That protagonist is trash; I could do better!

“However, the discrimination against demi-humans in this world will only deepen. Emilia, a half-elf, is an exception, and she herself will not acknowledge that demi-humans with lizard heads are her kind.” Shinji Matou felt quite troubled. No matter how he thought about it, under normal circumstances, Emilia could not possibly be elected as queen.

Halfway through the journey, Shinji Matou heard the sound of another dragon carriage approaching, and before he knew it, another dragon carriage had appeared behind him.

This road should only lead to Roswaal's mansion.

Rem turned her head slightly and noticed the puzzled look on Shinji Matou's face. She explained softly, "Shinji-sama, that should be an envoy visiting Lord Roswaal. Their purpose is probably related to the royal selection. Judging from the emblem on the dragon carriage, they are envoys from the Karlsten family."

Carlsten.

Shinji Matou nodded slightly. He had been cramming on information about the Kingdom of Lugnica a few days ago, and his consciousness was now focused on information related to that name.

The Karlsten family is a highly prestigious noble family in the kingdom, and the current head of the Karlsten family is one of the candidates for king.

The dragon carriages arrived at the gates of Roswaal Manor one after the other. Rem dismounted, used magic to open the black gate, and drove in, stopping by the fountain in front of the manor.

"Lord Shinji, I'll go and greet them first."

Rem dismounted from the dragon carriage and went to greet the messenger.

Shinji Matou also got off the dragon carriage and stood aside to watch. He saw a tall old butler driving the dragon carriage. He got off first to return the greeting to Rem, and then opened the carriage door. A demi-human got out of the carriage.

Inheriting the flamboyant clothing style of this world, the demi-human's attire is still quite eye-catching. Matou Shinji can tell from his body frame and movements that he should be male, but his clothing style is like that of a girl playing with shameful cosplay.

The demi-human has a pair of cat ears, and its appearance should be quite cute according to the aesthetics of otaku. If someone shouts "Go for it if you know it's a man", there will probably be quite a few people responding.

Chapter 127 Swordsmanship Contest

The cat-eared boy walked up to Shinji Matou in a few steps, flapped his cat ears, circled Shinji Matou in confusion, and then asked strangely, "Hmph, meow~ I thought it was Emilia."

So cute, must be a boy, and his voice is so feminine...

Shinji Matou was speechless. He was used to this kind of popular setting, but when he actually encountered it, he would subconsciously reject it. Too much intimacy would always create a sense of crisis.

“Lord Felix, this is Lord Roswaal’s guest, Lord Shinji Matou.” Rem introduced the two from the side: “Lord Shinji, this is Lord Crusch Karsten’s knight, Felix Argyle, an envoy representing the Karsten family.”

"Hello," Felix greeted with a friendly smile.

Shinji Matou nodded in greeting, his gaze sweeping over the old butler who had followed him. His eyes flickered slightly, and he could tell from the old man's gait, movements, and demeanor that he must be a master swordsman.

The old butler bowed to Shinji Matou: "I am Wilhelm van Astrea, the butler of Lord Crusch Karsten."

Van Astreya...

Shinji Matou had heard of this surname before, and it left a deep impression on him. He asked in surprise, "Van Astrea, this surname... what is your relationship with the Sword Saint Reinhard?"

The old butler paused for a moment, then answered somewhat awkwardly, "Reinhard is my grandson."

"It's quite a strange coincidence that the Sword Saint's grandfather is working as someone else's butler. I'll consider myself Reinhard's friend for now."

The old butler Wilhelm remained humble: "Please don't mind. My current identity is the Karlsten family's butler. You can treat me with that attitude."

The cat-eared boy Felix approached Shinji Matou, sniffed him, and interjected, "Meow? You're Reinhardt's friend? What a coincidence. I'm also that guy's friend. Given his personality, he shouldn't be hiding having such a unique friend like you."

"We met in the capital not long ago."

"Haha, Reinhardt's friend is also my friend. Please take care of me." Felix's face lit up with a warm smile.

"Rem, take him to see Roswaal."

"Yes, Lord Felix, this way please."

"How indifferent," the cat-eared boy muttered, following Rem away.

Shinji Matou stood there, watching the two figures disappear into the distance, and said in a strange tone, "Are all the knights of the Karlsten family like this?"

