The knights major quickly began, and the audience delighted in the chaos of the battle. Some immersed themselves completely in the melee on the field, while others focused on their favorite knight or the one they had bet on, cheering loudly and applauding every impressive move.
To ensure strong viewership for the competition, the Chamber of Commerce followed Felix's suggestion and opened with a unique knight brawl. The results were immediate, drawing in a massive audience.
This was not merely a clash between individual knights, but a confrontation between Knight club. In terms of group combat, the Knight club heavily sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce displayed exactly the level of coordination and strength expected of them. Although none of their members had reached the heights of the Blood Knight, the Radiant Knight, or the Black Knight, such figures were rarely recruited by the Chamber of Commerce in the first place.
Even so, these knights formed the backbone of the knightly class. Their combined combat strength was nothing to scoff at. As several Chamber of Commerce–sponsored Knight club began to dominate the arena, knocking lone knights or those affiliated with the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi off the stage, the infected knights became the focus of the crowd's excitement.
That excitement, however, did not come from admiration. Rather, many spectators took pleasure in seeing the infected knights overwhelmed by the so-called orthodox knights.
In Kazimierz, the infected already held a low social status. Now that they had finally gained the chance to compete as knights, it naturally stirred resentment among many ordinary knights. Opportunities were already scarce, and now another group was taking part, one that consisted of the infected.
To the general public, infected knights were like ticking time bombs. No matter how dazzling they appeared in the arena, who could say what they might do to ordinary people behind the scenes?
This was a misunderstanding, but it was also the prevailing mindset of the majority.
The Fate Knight gathered in a corner, watching the brutal scene unfold on the stage. Beneath his armor, the Blood Knight frowned as he observed the Chamber of Commerce's knights forming ranks and crushing the infected knights. He knew every one of them. They were infected, yes, but they were also knights. He knew their faces, their names, and even the details of each person's condition.
Now, those infected knights were letting out hoarse cries under the relentless assault. They fought back with weapons and Originium Arts, but the gap in numbers quickly became clear. Step by step, they were forced into retreat.
The Blood Knight tightened his grip on his massive axe and glanced at the members behind him, some infected, some not.
He saw anger burning in their eyes.
"We're going to help."
No one objected. The members of the Fate Knight raised their weapons and stepped forward.
In the VIP lounge, several elderly men watched the scenes on the screen with satisfied smiles. They nodded approvingly at the performance of the Chamber of Commerce's knights. A great deal of money had been invested in them, and their sponsors were pleased with the results. Although these knights could not lead the field alone, their combined strength posed a serious challenge to most other Knight club.
As expected, when the Chamber of Commerce's knights pressed the infected knights, the Fate Knight appeared and charged in to support them.
"Just as His Highness predicted. As long as they target the infected knights, the Fate Knight will step in."
"Yes. Their intervention has turned a one-sided battlefield into a balanced one. That is exactly what Kazimierz wants to see right now."
"The youngsters down there are still resentful. What should we do about that?"
"Ha. Let them remain naive. At the moment, the Chamber of Commerce has no need for anyone outstanding. That is also His Highness's intention. Disobedient families…"
The elderly men exchanged glances, their eyes glinting with unspoken understanding.
The original Chamber of Commerce had grown too prominent, too eager to control the rhythm of everything.
Their desire to dominate every aspect of the game cost them enormous resources and wealth, and placed unbearable pressure on the knights who followed them.
The Armorless Union faced similar pressure, yet managed to resolve it by skillfully drawing upon the power of adventurers.
The Chamber of Commerce already possessed everything it desired. What they were fighting for now was pride alone. And it was precisely this pride that had driven them into crisis.
Perhaps these old men had once considered stepping back to preserve appearances, but they would never truly do so.
As the knights fought to a stalemate and the countdown ended, those still standing on the field were met with thunderous cheers from the audience. The knight who had defeated the greatest number of opponents would be awarded a set of new armor provided by the Chamber of Commerce, a prize that also served as a form of advertisement.
Among those who remained on the field, aside from the knights of the Chamber of Commerce and the Fate Knight, there were also several independent knights. Maria Nearl was among them. Several sword marks were still etched into her armor, though it was unclear who had left them. She panted heavily, leaning on her sword for support. The chaos of the battle had drained most of her strength, and with enemies surrounding her on all sides, the pressure weighed heavily upon her.
At the same time, there was unmistakable malice in the air.
She was Maria Nearl, a member of the Nearl family. What did the Nearl family represent to the knightly world? Every knight had their own answer. Traditional knights held the Nearl name in reverence, while commercial knights felt indifferent toward it, or even harbored suspicion. The Radiant Knight was undeniably powerful, but was her sister truly worthy of the same reputation?
With such thoughts in mind, they raised their weapons and charged toward Maria.
"…What did you think of Maria's performance just now?"
Felix turned his head slightly. Beside him, Młynar was still reading the Red Wine Newspaper. One of the articles featured Viviana, the second-in-command of the Fate Knight, portraying her as an idol-level knight who bathed in red wine. It was no surprise that the paper was filled with sensational gossip.
Młynar lifted his head, his expression indifferent. "Still far from enough. Physical endurance is only the foundation. More importantly, Your Highness, have you noticed the unusual movements of the Chamber of Commerce?"
Felix glanced at the two seemingly separate Knight club affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce on the arena floor. He raised an eyebrow slightly. "The most interesting part is yet to come, and it's also the part I least want to get involved in. Let them fight like dogs."
