Edwin Dar was a Royal Knight, born as the second son of a rural baron. His father had been fortunate enough to receive a noble title for aiding the previous royal family, and it was through that connection that Edwin earned a recommendation to join the Royal Knights. Admission into the order required either noble prestige or a reliable referral, and Edwin had the latter.
Among the knights, he ranked in the middle of the pack, not weak, but far from strong enough to compare to the top ten. He had trained diligently, striving to make a name for himself and elevate his family's status. But with no royal family left, the Royal Knights had been reduced to little more than glorified law enforcement. The honor once attached to their name had faded, leaving many of the noble-born knights disillusioned.
Edwin saw it. Many of his comrades had no outlet for their frustration, and now it was reaching a boiling point. More and more knights sought to serve one of the royal selection candidates, desperate to reclaim the pride and prestige they had once envisioned for themselves.
When Edwin first stood in the hall, watching the candidates make their entrance, he could only feel contempt. The four women spoke briefly, some spouting how busy they were, acting as if this gathering meant little to them. As someone who also saw certain traditions as little more than empty formalities, Edwin could understand their perspective, to a point. But to openly disrespect everyone who had taken the time to attend, and to dismiss the importance of the kingdom's needs... it made his blood boil.
He particularly found Anastasia Hoshin contemptible. Her control over trade and monopolization of essential goods had kept the Dar barony's exports priced far too low, stifling any chance his family had to build wealth. Her polite words and cheerful smile hid ruthlessness, economics that kept his people from rising.
While Edwin could overlook his personal grievances, he found Priscilla Barielle's narcissism and arrogance utterly infuriating. What reason did she have to act with such unwarranted pride? What had she done to earn it?
As for the half-elf, while he held no prejudice against her personally, her appearance alone guaranteed she would never receive public support. She looked exactly like the Witch described in history.
The Duchess, Crusch Karsten, might have seemed respectable, but Edwin had one complaint: her introduction made her seem far too ditzy. The ludicrous notion that knights, mages, and wisemen had gathered from across the kingdom, hundreds of miles traveled, just for a party was so detached from reality that he instantly judged her as foolish.
And then came the arrival of the fifth candidate, a young man wearing a blindfold.
His entrance was theatrical. Gravity magic, clearly, but Edwin was a knight well-versed in basic magical theory. That spell, executed without chant, without physical contact, was not a basic spell. Despite being flashy, it betrayed a level of power and control most didn't have.
His first words were just as arrogant as Priscilla's, but something felt... off. It was like he was acting, performing a role. Nothing about him gave off the impression of someone being their genuine, true self. That changed, however, when he turned on Priscilla, delivering a subtle yet unmistakable insult.
Watching it unfold gave Edwin an unexpected sense of satisfaction.
As a basic Royal Knight, he had no authority or power over anyone here. To see someone like her, someone who had so casually disrespected everyone in the room, get humbled, even slightly, was fulfilling.
But that was only the beginning.
Because then... Crimson turned on the wisemen.
The wisemen, who had become the de facto rulers in the absence of the royal family.
No one except the candidates, the commander, and the deputy commander of the Royal Knights had any authority to act against the wisemen. Yet over time, the wisemen had begun focusing entirely on their benefit, becoming far too arrogant. The fact that they could insult a potential royal candidate right in front of their attendant and personal knights showed just how much they had let their minor authority go to their heads.
But the blindfolded boy, Crimson, showed no signs of being intimidated.
He snapped back, and in doing so, made their arguments look entirely foolish. It was probably out of petty pride, but a few members of the council even seemed particularly hostile toward Reinhard, and by extension, the candidate she supported. That alone was ridiculous.
Edwin didn't know how to feel about the sword saint, only that he should avoid her if he wanted to live a normal life.
And then Crimson dropped the bomb.
He revealed personal information about some of the wisemen, specific crimes they had committed. As a Royal Knight who had long since seen the dark underbelly of the kingdom, Edwin wasn't entirely surprised. He felt a smug satisfaction watching their misdeeds being exposed in front of everyone.
But one thing confused him.
Why reveal it all now?
