It Turned Out She Wasn't a Favored Concubine - Episode 118

“The Edelheit Marquisate?”

Kanoa quickly ran through his thoughts. It wasn’t one of the major houses to worry about in the imperial capital.

“Where did this no-name brat from a backwater family get the nerve to speak so freely? Sounds like some old man from a forgotten countryside clinging to his title, reminiscing about his youth when he swung a sword a few times and now brags about it. We should filter out the nonsense of senile fools.”

Loki furrowed one brow and hardened his expression.

“Please refrain from insulting my lord in front of me. My only wish is to defeat him in a duel someday… He’s not someone who deserves such words from you.”

“Hmph, how noble of you to defend your master.”

Kanoa sneered to the end. Loki was about to retort again, but a loud protest from the audience stole his chance.

The unexpected outcome had stirred the crowd, but the loudest voices came from the Kanoa Knights, who supported Kanoa. They couldn’t accept the result and shouted furiously.

“Kanoa-sama couldn’t have lost!”

“Yeah, there must’ve been a conspiracy. Maybe someone greased the hilt of his sword!”

“That wasn’t Kanoa-sama’s usual performance. Someone jealous of him might’ve tampered with his food!”

“Right, right. There’s no way that brat could beat Kanoa-sama when he’s at his best.”

“This match is invalid! There must be a rematch!”

Once the word “rematch” was uttered, the entire Kanoa Knights shouted it in unison.

The referee tried to calm them down, but the Kanoa Knights were already lost in their own version of justice.

Their claims were absurd—talk of conspiracies and traps were baseless delusions. Managing one’s condition was a basic responsibility of any tournament participant.

The referee and sensible spectators frowned at the Kanoa Knights’ behavior, but their voices were overwhelming.

“Silence! His Majesty the Emperor is arriving!”

What finally shut the Kanoa Knights up was the sudden appearance of the Emperor.

The herald’s booming voice announcing the Emperor’s arrival drowned out the knights. Everyone in the audience bowed deeply as the Emperor slowly walked onto the arena.

“I came because I heard the recipient of the Golden Helm had been decided. Was I misinformed?”

His question carried a hint of annoyance, and no one dared respond.

“If that’s the case, then the servant who gave me false news won’t keep his tongue.”

A single misstep could cost an innocent servant dearly. Though the Emperor was known for efficient and fair governance, everyone knew he was ruthless when it came to his servants’ mistakes.

“Your Majesty, that’s not it…”

The referee in charge of the final match knelt and explained the outcome and the situation that followed.

“I see. A knight from the Edelheit family, hmm…”

After hearing the details, the Emperor stroked his chin and looked over Loki. Then he stepped to the center of the arena and spoke.

“I understand the situation. Though the final match is over, awarding the Golden Helm now would stir unnecessary noise in the palace. That’s not what I want. To clearly prove each side’s skill, I declare an exhibition match.”

Loki and Kanoa raised their heads at the Emperor’s sudden declaration.

“In half an hour, this arena will host the exhibition. It won’t be a one-on-one duel, but a battle between knight orders. Five knights from the Edelheit family versus five from the Kanoa Knights. The winning order will be recognized and awarded the Golden Helm. The losing order will be tasked with eliminating the bandits that have recently become rampant. Both sides accept, yes?”

It was a proposal with no room for refusal. No mere knight could defy the Emperor’s decision.

Kanoa was flustered but saw this as a favorable opportunity. It was the rematch he wanted, and his knight order was filled with skilled fighters. He quickly bowed, glancing at Loki.

As expected, the brat looked stunned, mouth agape. For someone who had won by chance, this sudden twist must’ve felt like a slap. But unlike Kanoa’s assumptions, Loki was worried about something else entirely.

He bowed belatedly and spoke.

“My comrades are currently in the Kingdom of Jaren. It would be difficult to summon them in time.”

He didn’t mind a rematch. He’d already beaten Kanoa once and knew his skills. He was confident he could win again.

The problem was the number—five knights. Loki had come to the capital alone.

He had invited his comrades after learning about the imperial swordsmanship tournament, but they had waved him off, too lazy to bother. So he came alone.

He had visited the Del Orphanage, met Philip and Rosa, and enjoyed sightseeing in the capital. But he hadn’t expected things to spiral like this.

“Your comrades are in Jaren?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Half an hour is more than enough time.”

It took several days of hard riding to get from Jaren to the capital. But the Emperor spoke without hesitation.

“You have the Motus—no, the Transparent Stone, I should say. That should be more than sufficient.”

“But the Transparent Stone is only to be used for library-related tasks within the imperial library…”

“Just for today, I grant an exception. Don’t waste time—summon them.”

Loki’s weak resistance was swiftly overridden by the Emperor’s special permission.

“No need to move. Do it here.”

“…Understood.”

Loki couldn’t defy the Emperor’s command. He took out the Motus he had carefully kept. It was entirely transparent, about the size of a thumb. The audience murmured at the sight of the unfamiliar object.

Standing in the center of the arena, Loki used the Transparent Stone. He explained the situation and summoned his four comrades.

Soon, four knights appeared through the stone. One even brought along a sword he had forgotten, which materialized perfectly on the arena floor. A few spectators gasped in shock.

A Motus with all four stages intact had never existed before.

“Whew, things are going to get hectic.”

Loki sighed as he scanned the crowd. One of the newly arrived knights patted his shoulder.

“No matter how hectic it gets, it’s worse for you than for us.”

“Sorry, Billy. Drinks are on me tonight.”

Billy immediately brightened and laughed. As a child, he had been mute due to trauma, but through training with Loki, he gradually regained speech.

Now they were inseparable friends, and their favorite thing was a cold beer after intense sword training.

“You promised!”

“I know. But what do we tell them when we get back? The Transparent Stone isn’t widely known yet.”

“Let’s just call it good publicity. That’s what the library agreement was for, right?”

“Except Perlo-sama might be furious about the sudden workload…”

“Hahaha, Princess Marian—no, Queen Marian—will calm him down.”

Billy was honest. He didn’t deny that Perlo would be angry.

Loki, recalling Perlo’s hysterics during busy times, wore a grim expression as he checked his weapon. The Edelheit knights, including Billy, also warmed up for the match.

So did the five members of the Kanoa Knights. Though surprised by the sudden appearance of new opponents, Kanoa quickly regained his composure.

Judging by their casual use of such a rare Motus, the Edelheit family must be wealthy. But wealth didn’t equate to skill.

Kanoa selected the four best knights from his order—those who had reached the tournament finals. He was confident they wouldn’t lose to these unknown newcomers.

Kanoa believed that.

The match was over in an instant. The outcome was so swift that the audience fell silent. Before the noise could rise, the Emperor stepped forward.

“The victors are the knights of the Edelheit family. The defeated Kanoa Knights will be assigned to various regional forces to eliminate bandits. Remain at your residences and await orders.”

With that, the Emperor left the arena.

The chaos that followed was left to Loki, who had received the Golden Helm.

Sensing trouble, Loki cursed his four comrades who had already fled back to Jaren via the Transparent Stone, and sprinted toward the imperial library.

He, too, desperately wanted to escape to Jaren. To do that, he needed to deliver the Transparent Stone to the library as quickly as possible.

It was earlier than scheduled, but given the circumstances, he hoped the library director would understand.

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