This apparent concession by the Chamber of Commerce naturally sparked dissatisfaction among many families. Accustomed to arrogance and long considering themselves the true masters of Kazimierz, they were not used to bowing their heads, especially to the knights led by Lady Russell.
The actions of the Fate Knight this time were clearly provocative, and this retreat only added fuel to the fire. The Chamber of Commerce had once ruled Kazimierz, yet now they were yielding to their old rivals. To them, it was nothing short of humiliation.
What happened next would be an internal matter for the Chamber of Commerce to resolve. Felix had no interest in continuing to involve himself in their family conflicts.
Młynar folded up the newspaper. "I'm going back to work."
"You don't want to watch the rest of the matches? Maria's battles?"
Młynar closed his eyes briefly, his tone calm and steady. "She will pass."
With that, Młynar left, newspaper in hand. The moment he stepped outside, Magic ZX hurried after him, calling out eagerly to attend to him. Felix watched the two depart with a faint smile.
After witnessing Maria defeat her opponent with elegant and brilliant swordsmanship in the first match of the main tournament, Felix nodded slightly. His own martial skills had been shaped by guidance from many figures, including the old man Kirill Nearl, Młynar, and Wei Yenwu. From them, He had forged his current style of swordsmanship.
From his perspective, Maria's sword was magnificent without being ostentatious, but it was still far from the overwhelming power of the Radiant Knight. The Radiant Knight had been a dark horse of the tournament, displaying absolute dominance since the preliminaries. Maria had also won, but she had not demonstrated the same crushing strength.
Felix withdrew his gaze and stood up, leaving his seat.
___
In October, a light drizzle fell over Kazimierz. People on the streets wrapped themselves tightly in their clothing. As the main tournament progressed, more and more tourists flocked to the Kawalerielki. As passionate fans of the knights, their enthusiasm dispelled the chill of the rainy autumn days.
During this period, spokespeople for the Chamber of Commerce worked tirelessly, representing different internal voices and making frequent appearances in various newspapers.
During the main tournament, the death of an infected knight in the ring further heightened the public's excitement. The incident enraged the infected knights, especially since the opponent did not receive the punishment they had hoped for. In response, the infected knights organized several riots, all of which were suppressed by the Chamber of Commerce and the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi.
Soon after, the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi issued a statement in the newspapers, calling the incident heartbreaking. At the same time, various forces, including those within Kazimierz, expressed concern over the illegal fundraising and armed activities of infected organizations. They emphasized that infected knights sought to fight in the arena through reasonable and legal means, and that rectifying and reforming the chaos among the infected was imperative.
The tone of these statements was naturally biased toward Kazimierz. Even so, it was not difficult to see that the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi also had no intention of abandoning the infected knights.
However, the number of infected knights continued to rise every day. The infected had discovered that as long as they possessed even mediocre weapons and armor, they could call themselves infected knights and enjoy the corresponding knightly privileges.
"Lady Russell, is this why you asked to meet me today? Is it because you believe the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi already has a solution?"
Felix interlaced his fingers. During his time in Kazimierz, he was either watching matches or being pulled into the power struggles between the Chamber of Commerce and the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi. If Kazimierz were his own country, such involvement would have made sense, as he would be advising both sides. But he was merely an outsider. Even though both factions had promised to double his reward the moment the other side "failed," Felix had declined.
Lady Russell should understand that Kazimierz was now inseparable from the Chamber of Commerce, just as the old men of the Chamber of Commerce knew how crucial the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi was. The only ones truly indignant about this reality were the younger generations on both sides.
To Felix, it all felt like making trouble out of nothing.
"Did you see today's Central News?" Lady Russell handed him a newspaper. The subheading read, 'The number of infected knights continues to rise as containment centers reach capacity.'
"This is the current situation of the infected," she said. "Becoming a knight has become their only answer. It provides subsidies and a certain level of status. In Kazimierz, it can be said that nearly all infected have become infected knights." She frowned, clearly troubled. The original number of infected knights had been small enough to manage, but their explosive growth was a nightmare for administrators, both in terms of management and public safety.
Imagine infected knights wielding weapons and turning them on civilians.
"I think the official knight ranking system could be applied to infected knights as well," Felix said calmly. "They already have their own ways of evaluation, such as physical ability and the strength of their Originium Arts. My idea aligns somewhat with the Chamber of Commerce, but I believe the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi already has its own plan."
Lady Russell shook her head. This was one of the most pressing issues the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi had yet to resolve. That was why she wanted to consult the founder who once commanded an astonishing number of infected operators, to ask how Tomorrow's Development had managed things in the past.
That experience could be listened to, but not replicated. At that time, Tomorrow's Development had been far smaller, and the number of infected operators was limited.
The infected knights in Kazimierz now were numerous enough to drain the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi's reserves. Worse still, most of them were merely exploiting the situation to survive. Truly powerful figures like the Blood Knight were exceedingly rare.
After a brief exchange, Felix left her office with more questions weighing on his mind. As he opened the door, he found the Candle Knight Viviana standing outside. Her gaze swept briefly over Lady Russell before settling on Felix.
"Candle Knight, what is it?"
"…Your Highness, the Blood Knights wish to speak with you." Viviana bowed slightly, her noble manners flawless. "The Fate Knight have received extensive support from infected knights and have now become the most prominent infected knight order. May I ask… what should our next step be?"