The Greatest Estate Designer

Chapter 9: Improving The Constitution (3)

Sir Neumann. He was a senior knight in the Barony of Frontera.

His swordsmanship level was at Low-Level Sword Expert. In these rural territories, that was enough to be considered competent.

However, he was much more interested in his personal advancement rather than swordsmanship. Money at his hand instead of loyalty to the Lord. An immediate rise in status rather than a knights honor. He was one who can do anything for that purpose.

No, he already did it. He sold off Baron Fronteras internal information to the swindlers.

The beginning of the [Iron-Blooded Knight] novel came to my mind. The fall of the barony was the first ordeal which the protagonist, Javier, had to face in his early days.

Sir Neumann was behind all of that. He sold the barons information to the con-artist.

Based on that information, the con-artist approached the baron. He persuaded the baron to make a large investment with sweet words. Eventually, he gobbled up the investment money and fled. With that, the baron fell into a huge debt. In other words, Sir Neumanns betrayal triggered the barons downfall.

So, of course youre also going to be disposed of.

Lloyd softly bit his lips. He transmigrated as the eldest son of a countryside noble, yet unable to live in prosperity and luxury comfortably because he was busy trying to settle his familys debts. Basically, all of that was because of this human being.

However, Lloyd didnt reveal his feelings. As he looked back at Sir Neumann, his expression had turned nonchalant.

Sir Neumann? What do you mean by that?

Exactly as I said. The corner of Sir Neumanns lips twitched. Im here to talk to you about your unjust use of violence against Sir Ulrich this morning.

Unjust use of violence? Something to talk to me?

Thats right.

Then, give it a try.

Go ahead and talk to your hearts content. Lloyd smiled leisurely. Sir Neumanns expression stiffened seeing this.

As Lloyd-nim already knows, Sir Ulrich is undoubtedly the Lords knight. He had made an oath according to the procedures and is entitled to the protection of his honor and rights. Lloyd-nim, this means that hes a person who cant be treated recklessly because of some personal feelings.

Well, thats true.

But, this morning Lloyd-nim didnt have the slightest respect for Sir Ulrichs honor and rights.

Well, I did.

As the first knight of this territory, Id like to officially hear Lloyd-nims answer to this. Do you feel anything about this situation?

Ummm, yes, I think so.

.

I think he was mad. Sir Neumanns face was red, even to his neck. Whereas Lloyds expression remained composed and brazen.

Does my word sound like a joke, Lloyd-nim?

No. Your words sounds about right? So spot on.

.

The corner of Sir Neumanns eyes twitched. Lloyds smile was getting bigger and bigger.

What the hell. Youre mad at me just because of this?

Seeing Sir Neumanns reaction, a snort came out of my nose.

In fact, by Lloyds standard, this was nothing but a low-level provocation. But he was already pissed off and didnt know what to do.

If I let him play an online game in Korea, hes going to die out of anger.

I meant it. The world of online games in South Korea, which he had experienced routinely since he was a child, was literally a battlefield where the chaos of the centurys end was tap dancing.

Even a single mistake in taking a position could make all kinds of profanities from the team members pouring out. It was a feast of personalized curse words and insults. Cursing while acting like ones parents was basic. Still, what if you get angry?

The one who gets angry loses. They will be ridiculed for being soft and getting mad.

The world is unbalanced and harsh. Here you can only survive by hitting harder with a decent insult ridden with profanities while smiling. He was a picked elite who trained in such hell. No, most gamers in South Korea wouldve gone through that too.

So, by his standards, what is the level of the provocation he just fired at Sir Neumann? It was nothing more than a cute greeting.

Nevertheless, it felt different for Sir Neumann. For him, this insult must have been one of the greatest insults he ever encountered in his life.

<Sir Neumanns POV>

What kind of person is this?

He was so baffled it made him speechless. He already knew from the beginning that Lloyd was a scumbag. However, he didnt think it was this bad. Now that he looked at it, he was mistaken. This madman seemed to see himself as a pushover.

Do you mean to insult me just now?

Um, naturally.

You dont even care about my honors and rights?

Umm, naturally.

Arent you worried about the future?

Ummm, naturally.

<Lloyds POV>

That was absolutely reasonable.

Sir Neumann was a jerk whod be gotten rid of anyway. He sold his masters information to the swindler through the back door. However, he also was the one who was crying about noble honor and rights in front of me. I couldnt help but snort.

Hes just like a voice-phishing¹Voice Phishing: is a fraudulent practice of extracting sensitive information over the phone. jerk. I think this is his trick to instigate the rest of the knights.

The knight is bound to the lord by an oath. They didnt pledge allegiance to the lords son. Therefore, its not possible to treat a knight recklessly just because he is the son of the lord.

