CH 2.4

“Send her back, Commander. This is a violation of the rules.”

It’s fascinating.

I whistled to myself seeing Ziontin in real life. How did this lump of ice develop feelings toward the heroine? There must be a reason. However, the current situation was not a good time to wonder about this.

It is a pretty bad sight to see a member and the head of the knights fighting each other because of a woman.

Since I’m acting as a crazy b*tch right now saying “Nia will go!”* would be appropriate, and when Lacius refuses to let me go, rumors will surely fly that their commander must have gone insane. But I decided to make a strategic retreat for now.

*(The original was spelled in aegyo or childish way; it’s like throwing a tantrum.)

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think much about it…”

I lowered my eyes and gently gathered my hands in front of me. At the same time, I didn’t forget to bat my eyelashes.

Looking back at me, Lacius raised his eyebrows, but the members standing behind him, both women and men, seemed to have already fallen for it.

“I knew it would be a nuisance, but at the thought that he was leaving me behind…”

Sad thoughts, onions, sad thoughts, onions.

I sniffled and shed as many tears as I could.

Then the extra knight no. 1, who was the first to say hello earlier, jumped and shouted.

“Oh, you don’t have to go!”

“Sir Luke!”

“Ziontin, the problem is that you are too stiff. Discipline is something you have to follow, of course, but our captain finally has someone to marry! Do you really have to be so cruel?” 

“But still—!”

“Of course we have to follow principles, but I think it’s not the time to stick to it. Let’s understand the lady’s feelings, shall we? Don’t you all agree?”

I’m sorry I called you an extra knight just a moment ago, Sir Luke.

I didn’t stop acting and slightly wiped my eyes.

“Is it really okay for me to be here…?”

“Of course! Of course it’s okay! Hahaha, I’ll prepare a place for the lady to sit soon!”

“Thank you, Sir… Luke.”

I deliberately pronounced his name a little longer.

It’s as if I’m calling his name affectionately.

It goes without saying that Sir Luke then became a mess.

You’re seeing the fall of discipline and rules over a beauty.

“You’re quite skilled.”

Ziontin passed by and whispered as if she had the same thought.

“Uhmm…”

“What’s wrong?”

At my agonizing face, Lacius demanded an explanation.

Of course, I couldn’t say, ‘Because she’s a character who will hate me later? But it seemed like it happened already’, so I just laughed vaguely.

The first meeting failed miserably.

‘I’m Lacius’ fiance regardless of what will happen in the future, so if the female lead appears later and starts to worry about my existence…’

Well, yes. Let me tell you what. I just planted a death flag, making a heavy sound*.

*(철썩/slap- A word used to describe the slapping sound made when a big heavy object quickly hits or sticks to something, or such a motion.)

Fortunately, everyone except Ziontin welcomed me, so I was able to sit down and watch in a pretty good seat.

This sparring conducted by each knight order every three months was called ‘Quarterly battles.’ And if a knight’s skills increase, and he defeats a higher-level knight, he will gain a higher rank.

Of course, such miracles rarely happen, but they do happen.

I have not forgotten the incident in which Dame Ziontin Adles defeated as many as twenty-seven knights just to give tribute to the female lead.

So that’s umh… Was it at the Imperial Palace Martial Arts Festival held in late autumn?

‘It was written that only the top 30 knights in each order can participate in said Martial Arts Festival. ‘

I felt a sense of dread ,because I wasn’t sure of it.

No way. Will it happen here? But it is too early to say so.

The Imperial Palace Martial Arts Meeting will be held in late autumn, when snow almost reaches up to the knees.

It’s spring now, so there will be another quarterly battle so even if she does not get in the top 30 here, she’ll still be able to participate if her rank goes up.

But for some reason, I had a feeling Ziontin is on the list of participants today

“Lacius.”

“What is Dame Ziontin Adles’ rank right now?”

I leaned over to Lacius, who was next to me, whispering in a quiet voice so no one else could hear me. Then he raised his eyebrows as if asking why.

“She’s 31st out of 50 knights.”

“Oh.” 

“Why did you ask?”

“Nothing, I just thought she’d be in the top 30 today.”

But Lacius, who listened to me, looked surprised.

“How do you know that?”

“Huh?”

“You’ve never seen Ziontin’s ability.”

“Well, it’s because…”

A reckless remark shot me in the foot. I rolled my eyes around and thought of an excuse.

I have magical eyes so I can see the level above your head…..

‘That excuse won’t work here.’

While delaying my answer, two knights stood face to face in the grounds. Each had a card on the chest that I hadn’t seen before, and it seemed to indicate their current ranking.

“Wow, are you writing the rankings openly like that?”

It was a good chance, so I quickly turned the subject around.

Then Lacius, without taking the suspicious look off his eyes, explained,

“Basically, a lower-ranking knight applies for a match against a higher-ranking knight. If you defeat a knight of that rank, you will swap ranks.”

“Then the top knights … would be put into shame if they lost.”

“Yes.”

“Wow, then they must train really hard not to lose.”

I was astonished. Not going to war doesn’t mean you won’t face a war. If you lose, you would have to carry such shame for at least three months.

I shook my head. If it were me, I would probably get mad, run around and roll back and forth. Gnashing my teeth, I would do my best with a knife in my mouth*.

*(Being prepared to die if you fall down/ fail/ lose.)

I shook my head.

‘Who is the poor knight that will play that role today…?’

As if it were just an intro, the first match was nothing but a few blows, and it ended in a bland manner.

Well, they are ranked fourth and fifth. There wouldn’t be much of a difference.

I waited eagerly for Ziontin’s turn, chewing on the cookies Sir Luke had prepared for me.

This was just an outing to create a rumor, ‘A crazy woman chased after him even to the Rentus Knights training hall!’, but it was more enjoyable than I thought.

“Next match is between Sir Ziontin Adles, 31st, and Lord Orman Terlos, 19th!”

As expected, will Ziontin qualifying for the Imperial Martial Arts Association really happen here?