Internal fight of the Bevel Family’s guard unit.
The stated reason for the match in the arena was merely to elevate the festivity.
Levi adjusted his nose as he looked down from the VIP seats.
It’s a habit that comes out when things don’t go as expected.
‘What’s even going on…?’
He knew Eliya’s troops were an unusual threat.
Especially that knight named Judas.
He had overwhelmingly defeated Aghan.
Even Cain, who generally prided himself on his strength, admitted that much.
Levi focused solely on Judas.
He cared little for anything else.
Maybe Richard was an exception.
But the result of the matches that progressed in just a few minutes revealed his arrogance.
6:5.
A razor-thin margin, but it mattered who was winning.
Levi’s guard unit had lost six times.
They had won five.
In other words, his guard unit was slightly behind.
The results were completely unexpected.
He thought he would win.
Though not overwhelmingly, he believed he would at least show a clear difference.
It wasn’t that he overestimated his own guard unit, but rather that Eliya’s unit exceeded his expectations.
‘What on earth are these guys…?’
Was it a mistake to pit them one-on-one?
Eliya’s guard unit used some very strange techniques.
Levi had never seen anything like it here.
They grabbed, threw, tangled, and knocked each other down in bizarre ways.
He glanced far off at Eliya, who looked indifferent even though her side was winning.
‘Could she have expected this result…?’
It was confusing.
He didn’t outright ignore the possibility of defeat.
However, there was a vast difference between anticipating something and facing the reality of it.
In fact, the outcome of the matches wasn’t even that crucial.
They couldn’t kill anyone to deplete the other’s strength.
This was merely a game of gauging the opponent’s level.
Yet, defeat stings a person’s pride.
As a descendant of the Bevel lineage, Levi’s pride took a hit.
Unlike a distressed Levi lost in his thoughts, Eliya had no such concerns.
‘When will Judas come out?’
She rested her chin and awaited her turn.
Of all times, it had to be the last round.
It suited him well, though….
In the center of the arena, Richard, who had just won, mocked his opponent.
“Acting all high and mighty because you’re from the main family, yet you’re nothing special.”
“……”
“Are you not looking down?!”
As Richard raised his hand as if to strike again, the crowd cheered loudly.
It wasn’t loud enough to be heard.
Still, the sight of the victor reveling in victory while taunting the loser was enough to entertain the spectators.
Richard looked pleased as he turned to the audience with a smile and returned to his original position.
Right next to the door going into the waiting area.
His companions were waiting.
“Good job.”
Judas stepped forward and said.
It was now his turn.
Richard gripped Judas’s hand firmly and grinned.
“Don’t lose.”
“No worries.”
As if switching places, Judas and Richard crossed paths.
Judas stepped into the center of the arena.
The sunlight was blinding.
The heat of the arena was intense.
It wasn’t just the climate, which was warmer than in the Bevel Principality. It was also due to the cheers of the many people filling the stands.
Judas walked out leisurely and glanced at the onlookers.
‘Not bad.’
Then he locked eyes with Eliya.
As soon as Judas stepped forward, a smile blossomed on Eliya’s face.
She didn’t even seem to realize it.
Her lips merely curled up reflexively.
Levi, watching her, frowned.
‘…Can that guy even make such an expression?’
A perfectly innocent smile.
Feeling like he was witnessing something bizarre, he was unnerved.
An overwhelming sense of inexplicable fear washed over him.
He actually felt chills run down his spine.
Levi followed Eliya’s gaze.
To Judas, who had just come out.
Her knight.
Rumors similar to cheap romance novels began to surface in his mind.
‘…No way.’
No matter what, not her.
He discarded the thought, finding it impossible.
Judas stood facing his opponent.
The referee at a distance was shouting something, but with all the commotion in the arena, it was inaudible.
It was a voice that wouldn’t even reach the audience.
It was for the nearby VIP seats.
There was no need to listen.
