“Raymond asked me out first, and Raymond was the one who proposed.”
“Do you have a knack for reading people’s minds?”
“Oh? No way. You’re so funny.”
Let’s not talk further. Calyx shook his head and moved his gaze away. He saw Rosaline leave the arena and move into the waiting room. A commotion broke out in the nearby stands. Some burly men helplessly lost their seats in a swift fight as the victors, slender girls half their size, pushed them out. All the girls barely kept their feet on the floor as they hung over the railing and tried to give handkerchiefs and flowers to Rosaline.
“Sir Rosaline! Please look here!”
“Sir! Please accept my handkerchief!”
“Sir Rosaline!”
Clouds of war hung over the young women. Calyx broke into a cold sweat while looking at it. It was like a clash of wild beasts, and the railings were not strong enough to withstand their feral fighting. In an instant, one end of the rail collapsed with a creak.
Two ladies with their backs close to that end screamed. There was a tearing sound as their skirts ripped and their slender bodies tipped toward the floor. Calyx sprang to his feet.
Amid all the cheers and commotion, Rosaline had already heard the sound of the rails twisting. Although her expectations weren’t high that they could break it— humans were much weaker creatures than she expected— Rosaline had watched with concern, allowing her to move as soon as the accident happened.
Kyaa, kyaa! Before the girls’ scream could sound out, Rosaline had already started running.
Two girls fell on top of Rosaline, who had reached the railing with an impressive slide across the floor. She caught one with her left arm and wrapped the other with her right arm. The girls’ hearts loudly thumped as they closed their eyes. They seemed very surprised.
Mm. Great. I caught the two well.
Rosaline was delighted. The accident site, full of screams for a moment, became quiet. The girls opened their eyes.
“Ah! S-Sir Rosaline!”
“Kyaa!”
The ladies draped over Rosaline’s arms and shoulders created a louder sound than the previous screams. The whole area became noisy again.
Did you see that? Wow… She’s lifting those two like they’re feathers! Fast like the wind! The men fiddled with their weak muscles.
The eyes of the girls in Rosaline’s arms became blurry and out of focus. What a nice scent… So soft… So cool…
Rosaline, sensing the desire in their eyes, quickly stiffened. Soon, the two young women, placed safely on the floor, sweetly sighed.
“It is dangerous to lean against the rails.”
It was a general statement concerning the railing, but the girls nodded vigorously as if enlightened. They seemed determined never to lean on any rails again.
Rosaline saw a tear in one girl’s skirt. No one was hurt, as she didn’t smell blood, but the rip was large enough to reveal her thigh.
“Your clothes are torn.”
“O-Oh, my.”
Countless people’s eyes turned to the leg. The panicked girl tried to cover it, but the rip was too large, giving her a hard time. Rosaline took off her uniform jacket, taking one step closer to her.
“Excuse me.”
The girl’s eyes widened. It was unbelievable that the famous knight, Rosaline, was tying her jacket around her waist.
Rosaline’s thin shirt collar tickled the young woman’s cheek. Calyx looked into the girl’s eyes from afar. Oh, no.
After some trial and error, Rosaline figured out how to best cover the torn part. The white uniform came down to the girl’s knees.
“Sir Rosaline. I don’t know how to repay you…”
“Thank you for saving me, Sir…”
The young women looked up at her with glistening eyes. Those clear eyes reminded her of the apprentice knights, so Rosaline smiled and looked at the girls gently. No, Sister! Stop, Stop! Calyx’s silent clamor did not reach Rosaline.
“As long as you guys are safe.” Rosaline paused for a moment and then turned around. The girls looked wistfully at Rosaline, who moved away. But then, Rosaline stopped and turned her head slightly after taking a few steps. She glanced at the girls again from the corner of her eyes and continued. “You don’t have to return the clothes.”
A wind from somewhere passed between the girls and Rosaline. Fine black hair fluttered, and petals from the flowers held by the ladies on the railing danced in the breeze.
This is crazy. What’s wrong with the wind? Calyx was in despair. It was seriously cool. Even the fact that his sister’s voice happened to be on the deeper side added strength to the situation.
