119. Preliminary (2)

Paola met Maxim’s provocation with a grin that showed her teeth. I could have done as much as I could for the other person to take my anger out, but I would be sad if I didn’t get paid.

“You will not regret it.”

“That won’t happen.”

Paola jumped in place with light steps, and in an instant, she approached Maxim’s eyes. Maxim responded to Paola’s attack by raising his sword from the bottom up. Unexpectedly, Paola’s sword didn’t show sincere intent. When Maxim raised his head, Paola had a dejected expression on his face. Preparing for the upcoming sword attack, Maxim tried to read the intention of that expression.

“Martial arts competition.”

Paola muttered as she swung her sword. Maxim took a step back.

“Yes?”

“The Jackdaw Knights received a message to select members and participate in the preliminaries for this martial arts tournament.”

Maxim frowned at the information Paola gave him. At the same time, I lightly deflected Paola’s sword falling from the upper right corner. Two more sword attacks came and went. Maxim swung his sword wide and took advantage of the gap he created to ask Paola a question.

“Why are you telling me that?”

“Okay. It just makes the current situation feel so frustrating to me.”

Maxim glanced at Luis, who had spoken to the same effect as Paola just a few hours earlier. Wouldn’t it be great if these two were put together as a teacher and a student?

“Isn’t His Highness the 2nd Prince’s main force, the vice-captain of the Jackdaw Knights, overly greedy?”

“You ask such a question even though you know everything. Do you really want to hear the answer from my mouth?”

Paola smiled bitterly as she brandished her sword. The sword strikes he wielded as a way to vent his anger were incoherent, but he was unconsciously forming a strange sword path. Maxim shook the sword as if solving a mystery. When Maxim refused to answer verbally, Paola sighed.

“The Raven Knights are famous swordsmen. It is also very well forged. But right now, our master has no intention of pulling out and wielding that famous sword, he’s just wearing it for show off and threats.”

“Were you dissatisfied with not participating in the Mage Tower investigation this time?”

“It was like that from the beginning. Not participating in the investigation is like lighting a fuse. I’d rather think that the time I risked my life in the no-man’s-land before slicing beasts was better.”

Maxim twitched his lips as he recalled that time, but Paola did not understand the meaning of Maxim’s laughter. Paola laughed along as if to help herself.

“yes. If you were right now, you would have nothing to say even if you laughed at me and the entire Knights of the Ravens.”

Maxim did not correct Paola’s misunderstanding. Because everyone needs time to worry, and the decision after going through that time of worry was also necessary.

“So, what do you want after all? I can’t see any loyalty towards the current owner. Do you really intend to become a bastard who just wields a sword without direction, drunk on his own strength?”

“Even if you don’t show loyalty deep in your heart, it’s true loyalty to do the duty of becoming a subject. It doesn’t matter at all whether you actually have a petty loyalty or not.”

Maxim and Paola paused their sword fighting and stood back to evaluate each other. Maxim’s breathing was not disturbed at all this time, while Paola was gradually gaining strength.

“To win the martial arts competition and proclaim to all the world that the era of the second prince will soon arrive. I am worried that the use of the Knights of the Ravens will not be exhausted there.”

When Maxim heard that, he sneered and slung his sword over his shoulder.

“That is a very arrogant statement, that is. And it is also a useless worry.”

Paola raised her eyebrows as if asking what Maxim was saying.

“It is arrogant to speak as if winning has already been won.”

Paola smirked and shook her head.

“Well, you don’t know our captain’s skills very well. I admit that your sword skills are great, but you were never crazy enough to be our captain. If there are no surprises, we can guarantee victory unconditionally.”

Maxim tried to correct Paola’s misunderstanding, but soon lowered his sword.

‘Although I know the leader’s skills better than anyone else in this kingdom.’

The current Paola was also a potential enemy. And Maxim’s thoughts soon reached Theodora. Theodora. Does she also define me as a potential enemy? In the end, at the end of the journey I started to recover what I lost, are you blocking me or are you walking with me?

bang.

Paola bounced off Maxim’s thrust and slipped. The thought went too long. Maxim looked at Paola, who had caused all sorts of random thoughts thanks to her, with irritated eyes. With Maxim’s final thrust, it seemed that Dalian was already settled. Maxim waved his hand at Paola, who dropped her sword.

“Consultation for troubles ends here.”

Maxim cut it off and ended the sparring. Paola tried to raise her sword as if she could do more, but then faced Maxim’s determined expression and lowered it again.

“If you really want to talk more, come after passing the preliminary round. If you don’t have the confidence to do that, it wouldn’t be bad to quit the knights and just come under the 1st Prince’s command.”

