“Well, nice to have you here, Joshua.”
“…Yes, Father.”
That evening, Prince Kornell’s party, including Tenma, entered the separate building where Leon was holed up.
This man, addressed as “Father,” was none other than Leon Neptune, also known as the bad boy Leon.
He resembled Joshua but was slightly shorter. Contrary to Tenma’s expectations, his face gave the impression of a gentle and composed gentleman.
Above all, his voice was remarkably calm and gentle.
His demeanor was far from what one would expect from someone known as a bad boy.
“Has Prince Kornell brought Oswald-kun as well? How about some tea?”
“I’m fine. I’ve come here as witness.”
“I’ll pass.”
Oswald and Kornell promptly refused Leon’s invitation.
Then, Leon’s interest shifted to the remaining person.
“Oh… and who might you be?”
“My name Tenma, who became a noble this year. My family name has not yet been decided, so please forgive me for just introducing myself by name.”
Tenma said so and bowed.
“Oh… you’re the one who summoned that Mirael… you’re Tenma-kun, huh? I see, I see! Ah, I’ve been wanting to meet you!”
Saying that, Leon approached closely and shook Tenma’s hand vigorously while chuckling dryly.
Tenma was a bit perplexed. This person was supposed to be the bad boy Leon?
He couldn’t help but think he looked like just an ordinary uncle.
“Oh, there’s something I really want to ask of you.”
However, the image Tenma held would be shattered by the next words.
“Want to swap wives?”
“Huh?!”
With this statement, the atmosphere around them froze.
“No, you see, I’m saying let’s swap wives. Tenma-kun, you have six wives, right? You’ve got plenty to choose from, don’t you? I also have some women in stock, so how about we exchange and have some fun? Like that former attendant of the princess or the cute from Takehaya’s place…”
“Father!!”
Joshua intervened, sensing the need to do so.
A quick look at Tenma’s face, Joshua saw that Tenma’s gone past his anger and has become expressionless, like a Noh mask.
Yes, that’s the kind of person Leon is.
He is humble and friendly, but his own desires come first, and he has a history of making them come true.
He also believes that other people have all the desires that he has, and he has no doubts that they will accept them.
What’s even worse is that he has almost no malice in his basic actions.
On top of that, he is moody and doesn’t mind using his power, and strong in Cardrapt.
“I apologize, but I love my wives, so I cannot accept that request.”
Tenma answered as if squeezing the words out, inwardly seething but managing to keep it off his face.
(Well endured)
Kornell silently applauded his brother-in-law in his mind and smoothly shifted the conversation.
“Let’s proceed as planned. As we agreed yesterday, according to the document you provided stating, ‘If you want the succession, challenge and take it fairly in Cardrapt,’ you have no objections to determining the succession through a Cardrapt duel, correct?”
“Yes, yes. No problem. Joshua, did you bring my deck?”
“…Yes.”
Joshua replied and handed over the deck.
“Ah, it looks fine. Thank you, Joshua.”
“I haven’t altered the contents of the lord’s deck.”
“I see, I see.”
Leon looked at Joshua with a smile.
Even though he is corrupt, Leon was still a lord, and the authority of a lord extended to his domain, sometimes even surpassing that of a king.
The reason why the royal family couldn’t directly intervene in succession disputes was precisely because of this.
“The duel will take place in the hall of this separate building. Prepare your summoning devices.”
“Yes, yes.”
Following the arrangement, Tenma stepped forward and set his summoning device. Leon looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“Due to the condition of Joshua, the legitimate son of House Neptune, being unfit to fight due to injury, I, as his proxy, will be the opponent.”
“…Joshua, what’s the meaning of this?”
Leon’s voice rose a little, just a little.
“As Tenma-sama stated, He will be fighting as my proxy… and it’s thanks to the steward waiting over there that it came to this.”
“The document you provided stated that the duel would be settled in Cardrapt, but it didn’t specify who would participate. Naturally, this right also extends to Lord Leon, so if you wish, Lord Leon, you can appoint a proxy as well.”