He knew the rules.
He just needed to watch for the starting signal.
In the meantime, he observed his opponent.
‘His name is Gora. He’s the one who was with Levi last time.’
Their builds were nearly identical.
Just a slight difference in height.
The weapon he held was a long spear.
‘This could be tricky.’
The length was an absolute advantage.
No matter how quickly Judas approached, his opponent would have the physique to react.
That didn’t mean he would necessarily lose.
‘The result will show itself.’
He recalled the weapon of his enemy that he had noted before switching with Richard.
Since the rule was to use only the weapons provided by Judeca, he had the opportunity to learn about his opponent’s weapon.
‘A spear with a large blade. The tip was reminiscent of an arrow, especially since the lower part of the blade was wide.’
Finally, it seemed the introductions and explanations were over as the referee put the horn to his lips.
And then.
-Buwuu!
Even amidst the chaos, the sound of the horn clearly heralded the start of the match.
Just as expected, Gora advanced and thrust the spear long towards Judas.
Judas instinctively lifted his shield.
Clang!
The spearhead collided with the steel shield provided by Judeca.
A sharp, tingling pain radiated up his arm.
Gora quickly withdrew the spear.
Judas clicked his tongue inwardly.
‘Spear fights are the worst.’
With weapons you can swing, you at least have a chance to counter, but spears have less recoil and are simply too fast to retrieve.
“Hmph.”
Gora took a step back and nodded.
“Your reactions aren’t bad.”
The earlier surprise attack was merely a gauge of Judas’ skill.
It seemed there was some truth to the public’s evaluations regarding Judas.
He was well-known for various reasons, and people speculated about his capabilities as a knight.
Was Eliya truly the only knight he could rely on?
Was it really true that he overwhelmingly defeated Aghan?
Gora wasn’t too interested in that second question.
Defeating someone like Aghan, who had been coddled in a noble household, wasn’t too hard.
The weapon was merely a hassle.
Judas had likewise cut Aghan down with the peculiar sword known as Lunatic’s Eye.
In other words, Gora concluded that Judas’ victory was more attributable to his weapon than to his skill.
Therefore, he thought that simple weaponry provided by Judeca could never defeat him.
He didn’t feel the need to taunt Gora with that fact.
Victory or defeat can swing anywhere at any time.
Being weak doesn’t necessarily mean defeat.
He couldn’t afford to let his guard down.
His judgment was quite objective.
Indeed, at that time, Judas hadn’t shown his true skills against Aghan.
By chance, he had cut Aghan with the unexpectedly strong blade, and thereafter, he simply overpowered Aghan with sheer strength.
Moreover, the fighting he had undertaken in a high-profile position was limited to that occasion.
As he was protecting Eliya, reputed to be the reincarnation of an era from mythology, it was only natural that rumors would circulate after just one battle.
While Gora remained vigilant and cautious, he, in fact, was already somewhat careless in one respect.
That he had never directly fought Judas before.
When you draw conclusions without experience or with insufficient information, there will always be gaps in your judgment.
Overlooking that point, Gora boldly thrust his spear once again.
Kiiing!
The spear scraped across the shield.
Judas tried to sidestep to close in, but Gora was quick to pull back.
The thrusting spear was difficult to defend against and even harder to counterattack.
Gora actively exploited this positional advantage.
He was neither hasty nor sluggish.
Calm, yet sharp.
Constant jabs were sufficient.
Judas had no choice but to focus on defense.
Though he looked for openings to counterattack.
Watching Gora’s cool, golden-hued eyes, he refused to relax.
‘He’s better than the rumors suggested.’
One was thrusting, the other blocking.
That was the extent of the encounter.
No one was falling or bleeding, let alone showing any signs of outcome.
Boredom began to spread through the audience, and they started to jeer.
It had only been a few seconds, but it was enough to tempt a crowd hungry for stimulation to unleash their discontent.
Eliya glanced around the audience.
