The problem was the aftermath. I was resting in the waiting room when the Imperial Knights’ vice commander requested an audience. Michael said you never knew what those shady bastards might try and surrounded the vice commander’s party with War Ministry knights. I sighed and sent Michael and the knights out.

"Thank you, my lord."

"It’s wrong to pressure someone who came to talk. So what brings you here?"

"The Imperial Knights would like to officially apologize for the discourtesy shown to you, my lord."

Did I hear that right? The Imperial Knights were apologizing to me?

The vice commander spoke bitterly, as if he’d expected this reaction.

"Not all Imperial Knights are hostile to the War Ministry."

"Come to think of it, you seem like one of the knights who tried to stop the fight. Am I right?"

"Yes. But I ended up getting swept up in it anyway."

During the brawl, most knights had been fighting enthusiastically, but some had tried to stop it. Of course, they were a minority and got helplessly swept up in the chaos regardless. The situation was getting quite interesting. It meant there were pro-War Ministry figures inside the Imperial Knights, who’d supposedly been bitter enemies.

"But you’re just the vice commander—are you saying you can officially apologize on behalf of the order? Do you have that authority?"

"Normally I wouldn’t. What power does the third vice commander have? But the commander was sidelined with an injury and most of the hardliners were taken to the duchy hospital, creating a vacuum in leadership. So I’ve become acting commander temporarily."

In that sense, the vice commander was someone you could work with. In fact, when the brawl broke out, he and a small number of allies had been trying to stop it when Michael punched him. Michael condemned the entire Imperial Knights as shameless trash, but in any group, moderates exist.

I’d also tried to stop the brawl at first, until my composure snapped after getting hit by a broken lance handle. After that, I knocked down even more knights than Michael did. I’d pushed in like a tank and smashed them all. I got pinned down by sheer numbers at the end, but ironically, I was still classified as a moderate.

So the vice commander came directly to me to officially apologize, rather than going through my father-in-law or Michael. With the title of acting commander. He intended to use this incident as an opportunity to expand his influence within the Imperial Knights.

His disposition, as checked by the Manager Scouter, was ambitious (neutral). Meaning he was someone with upward aspirations. His psychology was also laid bare to me. Unconditionally antagonizing hostile forces only invited losses. If you’re a noble, you should know how to make political compromises.

With that in mind, I judged it worthwhile to cultivate friendly forces inside the Imperial Knights while I had the chance. If the pro-War Ministry faction seized control of the order while that bastard commander recovered in the hospital, what would happen? They’d tear each other apart.

That would be quite an entertaining spectacle.

Like planting a landmine under his feet.

"Good. I’ll accept the apology. I’ll consider the Imperial Knights’ discourtesy toward me forgiven."

"Thank you. And this is an apology gift I’ve prepared."

As expected, the vice commander had come ready to negotiate. He paid 100 silver coins as an apology fee. I accepted this political arrangement in which the vice commander had swallowed his pride to come apologize. I was still hostile to that bastard commander, but I could deal with this man. Something like that.

Like the relationship between Adelbert and me.

"Please tell the Imperial Knights commander I wish him a quick recovery."

"I’ll relay the message. As expected, you’re different from the rest of the War Ministry, my lord."

"I thoroughly separate public and private matters."

Obviously, the grudge against the commander was far from resolved.

Daring to hit on Hilda right in front of me had crossed the line by far.

Grudges like that naturally run deep. The Imperial Knights ended up gaining nothing from this tournament and instead became objects of mockery. They’d attempted a sweeping provocation targeting me, but their commander got brutally crushed, and as if that weren’t enough, the Imperial Knights got thrashed in the brawl too.

They became a laughingstock in noble society for ages to come. So I was thinking of using them in a different way. The first step was cultivating friendly forces inside the Imperial Knights. If you want to fight politically, dividing the opponent is the most fundamental strategy. Just as I’d divided Euz’s nobles.

Weakening the Imperial Knights commander’s power—that was another form of revenge. Physical revenge isn’t everything. After the vice commander left, I told Michael about the agreement. Naturally, Michael, who hated all Imperial Knights regardless of faction, understood but wasn’t pleased.

"Planting allies is a good idea, but our knights won’t think well of it."

"What do you mean? They apologized to me personally, not to the War Ministry. How could I presume to represent the War Ministry?"

"Huh? Does it work that way?"

"Of course. The War Ministry can respond however they see fit. I have no intention of interfering."

"Hehe, so that’s how it is? As expected, your negotiating skills are something else, brother-in-law."

The Imperial Knights would suffer at the War Ministry’s hands for a while. I’d accepted the apology as an individual. With my father-in-law and Michael around, how could I possibly represent the War Ministry? Whether the War Ministry chose to mock the Imperial Knights or not had nothing to do with me.