Paola frowned fiercely at the insult, but Maxim did not blink an eye. Paola was not unaware of the intention behind Maxim’s words. Paola trembled as she held the wooden sword, then let out a sigh and expressed her intention to admit defeat.

“I have offended you. I feel like I’ve met someone I know since the first time I met you. I guess he was trying to fight at least out of frustration.”

The first prince, who had been watching the couple fight, was approaching.

“You did well this time too. As expected, when I see people with a high level compete, I feel that something is different.”

“I would be delighted if it helped Your Highness in his training.”

Paola returned the wooden sword of Prince 1 and said that. He seemed stronger than when he first came. Paola’s eyes had calmed down, as if she had thought about something from the previous conversation. Louis stared at Paola in silence, then accepted the wooden sword.

“If our captain had seen you and heard these words, I think it would have been a little different.”

Maxim smiled weakly.

“Maybe we will meet at a martial arts competition.”

If Theodora also participates in the martial arts competition, they will eventually run into each other no matter what. Theodora couldn’t imagine losing to someone other than himself, and he couldn’t imagine losing to someone other than Theodora either.

“… Yes, the qualifiers are not far away. Please prepare hard.”

“Yes. I hope we can compete one more time in the finals.”

Paola greeted the first prince again with courtesy, and then left the backyard of the first prince’s palace. Maxim and Luis quietly watched Paola’s back as she left. Luis turned to Maxim and broke the silence first.

“Everyone’s situation is very complicated. Isn’t that right, Arsene?”

“… I apologize for showing you an embarrassing image, Your Highness.”

Louis just stared at the wooden sword in his hand in silence for a while. Snow began to fall from the sky little by little.

“The knights the Marquis said will probably arrive at the capital sooner or later. It’s later than expected, but the weather is bad. I can’t help being late.”

“These are warriors who must have gone through all the rough things in the no man’s land. You can look forward to it.”

Louis nodded, but the concern on his face could not be hidden.

“I’ve made up my mind several times, but when the situation comes, the only thing I can do is to lean on my knights. It’s a really complicated feeling.”

“These are the knights for that, Your Highness. Just giving trust to the knights is the best motivation for them to wield the sword, and it will be the source of their strength.”

That’s right, the first prince sighed.

“I didn’t know until I met you and held a sword. Until now, I might have thought of knights as mere people who wielded swords well.”

Louis and Prince 1 were learning the sword and growing together. Looking at the scene, Maxim felt a sense of relief and pride. Then, suddenly, thinking that this might not have been what the king intended, he smiled bitterly.

“When the knights arrive at the capital, I will have to go out and treat them properly.”

“I’m sure they’ll be genuinely happy too, Your Highness.”

“That would be nice.”

Louis answered and looked up at the sky thick with snow clouds. The face of the winter sky had suddenly turned into ominous wriggling dark clouds instead of the gentle gray it had been before. Lewis furrowed his eyebrows. A corner of my heart was quivering with anxiety.

The knights should arrive safely.

Louis kept his mouth shut, thinking of the knights who would have been galloping towards the royal road by now.

—

Outside the gates of the capital, four or five adventurers were slowly driving their horses. The wind was strong today. They were packing various equipment under the guise of missions such as extermination of demons, but their actual purpose was different. The hooded adventurer in the lead spewed steam from his mouth and looked back.

“Now, damn it, I have to go out to meet you. The scalp is empty. I will die of cold.”

“It’s not because you’re bald, Pierre. I am not very cold.”

“Shut up. If you don’t want to get hit by a bald head. Still, I had to go out and wait for the guests. I will accept all kinds of missions.”

Some adventurers nodded their heads in agreement with the bald adventurer Pierre’s displeasure. They were adventurers who were considered to be second to none in terms of skill. Pierre looked at them one by one and stopped his eyes on the hooded adventurer. He was an ‘nameless adventurer’ who had been inactive for a while. Apparently, the last time I saw him, he was a man.

Does the article that is mixed and sent from the royal family to the adventurers change every time? With that thought in mind, Pierre soon began to continue on his way. The horses’ hooves were sinking in the snow.

Several adventurers in the royal capital, along with the branch manager, were acting under secret orders from the royal family. The secret mission the branch manager received this time was to meet and escort the guests arriving at the capital.

“By the way, I heard that the customers who are coming are knights, so do we really need to go out to meet them? It seems we are the ones who need to be escorted.”

When asked by the red-haired adventurer carrying a spear on his shoulder, Pierre clicked his tongue and answered.

“I don’t know either. Still, the branch manager who delivered the order seemed a bit uneasy. It must be something.”

Pierre recalled the image of the branch manager who had summoned him from the branch and handed over the king’s orders.

