Chapter 2: The Joust

1

At last, the day of the joust arrived. Before the tournament began, Duke Aurelia brought Erika out to see the procession of various dragons gathered from all across the land. They came in shades of red, blue, white, black, and more, and their scales ranged from orthodox solid colors to patterns of dappled spots or mesmerizing stripes. From gentle-looking giants to dragons with menacing faces covered in spikes, they all kindly welcomed the spectators.

“There is an astounding number of humans and dragons here.”

“Yes, the joust is one of the more prestigious contests of our united kingdoms.”

Tirnanog was by Erika’s side, carrying her leather bag as per usual. However, once they reached the spectator seats, he was to go off on his own.

“Tir, we should only do it as a last resort, but...”

“Leave it to me. If I get serious, there is no human who can outrun me.”

August wasn’t supposed to appear in the joust, but there was no guarantee there would be no surprises. On the off chance there were, Erika wouldn’t be able to leave her seat in a jiffy, so the plan was for Tirnanog to tail August and track down the beast.

Erika pressed on with her father.

The spectators and dragoons weren’t the only ones interacting with the dragons. Researchers dispatched from Lindis dotted the place, examining the dragons and taking notes. They wore the badge of the crested ibis, and they could be made out at a glance. One member of this fine group raised his head and called out.

“Is that the Honorable Duke of Aurelia? It has been far too long, Your Grace!”

“Oh, hello, Elric.”

The man named Elric was a naïve, friendly, and gentle-looking young man. His hair was ruffled and gray, and his eyebrows gave off the impression that he was prone to worry. His eyes were gray with a faint hint of violet. He wore a gray robe that seemed to be his personal attire rather than a uniform. His awkward, somewhat troubled smile left such a strong impression that it took closer inspection to see that he rivalled Eduard with his dashing looks.

Wait a minute. Elric? I’m pretty sure he’s one of the game’s potential love interests. Erika reveled in her unexpected good fortune. This man could be none other than Elric Actorius, the professor from Liber Monstrorum.

Elric and the duke got into a friendly chat. From what she could glean from it, he was Eduard’s contemporary, and while still a student, had come to the Adventmas festivities as a teacher’s assistant. He spoke with an overly serious look on his face, but the fact that his glasses were just a little crooked made him seem a bit like a dolt. Erika squirmed at her growing urge to straighten them.

He was apparently a close friend of Eduard’s, but Erika couldn’t comprehend why they would get along.

Do they have a shared interest or something? Ah, come to think of it...

Erika recalled how he’d majored in magic beast research. In that case, there was nothing peculiar about him being close to her brother.

Once all the formalities were out of the way, Elric’s eyes turned to Erika.

“Right, I don’t think you’ve met before. This is my daughter, Erika,” said Ernst.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Elric.” Erika tried to greet him with as childish of a smile as she could muster.

“Oh, no need for that. I’m just a lowly commoner student, after all.” Elric’s cheeks flushed ever so slightly, and as he spoke he attempted to correct his glasses with shaking hands.

Duke Aurelia honored his humility with a warm smile. “Eduard told me all about how your papers are getting published one after the next,” the duke said, teasing him. “You’re still so young, yet you show a lot of promise.” Apparently, Elric really was a talented and earnest individual.

“I still have a ways to go... My research can only move forward thanks to Eduard, you know.”

“Wow, that’s incredible. Should I call you Mr. Actorius?”

“Oh no, oh no, oh no. I’m still a student, so, um, that’s far more than I deserve!”

As Erika gazed at him with sparkling eyes, his face turned redder and redder, and he began to panic. Duke Aurelia was not oblivious to this, so he casually changed the subject to give the young man a hand.

“Come to think of it, what are you here for, Elric? Did you come to help out with the matches?”

“I’m here to inspect the dragons who will participate today. We need to make sure no one’s doping them with potions or using dangerous equipment that’s prohibited in friendly matches.”

Erika was secretly appalled. She had never even considered that the dragoons of this country would go so far as to use such underhanded means. Did that just go to show how serious the competitors were?

“Oh! On that note, do you know where Eduard is, by any chance?”

“My son had some...” the duke paused and looked around before continuing, “pressing matters to attend to.”

All I know is that it was a royal decree, and he has to carry it out in secret. Though from her father’s reaction, Erika realized he quite likely knew the details of the mission.

“Is he investigating the desecration of those graves? First Lindis, and now this. There have been way too many of them lately.”

“No, I can’t go into detail right now, but it’s something else.”

“I see... Got it.”

There was something Elric had said that intrigued Erika.

An incident in Lindis... Is he talking about that night we ventured into the Seafarer’s Ruins?