“Well, darn, I made a mistake.”
Leon slapped his forehead lightly.
“Well, it can’t be helped. Nice to meet you, Tenma-kun.”
With a composed voice, Leon extended his hand for a handshake.
Tenma, maintaining his expressionless demeanor, responded quietly, “Nice to meet you,” and shook hands.
“Could you wait a moment? If Joshua isn’t participating, I need to adjust my deck.”
With those words, Leon began to swap out cards from his deck.
After about five minutes, it seemed he had finished swapping, and they both took their positions as the duel began.
“It’s my turn. I summon the 1-cost <Water God Servant Kurora>.”
Servant of the Water Deity Kurora 1/1000/3000
[Shieldbearer] This unit cannot attack.
In a battle for succession rights, the current lord gains the initiative and +5000 maximum life points. This is a measure to mitigate the risk of challenging the reigning lord, where victory is imperative.
“I summon <Magician Farna>.”
Magician Farna 1/1000/2000
When the opponent summons a unit, deal 1000 damage once.
“Hmm, it seems this isn’t the deck you usually use.”
Naturally, Leon is also aware of the deck Tenma used.
This is not limited to Leon, but all the nobles are aware of the deck Tenma used at this point. The source of information may be their sons and daughters, nobles who watch the fight against the Magnetranza family, or even other teachers.
“I’ll summon the 2-cost <Water God Priest Ginguru>… Looks like Ginguru will take 1000 damage from your effect.”
Water God Priest Ginguru
2/2000/2000
When this unit enters the field and there is a card with “Water God” in its name on the field, deploy [Barrier] to the player.
A staple unit in <Water God> deck.
It has a decent status, but its [Barrier] is exceptionally strong.
This barrier can only be placed once and disappears after taking an attack, whether it’s 1000 or 10,000 damage. It nullifies damage regardless of the amount. It’s useful at any stage of the game, and the key to dealing with <Water God> decks is keeping track of how many of these barriers remain.
“I’ll use <Magician’s Laboratory>… Since I drew a unit, I’ll deal 2000 damage to one of your units.”
Magician’s Laboratory 2
Draw a card.
If the drawn card is a unit, deal 2000 damage to a random opponent’s unit.
A card for accelerating draws. While the cost of 2 mana for 1 draw may seem a bit inefficient, it’s often included for its powerful additional effect.
“Hmm…”
Leon, hit by the damage from <Magician’s Laboratory>, targeting < Water God Servant, Kurora>, felt a bit impatient.
It was within Leon’s expectations that Joshua would bring a proxy.
Leon had considerable confidence in his own strength, but he also acknowledged Joshua’s prowess. Thus, if he could wear Joshua down and disrupt his concentration, his chances of winning would increase. He assumed that if someone came as a proxy, it would most likely be Oswald.
While he considered the possibility of other Great Seven coming, he reasoned that the Southern nobles had little interaction with them and would likely not be called upon.
So, when Tenma showed up, it was surprising but not entirely unexpected. He had made some preparations, albeit thin, including anti-cards for the previously used <Explosion> and <Immortal King>.
However, the introduction of <Magician> was truly unexpected. Furthermore, the fact that Tenma was by far the strongest in the country at the moment was completely unforeseen.
The relatively slow transmission of information in this world, combined with the tendency for information to get lost, meant that assessing someone’s strength wasn’t always straightforward. Without videos, it was nearly impossible to fully grasp a person’s abilities. Moreover, the concept of someone having over 40 decks (though it had decreased to around 30 by now) was beyond the comprehension of people in this world.
“I’ll use <Big Wave, Little Wave>, and I’ll attack the player with <Water God Priest Ginguru>.”
Big Wave, Little Wave 3
Summon <Little Wave>.
If you have a <Water God> card in your hand, summon an additional <Big Wave>.
