Chapter 64 - 21. Dignified (3)

“No, wait. Aloken?”

“I have to go through the procedures too, so I will get up now.”

“Don’t tell me… You’re not doing it, aren’t you?”

“What do you mean not? Since you didn’t talk clearly, I don’t understand what you are trying to say.”

That foxy eye smile! There was no doubt about it. Aloken participated in this tournament not for wealth or fame but for the same tradition.

“Oh, I almost forgot.”

Aloken, who got up from his seat, spoke confidently to his fiancée, who was watching him. “Fanora, if I risk my life to become the winner, please grant me one small wish.”

“It’s been a while since the rules were changed to use only practice spears because of someone’s death, and it’s not like you’re going to die.”

“Don’t be so cruel to small requests.”

Trudge. He approached Fanora with his boot, bowed his head, and whispered softly in her ear. “…It’s better for you to keep quiet.”

“!”

“I don’t have to dwell on this contract anymore because I received the title of the duke, but if someone found out that you are only my fake fiancée…”

Fanora’s eyes turned quickly when she heard it. Come to think of it, she could feel the gaze from earlier, and the nobles who began to fill the seats were paying attention to them. The young duke who inherited the title and his fiancée. There was no way that combination wouldn’t stand out wherever they went.

“…”

“Fanora?”

He is right. I can’t stop the act yet. At the end of the judgment, Fanora shouted words of blessing with all her heart. “Ah, how can you be so manly! Of course, I will listen to it. But please be careful because your safety is more important than that honor. May the blessing of Mother Goddess be upon you in this tournament!”

As she clasped Aloken’s hand tightly and pretended to smile, several nobles glanced around and exclaimed.

“Hmm.” After getting the reaction he wanted, Aloken curled up one corner of his mouth and left the seats with a satisfied expression.

As the Duke, who had the greatest presence in this place, left, their gazes were drawn one by one.

“…By any chance, is he the one you’re going to kill in the future?”

“No. Not yet.”

Carl, who was watching the situation, asked cautiously. Fanroa replied, looking straight ahead with cold eyes. Recognizing with his instinct that she was in a bad mood, Carl slipped into a cold sweat.

“Um, anyway, it looks like it will start soon, so I will go too.”

However, Carl belatedly revealed that he also participated in a jousting tournament.

“Are you participating?”

“Yes? Yes, that’s why I came here…”

“Well, you wouldn’t miss the chance to fight legally…”

Wait a minute. Come to think of it, there was a title given to the future Carl Andras, who won the jousting tournament. Uh? So, by any chance, is this the tournament Carl going to win? Fanora recalled the memory she had forgotten. Soon a natural smile came to her lips.

“Carl! I can’t help but wish you a blessing as my precious friend is participating in this tournament. Now, listen carefully to my blessing.”

“Yes!”

“I wish you the best of luck and win by beating everyone else. Take this opportunity to let the people know how great you are.”

“Yes?”

Whisper. Carl was taken aback when Fanora spoke only bad words in a quiet, soft voice. But that expression didn’t last long either.

“And as a bonus, don’t get hurt. I’m a little worried because you’re so brutal.”

It was nothing but telling Carl to take care of himself. Carl smiled as if his face was in full bloom. It was to the point where Fanora stiffened when she saw that expression.

“Thank you! Lady Fanora.”

While they were having this conversation, the royal family’s carriage arrived at the venue. Carl said while other nobles flocked there to see the king’s face. “Ah, by the way, Lady Fanora, can I ask for a wish if I win?”

“Wish?”

“I’m just curious.”

Seeing those self-interested clear eyes, he seemed not interested in the love games that make up the tradition but only envied the wish-making.

“If it’s a simple wish, I’ll grant it.”

Fanora nodded her head without much thought. Carl faithfully serves as a servant, so a wish like this would be fine.

It’s quiet now. After sending Carl like that, Fanora’s surroundings became quiet. This was a seat only for high-ranking nobles and their fiancées. It was because the other duke and marquises of the kingdom were all away.

By now, Duke Guelder must be nursing his daughter, who caught a cold. Anyway, it’s not important. So how should she endure the boring time… After thinking about it briefly, Fanora found something to kill time. 

In the midnight novel, Vasago also receives an assassination threat. It seems that Aloken saved her when she was on the verge of death. Then, what will happen to Vasago if I keep Aloken in the future…? Her only interest was still the death of her enemies.

* * *

In a little while, the atmosphere of the jousting tournament was noisy. When all the preparations were completed, the king announced the start of the competition, and the nobles cheered.

“Anyway, being a noble is really good. Commoners have to go through the preliminary rounds. Still, low-ranking nobles can participate right away if they showed their family crest.”

“Shh, don’t talk about it in this place.”

“There’s no need to make a fuss because no one is listening.  Our masters are a long way from coming back. They drank so much tea.”

However, unlike usual venues, the uproar didn’t last long. The atmosphere at the tournament held by the royal family was somewhat stiff because nobles and royalty filled the seats, and only a small number of commoners filled the seats.

“Anyway, it’s boring at this rate. So, let’s make a bet.”

“A bet? Guess who will win?”

“It’s a light bet. Even your wife won’t be angry with this.”

