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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Karina! You’re coming to our cafe again today, right?”
“Of course.”
“We have a special menu today, so look forward to it!”
A special menu?
I paused mid-dunk, my bread halfway to the soup, and looked at Milia, who was chirping excitedly.
I wondered what the special menu was. I was curious.
I could ask, but…judging by her tone, she wasn’t going to reveal it easily. I would find out when we visited the cafe. I decided to look forward to Milia’s surprise.
“I hope today is uneventful…”
“If anything happens, it’ll likely be tomorrow.”
The final day of the festival was when people’s guards were down, caught up in the festivities.
We couldn’t afford to relax our vigilance. We weren’t there to enjoy the festival, but to protect Karina.
That was why I was so concerned.
When would the assassins make their move?
Today? Or tomorrow?
While it was unlikely they would attempt an assassination at every department, the lack of any attempts since the martial arts tournament was unsettling.
I had no idea what they were planning.
I preferred blatant assassination attempts. An overt attack was easier to handle. We could simply strengthen security and react accordingly.
This subtle maneuvering and prolonged inaction was far more nerve-wracking.
“Renny. Anything from the guards?”
“Nothing. They haven’t seen anything suspicious.”
Those useless guards. I shouldn’t have trusted them.
Why were the guards and Holy Knights in this world so incompetent? Was incompetence a requirement for joining?
I would have found the assassins by now.
I set down my utensils and stood up.
“I’m going to prepare for our escort duties.”
I had been trying to avoid drawing too much attention to myself, but I felt the need to retrieve something.
Philia’s relic.
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The second day of the festival began with the martial arts tournament.
Yesterday were the preliminaries, today were the finals.
I observed the finalists lined up near the VIP section of the arena, comparing them to the participants from the original story. I didn’t remember everyone, but a few seemed different.
…Was this the result of Elena’s death?
“Lewis made it to the finals.”
“He’s quite skilled. Not surprising he advanced.”
“Who do you think will win, Johann?”
“Lewis.”
“You sound confident.”
“It’s a gut feeling.”
It wasn’t a particularly difficult event in the original story, and I had been training Lewis rigorously during the break, so his skills had improved significantly.
While he might not be as powerful as the game’s protagonist, he was strong enough to be considered a rising star after this tournament.
In short, he was ready to dominate.
However, I suddenly remembered something.
One of the finalists in the original martial arts tournament was…
…Elena.
The deceased heroine.
I had completely forgotten.
The girl who was supposed to become Lewis’s rival, then his lover, was no longer among the living.
I could now see the impact of that change.
An unfamiliar finalist.
An extra, or a named character?
I didn’t recognize him. He was too prominent to be just an extra.
“Renny. Do you know anything about that man?”
“I don’t.”
I had vague memories of the other finalists, but this one was completely unfamiliar. It was concerning.
I decided to observe him closely.
I shifted my position for a better view.
“Rue. Can you sense his mana?”
[He’s too far away.]
I see.
I would need to get closer.
“Now, let the finals be~gin!”
The announcer’s cry was met with a roar of excitement from the crowd. They were probably discussing who would win. I wondered if they had something like betting here.
I observed the participants as they dispersed to prepare for their matches.
Perhaps due to the nature of the event, the participants weren’t confined to a waiting room. They were resting in tents near the sparring area in the center of the coliseum.
I wanted to go down and examine them, but…that wasn’t possible. I decided to watch the matches first. Observing their fighting styles might provide some clues.
“The first match! The rising star of the Swordsmanship department, second-year Theo Grass, versus last year’s runner-up, third-year Dennis! Who will emerge victorious?! Let the match begin!”
“Wooo!”
They were saving the more popular contestants for later?
I watched as the two contestants faced each other, swords drawn, their stances distinct. A good sword fight was always captivating.
I looked forward to the spectacle.
“Karina, who do you think will win?”
“I’m not sure, but I think the third-year, Dennis, has the advantage.”
“I think Theo, was it? He has a good chance. His stance is remarkably stable for his age.”
So they were both talented.
I observed their movements as they began to exchange blows.
Unlike my self-taught, haphazard style, their movements were precise and disciplined.
Even I, a novice when it came to swordsmanship, could tell they were skilled.
“The winner! Theo Grass!”
“See? I told you.”
I watched Theo Grass exit the arena to the cheers of the crowd, then glanced at Dennis, who was slumped in defeat.
Winner and loser.
A bittersweet story.
…That wasn’t important.
I wanted to see the unfamiliar contestant fight.
A few matches later, the moment finally arrived.
“And now, the final match of the tournament! The rising star of the first-year class, from the Knight department, Lewis Selman! And his opponent! The only remaining outside participant! The mercenary from the south, Stoke!”
…An unfamiliar name, as expected.
It sounded like an alias. It didn’t sound like a real name.
“I heard he wasn’t a particularly noteworthy opponent in the preliminaries…I wonder how strong he actually is.”
“I think Lewis will win.”
…Hearing Karina say the protagonist’s name felt…strange.
“I’m inclined to bet on Lewis as well.”
He was my student, after all, and I felt more invested in the original protagonist than in a complete unknown. We anticipated Lewis’s victory as the match began.
Lewis made the first move, aiming a swift strike at Stoke’s neck. The horizontal swing was easily blocked by Stoke. It was a fast attack, yet Stoke parried it effortlessly. This wouldn’t be an easy fight.
One strike. Two strikes. Three strikes. Four strikes. Five strikes.
The clang of steel echoed through the arena as Lewis and Stoke exchanged blows, sparks flying.
Lewis, relentlessly attacking, maintained a neutral expression, but I imagined he was feeling frustrated.
Every single one of his attacks had been blocked by Stoke’s subtly shifting blade.
Such precise parrying suggested a significant skill gap.
I had anticipated the possibility of an opponent stronger than Lewis, since this was reality, not a game, but to completely outclass him like this?
Lewis was already showing signs of fatigue, while Stoke remained unfazed.
This wasn’t someone who should be here.
Lewis was currently strong enough to defeat a newly knighted rookie, yet Stoke was toying with him? Was he a veteran knight? He didn’t look much older than Lewis.
Why was he here, dominating a student tournament?
Did he have some ulterior motive?
Wait a minute…
My gaze drifted towards Karina, who was watching the match with her hands clenched into fists.
It was difficult to tear my eyes away from her adorable display of excitement, but I had a job to do.
“Renny. I need to check something. I’ll be back.”
“What? Now?”
“Something…feels off.”
“Alright. Hurry back.”
I quickly made my way to a nearby guard and requested information on Stoke. The guard nodded and left the coliseum.
He was probably going to find the captain of the guard. Since I had mentioned Karina’s safety, he would return with the information soon.
I turned back to watch the match.
That’s when it happened.
“The winner of the final match! Stoke! After a masterful display of defense, he secured victory with a swift counterattack! Let’s give a round of applause to the victor!”
The arena erupted in applause. But I couldn’t focus on that.
Lewis had lost.
A scenario I hadn’t anticipated.
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