That night, Eduard had hurried to the Academy of Magic for some urgent business. If it had been another case of desecration, that would explain his haste.

As Erika was putting together what she’d gathered thus far, Duke Aurelia and Elric suddenly looked at her as though finally remembering she was there. Erika smiled back, putting on an act as an oblivious little girl.

“Alright, let’s leave it at that.”

“Err, of course!”

Their conversation came to an abrupt end. The looks on both their faces made it clear they had accidentally let Erika hear something they shouldn’t have been discussing at all.

“Until next time, Elric.”

“Certainly, Your Grace. I’ll be counting on you.”

After parting ways with Elric, the duke and Erika made way for the joust’s VIP section. That was where they would find the seats prepared explicitly for the royal family and the three formerly royal houses—Hafan, Lucanlandt, and Aurelia.

Will August be there? Erika grew increasingly worried. He’s not going to sneak off and ride a dragon... is he?

She entered the stadium gates, a slight anxiety urging her on.

☆

The jousting stadium had been decorated with banners bearing the symbol of each region.

A red flame and golden dragon for the south.

A white flower and silver wolf for the north.

A silver moon and black forest for the east.

A golden star and lapis sea for the west.

The VIP seats were built just a little higher than the normal guest seats. Instead of steering them toward the gold and blue banner, Duke Aurelia led Erika to the red one.

The king and queen, as well as the twin prince and princess, were already there, as were Duchess Hafan and Anne. Thanks to the tragedy the year before, the seats for Lucanlandt were all vacant.

August was nowhere in sight.

“Do you know where August is?” Erika casually asked his parents after giving her greetings.

“He said he wasn’t feeling well and returned to his room. He used to look forward to watching the joust every year. I wonder what happened. I can’t help but feel sorry for the boy,” said the king.

“I’m sure August will be happy to know you’re so worried about him,” the queen added politely. Both her and her husband’s eyes were gentle as they looked at Erika.

“I said something rude to August at the banquet the night before last, so I wanted a chance to apologize. It’s a shame, but it will have to wait until next time. You have my utmost gratitude for this invitation to the joust.”

Erika lowered her head, then went and took a seat in her father’s shadow.

Is he really in his room?

She wanted to confirm his actual whereabouts, but in this situation, it would be difficult to slip away and check. That being the case, what was she supposed to do if she sent Tirnanog out and then something unforeseen happened here? She needed to keep her priorities straight.

Her gaze fell upon Tirnanog at her feet, who was still on standby for the time being.

“Oh, I see Blackcurrant is flying this year, Your Majesty.”

“By God, you’re right! I always envy those eyes of yours, Ernst. Who’s the rider?”

Duke Aurelia had immediately started up a friendly conversation with the king.

“They’re wearing a helmet, so I can’t see their face. Solid black armor, no crest... and a blue ribbon wrapped around the left arm.”

“A mysterious black knight? What’s more, with an oath to a lady? Now this should be a sight to see. Oh, this takes me back. In my younger days, I too would hide my face to participate. I was just around August’s age, and it irritated me to no end how the age restriction prevented me from joining in earnest.”

The king looked over the dragoons with childish glee.

He must really like dragons.

But while she found the king getting worked up like a young boy somewhat heartwarming, Erika couldn’t ignore the disturbing words that had emerged during their chat. An unidentified black knight with a blue ribbon... The fact that the king was also allowed to hide his face and participate bothered her.

It can’t be him, right?

Feeling uneasy, Erika asked her father upfront, “Father, which dragon is Blackcurrant?”

“You see that large, black dragon? She’s a twenty-meter class, open to all spur-of-the-moment competitors if they think they can handle her.”

Her eyes followed Duke Aurelia’s pointer finger to a magnificent black dragon.

“The joust is also a means to pick out talented prospective dragoons, young Erika,” King Henri explained, “You know, the ones who would otherwise be drowned out by the crowds. But when it comes to the twenty-meter class, the rider must be considerably skilled. It’s been five years since Blackcurrant has flown with a last-minute entry.”

“In other words, Erika, while that black knight might not belong to a brigade, he is an incredibly competent rider,” Duke Aurelia added.

“Even if Blackcurrant is mild-mannered, she’s still a twenty-meter class. Simply riding her is a commendable feat. That’s precisely the sort of talent I’m looking for,” said the king, looking rapturously at the black dragon and black-clad rider.

The more she heard, the more Erika’s suspicions grew.

That has to be August on Blackcurrant, right? Please, please, just be some nameless, unrelated genius.

Just in case it was August, she prayed to whoever would listen, Please, don’t let him fall from his dragon.

But with no heed to these prayers, the horn to signal the start of the joust resounded through the stadium.