If Crimson had that kind of information, he could have used it for blackmail. Edwin would've squeezed out every advantage, every favor, every coin he could. But this boy revealed everything in front of the public, boldly. It meant he either didn't care about leveraging it or he had something bigger in mind. It made Edwin suspect that Crimson had a very powerful and versatile ally, most likely an intelligence guild. Everything he said appeared to be dead accurate, the defensive, panicked reactions of the wisemen confirmed it.
But just when Edwin thought the situation couldn't get more insane...
Three of the wisemen began preparing attack magic.
The moment he saw the glow of the spells forming, he was speechless.
He knew they were prideful, but to attack a candidate for the throne, in public, surrounded by knights and mages? It was utterly foolish. There was no possible way they could have succeeded. Surely they weren't retarded?
If they had just kept their mouths shut and found a way to legally rectify their crimes, they might have gotten away with a minor fine. Nobles usually did. But now, by attacking a candidate, they had committed treason, a crime punishable by death.
Their actions made no sense.
Especially in that setting, with so many powerful people watching. There had to be something else going on behind the scenes.
***
"What do you mean?" Emilia's eyes widened.
Ignoring her, Crimson turned away and stepped onto the pedestal.
"Forget about those unconscious dimwits. Let's continue."
He paused, trying to steady his legs, which were clearly wobbling for some reason. The hall fell into silence once more.
Seeing this, Roswaal frowned.
"As you all know, in politics, it's not about choosing the best possible option…" Crimson began, voice calm but firm. "It's about avoiding the worst. I'm not here to make friends. In fact, I'm here to make enemies… Hate, me"
Hearing this, Crusch frowned, Priscilla smirked, and Anastasia's expression remained unreadable.
Emilia, on the other hand, had been nursing a growing headache ever since she saw him conjure that strange pink coin, which he now flipped through his fingers absentmindedly.
In the knights' area, Al felt a foreboding sense crawl up his spine. Still, he turned toward Subaru with a forced, cheerful tone.
"Heh… I'm just glad Princess isn't the only weirdo here."
Crimson took another step forward, his blindfold catching the light as he tilted his head.
"So," he said, "let's begin with the candidates. One by one."
He turned his gaze toward her.
"Priscilla Barielle... or should I say, the exiled princess of the Volachian Empire."
At this, multiple gasps rippled through the crowd.
Al stiffened, his helmeted head snapping toward Crimson, eyes burning with hatred. How could he reveal her true identity, after all the effort she went through to get smuggled into the kingdom?
Crimson met his glare, completely unfazed.
"Oh please," he said with an exaggerated roll of his shoulders. "It doesn't matter anymore. Now that she's been chosen by the insignia, the rules state she's in the running. Nothing changes that. Besides, she's thought to be dead by Volachia. Her dick of a brother faked her death."
Priscilla's smug expression cracked. Her red irises trembled visibly, hand twitching as she reached into her robes and pulled out her fan.
With a dramatic swish, a burst of ash erupted from the fan, revealing a long sword, gleaming red and black, radiating intense heat.
"How... how do you know about this divine self?"
There was a stutter. Just a hint, but it was enough to reveal the chaos behind her poised exterior.
Subaru could only look back and forth between Al and Priscilla.
"Vollachia?" he asked, confused.
Al answered sharply.
"It's a southern country."
"Is that why you call her princess?"
Al didn't respond.
Crimson, completely unbothered by the sword still pointed at him, continued as if nothing had changed.
"You are, by far, more intelligent than you appear," he said, his voice calm but sharp. "Your performance as the haughty, arrogant princess is just that, a performance."
Priscilla's fan trembled slightly in her grip.
"However," Crimson went on, "while you are far more intelligent than the other competitors, you are also a slave to your whims. You put yourself in needless danger simply because you're bored. You believe the worlds will bends to yours..."
He tilted his head slightly, voice dropping low and cold.
"Then why does this world keep killing you?"
A pause.
"Why was I... allowed to kill you?"
Al's killing intent flared, as he came to a sickening possibility on how the boy could have obtained that information.
Al had figured out through hints that Crimson was also an otherworlder. It was possible that he, just like him, had a time-related authority. If this boy's ramblings were true, this boy was too dangerous to be left alive.
