Ranked tenth, the Knight of the Iron Wall was the perfect match for Ciel.
Standing over two meters tall, clad in thick armor, he appeared three times larger than Ciel, exaggeratedly so.
He wielded a massive shield that could cover his entire body and held a large lance in the opposite hand. Block with the shield, thrust with the lance. It was a simple yet intricate technique. He lived up to his name as the Knight of the Iron Wall. He deliberately hid behind his shield while waiting for Ciel to approach.
However, he wasn’t actually an iron wall and was no match for Ciel. The battle itself didn't take long.
The sword-force that Ciel’s slender rapier emitted was sharp and swift, and with her dazzling swordsmanship, she literally "disassembled" her opponent.
No blood was shed. In an instant, dozens of precise attacks tore through the thick armor of her opponent like paper. Within a few minutes, Ciel's opponent was left only in his undergarments, wearing nothing but a helmet.
"White Rose!"
"Ciel Lionheart!"
The judges declared Ciel's victory. A crushing result. Dezra approached Ciel and handed her a sheath for her sword.
Ciel sheathed her weapon in front of everyone, then smiled and waved at the crowd before turning her back on her defeated opponent, after which Dezra opened the door for her.
Once again, a white carpet rolled out onto the ground. Ciel waited until the carpet reached her feet before waving goodbye to the audience with a beaming smile and exiting the arena.
"How long did that take?" Ciel asked.
"About 8 minutes and 43 seconds,” Dezra answered while following behind Ciel. "Adding the time for the post-match greetings, around 13 minutes?"
"It was supposed to be a meaningful match. Should I have stayed until the ten-minute mark? Maybe I should have waved for a bit longer to the fans.”
Despite maintaining a smile for the audience, Ciel's expression now seemed apathetic.
The goal had been to defeat her opponent within ten minutes. She did it with ease, but... honestly, she didn't enjoy the content of the match. What fun was there in unilaterally cutting down an opponent who only focused on defense?
"What about Lady Carmen?" asked Ciel.
"She didn't come because she said there's no value in watching predictable matches,” responded Dezra.
"It was indeed a match not worth watching,” grumbled Ciel.
"The next one will be different, right? You've accumulated enough points to challenge the higher ranks, haven’t you? Surely you're not thinking of giving up on that?" asked Dezra while approaching Ciel and brushing a rose petal off her shoulder.
Ciel looked up at Dezra and smiled brightly.
"The top 6 are half of the Twelve Finest, right? They're considered the real deal. Since I made it this far, I might as well try to challenge them,” said Ciel.
There was no guarantee of victory. Even if she won, there was no guarantee she could win as flawlessly as she had so far.
But Ciel was not afraid of that. She had traveled to Shimuin for the purpose of training.
In the past year, she had fought thirty-five battles, all victorious and without a single scratch.
It had not been easy. To win without injury, Ciel wielded her sword every day without rest and thoroughly researched her opponents once the matches were set.
Dezra honestly admired Ciel. Despite being only a year older... Ciel's skills had reached a level Dezra could never catch up to.
"It wasn't like this at the Knight March," thought Dezra.
For years now, she had been observing Ciel's growth by her side as her aide. Ciel had never been one to slack off in her training, but over the past year, it was as if she had transformed into a different person, devoting herself entirely to her sword. Although her White Flame Formula remained at the Fourth Star, her swordsmanship had grown exponentially compared to before.
"Oh, and Lady Ciel, Marquis Leberon has sent an invitation through an aide, inviting you for a meal. He is adamant about it,” Dezra said suddenly.
"Why should I have a meal with that old man? I can already predict what he'll say. He'll sponsor me if I fight just once in his private arena, right?" Ciel dismissed the invitation immediately.
"Well, Camiro Arena is quite prestigious. It wouldn't hurt to have a match there,” said Dezra.
"If I want to expand my connections, I might consider it. But why would I bother making more connections now? I'll be leaving in about a year at the latest,” said Ciel.
There was less than a month left for this year to end. According to her initial plan, Ciel had intended to leave Shimuin before her 22nd birthday…. Now, she felt a hint of regret and clicked her tongue.
