A Riot of Cherry Blossoms

A Riot of Cherry Blossoms

The Royal Sword Fighting Tournament was held at a former fortress, not too far away from the royal castle. Back during the kingdom’s founding period, when the demons had still existed in larger numbers, the royal family’s ancestors had built the fortress to protect the citizens and lay the groundwork for future prosperity. These ancient and honored remnants were this nation’s birthplace. Apparently, the fortress’s original form had been preserved as much as possible in order to praise the great achievements of the founders and inform posterity of the cruel conditions at the time.

Seeing how the rampart and the defense tower had been knocked down to place the noble visitors’ seats made me realize how peaceful the times were. The founders would be raging at the sight of this fortress, which had become useless for any wars. Nevertheless, as a spectator, I appreciated the nice view of the arena in the courtyard.

I had been allocated a seat together with the Sacula family, quite high up on the stands. While it was a bit far away from the actual fighting grounds, it provided a commanding top-down view and spacious seats for a comfortable spectating experience. Further down, the seats were so closely packed together that the spectators ended up bumping each other’s elbows, and there were standing stalls too. However, since the lower seats were the closest to the arena, even some renowned nobles intentionally watched the tournament from there. In fact, the upper seats were only so spacious because this tournament was considered another opportunity for the high-ranked nobility to make courtesy calls and discuss business. Just like the dance party, it was a social meeting place.

Nepton Officer Raino was currently making the rounds. She opened her eyes wide upon discovering me. “Sir Fenix?! What are you doing here in the stands?! I was just about to wish your liege good luck because I heard that the house of Sacula’s representative is fighting in the next match!”

“Well, I am not a participant, so naturally I would be here, no?” I never once said I’d fight myself. Although I’ll admit that I didn’t clarify the misunderstanding.

It was not unusual for the entrants to stay secret until the day of the tournament. Each noble house was allotted a bracket for which they could send a fighter. And since one could only participate via their referral, the participants fought in the noble houses’ names rather than their own. Even the matchings were listed under the sponsor’s name so that the spectators did not know the fighters’ identity until right before the beginning of the duel when they entered the arena.

“Th-Then who is the house of Sacula’s representative?”

“I promised you a stellar show, right?”

Without directly answering Officer Raino’s question, I shifted my attention to the arena. The opponent had just been introduced, so she would get her answer soon. Getting my hint, Officer Raino swallowed dryly and looked down.

Inside the ring, the man who had been introduced first assumed the starting position. He looked like a typical sword fighter, wearing steel-reinforced, full-body leather armor and carrying a helmet in his hand.

Moments later, his opponent’s name was announced.

“Up next, fighting for the house of Sacula—Maika Amanobe Sacula!”

Upon hearing the announcement, the crowd was momentarily dumbfounded. It was very rare to come across a female participant in this tournament. However, she was not the first one, and the older spectators, who had witnessed multiple tournaments, should have seen a female fighter before. Therefore, if it had just been any woman, the crowd should have resumed their cheers after an initial surprise. However, the silence dragged on because the house of Sacula’s representative had “Sacula” as her family name.

The applause still had not resumed. As the bewilderment was spreading across the arena, the girl carrying the Sacula name made her entrance. She appeared like a leading actress. Her hair fluttered in the wind in tandem with her leisurely pace, and her gentle smile did not suggest that she was about to engage in a fight. She was wearing light, breezy leather armor made up solely of a breastplate, shin guards, and coverings for wrists and hands. No helmet. Most importantly for the spectators, she looked extremely cute. No doubt they must have found it hard to believe that such an adorable girl would fight in the tournament. However, once she had assumed the starting position opposite her opponent under the fervent gaze of everyone present, the crowd realized that the cute girl would indeed fight. Roaring applause ensued at once.

“S-Sir Fenix! That girl, that girl...!” Officer Raino was shaking my shoulder in her extreme confusion.

“You heard right. It is Maika Amanobe Sacula. The granddaughter of...” I looked at the count, who together with his eldest son was cheering for Lady Maika as loudly as possible. Probably louder than their battle cries. To me, they simply looked like a granddad and uncle who had come to support their beloved relative, but they were in fact the top leaders of a region. “...His Excellency Count Sacula.”

“W-Wait, what?!”

It must have been shocking in more than one way. From the fact that she had not once showed up at a social gathering since coming to the royal capital to the fact that a noble’s relative was participating in a tournament where people potentially fought to the death. Still, the most shocking part was yet to come, shortly after the start of the duel.

“Now, this is where it gets interesting, Officer Raino.”

The two duelists inside the ring bowed and drew their swords. Even from afar, you could tell that Lady Maika’s opponent did not look fully prepared. For some reason, he was groundlessly underestimating Lady Maika for being a young girl.

“Looks like this match will be over in an instant. Make sure to watch closely or you will miss it,” I warned.

“Huh? What?” Officer Raino’s confusion just kept increasing.

Just stay quiet and don’t look aside.

The judge signaled the start of the match. Lady Maika’s opponent took half a step forward from his middle-level posture and lightly swung his sword. His aim appeared to be lightly striking Lady Maika’s sword. However, it did not make sense as a first move. The blow was too weak to break her weapon or even brush it aside. Could it be that he was holding back? My condolences, then.

The opponent looked puzzled. The girl had not blocked the blow. In fact, she had disappeared from his sight. The man’s glance alternatively switched between his sword and the spot where Lady Maika had stood moments before. It probably took him about two seconds to notice the blade point at his neck. While it was a blunt sword, its point must have still felt cold and heavy.

“Shall we continue?” the girl asked in a serene voice while pressing her sword against her opponent’s neck through the crack between his armor and helmet.

“N-No... I give up.”

Upon hearing his capitulation, Lady Maika sheathed her sword with the grace of a flying bird. It was such a quick duel that the arena was even more dumbfounded than earlier, during her entrance. Lady Maika did not seem to care and raised both her arms to celebrate her victory. She looked in our direction, where her uncle and grandfather normally—albeit with wild enthusiasm—cheered for her, unlike the rest of the crowd. I also clapped moderately and bowed my head.

Thereupon, murmuring voices started spreading throughout the venue, mentioning “headhunting” and saying things like, “There’s no way I’ll ever forget that technique.” In the blink of an eye, the murmurs had spread across the arena like fire in a desolate field. Of course, that also included my neighbor.

“Are they saying ‘headhunting,’ Sir Fenix? Is that the legendary headhunting technique?”

“I do not know about legendary, but...our teacher did call it ‘headhunting’ when he taught Maika and me.”

Our teacher was of course Chief Klein. And while the technique was called “headhunting,” its aim was not to chop off your opponent’s head. In fact, it was not even an offensive technique at all. “Headhunting” referred to a way of dodging your opponent’s attacks.

According to this world’s theory, one of the keys to success in battle was to let your opponent strike first and then make your move after throwing them off balance—the theory of second-move advantage. Headhunting was an evasion technique that had evolved from that logic. First, you dodged your opponent’s attack, and then you used the opening to move to a position from where you could safely land a blow yourself.

Originally, it had not really been a specific technique, but people had started calling it “headhunting.” And once that name had caught on, Chief Klein had also started using it, despite thinking it was an odd name choice, which I agreed with. Why give it such a dangerous name even though it was not even an offensive move? At most you could call it a counter.

After evading an attack, Chief Klein slipped behind his opponent’s back and held his sword against the nape of their neck, forcing them to surrender. Exactly how Lady Maika had won her first match. As a result, the spectators who still remembered Chief Klein’s victory had referred to it as “headhunting.”

“Both you and that girl trained under headhunter Sir Klein? That explains your skill...”

“Compared to Maika, I am a pupil unworthy of my teacher.” Although people always praised my keen perception, I could not disappear from my opponent’s field of view like that.

“Pupils of the legendary headhunter Sir Klein... Wait a minute...” Officer Raino racked her brains as if she had just remembered something. “If I remember correctly, headhunter Sir Klein asked for His Excellency’s daughter’s hand in marriage after winning the tournament. They became an ideal for many couples across the kingdom at the time. A famous love story.”

“So I have heard. However, Chief Klein never told me himself. He seemed too embarrassed.”

“And Lady Maika is His Excellency’s granddaughter...”

“That is right.”

After processing my answers for a while, Officer Raino asked one final question.

“So...does that mean...Lady Maika is Sir Klein’s daughter?”

“Yes, she is his only daughter.” Did she really have to think it through that hard?

In response, Officer Raino’s cheeks flushed. She started yelling in a high-pitched voice as if she had come across a gold mine. “No way! I can’t believe I’m looking at the legendary lovers’ daughter with my own eyes! I want to know what she’s like! From here I can vaguely tell that she’s lovely, but she must be really pretty, right? And why is she fighting in the tournament?!”

All this talk of romance had stimulated Officer Raino’s feminine side and sent her into overdrive. Overwhelmed, I did not know how to deal with this fierce yet beautiful beast of prey.

Luckily, Count Gentoh came to my rescue. “Officer Raino.”

“Oh! Y-Your Excellency, I apologize for getting carried away,” Officer Raino hurriedly extinguished her burning curiosity with a superior showing up.

“Don’t worry about it! By the way, do you remember how I told you marriage proposals for Sir Fenix should wait until after the tournament?” Count Gentoh asked with a satisfied smile.

“Yes, I remember.”

“That wasn’t just an expedient lie—I meant it literally. Depending on the results, someone might end up stealing away Sir Fenix.”

“Does that mean...?”

“Wouldn’t you agree that Sir Fenix is quite the sinner? To make a talented girl like her, who’s also Sacula’s heiress, go this far?” Count Gentoh said with a grin on his face.

“What a twist! Sir Fenix being the prize... I like it! That makes it even more exciting! Headhunter Sir Klein’s daughter seems so passionate! Like father, like daughter!” Officer Raino very flexibly turned her head to look over her shoulders. How did she do that? What’s her neck made of?

