CH 2.5

The scene of Ziontin standing alone, covered in dirt after beating all the remaining players at the Martial Arts Festival was cited as one the best scenes in the original.

Especially after that, when she didn’t forget to approach the female lead, who was in a state of astonishment, took off her helmet, knelt down on her knees, and said, ‘I dedicate this victory to this noble Lady.’ First of all, it was so cool.

Thus, Ziontin won the role as the female lead’s knight escort.

My heart fluttered at the thought that I would be able to see the beginning of that historic scene firsthand.

“Greetings! Unsheath your swords!”

Following the command, the two knights bowed their heads to greet each other, then drew their swords and raised them in front of their chests. Since it was a real sword fight, both  wore helmets.

It was difficult to recognize them, but looking at their physiques, the one with the blue tassel on her head seemed to be Ziontin.

“…..!”

The match began without a sound.

I thought both would remain still without moving, but suddenly Ziontin disappeared from sight.

Surprised, I opened my eyes wide.

But without having the chance to do so, in just a minute,

Clang!

The sharp sound of clashing swords ripped through the air.

‘Ugh!’

I quickly covered my ears because my eardrums were about to burst. Gosh, this feels more intense than I thought.

“Ziontin’s skills have improved a lot.”

Lacius didn’t even bat an eye as if he was used to it. He just quietly watched the battle and made his evaluations.

I frowned at the harsh noises that continued after that.

Imagine someone playing the cymbals right next to your ears for an hour.

Chaeng-chaeng-raeng. Chaeng-chaeng!

That’s exactly what it feels like.

“Is it hard to bear?”

“My ears… hurt…”

“If you’ve never seen a formal sparring match, that’s understandable.”

Lacius alternated between the match, which showed no signs of ending, and me, who was blocking my ears.

After that, he tilted his upper body toward me as if he had a good idea.

“Hey, do you see the servant standing near the practice swords?”

“Uh, I do. Why?”

“It’s the princess’s spy, and even knowing that I decided to let it go. Since he’s deliberately standing there where he can see us well… I thought it would be nice to make a good scene for him to see.”

Well, yes. Just because we’re in the knights’ territory doesn’t mean there won’t be any spies.

I struggled to nod. I decided to draw and bring super strong earplugs next time.

Lacius then grabbed my hands and gently lowered them. Instead, he covered my ears with his.

‘Uh…?’

What is it? Is it because his hands are big or does Lasius have a special ability on his palms?

The noise was significantly less deafening than before. It was much more bearable, so I smiled sincerely at Lacius.

“Thank you.”

It was said that no man could resist falling in love with villainess no. 4 when she smiled so sincerely like this. But I guess Lacius was an exception.

“….The match will end soon.”

As expected, his cold voice remained unchanged.

Then I followed Lacius’ gaze and looked at the sparring field.

The two knights kept their distance from each other, preparing to deliver the final blow.

I asked Lacius while thinking of a way to salvage the first encounter I had ruined earlier.

“Can I pick one person and cheer for him?”

“Well… That isn’t impossible. Every knight goes on a fight with a lady’s support anyway.”

“Well, good.”

Voice decibel of 70 and with a high frequency,

I breathed in a huff and gave strength to my diaphragm and shouted at Ziontin.

“Milk-skinned* Ziontin! Good-looking Ziontin for the win!”

*(A word used by fans to cheer for their idols or celebrities. Also used to express white & clear skin.) 

For the win… win… win…

My cry echoed. At the same time, the whole field fell into cold silence.

No matter how much this country’s people did not pay attention to others, I knew immediately something was wrong.

I hurriedly looked at Lacius; he already took his hands off my ears and showed a serious face.

‘But… why are the corners of your mouth twitching?’

I knew he found it funny but didn’t dare to laugh. So, I guess the cheering he was referring to wasn’t like this…

It was then.

Clang-grang!

There was a sound of metal hitting stone.

When I forcibly moved my stiff neck and looked down, I saw a pair of pale blue eyes staring at me in anger.

“Haha, ahaha. I didn’t mean to embarrass you…”

“……”

“I’m sorry, please continue with your battle.”

Grit.

