How to Survive as a Knight’s Son – Chapter 44

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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It wasn’t enough. Simply piquing the Baron’s interest wouldn’t achieve the desired outcome. I needed to stoke his greed further. To do so, I needed to display an overwhelming show of strength.

That was why I intended to use my bonus points, even though I could still raise my stats through training.

The question was which stat to raise.

Stamina wasn’t particularly useful in a short duel. Moreover, it could be slowly increased through training and even sex, making it an even less appealing choice.

Senses, which improved reflexes and dynamic vision, was an attractive stat, as it developed into a sixth sense once it reached a certain level.

However, I hesitated because I could compensate for it with my own enhanced vision.

Furthermore, both stamina and senses were difficult to showcase. On the other hand, strength was easy to visually assess.

“You! Are you scared now?!”

The knight called Adrian taunted me.

I stopped deliberating. I allocated all my bonus points to strength and drew my sword. An unprecedented surge of power coursed through me, filling me with a sense of exhilaration, as if I were an unstoppable force.

I instinctively knew that if I didn’t control my strength, I could crush the hilt of my sword. The effect of investing double-digit bonus points into strength was more potent than I had anticipated.

I grinned arrogantly and raised my head.

“I was merely contemplating. While I mistakenly killed Lord Horn, mistaking him for an imposter, I wouldn’t make the same mistake with you, Sir Knight.”

“What? How dare…!”

Adrian, feeling insulted, looked pleadingly at the Baron, urging him to start the duel. The Baron glanced at me and nodded. Adrian’s face lit up.

“I don’t know what tricks you used, but they won’t work on me! I’ll avenge Lord Horn’s death!”

Adrian charged, his sword aimed at my throat, as fast as lightning, as if unleashing his pent-up rage. Yet, his sword was steady. Truly, a display of skill worthy of confidence.

However, he was still lacking compared to true masters like Fiore, Andrei, Roland, and Jude Horn.

I knew where and how he would attack from the moment the muscles in his arm tensed. My delayed reaction was due to the unexpected potency of the boosted stat.

‘I could break something if I’m not careful.’

I briefly regretted not testing it out beforehand.

Seeing my delayed reaction, Adrian’s eyes gleamed with disdain, a smug grin spreading across his face.

How dare this insignificant insect mock me? I pushed aside my concerns. Defense? Evasion? Such thoughts didn’t even cross my mind. Trusting in my newfound strength, I simply swung my sword downwards.

With absolute power, there was no need for technique. Brute force translated into speed. Despite my late start, my sword reached Adrian before his could reach me.

“…!”

Startled, Adrian changed the trajectory of his sword, intending to block my attack and then counter. But…

Bang!

A sound that defied belief, as if it couldn’t possibly have been made by the clash of two swords, reverberated through the grand hall.

Sparks flew, followed by fragments of what was, moments ago, a sword. Beyond the debris, I saw Adrian’s horrified face.

My sword hadn’t fared much better. Cracked and fractured, it was on the verge of shattering.

Still, it should hold up for one more strike. To complete the overwhelming display, I poured more strength into my faltering blade.

“N-No…!”

Adrian tried to dodge, but it was too late. A diagonal line appeared across his body. As my sword shattered, Adrian’s body split in two.

A geyser of blood erupted, painting the surroundings crimson. Blood and entrails spilled from the gaping wound, as if trying to reconnect the severed halves.

For a moment, silence descended upon the grand hall, as if time itself had stopped. Everyone stared down at the remains of what was once Adrian, their faces etched with shock. Then,

“Lord Adrian!!”

“Oh my god! He split him in two, armor and all!”

“That’s not humanly possible! Not humanly possible!”

Adrian, despite wearing layers of thick padding and chainmail, had been bisected. It was a feat beyond the capabilities of ordinary humans.

A mixture of awe and terror filled the gazes directed at me. In this era, where inexplicable phenomena were attributed to divine intervention, my display of strength was no different.

Even the Baron, who had maintained his composure until now, widened his eyes and shifted in his seat.

Clang.

I dropped the shattered remnants of my sword. The loud noise drew everyone’s attention from the corpse to me. I grinned arrogantly and addressed the Baron.