Daring to jeer at Judas?
Just as she was about to get irritated.
“Waaah—!”
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Eliya looked down at the arena.
Judas’s right sleeve had been slightly torn.
His eyes burned with an insane fire, but she chose not to intervene.
In the meantime, Gora was convinced.
‘The right side is his weakness.’
With the shield in his left hand.
His right hand wielded the sword.
Thus, defending his right side was relatively more challenging than the left.
Judas had also adhered closely to the fundamentals.
Gora poked and prodded, gauging Judas’s reactions, particularly the response of his right side, which was delayed, allowing him to successfully mount an attack.
A slight tear appeared on Judas’s right arm.
‘Got it.’
Now, it was just about winning.
He quickly advanced and thrust up to stab low.
Judas stepped back.
His shield lowered slightly.
A jab was aimed toward the uncovered face, but that was a feint.
By the time the shield rose, Gora planned to pierce Judas’s right arm with his spear.
Gora acted as he envisioned.
Feigning an attack to the face, he quickly redirected toward the right arm.
And at that moment.
-Kiieeek!
The spear scraped against the shield.
Judas, waiting for the opportunity, deflected it with his shield and rapidly moved in.
‘No way…!’
Gora hurriedly tried to retract his spear.
But it wouldn’t budge.
Something seemed to snag it, causing it to rattle.
He was perplexed.
Judas hadn’t even grabbed the spear.
‘…!’
He quickly realized.
Judas had extended his sword backward, wedging it beneath the spear’s blade.
Preventing retrieval.
By the time he understood it all, it was already too late.
The golden eyes closed in swiftly.
Judas swung his shield down hard.
-Whack!
Gora stumbled.
Blood sprayed from his busted lip.
“Waaah—!”
The audience hyped up their cheers.
Stumbling backward, Gora hastily regained his stance.
However, the spear he retrieved was peculiar.
There was no blade at the tip.
Only a cleanly severed remnant remained.
“What the…?”
Flabbergasted disbelief escaped him.
Judas quickly followed Gora’s retreating figure and slashed downward with his sword.
“Gahk—!”
He reflexively lifted the spear to defend himself.
However, the sword smoothly bypassed the spear and skimmed past Gora’s face.
In the process, the shaft of the spear was likewise severed.
There was no time to collect himself.
Without a weapon, Gora found himself vulnerable as Judas barreled in and struck with his shield.
-Whack!
Blood gushed out once more.
“You can’t kill him!”
Judas discarded his sword.
He seized Gora’s neck as he stumbled.
His other hand gripped the torn sleeve and yanked.
Twisting his body backwards while pulling him in close executed the technique.
‘I won.’
At that moment, the thousands of spectators witnessed an extraordinary sight.
It appeared as though a human body levitated, almost as if being pulled in, only to be flung around.
Previously, the guard units had shared similar techniques here and there.
But this time, it was on a qualitatively different level.
His crisp and flawless martial arts transcended into an art form.
Smoothly flowing, yet violently surging like a vortex.
‘Waist whip.’
A sudden silence enveloped the arena.
-Thunk!
The thudding noise broke it.
Dust from the arena’s sand swirled before settling like a tranquil fog.
Amidst it all, Judas looked down at the unconscious Gora.
‘Such an obvious tactic.’
Displaying a supposed weakness on the hard-to-defend right side only to counter.
The one who completed the observation wasn’t Gora — it was Judas.
And the spear was cut through via the sword technique.
While he had been instructed not to kill, there would be no stipulation against using sword techniques.
“Waaah—!”
“Whoaah—!”
The instantaneous cheers echoed boundless.
Though it hurt his ears, Judas found the sound resoundingly pleasing.
He stood up from his spot and scanned his surroundings.
The sight of audience members raising their hands or dousing themselves with drink seemed more like a riot than jubilation.
Regardless, anyone else cheering him on felt rewarding.
