43. Poison

Reet and Charlotte, having defeated Rand in an instant kill, didn’t look back as they headed toward the spectator stands.

“Both of you were amazing!”

Sara applauded.

“Thanks. Though the credit really goes to Charlotte for actually defeating the enemy.”

Reet tapped Charlotte on the shoulder as he said this.

“Well done.”

“No, no! It’s only because my teacher created the opening for me!”

It seemed Reet’s deliberate decision to give Charlotte the finishing blow hadn’t gone unnoticed.

As the three of them conversed in a pleasant atmosphere—

Suddenly, a voice called out from the side.

“Congratulations on advancing past the first round, Reet.”

The voice belonged to Kait.

“…I won my first-round match too, you know.”

Kait said this with a smile playing at his lips.

Kait had been Ninth Rank until recently, which meant he didn’t qualify for the Platoon Leader exam. However, Sara had mentioned to Reet that Kait had been promoted to Seventh Rank through a special selection exam held at the Eastern Knight Order just the other day. Which meant he now had the qualifications to compete in the Platoon Leader exam.

And—

“Next time, you’ll be fighting me.”

In the second-round matches taking place two weeks later, Reet would face Kait.

Even hearing this, Reet felt nothing in particular. To be honest, Kait didn’t even register as a threat. Kait’s strength fell far short of Reet’s. Even if he brought a somewhat stronger partner along, Reet didn’t believe that gap could be closed.

But somehow, Kait seemed supremely confident.

“Well, let’s fight fair and square.”

With those parting words, Kait turned on his heel and left.

†

At that moment, the Welzley Estate.

Duke Ride Welzley was speaking with the Eastern Knight Order commander through a contact mirror.

“It appears Reet advanced past his first-round match as expected. His next opponent will be Kait.”

At those words, Reet’s father nodded.

“I’ll be honest with you. You understand as well as I do that Kait doesn’t have the strength to defeat Reet at this point.”

Duke Ride Welzley, who had earned renown as the mightiest of all knights, had accepted the reality that Kait couldn’t beat Reet—at least not yet. But he couldn’t simply sit idle at this point. He would never give up, regardless of circumstances. If it meant achieving his goal, he would resort to any means necessary. That was how he had seized both the position of knight commander and the rank of duke.

And this time as well—

“Poison. That’s the answer.”

Hearing those words, the current Eastern Knight Order commander furrowed his brow. Not out of concern for Reet.

“However, those who possess Sacred Fortification neutralize almost all poisons. The poisons that would affect him are limited. And surely you’ve taught your son methods to avoid poisons, haven’t you?”

The duke had survived the poison-laden intrigues of the imperial palace. Naturally, he’d been poisoned countless times before. At those moments, his extensive knowledge of poisons had saved his life. Therefore, that same knowledge had been passed down to Reet, as his intended heir.

But—

“There is one poison I never taught him.”

Hearing those words, the Eastern Knight Order commander couldn’t hide his shock.

“You mean… you anticipated the possibility of being betrayed by your own son?”

“Of course.”

The duke stated this categorically. This was a man who had risen to the position of knight commander while still young, eventually ascending to the rank of duke—second only to the royal family.

“I’ll deliver the poison. The execution is up to you.”

As the duke spoke, the Eastern Knight Order commander nodded despite a growing sense of dread.