Perhaps, Sir Neumann was trying to incite the other knights by emphasizing that point. Obviously, Lloyd was never worried about this at all.

Because Im going to get rid of them all anyway. Except for Javier and Sir Bayern.

Senior knight Sir Neumann. Then followed by Sir Ulrich and Sir Conte. They were the ones who would turn their backs when the baron collapsed. I dont have to worry if they want to rebel now.

Now, creating an excuse to get rid of them is more important.

Lloyd glanced around.

Everyone was silent. Was it because there was no one? No, it was the opposite. There were skilled workers and soldiers who were organizing the site. All of them were looking this way while their hands stopped working.

Then, when my eyes met theirs, they hurriedly turned their gaze away and pretended to work. Even so, they still kept their ears open to my way.

Of course, this is a rare sight where the lords son and the senior knight are arguing.

Watching all of these dramas and fights are said to be the best.

Lloyd looked at Sir Neumann while recounting the truth of the incident. Then Ill ask you one thing.

Sir Neumanns eyebrows twitched.

Then Lloyd asked, You know Ive never learned swordsmanship, right?

I know.

But how can a knight get beaten by such a person like me?

. Yes? Sir Neumanns eyebrows were twitching even more. I couldnt help but laugh at the sight.

Can a man who was trampled upon by someone who has never learned swordsmanship be called a knight?

Thats

Hes not qualified. Obviously. What is the duty of the knight? To defend the territory with a sword that has been polished with hard work. To protect the territory and the residents of the territory in case of an emergency. And furthermore, to protect the Lords safety. Arent these the main duty of the knights and the reason for their existence?

..

But he lost to someone who had never learned swordsmanship properly. Can we really trust and put such a knight under our command?

Now, what are you.

This means I have some doubts about his qualifications.

. But, Lloyd-nim.

If youre trying to defend Sir Ulrich, thats it. Now, I think I have to question your skills at least once too because you keep defending Sir Ulrich.

What do you mean?

Did he already get a vague idea of what I meant?

Sir Neumanns face was stiff. His expression made me laugh even more.

I affirmed his conjecture. Your guess is right. Sir Neumann, who is trying to cover for Sir Ulrich by force. I also have questions about your qualifications.

Surely you dont mean you want to check my skills?

Now you understand.

It cant be Is this a request for a duel?

Thats right.

Are you serious?

Naturally.

.

Are you going to do it or not?

Sir Neumanns eyes, which looked this way, shook for the first time. He was just trying to complain to the young master who was about to leave from the site. He tried to establish some sort of authority under the pretext of that incident. Never did he imagine that he would be offered a formal duel by the young master who has never learned swordsmanship.

Lloyd chuckled.

Sir Neumann was troubled by my words, which was unexpected. So, I eagerly helped Sir Neumann to make his decision.

Now, even the senior knight is looking like this. You arent afraid to duel with me, are you?

.

If Sir had been confident, he wouldve certainly accepted the duel.

But Lloyd-nim is the heir of the territory and the eldest son of the lord. Lloyd-nim and I cant fight with a sword under the guise of a duel

Is that your excuse?

.

That was too pathetic for an excuse. If you are confident in your skills, you shouldve been able to defeat me safely and lightly whilst fighting in a duel. Dont you even have the confidence to do that?

.

So disappointing. This is why I have to question your qualifications.

. Say, are you done?

No, Im not done yet.

..

I feel like a man such as Sir is the most pathetic. A senior knight? You who dont prove your strength yourself, have no courage to do so, and have no confidence in yourself. You only rely on your title and act like youre powerful. Dont you feel embarrassed for yourself?

.

What do all of you think?

Sir Neumann kept his mouth shut. I turned my gaze away from him and openly asked the soldiers who still kept their ears open to this side. At that moment, I heard Sir Neumann gritted his teeth. Lloyd laughed internally.

Thats right.

An insult to ones face would be even more disgraceful if the people around heard it too. Thats how human psychology works.

This is also the case if someone is scolding you. If you get scolded in a quiet place, youll think you just got scolded. However, what if youre getting scolded publicly in front of everyone who has lower status than you? Cue a broken mental.

And now, the effect came out properly.

. I accept it. Sir Neumann replied.

A smile bloomed at Lloyds mouth, as if he had been waiting for this answer.

Will you do it? A duel?

Thats right.

Good thinking. If theres any conflict, you have to solve it like a man. So, when would be a good date?

Thats up to Lloyd-nims decision.

A month later, in the mansions training ground. How about that?

Very well. Sir Neumann nodded with a stiff face. Then, is there anything you want to ask based on the outcome of that day?