I was slowly beginning to understand why the legendary headhunter Sir Klein did not like to talk about his marriage proposal. While Count Gentoh strategically laid the groundwork to block all my escape routes, Officer Raino was just genuinely enjoying herself. Admittedly, it did sound like a romance straight out of a fairy tale. Still, as the person in question, I had mixed feelings. It was unexpectedly embarrassing and awkward. I just wanted them to forget about the whole thing.

Officer Raino had started questioning me about the start of my romance with Lady Maika and how we felt about each other. As I was struggling, Mr. Lusus unexpectedly came to my help. I had not anticipated seeing him here.

“Sir Fenix! You really were in the spectator seats!”

“Can I help you, Lusus?”

“In fact, yes you can.”

Apparently, Mr. Lusus was part of the medical team treating the wounded during the tournament. While bloodshed was not the goal, the matches were still harsh enough that they regularly resulted in deaths. There was a lot of work for the doctors, so they could use anyone with medical knowledge.

It had already seemed like Mr. Lusus wanted to ask for my help back at the Fenix Institute of Education, but he had probably refrained from bringing it up because he had thought I would be participating in the tournament. However, as it turned out, the house of Sacula’s fighter was not me. Therefore, he must have run up here to the nobility seats to check whether I was available.

“I am terribly sorry to interrupt your viewing, Sir Fenix, but would you be able to help me treat the wounded?”

“Of course. I can only do first-aid treatment, but I will help however I can.”

Mr. Lusus humbly smiled as if he had just seen an end to the stormy weather. “Your help exceeds that of a hundred people.”

That might be a little exaggerated. I smiled wryly and turned toward my liege. “Your Excellency, you heard what he said. May I go?”

“I’m not going to tell you no. However, don’t blame me if Maika gets angry.”

“I will watch her matches whenever possible.” Judging from the other performances so far, it did not look like her matches would drag on too long, so I would likely be able to make time for them.

“You’ve got amazing faith in her.” Officer Raino looked at me, deeply moved.

“Yes, I know her skill with a sword better than anyone else.”

After all, our morning and evening training sessions were still ongoing whenever I was available.

Mr. Lusus had brought me to a treatment room with bunk beds. Several medical workers were busy treating patients. According to Mr. Lusus, all the patients in this room had comparatively light injuries. The severely wounded people were taken to separate private rooms.

Promptly, a young person who looked like he had just lost his match was carried into the room. Mr. Lusus and I nodded at each other and proceeded to examine him. Apparently, his armor had absorbed a hit from a sword against his right-side flank. The blueish black bruises looked painful.

“Do you have any trouble breathing? No? I see. I will touch it now, so tell me if it hurts.” Mr. Lusus interviewed and examined his patient in a much softer voice than usual.

I was watching from the side. It did not seem like any bones were broken, so a painkiller and anti-inflammatory drugs should do the trick. I took the medicine out of the medical kit and handed it to Mr. Lusus, who gratefully nodded after proclaiming his diagnosis.

As he wrapped the patient’s body in bandages, the next one already arrived. Quite the busy day. Or perhaps the other medical workers were just slow. How much time did it take them to rub some ointment on an injury? Since no one else was available, I walked up to the patient.

“What happened? It looks like your left ankle is swollen.”

“Huh? Are you a doctor? I assumed you were a fellow knight...” The patient eyed my uniform and tilted his head.

Yeah, I don’t exactly look like a medical professional. “I am assisting Dr. Lusus today. He is busy at the moment, so I will start with a simple physical exam.”

“Hm... Well, I guess as a fellow knight you’re used to dealing with wounds.” For some reason, he was convinced and proceeded to roll up the sleeve of his trousers to show his left ankle. “I think I slightly twisted it. It doesn’t hurt too much, but I have another duel coming up, so I wanted to get it checked out.”

“I see. Lay down on the bed. I will have a look.” I grabbed his ankle and slowly rotated it while asking the patient how much it hurt. “Yes, it looks like a minor sprain. Nothing serious. But it will likely get worse if you keep competing.”

“Oh, okay. I obviously intend to keep winning, so is there anything you can do?”

Resting would have been the best treatment, but I guessed that was not an option for him. It looked like he would fight in the next round regardless of whether he received treatment or not. Therefore, all I could do was try and stabilize the ankle as well as possible.

“Let me see... If you intend on pushing through, I can make it slightly less bad.”

I suggested tightly wrapping a bandage over a poultice of medicinal herbs. That would somewhat stabilize the ankle’s movement and slow down the rate of inflammation.

“How tight will it be?”

“It would be faster if I showed you. It is more effective the tighter it is, but I will adjust it to your preference.”

When I wrapped it as tightly as possible at first, he frowned to signal his discomfort. Thus, I nodded and loosened it a little.

“Yeah, it’s still tight...but my ankle hurts less.”

“Because the bandage is shouldering the ankle’s load. I am sorry I cannot help you any further. Do you think you will be all right?”

“Well. I shouldn’t really ask for too much after injuring myself. I’ll try to fight as best as I can. So...” After repeatedly checking his ankle’s condition, the man nodded with a confident look on his face. “I should be able to fight well enough like this. Thanks for the treatment.”

“I am glad I could help. If the pain gets worse, feel free to come back.”

“Will do.” The man started walking trying to put as little weight on his left leg as possible. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. “Please forgive my rudeness. My name is Seus Argos, knight of Nepton. What is your name, if you don’t mind me asking?”

The man represented the house of Nepton. It looked like there were a lot of good-natured people working for them.

“You were not rude at all. I am Ash George Fenix, knight of Sacula.”

“Sir Fenix? I believe Officer Raino mentioned you.”

“Yes, that is probably me. She was talking with me just a little bit ago in the stands.”

“Oh! Officer Raino was speaking quite highly of you, so I hoped to run into you.” Sir Argos glanced at his left foot before smiling and scratching his head. “I didn’t think it would be in the care unit rather than the arena.”

“Somehow Officer Raino mistakenly thought that I would be participating in the tournament. Fortunately, Sacula’s fighter is much stronger than me.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting them. I’ll take my leave now.”

Sir Argos bowed his head and briskly walked off. His manner of speaking was distinct, his movements energetic, and he had a refreshing martial spirit. After seeing him off, I shifted my focus to the next patient.

The first day of the tournament had come to an end, and it was time to close the care unit. Today had been the day with the most duels. Luckily, no one had died so far. The biggest injury had been an arm fracture, and a rather mild one at that. The contestant had been in a lot of pain but was not in danger of dying. An open fracture—bones piercing through the skin—would have been fatal in this world. It was also impossible to completely recover from a comminuted fracture with the current level of medical advancements. That’s why everyone had been relieved upon discovering it was just a simple bone fracture, which could be treated.

Working together for a whole day had strengthened the sense of community amongst all the medical staff. Now that our shift was over, everyone was getting ready to leave. No, wait a moment... The room was still dirty from today’s activities. Extremely unsanitary conditions, with sheets covered in bloodstains and dust.

“Who will clean the treatment room?” That would be a dreadful job, so we should have prepared a token of gratitude.

Mr. Lusus frowned next to me. His reply was as unpleasant as a lump of mud. “We’ll leave it like that for tomorrow’s shift.”

“Come again?!”

Something clattered in my mind. It was probably the sound of my tolerance and restraint breaking into pieces...and a merciless war machine emerging.

“Are you planning to work under such unhygienic conditions tomorrow?” I asked.

“We’ve been requesting cleaners for years, but so far the organizers have not done anything.” Mr. Lusus grimaced. The others looked dreary and exhausted too.

While they had the right to veto, it was also obvious that there would be more patients with lacerations tomorrow. There had already been quite a few today. And every medical professional knew the consequences of bacteria entering those wounds. The medical technology in this world may have been underdeveloped, but since some knowledge had been inherited from the ancient civilization, the concept of hygiene existed. Yet it was disregarded.

Not on my watch! I was furious, naturally. It was a treacherous affront to that age-old knowledge and a massacre of medical ethics and good morals. The Imperial Supreme Court of Ash rules those repulsive misdeeds crimes of high treason punishable only by capital punishment.

“Very well. Time to clean up then,” I forcefully proclaimed.

Everyone else looked troubled. After spending the entire day tending to the wounded, they probably did not have any energy left. Understandable, especially since the tournament would continue for another two days and people would keep getting injured.

“Do you have a plan, Sir Fenix?” Mr. Lusus, who already knew me to some extent, asked in a hopeful voice. And he was right. It was not my style to recklessly stay up all night with a never-give-up spirit.

“In essence, we need more people. Therefore, if we can convince others to help, our problem will be solved. First, who is actually the organizer of this tournament?”

It may have been pointless to enlist helpers without talking it through with the organizers first. Following my question, someone replied saying, “The royal family.” That made sense. After all, it was the Royal Sword Fighting Tournament. In other words, I needed to approach the royal family to solve this problem. Piece of cake.

“I will talk to Her Highness Princess Alicia. You all should go rest and prepare for tomorrow’s shift.”

Having connections was great. At once, I ran off toward His Excellency Count Sacula.

The next morning, the treatment room was cleaned to perfection. Yes, perfection. In fact, it was even cleaner than yesterday morning before the first patient had been brought in. There were no traces left of any blood or dust on the floor, and it no longer looked like an antiquated sickbay, but rather an elegant medical ward. The rattling bed’s frameworks had been reinforced, and the white sheets were of visibly higher quality than the previous ones.

Mr. Lusus and the other coworkers, who had seen the room on the first day before the first patient, stood petrified in the doorway upon seeing this degree of perfection. As I had been taking a nap, I arrived late, and my first job of the day was pushing everyone inside.

“All right, everyone! Let us give our best today too!”

Today I had come prepared with a white gown, fully motivated to work hard. Hopefully, there would not be too many seriously injured fighters.

“Sir Fenix! How on earth did you manage this overnight?” Mr. Lusus pressed me for an answer.

“As I told you last night, I just talked to Her Highness Princess Alicia.”

Lady Alicia was the architect of this dramatic remodeling. Count Gentoh had relayed my message about the medical ward’s condition to Lady Alicia, who then had dispatched a platoon of her personal servants and maids alongside a horse carriage to the house of Sacula’s mansion.