“He was too weak to even gauge my true abilities.”

Then, turning to the speechless vassals, I continued,

“Surely, not all the Baron’s knights are this weak?”

“You arrogant, insolent brat! I’ll crush you!”

“No! I’ll be his opponent!”

Several knights, eager to prove themselves, stepped forward. They were worthless individuals who had betrayed my father and were now worried about their own positions.

Perhaps killing a few more and turning them into experience points would be more beneficial to this world.

“Silence—!”

The Baron’s voice cut through the commotion. His eyes, gleaming intensely, scanned me from head to toe.

“Indeed, I see now that your claim of defeating Lord Horn in a single blow was true. However, it’s unfortunate that the circumstances prevented me from properly assessing your true abilities.”

The Baron’s gaze fell on the shattered remains of my sword lying on the floor.

I knelt on one knee and said,

“Your loyal knights seem eager to prove themselves. How about providing them with a suitable stage?”

The Baron would be eager to ascertain my true strength. He also needed land to compensate another lord for my manor, which he now intended to offer as war reparations.

Moreover, wasn’t he the same Baron who begrudged even the land he had given to my father, his right-hand man, and intended to reclaim it? He couldn’t possibly be happy with his vassals, who were less capable than my father yet still coveted land.

The Baron wouldn’t miss this opportunity to eliminate his vassals using someone else’s hand, just as he had done with my father.

The Baron’s eyes widened slightly, then curved into a smile. He stroked his chin and murmured,

“Come to think of it, it has been a while since we held a jousting tournament. Very well. A formal tournament would be difficult given the ongoing war, but a duel amongst ourselves should be acceptable.”

A cruel smile played on the Baron’s lips.

I smiled back. I imagined my smile mirrored his.

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The stage was quickly prepared. The area used as the knights’ training ground was cleared, and spectator stands were erected at the edges. The stands, which overlooked the training ground, were filled with people who had come to witness the event.

Knights, assisted by their squires, polished their armor and warmed up in the training ground. Despite the loss of my father, Roland, and Jude Horn, there were still three knights remaining.

It was a testament to the Baron’s wealth, accumulated through hefty tolls thanks to his territory’s strategic location as a transportation hub.

I was being pestered by Janbolt, who had come after hearing the news.

“Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused me? ‘If you knew he was this skilled, why didn’t you report it?’ ‘How could you not know about his abilities?’ Ugh, they’ve been nagging me endlessly.”

“You could have simply told them what you knew.”

I held the sword Janbolt had brought me up to the light. The polished blade reflected my face like a mirror.

The weight distribution was good, and the hilt felt firm in my grip. It seemed sturdy enough to withstand my strength, at least for a while.

‘He must have high expectations of me.’

The miserly Baron wouldn’t have provided such a fine sword without reason. Therefore, I needed to not only meet his elevated expectations but exceed them.

To make him forget about any lingering reservations and past grievances and extend his hand to me.

“All I know is that you’re a scoundrel.”

“Add one more thing. A ‘skilled’ scoundrel. One who’s useful to exploit.”

Janbolt’s eyes narrowed.

“What are you planning?”

“Planning? Isn’t that how you’ve always known me?”

That’s exactly how Sophia would have described me in her letter. The only difference was my skill. Wouldn’t that make the Baron think Sophia had neglected her duties, distracted by her affair?

“Were you serious?”

He was referring to my decision to confront the Baron. I glanced at the Baron, seated in the center of the spectator stands.

“The Baron started it.”

“Sigh, the Baron has already ordered Lord Joang to investigate. He’ll be sending his men to your manor soon.”

“It won’t be easy. Even if they find out, it won’t matter. The Baron will turn a blind eye.”

“What…?”

Fiore remained at the manor. With the shrewd Mari’s assistance, any spies would be discovered before they could do anything.

Moreover, as long as I proved to be more valuable than the two lovers combined, the greedy Baron would overlook the truth.

Until I outlived my usefulness.

“Sigh, I don’t know anything. I haven’t heard anything. Lord Joang ordered me to meet you. I won’t be seeing you privately again.”

