Volume 11 Chapter 18 Beast King Martial Arts Tournament Finals II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Nokin grabbed my neck, almost making me arch back, and lifted me easily with one hand.
I couldn’t breathe and struggled, but Nokin’s grip was too strong to escape.
I’m going…!
I’m about to go!
Stopp!!
My vision started to narrow, and as the oxygen ran out, my ability to think quickly faded, and I couldn’t think at all.
”That’s enough! Nokin! Stop it right now!”
Just before I lost consciousness, a woman’s voice echoed from the loudspeaker in the arena, taking the microphone from the host.
Hearing that voice, Nokin froze.
Then, as the fierce energy around him faded, life returned to Nokin’s vacant eyes.
”Huh! What was I doing! Gfuuhhh!!!”
Nokin threw me to the ground and clutched his chest, coughing up blood.
There was a lot of blood, and the ground turned red.
”Cough, cough, I was shot by Kent… Ugh, what is this pain all over my body!! Gnuuuuhhh!”
Nokin knelt on one knee, looking seriously hurt, breathing heavily unlike before.
But I was also feeling the damage from Nokin, with a dizzying pain radiating from my crushed face, making it hard to move.
”Nokin! You were supposed to be my partner! It’s my job to make you the king of this Demon Continent! I brought you to this Beast King Tournament so you could become the leader of the Garuda Clan, not to make some unknown Swordsmanship woman your concubine!”
The woman taking the microphone was Nokin’s advisor and wife, Alonsa.
In Capital City, she seemed like a rational woman, but now she felt like a jealous, emotional woman.
”That’s not true! Cough, cough! I have no such relationship with Hendric! Don’t get it wrong! My only wife is Alonsa!”
Nokin had a pained expression as he tried to explain to Alonsa, but the crowd in the arena was throwing jeers at him.
”I’ve gathered a lot of information before coming here, but it’s true she has been staying at your lodging for several nights, right? And that Swordsmanship girl has already acknowledged her relationship with you!”
Alonsa was firing off accusations at Nokin with a fierce intensity.
”No! It’s a misunderstanding! Cough! Hendric is just saying things on her own! I’ve told that guy that Alonsa is the only one for me!”
”That guy!? What! Are you two on such friendly terms now!?”
”No, it’s a misunderstanding! I only see him as a man. Even now that my memory has returned, I still see her as the master’s son!”
”That’s a lie! Then why has she been staying at the lodging for days? That Swordsmanship girl should have a big mansion here, right?”
Alonsa and Nokin had started a loud lovers’ quarrel.
Even though the fight wasn’t over yet, they were so caught up in their argument that they ignored us.
Taking advantage of that, Lana, who was still able to fight, came over to me and cast Healing Magic.
”Sir Kent, are you okay? I wanted to fight too, but I was so scared I couldn’t move…”
Lana said she was frozen in fear from Nokin’s fierce spirit, but honestly, I was glad she was okay instead of getting hurt.
”Yeah, this injury is my punishment for slacking off in training. If I keep this up on the southern campaign, I might die easily… On the southern campaign, I’ll hunt a lot to improve my abilities. I realized that even with good equipment, it doesn’t matter if the user is weak… Ouch, I’ll take this pain as a lesson.”
”I’ll remove the pain right now.”
”Ah, thank you.”
As Lana cast Healing Magic, the pain from the throbbing area began to fade away.
Then, after healing the wounds, I spat out the blood mixed with the taste of iron rust that had spread in my mouth onto the ground.
Meanwhile, Nokin and Alonsa continued their lovers’ quarrel, and the arena was in chaos.
”So, believe me! I exist for Alonsa. I intend to become the man you desire!”
”Then, promise me now to withdraw from this fight and give Kent the first fang, and to let Hendric be taken by Kent!”
It seems Alonsa is asking Nokin to cut ties with Hendric.
As a guy, Hendric isn’t someone I’d want to hang out with, but as a woman, Hendric piques my interest.
I thought it might be okay if it became official.
”──Wait a minute!! How come I’m suddenly not allowed to be by Nokin’s side without knowing!”
The voice belonged to Hendric, who was caught in the middle of the storm.
A roar of cheers, like a scream, rose in the coliseum.
When Alonsa confirmed Hendric’s appearance, her expression grew even stricter.
Ugh… that scene is scary…
”Hendric! I’ve told you before, you’re a noble from the South District. You’re not someone who can just become a concubine on a whim!”
”As I thought! Nokin, you really do plan to call that swordswoman to your bedroom!”
”No, that’s not it at all! Alonsa, where did your usual calmness go!?”
Nokin was trapped between the two women, falling into a deadly crisis.
Nokin, his face pale with anxiety, was addressed by Talia, the head of the tournament committee.
”Sir Nokin, Lady Alonsa, and Lady Hendric. Since continuing this conversation seems like drawing parallel lines, how about leaving this to the judgment of our lord, Kent Blackdagger? Our lord is skilled at unraveling such entangled passions, so perhaps you could consider his opinion as a reference. Right now, you’re only spreading shame to the Garuda Principality.”
A murmur of applause rose from the coliseum’s spectator seats at Talia’s words.
Is this for real────!?
That Talia, she threw me into their mess!
I’ll definitely get back at her later!
Nokin was having trouble with the two women and clung to Talia’s words.
”Kent! Give me some good advice! How can I make this situation better!”
