Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

He also knew that Lesteen was right. Even with McKee's impressive background, the Business Federation wasn't solely owned by the Rose Newspaper. If McKee truly jeopardized the Business Federation's overall interests, given the "reporter's" personality, it wasn't impossible for him to betray his own confidant. The problem was, the Business Federation's affairs were the Business Federation's affairs, and their organizing committee wasn't the Business Federation. Reporter Kane couldn't do anything to the Business Federation; dealing with them would be easy, wouldn't it?

Even the executive chairman wasn't sure; if McKee was removed, would they be the ones removed tomorrow?

That's why I hate people who bring their own funding to get roles; it wouldn't be so complicated with someone else.

Silently cursing everyone above him in his heart, the executive committee chairman pondered for a long time before speaking:

"Let Charne handle it."

"Charne?" The committee members exchanged glances. "Charne is indeed a talented individual, but how do we resolve this? Should we help McKee or Roy?"

The executive chairman glared awkwardly at the committee member who had asked the question, then deliberately raised his voice and rebuked, "You need to ask me about something like this? What am I here for? Let Charne handle it; he knows what to do!"

It's just a way of shifting blame. If things get messed up like this, it's Charn's problem, not yours.

Lesteen sneered and rolled his eyes.

And you still have the nerve to criticize him?

...........

The scene at the Special Championship.

McGee was already starting to regret it.

The originally grand opening ceremony is now plagued with setbacks. The giant venue, which can accommodate nearly 200,000 spectators, is filled with angry shouts, and the internet is buzzing with excitement and the heat is soaring!

The online trolls, who were hired specifically to hype up the Special Championship, clearly didn't expect such an unexpected turn of events at the competition. Their marketing efforts, originally intended to generate buzz, became the final spark that ignited the fire. By the time they realized what was happening, the fire had already exploded, and controlling public opinion in a short period of time had become impossible.

The Business Federation's contingency plan clearly did not anticipate that a spokesperson would make such an imprudent move at the opening ceremony. All the contingency plans were for the venue, and the only one made by the Knights, which was for the spokesperson, could not be used—that plan was to first dismiss the spokesperson and then send the Unarmored Alliance to kill him.

Despite all his calculations, McGee never expected that a newly debuted knight would hold such a position in everyone's hearts. When the Radiant Knight was declared an infected person and expelled from Kazimierz, it did not cause such a huge uproar in society. Why is it that an ordinary knight who carries the Radiant Knight's name but has no title or illustrious family background has been the one to suffer such a setback?

"That's because Roy's current status is that of a civilian."

A voice sounded behind him, and McKee turned to see Charner, who was removing his gloves. The newcomer nodded to him, extended his hand, shook his hand, and explained:

"The Radiant Knight was born into the Radiant Family. She was famous and had a high status, but she was still a noble. The young Radiant Knight was driven by pride and her reputation elevated herself to an unrealistic level. There was always a considerable distance between her and the audience of the competition, and between her and the general public. Therefore, her peak was only that of a noble idol, not a role model for the people."

"She was unable to unite all the people, nor did she realize that she needed to unite all the people. So when she was announced as infected after winning the championship, no one questioned the result. Under the guidance of public opinion, people would think that this was a revenge by a down-on-his-luck knight noble against the Commercial Federation, a ulterior motive that was eventually exposed as a personal vendetta."

Charn paused, then said:

“But Roy is different. Your father once said something like this—the Supervisory Council has learned its lesson. They concealed Roy’s identity, letting him debut as a low-level competitive knight, gradually building a story of an underdog’s rise to power. When he encounters injustice, so many people will stand up for him. Because in this war of public opinion, we are the powerful persecutors, and Roy is the dreamer who is being suppressed.”

McGee opened his mouth, but couldn't find any words to refute it, so he could only say, "I didn't treat him unfairly."

But Charn just smiled.

When he received this tricky task, he had certainly investigated what had happened that day. He was fully aware of McKee's subtle actions.

But he saw through it but didn't say anything. For someone in his position, offending a young master would be a huge loss.

Seeing that Charner had no intention of undermining them, McGee's expression softened slightly, and he asked, "Now that you're here, what do we do next?"

"Well... before that, I need to confirm one thing with you: are you absolutely determined to stop Knight Roy from participating?"

McGee paused, then said, "Is there a difference? I just want to get this farce over as quickly as possible."