Despite his words, Janbolt would come running if anything happened. The Baron and Joang Conrad wouldn’t leave me alone either.

“Then I should get my money’s worth now.”

“What? Sigh, do as you please. So, what do you want?”

I gestured towards the spectator stands.

“Introduce me to the people I should know.”

“Hmph, I’ll give you a quick rundown. See the two men sitting below the Baron? The one with the protruding belly is Segeric, the Baron’s eldest son and heir. The skinny one next to him is Ailgar, the Baron’s second son and Lord Conrad’s son-in-law.”

“They don’t seem to get along.”

The two of them were sitting right next to each other, yet they weren’t even making eye contact, let alone conversing.

“How could they? Ailgar was born only a year later, yet he’s been practically disowned and left with nothing. The fact that he’s still clinging to the castle at his age is because the Baron hasn’t provided him with any other options.”

It was customary to bequeath the title and land to the eldest son and provide the other children with alternative means of livelihood, but it seemed the Baron’s stinginess extended even to his own offspring.

“A disgruntled second son and his father-in-law, one of the Baron’s most trusted advisors.”

“And do you think the eldest son is content? He’s the heir, yet he hasn’t been given any real authority at his age. And the Baron, despite being over fifty, is still in good health. Hmph, it’s no wonder rumors are spreading about Segeric praying for his father’s well-being every night.”

It wasn’t particularly surprising. An aging heir would naturally anticipate his father’s demise.

“I’m more interested in the women.”

“There you go. That’s the Allen I know.”

Janbolt’s enthusiastic explanation faltered, and his expression deflated.

“The woman seated to the Baron’s left is Lady Adelia, Baroness Rasino, the youngest daughter of Earl Dressten. She’s a truly benevolent woman. The fact that there haven’t been any uprisings despite the Baron’s miserliness is thanks to her.”

“She’s beautiful.”

She was a striking beauty with snow-white skin, large, doe-like eyes, and a gentle smile that never seemed to leave her face.

Despite having two grown sons, she looked no older than her early thirties.

Unlike Sophia, who adorned herself with jewelry, she wore only a pair of earrings and a brooch, yet she exuded an aristocratic elegance. She possessed an air of inherent grace.

“I trust you won’t act like a scoundrel, even here.”

“Who’s the woman next to the Baroness?”

Janbolt continued his explanation, his gaze filled with suspicion.

“Lady Usebia? She’s rather unfortunate. She’s past marriageable age due to the Baron. Well, how can she find a suitable match when she’s forbidden from attending or hosting parties?!”

She resembled the Baroness, with her snow-white skin and bright, doe-like eyes. Standing next to the Baroness, they could pass for sisters with a significant age gap.

Despite being at an age where she would typically adorn herself, she wasn’t wearing any noticeable jewelry. It was likely due to the Baron’s stinginess. Still, she was a natural beauty, and even simple clothes looked elegant on her.

“I see…”

“Don’t get any ideas. The reason she’s still unmarried is also because the Baron is looking for a more advantageous match.”

I chuckled and walked towards the spectator stands. As I, the main event, made my appearance, all eyes turned towards me. Usebia was no exception. Seizing the opportunity as our eyes met, I spoke.

“I implore you, Lady Usebia, for a token of your support.”

“Oh…”

Usebia looked flustered. She clasped her hands over her chest, her doe-like eyes flickering nervously. She glanced at the Baron, whose expression had darkened.

She seemed like an innocent young lady. Baroness Adelia subtly handed her daughter a handkerchief. Usebia, slightly calmer now, extended her arm over the railing.

“M-May fortune favor you, Sir Knight.”

As I took the handkerchief, I subtly grasped Usebia’s hand. It was soft and delicate. I grinned as her already large eyes widened further.

“I will fight for your honor and bring you victory.”

The contact was brief, but the blush that bloomed on Usebia’s face lingered. The one thing I had learned from Roland was quite effective.

I turned away, ignoring the Baron’s piercing gaze. The handkerchief carried a faint floral scent, either Usebia’s or the Baroness’s.

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Well in my country they used to be called as “mangsa” you might say it a prey🤣