Chapter 282

Chapter 282

Kwaaang! Bang!

Once again, flashes of light flooded the arena. The tremors rising from the ground resonated even more heavily, and cracks began to form in the protective barrier due to the relentless attacks.

The mages who noticed this shouted in shock.

“The barrier is breaking! Maintain it!”

“Everyone, please step back, it’s dangerous. Hurry!”

“Focus on maintenance! Who’s in charge of the left side?”

Unlike the mages moving urgently, most people remained still, intently watching the match.

This was especially true for the Imperial Defense Department executives on the second floor. They were leaning out over the railing.

Wasn’t this a crucial moment?

If, just if, Jeirutt were to lose...

Kwaaang!

At that moment, the two figures emerged from the smoke. Beric and Jeirutt were rolling on the ground, each gripping the other’s neck with their left hand.

Unlike Beric, whose sword was too long to effectively attack at close range, Jeirutt was unhindered. After all, his sword was pure magical energy without physical form.

Jeirutt burst his magic at Beric’s temple, sending Beric’s head snapping at a right angle. It felt like a breath of fresh air.

“...Kuhak!”

Jeirutt breathed roughly, massaging his own neck. They had both been strangling each other, yet why was he the only one on the verge of death? Jeirutt unconsciously thought that if he had been just a little slower, his neck might have been broken.

It had been a while. This feeling.

Bewildering, blood-boiling, and in a way, surprising.

“...Ha. Haha.”

Beric was bleeding from his nose, mouth, and even ears. With everything below his eyes bright red, he looked like a monster that had just devoured a human.

“Ah, thought my head was gonna come off.”

The Imperial Guard members remained silent, covering their mouths. Had they ever seen the captain bleed while dueling someone? Before that, had they ever seen him struggle like this?

Certainly not. Perhaps the deceased Beols and Riama had experienced it, but at least in the current Imperial Guard, there was no one who could shake Jeirutt like this.

“Captain!”

“Beric. Don’t you have any pride as a swordsman?!”

“This is cheating! Stop the match!”

“Lord Ian! We’re disappointed. This is unfair!”

The Imperial Guard members raised their voices in protest, but Ian remained calm and relaxed. He deflected the complaints directed at him to the event organizer.

“Was there any unfair aspect to Beric’s actions just now?”

“Ah, well...”

It certainly couldn’t be called fair, but it couldn’t be called unfair either. After all, he had followed all the stated rules. There was a clause prohibiting drugs, but magical power wasn’t classified as a drug.

The organizers rushed to headquarters to confirm the protests from the Imperial Guard and other departments.

Crackle! Crack!

Bang! Kwaaang!

At that moment, the continuous explosions suddenly stopped.

Beric’s sword was pressed tightly against Jeirutt’s Adam’s apple.

And Jeirutt’s sword had stopped mid-arc in the air.

The two had simultaneously frozen, instinctively sensing that the match was over. As the commotion that had been shaking the examination hall subsided, a surprisingly serene silence descended.

“What should we do? Continue? Or do you forfeit?”

“......”

Jeirutt sighed and raised his hand. It was a gesture of surrender. As he opened his palm, his magic sword disappeared, leaving only a faint trace.

“Woohoo! I won! I beat the old geezer!”

“B-Beric!”

“Sir Romandro! Did you see? Did you just see that? Amazing! Insane! Uwaaah! I love it! Ian! Did you see? I went like this, and I won! You bastards! I’m the captain now!”

Beric ran around wildly, shouting in celebration. The silence gradually broke. The crowd applauded and cheered enthusiastically, while the palace people murmured, sharing their bewilderment. In an instant, confusion swept in.

“Brother, wow, that was killer! You beat the captain! Your name’s Beric, right? You’re an unaffiliated mage-knight, right? My goodness!”

“That was incredible! Babam, bam! Wow, this is amazing.”

“Gasp. Is your side okay? The wound looks pretty deep.”

“It’s fine! Now that I’ve got a hole in my side, I’ll get even stronger when this heals. Muhahaha!”