"What is a mad, blathering fool like you excreting from your mouth, you drabble?" Priscilla snapped, her voice sharp, but not as steady as usual.
She looked more unnerved than she had in her entire life.
She couldn't explain it. She didn't understand it. But in that moment, an image flashed in her mind, one far too similar to the jester who had given her the red-skinned appa.
But this one… this one had a glassy white eye and pale, bone-colored hair.
The crowd, witnessing the strange sight, watched in stunned intrigue.
"You value people who keep their pride and honesty, don't you? Isn't that why you can't strike me?"
Crimson stepped closer to the blade, closer until it pierced into his neck.
A sickening sizzle rang out as his skin burned against the heat of the sword.
Reinhard's eyes widened. She moved, ready to rush forward, but before she could, Priscilla hastily pulled the sword back, her expression shaken as if staring at a madman.
Crimson didn't even flinch. "Hmm. Seems you've conceded."
He turned away, completely ignoring the seared flesh on his neck.
"Next up… Anastasia Hoshin."
"Is he actually Insane?" Subaru whispered.
Beatrice, silent for once, could only stare in disbelief.
What was going on inside that boy's head?
Walking toward the purple-haired merchant, Crimson kept his gaze steady. Her long, wavy hair reached her waist, and her turquoise eyes, usually filled with charm, were now clouded with unease.
He tilted his head slightly.
"Originally an orphaned commoner… You've done well, rising from poverty to become a thriving merchant."
His eyes narrowed.
"If Priscilla acts foolish on purpose, you… You're not acting. But that doesn't mean you're not idiotic."
He leaned forward slightly, tone steady but sharp.
"Your cleverness is your greatest weapon. You won't make a move unless there's profit in it. You fear loss more than anything. That alone is a true testament to your greed."
He paused, then added,
"But to treat people like pawns and expect no sacrifice in return... That's your fatal flaw."
Leaning in, he whispered, voice low and venomous,
"Still haven't told your personal knight, Julius, about that artificial spirit, Eridna, have you? Keeping your most important cards close to your chest. Haven't you learned anything from Halibel?"
Anastasia's eyes widened, her voice trembling despite the glare she threw at him.
"Who… are you?"
Seeing his lady's distress, the purple haired knight, Julius, bristled. "What did you say to my lady?"
Crimson sneered, although his face looked way paler than when he came in.
"Ask her yourself."
Her thoughts raced. How does he know that name? How does he know about Eridna?
What she had first assumed to be an elite intelligence network now seemed far more terrifying.
Could he have access to the Witch of Greed's Authority… to Echidna herself?
Roswaal, watching from the side, wore a rare, contemplative frown.
He, too, had begun to suspect the same.
Breaking the silence, Marco finally spoke up.
"While this is a royal selection, I don't think going out of your way to make enemies of everyone here is the wisest course."
He turned to Reinhard, desperation flickering in his eyes. As Crimson's knight, Reinhard remained outwardly calm, yet very few in the room truly grasped the dangerous implications of what was happening.
"Why would I give that information for free? As a merchant, shouldn't you know how to offer me a price?"
(AN: Okay, I'm going to crash out. Someone in the comments has been saying that Reinhard isn't as strong as I'm portraying them, and is building level max, continental level.
I'm going to stop you there, no, you are wrong, your opinion is invalid. Comment deleted. Reinhard is the most OP character. In a Q and A, the author said that in a battle between Reinhard VS the sun, Reinhard would win. That's lowball stellar, with speed feats being comparable to Cecilus, who can, and I quote, be untouched in the middle of a sandstorm if each grain of sand was moving at the speed of light. Reid, who was stated to be weaker than Reinhard, cut a blackhole larger than the eye can see with a pair of chopsticks. I don't know why power scalers are like this. The only reason Reinhard didn't kill Elsa in the beginning was the plot with her regen and not wanting to nuke Subaru, Emilia, and felt since they were in the vicinity.
This is taking a while to get through, but I'm working my way to the light at the end of the tunnel, just a bit more trash talk.
I've set an official release schedule: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Although when I get bored, I add extra.
Bonus chapters will drop on Saturdays if my demands are met. 🔫
Trade deal:
You give me 100 power stones, and I give you a bonus chapter.
Sounds fair, right?)