2

Adventmas joust matches were divided into three different classes. The five-meter class consisted of dragons with an overall wingspan of about five meters—these were roughly three meters from nose to tail and comparable to a pony in body size. Secondly, the ten-meter class had a wingspan of ten meters and an overall length of around six. Finally, the largest class was made up of dragons with a wingspan of twenty meters, which were twelve-meter-long behemoths.

The arena was surrounded by magicians deploying a protective circle. Alchemists armed with Shield wands and Barrier wands were ready on standby.

The five- and ten-meter-class matches proceeded without issue. The ten-meter victor, a knight atop a bronze dragon, was showered in flowers and cheers as he triumphantly raised his left hand to the crowd. Farther down his arm was a ribbon tied neatly over his armor. Had this knight also sworn devotion to some noble lady?

The fierce downpour of flowers continued even as the bronze dragon made its exit. A number of garlands ended up caught on its horn and spikes. During the course of Adventmas, the victorious knights were hailed as heroes while their dragons would be garnished with even more flowers, adored and respected by all.

Erika joined in from her VIP seat, tossing a garland that had been prepared for her. As she did so, she locked eyes with Anne, who was sitting on the opposite side of Ignitia’s royal family. The two shared a smile.

Come to think of it, what happened to Claus after that? Was he alright? I’ll have to ask her all about it.

Erika strained her ears to pick up the conversation between Anne, the queen, and Duchess Hafan. They had gotten into a heated discussion about how to tastefully carry oneself in Ignitian dresses, and how to protect the skin from the southern sun, among other quite womanly topics.

And here she was, getting all worked up over dragons with her father and the king. They were worlds apart, or so Erika thought as she offered a self-deprecating chuckle.

As that was going on, the joust shifted to the twenty-meter class. Even though Erika wasn’t participating herself, she could feel herself grow ever more anxious. The black-clad knight who might be August had the first match.

A black dragon and bronze dragon descended to the arena. Just one flap of their wings was enough to scatter Erika’s golden locks hither and thither. Previously, when the dragons had flown in close, she had been assailed by such strong gusts that she’d been afraid she might be blown out of her seat. But when the twenty-meter class came out, she was practically sucked into a vicious cyclone.

Right before the match began, Duke Aurelia and the king activated Raptor’s Sight with their wands.

The Raptor’s Sight wand had a tip of hawk’s eye. Its shaft was maple with a hexagonal basket-weave pattern engraved into its surface, then sealed with euphrasia-based resin. Its pommel was carved in the shape of an eagle’s head, and its wick was a powdered mixture of bone from ten different species of raptors.

Its effect improved visual acuity, making it perfect for the match.

“Hmm, I see a bit of gold embroidery on his blue ribbon. Judging by that color combination, I take it his lovely lady is from Aurelia? He’s quite small for a knight. It’s a pity I can’t see his face. This is going to bug me for a while.”

With his enhanced eyes, the king took a long, hard look at the mysterious knight.

Erika’s heart skipped a beat and then sank. The king’s description of the ribbon matched the one Erika had given August.

“Do you want to have a look, little lady? Here, use this. My treat.”

“But, Your Majesty—”

“Now, now, what does it matter?”

Suppressing Duke Aurelia’s objection, the king handed over his wand with a grin.

“It is an honor.”

While she felt a little guilty, Erika accepted it. Now that it had come to this, she had to use this opportunity to make absolutely certain whether or not that black knight was August.

“I can hardly bring myself to ask when I’m already taking advantage of your kindness, but may I swing it twice?”

“Go ahead. Go wild. Swing it however you want,” the king said happily.

Erika equipped a silk alchemist’s glove her brother had given her as a gift before using the Raptor’s Sight wand. Just one swing was more than enough to follow the match, and two swings improved her sight even further.

I knew it! That’s my ribbon!

The ribbon wrapped around the knight’s arm enlarged in her vision as though she were zooming in with a camera lens. It was blue cloth with gold embroidery. The design was a match, and it had been hand-tailored, so it would be nigh impossible to find another just like it.

In other words, that black knight hiding his identity was August. She was now certain of it.

What do I do? Erika was taken aback. By this point, all she could do was pray he didn’t fall and try to think of the right words to say to him if he did.

At that moment, the whistle was blown. The two opposing dragoons brandished their long spears and bowed to one another.

In a dragon joust, two dragoons competed against each other for superiority. If it were held as a death match, there wouldn’t be nearly enough dragoons to spare, so instead, it was set up similar to point sparring.

Small wooden shields were affixed to three points: the rider’s left shoulder, the dragon’s left chest, and the rear left of the saddle. Victory was determined when any one of them was destroyed. The riders were permitted only one long spear and one sword to accomplish this. Additionally, if a rider fell from his saddle or dropped both of his weapons, the game went to his opponent.

