“W-What a disrespectful man! Saying he doesn’t care about the country!”

“How can we entrust this nation to a man with not a shred of patriotism?!”

“That’s fine by me. However, in that case, I will simply take Lady Sara from here and leave. And if you try to stop me, I won’t show any mercy!”

“Masayoshi-sama…”

“……”

To be honest, if I only considered Sara’s safety, that option was valid. However, in that case, both Sara and I would undoubtedly become fugitives, and it would mean abandoning Sara’s family.

Frankly speaking, I couldn’t care less about the lives of the first and second princes who once targeted Sara’s life, but I didn’t want to abandon the king, Sara’s biological father. When I talked with Sara at the mansion, it didn’t seem like she had a bad relationship with him.

“W-Wait!”

“J-Jaren-sama!?”

Huh? Someone just stepped out of the carriage. Who’s Jaren?

“I-I acknowledge this man as our nation’s representative!”

“What?! Jaren-sama, what are you saying?! How could we trust a suspicious man hiding his face behind a black mask, someone whose origins are completely unknown?!”

…Alright, squad captain. I’ll remember your face. Meet me behind the school building later.

Now I see, I knew I’d seen that face somewhere before—he’s the first prince of this country. He was the one carrying that terrifying magic tool.

“I-I support this as well! This man might be able to defeat Bartom’s Great Mage’s successor!”

Another person stepped out of the carriage. This time, it was the second prince. Now that I think about it, I once wore this mask and warned him to stay away from Sara.

Back then, I snuck into this kingdom’s royal castle and took down their elite guards. These two know how strong I am and should realize that I came here to rescue Sara. Given their bleak odds of winning right now, they must have decided that making me the representative was the better choice. …Or maybe, in an ideal scenario for them, I’d just take down the enemy while getting taken down myself.

“E-Even Edward-sama…?”

Now that the country’s first and second princes had both given their approval, the squad captain was in no position to argue.

“Sara, is this the man who saved you before?”

“F-Father!?”

Yet another man emerged from the carriage, sporting a magnificent beard. Judging by his luxurious clothing, elaborate accessories, and the crown on his head, this must be the king.

“...Yes. He is the one I told you about before, Father. Masayoshi-sama has saved my life multiple times.”

“I see… Masayoshi-dono, I am grateful to you for saving my daughter. Under normal circumstances, I would take my time to properly express my gratitude, but unfortunately, we lack the time. Pazia, how do you assess this man’s abilities?”

“Sir! Earlier, despite relying solely on his physical abilities and mid-tier magic, he completely overwhelmed our knight order. I cannot confirm whether he can wield advanced magic, but if he were to fight seriously, I—whose power has waned with age—would stand no chance against him.”

Oh, looks like I might be able to avoid fighting Pazia. Unlike that squad captain, he seems reasonable. As expected, the stronger someone is, the better they can assess their opponent’s capabilities.

“Hmm… To think even Pazia would say as much. Masayoshi-dono, earlier you said that for Sara’s sake, you would fight as this kingdom’s representative against Bartom’s champion. Do you truly mean that?”

“Yes, I swear to do everything I can for her.”

“Masayoshi-sama…”

“...I see. My apologies to Pazia, but to be honest, given our record against the enemy nation, I had little hope for this battle. Please, lend us your strength.”

“Of course, I will give it my all.”

“I ask you as well—please protect our nation.”

“We are grateful that you would hear out such an absurd request—having a complete outsider step in as our representative.”

Thanks to Pazia backing down, I could now fight the enemy’s champion in peak condition. And despite me suddenly taking the representative position, they were bowing their heads to me. Honestly, I was the one who should be grateful.

“Now, what is it that you desire? You have already saved Sara once before, and I would like to offer you whatever reward I can.”

“I have one request. If I emerge victorious, I ask that you treat the people of the enemy nation humanely.”

“That is no issue. The duel with Bartom has established rules preventing the mistreatment of the losing nation’s citizens.”

Oh, so that’s how it works. While I’m fighting for Sara’s sake, it would have been a problem if the losing side’s citizens were turned into slaves or forced to pay double taxes.

It was said that the royal family of the losing nation was usually executed, but I would leave the enemy’s royal family’s fate to this kingdom’s rulers. After all, they were the ones who started this war. I had no intention of protecting them in the slightest.

“And if gold, titles, or medals are to be given as a reward, I would like them to be awarded to Pazia-dono instead. Thanks to him, I can face the enemy’s champion in perfect condition. For now, I desire nothing else—just think of it as a favor you owe me.”