Of course there is. Lloyd brought up the answer he had thought beforehand, If I win the duel that day, Ill banish Sir.

Pardon?

Ill demote you out of your position and kick you out of the territory.

.

Do you have any complaints?

None, only

Only what?

Lloyd-nim has to bet something equivalent to that too.

Okay, Ill bet on my seat too.

What do you mean by your seat?

The inheritance right as the eldest son of this territorys lord. Im going to give it up.

Are you serious?

Of course. Lloyd nodded cheerfully. Its not a lie, dont worry. The soldiers here will be the witnesses. Practice hard so you wont get stepped on like Sir Ulrich.

That being said, I hope you wont have any regrets.

Youre welcome.

In conclusion, this resulted in a duel. Naturally, I have no regrets.

The secret plan to achieve victory had been drawn already. Im telling you for sure, Im going to take this chance to beat this jerk without mercy.

<Javiers POV>

So, are you confident you can win?

No. Not really.

I see.

This was two hours after that incident.

Javier then nodded.

Javier was unusually absent from Lloyds side all day long today.

He couldnt help it though. It was because of Baron Fronteras order, the lord of this territory.

He suddenly summoned me this morning. And for today, he ordered me to stop escorting Lloyd-nim.

The exact reason was unknown. I could only take a guess.

Coincidentally, the only day when I was away from Lloyd was the same day he committed some crimes, as I heard from here and there.

He made a suitable excuse to assault Sir Ulrich and asked for a duel with Sir Neumann, who came to inquire about it.

Perhaps this was why Lloyd intentionally separated himself from me today. That was my speculation.

It only made me feel puzzled though.

Why the hell?

It didnt make any sense. Why did he touch the knights that were doing well? For what reason did he assault Sir Ulrich and ask for a duel with Sir Neumann?

Are you just messing around again?

If you look at it at a glance, you might think so. Although Lloyds words and actions have changed recently, a persons nature doesnt change easily. Considering that, it could be seen as him having a fuss or a bad temper.

However, Javier didnt think so.

Because it was too deliberate to dismiss it as just being naughty.

Separating me with himself aside, what about the assault on Sir Ulrichs aftermath? Sir Bayern was called in and entrusted with the site.

When Sir Neumann came, he asked for a duel as if he had been waiting for it.

Then what about Lloyds attitude now? He is shamelessly calm. That was an attitude which could never be seen unless it had been intentionally and deliberately done.

Besides, given his recent performance, there must be some purpose

However, that was all Javier could think about.

Lloyds voice then shattered his thoughts. Hey. Is that the end of your reaction? I see, just that?

It is the end of what? What do you mean?

Whatever. Its about your reaction. Lloyd, who was having dinner, looked up my way and tilted his head. You asked, didnt you? You asked if I am confident I can win the duel with Sir Neumann? So, what did I answer?

You said you werent confident.

Right?

Yes.

And then, you only said I see to that. For real?

.

Arent you going to nag me because youre worried or ask me why I did it?

Why does I have to react like that?

Youre my escort.

Thats true, however.

However?

I know the duel was suggested by Lloyd-nim.

Hmm, does that mean your work on the day of the duel is not included in the escort service?

Undoubtedly.

Its a matter of course. Thats what a duel is.

The fairest and most direct way to resolve conflicts is to fight out of status and positions between the conflicting parties with equal terms. This is what duels are for. Therefore, I have neither the authority nor obligation to interfere in the duel between Lloyd-nim and Sir Neumann.

Hmm, thats the way it is, right?

Yes.

Well then, how about you teach me swordsmanship for a month until the day of the duel?

Me teaching you?

Yeah.

I dont want to.

Why?

Because personally, Im unwilling to do it.

It was an honest answer.

He was nothing but an escort. There was no such thing as an obligation to teach an unsympathetic fool his swordsmanship.

I might needlessly teach you swordsmanship but then you might use it to do something even worse.

That was why I felt like I shouldnt teach him.

But, why? The young master, who heard his straightforward refusal, laughed rather maliciously.

Riiight?

.

I felt uncomfortable.

Somehow, Javier felt an ominous feeling that was creeping out of him. The look on Lloyds face was unusual. A look that felt like he knew something about me. A smile that seemed so certain I would bend over and do as he intended.

Soon, my ominous premonition became reality.

If you teach me swordsmanship Lloyds eyes sparkled. Ill cure your insomnia.

Lloyd then grinned. How about that?

.

Secretly, Javier swallowed his saliva dryly.

A chronic insomnia.

His secret weakness which had plagued him for years.

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  Voice Phishing: is a fraudulent practice of extracting sensitive information over the phone.