”I don’t know, you just sprung this on me…”
”Please help me… If I can fix this, I’ll even give you the First Fang.”
Nokin was willing to give up the First Fang seat of the Ten Elite Garuda.
He really wanted to get out of this mess.
Alonsa didn’t want Hendric as a concubine, and Hendric seemed to want to stay with Nokin.
I had to find a solution that would make them both happy, but they were always fighting, so it didn’t seem like it would work.
After thinking for a while, an idea suddenly popped into my head.
The idea was to have Hendric, a South District Noble, stay in the Eastern Garuda Principality as a military attache.
We had been thinking about setting up an embassy and military attache in the newly independent Eastern Garuda Principality, even though it was a vassal state of the True Demon Kingdom. But Helga, the Treasurer, hated the cost increase and decided to pay for the attache’s expenses herself. We didn’t have anyone suitable, and it was difficult.
Hendric, even though she was from a knight family, had a lot of money from Monster Hunting.
Even if she paid the penalty for this incident, she would still have plenty of money.
If we sent her to the Garuda Principality as our representative, and left the practical work to the ambassador, and he could meet with Nokin anytime with diplomatic privileges, Hendric would probably accept it.
For Alonsa, having Hendric as a military attaché, still belonging to the Margrave South District nation, suggested that she would no longer have to worry about being chased from her rightful seat as the main wife.
She should be able to see the benefit that even if she had a child with Nokin, there would be no need to compete for the throne with her own child.
As for Nokin, it seemed like a 2-birds-with-one-stone deal to have Hendric close by, allowing her to also show her face to Alonsa.
Well, anyway, I don’t want any trouble in my own country, so I’d rather have her go back to her own and cause trouble there, whether it’s a lovers’ spat or internal strife.
That was part of my plan too.
”How about sending Lady Hendric as a military attaché to the Eastern Garuda Principality from my country? This way, I think it would save face for all 3 parties. You can sort out your likes and dislikes over there more easily. Besides, I was just looking for someone to send for this position. I plan to send someone skilled in diplomacy to handle the ambassadorial duties, so you can rest easy.”
Nokin’s face brightened at my proposal.
Hendric was surprised and delighted to hear that she could go to Nokin’s side officially.
And Alonsa seemed to be pondering my proposal, her eyes closed as she sank into deep thought.
”Would it be alright if Hendric, as the military attaché, also teaches our soldiers swordsmanship on the side?”
”Yeah, she’ll be going on official business for the Margrave South District nation, but it’s more of an honorary position. I’m not expecting any diplomatic work from Lady Hendric. Lord Nokin can use her as he pleases.”
Knowing that Nokin was impressed with Hendric’s arm strength, I decided to sow the seeds of internal strife in the emerging Eastern Garuda Principality.
And it was also a way to get back at Nokin for the earlier humiliation, adding a bit of nuisance for him.
Nokin liked my idea because he knew he could make Hendric his country’s Swordsmanship master.
”Alonsa…Hendric is a great person who will make our country stronger. Please agree to Kent’s proposal. I swear I won’t touch Hendric.”
Alonsa’s eyes widened when she heard Nokin’s request.
”Okay. If you, the king, want it, I will accept Hendric Remarque as a resident *military officer* in the Margrave South District country. However, I will ask you to sign a document stating that even if she has a child, they will not be recognized as a legitimate child and will not be granted inheritance rights.”
”Y-yes. I understand.”
”If I can be with Nokin, it’s not a big deal.”
Hendric’s face softened when she realized Alonsa had agreed.
She seemed happy to have officially secured the right to be with Nokin, even though they were from different countries.
”So, Lord Nokin. To settle the cost of the fight, can we say I won? Are you gonna fight more? If you do, it’ll be a brawl, and I’ll leak some gossip to the insiders.”
Nokin’s face turned pale when he was told that his secrets would be leaked to the insiders.
Even a famous guy like him seemed to hate the hyena attacks of the insiders.
”Was that Kent’s doing? Thanks to you, I feel mentally cornered…Damn it, but I have to thank you…I’ll admit defeat this time. Judge, we surrender.”
Nokin glared at me and made a cross with his hands toward the judge.
The MC, who had evacuated to the outside, took the microphone from Alonsa and announced my victory.
”The winner! Margrave South District’s King, Kent Blackdagger!!”
When the victory announcement was made, loud cheers erupted from the audience in the arena.
In this way, I somehow managed to defeat the strongest warrior, Nokin Wolffang, and successfully claimed the first fang seat of the Ten Elite Garuda.
After that, it seems there was a heated debate in the tribal council, led by the high priestess Elkisa, about the Garuda Clan Leader position.
Alonsa and Talia were going back and forth, but since I am not part of the Garuda Clan, it was a fatal flaw.
I heard that they settled on Nokin, who is in the second fang seat, continuing to act as the leader.
However, during this Beast King Martial Arts Festival, many of my concubines successfully joined the Ten Elite Garuda, and Talia said that the leadership over the Garuda Clan has been significantly strengthened.
~New Skill~
[Critical Bullet]
When it hits, the bullet spreads inside the target, crushing:
- Organs
- Brain
- Magic lines
It ignores defense, making it extremely lethal.
Note: Each shot consumes magic and stamina.
The more bullets you fire, the greater the total cost.
Cost: 15 Skill Points
Type: Combat Skill
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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