“Sir Calyx, I can figure out who will win and who will lose. Of course, everyone can guess who the final champion will be, but isn’t it difficult to figure out the steps leading there?”
“Can it simply be described as difficult?”
“But of course. The ears of the Golgartens are vast. Where there’s money, there are people. And where there are people, there’s information. That’s my theory anyway.”
It was the words of a person who ran an intelligence organization.
“I try not to miss any little crumb of information, even the trivial ones. It’s quite a lot of effort, Sir Calyx… But it made the outcome of this competition predictable. I even know that the color of Raymond’s underwear is light pink, even though I didn’t meet him today. Isn’t it amazing?”
“No. I don’t want to know that information.”
Chloe smiled coyly at Calyx’s seriousness. The corners of her eyes drooped, making her look more gentle.
“But why did I not know you would force such a fearsome act upon His Highness? I really couldn’t have imagined, expected, or guessed.”
“…Isn’t that a bit strange to say?”
A fearsome act. What a provocative, highly misunderstood phrase. Of course, Chole used the word to gloss over what had happened. It was impossible to guess that Calyx Radwiell would have made a knight’s oath to the 2nd Prince Ricardis. But still, Calyx felt uncomfortable with her word choice.
The lesser knight of Spindrift won, and the servants diligently cleaned up the bloodstains left on the floor. Chloe looked down at the arena with her arms crossed.
“I’m… not the type of person who likes to have the unexpected pop up out of nowhere, Young Lord Calyx. A ship may be well-built and great in its own right, but it’s not the ship’s ability that determines the voyage. I hope the seas are calm, and we don’t sail into reefs jutting out like a spear, but we can learn about the day’s weather and the reef locations to avoid storms and collisions. I don’t like words like, ‘Leave it to the sky, leave it to fate’. I will only leave it to the sky after I’ve done everything a human can accomplish. And what humans can do is far broader, deeper, and more endless than you might think. At least, I thought so…”
Chloe didn’t look very happy. It might be because of Calyx, who appeared out of nowhere like a treacherous reef, or perhaps the sight of blood was unpleasant.
“I’ve said too much. In short, Young Lord Calyx’s sudden push against him… That fearsome act is…”
“Can’t you change your phrase?”
“Oh, that’s not the point. Anyway, large movements within the Empire were something that I could predict due to my efforts… Young Lord Calyx, who popped out of nowhere, was not foreseen. That’s why I wanted to check with my own eyes.”
Calyx fully understood her doubts. The successor of Count Radwiell suddenly went off his directed path and walked in the opposite direction. He honestly thought he was a bit crazy himself, so it’s more astonishing in the eyes of others. He could tell by the reactions of Ricardis and Isserion when he swore an oath of loyalty.
The silence between Calyx and Chloe was even heavier among the noise of shouts and boos around them. After a while, Calyx answered.
“I’ve already told him, and I’m sure he understands.”
“The story I heard from across the street wasn’t as faithful as I thought.”
“It seems the person who told the story across the street is a bit incompetent.”
Chloe chuckled. She didn’t seem to care about his cheeky words.
“This is a different case. He’s the captain at the helm… and it’s also important to me, the parrot on his shoulder. The captain decides who he allows on the ship as his crew, but even a parrot may wonder if that crew will do a good job.”
Calyx gently covered his mouth and laughed at her funny, overly descriptive metaphor. Chloe lightly slapped him on the shoulder with a fan in offense. Tak. The sound was, of course, buried. As if their cheers had been half-hearted until now, everyone’s screams became howls. Rosaline had appeared.
In the distance was Rosaline, her dark braided hair hanging over one shoulder. She had just stepped out of the building and into the sunlight. Her eyes squinted as if drowsy, so she didn’t seem tense. Calyx looked at his sister and smiled.
Chloe urged him for an answer with her eyes. Calyx rummaged through his pockets and stood up. He naturally blended into the crowd cheering at Rosaline’s appearance. Chloe, still sitting, looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Calyx stretched out what was in his hand and answered sarcastically.
“I got them from a kiosk. I bought a few more. I’ll give one to you if you need it.”
