In the palace of the Kingdom of Altfode.
The king of the country, Leonis, was elegantly drinking tea there.
"Quiet days like these are what make me happy."
Once again, he enjoyed how everyone in the palace worked hard except him.
"At least there are no women bothering me this early."
Leonis responded to Lecia's comment with an exaggerated reaction.
"Indeed, it's just as you say. It's sad that today everyone is busy. By the way, have you finished my work?"
He said he was sad, but he was cheerful inside.
That was the man called Leonis. The scum king who was in a deep hate-to-hate relationship with Rudel and would exchange many blows with each other within the allowed limit.
"There is a letter from Rudel-kun, who is studying abroad. Alisa came to give it to me directly because it mentioned an urgent matter. There's also a letter for you."
"From that brat? Anyway, it will be full of contempt for me. I don't want to read it, so you read it and tell me what it says. Ah, that's right. Tell me if there are any insulting words. I'll send him to the gallows with that justification."
Lecia looked coldly at Leonis after he joked like that.
"Perhaps you will be the one sent to the gallows."
"I'll be fine. That brat is too naive. He wouldn't go so far as to send me to the gallows."
Perhaps the two were birds of a feather by the way he could completely guess what Rudel was thinking."
"My goodness…"
Lecia broke the seal and read the letter. Her expression turned serious as she read.
"So? It's just a trivial matter as I said, right? Obviously, that brat has too much free time, so he prepared that letter to make fun of me."
Leonis had unilaterally decided what the letter was about, but Lecia's next words immediately distressed him.
"... Dear, the letter said there is a dispute with the Herring Household of the six great nobles."
"What!?"
Leonis rose from his chair and spilled the tea. Even while screaming, "It burns!" he snatched the letter from Lecia and read the contents.
"To my beloved king, is there any disease His Majesty has caught? As for me, I am in an extremely healthy condition while praying every day for His Majesty's most essential part to be amputated. Now then, my purpose for sending this letter is to mention that the second son of the Herring Household, Derrick, has picked a fight with me. So I'm thinking of accepting it. However, I think it will cause various problems later on, so please be careful in dealing with the consequences. Regards, the Hero of the Kingdom, Rudel."
Leonis's hand holding the letter was trembling.
"T-That damn brat! What the hell is he doing over thereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
The letter also continued like this.
"P.S.: I received a letter from His Majesty mentioning this 'Take good care of the troublesome matter,' so I'll take good care of the problematic land of arrogant aristocrats. You handle the consequences (laughs). From: The one who wishes you would work more, Your Majesty."
Leonis tore the letter to pieces.
"That devil! I'll really send him to the gallows! Lecia, gather the important officials immediately! After that, send people to Aster to investigate the situation. It will become a disaster if we don't stop that brat. Hey, why is your face red?"
"Huh?"
Lecia was surprised by the content of her husband's letter, so she read the letter that was addressed to her. Her cheeks blushed.
She hid the letter Rudel sent to Lecia.
"... It's a secret."
Lecia said that shyly. Leonis showed a dull face upon seeing that.
"Secret? That's cute, but how about you look at your age first before saying tha— Hidebuh!"
Leonis, who said his honest feeling, got slapped in the face.
◇
After defeating the dungeon boss, we started celebrating.
After singing victory, I took the dynamite from the vehicle.
I placed all the explosives and blew up the giant roots.
A large amount of black smoke filled the place.
The black smoke covered the entire room, but then something shone from the deepest part of the place.
That faint light was greenish. The black smoke was being absorbed towards it.
When the smoke disappeared from the surroundings, there was a single sapling there.
I looked at that sapling, which shone intensely in the darkness.
"... This is undoubtedly the 'sacred tree sapling,' huh."
That sapling shone with a sublime glow from the sunlight falling from the ceiling due to the explosion. It was the key item of this game event, the sacred tree sapling.
◇
"Look how many treasures!"
Liam shouted like an excited child at the ridiculous amount of gold, precious pearls, and other riches hidden here. There were even orbs, large magic stones.
I got scared at first thinking this place might also have a research center like in the kingdom. But it seems it was just a normal dungeon.
The guys started taking everything that could fit into the vehicle.