“Greetings, my name is Amin. Her Highness Princess Alicia ordered us to clean the Royal Sword Fighting Tournament’s medical ward in accordance with Sir Fenix’s instructions.” The representative maid had introduced herself after making the very disciplined group form a line.

When researching livestock manure, Lady Alicia had been in charge of summarizing the report on the importance of hygiene. Accordingly, she immediately knew what needed to be done upon receiving my report. I had been right to place my trust in her. In fact, she had exceeded my expectations. Certainly, I had not expected her to send help. She had saved me a lot of trouble. I had been prepared to entice help from the nobles of the Sacula faction.

Since the reliable supreme commander had left me in charge of the field operations, I had promptly led the assault on the medical ward. We had temporarily carried the beds outside to thoroughly clean the place. The laundry unit had washed the sheets using the princess’s beloved phoenix soap. Here the horse carriage had come into play—it had transported a load of sheets. Even though we had washed the old sheets, they would not have dried in time. Anticipating this, Her Highness Princess Alicia had assembled sheets from her surroundings and stuffed them into a carriage.

“Meticulous, as expected.”

Gratefully, I had put the top-quality royal sheets on the shabby beds. Meanwhile, the servants and maids had also shown great competence. While carrying the bunk beds, one of the maids had noticed them rattling.

“Sir Fenix, should I call my family for help?” she had suggested with a frown. Apparently, this girl was quite direct about expressing her emotions.

“Why? Is there a problem?” I asked.

The maid had assured me that everything had been progressing smoothly before going on to voice her discontent with a fierce, combative look on her face.

“I’ve heard that you treat the wounds of our kingdom’s chosen top warriors here in this room after they’ve fought to the best of their abilities. But look at the beds! They look like they’ll break any minute! I don’t think that’s worthy of warriors who sustained wounds in honorable combat!”

I see. I nodded. She was right. When I had first entered the medical ward, I had also felt that it was lacking.

“I appreciate your input. By the way, what does your family do for a living?”

“They run a small woodworking shop.” Makes sense. Growing up surrounded by woodworkers would make you fussy about such things.

“In that case, would you mind asking them? Let me know about the costs.”

“Okay! I’ll go home and fetch someone!” After a brief salute, the maid had hastily run off.

Seconds later, another maid had taken her place. “We should discuss the matter of the costs with His Excellency Count Sacula and Her Highness Princess Alicia.”

At that moment, it had dawned upon me that I probably should not have taken a decision on my own for an operation essentially run by the princess.

“Please excuse my ignorance. Thank you for letting me know. Could you make the arrangements?”

“Yes. Thank you for trusting me.”

After confirming what was necessary, the maid had left again as quickly as she had appeared. All the while the treatment room had gradually become cleaner. Even though the clean-up crew must have been hastily put together, they had cooperated remarkably well. It was most likely thanks to Lady Alicia’s perceptive choice of personnel. She had gathered those who excelled at cleaning and doing laundry, those great at physical work, and supervisors capable of managing impromptu suggestions on-site. A beautiful mix of talents.

“Well done. Looks like Her Highness Princess Alicia has a good grasp of your strengths and weaknesses.”

A faint smile had come over the supervising maid’s serious face upon hearing my admiration for Lady Alicia’s ever-expanding set of skills.

“Yes, indeed. If I may say so, Her Highness is our greatest pride and joy.”

Lady Alicia seemed to enjoy her vassals’ favor. As such, they had followed her urgent orders without any hesitation. In the end, we had finished cleaning right before dawn. After confirming their presence for the next day, the royal cleaning troops had retreated.

“And with that, you can now fully focus on your work today without any concerns! There are some spare sheets over there, so feel free to use them if the others get too dirty.”

“Wow... You resolved our request that had been pending for years in less than a day...” Mr. Lusus said.

“As you should know, Mr. Lusus, Her Highness Princess Alicia is very knowledgeable about medicine and hygiene herself.” And she was his patron.

“S-Sure, I knew that Her Highness had expertise in a surprising number of fields, but...” Mr. Lusus shook his head, as if he had just woken up from a dream and found himself in front of a treasure chest. “I didn’t know she could take such decisive actions. The princess may be sponsoring my research, but I’ve never properly met her.”

“Oh, really?”

Lady Alicia had frequently mentioned Mr. Lusus in her letters, so I had assumed they were close. However, thinking about it again, it was obvious that the princess could not freely meet with a researcher of the Church. Perhaps she had met him as Arthur. I felt a shiver upon considering my misunderstanding.

“Anyway, let us show our gratitude toward Her Highness’s thoughtfulness by doing our best today!”

All the medical workers, including Mr. Lusus, agreed with much more enthusiasm than the previous day.

“Say, Sir Fenix, could you do commentary?” asked Ms. Raino, who for some reason had stayed in the house of Sacula’s seating area on the second day. It seemed she had been lying in wait to ambush me, seeing that Lady Maika’s fourth match would start soon. While I was helping out at the medical ward, I had received permission to take off my white gown and spectate Lady Maika’s duels. Of course, I was still on call in case of an emergency.

“I am not sure there is really much to explain. As you have seen for yourself, Maika won all her matches in a matter of seconds so far.”

The most I could say was “The match has started,” followed by “And she won.”

“I guess you’re right.” Ms. Raino smiled wryly. “But maybe you could tell me how she does it if you don’t mind? Unless it’s a secret technique, of course,” she hastily added the last part. It may have sounded redundant, but she was emphasizing her allyship with the house of Sacula, signaling that she had no intention of spying on us.

“It is not really a secret, so I can tell you,” I replied without much thinking, as it was Village Chief Klein’s original technique. However, I quickly qualified my statement with a “probably,” realizing that it was one of our region’s top-class techniques and I should have asked for my liege’s permission. “What do you think, Your Excellency?”

“Yeah, I don’t mind. Just knowing doesn’t mean you can master it anyway.” Count Gentoh seemed to be aware of the headhunting technique’s nature.

“Well then, let me explain about headhunting. But keep in mind I’m the lesser of Chief Klein’s disciples.”

Ms. Raino nodded in eager anticipation. Unfortunately, the explanation would probably be less exciting than she expected.

“At its core, it is based upon your insight.” And that was essentially it.

“Insight? You mean anticipating your opponent’s moves?”

“Yes, just think back to Maika’s first three duels.”

In the first round, she had hunted her negligent opponent’s head by evading his half-hearted attempt at striking her weapon. In the second round, her next opponent had learned from the first match and attacked her with all his strength, only to find her dodge his attack and go for the head. In the third round, she had avoided her nervous opponent’s lackluster attack and proceeded to headhunt.

In all rounds, she had won with a single move, the headhunting technique. She didn’t even sweat. It had been so easy that she had sighed during dinner, saying that it may not even have been necessary to train so intensively.

“Now then, did she move before or after her opponent?” I asked.

“Uhm... Let’s see... Huh? I don’t know.” Ms. Raino tilted her head with a sharp, discerning look.

“The correct answer is right before or at the same time.”

Since headhunting relied on launching a counterattack after dodging your opponent’s attack, the aim was to move before your opponent. Inferring the type of attack, its direction, and timing, you started evading before the actual attack. So, before your opponent had made his first move, you had already made yours. As a result, there was no way for the opponent’s attack to land. Quite obvious. But also extremely confusing.

“You’ve got to be kidding! How is that possible...?”

I had wondered the same thing when Chief Klein had first taught us.

“If you observe your opponent’s breathing, posture, muscle tension, and line of sight, you can guess their next move.”

“I’ve heard that talented knights and soldiers can do that... But with this much precision?”

Well, she’s doing it, so... Quod erat demonstrandum.

“Since you’re Sir Klein’s disciple, does that mean you can also do it, Sir Fenix?”

To be honest, I was able to do it a little. Which I’m quite proud of, so I’d like to boast a bit. Ahem. At first, I had thought it absurd and impossible, but after training with Lady Maika day after day, I had learned how to do it. However, I had been limited to her as an opponent. Due to the daily repetition of our exercises, I had become able to predict her stances by observing her footwork and line of sight. Thus, during our duels, I just had to guess her attack by comparing her movements to those of her training stances. As a result of repeating that process over and over again, I had also gradually learned how to apply it to other opponents. Accordingly, my defense enjoyed a good reputation.

“I can predict my opponent’s movements, but I am not able to dodge the attacks.”

Naturally, if you stopped at just guessing their movements, you still ended up getting hit head-on by the opponent. You had to use that knowledge to evade their attack and put yourself into an advantageous position to counterattack.

And where was the most advantageous position? For a start, their optical blind spot. If your opponent cannot see you, they cannot react. Next, their mental blind spot. Some fearless fighters were aware that their opponents aimed for their blind spots, so they reacted accordingly. When dealing with cautious opponents like that, there was no point going for their optical blind spot. Thus, you had to discover their mental blind spot—the spot to which they paid the least attention. Even if they could see you, catching them off guard made them unable to react. And finally, their positional blind spot. If by any chance you faced a powerful expert fighter without any mental blind spots, your last resort was the positional blind spots occurring due to the laws of physics. Human movements were limited by the mobility of their joints, shoulders, and hips, and their muscle output had an upper limit too. After dodging multiple attacks, it was possible to discern a positional blind spot, where it was difficult for your opponent to react. In the case of humans, their backs generally covered all three of these spots. Headhunting was the logical conclusion of that principle.

“You have to guess your opponent’s move not knowing when they will strike. At the same time, you also have to see through their defenses. Do you think you could do it?” I asked.

“If you can pull that off, you’re essentially invincible...” Ms. Raino murmured.

“Exactly.”

That was the reason why Chief Klein was as strong as a demon and Lady Maika had been the top of our class. Since Lady Maika was not officially on the military register, it was unclear how she would have ranked among the soldiers and knights. However, I had never seen her lose since she had mastered the headhunting technique. Not even once.

Once I had finished explaining the headhunting technique to Ms. Raino, the crowd broke out into roaring applause. It signaled the entrance of our Lady Maika, who quickly became this tournament’s center of attention.

“I wonder what technique her opponent will use.”

