BBYW Vol. 3 Interlude Part 16 (WN)
Interlude – Royal Martial Tournament
Part 16 – The Plot’s Target
In a small shack in the outskirts of the capital, seemingly abandoned for years, a lamp was lit.
“As expected, Valon Sphinx is still in the tournament.”
“Yes, he is scheduled to face the young master in tomorrow’s semifinals.”
The faint lamplight illuminated the grim expressions of a group of men.
They were all swordsmen in service of House Saverne, direct subordinates to the Marquis.
“Truthfully speaking, do you think the young master has a chance against the Sphinx boy?”
One of the men asked such a question, and another shook his head.
“I doubt it. The young master is talented, but will not be able to stand his ground against Sphinx or Maxwell yet. He is definitely bound to lose.”
“Hmm…which will bring further dishonor upon House Saverne. Our master will be furious…”
“We will not be able to escape punishment either. We must be prepared…”
Each one of the swordsmen had mastered the true essence of the Saverne style. Though, even for them, Valon Sphinx would not be an easy opponent.
Even if they all joined forces to stage an ambush on him, several of them would surely lose their lives.
“If only…there was a way to secure our victory…”
“Why not attack the residence at night? We could blame it on thieves…!”
“You fool! They would surely have guards on patrol at all times, and if we take too much time the royal guards will arrive as well!”
“What about poison? If he can’t use his sword, there will be nothing to fear!”
“And how do you suppose we do that? None of us are versed in assassination techniques.”
The men continued their debate, but failed to reach a solution.
It was almost dawn, when one of the younger members of the group recalled something.
“Now that I remember…Valon Sphinx had his fiancee and little sister come to the capital…”
“That’s it!!”
One of the older men slapped his knees and shouted.
“We’ll take them hostage and force him to forfeit the match! Then, we’ll order him to strike down Dyngir Maxwell…”
“I see! We can have the potential finalists take down each other!”
The plan seemed to be a gift from heaven.
If it succeeded, Valon Sphinx and Dyngir Maxwell — set to face the Saverne heir in the semifinals and finals, respectively — could both be eliminated.
“The semifinals are scheduled for tomorrow afternoon…we don’t have much time.”
“Hah! The women both came to cheer on Valon Sphinx, have they not? They will surely come to the arena, then. We will have plenty of chances.”
“Just in case, have someone spy on the Sphinx residence. If they go on a walk or something, we could even carry out the plan before the afternoon.”
The “proud” swordsmen continued to discuss the despicable plan of kidnapping two young women, until the sun was well up in the sky.
The nasty plot, which they justified by saying it was necessary for the sake of House Saverne and the Kingdom of Lamperouge, would develop in a direction that they had no way to predict.