He has already decided to step down as the spokesperson for this Major. After messing up tonight's opening ceremony, it's almost impossible for him to wear this outfit again. Rather than being forced to resign by the federation later, it's better to give up voluntarily and be more dignified.

He still has a lot to learn and can easily continue as a regular spokesperson. The next spokesperson for the Special Championship, barring any unforeseen circumstances, should be Calner.

So, he just wanted to resolve this trouble quickly and then shirk responsibility and leave. Whether Roy participated or not was no longer his concern, nor could he control it.

Although Viviana is important, she is not enough for him to anger his father and lose the power and status he has so readily gained.

Charne nodded: "I understand, that makes things much easier. Leave it to me."

He walked up to the commentary booth, took the microphone from McGee, and coughed lightly twice.

The noise at the scene was still deafening, but people had all turned their attention to the commentary booth, seemingly waiting for an explanation.

Charné's voice was calm and steady, yet serious:

"Following an investigation by the organizing committee of the 23rd Major, the reason for Roy Knight's withdrawal has now been determined."

"The Knights Association was unable to access Knight Roy's background information in the system, and therefore could not send him a system notification, resulting in Knight Roy not receiving the Major invitation in time. This was due to the organizing committee's oversight and the negligence of relevant personnel in the Knights Association. Upon learning of the situation, the organizing committee immediately launched an investigation. It has now been determined that the relevant personnel in the Knights Association were temporary workers recruited due to staff shortages for the Major, and have been dismissed and are under investigation. The relevant case has been reported to the National Assembly. We will continue to pursue and severely punish any behavior that damages the reputation of the Knights Association, the Business Federation, and the Kazimierz Knights' Sports Special Tournament!"

"Furthermore, after an emergency discussion within the Major Organizing Committee, we have decided to set a precedent by contacting the Knights Association's Knight Archives Manager to supplement Knight Roy's relevant competition information and conduct a qualification review on-site. We will also confer upon Knight Roy the honorary knighthood title – Meteor. Knight Roy is requested to come backstage to prepare. On behalf of the Major Organizing Committee, I sincerely apologize to all spectators who have lost time, money, and enjoyment due to this unforeseen situation. All spectators present at the venue can receive a free Major limited-edition knight medal commemorative gift bag after the opening ceremony. Viewers watching on television or computers can also log on to the Major's official website to participate in tonight's lucky draw."

“Spokesperson for the organizing committee of the 23rd Casimir Knights' Tournament Special – Charne.”

As Charné's voice faded, the noise gradually subsided, leaving only whispers and murmurs.

"I can't find any information about Roy Knight. What the host said is true."

“Yeah, I also find it strange. I’ve been a fan of Roy since his debut, but Roy doesn’t even have a social media account. I thought I just couldn’t find it, but it turns out he doesn’t have one.”

"His identity is unknown. In that case, it's understandable that he was disqualified from the competition. Who would dare let someone with an unknown identity participate in a competition? What if he's infected again?"

"Don't talk nonsense. Didn't we find out that it was a mistake by a temporary worker from the Knights Association who didn't complete the registration? They're filling in the gaps on the spot right now. How could it be an infected person!"

As Roy walked through the passageway under the audience seats into the backstage area, he listened to the discussions around him and frowned slightly.

This Cárne is quite capable; with a perfunctory apology, he shifted the blame and stabilized public opinion. No wonder he served as the spokesperson for so long, only stepping down after the 24th tournament due to the major incident of the second major four-city split.

However, this is where the trouble begins.

What kind of background information does he need to fill in?

P.S.: It was released on Friday. I was supposed to update it like crazy, but I felt really unwell after getting sick.

My cough is really bad, and I'm sleeping at least twelve hours a night. Sigh, I hope I get better soon.

Volume 1: Chapter 43 Caller ID

Kazimir, Kavaleria, the legendary arena.

You were born a legend.

Walking past the dazzling illuminated sign, Roy stepped into the room. Before him sat Charné, looking slightly tired yet still composed. Beside Charné, another young man in a spokesperson's uniform with a long beard also caught Roy's attention for a moment.

Although his memory was somewhat hazy, Roy still vaguely remembered the man's name and identity: the spokesperson McKee, the son of "Reporter Kane," a member of the Business Federation's board of directors, and also a suitor of the Candle Knight Viviana.