The two contestants exchanged a greeting bow under the tense stares of the crowd. After hearing the start signal, the two fighters just kept silently glaring at each other.

“Oh, I see what he is doing.”

“What do you mean, Sir Fenix?”

“It looks like this opponent noticed that headhunting requires you to attack second.”

“I see! If you’re fighting someone who specializes in counterattacks, you’re at a disadvantage going first,” Ms. Raino explained while clapping her hands.

“That is right. Unfortunately...that’s still not very effective against the headhunting technique.”

“What?” Ms. Raino voiced her surprise. Since the fighters had finally made their first move, I just pointed downward.

For the first time in this tournament, Lady Maika had launched an attack. Her normal attacks were just as pointed, proof that she was taking her daily practice seriously. While she showed great swordsmanship, she also managed to conceal her preliminary movements, only performing the most necessary of motions.

As expected, her opponent was taken aback by her sharpness and only barely dodged the attack after losing his balance. However, Lady Maika predicted his evasion and followed up with a second and third strike with her long sword. Her opponent desperately blocked the attacks, but even from a distance you could tell that Lady Maika was calm and collected, almost as if this was merely practice for a theater play.

Still, her opponent’s defense was also excellent. No wonder he had made it to the fourth round. While his stance may have been imperfect, he had averted five strikes so far. However, this appeared to be his limit. Reaching the conclusion that he would be unable to block the next attack, he took the chance and launched a forceful counterattack. His refusal to give up and his judgment were commendable...but ineffective against his opponent. Lady Maika had predicted his all-or-nothing counterattack, dodged it, and headhunted. Heartbroken, her opponent fell to his knees and gave up. This was the end of the line for him at this tournament.

Later on, he would become well-known as the expert swordsman who had exchanged six blows with Lady Maika. However, I never checked whether he was happy with that reputation.

Ms. Raino pointed at the arena with a surprised look on her face. As her personal commentator, I provided an analysis.

“If I had to classify headhunting, I would call it a technique of counterattacking, but in essence it is just a method of discernment. In other words, it is a way to gain knowledge. Once you get to Maika’s level, it no longer really matters whether you go first or second.”

As long as you knew your opponent’s next move, there was not much of a difference between moving first or second. The only difference was whether you read their attack or their defense. Afterward, you just had to keep going for their blind spots.

“Unbelievable! Is there any way to beat it?”

“Of course, there is.”

If you managed to read their movements. The important thing was to avoid steadily gazing at one spot and rather look at the whole picture. If someone rigorously trained their stances, they were capable of eliminating all necessary movements, which automatically made their attacks harder to discern.

For example, I virtually never could see through Chief Klein’s preliminary moves. Lady Maika’s motions were also very difficult to perceive. Meanwhile, Chief Klein always said that my movements were still very obvious. Although recently, Lady Maika had been praising me by saying that they were harder to see.

“It may have a showy name like ‘headhunting,’ but it is a very basic fighting technique. You just predict your opponent’s movements. Accordingly, the countermeasure is also very basic.”

“In other words, simply training your own skills and perception...”

“Yes, that is the only way to fight on even ground.”

Unfortunately, this isn’t some fantasy fiction where you can use your signature move to finish off any opponent no matter how strong. If you wanted to defeat someone of the same skill level, you needed to train yourself beyond your limits to stand a chance. And some luck. Maybe some praying too.

After Lady Maika’s duel was over, I once again put on the white gown at the medical ward. Moments later, I faced this tournament’s biggest incident. Sir Seus Argos was carried in on a stretcher, drenched in sweat. The virile face of the usually energetic Nepton knight was full of agony. All the medical workers had recoiled upon seeing the knight on the stretcher, as if they had stared into the eyes of death itself.

A broken bone was sticking out of Argos’s right arm. An open fracture—a troublesome injury with an eighty percent fatality rate given this world’s medical standards. And it looked like Sir Argos himself also understood this.

“Can you help me? If you can’t fix the bone, just chop off the arm. I’ll be of better use to my liege with just one arm than in a tomb.” The soldier squeezed out those words in a firm voice while turning pale.

Hearing the soldier’s chivalrous request, the medical staff bit their lips in frustration. Anyone would have been deeply moved by his resolve. However, no one was confident enough to say they could save him.

The biggest problem was the inevitable intense pain accompanying both procedures, be it fixing the open fracture or cutting off the arm and stopping the bleeding. No matter how tough a patient was, self-restraint alone would not be enough to calmly withstand the pain of such surgery without anesthesia. Naturally, the patient would wriggle in pain. And the more they struggled, the longer the surgery dragged on, increasing the bleeding and the risk of bacterial infection. As a result, the survival rate was low.

The medical workers were overcome with worry and groaned as they did not feel up to this dangerous task. However, there were two people who had not even flinched. In fact, they were voluntarily moving toward Sir Argos. While lifting his arm above his heart, they stopped the bleeding by applying pressure to the artery under his armpit and started a detailed medical exam.

“Hm, inferring from the bone’s cross section, it broke cleanly. It’s unlikely there are bone fragments scattered inside the flesh... What do you think, Sir Fenix?”

“I agree with you, Lusus. Even if there were any fragments, they would be negligible. Moreover, it seems that the bone missed any nerves and large blood vessels. The bleeding has already diminished.”

“That was lucky.”

“Yes, let us prepare for the surgery.”

As you’ve probably guessed, the two people that didn’t flinch were Mr. Lusus and me. We had experience doing autopsies and recently obtained anesthesia. We were not afraid of death.

For the time being, we focused on stopping the bleeding and preventing any further hemorrhaging. Obviously, we were not capable of performing a blood transfusion or even determining his blood type. We had to make do with the blood currently inside Sir Argos’s body. Although if push came to shove, it might have been possible to substitute blood with saline water. For that, one just needed to keep in mind the salt density.

“That should do it for now. Sir Argos, we will have to move you to a private room for surgery. Please put this in your mouth and inhale.”

I handed Sir Argos a glass flask with cotton padding covering its round bottom.

“Sir Fenix, what is this...?”

“There is liquid medicine inside.” Or diethyl ether, to be more precise.

“Erm...okay?”

“It is absorbed by the cotton padding, which then releases it into the air.” By increasing the surface, you could speed up its volatilization. “And once you inhale the medicine, you gradually start losing any feeling in your limbs.”

“I’ll feel numb?”

“You will temporarily become less sensitive to pain or maybe even not feel it at all.”

The medical workers gasped in awe, but the patient stared at the unfamiliar flask with unease. I could not blame him—I did not know how effective it would be either, since this was my first time using it.

“I understand your hesitation. We only developed this drug several days ago, and this will be our first time giving it to a person.”

“It’s that brand-new? No wonder I hadn’t heard about it before... Are you sure it’ll be all right?”

“Yes,” I asserted with confidence.

Normally, I would not want to make such a decisive statement before a first trial, but for the time being, I had to exaggerate a little to gain his trust. Unlike Sir Argos, I had access to my past-life memories and the ancient civilization’s texts, which told me that the anesthetic would have some effect even if it was weak. Either way, it was better than cutting off his arm without administering anything.

“Just like you have built up your physique through daily training, we manufactured this drug through rigorous research. According to the ancient civilization’s texts, it is completely safe.”

It was certainly a valuable, non-addictive anesthetic. Maybe it would cause a little nausea and headaches as a side effect, but that was about it.

“Please trust us. I cannot promise you that I will definitely save you, but I promise that we’ll do our best.”

Even if we failed, he would contribute to the further development of medical science as a valuable case study of surgery with anesthesia. If by some chance Sir Argos did not survive, I would make sure to provide Baron Nepton with all our information on anesthesia to pay my respects.

“So...even if I die, I’ll be of use to my liege?”

“Yes, I give you my word,” I firmly asserted again, even if I risked upsetting Count Gentoh by acting on my own authority.

“I don’t think there’s any better option for a knight like me who carelessly injured himself. At least I won’t die in vain... Are you really sure it’s okay to share your secrets?”

“I intend to maintain a good relationship with Baron Nepton in the future. Besides...” I had a feeling that Sir Argos would survive without any complications. “I believe in you, Sir Argos.” I admired Sir Argos’s steeled body, including his wounded right arm, and smiled. What a specimen. You could not attain such a body without rigorous training and the right diet. “Looking at your tough, trained body, I can tell that you are not fragile enough to die from a wound like this.” No doubt he had excellent stamina. I was confident he would calmly endure the intense and draining surgery.

“You believe in me...?”

“I mean, I am sure you are also confident in yourself, right? I’m sure you believe you can beat any enemy.”

“Ha ha, you’re saying that right after I lost my duel.”

Damn. He had lost—I had guessed wrongly. I should have known from the serious wound. What a blunder on my side.

“But you are still alive,” I added as calmly as possible, covering my embarrassment. “In Sacula, survival in defeat is celebrated even more than victory.” I was just intuitively making words up on the spot. The most important thing was to keep going and somehow put a positive spin on this. “I am sure you know which one is more difficult: coming back alive after winning, or after losing.”

“Well, yes, the latter...”

“Exactly. Thus, the latter are admired in Sacula.”

Be it a patrolling soldier who, covered in blood, escaped a demon attack to report back to the city or the survivors of a demon-subjugation squad who returned to report their failure.

“Survivors are hurting both physically and mentally. How distressful must it be to escape while suppressing the pain from your wounds? How vexing must it be to leave your fallen comrades behind? It would be much easier to just remain and fight until the bitter end.” But they chose the hard way—continuous suffering. Gritting their teeth, forgetting their shame, and withstanding their pain. “Without the information from those defeated survivors, Sacula would have long since been destroyed. That is how valuable their information was. They were the true heroes protecting our territory.” There was a saying that history is written by the winners, but that was not quite right. History was written by the living. Not the winner or the losers—those who survive. “You resemble our region’s greatest heroes.” At least that’s what I think. No matter what anyone else says. In my mind, he was a hero.

It appeared that my passionate impromptu speech had invigorated Sir Argos.

“Being compared to Sacula’s strongest, famous for their military prowess, is an honor beyond my wildest dreams. Now I definitely can’t die, Sir Fenix.”