The eyes of the ladies watching from the audience side of the railing also became hazy. They stared at Rosaline’s back as she disappeared into the dark building. The scent of the powerful and kind knight… was sweet. Actually, it was because Rosaline had eaten a lot of sweets before the game, but they didn’t know that.
* * *
Rosaline’s final opponent was Martin, the deputy commander of the 1st Imperial Order, Frostlance Knights. The Frostlance Knights were the Emperor’s most elite armed order. They were the strongest and most loyal. In return, they received as much glory from the Emperor to match their loyalty. That reward was beyond comparison to winning a martial arts competition like this one.
[Frostlance Knights: ‘Ice Spear’ Knights]
Every year, many knights competed, but there was never a contestant from the Frostlance Knights. It was unusual. The participant wasn’t even a lower-ranked member but someone who had risen to the position of deputy commander. The name of the Frostlance Knights was already honorable enough, and a person at the deputy commander level could have lost more than they gained in the martial arts tournament. The reason for his participation was unclear.
1 minute 12 seconds in round 32
7 minutes 45 seconds in round 16
6 minutes 22 seconds in the quarterfinals
Default win in the semifinals
9 minutes 59 seconds in the preliminary finals
Because he was the deputy commander of the Frostlance Knights and his matches were great, Martin’s name floated around along with Rosaline’s. All his rounds ended in 10 minutes with overwhelming victories that left him without a single wound. Fighting for over an hour at most was a common sight in martial arts competitions, so the reputation of the Frostlance Knights was not unfounded.
Preparations were complete, but the red traces of the previous losers disturbingly clung to the floor. Martin climbed onto the pitch, feeling uneasy. He saw Rosaline walking from the opposite side.
That was the 2nd Prince’s shield and the main character who ate everything, including spears, swords, and arrows. Martin barely calmed his pounding heart.
He had a lot of contact with holy power, but not magic. It was natural for knights to approach Rosaline of the White Night with shaking bodies after being told they were strong but had little sword skills.
Martin was one of those many knights. He had wanted to fight Rosaline with swords in a spar or duel. How strong was she? Had she really blown the assassins’ heads off with a flick of her finger?! Magic was such a powerful and ominous force. So he stepped into the martial arts hall, which served as a gateway to success for young and powerless people, despite his knight commander’s discouragement.
Of course, before the martial arts tournament, they also had a joint training session with the Knights of the White Night. However, Starz, the leader of the White Night, had a face colder than ice and repeated that Rosaline had a separate schedule. He said she would only try sparring once, and he was very strict.
After a long wait, the opportunity finally arrived. Martin was more excited than ever. He even forgot the existence of the Emperor, who watched from a high seat. As the announcer approached, his feet hesitated in the chilling energy. Contestant Martin’s eyes were unusual. A fierce heat seemed to radiate from his whole body.
“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.”
Martin wiped his hands on his uniform and offered to shake Rosaline’s hand.
“I’m Martin, the deputy commander of the 1st Imperial Order of the Empire, the Frostlance Knights.”
“I’m Rosaline, a senior knight of the Knights of the White Night.”
The hand he shook was small and thin, and he was surprised. How could Rosaline generate such power with these hands and this body? Was the structure of her muscles different? The host smiled awkwardly and interrupted, but Martin spoke first.
“Sir Rosaline. Can I ask for one thing?”
“Yes?”
“I don’t think you’ve ever shown your full strength in every game.”
“That’s right.”
Martin turned pale.
“Without mercy, do your best and deal with me with all your might.”
Rosaline fidgeted with her braided hair and turned her gaze toward the crowd. She looked toward where the Knights of White Night sat. She soon found Starz, and Starz quickly shook his head, unfazed by the sudden gaze. He didn’t even know what the conversation was about in the distant arena, but he seemed to want to say no to anything.
“He says no.”
“Who?! Oh, I think I know who it is. I mean, why?!”
“If I do my best, the other person will die…”
The moment he heard that goosebumps ran over Martin’s skin. A chill went down his spine. It was immediately apparent that this was not a lie or a bluff to intimidate him.
