Chapter 359 359-The Tournament Battle
Given the current situation, excluding Pofalesi with its three votes, only Phrus and Bohemia remained, each with four votes.
However, according to the rules, this was undoubtedly a violation, as the competition had already concluded and there was no provision for changing votes at this stage.
Nevertheless, Phrus escalated the situation by threatening war, putting the King of Bohemia in a difficult position. He was unwilling to confront Phrus directly.
King Wolfgang of Bohemia, heeding the advice of his vassals and feeling somewhat humiliated, concluded that fighting a real war with Phrus over the mere title of Emperor was unnecessary.
Reluctantly, he accepted the proposal to settle the dispute with a knightly duel for the imperial crown.
Upon hearing this, the King of Pofalesi, Leipzig, burst into laughter. His initial plan to support Bohemia fell through.
Speaking to his surrounding officers, he remarked, "It seems it's not the empire that has fallen, but Bohemia itself."
A 28-year-old officer, puzzled, responded, "Your Majesty, Bohemia's reluctance to fight Phrus is not out of fear, but rather because they deem the title of Emperor insufficiently tempting. In my view, it is the empire that has crumbled, not Bohemia. Otherwise, why wouldn't Bohemia covet the imperial crown?"
King Leipzig laughed heartily. "This is a rare opportunity, with the eyes of the entire continent upon us. To pass up a legitimate chance to march against Phrus is to squander a golden opportunity. Where else will such a chance arise in the future?"
"If Wolfgang refuses to fight today, soon everyone will know that Bohemia dares not wage war against Phrus. How could his allies then trust in Bohemia's strength? That's why I say, it seems like the empire has fallen, but in reality, it's Bohemia that has collapsed."
The officers around him displayed expressions of sudden realization.
This seemingly crucial knightly duel, which was of great significance to the entire continent, was actually viewed as a farce by all. Knights from the Fran Kingdom looked down upon such a duel.
Merchants from the Ing Empire couldn't comprehend the rationale behind it.
Lords across the continent watched the duel with a tone of inner sorrow, most of them certain that Bohemia's knight was destined to lose to Phrus's, deeming it nothing more than a mere formality.
After all, even the seemingly definitive imperial election had been manipulated by Bohemia and Phrus into a charade.
Therefore, in a duel with such potential for manipulation, it was inevitable that Bohemia wouldn't dare let their knight win.
However, a female diplomat from Hanover, upon hearing the surrounding comments, asked in confusion, "If they've come to battle, why wouldn't they dare to win? Winning would make their king the Emperor of the Empire, wouldn't it?"
Before Blunrick's Minister of Foreign Affairs could explain, Howard, with a sly smile, said to the Hanoverian diplomat, "Heh, the prerequisite here is that Bohemia actually wants to win."
The diplomat from Hanover queried, "What do you mean?"
Howard smiled and explained, "If Bohemia wins this battle, and then Phrus wants to start over, would Bohemia agree or not? If they don't, Phrus will still threaten with war, leaving Bohemia in fear. If they do agree, wouldn't that be akin to slapping themselves in the face?"
"If I were King Wolfgang of Bohemia, I would only wish to quickly end this absurd series of events and willingly hand over the imperial crown to Frederick."
Understanding Howard's explanation, the Hanoverian female diplomat puffed her cheeks, still somewhat unconvinced, and remarked, "If that's the case, why not just concede and avoid this knightly duel altogether? It seems like an unnecessary complication!"
The Minister of Foreign Affairs from Blunrick chimed in with a chuckle, "Unnecessary complication, you say? Well, your point isn't without merit. Bohemia indeed wishes for a swift conclusion, but Phrus, and especially King Frederick, might want to play their advantage cleverly."
"Frederick, aspiring for a legitimate claim to the throne, would naturally desire to make this knightly duel as grandiose as possible. The more magnificent the duel, the more legitimate his ascension to emperor would appear."
Hearing these words, the Hanoverian diplomat huffed in frustration.
Howard and the Blunrick Minister of Foreign Affairs exchanged knowing smiles as the sounds of fanfare filled the air, signaling the commencement of the knightly duel.
A knight clad in armor bearing a red base and a yellow lion crest rode into the arena.