The dragon itself could be used for defense or as a distraction, but any direct attacks with its claws, fangs, and breath were prohibited.

After the bow, the two wrapped their right arms around their spears and readied their charge. The masses of black and bronze took off in a cloud of dust, rapidly rising higher and higher as their massive wings caught the wind.

“Impressive. I could see he wasn’t just anyone from how he carried himself on the ground, but this is something else.”

“What do you mean by that, sire?”

The king joyfully answered this question, as if he had been waiting for someone to ask. “You see, dragons are creatures that reflect the mental state of their riders. Even more so when it comes to battle. Have a look. The sway of the black dragon’s neck is much more contained than the bronze dragon’s, right? Blackcurrant has always been a good-natured dragon, but it’s quite rare for her to trust a first-time rider to that degree.”

An ominous thought crossed Erika’s mind.

When did he get so good at riding? Don’t tell me he already made his contract!

While she fretted, the match was already reaching its climax. The dragons entangled like a tornado, crossing paths time and again in the air. Simply chasing the black and bronze shadows that swapped places at a dizzying pace almost made Erika nauseous.

Under August’s control, Blackcurrant was at times as daring as an eagle, at times as graceful as a swallow, skillfully skirting around the enemy dragon with her massive body and just barely staying out of reach.

August had more than just riding skills up his sleeve; his spearmanship was also that of a seasoned rider. It was like he had become one with the dragon, his spear acting as another one of Blackcurrant’s claws. Even their breathing was in sync as he aimed at the opposing dragoon.

The spears met once, then twice, and finally, August went in for the kill. As his opponent brushed aside his spear for a third time, August disappeared from his field of vision. Blackcurrant executed a nose dive the instant his opponent fell for his feint. Slipping right by the bronze dragon’s stomach, August used the force his foe had imparted to his spear to spin it into a reverse grip.

Not a moment after Blackcurrant took the bronze dragon’s rear, August channeled the momentum of the sharp turn into his weapon and slammed it into the back of his opponent’s saddle.

His quick work took only two seconds to execute. By the time his foe had turned to see him, a bisected, wooden shield was already headed for the ground.

The referee raised a flag from the stand. It was August’s victory.

Applause erupted from the crowd, and both the king and Duke Aurelia spared no effort in heaping praise on this mysterious figure.

“His skill with the spear is commendable, Your Majesty. I can hardly believe he is a young boy.”

“Indeed. Perhaps he’s already made a name for himself on horseback.”

The knight on the bronze dragon removed his helmet and raised a hand in resignation. August, meanwhile, passed overhead while flying upside-down, lightly high-fiving the knight as he went by.

It took some skillful control to pull off that acrobatic maneuver, flying just close enough to barely make contact.

The aghast look from the bronze knight was met with a playful wave of the hand. Surely the black knight was giving a refreshing smile under his helmet. Instead of showing his face, he did a trick, standing up on the unsteady saddle of his soaring dragon and bowing to the audience.

Once again, the crowd whipped up a whirlwind of cheers. It was still only the first match, yet the crowd was gushing. The king sprang to his feet, banging his hands together.

“Magnificent! I’m getting that black knight onto our brigade no matter what! It really is a shame... I wish August could have seen that! I’m sure he would have been that knight’s biggest fan!” The king offered his high praise not knowing he was talking about his own son.

The black knight and his dragon steadily piled up victories, moving through the bracket toward the finals. In the final match, he would face off against the silver-armored Louie atop his white dragon, Camellia. The fuse was lit on this fateful confrontation.

3

The grounds were quite devastated by the time the semifinals reached their close, and some tidying up was in order. A number of dragons with stalwart, bull-like builds pulled along what looked like oversized rakes; apparently, just leveling the vast arena took ample time and effort.

The finals would be held with the yet-unmasked August on Blackcurrant going up against Louie Ode-Ignitia on Camellia. It wasn’t just August; Louie had also reached the finals through a stream of one-sided victories.

In all of Louie’s matches, Camellia had exceeded his competitors’ dragons in both speed and power. Even if there hadn’t been much disparity in the riders’ abilities, the differences in the dragons’ physical abilities had been too wide of a gap to bridge. If that wasn’t enough, Louie had a thing for playing rough. He was prohibited from using his dragon’s fangs, claws, and breath, but he made full use of everything else available to him.

This crude way of fighting was a staple in the Ignitia-Karkinos region, which was a land at war more often than not. The dragoons who hailed from this region, both the greenhorns and the seasoned veterans, carried with them an abundance of real combat experience. Their combat style included riding techniques that were tailored to take down giants.

