CH 26

'I wonder if I have to watch another match or two.'

Thinking about when my turn was going to come I saw another match end. A short waiting time was given to everyone, and in the meantime, a servant from afar approached me and said to me.

"Prince Physis Ortair. Your match will start soon. So now you need to go to the tournament waiting room."

“Oh okay. I'm going.”

I finally got to the point where I had to go to the waiting room for my match.

“Adilun. I guess I have to go and get ready.”

Adilun stared at me at my words and nodded.

“Yes. Be careful. And this…”

Then she took something out of her arms and gave it to me.

It was a new handkerchief, not much different from the one she had given me last time. However, the pattern engraved on the handkerchief was slightly different.

The elaborately carved dragon was now holding a sword.

The dragon was the symbol of Rodenov, and the sword was the symbol of Ortaire, so the dragon with the sword in it must mean an alliance between the two places and harmony between them.

When the hell did she prepare a handkerchief like this?

While thinking this, I suddenly remembered that Adilun had stayed in the inn yesterday to take a break, and at that very moment, I realized why she hadn’t come out of the inn all day.

But why did she even do this?

Adilun told me to do my best for us. Perhaps this handkerchief was an extension of that request.

And if that's the case, then I have to do my very best. Not simply for the name of the family or for the prestige of her and me.

But for our promise.

“I will do my best this time too.”

“I don’t want you to win, and it's not important if you win or not. So just don’t get hurt. It will be quite dangerous as you can not use mana.”

Just like the last time, she told me curtly that I shouldn't get hurt.

Somehow it seemed to be the opposite of handing me a handkerchief, but I knew that it was her own concern and worry for me, so I answered her with a smile.

“Do not worry. Then, I will go now.”

“Yes.”

* * *

In the private waiting room of the tournament, the servants were dressing me in the armor my older brother had sent.

The wearing of the armor ended with a dull metal sound.

Normally the armors are heavy, but the armor made with the technology of the Ortaire estate, where metallurgy and blacksmithing skills were very developed, was much lighter than any other armor.

In addition, even without mana, my body did not feel any burden even though I was wearing very heavy-looking armor, probably because I had been training endlessly. 

“Sir Physis Ortaire. The preparations are over. ”

The title of sir can be called only after being formally knighted, but since knighthood was temporarily granted to all those who participated in the tournament, my current official title was now Sir Physis Ortaire.

“Yes.”

“Can you mount a horse? Let me know if you need any help.”

“Okay. I can do it...”

To the servant’s question, I simply replied that I was fine and mounted the horse.

The horse seemed to have been well-reared as it was not weak. On the contrary, it can be said that it was a very excellent one.

Although It was natural because the horses here were directly managed by the imperial family, even so, it seemed because the imperial family considered the National Foundation Day tournament as an important event, such excellent horses were given out for the tournament.

“Let’s go.”

I gently stroked the horse’s mane and said to the servant.

“I understand, Sir.”

After leaving the private waiting room, a long passage leading to the arena unfolded. In the aisle, I saw a knight who looked like my opponent. 

That knight rode his horse, gave me a glance, and passed.

However, I was able to look into his eyes which laughed at me in those glances. Well, it’s natural since I’ve never had a history of raising my name through jousting.

His face was covered by a mask, So I could not tell who he was, but it didn’t really matter to me. After all, at the tournament, that person will experience the humiliation of being completely broken by the opponent he despises.

In that brief moment, I matched my body movements with those of the horse.

Originally, it would require countless training, but I didn’t really need it. Because I have already figured out with my mana eyes how this horse moves.

After seeing this horse I also understood that this was definitely a war horse. It must be a horse that has gone through countless training sessions to defeat its opponents.

If I advance as the horse advances, the enemy’s torso will be at the end. 

It will know much better than a newbie like me who is new to fighting on horseback.

Therefore, it would not be difficult to defeat the enemy by assimilating me into the horse’s gaze, the horse’s breath, and the horse’s movement.

Of course, to me who was accustomed to fighting alone, doing something on horseback was quite unfamiliar. but… …It wasn’t too bad though.

Suddenly, my vision was clear. At the end of the long passage, the appearance of the vast tournament arena finally came into view.

"Yaaaaa!!"

"Woahhh!!!"

The voices of the tens of thousands of spectators shouting at the advance of the knights were truly overwhelming. I had not enough words to say anything about it.

The excitement they showed, made my heart race.

And finally, my opponent and I met each other’s eyes, and at that moment, each of the servants came forward and spit out stories about their own knights.

“...Therefore! Who is the winner of the recent hunting competition! Who is the reverse warrior who killed a ferocious monster with shiny golden hair with only two fists!”

“Physis! Physis!”

In fact, rumors that I had beaten a monster to death in a hunting competition quickly spread to the streets of the festival. So that's why there were many people who shouted my name too. But I was embarrassed on listening to their shouts. It was the first time for me to be in this kind of situation.

Anyway, as if the other side did not want to lose, he introduced the opponent with brilliant rhetoric. And finally, all the procedures were over.

In front of my eyes was the knight I had just encountered, holding a huge lance.

I also lifted the lance given to me.

A rugged wooden lance was given to all knights without much decoration by the imperial family. However, the atmosphere of the tournament overflowing with excitement had the power to make this lance look like a weapon from a myth.

Raising our lances, we pointed them to each other.

Of course, being in it would not be a pure courtesy.

Like me, that person must be wrapped up in many thoughts.

But even so, there was one thing in common between me and that person, and that was...

A warrior’s will to crush the enemy.

-Boooo

Flags were raised and horns resounded- and my horse shot forward.

* * *

The scenery passes by and all kinds of sounds come together to sting my ears. The sound of a horse running on the ground, the sound of a horse breathing heavily, and cheers echoing throughout the arena resounded.

However, I turned my attention away from all of that and rushed furiously at the opponent's side, but I saw him holding a lance and aiming at me.

How is he going to attack with that lance? Will he treat me as a beginner and simply attack quickly and hard, or will he wait for my lance to move and press it down?

'No, it doesn't matter. I don't have to judge that.'

Now that my eyes were looking at him, everything about him was being thoroughly penetrated by my eyes.

The place he was aiming for was the center of my chest.

That guy was looking down on me. Otherwise, there would be no way he would have made such a simple and direct attack.

Even if he was confident in his strength, in the end, it is the difference in technique that decides the outcome.

He attacked directly with the unfounded conviction that his speed is faster than mine.

It’s funny. Even if the opponent didn’t make a name for himself in the tournament, you must never be arrogant.

An arrogant knight deserves to be humiliated.

The moment he aimed his lance for the center of my chest, I pressed his lance with mine, disrupting the target, and then stabbed it in the center of his chest.

-Quaang!

In an instant, his lance lost its power and went past me in vain, but my lance hit the center of the opponent’s chest and made a loud noise.

At the same time, he fell off his horse.

It was a knockout; The game was decided at once.