"No… impossible!"
"What's impossible, Mr. Młynar? I acquired this company through entirely legal procedures. Look, the name of the new owner is written very clearly—Arthur Pendragon."
"Has Kazimierz rotted to this extent…"
"Not necessarily. Perhaps it's simply transforming in its own way. Even if that process turns countless people into fuel for capital."
"…What are your orders?"
"You're giving in this quickly?"
"…You purchased the company I work for through legal means. That makes you my superior in name."
"Is that so. Then if I ordered you to kill someone, would you do it?"
"I only carry out the duties stated in my contract, sir."
"Strange. Your previous boss cut into your rest hours and you still agreed. He even sent you to handle things that couldn't see the light of day, and you complied. Or is it that you're still holding on to something deep inside?"
"…"
"Młynar, you're interesting. Truly interesting. All right, you can go. I only came today to meet the employees under me and build some rapport."
"…Understood."
Damn it. What are those people in the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi doing? Letting an Ursus duke swagger around Kazimierz under the identity of Arthur… What are they planning?
No. I have to act.
———
"Senomi, want to walk around the city with me?"
Arthur had been lazily flipping through company documents, even the curve of his ever-present smile had softened. Black Snake had never enjoyed working. He came only to see what kind of man this generation's Nearl had become.
Młynar is completely different from his father and niece…
But Arthur didn't underestimate him.
Where the Snake scale operates is not limited to Ursus.
He knew full well that Młynar once executed dozens of defecting Knights with ease…
Black Snake always mocked Kazimierz, but he had never looked down on its Knights.
If Kazimierz's national defense were truly as weak as he claimed, then why would war-hungry Ursus bother sending emissaries to demand surrender?
They would have simply crushed their way in.
"Huh? Is that really all right? But sir, shouldn't you at least disguise yourself a little?"
On the streets of the Kawalerielki, Senomi—dressed in casual clothing—looked worriedly at Arthur walking beside her.
He had made no attempt to hide himself, not even changing out of the striking knight's armor that immediately drew attention.
Yet his smile remained bright and warm.
At least, that was how it looked in Senomi's eyes.
"Excuse me, sir, may I trouble you for a moment?"
A young man holding a microphone—likely a reporter—had spotted this unfamiliar face.
Oh? Looks like I've found today's interview target.
"Of course."
Arthur agreed without hesitation.
So many years have passed that the Laughing Knight has faded from the public consciousness?
After all, the Knight Major were always a product engineered by the current Chamber of Commerce to satisfy an entertainment-hungry populace. Those obsessed with the tournaments rarely supported only one knight.
Fans in their fervor were unstoppable… but once their excitement cooled, they would forget their former idols completely.
After all, the "knights" packaged by the Chamber of Commerce were nothing more than consumer products.
Products designed to satisfy the fantasies of the masses.
Even so, Arthur felt a faint sense of disappointment.
Unbelievable. Outrageous. Who said an immortal can't have a bit of vanity?
"Thank you for your time, sir knight. And this young lady is…?"
The clearly inexperienced reporter had noticed the pink-haired Zalak woman beside Arthur, her cheeks tinged with a shy blush.
"She's my attendant. Haha, you know how it is. Knights always keep one or two attendants around to handle daily chores, don't they?"
Arthur tossed out a harmless joke.
This body had a good sense of humor and a fondness for smiling.
But it also greatly enjoyed being the center of attention.
"And will you be participating in this year's Knight Tournament?"
"Of course."
"I see…"
The reporter discreetly scribbled a line into his notebook.
"A knight accompanied by a beautiful lady, joining the tournament to prove his affection to his beloved…"
As a sharp-eyed rookie journalist, he could clearly tell that the pair in front of him were absolutely not lovers. He would never have approached so boldly without observing them first. After watching for a while, he concluded that this knight seemed approachable enough to interview.
The way the armored man addressed the woman showed obvious superiority—an attitude of a superior toward a subordinate. And the woman responded with respectful deference. There was no trace of youthful intimacy between them; instead, they maintained a professional distance.
The only thing confusing him was the clear affection he caught in the girl's eyes…
How did he notice?
Even as a rookie reporter for Wine Weekly, he wasn't lacking the basic professional skills.
Ah, so it's one-sided love. Then allow me to help you a little.
Reporters at Wine Weekly loved writing entertainment gossip more than anything.
As for the trouble their writing might bring?
Sorry, but that wasn't their concern.
"Thank you again for accepting this interview… Oh, I almost forgot, what's your name?"
"Arthur Pendragon."
"Uh… that sounds strangely familiar."
"Haha, you're a reporter. You've interviewed many people. Running into one or two with similar names isn't strange."
"No, no… I'm still just a newcomer."
The young reporter scratched his head, though a hint of pride slipped across his expression.
He didn't notice the black snake slithering up his neck, silently watching the notebook tucked under his arm.
"Hey… why does that guy look so familiar?"
"(Kazimierz profanity) That's the Laughing Knight! Didn't he retire?"
"Hey, why are you stopping me? I want his autograph!"
"Are you crazy? Did you forget who he really is? He's an Ursus duke! One of the people responsible for trampling Kazimierz back then!"
"…Then how does he dare walk down the street so openly? What are the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi idiots doing? Wasting our tax money!"
"Who knows. Maybe it has something to do with the National Council wanting to establish relations with Ursus… In the end, there's no such thing as eternal hatred between nations. Only eternal interests."