“As a knight, I cannot praise his way of fighting, but as a soldier, he is admirable. The violent way he conducts his matches will be a good wake-up call to our young knights who haven’t fought many real battles.”

“I see. Still, you seem much more interested in Blackcurrant’s anonymous rider.”

“Can you blame me? I am but a lowly child of man. My intentions as a king are a separate matter from my personal interests.” The king winked at Duke Aurelia, and the momentary gesture made him strongly resemble August. “An incredible rider’s taken the stage. Did you see his coiling movements?! Magnificent!”

“His offense was so bold, I could hardly believe he wasn’t a proper dragoon.”

Henri was completely entranced by how the black knight fought. Even Erika, who had barely any knowledge on the subject, could sense a sort of beauty in the way he used his spear that she couldn’t quite put into words.

While the king and the duke enjoyed their pleasant chat, a visitor climbed up to the nobles’ seats.

“Hello, Your Majesty, Your Grace. I apologize for interrupting your conversation.”

“Oh, Elric, my boy. Did something happen?”

“The inspection team raised a report of suspected foul play through magic.”

Elric took out a roll of parchment from the folds of his robe, and the two gentlemen took a peek.

“Hmm, magic cast on Blackcurrant... The black knight must have done it, then.”

“So it seems, Your Majesty. Due to the incident in Hafan, each and every one of our highly skilled magicians are out, so we don’t have the full details. All we could pick up were the faint traces of concealment magic to skillfully cover up whatever has been done.”

Erika froze in place. There had been no mention of August using foul play in the match anywhere in Liber Monstrorum, nor did she take him as the sort who would. Doing something so questionable to be able to ride wouldn’t clear up the doubts about his blood, so to August, such trickery would be completely meaningless.

Then someone is plotting something.

Or perhaps, since her actions had changed the initial setting, another force had gotten to work correcting history. As she considered the idea, a large cheer rose from the crowd. The black and white dragons had entered the ring.

Unable to contain himself, the king jumped up and screamed, “What is the meaning of this?! Why has the match begun?! We’re still deliberating!”

“My apologies, Your Majesty! I came to you first thing and neglected to inform the other departments!” Elric fell into a panic. His hand trembled as he corrected his glasses, and he was about to race off somewhere when Duke Aurelia called him to a halt.

“Calm down. Whatever the case, let’s confirm the facts.”

“A match can’t just be suspended once it’s begun. Not even by order of the king. What we must do right now is gather information and decide on our policy so we can swiftly handle the matter the moment this match is settled.”

In response, Duke Aurelia nodded and pulled out a wand—Glámr-Sight, with an emerald tip and sugar maple shaft. This one had been custom-made; it was a little longer than the one Eduard used, and the image of a peacock was inlaid on the surface of the emerald in gold.

Duke Aurelia was also known as Long-Armed Ernst. This stemmed from his special ability to enhance the scope and range of the magic in his wands. In Aurelia’s naval battles, his role was to launch powerful bombardments from beyond the horizon. The tools he used were all modified to make best use of his gift.

His eyes trained on the black dragon that had already taken off into the sky, Duke Aurelia swung the wand. While the magic circle that manifested over both his eyes was the same as with normal Glámr-Sight, it was joined with several others that stacked atop one another until it looked like he was wearing binoculars.

“Oh, I see. The source of the magic is the stirrup. It’s been hidden under several layers of concealment. I can see how he made it through the pre-match inspection.”

Those words took Erika by surprise. Did August really cheat? She didn’t want to think so and prayed it was all some sort of mistake.

“But that one’s harmless. At the very least, he is not illegally enhancing the dragon. The magic he’s using is Intoxicate.”

Intoxicate was a spell that bestowed upon its target the same effects as copious amounts of alcohol.

The king broke into a relieved smile. “Intoxicate? If that actually strengthened people, our bars would be overflowing with valiant warriors. Rather, I’m surprised he can handle a drunk dragon that splendidly.”

As the king had said, a drunken dragon was a dangerous beast one would do best to stay away from.

Duke Aurelia shrugged. “That being said, this is a problem. An Intoxicate spell still breaks the rules of the competition.”

“If he loses, we can keep our lips sealed and deal with it internally... but that black knight doesn’t look like he’ll go down so easily. Even with the shackles of Intoxicate holding him down.” The king thought for a while, giving a slow nod once he reached his decision. “Alright, let them continue. Look at the faces of the crowd. We’ll have a riot if we cut it short. Though unfortunately, even if the black knight wins, we cannot treat him as the victor.”

“You just want to watch the match, don’t you, sire?”

