Chapter 268: It Starts!

"All right! Let’s go—!!"

When the Duke shouted, the men around him roared in unison:

"Ooooh—!!"

The atmosphere inside the tent had turned strange. With the Duke at the head they entered the gate of House Kirchhoff. An exaltation that felt like they were already winning before it even started overflowed. The three of us trudged after the Duke’s party, whose steps were light.

The Duke strode in without hesitation, but the moment I passed through the gate I stopped. I had thought it was bright even from outside the gate, but inside it was even brighter! Unlike daytime there were almost no shadows; light was coming from every direction. I didn’t know if it was magic or something else, but I understood very well that a generous amount of money had been poured into the lighting. There were even things like searchlights—were they for shining on the person they wanted to pick out? Even without electricity there were various mechanisms? Magic? Magic tools? I didn’t know, but they were doing something.

Looking closely, people were standing along the wall of the fence at intervals of about ten meters. What were those? Third referees? They probably wouldn’t beat anyone who tried to flee... At any rate they were keeping watch. If someone looked like they were about to die, would they use healing magic? But I had already started thinking only in the worst possible terms. Tohoho.

The garden of House Kirchhoff was vast—easily the size of a soccer field. There was a pond, a stream, a hill, plantings; it was a truly splendid garden, and I felt sorry that it was about to be trampled into a mess by rough men. Who had said to do it here? Was it our Duke after all?

But His Grace, breathing hard through his nose, shouted with the force of someone exhaling demonic breath:

"Count von Kirchhoffuuuu—!! Watch this! I’m going to make you suffer! I’ll have you crying hee-haw under me!"

His hangers-on chimed in with "Ooooh!!" As for me, I didn’t mind standing under the Duchess, but I wanted to avoid standing under you and being used at the twitch of your chin. Yes.

"Is Robin Marie here?"

Into the swirling excitement on the Duke’s side appeared none other than Division Head Hütter—the great magician of the Kingdom of Mainz. He had the same easygoing air as before, no presence whatsoever, and at a glance looked like nothing more than a shabby old man from town. His clothes were splendid, but they looked cheap on him; that was probably a matter of personal virtue. That Hütter now stood in front of the pumped-up soldiers.

"Nuwaandaitaiiii, you..."

A pumped-up soldier snapped at him. That’s a figure of speech, of course—he looked ready to bite.

"Shut up."

Hütter poked the barking soldier with his index finger and the man toppled over with a koten. Seeing that, the field froze. Did they think he was an assassin from House Kirchhoff?

"Kuh!"

"You—!!"

As was typical in such scenes the small fry barked, but the Duke saw Hütter and said:

"Stop! Don’t lay a hand on this man. Let him do as he likes. He shouldn’t be harmful."

At that even the rabble settled.

"I’ll ask again. Is Robin Marie here?"

When Hütter repeated it I raised my hand.

"Yes, I am here."

Hütter strode right up to me, peered into my face, and said:

"Fufufu. You’re calm. Fine. Do your best to entertain His Majesty."

Then he gave my head a light tonk.

"Whoa!"

"It lit up!"

Voices rose from the surroundings. I couldn’t see anything, but the others apparently could. Hütter grinned.

"I just put a mark on you. Now both friend and foe will know where you are. Of course I’ll put the same thing on Count von Kirchhoff, so you go aim for that. Well then, do your best."

With that he turned his back and walked away, heading straight toward the Kirchhoff side. The place he had tonked on my head seemed to be glowing, but would that affect the hair roots? What if I ended up like Xavier-bald? Wait—Missionary Xavier hadn’t been bald; he had shaved it. In elementary school social studies we saw a portrait of Missionary Xavier and everyone just called the teacher with a bald spot on top of his head "Xavier." Children are cruel, aren’t they.

On the Kirchhoff side someone apparently recognized Hütter’s face and he was shown further in. Then a powan! of a red ball of light became visible. So that was Count von Kirchhoff.

Beside me Rudolf said:

"Lord Robin is blue and Count von Kirchhoff is red, I see."

So the colors were different.

"I’ll count to ten! When it reaches zero we begin!!"

Someone shouted from the center of the plaza. The Duke said:

"Come here! Stay by my side!"

and pulled me in. Then the men with shields closed in around us. There was not even a gap for an ant to crawl through. But that meant I couldn’t see in front.

"...5, 4, 3, 2, 1, begin!!"

At that voice tension ran through the shield-bearers. I could see the attackers running forward. I prayed! Please let this end without me having to take the stage!

A waaah— of cheers rose from all around. Those were the spectators’ voices, right? Were the Queen and the Duchess among them?

Suddenly there was a gotsun! and the shield in front of me tilted a little. Then another gotsun! as something hit the shield again and it tilted further. The moment the shield went slanted, the helm of the soldier standing in front of me made a gan! and the soldier in front toppled backward still holding his shield?! This all happened in about ten seconds from the start!

"Wh-what! What is thiiis?! F-f-f-fill the gap!!"

The Duke gave orders even while panicking. But the moment they filled the gap the shield was hit with gotsun! gotsun! again, and as soon as a gap appeared the helm of the shield-bearing soldier made a gan! and went flying?!

"W-w-w-wh-what? A-anyway, f-fill the w-wall!!"

The Duke was in complete turmoil, but Lily said:

"Lord Robbie, it’s arrows! Someone is shooting arrows from somewhere!"

"Lily, can you tell where the arrows are coming from?"

"I have a general idea, but the shields are in the way and I can’t see clearly!"

Because it had happened so suddenly, everyone was in confusion.

Even during that short exchange another shield-bearer went down. There was no blood; it was probably a concussion.

"This!"

Lily picked up the flying helm. It was splendidly dented.

"Rudolf, is this from the one who shot the arrow into the carriage?"

Rudolf nodded firmly.

"Almost certainly. There aren’t many who can shoot an arrow with this much power and accuracy."

Did the Duke’s side have an archer? No, they didn’t. They should just shoot an arrow at the enemy archer. But if they had one they would have done that from the start.

While that was happening another man rolled. The Duke was already in a panic.

"Wh-what are you doing! Hang in there! Keep holding the shields! Pour strength and spirit into the hands holding the shields—!!"

He was hitting them with spiritual theory. I don’t think I even registered in the Duke’s eyes. Then, chewing his nails, he said:

"Count von Kirchhoff is dirty! Using an archer is dirty! A noble should fight fair and square! Attacking from such a long distance—that man has finally gone too far!"

and kicked a chair over.

Everyone watching the increasingly unhinged Duke was thinking, without a doubt: Count von Kirchhoff’s side is fighting fair and square.