Good, I lured him in. I had broken into a cold sweat there for a second, but everything had turned out all right.

Sir Argos stared at the glass flask with a fiery look. “Don’t worry, Sir Fenix. In return for your trust, I promise to stubbornly cling onto my life,” he said, and then he energetically inhaled the anesthetic.

All right. While leaving the anesthesia mostly up to Sir Argos himself, I started preparing for the surgery. I lined up the scalpel and forceps that Hermes had made for me, a clean towel, and rubbing alcohol. Then, I changed into a fresh white gown. Mr. Lusus followed my example. We had to make everything as clean as possible before attending to the wound. We covered our mouths with a cloth and wrapped a bandana around our heads to prevent any hair from falling out.

Once we were done with our preparations, Mr. Lusus whispered into my ear. “Excellent speech, Sir Fenix.”

“Yeah, but I was quite nervous.” I nodded while disinfecting my hands and the surgery tools.

However, it appeared that Mr. Lusus had a slightly different understanding of the situation. “Seeing Sir Argos’s positive attitude, I’m sure this surgery will go well. You were aiming to improve his state of mind to help stop the bleeding and improve his recovery, right?”

“Huh? Uhm...yes...”

He was referring to the saying that sickness and health start with the mind. Adrenaline, which is secreted in times of excitement, has a strong stanching effect. At the same time, negative mental states such as stress were said to decrease immunity to diseases. At the very least, a positive mental attitude did not have any negative effects. Still, I had not considered that at all.

“That was more a coincidence than anything... I just said what came to my mind.”

“Ha ha ha, maybe it was the phoenix’s divine protection. Anyway, thanks for the lesson. Encouraging words like that are also an integral part of medicine.”

Well, as long as everything is progressing smoothly...

There was a life on the line, so if luck was on my side, all the better. No doubt this was Goddess Yuika’s divine protection. It looked like my prayers were still reaching her. After all, Lady Maika had not suffered a single injury so far.

“Sir Fenix, thank you for saving our knight,” Ms. Raino had greeted me with a courteous bow at our seats on the last day of the tournament.

Lately, she had been quite friendly toward me, but today she acted with utmost politeness and respect in her capacity as a diplomat.

I reciprocated in the same polite way. “I am glad I could be of help to my dear friends of the Nepton region. The surgery was only yesterday, but how is Sir Argos feeling?”

“He was complaining about nausea and dizziness, but at the exam this morning Dr. Lusus said those were side effects of the drugs used during surgery.”

“We used an anesthetic that numbs the human body’s sense of pain. Unfortunately, when using strong drugs like that a correspondingly strong side effect is unavoidable.”

Ms. Raino seemed slightly confused by the word “anesthetic,” but she pieced together the meaning from the rest of my explanation.

“I guess it’s similar to how fields need both sun and rain—if either one continues for too long, they start wearing out.”

“Yes, any strong medicine has potentially strong side effects. Was Sir Argos in pain?”

“He may be Nepton’s boldest knight, but even he’s not unaffected by the pain.” Ms. Raino nodded with a serious expression before covering her mouth and smiling. “However, he put on a brave front, saying it was nothing... I don’t think death will dare touch him.”

“As expected from Sir Argos. May I go visit him after the tournament?”

“Of course, we welcome you. I’m sure Sir Argos will be pleased too.”

After we had finished talking about yesterday’s incident, Ms. Raino started directing her attention toward the arena.

“Uhm...would it be okay if I joined you to spectate the duel again today?” As it was not my place to decide, she asked Count Gentoh, who seemed puzzled at her request.

“We can’t just leave you out on the last day after you watched the whole tournament together with us. Especially given your enthusiastic support for my granddaughter. So, would you do me the honor and keep cheering for her until the end?”

“With pleasure! Thank you, Your Excellency!” Ms. Raino sat down next to me with a smile similar to that of a little girl who had just tasted the best cake of her life.

“I can’t believe I’ll get to witness her victory in this seat! It will be a sight to behold with two such picturesque people like Lady Maika and Sir Fenix... I can’t wait to see how it all ends.” She already seemed greatly delighted that she would get to experience the play’s climax from a special seat.

Today, I was actually feeling kind of nervous myself. Once Lady Maika had won the tournament, my future would greatly change. My mixed feelings stemmed from the realization that this fact did not seem to bother me at all.

By the way, no one here had even considered the possibility of Lady Maika losing. Even Ms. Raino, who had only met her recently, was convinced of her upcoming victory.

Following the announcement of the semifinal, Lady Maika entered the arena to thunderous applause. Although she had been completely unknown before the first round, her graceful appearance and brilliant swordsmanship had captured the hearts of the crowd, men and women alike.

So far, she had not injured any of her opponents. As the crowded care unit suggested, most duels these past few days had been quite hard-fought and violent. However, Lady Maika had garnered a reputation as a swordswoman of spotless integrity whose matches were easy on the eye. Hopefully, that would continue until the end. At the back of my mind, I fondly remembered her arguments and fights with Moldo and his gang. That autumn, the sword tournaments at the academy had been something else.

Lady Maika’s opponent in the semifinal was one of Marquis Datara’s knights. He was the only capital nobility knight who had made it this far, showing once again how strong the provincial soldiers truly were. In fact, the Datara knight in the semifinal had also originally served under a regional leader before being lured away by the marquis. So, in essence, everyone left in the tournament came from outside the capital. This was also the reason why some capital nobles looked down upon the tournament as a festival for savages. I think I’m beginning to understand why the organizers are slacking off on the side, out of the crowd’s sight...

“Sir Fenix, what do you think of her opponent? Does he look stronger than the previous ones?”

“Not really... So far, his behavior does not suggest so.” Just from his normal walking posture, I could tell that his balance was slightly off. He looked like someone who skipped out on basic training. In that case, Lady Maika’s fourth-round opponent was probably stronger.

“I guess that leaves only the finals then.”

Albeit a bit prematurely, I agreed. There was just one thing that had caught my eye. The Datara knight was wearing a light neck protector on top of the regular helmet and armor. This may have been a countermeasure to prevent Lady Maika’s sword from hitting his neck. I prayed to the dragon god, the god of war, that I was wrong.

As if to ridicule my concerns, the Datara knight launched his attack as soon as the starting signal had sounded. The audience gasped. They were amazed and excited to see him take the initiative without any hesitation after witnessing the previous rounds. He must have had a plan. However, before the crowd had any time to speculate, Lady Maika had moved behind his back and held her sword to his neck. Nevertheless, her opponent did not yield. Fearlessly, he swung around his sword.

For an instant, to the crowd it must have looked as if he had attacked at the same time or earlier than Lady Maika. They broke into applause for the Datara knight, the first contestant to escape her headhunting. On the other hand, there were also some sullen faces and cynical smiles among the spectators. All of them were experienced fighters. As such, they recognized that Lady Maika’s attack had been obviously much faster. If she had not stopped herself, she would have cut right into her opponent’s neck, leaving him no chance for a counterattack.

In response, Lady Maika frowned ever so slightly, and the two contestants glared at each other. It seemed like she was wondering if her opponent really had not noticed that she had been going easy on him.

Meanwhile, the Datara knight once again launched an attack at her. His sword came swinging at the same speed as earlier, and once again, Lady Maika hunted his head. This time around she did not stop just before hitting his neck, but lightly touched his protective gear. It was her second attempt at making him realize her intentions to avoid any bloodshed.

However, her opponent yet again swung around his sword. While this could have just been an instinctive reaction, his failure to yield said otherwise. The spectators were losing their minds, as they were under the impression that the two fighters were evenly matched. At the same time, Lady Maika seemed to say something to her opponent with a calm expression. Since the Datara knight was concealing his face under his helmet, his response was unclear, but I grasped the situation from reading Lady Maika’s lips.

“This will not end well...”

“Wh-What do you mean, Sir Fenix? Are things looking bad for Lady Maika?” Ms. Raino expressed bewilderment at the Datara knight’s strenuous efforts overturning her predictions.

“He upset Maika. She will no longer go easy on him,” I replied to her question with a mournful expression.

I felt truly sorry for him. Maybe our goddess could have saved him, but alas, I had decided that it was good enough to pray to the dragon god. The only thing I could do now was wish him good luck and pray for his soul.

Maika’s Perspective

I had gone for his neck twice. The first time I had stopped just short of it, and the second time I had lightly touched it. My opponent should have realized I had won, no matter how thick-headed he was. Nevertheless, the knight in front of me clung onto his sword, unwilling to give up his combat stance. What was he trying to do? Did he want to get hurt? Anyone else would have given up after being shown such a difference in skill.

“I think you noticed that my sword hit you. Do you still want to continue?” I asked the man in the thick armor and helmet.

“Your sword hit me?” His voice ridiculed me from within the helmet. His shaking sword made his scornful laughter as apparent as his fighting moves. “With a weak blow like that, you won’t even be able to cut a radish. There is no need for a warrior who fights with his life on the line to yield to a blunt sword that doesn’t even try to take his life. Stop pretending to be a knight and give up before your lack of determination gets you a scar on your pretty face.”

Upon hearing my opponent’s provocation, my mind switched to serious mode, replacing my inner wooden sword with a sharp metal one. Fascinating. So you’re fighting with your life on the line, huh? You third-rate knight. I let my rage flow into my sword, heating its iron and sharpening its blade with an intent to kill.

“Very well, in that case, please don’t surrender under any circumstances. I will dye you blood red with my blunt sword.”

I cut through the air to get a feel for my sword after infusing it with my murderous rage. As I once again fixed my gaze upon my opponent, he charged at me with his dull blade. It seemed like he had difficulty moving in his cowardly heavy armor. Even under normal circumstances, I was able to distinctly read most of his sluggish movements. This duel was akin to an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Using my left leg as a pivot point, I rotated my hips. I slightly folded my arms and diverted the momentum from my rotation into the tip of my sword. I aimed for the solid part of the helmet’s edge with as much force as possible, as if I was about to ring a large bell. The resulting sound of the blow was even louder than our village’s warning bell. My opponent, who hadn’t seen my attack coming at all, was unable to parry the blow or brace his legs, and the shock hurled him onto the ground. How brittle. That was quite the grandiose reaction to a sword that “couldn’t even cut a radish.”

