At the southern corner of Earta Square stood members of the households of three lords: Lord Ernest, Lord Dubois, and Lord Bath.
They were Lord Ernest's second son,
Lord Dubois's nephew,
and Lord Bath's nephew.
All three had inheritance rights, but would never actually become heirs.
At least four or five people stood ahead of each of them in the line of succession.
So, after learning what the champion of the Swordsmanship Tournament would receive, they had come to try their luck.
Moreover, because the Count of South Los favored Arthur, these three young nobles from the Count's faction could not exercise their noble privileges.
They could only rely on their own abilities.
If they won?
The title of knight would naturally be theirs.
If they lost?
That simply meant they were not good enough.
In short, the Count of South Los's intervention had created a rare measure of fairness between Arthur and the three young nobles.
Malinda's gaze swept past the three of them.
What truly gave her pause were the competitors in the northern corner, representing Lord Lissop and Lord Byrne.
Far less robust than his father, Young Lissop stood there impeccably dressed, smiling as he greeted the merchants crowding around to cultivate connections.
Clearly, quite a few people shared the thoughts of the owner of the Jorjok Swordsmanship Club.
Four people stood around Young Lissop, distinctly separated into two groups.
A young man with a cold, expressionless face stood behind Young Lissop, his hand resting on his sword hilt-he was the Lissop Family's Attendant.
He was also a competitor in this Swordsmanship Tournament.
The remaining three competitors stood to the left, right, and front. Their dark skin had clearly been weathered by wind, rain, and sun, giving their faces a more toil-worn look.
Although they wore four-piece