He was Bohemia's chosen champion, a border count known for his bravery within the kingdom.
Yet, despite the surrounding cheers and shouts of encouragement, his smile was tinged with bitterness.
Soon after, another knight emerged from the shadows.
Dressed in armor with a white base and a black double-headed eagle crest, it was clear he represented Phrus.
As he rode into the arena, the two knights, representing Bohemia and Phrus, faced each other, ready for the duel.
Phrus's knight, named Riyatt, was a baron with little renown, and not many held him in high regard.
However, those in the VIP seats mostly understood that Riyatt was likely to be the victor.
Shouts and cheers erupted from the audience, heightening the atmosphere.
The two knights began by distancing themselves from each other before charging forward, lances in hand, embodying the valiant spirit of knighthood.
In a feigned attack, the knight from Bohemia thrust his lance, only for Riyatt to deftly avoid it.
As the Bohemian knight missed his optimal attack range, Riyatt began circling to the right, closing in half-circle distance before striking at the Bohemian knight.
It seemed that the knight from Bohemia, who could have evaded to the left, oddly chose to move right, directly into the path of Riyatt's lance.
The Bohemian knight was unhorsed by Riyatt's lance.
Baron Riyatt, representing Phrus, emerged victorious in the knightly duel.
The crowd, mostly confused and dismayed, couldn't fathom how the renowned Bohemian border count, known for his combat prowess, lost to a relatively unknown knight like Riyatt.
At this point, King Wolfgang of Bohemia and King Frederick II of Phrus jointly ascended to the high platform to declare the result of the contest.
Phrus was victorious, and Frederick was proclaimed Emperor of the Empire!
Howard chuckled softly, his laughter hinting at mockery.
Many envoys in the VIP section shared similar sentiments, murmuring that Phrus and Bohemia had put on a convincing performance.
Coincidentally, seated two places to the left in front of Howard was Queen Elizabeth of the Ing Empire.
Upon hearing Howard's voice, Queen Elizabeth nonchalantly turned to him and inquired, "What's the matter? Does our King of Oungria Kindom have something to say?"
Howard forced a smile and replied, "Well, with the expansion of my territory, I've changed the name of my kingdom. Please, call me King of Oli now."
Elizabeth found this intriguing. "Why so? Wasn't 'King of Oungria Kindom' quite fitting? Why the change to 'King of Oli'? The former title wasn't shameful."
Howard, maintaining a friendly demeanor, glanced around to ensure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation.
Speaking softly, he said, "It's nothing serious, mainly to avoid stirring Frederick's jealousy. Oungria Kindom shares borders with Phrus, and there are rumors of Phrus harboring intentions to attack Oungria Kindom. By moving my capital to the Oli region and adopting a new title, I'm subtly informing Frederick of my control over imperial lands, signaling my strength. It's a precaution, to caution him against provoking me. Moreover, it portrays me as someone more interested in the central territories of the continent, thereby reducing the pressure on me."
Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh heartily. "You're quite the character, haha! It's been a long time since I've encountered someone as interesting as you. And to think, you're also a king!"
Howard smiled awkwardly, unsure whether Elizabeth was complimenting him or laughing at him.
After her laughter subsided, Queen Elizabeth's expression turned serious as she advised Howard, "In that case, Howard, I earnestly suggest that you avoid contending with Phrus in the future. The continent may be vast, but the world is much larger. Do you understand what I mean? Save your efforts for later; the New World is where our hope lies."
Howard internally scoffed at her advice.
It's easy for you to say, he thought.
If you had Osland Kingdom as your neighbor, would you dare to try the same approach? You don't want to fight, but with Osland Kingdom right beside you, can you afford not to focus on military strength?
As for Phrus, it's almost the same situation. In fact, I'm even considering having Phrus assist me against Osland Kingdom.
However, Howard didn't voice these thoughts. After pondering for a moment, he replied to Elizabeth, "Hmm, thank you."
Elizabeth, in a relaxed manner, shared that the Ing Empire would focus on exploring the New World and leave the matters of the empire to others.
Howard responded dryly, "You have it easy, don't you?"
After that, Howard fell silent.
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