My fallen opponent was full of openings, but I just looked down upon him while waiting for him to stand up. He shakily pulled himself back up, but as soon as he was on his feet, I once again cut him down. This time I hit the side of his torso, and yet again my opponent clumsily collapsed onto the ground. For the second time, I looked down upon him and waited for him to stand back up so I could knock him down again. Again and again. Each time it took him longer to get back up. It looked as if he was making some kind of appeal from the ground, his helmet facing toward me.

“What’s wrong?”

I was still going easy on him—I had no intention of taking his life. The blows hadn’t even been hard enough to make him unconscious. He should have been able to stand.

Just stand already so I can cut you down again. I clearly heard you say that you wouldn’t yield to a sword that doesn’t even try to take your life. Surely, a knight putting his life on the line wouldn’t be so fragile as to break from this?

At the very least, I had come here with the intention of putting my life on the line in order to confess my feelings for Ash to the whole world. I was standing here resolved to pull through and win even if my arms would break and my legs got smashed.

Come on, give me a chance to prove myself. Stand up and swing at me with the intent to kill. I’ll cut you down and make Ash listen to my confession.

However, in the end, I didn’t get that chance. The Datara knight remained on the ground and declared his surrender. How pathetic. I couldn’t contain my contempt for the opponent at my feet.

“This is what you get for trying to take advantage of my restraint.” I tapped his shoulder with the tip of my blade. It was a formal gesture, signaling that I could have taken his head. He should be glad that I spared his life. “You should be ashamed of yourself for relying on your opponent’s restraint in a possibly fatal duel.”

The unsightly conclusion left a bad taste in my mouth. A bitter aftertaste, as if my own resolve had been sullied. The faces of my male friends popped into my head. Glen, Hermes, and, of course, Ash—none of them would have fought so unpleasantly. They meant everything they said, and their actions were even more serious. They were honest to their own feelings, their goals, and their feelings for others. Knowing their nobility, I took all the more offense at someone bragging about risking their own life without meaning it.

As I had no intention of celebrating my victory, I turned my back on him. I could hear sparse applause coming from the stands. Well, I may have gotten a little too excited. It almost feels like I bullied an amateur. My dad will lecture me if he finds out. However, when I glanced at the section applauding me, I caught a glimpse of the red-haired boy.

I wondered how he had perceived my words. I would be happy if they sounded just as strong, bright, and passionate as his whenever he was talking about his dreams. Just like he was yearning for his dreams, I was yearning for him. And I had no intention of losing this battle for love to his dreams.

When I had left the arena after the semifinal, I ran into a maid in the hallway. She didn’t seem hostile, so I greeted her with a polite bow. In response, she took a deep bow.

“Lady Maika. I am a maid serving Her Highness Princess Alicia. My name is Amin.”

Ah, she’s with Alicia, formerly known as Arthur. Since she had introduced herself with a smile, I reciprocated it.

“Hello, Ms. Amin. What can I do for you?”

“Her Highness would like to meet you if you have time. I realize you must be tired, but would you be available?”

My face beamed upon receiving this lovely invitation. “I gladly accept the invitation. Don’t worry about my stamina—a duel like that doesn’t even count as a warm-up exercise.”

“Not even a warm-up exercise? Her Highness was right...” Ms. Amin seemed a little exasperated. What had Alicia said about me? As if she had heard my question, Ms. Amin started murmuring while walking ahead. “Her Highness said that you were already at that level when you were eleven, so you wouldn’t have any problems.”

When I was eleven... Oh right, when I beat Moldo and his gang to a pulp at the Itsutsu tournament.

“That brings back a lot of memories.”

“So, it’s true,” Ms. Amin replied with even further exasperation. Had I said anything wrong?

As I was scratching my head, we had arrived in front of a gorgeous door.

“This is the royal family’s antechamber. Her Highness is waiting inside. Are you ready?” she asked.

I replied with a nod. I didn’t need to prepare myself to meet with my good friend.

When I opened the door, I was met by the princess in a pretty dress standing in the middle of a luxurious room.

“Lady Maika,” the princess called my name while reaching out her hand. “Well done on winning the semifinal! I am looking forward to seeing your magnificent swordsmanship in the finals too.”

“Your generous words flatter me, Your Highness.” I fell to my knees, took her hand, and exchanged greetings. These rules of etiquette were tailored to male knights greeting noblewomen, which made sense considering that most knights were in fact men.

“Lady Maika, there is something I need to tell you right away.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“In this room, there are only people I fully trust.”

“So, can we stop pretending?”

“Yeah.”

As expected! Since I had received immediate permission to forgo formality, I stood up and gazed at my friend. She had become really pretty. I couldn’t believe she had once passed as a boy. My cute, beautiful close friend was standing right in front of me. I reached out and hugged her in her pretty dress.

“It’s been a while, Alicia!”

“Yeah, I missed you, Maika!” Her voice sounded a little tearful.

“You’ve become so pretty! I almost didn’t recognize you!”

“Thanks! But you’ve also...”

“Become pretty? Heh heh.”

“I was going to say cool.”

What?! I wanted her to say pretty!

When I pouted, Alicia started giggling. “I mean, you looked so gallant while fighting... Surely, you heard the women’s shrill voices?”

“There’s a lot of people cheering for me. I expected more booing from enemy territories, but so far it’s been a pleasant experience.”

“I’m glad to hear that. There aren’t really any other contestants with as much support as you. You truly are a charming flower.”

“Heh heh, are you also supporting me, Alicia?”

“Of course! Unfortunately, I can’t cheer as loudly as Count Gentoh and my dear brother Itsuki due to my status... But you’re winning even without my cheers, right?”

Yeah. Truth be told, it’s a bit too easy. I expected slightly harder fights...

“But I am applauding your victories. Good luck going easy on your opponent in the finals!”

“I’ll do my best!”

“You’re wishing her good luck going easy on her opponent...” Ms. Amin murmured in the background.

Yes, the hardest part is essentially restraining myself.

Alicia, who had also heard her murmur, covered her mouth before bursting into laughter.

Oh, Alicia... Even now, you’re laughing this much... I placed my hand on my giggling friend’s cheeks. “Doesn’t it hurt holding it in?”

I could feel myself tear up while asking that question. I already knew the answer. There was no way she wasn’t hurting. She must have wanted to cry. I would have in her place. And yet, she was smiling.

“It hurts. So much so that I cry a lot.”

“Oh, I see...” She was still holding back, but at least she had become honest enough to admit that she had been crying. “Have you become a bit more upfront about your feelings?”

“Just a bit,” my friend replied with a happy face. “Because you’ll get mad at me if I bottle things up too much. I’ve learned to cry when I feel like it.”

“You’re still holding back way too much. You should be more selfish. You can say what’s on your mind. I’m your rival in love after all.”

“You’re right. But that’s why I want to smile and show restraint in front of you. You’re my best friend, Maika.”

Tears welled up, messing up my face and voice. “H-How can you be so nice...? You need to stop holding back so much!”

She should say it’s unfair or call me a coward, not show such a pretty smile at the person who’s trying to steal her love away.

“I want to hold back. You’re always crying in my place, so I want to bless you with a smile.” She placed her warm hands on my cheeks, which were drenched in cold tears. “Hey, you’re going to win, right? Hold your head high and smile. I have no doubts that you’ll win the finals without a problem. The real fight will be afterward, so don’t worry about anything else.”

“Y-Yeah...”

“Despite your strength, you’re quite a crybaby...”

Because I’m talking to you, Alicia. I know better than anyone else how much you love Ash. That’s why I... You...

My tears washed away everything I was going to say. It felt like drowning in my own emotions. In my painful distress, her slender arms reached out for me. Alicia’s warm embrace felt very gentle.

“Thank you for caring about me to the point of crying. And congratulations on finding someone you love even more. Don’t worry about me.” My close friend forgave me. “Use that kindness and jump with all your strength at Ash. I’ll make sure to set the stage.”

My friend smiled all the way to the end of our long-awaited reunion.

It felt like the cheering had decreased a bit for the finals. No wonder, considering the terrible semifinal. The duel had dragged on without any highlights. That must have been incredibly boring for the spectators. Since we had talked about risking our own lives, we should have at least fought until someone fainted. It was deplorable that someone like that got to call himself a knight.

Hopefully, the final’s going to be an exciting fight... I prayed to myself before looking at the knight opposite me. It was the first time that I had seen someone with lighter armor than me in this tournament. In fact, my opponent wasn’t wearing any protective gear at all. It didn’t look like he was underestimating me at this late stage, after I had made it all the way to the finals without so much as a scratch. I could tell as much by the nervous look on his face. Moreover, his posture was so stiff that he probably should have taken a deep breath. No, he wasn’t dismissing my skills. Thus, it must have been to facilitate his movements.

“Not a bad choice,” I complimented my opponent’s strategy with a smile.

“Hearing you say that tells me my nervousness is warranted.” He reciprocated my smile with a semi-pale face.

He realized that he couldn’t beat me by purely relying on his sword skill. It was obvious to him that he would lose under any normal circumstances. Nonetheless, he didn’t sulk and give up, but searched for a way out of the darkness—a way to win. The option furthest away from defeat and closest to victory. And his answer was disregarding his defense.

If he had chosen to focus on heavy protection like my opponent in the semifinals, he would not have been able to properly react to my movements. At the very least, he wanted to make sure that he was light enough to face me at full speed. To him, that was the best choice, albeit a dangerous one.

“Just to let you know, I can’t guarantee that I’ll always stop short of hitting you.” I pointed out the dangers of my opponent’s choice, but he seemed to be aware of that.

He nodded with his pale face. “Then let me also warn you that I won’t have the leeway to go easy on an opponent like you. I’ll strike with all my might.”