“Haha, was it that obvious?” The king mischievously smirked. However, he quickly made a more serious face before issuing orders to Elric. “You heard the meat of it, Elric. This is the message you will pass to the other departments: the spell is Intoxicate, and it is neither enhancing the dragon nor the rider. He presumably bought a cursed item by mistake, but even with that taken into consideration, the black knight has committed a violation. We will give a verdict once the match is decided. Wait patiently for now.”

“Understood.”

Elric bowed, slipped out of the VIP seats, and raced down the stairs. He nearly tripped as the crowd abruptly raised another ruckus. Erika, Henri, and Ernst blankly returned their gazes to the two dragons.

August and Louie had immediately broken into a complicated series of turns through the air as they scrambled to take the other’s rear. It did seem Louie had the slight advantage, having more opportunities to launch an offense. However, while August was being pushed back, he gave his undivided attention to evading, and he had yet to take a single blow.

“As I expected, even Louie is having a hard time with the black knight. If his skills are equal to a seasoned veteran like Louie, then perhaps he’s the son of some high noble who hid his face to take part,” the king surmised.

August continued to move and dodge as if he had no blind spots at all. These were movements only permissible by Ignitia’s dragoons, who could borrow the eyes of their dragons to take in their surroundings. The dragon could see through the human’s eyes and the human through the dragon’s, allowing them to compensate for each other’s weaknesses. The greater one’s mastery of riding, the clearer the image was conveyed and the longer one could maintain their shared sight.

However, even if their level of perception was equal, Camellia had the advantage when it came to strength. August had the upper hand in maneuverability, but as his mount lacked the speed, even if he took a sharp turn and tried to shake off his foes, they would immediately catch up and attack from above.

This difference in dragons of the same class came down to a difference in rearing. Blackcurrant was a generic-purpose dragon reared by knights on shifts, while Camellia was raised by an affluent noble house who’d hired a full team of staff to look after her. Her superiority was simply inevitable.

“Still, I find it hard to believe that a mere difference in environment accounts for Camellia’s supremacy... Though I guess it wouldn’t be strange for the Ode-Ignitia House to hide a secret or two on how to raise a strong dragon,” said the king, tilting his head.

Despite riding a dragon with lesser abilities, August continued to dodge. Additionally, the times when August would take the rear and attack were gradually increasing. He had managed to overturn a physical disadvantage with technique alone.

In response, Louie’s white dragon was trying to trip up Blackcurrant with her tail and wings more often. He was gradually growing more underhanded as the match went on. By contrast, August took whatever chance presented itself with fluid, efficient movements.

The crowd would boo with each of Louie’s attacks and cheer with each of August’s. The prince certainly had a natural talent for charming people. Erika determined, then and there, that she would throw her garland for August whether he won or lost.

Bit by bit, Camellia’s turns grew duller. Her fatigue was evidently accumulating after being forced into so many unreasonable maneuvers. This continued until the balance crumbled and Louie had changed from hunter to hunted.

August stuck his black dragon firmly behind Louie, aiming for a gap in his defenses. The instant Camellia staggered, coming out of a rotation, he thrust.

Erika was sure the match had finally been decided, only for Louie to rip off his mantle and toss it at August’s face at the last second.

This tactic, just barely within the scope of the rules, filled the air with boos and jeers. But Louie attacked, paying absolutely no mind to the vilification raining down upon him.

His thrust had no speed behind it, so Blackcurrant avoided it easily, but what he did manage to do was tangle up August’s spear and snatch it away. As he barreled past, Louie aimed for an extra bonus, sending his dragon’s tail lashing out at the black knight’s face to sweep him off his mount.

A metallic clang echoed through the arena. The black helmet fell to the ground, bent out of shape. The crowd cried out.

Having narrowly avoided Louie’s cheap shot, the black knight was still on his dragon. But the price he paid was too great.

The blond hair contained by the helmet floated up as it was exposed to the breeze. His skin, as white as alabaster, was revealed to all who saw him. Completely mismatched with his crude, black armor, a boy as petite and elegant as a young girl appeared from within.

4

The moment August’s identity was revealed, Louie stopped in his tracks. He lifted his visor, grinned sadistically, and said something, though he was much too far away for Erika to hear it.

August gritted his teeth to withstand what had most definitely been an insult.

The crowd, meanwhile, had yet to decide on the right reaction to the black knight’s true identity. Should they consider August a skilled dragoon unlike what the rumors had to say? Or should they interpret all of the black knight’s deeds to be a malevolent deception?

Erika couldn’t tell which way things would go.

“Could it be...? Is that really August? Is that black knight our son?”

