(31) Small scheme

"Is this for real?" 

"No...I don't think the match is rigged. But, I can't find any other answer either..." 

The nobles spectating the match had their mouths opened wide. 

It would have been understandable if Nicokel won after struggling with all his might. But what occurred was exactly the opposite of that, Nicokel won fully one-sided and didn't even seem to struggle in the slightest. 

"Has someone been training him in secret?" Verselc questioned the head butler beside him. An ugly expression appeared on Trenae's face as she was filled with embarrassment and fury. 

Trenae and the other wife Nicokel met before, were seated beside Verselc. 

"It's unlikely. Almost all of the young master Nicokel's actions were unhidden. However, Lord Verselc, you must have a similar idea to mine, right?" The head butler spoke openly, showing his relation with the duke. 

"Yes...He should be one of those geniuses..." Verselc's eyes silently moved to Nicokel, with sparks appearing deep within them. He was having second thoughts. 

People like Nicokel appear in the history of mankind. 

As if chosen by the gods, they break common sense and grow up to change the whole history of the world. They were always either called a hero or a destroyer. 

"As the winner, what does the young master want to use the rewards on?" The knight commander spoke with a light tone.

"Can I use the reward after the formal duel?" Nicokel posed a question stuck in his head.

"No."

"Hmm...." Nicokel hummed in disappointment. 

If the reward was usable even after the duel, it could be said that Gelen had to fulfill one of Nicokel's wishes. 

"Then...can I upgrade my demand instead of Gelen's?" Nicokel turned to the knight commander. 

The knight commander looked towards Verselc who nodded his head in response. 

"That's possible, but with limitations." The knight spoke in a softer tone compared to before.

Nicokel Glanced at Gelen who was being treated by the priest. 

'I'm pretty sure he has no practical experience, so I hold a huge advantage in this regard. As long as I make it impossible for a frontal battle, victory is pretty much assured. Hence...' 

Nicokel spoke resolutely: "It doesn't have to be done immediately, but I want my position in the army to rise to captain rank." 

The Knight commander entered a deep state of contemplation. After thinking for a few seconds, he nodded his head. 

The captain was the lowest rank in the army, so giving such a position to Nicokel didn't pose much of a risk. The loss of a hundred soldiers wouldn't mean much in the overall picture. 

Knight's apprentice can only be ordered by the knight captains and higher position holders. 

With the priest's healing, Gelen woke up almost immediately having an aghast expression. 

Nicokel continued to stare at Gelen after finishing his talk with the knight commander. 

'Does he even know that the chin is a weak spot in the human body? He didn't even bother blocking when I punched before...Well, from a swordsman's perception, the neck would be a more appealing target.' 

Having trained with only a sword, it wasn't weird that Gelen's perception of weakness was a little distorted.

This made Nicokel almost untouchable if it came to unarmed combat against Gelen. 

"...I will kill you...no, I will cut all of your limbs off and..." 

Nicokel heard Gelen's inaudible muttering, causing him to frown. 

"Shut up. A loser like you should just shut up and suck some milk." An evil grin spread across Nicokel's face. 

For a second, Gelen's mind stopped working totally. The voices around the arena grew small too, almost like they had agreed to each other not to speak. 

The moment Gelen understood what Nicokel's words meant, his face distorted in anger and killing intent. 

"...That's blasphemy! You dare insult Miss Trenae...!" 

Nicokel cut off the noble who got up to protest: "Huh? What are you talking about?" 

"You just insulted Miss Trenae and everyone heard it too!" The noble supporting Gelen's faction spoke vehemently, trying to escalate this situation to the best of his ability. 

Nicokel's face was calm even while the noble pointed at him.

"I fail to comprehend just what kind of argument you are trying to make here. I don't see what I said to have anything to do with Miss Trenae." 

Nicokel lifted both of his hands, shrugging his shoulders in exaggeration. 

He continued: "I just told Gelen to suck some milk. He can do it with a bottle. Just what were you thinking for you to reach such a conclusion? Wait, don't tell me you think of Gelen as a one-year-old baby." 

Getting lashed on by Nicokel and stared dagger by Gelen, the noble froze in his position. 

"No...No, that is not what I meant..." 

"Then, in just what way did I insult Miss Trenae?" A cold voice left Nicokel's mouth as if he were extremely dissatisfied. 

Though Nicokel's face was cold, his eyes flashed with disappointment. 

'There is no unity between the nobles in Gelen's faction. I would have liked to stain more of their names if I could.' 

Nicokel of course knew how to maintain a political image. There was no way he would speak without thinking. 

However, he gained quite less from this small scheme, seeing no other nobles getting up. 

'It would have been more than enough just to know their faces. Hmm, they must be quite smart if they could predict such a possibility.' 

The noble who got up to protest grew flustered by seeing no one supporting him. 

"I-I'm truly sorry...It seems like I just misunderstood." 

In the end, the noble could only apologize. 

It was apparent that this particular noble would take a hit on his influence in the upper circle after this. 

Gelen, who couldn't wait to pounce on Nicokel, kept glaring with bloodshot eyes. 

"What? Did you forget the bet we made? Everyone heard it, Don't tell me you're going to act as if you forgot right?" 

Nicokel's voice sounded like the devil in Gelen's ears.