‘April…. Can I make it into the top five by then?’
She had received a letter from the Lionheart’s main family. Her brother Cyan and Eugene had returned not long ago. There had been a war between the native tribes in Samar, and Eugene and Cyan had participated in it.
Cyan had killed Hector Lionheart, the traitor of the family, during the war. That fact alone was enough to shock Ciel, but the content of the letter that followed was even more shocking, enough to make her forget everything written before.
Eugene had killed the Demon Dragon Raizakia.
That news only fueled Ciel's determination further.
She was the youngest of the Twelve Finest, ranked seventh. It was an honorable position, but compared to Cyan and Eugene, it was lacking by far. She wanted to climb higher, ideally within the top five….
"...Hmph."
Ciel lifted her gaze slightly, snapping out of her thoughts. It seemed that fool Dezra hadn't noticed anything. Dezra blinked a few times when their eyes met before giving a silly smile.
That silly smile felt pathetic, and Ciel slapped Dezra's butt with a wide-open palm.
"Ouch! W-what, what was that for?" shouted Dezra.
"Stupid Dezra! You don’t know why I hit you?" asked Ciel.
"Well, it's not like it's the first or second time you've hit me. How should I know? You probably hit me for some silly reason, like you not liking how I looked at you."
Respecting someone didn't mean you couldn't retort towards them. Dezra was used to Ciel's scolding, so instead of feeling down, she glared back at Ciel with determination.
"Pitiful!"
Ciel clicked her tongue and shook her head. There was no need to explain if Dezra couldn't realize it on her own. Ciel landed another firm slap on Dezra's butt.
"I’m going to stop by somewhere, so you go ahead," Ciel said.
"Where are you going?" Dezra asked.
"It's my freedom to go wherever I want. Besides, I don't have anything else scheduled."
"But Marquis Leberon specifically invited us for a meal!"
"I already gave my answer! I won't eat with him. If he insists on having a meal, you can go in my place."
"I don't want to eat with that creepy old man either. Every time I cross paths with him, he looks at me with filthy eyes." Dezra shuddered involuntarily.
"That's because your butt is unnecessarily big. You eat several bowls of rice at every meal, so of course, you're gaining unnecessary weight."
"Gaining weight...! There's no unnecessary fat on my body. It's all muscles!"
Dezra’s shoulders trembled. She felt genuinely wronged. But since Ciel had no intention of trying to understand Dezra's feelings, she simply slapped Dezra’s butt once more.
"Get going already!" said Ciel.
"Ugh...! Can't you at least tell me what business you have? All you do is hit me all the time…." Dezra grumbled before passing by Ciel.
The attendants looked at Ciel for guidance. They had been following behind the two while holding the large carpet.
"What are you waiting for? You should go too,” said Ciel.
"Yes, Lady Ciel."
The attendants hurriedly followed Dezra. Soon, they disappeared through the door at the end of the hallway.
“Hmph.” Once Ciel was completely alone, she snorted and gripped the hilt of her sword at her waist.
"I'm alone now. Isn’t that enough?"
Ciel spoke while slowly turning in a circle on the spot, her hand remaining on her hilt. The attendants and even stupid Dezra had not noticed, but Ciel's keen senses could detect a hidden presence in this space.
It was rare, but it had happened a few times before. As a famous celebrity in this country, Ciel attracted various people with malicious intentions.
The perpetrators included mediocre gladiators who lacked points and desperately wanted to defeat Ciel Lionheart. Even though they were resorting to cowardly ambushes, they desperately sought the fame that they would garner from beating Ciel Lionheart.
Then, there were other types of people who were after her as well.
Occasionally, some would come seeking revenge after being defeated in a duel. Some even sent assassins to avoid dirtying their hands. In the past, even a top-ranked fighter had sent an assassin before their fight. They had been afraid of fighting against Ciel.
Of course, no such attempt had ever succeeded. Ciel believed it would be the same this time.
Who could it be this time? An assassin sent by the Knight of the Iron Wall? Or just some naive fool seeking fame?
‘It could well be one of those cowardly nobles I rejected.’