It was a brave choice to face danger head-on. This guy was serious. He didn’t want to lose even if he ended up dying, and he didn’t mind winning by killing me. His sharp look gave me goosebumps. For the first time, I was afraid of an opponent whom I would have beat ten times out of ten in any exhibition sword fight. However, this was a real fight with real swords. Even if we were using blades that were partially edgeless, it was a real fight if both contestants were prepared to risk their lives.

Good. This is excellent. At the very end, I was able to put my life on the line. “Let’s fight with all our strength,” I proclaimed to avoid having any regrets.

“Of course,” he replied in a resolute voice.

We assumed our starting positions opposite each other. I could feel my heart racing and took a deep breath. If Ash had been by my side, he would have sensed my tension and tried to ease it with a smile. And while currently I couldn’t see his smile, the mere thought of it helped me calm down.

Upon the referee’s ready signal, I drew my sword. The duel would start following a clap, but the real fight had already started. I unconsciously gazed at my opponent. With a nervous expression, he stared right back at me. His fingertips had turned white from tightly gripping his sword and holding it above his head. Judging from his thighs and the balance of his slouching hips, he was standing on his toes, ready to jump at me any moment. He was planning to rush at me in a straight line together with the starting signal.

Given the strain on his body, it wouldn’t have been difficult to just evade to the side. But wouldn’t that be the same as running away from the head-on fight with my life on the line? How seriously could I be taken if I ended up in front of Ash without properly facing my opponent? I readily came to a conclusion.

I assumed a low stance and prepared myself to engage the approaching opponent head-on. I can do it. It should be easy. He may be heavier than me, but my skill should make up for that difference. I tried reassuring myself, and yet I broke into a sweat upon seeing my opponent’s determination to kill. I unnecessarily strained myself. This was the heavy pressure of a death match. Fear entangled my entire body. I wasn’t able to stay calm against an opponent whom I would have definitely beat under normal circumstances.

Nevertheless, I stepped forward upon hearing the start signal, and so did my opponent. His aloft sword came swinging down with full force. Its simplicity made the attack powerful. In fact, it was so strong that it would have finished any opponent that went for a simultaneous sweeping torso attack.

My only option was to parry the full-force downward strike and then finish my opponent with the following counterattack. I can do it. It’s simple. With my skills, I can easily parry the attack. I had parried much stronger downward strikes during my training sessions with Glen. And no matter how afraid I was in this life-or-death situation, I had the strength to overcome my fear.

I had said that I would risk my life. Ever since the day the red-haired boy had rushed to the help of Suiren and Renge to save Ajole village, I had told myself that I would put my life on the line henceforth. In that case, wasn’t my daily life already a life-or-death fight? This wasn’t anything special. There was no need to be nervous. I had already grown used to the fear of death. This momentary exchange of blows was just another ordinary event for someone like me, constantly risking their life for their love. Just like waking up and arranging my hair or saying good morning to Ash. Risking my life was the norm. And I could use that experience to overcome my fear.

At full speed, I swung my sword against my opponent to stop his intense downward strike. His attack, which could have easily cut the side off my face, was stopped precisely by the guard on my sword. This resulted in a pleasant metallic sound signaling my successful parry. It was the expected outcome, just like I had trained. Therefore, I wasn’t surprised at all and managed to launch my counterattack as quickly as possible. Without needless strain—with flexible movements and a clear mind. In contrast, my opponent reacted too late. His fear had narrowed his field of vision, made his breath unsteady, and strained his entire body, which delayed the rearrangement of his posture. He didn’t manage to regain his balance on time. That difference was made clear by the blade held against his neck. My opponent stopped holding his sword aloft.

“That was a scary attack...”

The duel was decided with this single blow. His attack had almost overwhelmed me, but it was nowhere near as scary as my love.

“Regrettably...I have to admit defeat.” The knight was biting his lip. There was a sparkle in the corner of his eyes. No doubt it was the same sparkle that had welled up in my eyes on that moonlit night at the hot spring. Still, I was sure he’d be all right. He could stand up again.

“I claim victory. You will have to come up with another strategy next time.”

“Yeah, that’s the plan.”

I sheathed my sword while smiling at his answer. He put up a brave fight.

Finally, I had arrived here. It’s time, Ash. I directed my attention toward the conspicuously loudest section of the stands. Unmistakably, the sunlike, red-haired boy was standing there. You’re up next, Ash. After assaulting me with your confession, I ran away under the moonlight. Now, it is my turn to thrust my confession at you. Are you ready?

The stage for the award ceremony was set by the time the sunlight had started turning red.

“Lady Maika Amanobe Sacula,” my close friend called me—the winner—up on the podium. Apparently, it was the princess’s role to extol the victor of the tournament and award the prize in the name of His Majesty the king.

I stepped onto the podium in a fresh set of clothes. When my eyes met with my friend, the princess, her lips mouthed, “Leave it to me.” Her expression implied that she would make sure Ash couldn’t run away. Of course. As a sworn friend of the Anti-Ash Alliance and my rival in love, I could leave it up to her.

“Yes, Your Highness Princess Alicia,” I politely replied with deep affection in my voice.

For a brief moment, our smiles transported us back into our dorm rooms. It was a brief instant, after which I immediately knelt and resumed a formal attitude. Apart from us two, there was maybe one more person in this place who could have spotted the difference in our expressions.

Then, Alicia initiated a new era for the relationship between us three.

“The swordsmanship that you demonstrated at this tournament was worthy of the term divine. I am happy that a lovely, strong fighter like you lives in our kingdom.”

Alicia had chuckled a little when calling me “lovely.” Admittedly, it was slightly embarrassing, but I was happy. Coming from someone like Alicia, who was even lovelier than me, it felt as if I had just been gifted a beautiful ribbon. There was indeed no better present for a young lady who was about to confess her love.

“As a reward for your skill and victory in the tournament, I will now hear out your wish. Is there anything you desire?”

And thus, Alicia started incanting the spell that would prevent the red-haired boy from running away.

Upon hearing the first words come out of her mouth, I raised my head. “Most humbly, let me state my wish, Your Highness.”

“Whatever you desire, Lady Maika.”

Complete silence befell the arena wrapped in the twilight. Listen, everyone. This is why I participated in this tournament. This is why I won.

“I want Sir Ash George Fenix, knight of Sacula, to hear out my feelings for him.”

“Hear out your feelings for him?” Alicia smiled. She understood that this was an excessive demand even for the top swordfighter of the country. She knew this victory was necessary to gain the momentary attention of the red-haired boy who was nonstop chasing after his dreams. She tried conveying that to everyone else with her smile.

And I reciprocated. I wanted everyone else, and especially Ash, to know how much I had put on the line. Therefore, I replied with a big grin on my face. “Yes. I don’t intend to restrict his choice. I just want him to listen to my feelings. Then he can give me his honest answer.”

I wanted them to understand why I had used my reward to make him listen to my feelings rather than demanding his love, wishing for an engagement or his hand in marriage. I yearned for him precisely because he was such a difficult yet wonderful person.

“I see. You want an opportunity to talk things through with him. That sounds like a humble request for the winner of this tournament.”

“Not at all. Sir Ash George Fenix is such a hard nut to crack that it takes this much to just get him to look at me. At the same time, he’s also so wonderful that I’m willing to go this far just to be with him.” Surely, you understand how I feel, Alicia. “Most humbly, I am sure Your Highness would understand if you talked to him.”

“Hm... In fact, I met Sir Fenix the other day at a gathering. He was indeed a charming person.”

Yeah, I heard. Did you enjoy the dance?

He had escorted her so she could escape the crooked Marquis Datara, and even engaged in a duel to protect her. How lovely. It made me a bit jealous. At the same time, it made me just fall in love again with Ash. He was so kind and cool that even the princess had fallen for him. My loved one.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t just go on speaking fondly about Ash. If I had said all this out loud, surely everyone would have understood what kind of person Ash was. For now, I had to focus on setting the stage so that he wouldn’t run away again.

“As a matter of fact, I tried confessing my feelings to him a while ago, but he interrupted me.” I needed to explain why today’s stage was necessary. And above all, make Ash understand that I wouldn’t let him run away again. “He said that he loved me, but didn’t want to listen to what I had to say. That’s why today I want him to hear me out.”

“Lady Maika, I understand your wish.” Alicia nodded. Now that the stage had been set, she addressed Ash down in the crowd with a satisfied look on her face. “Sir Ash George Fenix. In the name of His Majesty the king, I command you to come up on the podium and hear out this lady who bears such strong feelings toward you until the end.”

Under Alicia’s gaze, the red-haired boy stood up. There was slight embarrassment mixed in with his usual smile. I knew that he didn’t like to stand out, so I would have preferred if it hadn’t come to this. Regardless, Ash had stuck around despite undoubtedly knowing that something was up. He was always so considerate of my feelings. He had watched all my matches. He had prepared my food. And now he was walking up toward me through a crowd of people whose eyes fixated upon him.

“Sir Ash George Fenix, come over here.”

At last, Ash was standing next to me. He knelt in front of Alicia.

Thanks for coming up on stage despite your discomfort. It won’t completely make up for this, but I promise I will always do my best for you from here on out.

“Lady Maika, Sir Fenix, there is no need to humble yourselves from here on out. It’s time for Lady Maika’s reward,” Alicia proclaimed before stepping off the podium.

She kept her smile right up to the moment she turned her face away. I swore to never forget her favor.

And with that, it was just the two of us left on stage in the twilight.

“Ash, you can stand up.”

Ash gazed at me with a serious look on his face. Eye to eye.

What do you say, Ash? You can’t run away anymore. I won’t let you get ahead again. I won’t forgive you if you just speak your own mind and then run away after making me love you even more. You’ll have to defeat me first if you insist on doing so. I’m not going to waste this big stage that Alicia offered me after defeating all those contestants. So, please listen.

“Ash...you confessed your feelings a while ago.” My first words burned as peacefully as a newly lit fire. “You said that you loved me, but you couldn’t make me happy, so you couldn’t respond to my feelings.” The flames of my feelings—which I had stowed away up until this moment—started burning brighter. “That made me very happy. I knew that you were completely absorbed in your dreams and didn’t have interest in anything else...”

