"Tell me, what's the reason?"
"Sorry, Keira, I can't say. It's against the brotherhood's rules."
Triss squinted and whispered mischievously into Keira's ear.
"If you can't say it, but you still say there's a reason, why arouse my curiosity?"
Keira was taken aback, rolled her eyes, and looked utterly speechless.
She turned her head to Karl and smiled: "Sir Karl, have you seriously considered cooperating regarding the knightly tournament?"
"As far as I know, the economic situation in Baron's Meadow isn't very good, and the tithe paid annually to the king is at the lowest level."
"The lord of Baron's Meadow is named Raymond El, and he shares the same surname as you."
"Oh my, what a coincidence?"
Keira pretended to be puzzled, but a playful smile played at the corners of her lips.
She quietly looked at Karl, as if sure that there was a relationship between Karl and Raymond.
"It is indeed a coincidence, but what business is it of yours? Keira, you're overstepping." Karl calmly replied, his face expressionless.
"I don't think His Majesty would appreciate his royal advisors using their power to investigate the affairs of nobles without his permission."
Karl naturally caught the threatening tone in Keira's words and had no intention of backing down.
"You! Hmph, as a knight knighted by Raymond, your territory lies within Baron's Meadow."
"Given Baron's Meadow's economic situation, you can't even pay the tithe to your liege lord, and in the end, you'll have to pay for it out of your own pocket."
"I'm sincerely discussing with you that cooperating in the martial arts tournament could earn you a lot of money. Don't you care?!" Keira looked incredulous and asked Karl loudly.
"I have a way to solve the money issue, so you don't need to bother."
"It's best for us to keep our distance." Karl was restrained and replied slowly.
"Sir Karl, you've gone too far! What have I, Keira, done to upset you that you want to target me everywhere?" Keira slammed the table and asked with a displeased face.
Faced with Keira's questions, Karl was very indifferent and glanced at Triss, who was currently looking conflicted.
"Triss, explain it to her slowly. I'll go first."
Triss nodded slightly and looked at Karl gratefully.
Then Karl decisively turned around, pushed open the door, and left, ignoring Keira's shouts.
"Stop! I want to hear your own explanation!" Keira's figure moved, and she immediately decided to chase after him.
At the same time, Triss immediately stood in front of Keira and repeated: "Enough! Keira, don't be unreasonable."
"What, I'm unreasonable? I just want to hear an explanation. Why does he treat you and me so differently?!" Keira pointed at herself with her finger and said with a puzzled expression.
"Keira, you caused this incident. Karl hates you as he should. Remember you mentioned burning a letter?"
"When did I... Uh, it seems that's true." Keira was startled, and a thoughtful expression appeared on her face.
When Triss saw Keira's expression, she understood that Keira hadn't taken the letter Karl gave her to heart at all.
She had dismissed it as a minor matter, turned her head, and forgotten about it.
"Keira, you'd better take my words to heart."
She sighed helplessly and told Keira about Karl and some of the things she could reveal.
......
A few days later, under the loud blare of horns on the outskirts of Vizima, all the participants, fully arrayed, entered with banners and coats of arms.
The knights on horseback paid their respects to King Foltest, who was in the stands, and the noble ladies who were overseeing the competition.
"Look, that's Daniel of Maribor."
"See, those are the Knights of the White Rose, loyal to the king."
"Oh! Lord Karl! You must win!"
"Lord Karl, you will definitely win the championship!"
The crowd in the stands applauded loudly, and Dalton and Phillip naturally sat among them.
Thanks to Karl's status as a participant and Triss's care,
they could only sit in the front row without having to pay for tickets.
Karl, naturally, was in the procession but at the end of the line, which was unusually inconspicuous.
But that couldn't be helped; the parade formation was calculated, and the order was carefully arranged.
Baron's Meadow belonged to a remote rural area, from which the knight hailed.
He qualified for the competition by defeating Adric in the previous duel and replacing his opponent's qualification.
"Quiet! Welcome all lords to participate in the annual competition, and it is an honor for me to host this tournament."
"Allow me to briefly explain the competition schedule. The opening ceremony and team combat will take place this morning."
"This afternoon will be the archery competition, the lance competition from horseback, then the rematch of the lance competition, and finally the foot combat competition."
"For team combat, it's teams of five. The goal of the team is to defeat the opponent. It is strictly forbidden to attack an opponent who has fallen to the ground or one without a helmet."
"These are the rules of the competition. Please wait and watch."
After the host left, the lord presiding over the competition stepped forward.
He looked around majestically and announced loudly.
"In the name of the kings of Temeria and by the grace of the goddess Melitele, we are gathered here today..."
"In times of peace, we must not let martial skills rust, nor let courage fade."
"Therefore, I summon all the bravest knights to compete, to strengthen their bodies and entertain the nobility..."
"I ask every participant to remember the path of chivalry, to fight for your honor, and to fight for your loyal lord."
"Fight for the honor of the lady you serve. Let justice and grace guide your hands, and let kindness remain in your hearts."
"Remember, this is a noble contest, and your opponents are worthy brothers, not mortal enemies."
After Foltest finished his address, outside the arena,
the staff and other participants began arranging the teams to avoid errors.
"Sir Karl, please follow me. You have been assigned to the Nymphs team." An attendant extended his hand and said politely.
Karl followed the attendant and soon arrived at a tent.
He had been placed in an unremarkable team with members like him.
The four of them had blue ribbons tied around their arms, embroidered with a pattern of a lake fairy.
"Hey, guys, our last team member is here." A middle-aged man with chestnut hair and beard called out with a smile.
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