The moment Roy saw him, he felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. He knew who was the one who hadn't sent him an invitation and was now going to disqualify him for being late. However, looking at McGee's figure, he suddenly felt a sense of unreality. Perhaps it was because he had been in Terra for too long, or perhaps it was because the people he usually encountered were all too sophisticated, but he hadn't realized that making things difficult for someone didn't necessarily require a complicated reason or a profound scheme.

On the land of Terra, not everyone is a riddle-maker like Black Iron, Black Serpent, or Old Lynx. Most are ordinary people constantly struggling against fate to make ends meet, vie for love, and amass wealth. Roy had just been outwitting thin air, thinking it was some conspiracy by the Business Federation, or some scheme orchestrated by an ambitious figure like journalist Kane. Turns out, it really was related to Kane, but the one playing the game was his son, an overly kind and indecisive spokesperson, far less troublesome than his father.

Compared to him, Charné, sitting upright in his work chair, was clearly more troublesome.

Clearing his mind of all distractions, Roy pretended not to know McGee at all and asked Charne directly:

"Mr. Charner, where are the people from the Knights' Guild? Didn't they ask me to provide more information?"

Charner smiled and nodded. "I'm sorry, I've already informed them, but it will take them a little while to arrive. In the meantime, can we talk privately?"

Roy glanced at McGee: "Alone?"

Charner stood up and introduced, "This is McKee Kane, the Special Major spokesperson specially dispatched by the Business Federation. Sir McKee, this is Sir Roy, whom you've been talking about lately. Is there anything you need me to pass on?"

Tell him what? Tell him to stay away from Viviana?

McKee frowned. He had barely had any contact with Viviana to this day, and the Candle Knight probably didn't even remember him as a spokesperson, let alone do something like this. What name was he using, and under what pretext?

The Knights' Code is not the Lateran Monastic Code; it doesn't include a prohibition on marriage, especially since the Lateran Pope himself abolished that rule. Why would the Knights' Guild, controlled by the Commercial Federation which prides itself on progress, adopt such a conservative suggestion?

Moreover, it wasn't that he couldn't understand Charnet's implied meaning.

The implication was that he didn't want him to be there. In the past, he would never have agreed to such a dubious reason, but Charne had just done him a great favor, and he couldn't refuse out of courtesy or reason. He could only snort, glare at Roy, and turn to walk towards the door.

"Dangdang!"

The door slammed shut loudly, as if that could mask the emotions within.

Roy, looking completely bewildered, shrugged at Charnet:

"What's up with him?"

"Maybe he just broke up with his girlfriend recently, anyway, it's none of my business." Charne raised an eyebrow at Roy, trying not to laugh.

"Instead of that, how about we talk about serious business? Lord Roy, you've done an excellent job," Charne praised with satisfaction. "The Blood Knight didn't encounter any assassination attempts that night, not even a glimpse of the Unarmored Alliance. It's hard to imagine how you did it."

Roy patted his chest and said proudly, "Of course! With just one word from me, would any of the Unarmored Alliance dare to take a step forward?"

boast.

Charne saw right through Roy, and with a single sentence, the Unarmored Alliance dared not advance. He was joking; according to his inside information, the price offered by Rebirth Pharmaceuticals was enough to persuade the Unarmored Alliance to send Platinum or even Azure Gold rank members to deal with the Blood Knights. Those cunning assassins, whose true identities were unknown, even the upper echelons of the Commerce Federation were wary of them, not daring to claim complete control. How could they possibly be scared off by a single sentence from Charne?

It's said that a Platinum-ranked Knight is strong enough to deal with any current Kazimierz Arena Knight, while a Blue-Gold-ranked Knight can hunt down any Kazimierz regular unit in a 1v1. No matter how strong you are, can you possibly be stronger than a Blue-Gold Knight?

But since they were currently allies, Charne didn't expose Roy's arrogance. He simply changed the subject, saying:

"Very well. So, can we talk about what you said last time?"

His expression turned serious, and he asked...

"May I take that sentence as your pledge of allegiance, former knight-errant Roy?"

Which sentence?

Roy paused, searching his memory of his last conversation with Charne, but couldn't find a single word that connected with what he had said to Charne.

Former Conqueror Knight? When did he become a Conqueror Knight? Are you sure you haven't got the wrong person?

Since I became aware of anything, I, Roy, have never been associated with the word "war," let alone "previously." He has never served in the military, so when was he forced to retire?

Shouldn't we give him back retirement subsidies for more than ten years?