126. Before the Storm (1)

“victor-! Arsene Bern of the 2nd Guards!”

Victory, victory again.

The results of the final qualifying round did not change too much. Maxim easily defeated his opponents one after another in front of Prince 1, who looked at him with eyes full of expectations, and Prince 2, who looked at him with contempt, and eventually made it to the finals. Maxim let out a small sigh of relief.

First of all, did you achieve your first goal?

It would have been a big deal if they were to face Theodora out of the blue, but the organizers did not deliberately pit the knights who showed excellent skills on the first day of the preliminary round. Anyway, what matters to them is how dramatic and interesting the competition can be, rather than fairness.

“Congratulations on making it to the finals.”

The referee, who watched Maxim’s match, congratulated Maxim in a low voice. Maxim responded by giving him a slight nod. The knight who was Maxim’s opponent was hanging the tip of his sword on the floor with a futile expression. It was a one-sided match that ended too quickly to ask for a handshake saying it was a good match, so Maxim tried to leave the podium without saying anything.

“It was an honor to be attached.”

When Maxim tried to go down the podium, he immediately asked for a handshake in a clumsy tone. Maxim accepted the knight’s handshake with a smile on his face as if he really thought so.

“Thank you for your effort.”

“Next year, I will improve my skills so that I can participate.”

The knight who revealed his aspirations to Maxim soon shrugged and walked down the podium first. Maxim glanced at the podium where Theodora was playing. Other knights were already competing on the podium of Theodora, who had decided to advance to the finals before herself.

It’s coming, Theodora. Although it’s really little.

Maxim said that to Theodora in his heart, and soon he secured his sword and came down from the stage. As Maxim walked down the podium, Prince 1, who had been watching from the VIP seat, was approaching him with tabi. It was a smile on his face. When the 1st prince, who was not usually very expressive, showed a rare expression of great joy, Maxim also responded with a small smile.

“I never thought you would advance to the finals this easily.”

“You finished the qualifying round too quickly to say it wasn’t easy.”

When Maxim trembled, Prince 1 let out a chuckle and a laugh.

“It was great. It was a sword that made me proud.”

The first prince praised Maxim’s sword until his mouth was dry. While most of the people who were scheduled to participate as knights were killed, it was only natural to feel reassured by Maxim fighting hard.

“By the way, is that sword you newly made this time?”

The first prince asked while looking at the sword tied around Maxim’s waist. It was a rough-looking longsword. It didn’t seem to be made of very good materials, so the first prince had a questionable expression on his face.

“… Nope. I bought one at a blacksmith’s shop and use it temporarily for a while. The sword that Her Highness considered would be a bit conspicuous to bring out during the preliminary round.”

“You must have made a pretty fancy sword. Due to your personality, you don’t seem to care too much about appearance.”

“It wasn’t my intention, but it changed the look quite a bit.”

The first prince exhaled in interest.

“If you’re going to say that, you can look forward to it. Is the sword complete? Are you planning to carry and use it in the finals?”

Maxim nodded.

“Yes. It has already been completed, and is only waiting for the day to be used in the scabbard. The owner of the blacksmith who introduced it also praised it for being beautiful, so you can expect a nice appearance.”

“yes. Make sure to adjust your body condition until the finals.”

After saying that, the first prince went away to the VIP seat again. Maxim watched the first prince, and soon walked to the waiting room. In the waiting room, Dennis, who had confirmed his advance to the finals, was waiting for Maxim. He saw Maxim returning to the waiting room and patted the seat next to me.

“Good work, Arsene.”

It wasn’t as much as Maxim, but it was after Dennis also defeated his opponent with overwhelming skill. Although he usually seems loose, Maxim knew that he would change in actual combat.

“I already knew that your skill was like a monster, but when I looked at it again today, it turned out that you really are a monster. I really hope I don’t meet you right away in the finals, at least for the first time in a while.”