Little Wave 1 1000/1000
[Shieldbearer]
Big Wave 3 3000/2000
A magic card that generates units. Since summoning only <Little Wave> is almost meaningless, it’s essentially a card exclusively for <Water God>. It has a favorable mana cost if used in <Water God> deck.
“I’ll pay 3 mana and summon <Disaster Magician Diadra>, activating its effect to increase my maximum mana by 1.”
Disaster Magician Diadra 3/2000/4000
When this card is summoned, activate the following three effects in order:
- Draw 2 cards and show them to your opponent.
- Send one of the chosen cards to the cemetery.
- If all units in your deck are [Magician], increase your maximum mana by 1.
When this card is sent to graveyard, return the card sent to graveyard by the effect of 2 to your hand.
If that card is not in the graveyard, you can return a <Magician> unit card other than <Disaster Magician Diadra> from the graveyard to your hand.
“!”
Leon’s eyes widened for a moment, but tenma showed him the cards he drew, <Magician Statue> and <Black Magician Gofel>, and confirmed them with his summoning device.
Mage Statue 3
Summon 2/0/4000 statue tokens.
Black Magician Gofel
3/2000/2000
When this unit enters the field, if there is a <Magician> card in the graveyard, toughness increases by 2000.
“What in the world…”
Oswald muttered in disbelief.
Of course, <Disaster Magician Diadra> was outrageously overpowered even by Season 11 standards.
Both Oswald and Joshua were aware of Tenma’s strength. Particularly Oswald, having gleaned accurate information from his father’s encounters. That’s why he didn’t oppose his selection as a proxy.
“That’s his real deal, I guess. But then again, it’s self-proclaimed, so who knows for sure.”
Kornell also acknowledged that Tenma was still holding back. However, he didn’t see any fault in it. If he could win without showing his full strength, that was preferable. Besides, it was a bit odd to reveal everything when they had only known each other for a year.
“That card, <Disaster Magician Diadra>, did he discover that too?”
“Who knows? After all, my brother-in-law’s deck produces new surprises every time we fight.”
Kornel quickly answers Joshua’s question.
However, the content of that reply is beyond the imagination of humans in this world, and Oswald and Joshua hold their breath.
It’s already surprising enough that someone would have two strong decks of different types, making them seem like the protagonist of a story or something. But now, a mysterious third deck has emerged.
“As I mentioned to Oswald yesterday, my brother-in-law is completely loyal to the royal family. If he shares the same aspirations as us, there’s no reason to cut off contact.”
Essentially, Kornel’s words mean that they won’t engage with anyone who isn’t loyal to the royal family.
Considering the rise of the five families after Tenma’s marriage, the benefits of contacting him are immeasurable. Even Oswald, who has only known Tenma for a day, can see that he’s a respectable individual, and anyone would understand the merits of becoming friends with him.
Although it’s currently impossible, if Oswald were to have a daughter, marrying her off to Tenma, even as a mistress, might bring even greater benefits in ten years or so.
Whether they choose to engage or not, the difference in freedom between having the door open and closed is like heaven and earth.
Furthermore, the fact that Joshua, his close friend, has already decided to align with the royal family poses a headache for Oswald in terms of how their relationship will proceed in the future.
“In addition of <Magnetic Overlord Magnetranza> right?”
Oswald had also heard about the spell of Magnetic Overlord Magnetranza. Adding this to the mix along with some additional advantages of connecting with Tenma didn’t sound bad. However, there were location-related issues with the Magnetranza domain. Their territory was small, and they had limited arable land. Most of their revenue came from business, and it wouldn’t be wise to upset both Surt and Neptune by aligning with Tenma. There was also the reality that they operated as neutral due to these circumstances, which was why Peter couldn’t make up his mind.
“Well, even if you come to a conclusion, it ultimately depends on Peter. For now, it’s best to confirm the strength of my brother-in-law. It seems like there’s more to come.”
With that, Kornel urged the two to focus on the match.
kerukeruTL 