Volume 2 - CH 23

Act 2-23: Secret Talk And Plan 2

Venue of the Sacred Martial Arts Tournament, the Noble’s Visitor Room.

「Dick Balm… lost?」

One of the nobles and a member of the faction belonging to the Amelia kingdom’s first prince, Gilbert, spoke with a shocked expression as if he couldn’t believe what he had just seen.

「OI, tournament committee chairman!! What’s the meaning of this? 」

The big shot of the Gilbert faction, the one with a barrel-like body—Marquis Lunpa Barel—seized the collar of the short-haired middle-aged man beside him, who was also shocked with his mouth wide open.

Lunpa’s question was about two things.

The first was, of course, the matter of making it impossible for Kai Heineman to use the item that boosted his ability. If the source of his power was an item, this was an indispensable requirement.

And the second thing was the enchanted clothes that put restrictions on its wearer; Lunpa had provided them. These clothes were an emergency cursed tool he had prepared to ensure the victory of their faction’s holy knight who was participating in this tournament.

The creator of these clothes was a former slave user whose gift was 【Cursed Tool Creation】. The cursed tool the person employed by Lunpa created could even reduce an active B-class hunter to a human as weak as women and children. Thus, its effect should’ve been even more apparent for an incompetent like Kai Heineman.

「We did everything as you ordered, Lord Lunpa!」

The tournament committee chairman raised his voice as he replied to Lunpa.

「And yet, that incompetent can easily lift Dick, whose weight is far above his own, with one hand. Does that mean he still has the item that raises his abilities?」

Another noble muttered that remark.

「THAT INCOMPETENT MUST BE CHEATING AGAIN!!」

「UNFORGIVABLE! Tournament committee chairman, you should disqualify that coward immediately!!」

One by one, the members of Gilbert’s faction gave their approval.

「In the first place, it’s really strange that Dick Balm’s flame doesn’t work on that incompetent. This is not a matter of simple physical strength anymore. Is that Kai Heineman really what they said, an incompetent gift holder?」

A man with pineapple-like hair denied the other nobles’ claims while wiping beads of sweat on his forehead; he was speaking as if he were questioning himself.

「What do you mean, Lord Ananas?」(TL: Fun fact, ananas is the Latin name for pineapple.)

Lunpa looked at the man with pineapple-like hair, Ananas, about the true meaning behind the latter’s remark.

「Even if I tell you, a civil official like you will never understand it. But to make the matter easier for you to understand, I’ll put it simply as: his movement is that of a martial artist. Moreover, it’s the movement of a veteran who has undergone hundreds of wars.」

「That’s why it must be the work of an ite―」

「IT’S NOT! It no longer matters whether he’s using an item or not. His movement is ingrained in every fiber of his muscle, not something a mere incompetent without enough training can reproduce. And even though I feel bad to tell you about this, our guardian knight candidate is simply not his match. It’s like comparing a baby and an expert in his prime. Our candidate can’t win no matter what.」

The noble room shook at once the moment Count Ananas gave his opinion.

「Are you saying that my son is inferior to that incompetent?」

Marquis Lunpa asked Count Ananas with a trembling voice.

「Indeed! At least when it comes to martial arts.」

「HOW CAN IT BE? That guy is just the descendant of an honorary knight. He has no noble blood flowing in his veins, unlike us! Moreover, he’s the lowest of lowly pieces of trash and has been abandoned by the holy warrior god as his gift 【The Most Incompetent in This World】 suggests!」

「Yes… I can’t deny that. But, his ability is real. There’s no mistaking this.」

Count Ananas stood up from his chair, then looked around at the nobles inside the room, one by one.

「The situation has changed. Today, our Ananas house will officially withdraw our participation from this competition for the throne.」

After placing his right hand on his chest and bowing to his colleagues, Count Ananas left the room.

His swift and unprecedented action shook the noble room for the second time.

It was only natural since Count Ananas’s house was known as the first- or the second-strongest martial arts house in the Amelia kingdom. It had produced many famous warriors.

His withdrawal from Gilbert’s faction meant the faction had lost their greatest mental support. Especially after their plan to marry Princess Rosemarie to the third prince of the empire had ended up in huge failure. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the other nobles would leave Gilbert’s faction.

「NOISY!! Calm down! There’s no problem since that incompetent will definitely lose to Zack Prower in the next round!」

Zack Prower was one of the strongest martial artists amongst the young fighters. The Gilbert faction had already sent someone to invite Zack to join their faction. And Lunpa felt that it was okay even if his son lost to Zach due to the latter’s fame.

「Tournament committee chairman, let’s talk about the next match between that incompetent and Zack Prower.」

「Haa…」

Although the tournament committee chairman nodded, he was hesitating to do this inside.

However, his situation was just as the saying went: ‘unable to step back after going that far.’ So he could only help them as much as he could.

「Well then―」

Lunpa started to speak as he averted his gaze from the incompetent, Kai Heineman.