches when he’s flustered – Xenos notices this tell both times Liam is caught off guard.
The “cannon fire” Elisabeth mentions is the same offensive spell residue described at her entrance, confirming it was directed at the manor.
Duke Crowley’s exploitation of the Dwarf Tribe is now known to Prince Liam, meaning even a victory would force him to restructure his operations.
Xenos explicitly notes Elisabeth’s arrival is “not in the script” – his game knowledge has a blind spot.
The private soldiers and three mages present represent the military force Duke Crowley brought to the assault.
Notes:
• Duke Crowley – Duke who governs the Dwarf Tribe territories. Thin, frail-looking, and indecisive. He fears conflict and avoids decisive action, concerned primarily with protecting his own position and concealing his oppressive exploitation of the dwarves.
• Crowley – Bearing the Bartholomeus family name, this cowardly, conflict-averse Duke of the Asgard Kingdom oversees the Dwarf Tribe’s jurisdiction. Outwardly posing as a protector of dwarven culture, he deceitfully exploits them and secretly orchestrates Princess Eil’s sale into slavery. He is relieved when Prince Liam’s attention turns toward the Grimlocks rather than exposing his schemes.
• Liam – Liam Asgard, the golden-haired, emerald-eyed Crown Prince of Asgard, is Liliana’s older brother, betrothed to Elisabeth, and liege to Elliot and Aldrick. Though possessing royal Light Mana and a sense of justice, he speaks with polished grace to hide a manipulative, calculating ambition. Scheme-driven to destroy his rival Xenos and obsessively steal Cecilia, he uses his authority to incite war.
• Eil – Dwarf princess and skilled artisan. Energetic and earnest with a bright, hopeful demeanor. Works alongside her four attendants to forge weapons and build a smithy. Shows shy vulnerability when confronted with romantic advances.
• Elisabeth – Princess of the enemy Adrastea Empire, Prince Liam’s fiancée, and the game’s main heroine. Dignified and diplomatic even when cornered or falsely accused, she is targeted by Violetta’s assassination plot. While Xenos exchanges opinions with her, her heart has shifted from Liam to the protagonist, showing visible relief at his arrival while unconsciously avoiding relying on her fiancé.
• Grimlock – Xenos’s family name.
• Violetta – Daughter of Duke Azalea. The orchestrator of the tea party trap, using poison to frame her romantic rival. Displays refined superiority and honeyed cruelty. Possesses a sharp, calculating mind wrapped in elegant manners.
• Azalea – Violetta’s family name. The villainess of the world.
• Xenos – Job: Heir to a high-ranking noble house; Relationship: Owner of Lilia; Has romantic connections with Elenor, Cecilia, and Lizel; Item/Magic: Summoning magic, [Substitution Collars]; Note: Was caught up in a Royal Palace explosion and missed three days of school. Pragmatic and calculating personality. Job: Noble of Grimlock family, protagonist; Relationship: Manipulator of Princess Liliana, pursuing Serena; Item/Magic: [Ring of Transformation]; Note: Reincarnated villain with game knowledge, calculating and arrogant. Job: Theater Owner and noble of Grimlock family; Relationship: Fiancé to Cecilia; Item/Magic: Game knowledge/metaknowledge; Note: Reincarnated villain protagonist who knows the original game script.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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