“Yes, there’s no doubt about it, dear. That’s our August,” the queen firmly declared with a soft smile. Up until a moment ago, she had been watching in silence. She placed her palm over the king’s shaking hand.

“So, our August finally managed to ride... And how daringly, how elegantly he soars through the skies.”

“Of course. He is our child, the rightful heir of Ignitia.”

“I believed. By God, I believed. But I never thought my heart would tremble like this when the proof was presented before me.”

“I feel the same way.”

“But Lord, how cruel fate must be. My son has performed such praiseworthy feats, yet I must chide him for his transgression and declare his defeat.” The king hung his head. “If only he hadn’t flown at the sacred joust... If only the dragon he rode wasn’t Blackcurrant with an enchanted stirrup!”

The queen used her handkerchief to wipe away the tears streaming down her husband’s face even as her own continued to flow. These were not only tragic tears to lament the twists of fate; they were tears of heartfelt delight that their son had proven his ability to ride a dragon.

Unfortunately, word spread among those who didn’t know the real August—the onlookers who were familiar with the prince of scandals—and soon, curses and looks of disdain were being cast his way. While August was surrounded by these venomous voices, Louie brandished his spear.

The situation had turned on its head, and now the crowd was cheering for Louie. The boy grinned wide as he ordered Camellia to close in on the prince.

Blackcurrant’s balance crumbled as she avoided Camellia’s body blow. Taking his chance, Louie unleashed his spear. Sparks flew as its metal tip glanced off the edge of August’s sword.

It was close, but August had drawn his sword just in time.

Even an amateur like Erika could tell that Louie’s childish attack had been meant to draw blood. As it stood, he was four years older than his foe, and his merciless onslaught came from a higher elevation.

“He parried? Possible in a match of spears, perhaps, but with a sword?” Duke Aurelia groaned as he watched the tense exchange. Barring coincidence, it would have been generally impossible.

In battles between dragoons, the larger the dragons were, the higher their relative velocity and the worse their maneuverability. In a twenty-meter-class match, the skills necessary to parry an attack were beyond comparison to any of the lower classes.

Additionally, having larger dragons made it more difficult for the dragoons to close in on each other. There was an instinctive understanding that even the slightest contact could easily lead to being dismounted, which put weapons with smaller reach at an overwhelming disadvantage.

Over the joust’s long history, only three people had ever triumphed in the twenty-meter class after losing their spear. And it was not as if those three had won through pure swordsmanship alone.

“The established practice is to keep taking attacks with the dragon’s scales until the spear eventually breaks, but it looks like he has other plans.”

Once his tears had dried, the king’s eyes were fixed on August so firmly that he didn’t even dare to blink.

As of yet, August was still at a stark disadvantage. Louie continued a one-sided assault without giving him a chance to breathe, and August had no means of counterattacking.

“Is it possible for him to turn things around from here?” Erika asked.

“Don’t worry; just keep watching. If August has learned anything from all the jousts he’s watched in his life, he’ll surely have noticed the move he must make. And he has the skills to pull it off.”

At the king’s urging, Erika remained focused on the match.

The next moment was when the stalemate would take a turn. The moment she thought Louie had struck the shield on August’s chest, August diverted its course ever so slightly so that it slid between his arm and flank. Getting to work at once, he wrapped his left arm around it.

At first, it looked like a reckless game of tug of war. As August refused to drop his sword, surely Louie, who was gripping his spear in both hands, had the advantage. However, in that same motion, August had tangled Blackcurrant’s reins around the spear shaft.

Blackcurrant gave her head a forceful shake. Any resistance Louie could offer proved ineffective, and his spear was snatched away by the combined efforts of man and dragon.

After putting some distance between them, August tossed the stolen lance aside. Now it was sword on sword—an even match.

“You did it! I’m glad you remembered, August. That’s the move that won the ten-meter-class’ semifinals three years ago!” the king cried cheerfully. Before he knew it, he was clenching his fists. While he had just been lamenting fate, the sight of August’s accomplishment had brought his spirits right back.

“His Highness Prince August has the advantage in pure riding skill, while Louie has the upper hand in experience and physique. Now that it’s become more difficult to rely on the dragons’ abilities, I’d say the match is fifty-fifty.”

“You’d better be bloody well prepared to take on my son in a battle of attrition. He’s way more trained than he looks!”

Erika recalled how August had easily lifted up her heavy leather bag and how stable his steps had been when they danced. August had ceaselessly worked to train his body in preparation for the fateful day when he would ride a dragon.

Now that he had lost his spear, Louie shifted his strategy. He had Camellia take distance as he raised his sword in a defensive stance.

But August’s response was one no one had expected. Blackcurrant began to climb higher and higher. The expression on August’s face was so fearless, it was clear he was not running away. The spectators fell silent as they watched him.