Dennis stuck out his tongue. Maxim spat out a laugh at Dennis, who was still secretly showing a friendly attitude.

“Senpai like that is like a monster, isn’t it?”

“Don’t praise too much because you are weak against praise. When you say that, I think it’s real and I’m excited.”

Dennis looked around the waiting area. The knights who stayed to watch the game watched, and the waiting seats for those who left first were sparsely empty. Perhaps the knights of Count Agon, there were those who bowed their heads whenever Dennis’ gaze passed. Dennis waved his hand towards them and turned his head back to Maxim with a small sigh.

“Your Majesty is true. He made me participate in the martial arts competition.”

Dennis sighed in embarrassment.

“The other seniors.”

“There is not a single article representing the 1st Guards this time. It meant that the finals would be filled with people belonging to Her Highness 1 Prince and 1 Princess as much as possible. 1 Prince’s work… , but it became really unfortunate. Now we must avenge that.”

“You mean that a representative came from the 1st escort until last year?”

Dennis nodded.

“It was the tradition of our escort knights to send out new recruits as representatives. Just last year, Charlotte went out as a representative and went up to the semifinals. Sh*t, is that why I’m out this time?”

Dennis grumbled and scratched his head.

“You look happy when you compete.”

“Competition is fun, but the situation isn’t fun.”

While the two were chatting, the next match was about to begin. The referee looked nervous and called the knights by name.

“next! Ian Bate of the Cedar Knights! And Javier Franco of the Knights of the Crescent Moon!”

The names and affiliations of the knights were called, and when they came up to the podium, Maxim narrowed his eyes. It wasn’t just because the Knights of the Crescent Moon were Knights of Beninga.

“That Knight of the Crescent Moon, something smells dangerous.”

Dennis also muttered, perhaps feeling a strange sign. A knight named Javier Franco was looking at his opponent with blank eyes somewhere. The knight of the Cedar Knights had a confident expression, but his eyes could not hide the tension.

“Yang players, get ready!”

Javier Franco slowly drew his sword. I don’t know what kind of hand Bening had prepared, but Maxim couldn’t take his eyes off the sword that knight pulled out. weird atmosphere. From the moment Javier Franco drew his sword, silence settled in the arena. The referee looked at both players alternately with a nervous expression, and then raised his hand.

“The match begins!”

The advance began with Ian Bate of the Cedar Knights. A nimble and concise stab to catch the opponent’s reaction. The thrust, which was naturally connected without any preparatory action, moved swiftly. At that time, Maxim could feel a creepy atmosphere somewhere. I shouldn’t have gone in

squeak.

There was a sound like a knife cutting through the nerves. Maxim’s eyes were clear about what had happened. From the beginning, as if he knew it was a liver bogey, he paid no attention to the opponent’s attack. Javier Franco’s sword ran through Ian Bate’s body.

A fountain of blood soars into the air. Ian Bate fell to the floor, not even realizing that he had been cut.

“Stop, stop-!!”

the referee exclaimed urgently. Under the rules, amputation of a body part or an attack intended to kill an opponent is treated as a disqualification. Javier Franco’s low voice came to the referee as he quickly approached Ian Bate.

“I avoided the vital point.”

Just as he said, Ian Bate wrapped his arms around the injured part and stood up with a pale expression, trembling. The stab wound ran shallowly between the shoulder and chest. It wasn’t a serious injury, so the referee recognized the fact that he had unknowingly made a fuss and coughed and declared the end of the game.

“victor! Javier Franco of the Knights of the Crescent Moon!”

Dennis, who was watching the match, contorted his face. The referee couldn’t read it, but Dennis and Maxim were able to read the blade that Javier Franco’s sword was carrying. The cut, which was about to go to the neck with a vicious killing blow, stopped at the line of cutting the shoulder by lowering the height.

“That bastard is dangerous. It’s really dangerous.”

Maxim nodded quietly. Javier Franco returned to his unfocused eyes and slowly drew his sword.