Around the time, silent nobles looked at the area, rustling their fans. Before they knew it, they were the first contestant walking down the entrance passage. The best horses prepared by the royal family were different just by the sound of their hooves.

“Now, where are you going to bet? I’m going to bet on the left side.”

“Hey, you don’t even know who will come out from there, so let’s decide after looking at them…”

And a little later, two contestants appeared at both ends of the arena through the dark passage. No matter how blunt wooden spears were used, both of them wore armor that didn’t show any skin because there was still a risk of being injured.

“We can’t even tell who is who.”

“The names of the participants will be called soon.”

As the two servants whispered behind the shady seats, the referee soon revealed who they were in a loud voice.

“Before the match, greet each other with courtesy! Baron Kolpi Komyu and… Sir Carl Andras!”

“Gasp!”

“Andras?”

At this moment, the audience was in a commotion again. To think that a barbaric family participated in this tournament. Even the nobles, who pretended to be so noble and looked down at the area in silence, began to murmur.

“Isn’t Carl the third son of that family?”

“They are so barbaric that they’re no better than a beast.”

“It would be nice if they keep guarding the border, but why did he come to the capital…?”

Still, they didn’t even know that making these complaints was like a luxury. The person with the most to say at this moment was the noble facing Carl.

“N-No way. You! If you participated this year, you should have told me so…?!”

“Yes? I can’t hear you because you’re far away!”

What should I do? Should I just turn my horse and go back to the passage? Baron Kolpi was sweating and pondered. However, there was no option to retreat.

“…Then, let’s begin.”

It was because the king of this kingdom was watching from afar. If he didn’t compete seriously, that fanatic of the jousting tournament might be furious, saying that he had ruined the sacred duel. I-I’m not going to die! It’s a wooden spear that breaks easily anyway!

Then the trumpet sounded to launch the first attack.

“Giddy up!”

Thinking it was a matter of judges after all, Baron Kolpi eventually held the reins of his horse and started the match. If only he could have known the future like Fanora, he wouldn’t have made this choice. As they charged at each other, the baron intuitively felt his end.

“Hup.”

The speed of his opponent’s horse was unusual. Obviously, the conditions of the horses would have been as similar as possible. Still, while his horse was running normally, Andras’s horse ran like a raging rhinoceros, blowing a sandstorm. 

Obviously, the conditions would have been as similar as possible. Still, while my horse was running normally, Andras’ horse would come running with a sandstorm like a raging rhinoceros.

“Uuurgh!”

Then there was a tremendous burst at the point where the two met. Klang! The tip of the spear pierced the baron’s chest mercilessly, and then the spear shattered.

“!”

No matter how well the spear was made for this tournament, it broke with an exploding sound. The nobles in the seats held their breath. The state of the person who was hit by Andras’s blow was obvious.

“H-honey!”

“Urgh.”

“This… he fainted. It seems difficult to continue.”

Originally, it was a match that decided victory or defeats with three charges, so even if you fell off the horse, you had to prepare for the next one. The baron floated in the air in shock, and after falling with the flopping sound, he couldn’t get up with bubbles in his mouth.

“D-did you just see it? Oh my gosh.”

“This is not even a battlefield. He doesn’t have to do that!”

They didn’t know if Carl was good at it. This scene looked scary to nobles who had no tolerance for violent situations. As soon as the venue became shocked, one person immediately turned the atmosphere around.

“Hahaha! That’s great. Good! As expected, it is a skill worthy of our royal family!”

When the king, who was sitting in the most luxurious seat, smiled cheerfully, everyone in the venue began to praise, starting with the courtiers who were by the king’s side.

“Wooow!”

“He must have defeated our enemies with that skill!”

“It’s amazing to see it in person!”

Thus, the first match ended successfully. In addition, even though the first match was so intense, the venue atmosphere was rather heated. This was because it was fun to see a fierce fight between similar skills after Carl’s match.

I’m in trouble. Maybe because I ate too many cookies, I feel sleepy. Of course, some people felt bored even in the middle of this. Regardless of Fanora’s intentions, the tournament was held with great enthusiasm.

The last contestants whose names were hidden before they knew it were revealed. The knight, who appeared from the passage on the left, was the successor of a certain count. His opponent was…

“…And Duke Aloken Jalier! Greet each other with courtesy!”

No matter how much she wasn’t interested in it, her head would turn when the name of someone she knew was called. Fanora rested her chin on her hand and then glanced at the arena.

“No, why didn’t anyone tell me that Aloken is participating this year…?!”

Apart from Fanora being bored, this contestant was as eager to be beaten up just like the previous baron. It would have been rumored if a person at the duke’s level showed an intention to participate, but why didn’t he hear the information? It was as if the duke was suddenly joined today.

Out of nowhere, he had a fight with Duke Jalier, and the dry spit kept going. Well, there is an opponent like Andras, but I’d rather my opponent is the duke.

He soon felt that he was fortunate. He didn’t know what would happen if his opponent was like Carl Andras, but it wasn’t a big deal if he faced a famous gentleman like Aloken Jalier once.

Besides, if I win this match, many noble ladies will see that I’m stronger than the duke of the kingdom, including her. His parents always said to use the crisis as an opportunity. Maybe now was the time to put those teachings into practice.