In this kingdom, many fans supported Ciel, but equally numerous were her foes.
In particular, there were many nobles and fighters who wanted to become involved in a scandal with Ciel at any cost. Naturally, Ciel had no such intentions, so she always brushed off offers to share a drink or dance at parties. She treated any such propositions with curt rejections, cutting them away as if she were swinging a sword.
"How long do you plan to hide?" Ciel narrowed her eyes and unsheathed her sword.
She was certain someone was hiding nearby, but… the exact location eluded her. This fact put her slightly on edge. The opponent seemed like an exceptional assassin or a wizard.
"Or perhaps it's just as well. Otherwise, it would’ve lacked the thrill of combat.’
Sending Dezra and the attendants ahead had been a wise move.
She activated her White Flame Formula.
Fwoosh!
Faint white flames enveloped Ciel's body. At that moment, something whizzed through the empty air.
Ciel reacted instantly. She didn't care what was flying towards her.
She swung her sword with precision. The distribution of speed and power was perfect. However, she couldn't cut through the projectile and instead was stopped in her tracks.
The scenery before her distorted, and a faint scent of roses tickled Ciel's nose.
It was a fragrance she was too familiar with.
The moniker "White Rose" given to Ciel was, to a large extent, a self-imposed name of which she had never felt embarrassed or ashamed.
When she first became a gladiator and stepped into the coliseum, Ciel appeared in a snowy white uniform with a white rose pinned to her hair. She had Dezra scatter white rose petals.
There were reasons she chose a white rose, among all other roses. Amidst the blood-soaked coliseum, red was too common a color. By choosing a white rose, symbolizing purity, in the midst of that chaos, she believed it could easily garner the audience's attention and favor.
Thus, Ciel bestowed the title "White Rose" upon herself.
What was the essence of the ranking system in the Kingdom of Shimuin?
Why did fighters in this country attach a moniker before their names?
It was to gain fame, of course. In addition to skill, fame was necessary to attract attention. Ciel understood well that an easily immersive and endearing "image" was required to create that fame, something that the audience could easily remember and chant.
It had not been a difficult task for Ciel. Ever since she was young, she had been well-versed in ways to win favor and receive affection from others.
"Ah, you surprised me."
She was familiar and well-practiced, but she had yet to elicit the reaction she desired from absolutely everyone. She had never experienced the genuine reaction she longed for, not when she was a mischievous little girl, not when she grew older and felt genuine embarrassment, and not even after she came to understand her own emotions.
"Why do you look like that?" said Eugene Lionheart.
He was the adopted son of the main family, a distant cousin of hers. They had become siblings since they were young, and she had been content with that alone. She remembered teasing him in the past, telling him she was his older sister since her birthday came before his.
From some point on…. Perhaps, when she reached adolescence, Ciel had disliked the fact that they were siblings. Why she disliked it, even she couldn't understand it back then. She just... didn't like it.
Now, she understood the reason for that long-held dislike. Well, she understood it anew. The essence of that emotion was something she had understood not just now but several years ago.
"You…."
For that reason, Ciel could not keep her expression under control. She hadn't prepared herself for today's encounter. She had never even imagined it.
Ciel widened her eyes, and her gaping lips refused to close as she stared at Eugene.
"You seem quite surprised," Eugene chuckled as he lowered his index finger. As it descended, Ciel’s sword was lowered as well.
"Even so, how could you swing your sword right away? You almost cut the gift I prepared."
To call it a "gift" would be an overstatement, as it was just a rose he had picked up from the shower of petals that had rained down on the coliseum.
Should he have prepared a more convincing gift? Eugene felt a tinge of regret as he extended the rose towards Ciel.
"Here."
Still, Ciel continued to stare wide-eyed and open-mouthed without any response. Her shock stoked an urge within Eugene to tease her. He chuckled while playfully pushing the rose into her open mouth.
"Pff!" It was only then that Ciel regained her senses and spat.
Clang!
Her hand was rather unsteady as she dropped her sword to the ground.
Startled, she stepped back and pressed against the wall, staring at Eugene's face in shock.