“… What kind of card did the count prepare?”

Javier Franco’s gaze turned to the waiting room. Dennis stiffened for a moment, and Maxim looked at him nervously. empty eyes. It looks like it’s fluttering somewhere. Maxim could see the mouth opening and saying something.

soon it’s your turn

Dennis next to him must have read those words as well, his eyes glowing with anger.

“What is your turn? A f*cking baby. ”

Javier Franco slowly descended from the podium. Maxim felt the empty gaze clinging to him with a feeling of uneasiness. Javier Franco. Maxim kept a name in mind to ask the next time he visited Adeline as he looked at the next knights on the podium.

—

As the finals of the martial arts tournament approached, the royal capital was lively with excitement as the year’s closing festivities soon began. Eight out of ten passers-by were talking about the upcoming martial arts competition, and they were eager to hear even a little bit of rumors about the knights who would participate.

‘I heard there’s someone who finished the qualifiers in the shortest time this time.’

‘There is a story that a knight who made a name for himself in the no man’s land will participate.’

‘I heard that it’s not just rookie knights who participate. Doesn’t that mean it could turn into a battle of pride between His Highness the 1st Prince and His Highness the 2nd Prince?’

Rumors soon became information warfare. The royal family and Count Benning tried fiercely to create public opinion among the citizens of the royal capital. It was basic to spread bad rumors or unconfirmed rumors. However, a man and a woman who wanted to be the target of the rumor but couldn’t, were having a conversation in a room in an annex where the escort knights lived.

“So, how are you?”

Christine immediately asked Maxim a question. Maxim raised his eyebrows and looked at Christine as if to say something.

“How are you? Are you talking about the martial arts competition?”

Christine shook her head with a sullen expression and poked Maxim’s chest with her index finger. It was exactly the middle of the scar across the middle of Maxim’s chest.

“This, this. I mean that damn curse.”

Maxim ran his hand where Christine stabbed him. Ever since that day in the no man’s land, Maxim has not been so conscious of scars or curses. There were restrictions on using mana, but I didn’t feel any discomfort, and the memories that were about to disappear came back.

“not really. Now, it’s good enough to just dismiss it as non-existent. I’ve never felt any pain… ah.”

Just once. When searching for a dungeon filled with the evil energy of black magic with Adeline, there was a time when I felt a phantom pain. Even that, due to the familiar energy, only stopped at the line of causing pain in the memory, and there was no panic like Adeline’s, or the curse was revived. Christine, who knew that it happened while trying to rescue herself, lowered her eyes apologetically.

Christine turned her poked hand into a gentle movement. Maxim was able to recall the hand that wrapped his chest with healing light in the past. There was no healing light this time, but the gentle and careful touch of the hand was the same.

“Because a wizard of that caliber risked his life to nullify it with the pouring magic. It’s only natural that you can’t even feel the curse.”

Christine was playful, but made it clear. Maxim smiled lowly and nodded his head.

“yes. Thanks, Christine.”

Perhaps she didn’t like Maxim’s answer again, Christine let out a small sigh.

“… I’m saying it again, but I don’t deserve to be thanked by my seniors. Why should I be grateful that I heal the wounds that I half made?”

Maxim sighed and stroked Christine’s hair.

“Don’t worry, I keep bowing my head like that. I do not care.”

“Senior, are you really going to keep doing that?”

Christine lifted her head slightly and looked at Maxim with a red face. Before she could show Maxim the childishness she always wanted to play, she heard footsteps approaching the main building’s door. Christine quickly changed her expression to that of a new knight and moved away from Maxim, who smiled and greeted the man approaching the door.

“Sir Arsene Bern, are you there?”

The person who entered when the door opened was not a member of the escort knights. Maxim opened the door with puzzled eyes and looked at the person who entered.

“I am Arsene Bern.”

Then, the person who opened the door took a deep breath and spoke to Arsene in a nervous voice.

“Count Leon Benning wants to see you.”