This place was special for two reasons. The first was that Sara said the Jaggerjack always passed through this area, implying it guarded it; there were other areas where a sapling could be created. But monsters would eat it or it would wither upon contact with the exterior.
The second was because in the game, it was found right here according to the notes.
It seems important to them; I'm not interested in what they want it for.
From my backpack, I took out a container to store the plant; it had a small pot inside, so I collected soil from the place earlier.
When I approached to pull it out, I got scared and fell on my back.
"Uwahh!"
The reason for my girly scream was that I found something unexpected.
Near the sapling was a seated skeleton. It seemed to be waiting for something since its gaze was focused in the direction we entered from.
This thing gave me a lot of fear. So for some reason, I wanted to touch it.
Upon doing so, it turned to dust. It was very terrifying.
Someone not only entered here but hid in this place.
Does that mean they were hiding?
Probably the one who burned that thing's horn was this guy.
You could consider him a legendary adventurer.
After showing my respects to this guy, I pulled the plant out by the roots and placed it in the pot. I was a bit scared it might not be the correct one, but according to Erselica's notes, it must be.
"Bradford, come! Let's take a commemorative photo."
Frey called me since these guys placed a kingdom flag on the ground; they had a photographic camera. A very old one, but it was instant.
That's because in the kingdom, those cameras don't exist; in Aster, they do since they create them. But the photography is black and white. I remember Alisa had black and white magazines where they sent clothing samples because the color couldn't be shown.
It makes me want to cry for the precious lost moments we could have captured in photos, but soon I'll create something to save those memories.
"I'll be the one to take the photo. Frey, give me the camera."
"Eh? But we're supposed to take turns so everyone appears."
"It's better for the former crown prince to be recognized as the one who conquered the strongest dungeon in the world. I'm already a hero and don't want more old stalkers."
"If it seems fine to you that way..." Liam said in a melancholic tone.
I took the camera, and these guys positioned themselves to make a ridiculous pose.
"Good. Say 'we are idiots.'"
"We are idiots!"
When I took the photo, they got annoyed with me. Undoubtedly, despite the past danger, it was a good day.
◇
Around that time.
Schwert, which was anchored at the port, was boarded by men in elegant suits.
A man in a flashy white suit was the leader. He was muscular, with a black beard, elegant hair, and a mustache on his face.
Derrick welcomed that man and spoke to him in a friendly tone.
"I-It's been a while, Ganpino-san. I hope they treated you well in my Household's territory."
"Derrick-dono, I thank you for all our merchandise you've bought. Since the problem months ago with an imbecile and now that the republic refuses to buy weapons and slaves from us, I was wondering if this would be the end of the Cashmiro Family."
"It also seems you've been trying out your new toy; a very strong one this time."
That burly man took off his hat and acted servilely towards Derrick.
Ixion was watching that scene.
"And who might this be?"
A vassal of Derrick responded to Ixion, who was hidden.
"Ahn? Don't ask every time. These guys are merchants. Well, they're handling elements that can't be shown publicly."
"I see."
The merchant started smoking. He signaled his subordinate to give Derrick several leather bags.
"Musik, give them that. Geld, also the new merchandise."
A man with dreadlocks and gold teeth handed a bag to Derrick's vassals. In contrast, a bald man with ear piercings handed them a briefcase.
Derrick approached to see both. The leather bag had a wad of bills. While the briefcase had many bags filled with a mysterious white powder.
In the game, the event is called "Angel Dust," a mysterious drug that makes you hallucinate if consumed in excess. It wasn't dangerous in small doses, but the addiction was very high. The head of the Cashmiro Family, Ganpino, was a noble who belonged to a distinguished noble family of a certain country.
But his family fell into ruin and became pirates; over time, they became strong, but without losing their pride, they ended up becoming "the noble pirate family." This was a game event that happened in another situation in this same year.
The problem was that after the war, the Cashmiro Family found itself in a crisis since the Kingdom of Altfode discovered it had secret branches backed by Balzac and Kingsfort.
They were destroyed in part by Rudel and other nobles. In the end, they had to flee to the Republic of Ereboreas, where they were also hunted; the reason was they found out they worked for their enemy, and that displeased them. Their enemy was Aster, of course.