"You…. You, you, you…."
"Just say it once. I'm glad to see you too but isn't your reaction a bit too extreme, Ciel Lionheart?"
"You…. Why are you here? I received a letter saying you were at the main house three days ago…."
"Just because I was at the Lionheart Mansion three days ago doesn't mean I have to be there today as well. Don't you know my personality?"
"I... know. You leave the main house and go all over the place whenever you have something to do."
Ciel belatedly composed herself and smoothed her expression, although it didn't quite go as planned. She managed to reel in her expression, though her startled heart continued to race.
"Could it be that you came all the way here to see me?" she asked.
"That's…. Well…," Eugene hesitated a bit.
"That would be impossible. I know you're not that kind of person." Ciel gave a playful laugh and stepped away from the wall. She accepted the rose that was almost touching her face and stared intently at Eugene's face.
She only now realized that Eugene's appearance had changed slightly. Though it couldn't be considered drastic. His ash-gray hair and golden eyes had turned brown.
That was the extent of the change. It was a change she could recognize at a glance, and that's why she was amazed.
Why would he change the color of his hair and eyes? If he came to see her, there was no need for such a thing.
To surprise her? Impossible. Ciel knew Eugene all too well. Although she felt a hint of bitterness deep within her heart, such a trivial thing did not change the feelings of her heart for him.
"Still, thank you,” Ciel grinned and placed the rose in her hair. With graceful steps, she approached Eugene. "You came to watch my match, right? Whatever the reason for you being in the Shimuin, this is enough for me."
With arms wide open, Ciel pulled Eugene into an embrace.
"Thank you for coming, and it's been a while, Eugene," she said.
It was okay to embrace her sibling, after all, but she still disliked the fact.
Still, she liked that she could use it as an excuse to embrace him — just a little.
The hug ended much too quickly. Ciel nonchalantly took a few steps back, only to belatedly realize that she had just finished a match. Suspicion crossed her mind, and she gave Eugene a scrutinizing look.
"Do I smell of sweat?" she asked.
"I don't think so."
It was an honest answer. At the moment, the only fragrance surrounding Ciel was the faint scent of roses. Ciel focused on Eugene's expression before nodding with relief.
"Alright, anyway... we can't stand here talking forever. What should we do? Shall we go together?" asked Ciel.
"I have my own group."
Group. Ciel naturally thought of Kristina, the Saint. Of course, he had a group. Ciel narrowed her eyes and looked at Eugene.
"Where are they?" she asked.
"They're probably still in the audience."
"Then... good."
Ciel reached into her trouser pocket and pulled out a thick notebook and a pen.
The items looked a bit bulky for the trousers, which looked to be a tight, perfect fit. At a glance, it seemed like the notebook had been opened and closed hundreds of times.
"What's that? A diary?" asked Eugene.
"I write diaries... and various other things. Why? Curious?" asked Ciel.
"And if I read something I shouldn't?" said Eugene.
"I don't write anything weird, so don't worry,” retorted Ciel.
A simple diary, information about her opponents — those were the kinds of things she wrote in the notebook. Eugene smirked and leaned against the wall.
"Well, I thought it could be poetry,” said Eugene.
"You really think I’m full of emotions like that?" Ciel chuckled and quickly scribbled on the notebook, then tore out a sheet of paper and handed it to Eugene. "It's the address where I'm staying. There's security, but with your skills, there shouldn't be any problems. So, find your own way there.”
"You're not even going to leave the door open?"
"Do you really want me to do that? I get quite a bit of attention from here and there. If I do something unusual, the paparazzi guarding the mansion will write all sorts of stories in the newspapers. Is that alright?"
She never felt that he lacked common sense. Based on the fact that Eugene was in disguise and that he had only shown himself when she was alone, it would be best to keep their future encounters a secret as well.
"I’ll be there tonight, then," replied Eugene, putting the note into his pocket.
Ciel nodded before spinning around. Tonight.
"See you later."
She made sure not to put too much emphasis on her words. Something like that would feel too clingy. If anything, Ciel wanted to show Eugene a "haughty" demeanor.