“Well, he’s certainly not ordinary. Definitely not within normal parameters.”

“Captain! Captain! Are you alright?”

As Beric showed his canines and playfully chided him, Xiaoshi just nodded briefly. Beric, hanging on Xiaoshi’s back and continuing to make a fuss, prompted Romandro to step forward, deciding he needed to fetch him.

“Your Highness. Please wait a moment.”

“Very well.”

Jin, who had been exchanging hand waves with Beric, suddenly turned towards Ian. He had expected him to be rejoicing, or at least smiling...

‘Lord Ian?’

His calm gaze and expressionless lips were particularly striking. Perhaps because it was so noisy around, his solitary figure caught the eye even more.

Ian was staring straight ahead.

Though it wasn’t clear what he was thinking—

Tap tap tap!

“Lord Ian?”

“Ah, Your Highness.”

Jin approached and tugged on Ian’s sleeve. As if the thoughts that had been freezing him solid suddenly shattered, Ian smiled.

Ah, that’s a relief. Though he didn’t know what it was, it seemed like he had done well to interrupt Ian’s thoughts. Jin urged him, pretending nothing was amiss.

“Let’s treat Beric’s wounds and return early today.”

“Yes. That would be best. It’s quite chaotic, isn’t it?”

“It must be in turmoil both inside and out. Since Captain Jeirutt lost to a newcomer.”

Ian grasped Jin’s hand in agreement. Then, meeting his gaze, he advised:

“Yes. There will probably be a lot of talk circulating. Your Highness. You’ll likely face some commotion too, so it would be good to steel yourself.”

Though the meaning was ambiguous, Jin answered that he understood for now. Pleased by this, Ian playfully wrinkled his nose. Jin mimicked him, wrinkling his nose in return.

***

“Aha, it’s true that people should earn their keep! This, this table might break! Huh? Eat before it breaks! I’ll eat well! Yes, eat up!”

Beric sat on the bed, shoveling meat into his mouth with both hands.

The doctor wrapping bandages next to him frowned awkwardly, but Beric was not the type to care about such things. How could one stop someone who was playing both drum and gong, greeting himself?

Romandro scolded him while picking up clothes strewn on the floor.

“If you knew you had to earn your keep, why didn’t you do it earlier?”

“Sir Romandro. Come on, don’t you know life can change in an instant? I just beat the captain, didn’t I? If I become captain, huh? It’s good for me, good for Ian, and good for you too!”

“How does your way of speaking become more and more like a street ruffian...”

“Kuaak. This is delicious! Ooh!”

Ian watched this from the opposite table. Fortunately, the wounds don’t seem too deep.

“Good job, Beric. I congratulate you on your victory in advance.”

“Yeah. It was tough. But while you’re at it, could you congratulate me on becoming captain instead?”

Beric corrected him while tearing into the meat. But Ian declined with a slight smile.

“I’m sorry, but that might be difficult.”

“Why?”

“Didn’t you hear? This time, when selecting for the captain position, they’re including an internal evaluation from the Imperial Guard.”

Thud.

Beric dropped the meat he was eating. Romandro also remembered Jeirutt’s statement at the grand council and let out a small exclamation.

Taking a lesson from Riama’s betrayal, they said they would conduct a character evaluation within the Imperial Guard itself.

“W-what did you say?”

“Originally it was based primarily on ability, but this time it’s a bit different. There were concerns at the time, but now everyone will probably be relieved. It could be called Captain Jeirutt’s foresight.”

“No, damn it. How can there be such a thing?”

Beric slammed the table while holding the meat. The doctor pinched his side, signaling him to please stay still. But Beric, regardless, clutched his head in frustration.

“Please, stay still!”

“Ah, if I had known this, I wouldn’t have said I’d confiscate their salaries!”

“That doesn’t seem to be the problem, Beric.”

“Damn. I shouldn’t have stuck out my tongue!”

“...Doctor, continue the treatment.”

“Aaaaargh!”

The doctor pushed away Beric’s flailing arms above his head and tightly tied the bandage. His expression suggested he wasn’t sure if he was treating a person or an animal.

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