So many members had to lodge here secretly.
"After a few more businesses, we'll go to Musashi; the head of the Zouken clan is waiting for me there to form an alliance."
"Thanks for the merchandise; my father is happy for the help you've given me. Guys, bring the gifts."
Derrick's vassals brought a large number of orbs and handed them to Ganpino's subordinates.
He smiled sinisterly.
"Thanks for the gift."
"Don't mention it. Aster has an enormous amount of them; they grow like apples, gyahaha."
Ixion looked at the sphere called an orb and began collecting data.
"So, this is an orb. It contains a lot of energy inside. I heard there is an element called orb among the sacred tree's fruits. So this is the real article... it's very interesting, but the country should be the only one managing the use of all orbs."
Derrick was selling an important article managed by the country in a place out of public view. It didn't seem honest at all.
It seemed Derrick and this merchant had a dark connection under the table.
"... And, when will you obtain the head of household seat, Derrick-dono?"
Derrick smiled sinisterly once more when the merchant asked that.
He told the merchant, whom he considered his partner, various things.
"Even the old man is interested in this aircraft. He was very happy when I talked to him about going to war against the Kingdom of Altfode soon and taking their technology to mass-produce this aircraft. I could become the next head without needing to make my brother disappear."
"That's great news! All my investments with you, Derrick-dono, up to now are worth every penny. Ah, I hope you don't forget that when that happens, you, as the future head of the Herring Household, help us have our main headquarters here."
"Of course."
Ixion consolidated the information he heard from the two's conversation.
"Derrick, who is aiming for the head of household seat, joined this merchant by smuggling an orb to him. Perhaps he is gathering people to become the head of household?"
Ixion would at least evaluate Derrick for his guts in taking down even his older brother to be on top.
After all, those guts were something Rudel lacked.
"If my former master had at least that level of ambition. He could have become king and thus not only have those but also the queen."
But he couldn't evaluate Derrick regarding his choice of friends.
Derrick's vassals were counting the money.
The interior of Schwert was filled with ruffians who looked like pirates, no matter how you looked at it.
They were Derrick's subordinates, but all were thugs without exception. Some drank alcohol in the rooms; others did improper acts in them too, and above all, obscene graffiti on the robots.
While Derrick maintained a pleasant conversation with the merchant, one of his followers suddenly ran to the ship.
"Derrick-sama, there are problems!"
Derrick turned towards the follower who shouted loudly and frowned.
"Don't be so noisy, idiot. And what happened? Has the kingdom started attacking?"
Derrick wasn't taking the interruption too seriously, but his attitude changed drastically when he heard the details.
"It's not that. A sacred tree sapling has been discovered! Moreover, it's a sapling that hasn't withered yet."
"... Seriously?"
It seemed to be information that surprised even Derrick. He listened to his follower seriously.
"Yes. But, it was the foreign students who obtained it. Also, the guy named Rudel entered the academy with the sacred tree sapling in hand. It seems he's causing a commotion asking them to call you."
Ixion floated silently.
The head of the Cashmiro Family, Ganpino, made a displeased face.
"Rudel, you say? By any chance, is his surname Bradford?"
Derrick's vassal nodded, and that only made Ganpino angrier.
"If you'll excuse me, I must make a few calls. Bastards, let's return home quickly!"
Derrick was making an annoyed expression.
"Are you calling me? But I want it; I want that sacred tree sapling. I want to take it from that guy named Rudel; I don't care if I attack the academy."
"A-About that, it seems Sara is backing him. So it doesn't seem we can move easily against him."
"Sara is with him? That perverse-looking woman is backing a foreigner?"
Derrick pondered a bit after hearing Sara's name.
"... Well. Let's take a look at this sacred tree sapling."
Derrick and his gang hurried towards the academy. Ixion saw them off while thinking.
"Do they want to obtain the sacred tree sapling even though the sacred tree has already grown? I can understand their feeling of wanting to obtain it, but they look more anxious than expected."
Ixion's red lens shone mysteriously and even more so by the following.
"Angering so many people and making enemies without being present and without even knowing them. Without a doubt, you are someone who destroys all existing logic."
◇
I was taken to the reception room when I arrived at the academy.