‘You know there’s a martial arts competition this time, right? That’s why knights are coming from no man’s land.’

‘It’s coming from afar. The weather must be cold, but it must be hard.’

The branch manager nodded and rubbed his palms. It was his usual habit when he was anxious.

‘yes. Perhaps the Margrave is sending someone for His Highness the First Prince. His Majesty had previously given orders to greet them outside the city gates… , I don’t know. I don’t feel very good. The knight who delivered His Majesty’s orders was also very uncomfortable.’

As the branch manager said, his face darkened.

‘Are you saying that His Majesty set a trap to harm us?’

‘No, you fool. Even if it’s joke, it’s not like throwing such a disrespectful joke. His Majesty also gave orders to be careful.’

Pierre answered in a cheerful voice, attempting to placate the serious branch manager.

‘What, is there anything special?’

‘It’s getting late. It seems His Majesty is worried about that.’

‘Isn’t it natural to slow down in winter? Aren’t you worried too much… .’

The branch manager shook his head. He was a man of good taste. Unfortunately, I was foretelling that something bad would happen to the branch manager this time.

‘First, carry out your order. And please take care of yourself. I heard His Majesty also requested that.’

The branch manager was serious until the end. Pierre couldn’t take it lightly anymore and had to nod seriously.

‘All right. The lineup must have been decided, right?’

‘… yes. Perhaps one more member will come from among the colleagues I’ve always been with.’

“Pierre?”

Hearing a voice calling him, Pierre awoke from his flashback. Before they knew it, the party was far enough out of sight of the castle gate. The horses purred noisily, snorting and purring.

“Why?”

“I think we need to let the horses rest for a while. Maybe it’s because the weather is cold, but it doesn’t seem like you can walk for long.”

Pierre patted the horse on the shoulder as it bobbed its head up and down, then nodded.

“… Right. Shall we rest for a while on this forest road?”

The adventurers got off their horses and began tying their horses to the entrance of the forest. While everyone was silently talking, Pierre looked at the ‘nameless adventurer’ who seemed to be staring strongly somewhere in the forest. The corner of his mouth that was slightly exposed under the hood was distorted.

“Is something going on there?”

“… I don’t look good. Besides.”

The adventurer said in a nervous voice. Pierre involuntarily lowered his voice with tension.

“Besides?”

The adventurer firmly gripped the sword at his waist.

“I smell blood.”

“The smell of blood? What do you mean?”

At the adventurer’s words, the red-haired adventurer frowned and asked.

“It is literally. There is a very thick bloody smell. I think we should go.”

When the nameless adventurer tried to move, Pierre quickly followed him.

“Go with me. Let me guide you.”

As Pierre followed the nameless adventurer, the other adventurers reluctantly followed them, even though they looked very confused.

“… I don’t feel good.”

At first, the adventurers who seemed to be following reluctantly had a tense expression on their faces as the forest was too quiet. The winter forest is originally quiet, but now the density of the silence is different. There was a suffocating silence, as if the mouth had been forced shut.

“… It’s getting closer. Let’s speed it up a little bit.”

With those words, the nameless adventurer hastened his steps. While the adventurers were surprised by its speed, they sped up to avoid falling behind. The scenery became increasingly strange. At first it was a fallen tree. They didn’t think it was that strange, but the adventurers hardened their faces when they saw that the tree had scars carved on it, as if it had been hacked with a sword.

The traces of the fight were revealed more and more as we went along the road. Deeply dug ground, large rocks that have been completely torn apart, trees that have been neatly cut and scattered across the ground.

“What the hell happened?”

“It’s a trace of a fight… , How many knights using auras got tangled up and fought?”

The adventurers were getting closer to the epicenter of the fight. And his astonishment culminated when he found the blood splattered on the ground and the severed neck of a black horse.

“- such crazy.”

The adventurers jumped into the scene all at once and started exploring the surroundings, without anyone saying anything first. Adeline, the ‘nameless adventurer’ who was leading the way, quickly moved to the place where the thickest bloody smell emanated. The signs of death were approaching.

‘This way.’

Adeline reached in front of something covered in snowdrifts and broken branches. Pierre, who was following Adeline, found someone’s boots sticking out under the mound where Adeline stopped, and shouted to gather the adventurers. The adventurers gave up their search and quickly rushed to Pierre’s call and pulled out the man buried among the snow and twigs.

“… such crazy.”

Pierre spat out a low voice as if he was embarrassed, and each adventurer spat out a low curse. Adeline could guess what had happened by their reactions and presence.

What they pulled out after clearing the rubble was the guest they should have welcomed. It was a knight in the no-man’s-land who had already become a cold corpse with his entire body hacked to pieces.