No, should we say that this is how the world is?

The old butler understood the meaning behind Matou Shinji's words and, in order to protect the family's reputation, quickly stepped forward to reply: "Please don't misunderstand, that kind of attire is just Lord Felix's personal interest."

“Don’t mind me, I’m not in a position to say that anyway, since Roswaal always dresses similarly.” Shinji Matou chuckled, then paused before abruptly changing the subject: “Butler Wilhelm, since you come from a family of sword saints and are Reinhard’s grandfather, your strength must be quite formidable.”

"No, I only have a rudimentary understanding of swordsmanship."

"No need to be modest. I am a mage whose hobby is to travel the world and explore more knowledge. I haven't been in this country for long. As you can see, I've gotten involved in this troublesome matter and haven't had time to spar with the experts in this kingdom. Would you like to have a match with me?"

So far, the only truly valuable opponent Shinji Matou has faced is the Bowel Hunter. Battles with strong opponents have helped Shinji gather intelligence and decipher the truth of this world.

Wilhelm hesitated, then said, "You are a magician..."

"I am also quite confident in my swordsmanship."

“If it’s a swordsmanship contest, I’m relatively free right now and can probably spar with you for a while.” The old butler took out a thin sword from the carriage.

Seeing the rapier in Wilhelm's hand, Shinji Matou smiled knowingly: "It's rare that we use the same type of rapier."

Blue arcs of electricity crackled in Shinji Matou's right palm, generating a transmutation circle that extracted metal from the earth to create an alloy rapier.

The two arrived at the open space in the courtyard. Their smiles were a signal that their fighting spirit was about to erupt. The old butler Wilhelm was the first to attack, his sword flashing like thunder, instantly covering a distance of more than ten meters, and pointing at Shinji Matou's neck.

The old butler Wilhelm, abandoning his gentlemanly demeanor, revealed astonishing ferocity and confidence, his sword befitting his manhood.

Clang! Clang!

Shinji Matou parried Wilhelm's thrust with his sword, praising him: "It seems that we are not only similar in weaponry, but also in swordsmanship style."

呲味~

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

The blades rubbed together, sparking intensely as the two slender swords clashed rapidly in the air, creating a lively metallic symphony.

The two moved with unpredictable steps, advancing as one retreated and retreating as the other advanced.

The old butler Wilhelm's expression changed several times, from relaxed to surprised, from surprised to serious, and finally turned into an extremely solemn look.

Neither side used their full strength; both were relaxed and at ease, as it was merely a friendly sparring match, not a life-or-death battle.

Shinji Matou inwardly praised the old butler Wilhelm's superb swordsmanship, while Wilhelm was equally astonished.

Shinji Matou's swordsmanship is fast, accurate, and ruthless; his attacks are like a storm, abandoning all defense, or rather, not needing defense at all.

"This man, this swordsmanship..."

Wilhelm couldn't find a single flaw in Matou Shinji's swordsmanship. Whenever he thought about how to neutralize Matou Shinji's attack, his rich swordsmanship experience told him that if he actually tried to do so, he might be killed with a single sword strike before he could neutralize Matou Shinji's attack.

"It's been so many years, and I've felt powerless in the field of swordsmanship, unable to surpass anyone."

Wilhelm struggled to parry, his swordplay firmly suppressed, his forehead beaded with sweat. He said loudly, "Our swordsmanship is not as similar as you say. Your swordsmanship is a true killing art, without specific rules. Every strike is simple and unadorned, yet contains terrifying killing intent. Even on the battlefield, swordsmanship like yours is rare."

"That statement is an exaggeration. Swords are murder weapons, and swordsmanship is inherently a method of killing."

The sword fight lasted for more than ten minutes. Soon, the old butler Wilhelm was defeated because he couldn't keep up with the stamina. He sat on the grass, panting heavily and looking somewhat disheveled. He smiled bitterly and said, "My body is not as strong as it used to be."

Shinji Matou put down his rapier and smiled, "So, what's your assessment?"

The old butler Wilhelm pondered carefully before solemnly replying, "In terms of swordsmanship alone, within the Kingdom of Lugnica, your strength is second only to Reinhard."

"I thought I'd get an even higher evaluation." Shinji Matou smiled and extended his right hand to him, seemingly casually asking and answering while simultaneously probing for information.