I was holding the jar with the small sacred tree sapling in one hand while sitting shamelessly in front of the teachers.
I was putting my leg on the table.
The teachers frowned upon seeing my behavior.
Sorry, but at this moment, I'm very happy, and my body is expressing it in its own way.
"Bradford, aren't you being rude at this moment?"
"... That's why all the people from the kingdom are savages."
"Enough about that; please put down the sapling immediately. What if you drop it?"
The teachers showed various reactions.
They were completely nervous in the presence of the sacred tree sapling.
Unexpectedly, it was Professor Malcolm who calmed that situation.
"Let's all calm down. Sara-sama, please give a proper explanation."
Sara, who was standing near me, gave me a warning.
"Rudel-kun, you're behaving very rudely."
"Oh, forgive me for this. After all, I'm just an upstart who was formerly a savage adventurer. It can't be helped that I'm handling the sapling carelessly because of that."
The teachers inside the room made a bitter expression when I spoke sarcastically.
I lowered my legs from the table and placed the jar with the sacred tree sapling—no, my lucky charm, the small sapling, on the table.
However, my hand didn't let go of it.
"More importantly, bring Derrick here already. How long do you plan to make me wait?"
One of the teachers warned me in a panic about my way of speaking.
"Stop talking so rudely. You're talking about someone from the six great nobles. Sara-sama, please stop siding with this person."
I directed my gaze towards Sara, but she didn't show any sign of following the teachers' words.
"It's not your business who I side with."
The teachers fell silent when the princess of the six great nobles said that.
Even so, why would this person cooperate with me until now?
She didn't even show any sign of trying to deceive me.
Is what Lucy said true? Is this girl attracted to me?
I don't think so; rather. Isn't it like a certain extravagant senpai who wants to tie me to a chair?
If it's true she's attracted to me. Sorry, I have girlfriends. I love them very much. If we had met earlier. Your breasts would now be my home.
Professor Malcolm sighed.
"It seems he has come."
Suddenly, the door swung open, and Derrick appeared there with his followers.
He reeked of alcohol even though the sun was still high in the sky.
He seemed irritated at being called here, but his eyes opened wide upon seeing the small sapling I had.
"Is that real?"
His eyes no longer looked at me. He reached out to take the small sapling.
"Don't touch it."
When I lifted the jar, he immediately looked at me with a frown.
"Son of a bitch, who the hell do you think you're talking to, huh?"
When the back of Derrick's right hand began to glow, Sara stood in front of me.
"Stop. Derrick, I'm telling you this as the daughter of the Rosenberg Household, which is superior to yours."
"Step aside, Sara! Are you going to confront me? You've been chosen just like me!"
He must be proud of having been chosen by the sacred tree.
But Sara didn't step aside.
Professor Malcolm also joined the talk.
"Derrick, that's enough with your improper act."
"Even Malcolm-dono, the former heir of the Wayne Household, is siding with this boy? You two, aren't you mortified that the sacred tree sapling has fallen into this guy's hands?"
The other teachers remained silent at Derrick's behavior.
By the way, I got information for Erselica. Professor Malcolm was the former heir of the Wayne Household, to which the capture target Zack will be the successor.
It would be problematic to keep this up, so I spoke up.
"Stop squealing, damn scum. It's irritating to listen to you. Now, do you want this? Good, let's have a duel for this little one."
"Huh?"
Derrick's rude lackeys were also inside the room, but they didn't interrupt the conversation since Sara and Professor Malcolm were here.
Derrick brought his face close to mine with a malicious expression and hands in his pockets.
"You said you wanted to have fun, so you hunted foreign students, but how about now one of them is going to give you the best fun that a dirty rat like you could desire? Wait, I'm going too fast. Is this conversation too difficult for you?"
His face immediately turned red after I provoked him for a moment.
"Stop joking. I'll kill you here!"
"Try it if you can. But this thing will also wither at that moment."
Even Derrick's mouth closed when I showed the small sapling to him.
This thing was just a key item in this shitty game, but it proved useful enough in the real world.
"I'll fight you if you put Schwert as the bet. As for the method, I'll be fine with a simple duel where you can also use an armored unit. However, my condition is that you can't use the sacred tree's power, but magic is allowed."