Under so many watchful eyes, August had Blackcurrant do a loop with the sun at her back. The silhouette of the dragon and dragoon was overwritten by its radiance. It was a sight so brilliant it sealed every eye shut, and in that instant, August made his move.

After a strong flap, Blackcurrant switched to a dive. Her wings were folded in to reduce air resistance; her attack stance resembled the focused descent of a kingfisher or a falcon.

For a moment, Louie simply stared dumbfounded at Blackcurrant’s rapid approach. At this rate, the two dragons would collide. His choices were to either evade or intercept, but August didn’t give him the chance to decide.

Like thread intertwining, Blackcurrant slickly slid around Camellia as she failed to get away. After this narrow pass, the black dragon skimmed the ground for a sudden brake, spreading out her wings to slow to a hover.

Louie was left out in the air. He didn’t turn around as August was sheathing his sword. Six fragments of wood fluttered haphazardly to the ground. Every shield fastened to Louie and Camellia had been split in two.

It was as if August had passed a string through a series of stationary needles while riding a horse at full speed. With this astounding precision, August had torn through Louie’s defenses.

Soon, Camellia landed with her rider in a stupor. The stadium was still silent.

As everyone gaped at August, their faces made it clear they couldn’t believe what they had just seen. The only sound was the beating of Blackcurrant’s wings.

And through this stillness, Erika alone moved. She picked up the garland prepared for her and tossed it his way.

August lightly patted Blackcurrant on the neck. His trusty steed immediately understood his intention, spreading her wings out wide and rising into the air. Blackcurrant skimmed the top of the crowd, allowing August to catch the ring of flowers in midair.

Erika waved her hand, and August waved back with his ribbon-adorned arm.

Finally, the referee returned to his senses and raised the flag to signal August’s victory. The cheers that resounded were great enough to shake the earth. The stadium was filled with the claps and cheers of passionate onlookers.

Erika continued throwing garlands one after the next, and the rider and dragon who faithfully caught every one of them were soon bedecked with vibrant flora.

Most importantly, August had proven his innocence. After witnessing riding skills that harkened back to those of ancient kings and heroes, the people would surely accept him.

That’s one thing off the table. Erika breathed a sigh of relief.

Evidently, he had made it clear whether he could ride a dragon or not. Even if he was disqualified, if it was explained that he hadn’t actually done anything unfair, the populace would continue to accept him henceforth.

“August! My son! My little hero!”

The king had jumped up onto the handrail, spreading his arms wide. August responded with a wave, and the two of them shared a beaming smile.

Blackcurrant, meanwhile, did a loop, a tailspin, and various other acrobatic maneuvers to answer the applause. In the midst of this sideshow, as man and dragon climbed high one last time to perform the move that would ultimately conclude the finals, something dreadful happened.

“Mrrhee!”

Blackcurrant let out a bitter whimper. At such a high altitude, the black dragon suddenly began thrashing in pain and whipping around August on her back. It was almost as if she was trying to shake him off.

Erika had a terrible feeling about this, like an ice-cold hand was stroking her back.

It can’t be... No, he’s come so far. He can’t fall now.

Her anxiety hit the mark as Blackcurrant began to gyrate like a black tornado. She was now far more violent than she had been in the match. Her crude movements completely disregarded the fact she had a rider.

The boy in black armor was tossed out into the air. He wasn’t even flinching; all the whips and turns must have rendered him unconscious.

As he fell defenselessly through the air, Blackcurrant should have been the first one to come to his aid, and yet she wouldn’t even look at him.

“August!” Erika found herself screaming. That was all she could do.

The queen also cried his name, her voice more desperate than anyone else’s. The king called for his own dragon to catch the boy, but he was far too late.

Only Duke Aurelia moved forward with purpose, as if time were flowing differently for him. He opened his leather alchemist bag and took out a Feather Fall wand. However, this was no ordinary Feather Fall wand—it was engraved with a verse in ancient Aurelian extolling the wind, and it had undergone various methods to increase its effective range. It was a wand for him, and him alone.

The duke concentrated on the falling August, took aim, and swung. A spell that would normally reach no more than five meters, through the ability of the best alchemist in the world, deployed more than a hundred meters away.

When the faint, white, membranous magic circle came into contact with August’s body, it broke into miniscule fragments and scattered.

It was as if August, along with his disheveled garlands, had forgotten that gravity existed. He fell for an astoundingly long long time; every second seemed to drag out. The scene of him falling through the white, magic lights made it look like his feathers were being plucked away.

The angel who had dreamed of flying had seen everything taken from him the moment his wish had come true, and in the end, he was left crawling on the dirt.