This includes the strength of the old butler Wilhelm and the swordsman Reinhard.

Hearing the old butler Wilhelm's answer, he was not surprised at all. He sighed inwardly, thinking that unless he used the land to form a formation, his strength in this world probably could not surpass that sword saint.

The old butler Wilhelm grasped Shinji Matou's right hand and stood up from the ground, straightening his black suit and shaking his head: "Reinhard's swordsmanship is not on the same level as ours. Although your swordsmanship is even better than mine, it has not yet made me feel despair."

He felt a strange sensation. His swordsmanship was second only to Reinhard, which was already quite high in the eyes of others, but he couldn't see any joy or pride on Matou Shinji's face.

"Thank you so much for your guidance. How about we come inside for a cup of tea?"

Wilhelm snapped out of his reverie and replied politely, "No need for that. I've only come to deliver some news: Lord Felix will be out soon."

"In that case, please excuse me."

Chapter 128 I Love Milia, I Have a Dream

After sparring with his old butler Wilhelm, Matou Shinji returned to his comfortable and spacious guest room, sat down in a chair by the window, picked up the book he hadn't finished reading the night before, then put it down again, his deep gaze concealing complex thoughts.

"Now is not the time to read books. Another candidate for king is visiting, and the strength of the other factions is all above average. The days ahead are unlikely to be peaceful."

Shinji Matou watched from the window as the cat-eared boy left the mansion, spoke with the old butler Wilhelm, and then rode away in a dragon carriage.

Dudu

A knock sounded at just the right moment.

"Please come in."

Outside the door, Rem bowed respectfully: "Lord Shinji, Lord Roswaal requests your presence in his study, saying he has important matters to discuss."

Shinji Matou nodded, got up and left the guest room. As he passed Rem, he reached out and patted her head, saying gently, "Rem, thank you for your hard work."

Rem blushed and, clutching her maid's skirt, replied somewhat awkwardly, "It's my duty."

Rem followed behind Shinji Matou, secretly glancing at his back with her left eye under her bangs, seemingly quite pleased by his casual compliment earlier.

Shinji Matou entered the study and saw Roswaal and Emilia sitting inside, both with very serious expressions.

"Mr. Shinji, you've arrived." Emilia smiled gently, exuding a friendly aura.

Roswaal rested his chin on his hands, glanced at Shinji Matou, and smiled despite his clown makeup: "I heard that you've been teaching Emilia how to become a qualified candidate for king. Those novel political theories have broadened my horizons. There's another unexpected thing about you."

Shinji Matou sat down next to Emilia and nodded, saying, "Let's skip the small talk. What happened?"

"The Karlsten family's envoy has brought news that the royal selection is about to begin. We will be going to the capital the day after tomorrow. Mr. Shinji, I hope you can accompany us as Emilia's personal guard knight."

"Guard Knight?"

Roswaal smiled and said, "It's a tradition of this country. Only with this identity are you qualified to attend the banquet later. All the candidates for king will appear then. The royal selection begins, which is equivalent to declaring war. The Royal Guard Knight is the candidate's sword, representing the candidate's will. I am Emilia's supporter and also a border count, so I am not very suitable for the identity of Royal Guard Knight. There are no other more suitable candidates here either."

Emilia said apologetically, "I'm sorry to have troubled you like this."

Shinji Matou nodded: "I don't care about that. Since I've agreed to help you, I will fulfill my obligations. I need to know what I'm supposed to do."

"It's nothing serious, we can just go through the motions. Lady Emilia, Mr. Shinji and I have some other things to discuss. Why don't you go and rest for a bit and prepare for tomorrow?"

"Ok."

Emilia got up and left.

The atmosphere in the room grew even more serious. Roswaal stood up and walked to the bedside, gazing at the scenery outside the window. His expression gradually became serious and gloomy: "If nothing unexpected happens, the royal selection will be officially announced the day after tomorrow. Mr. Shinji, you should have fully understood Emilia's terrible situation during this time."

Shinji Matou nodded firmly: "Under normal circumstances, she would not be able to be elected."

“Indeed, none of the remaining four candidates for king are simple. Emilia’s formal appearance at the Sages’ Council tomorrow will likely cause considerable controversy.”