Derrick showed an expression of surprise only for a moment when I said that.
He was showing doubts and refused with a flustered look.
"Why the hell are you deciding the rules, huh? That's not fair."
"Not fair? I'm surprised a cheating bastard like you can say that. Do you want me to prepare a mirror?"
"Kuh!"
He got furious and immediately tried to rely on the sacred tree's power, but he stopped because of seeing Sara and Professor Malcolm.
"We won't finish talking if we continue like this, so I'll continue. I'm not like you, coward. I simply suggest you have a fair duel using an armored unit. I'll ask Sara and Professor Malcolm to be our witnesses. Or what? Derrick-chan, don't you want to have a fair fight because you won't be able to win like that?"
Perhaps you can't fight without a disadvantage~? This guy reacted immediately when I provoked him like that.
"... Very well, go ahead."
Derrick finally mustered courage. Then I confirmed the conditions.
"Then, let's swear by this sacred tree thing. I'm betting the sacred tree sapling. I'll hand this over to the country if I lose."
"Good. Then I'll return your ship if I lose."
I made an exaggerated sigh and told Derrick, "You don't understand~."
"It won't make sense if you only return the aircraft but empty everything it contains. I'll make you return everything you took from me. You understand that, 'everything.' If you lose against me, you'll return everything you stole from me."
I wouldn't let him say something like, "I returned the ship, but I won't hand over Battler or Ixion!"
That kind of excuse obviously wouldn't let them off the hook!
Derrick corrected his wording with a fed-up look after I told him that.
"Yes~, I'll return them. If I, the great Derrick, lose, I'll return everything I took. Are you satisfied?"
Derrick wasn't bothered by the details. He didn't seem to consider the slightest possibility of losing.
"Say you'll bring them 'in front of me' correctly. You understand, all of them."
"That's only if you defeat me."
I spoke quietly to myself.
"You'll regret saying that." I showed a slight smile at that.
Sara seemed to look at me since she might have heard what I said, but she didn't say anything.
Professor Malcolm confirmed the conditions for the last time.
"Then, Sara-sama and I will be the witnesses. Will both of you swear before the sacred tree and follow the conditions mentioned just now? Is there also no problem with the date and time?"
I nodded with a broad smile. "Yes. It was fine like that."
"Of course."
But Derrick seemed displeased.
"Wait a second. Does this guy even have an armored unit?"
How kind of him to worry about me.
"No, I don't have any. I plan to buy a new one at one of the workshops here."
Then Sara suggested to me.
"I'll have my Household prepare one for you. That's fine, right?"
Derrick suddenly strongly opposed that suggestion.
"That's not allowed! I won't allow the witnesses to back the participant. I won't accept it unless this guy prepares an armored unit on his own."
Sara seemed like she wanted to argue, but I stopped her.
"... It's fine. And, what if I can't get one?"
"Then fight without one. It will be a marvelous spectacle. An amazing show of the Kingdom's Hero unable to do anything against me, the great Derrick, before crying and apologizing in front of everyone!"
It seemed Derrick was having a lot of fun. I smiled along with him.
"It seems fine to me."
"Rudel-kun!"
Sara was surprised, but Derrick turned his gaze towards Professor Malcolm.
"This guy said he's fine with that. Do you have any problem?"
"... Derrick, remember the oath is sacred, and you can't insult it."
Professor Malcolm said that and asked Sara to raise her right hand. A magic circle formed on the floor of the room after that.
This was the supreme kingdom's duel method, which made use of the sacred tree oath.
It seemed to have the implication that after the duel ended, the participants would be forced to fulfill their promise. As I was beaten that day, I had no idea what was happening.
Professor Malcolm looked at Sara, who proclaimed.
"This is a sacred duel under the sacred tree oath. Both of you must not forget the meaning of that."
Sara must be saying that to imply that no act that ruins the sacred duel should be done.
I carried the sapling under my arm.
"Of course."
After that, Derrick took his lackeys out of the room.
"I hope you can prepare an armored unit before the day of the duel."
Derrick mocked disgustingly while saying that comment. I responded to him.
"You don't understand. I've already won."