She gnashed her teeth. That gnashing of teeth.

I fell into the illusion of seeing her beckoning me to come to the afterlife. Seeing me like that, Lacius bursted into laughter.

“Whatever you do, you always exceed expectations.”

“That’s not a compliment, right? Sir Adeles seems to hate it so much.”

Mom… It seems that your daughter has no talent in making friends even after falling into another world.

I only had two friends in real life. And since I came here like this, I wanted to use my face to increase my friends somehow.

I let out a deep sigh as I felt the strength in my shoulders dwindle.

“There’s nothing to be intimidated about. She’s just very shy.”

“Shy… …? Is that a reaction that came out of embarrassment.…?”

Oh my god, I’m sure if someone makes her shy twice she’ll kill that someone.

Unable to believe what Lacius said, I was left astonished. I’m afraid she would be too embarrassed and shyly cut my neck.

Lacius opened his mouth with a smile as if he was enjoying the situation…

“Actually, I thought you would cheer for the other side, not Dame Adles.”

“The other side? Why?”

“Ziontin tried to kick you out earlier.”

Look, I know the situation is like that, but I still want to be friends with Ziontin… I know our relationship was set up to ‘hate’ in the first place, but still…

Knowing how tenaciously she’ll pursue and deal with those who will interfere with the female lead, makes me want to befriend her unconditionally. I want to be in Ziontin’s ‘protecting’ range.

“You must be so happy to be supported by such a beautiful woman.”

“Shut up.”

When Ziontin took off her helmet, her opponent also untied the string under his chin.

Ziontin’s opponent, ‘Orman Terlos,’ a man who looked like melted butter, even though they are both blonde, Lacius’s and Orman’s vibes were completely different.

Ziontin, with an icy expression like the north wind, did not even spare me a glance at all. Instead, she raised the sword straight and looked at her opponent with seriousness.

The wind slowly blew around Ziontin.

“She’s awakened but still weak.”

Lacius assessed it as great but it wasn’t a big deal yet; nevertheless, I felt the inside of the palm of my hand getting wet with sweat.

Ziontin created wind. Grains of sand rolled around, and the wind gradually got stronger and stronger.

It got to the point where even I, who sat in the audience, got my hair  blown away!

Ziontin then took a leap forward.

Wow. I heard that people could be rendered speechless when they were really surprised; that’s actually true.

I swallowed hard while watching the fierce battle between the two knights. Neither side was willing to lose. Neither side was backing down.

I was mesmerized by the battle unfolding right before my eyes. It would be really hard to swing the sword for almost half an hour, but Ziontin had constant speed and unwavering motions.

‘Mr. Butter on the other hand…’’

Unfortunately, he was melting.

Still, he was ranked 19th in the Rentus Knights so there’s no way he lacked skills. It was reasonable to think that Ziontin was just great.

Chaee-aeng!

Finally, with the sound of the blades clashing, the sword flew out of Mr. Butter’s hand.

The sword that spun around in the air and crashed on the floor was a great symbol of victory.

“Good job. Change the ranking table.”

Lacius stood up and clapped his hands. The other knights who were waiting also applauded together, and Mr. Butter accepted the clean defeat. I, too, applauded as best as I could.

Wow, it’s really cool.

“What kind of skill is that wind just now?”

When I tilted my head and asked, Lacius briefly nodded.

“Rather than a skill, it is more appropriate to view it as a force that manifests itself when you reach a certain level.”

“I see. Then does it mean they have stronger sword power?”

“Yes.”

Then, how much effort did she have to make to reach that level?

I liked people who work hard. Of course, I am a super lazy person, but isn’t it nice to look at someone who is busily moving all day? It feels like I’m working hard too.

Somehow I felt like I became a fan of Ziontin.

“Next is … uh, Ziontin?”

A knight who was acting similar to a host paused while trying to call out the names for the next knights to fight. Ziontin resheathed her sword yet. Then, she walked in front of the audience.

I was puzzled by what Ziontin was trying to do.

“As the winner of the match, I ask the captain for a duel.”

“I accept it.”

Lacius stood up from his seat.

I gasped for air in this unexpected situation. A fight? Like the last one? You two?!