He waved a hand casually, and the cheers grew even louder.
Eliya looked down at him discontentedly.
Why was she smiling brightly at someone other than herself and acting all cutesy like that…?
Just then, her eyes met Judas’s.
She smiled brighter than before, drew a handkerchief from her sword belt, and waved it.
“Wahoo—!”
The crowd’s cheers took on a slightly mischievous tone.
Eliya pulled her scarf up to just below her eyes and muttered.
“…Idiot. I told you not to get hurt.”
The reason her face burned was likely due to pulling up the scarf.
She had only just lifted it, but whatever.
Eliya composed her expression and then stood.
She looked down at the dazed Levi and said.
“Things are done here, so I’m leaving.”
“……”
After this incident, it wasn’t certain how Levi would measure his strengths.
While he wouldn’t underestimate them, it wasn’t likely he would feel daunted either.
His rivals were not limited to Levi alone.
Above were Cain and Balak.
Below were Jezebel, Aghan, and Sara.
All of them altogether.
You couldn’t gauge the overall dynamics merely by the results of the agreed-upon matches.
Regardless of whichever side victorious, it didn’t matter.
Eliya’s most potent and unpredictable weapon was none other than herself.
“I truly hope we won’t meet again.”
After leaving those final words, Eliya employed teleportation.
*
“Don’t get hurt.”
Eliya muttered discontentedly while tending to my torn arm.
“I’m sorry.”
I awkwardly scratched my head.
If only one could actually avoid injuries just by saying “don’t get hurt.”
“I’m relieved you’re not seriously hurt.”
Joined as a knight, I was grateful for her concern, but it occasionally became complicated.
Well, it was.
There were also injured members of the guard, but Eliya had healed everyone.
Although it felt as if she was healing me along with them, what mattered was that she helped.
“What was Levi’s reaction?”
“He seemed surprised.”
“Looks like he underestimated us more than thought. By the way, was this fight really proposed just for the festival?”
“Well, that’s…”
Just as Eliya was about to say something.
Someone knocked on the entrance of the waiting area.
After the Judeca staff member asked for permission, he opened the door.
The one who arrived was someone completely unexpected.
A woman with bright platinum hair resembling Emperor Johan.
“Eliya, Lady. It’s been a while.”
“…Princess.”
Hagal Helios.
Johan’s fifth child, and youngest daughter.
Approaching gracefully with a kind smile.
“I watched the match. It was quite impressive. I heard many rumors of noble soldiers around your side, but witnessing it in reality was surprising.”
“Thank you.”
Eliya replied in quite a formal manner.
“Speaking of which, I need to speak to that impressive knight.”
“……”
I glanced around before speaking.
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“What do you need?”
Eliya swiftly questioned back.
Her tone became brusque.
Hagal didn’t bother to question further.
“I’d rather not speak in front of others….”
“……”
“I’d like to have a conversation alone with you.”
“That’s not allowed.”
“Um…? Why does the Lady get to decide?”
“Because he’s mine.”
Hagal twirled the ends of her hair while staring intently at Eliya.
It seemed she was contemplating something, her eyes flitting rapidly.
Eliya didn’t shy away from her gaze.
“Okay, let’s do this then. If the Lady is with us, will that work?”
Eliya cast a fleeting glance at me and nodded.
Something was being decided without regard for my wishes.
Now that there was no reason to stay in Judeca, we decided to relocate.
We agreed to continue our conversation in the noble mansion arranged for the Founding Festival.
In between, Eliya released some of the guard members.
As a result, there were only a few left as we made our way to the mansion.
The remaining members were Dillon and Richard.
Along with Eliya, myself, and the princess with her escort.
As we entered one of the rooms in the mansion, we were three.
Me, Eliya, and Hagal.
Opposite us, Hagal unsolicitedly posed a suggestion.
I sipped water while listening, only to choke.
“Will you marry me?”
“Cough—!”
“……”
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