Chloe frowned and sharply exhaled as if punched in the stomach. Soon, she couldn’t hold back and laughed out loud.
[Rosaline wins even if my father appears.]
Chloe had to wipe away her tears as she saw Calyx shamelessly and vigorously wave a square of cloth. Is this his answer? His love for his sister is almost sickening. He’s a man with a cuter side than he looks.
They had to delay the matches for a while because of the tremendous cheers that shook the stadium.
***
Rosaline’s opponent was a member of the Flaming Arrows Mercenary Corps. In addition to the mercenary group’s fame, he was widely known for his outstanding achievements on the battlefield. If it weren’t for the White Night’s delegation mission, he, Cadel, would have been more famous than the Knights.
The man, big enough to make Rosaline look like a child, frowned ferociously. A rough man with a wavy beard chanted Cadel’s name from within the crowd. The soldiers dragged him out for making a fuss about teaching the rattle-sized girl a lesson. His shrinking back looked shabby.
The man’s ferocious momentum filled the grand stadium. The host sweated profusely and barely opened his mouth when he saw Cadel’s eyes.
“Weapons are allowed. Barehand is allowed. Poison is not allowed. We decide victory if the opponent leaves the stage, admits defeat, dies, or if I believe the opponent cannot fight anymore. In the event of an attack or death after the surrender, the guards will take action along with your immediate disqualification. Please be careful. Please be polite and greet each other briefly.”
“Cadel of the Flamming Arrow Mercenaries.”
“Rosaline of the Knights of the White Night.”
The face of the man caught between the two great opponents became paler. That was not a greeting. That was an introduction… But of course, he couldn’t say that. Cadel grunted and approached. A large shadow fell over Rosaline.
“Let’s see some of that flamboyant skill.”
Dazed by the man’s threats, Rosaline found Calyx waving a piece of cloth in the audience behind him. Rosaline smiled brightly. Cadel’s expression suddenly collapsed. W-Why are you smiling at me?
In front of the confused man, Rosaline raised her hand and waved it. Calyx snapped the piece of cloth.
I love you, Rosaline!
There was a riot in the audience where Calyx stood. She looked at me and waved her hand! She looked at me and smiled! Misunderstandings surged like waves.
Cadel blushed red when he realized Rosaline had ignored him. With an exhausted expression, the host called the attention of the two unruly participants.
“Please focus… The match will start soon…”
The audience became quiet as the two moved away from each other, and the arena holding only two people filled with vicious energy reminiscent of a battlefield. The wind made a faint noise as if trying to cut through the tension.
Dong! The heavy bell rang. Rosaline raised her sword. Cadel also clenched the sword he was holding.
Dong! The second bell rang. Their eyes captured each other in a steady gaze.
Dong! The third bell rang, and the match began.
Thuuuuud!!!
A loud bang broke through the bell’s echo and bounced through the space. Outside the arena, a lot of dirt and dust scattered through the air.
“Huh?”
“What just happened now…”
Onlookers began to panic. Is that Cadel of the Flamming Arrow Mercenaries, who was in high spirits until five seconds ago, out of the arena and hanging on the wall? Cadel, embedded in the wall far from the floor, fell from the small crater. Everyone who watched the match came to their senses at the sight of the tragic loser. It is indeed Cadel!
People who finally understood the situation opened their mouths. They witnessed victory and defeat decided in the blink of an eye. Rosaline, who had rushed in like the wind, hadn’t given her opponent time to wield his weapon. Mercy that can’t be found even after washing your eyes! That heinousness! The men cheered with all kinds of screams like beasts.
The women also screamed and threw their flowers into the stage. The previous matches were also great, but this was on a different level. You could only achieve a victory like that, without spilling a single drop of blood, by having a clear difference in skill.
The host looked at her and Cadel with a dazed face, then raised her hand in a hurry.
“W-Winner, Rosaline Esther of the Knights of the White Night!”
A rain of laurel leaves fell. Rosaline straightened her body and placed her fist over her heart. At the knight’s salute, the stadium again filled with explosive shouts. After the soldiers, priests, and doctors ran to Cadel, Rosaline descended the arena’s stairs and moved to the waiting room.