And the vice commander probably knew this too. That’s why he’d come to me, bypassing Michael and my father-in-law. He’d get battered from all sides, but navigating that would prove his abilities. After the audience concluded, I was leisurely drinking tea with Michael when Oscar announced another visitor.

Why were so many people looking for me?

"The Offenburg Knights commander requests an audience."

"Offenburg? Wait, why are they here?"

This time it was the commander of the Offenburg knights, who’d sided with the Imperial Knights commander during the brawl. A dignified-looking middle-aged knight in his forties. Michael watched from the side with a sour expression, because the relationship between Offenburg and the War Ministry was also terrible. That was partly why the Imperial Knights commander had acted so recklessly.

Hmm, I wondered if there were any regional lord families that actually got along with the War Ministry. I didn’t think there were. Since the War Ministry led the central army, being on bad terms with the regional forces was practically inevitable. In any case, the Offenburg Knights commander was very polite to me.

"Congratulations on your victory, Lord of Feuzen."

"Thank you. But why did you want to see me?"

"The young master seems to have acted excessively in pursuit of victory, so I, entrusted with full authority by the marquis, would like to apologize on his behalf. Also, failing to rein in the spirited young knights is my responsibility. Would you please forgive us with your generous magnanimity?"

Two apologies in a single day. Michael seemed surprised to see the proud Offenburg Knights commander apologizing to me. It wasn’t a trivial matter for the commander to bow his head when I’d beaten the second son of the very family he served and even sparked a brawl on top of it.

"I have no grudge against Offenburg, so I’ll accept the apology."

"Thank you. I understand why the marquis holds you in high regard."

"The Marquis Offenburg thinks that highly of me?"

"In the provinces, we pay close attention to news from the capital. In particular, there’s great interest in Lord Streit of Feuzen, famous as a war hero and the Gale Knight. Capable commanders are always welcome."

I hadn’t known that the marquis who governed three territories would take an interest in me. Honestly, from the moment I’d beaten the Imperial Knights commander—Offenburg’s second son—I’d assumed we’d never be on good terms. But the marquis was surprisingly gracious toward me. So I was curious about Offenburg’s intentions.

"I regret the Imperial Knights commander’s injury. It was absolutely not intentional."

"Anyone can get injured in a tournament. Even though he’s the young master of the family I serve, he committed numerous improprieties, so I’m in no position to defend him."

Was he really telling the truth?

The Offenburg Knights commander was indeed being honest, and his disposition pointed to justice (good). In other words, he wasn’t trying to deceive me but had taken it upon himself to resolve misunderstandings between me and Offenburg. I seemed to matter more than I’d realized.

If I were just a common duchy knight with no achievements, would they have come to apologize? Obviously, they would’ve ignored me. Both the Imperial Knights vice commander and the Offenburg Knights commander from the northern ruler’s house acknowledged me as an important figure. So they’d come to make amends.

Well, this was quite a change from the old days.

I needed to make clear that even if they couldn’t communicate with the War Ministry, they could at least work with me. Having many channels was a good thing—it meant more leverage. And frankly, they’d acted wisely. They didn’t want the situation to escalate either.

"It’s true that relations between Offenburg and the War Ministry aren’t good, but the marquis personally wishes to build a friendship with the Lord of Feuzen."

"I’m honored that you think so highly of the lord of a small town."

He drew a clear line, framing it as merely the young master’s personal misconduct with no connection to Offenburg as a whole. So I accepted vaguely, in a way that signaled I’d let it slide this once. That gesture alone would’ve been enough for them to understand. After they left, Michael seemed to see me in a new light.

"Those arrogant Offenburg bastards apologizing first. Your reputation must’ve spread far into the provinces. Otherwise, why would they consider you more important than one of their own?"

"As always, they probably want something from me. Isn’t that the nature of nobles?"

"I suppose so. Then it’s probably Württemberg causing trouble again?"

Württemberg was a duchy north of the Duchy of Beren, a longstanding enemy state within the Holy Roman Empire that laid claim to Beren’s territory. Originally, the Main River region had been ruled by the Duchy of Swabia, but after it dissolved about 200 years ago, the region split into several successor states.

The Duchy of Beren, the Duchy of Roden, the Duchy of Württemberg, the Swiss Confederation, and so on. Among these, Beren and Württemberg clashed over territorial claims. If not for the powerful external threat of Burgundy, they would’ve gone to war long ago.

Keeping Württemberg’s provocations in check was Offenburg’s role.

"Maybe you could bring Offenburg in line on behalf of the War Ministry."

"Do you think that’s realistically possible?"

"It might be, if you grow even bigger than you are now, brother-in-law."

Michael seemed to genuinely wish for that, but still, that was getting ahead of ourselves.