◇◇◇
Derrick returned to Schwert and drank alcohol in a very good mood.
He was in the hangar.
Derrick laughed in front of Battler, which had been decorated to have a perverse appearance. It wasn't black either; now it was green like his hair.
"Those guys are really idiots!"
The people around Derrick also agreed with him.
Derrick brought the wine bottle to his mouth and swallowed it all at once. Then he threw the empty bottle on the ground.
No one paid attention to him, even when the bottle broke.
The interior of Schwert was in very messy conditions.
The worker robots were silently cleaning up the entire mess.
"That guy wants to get an armored unit in this country. There's no way that will happen."
A follower handed Derrick a new bottle.
"Derrick-sama, he is really a horrible person. To make someone go out in a duel without any armored unit like that."
"It's his fault for having been tricked."
Derrick and his vassal were getting excited. They spoke excitedly as if they had already won.
"The old man will name me as the heir when I get the sapling. Then I'll throw out my older brother to live on the streets."
Derrick was also thinking about what he would do after becoming the head of the Herring Household.
"If I have the sacred tree sapling, the Rosenberg Household won't be able to keep acting as someone superior. Even that shameless Sara will only be able to do what I tell her."
One of the followers worried.
"Will that be alright? There's a rumor she's going to be engaged to Thomas of the Exner Household."
"That doesn't matter to me one bit. Besides, as long as I have the sacred tree sapling, they will be the ones bowing to me, asking me to marry their daughter. As I thought, Sara is the only woman worthy of me."
Derrick stuck out his tongue and touched the front of his pants in a very morbid way.
"Finally, that woman who walks elegantly in front of everyone, shaking that big butt, her silky hair, and above all those firm and huge breasts, will be mine!"
The zipper was lowered; Ixion appeared at his side.
"I suggest you take countermeasures."
"What are you talking about, one-eye?"
"I'm saying it would be better to ask for 'help' in case Rudel can find a method to defeat you."
Derrick clicked his tongue and closed his zipper.
"Are you saying I can lose?"
"I never said that. I just said you should always have a plan B."
Derrick became thoughtful.
"Yes. That's true. That guy found a sapling; that means he could defeat the Jaggerjack. We mustn't underestimate his strength."
"Good. Hey, someone call Ganpino and tell him we need his help!"
Ixion's eye looked at Derrick in a very strange way.
"Let's see how you get out of this, former idiot master."
◇◇◇
Sacred tree temple.
The young head of the Household, Linus, was working in the office.
A vassal brought a report; he was also running and seemed to choke.
"A sacred tree sapling has just been found!"
However, when he heard the report, he rose from his chair, and the pile of documents on his desk collapsed.
"Seriously? Which Household was it?"
"Yes! The foreign student, Count Rudel von Bradford, found it in the dungeon. He claims his stolen objects and requests a duel if they want it."
"Duel?"
"Yes. A duel with Derrick-sama of the Herring Household."
Linus hit his fist on the desk.
"That idiotic child!"
That was a word for Derrick.
Linus took out Rudel's report from his desk.
He investigated a bit since he felt curious about the aircraft Derrick took from him.
It says he repelled the combined fleet with a single machine and led the kingdom's fleet to victory from a crisis situation.
(I won't delve too much into the story.)
The investigator of the report also added. "These are facts. It's true!"
It's a report resembling a lie.
You can't believe it if you show it to someone.
However, the story is different if it's the lost object that made it possible.
(It seems the lost object was lost in the war against the combined, but it can't be said there still isn't a hidden replacement. What the hell are you doing picking that opponent, stupid idiot son of the Herring Household?)
"... He requested the duel to recover his aircraft?"
"Yes, he asked for the aircraft and his armored unit to be returned."
The aircraft and armored unit are good enough for the Herring Household to be happy.
You wouldn't want to bet those articles, but if a sacred tree sapling comes out, the story is different.
The nobles of the supreme kingdom desire that; only they know their motive.
"They just have to trade normally. I'll try to arrange this with the kingdom's diplomats."
The official nodded.
"Prepare a ship. I'll go before the interim head to inform him about this myself."
And thus, the sapling event and Linus's route proceeded normally despite not involving one of the capture targets.