Ash’s smile was like a sun that had appeared at night when my life at the village had become engulfed in darkness. The sun illuminated everything in this world—people, beasts, birds, flowers. It didn’t discriminate. The sun was simply too large. As a result, it couldn’t just shine specifically for one person alone. It took me a while, but I eventually realized that.

“I was happy to hear that you thought about my happiness.” Do you realize how hot and bright my chest was burning when you told me you loved me back at the hot spring under the moonlight?

It had felt as blissful as an embrace from the warm morning sun on a cold winter night. It had made me so very happy. It had been like special treatment from the sun. Momentarily, I had hogged it all to myself. I had no doubt been the luckiest girl in the world. At that moment, my life had felt complete... But my love was bigger than that.

“But you’ve got the wrong idea, Ash!” It was natural that the sun didn’t discriminate between those it illuminated. I didn’t want to force it to just keep shining on me alone. “I don’t want you to make me happy!”

I had realized that if the sun wasn’t going to give me any special treatment, I just had to become special myself. A special flower so infinitely large that I could absorb more light than everything else. I would keep growing higher into the sky, extending my foliage far and wide and producing the most gorgeous and extravagant blossoms! Until the solitary sun could no longer ignore me when looking down upon the surface from its summit in the sky. And today that time had come!

Do you know what I’m talking about, Ash? Probably not. So let me tell you. Listen to these words, springing forth from the light you gave me all those years ago.

“I want to make you happy, Ash!” Fueled by a myriad of emotions, my words had morphed into a large fire that could no longer be extinguished by anything or anyone. Including Ash. “You can do whatever you want, Ash. I will support you. If you want me to help you think about something, I’ll be ready by your side with pen and paper. If you want me to fight with you, I’ll draw my sword. If you want me to take care of something else, I’ll run off to get it done. Even if I have to go to hell, or fight a dragon, I won’t back down a single step.”

The fire still wasn’t hot enough. I needed to fan the flames further with emotional firewood. Without thinking about the consequences. After all, this feeling would never die down. It needed to burn bright for all the world to see.

“You underestimate me too much! I already know that you’re an oddball!”

I knew that Ash was weird. He was capable of surprising people with a single word. That was definitely strange. So what? That oddball was the only one to grab my shivering hand in the dead of the night and drag me all the way here.

“But I love you! I love your weirdness! I never once wanted you to be normal!”

I loved him the way he was. That was part of what made him so great. He should just keep soaring across the sky, illuminating the world with his blinding light, surprising people, and making them laugh. He didn’t need to stop and worry about anything special. As tall and large as I had grown, I would always snatch myself a special seat to absorb and enjoy his light better than everyone else. If he headed for the northern mountains, I would spread my roots to the northern mountains. If he traveled over the western sea, I would extend my branches to the western sea. I would make sure to always blossom in full glory in his sunshine, so that he could enjoy a pretty view no matter where he looked down upon this earth!

I was out of breath. My breath hadn’t been this unsteady in any of my matches. But it made sense. While I had put my life on the line, I had never been driven into a corner. However, right now I was truly risking my life uttering these words. I slowly released my clenched fist. I laboriously extended my shivering fingers and reached out for the sun.

“You can love me in good conscience. I am ready to risk my life for my love just as you are ready to risk yours for your dreams.”

I want you to believe in the strength that has brought me this far. No matter how strong his flames were, this flower would not wither. And even if it were burned to the ground, it would just rise again from its ashes! I’ll never ever take your kindness for granted. So, to prove myself, please hand me your burning hot dreams.

“I don’t mind you stealing me away from my happiness. I’ll steal you away from your dreams in return.” I stared into Ash’s eyes.

“Thank you, Maika,” he said, and grabbed my hands. “Then I will take your happiness without any hesitation.”

I handed over my happiness.

“And I’ll take your dreams.”

And in return, I received the sun’s dreams.

It felt so hot. Burning hot. With this fire, I could survive any night no matter how dark and any winter no matter how cold.

Eye to Eye

I had always been looking at his face in profile. From the side, I had observed him looking straight ahead. I had yearned for his sun-like smile. My heart had been stolen by his glowing gaze that scattered away any darkness. His soft, warm voice had made me feel at ease like a hearth in the winter. I had constantly looked at his profile, which made me fall in love no matter what he was doing.

That same face was currently looking straight at me. Gazing at me alone. I had dragged him out to this place where he couldn’t run away, just to make him listen to my feelings. I was fully indulging myself. It had been worth putting my life on the line for this moment. To finally detain the boy who never stopped walking and only ever faced forward in front of my eyes alone! All the work, studying, sword training, and social gatherings had paid off!

“Uhm, Maika?”

“Yes, Ash?”

I grinned just hearing him call my name, although that always happened. It wasn’t like I was happy hearing him say it just because he was now my boyfriend. This was just Ash’s addictiveness. Wait, is he my fiancé now? I wasn’t sure whether we were already officially engaged; there was still some paperwork to do. So, “boyfriend” was probably more accurate.

My boyfriend seemed a little embarrassed. “What should we do now?”

“For the time being, start the engagement procedures. As soon as possible. Right after we leave here.”

“No, I mean before that. What are we going to do about this crowd?”

Ash looked left and right. There was clapping and cheering coming from all directions of the arena. Even the other participants were smiling, as if our display of love had sweetened their defeat. My uncle and my grandfather were sobbing in each other’s arms, and Alicia was gracefully applauding us.

“Everyone’s giving us their blessing!”

“It is a bit overwhelming. How do we calm them down? Will there be a closing ceremony announcement?”

I wonder if we’re inconveniencing the presenters.

Since Alicia had left me this podium as my reward in the name of the king, they couldn’t do anything. It was unclear who was supposed to take the initiative.

“It reminds me of the time we launched the model planes,” I said.

“I also ended up exhausted back then. I am really not suited for ceremonies like this.”

“I think you are.” Otherwise, you wouldn’t be thinking about calming the crowd down.

Besides, most people didn’t require as many ceremonies as Ash in the first place. Apparently, my uncle had wanted to give Ash even more decorations, but ultimately refrained after the latter said it was unnecessary.

“Either way, I do not like garnering attention like this...” While he wasn’t particularly nervous, he restlessly looked left and right. “Hm... Considering that you received this spot as a gift in His Majesty the king’s name, I assume it is up to you to declare when it is over.”

“Yeah, you’re right. It took you unusually long to figure that out.” I guess he really can’t handle situations like these. And yet, he still came here for my sake. Heh heh, that makes me happy.

“So, should we bring it to an end? I think it will be fine if you just thank Her Highness Alicia for providing you with such a wonderful setting.”

That was a good suggestion. The presenters must have been waiting for an announcement too. I should do it, but...

“No chance!” I grinned with satisfaction. So much so that Ash got all serious.

“Maika?”

“I don’t want it to end. You want me to willingly stop hogging you all to myself?” I can’t do it! No way! Even if the entire crowd went home, I wouldn’t end it. It would be too gut-wrenching. In fact, I’d rather have my actual gut wrenched.

“Please, can you not somehow bring it to an end?”

“What? You really want to end it? Hm...let’s see. Well, it depends on your attitude.”

“I will do anything.”

“Really? You said anything, right?”

Yes, got him! The right to make Ash obey any of my orders was priceless! An extremely rare treasure that even I, as his childhood friend, didn’t get to see more than once every ten years. That must have been a slip of the tongue.

Ash was curling his lips. Don’t tell me you’re planning on taking it back? I gave him a warning smile, and he graciously conceded. He was a man of his word, so he wouldn’t break a promise.

“Please, go easy on me.”

“Heh heh, well then...” We had just become partners. In a few hours’ time, we would be engaged. So, there was something I wanted him to do before then.

“Who am I?”

“Hm... Maika?”

Yes, but that’s not what I meant.

I wanted to hear something else. Something only he could call me. My ferocious loving smile was thirsting for more affection. Was I greedy? Pushy? Ash seemed a little taken aback. Not that it was any of my concern. This was my love language.

“I want you, my boyfriend, to tell me who I am.”

I instantly felt my own cheeks turning red. It must have sounded so awkward, calling him my boyfriend. So far, I had only ever called him by his name, so this sounded very new and special. And it seemed like Ash had gotten the hint. His face had beamed upon hearing his childhood friend refer to him like that.

“I have such a cute g-girlfriend.”

This wasn’t the usual Ash. For the first time, he was acting as my boyfriend. His face had turned red, and he had stuttered. He was smiling, but he didn’t seem calm at all... And above all, his voice had sounded hoarse.

Was it difficult to call me that? It was difficult, right? It didn’t sound like Ash at all. He was giving me special treatment.

“Are you sure that is your request? You will probably never hear me say ‘I will do anything’ again.”

“Yes! That’s exactly what I wanted!” Ash’s special treatment was the best!

“Now you are making me blush a little.”

A little? Just a little? To me, Ash’s face looked bright red. As I gazed at his face, it suddenly turned sideways.

“Well, Maika. Since I fulfilled your request, can you do something about the crowd?”

I grabbed his head with both my hands and turned it back toward me.

“Don’t move. Don’t look at your surroundings. Just look at me. At least for now, don’t look at anything else.”

After realizing what I had said, my face flushed. How selfish of me. I may have gone a bit too far. And I did promise that I would do something about the crowd if he called me his girlfriend. But, but... I had only said depending on his attitude. I hadn’t promised I’d definitely do it. So, I was in the clear. Well, at least not in the wrong...

“Are you sure you should say that?”

“Why?” I felt like my defeat was imminent.

“I have to make sure to protect you if you say such sly and cute things.”

Ash’s hands reached out for me. During the tournament, I had evaded countless—okay, that may be a bit exaggerated—swords, but I failed to dodge this. Defense was impossible; escape was futile. Even if I had wanted to evade it, I would have been too nervous to move. His hands touched my back and the reverse side of my knees. Could it be...? I momentarily panicked as I anticipated what was happening. As soon as I had come to the realization, he was already princess-carrying me.

“If you are not going to announce the end, I will have to carry you out of the arena.”

“W-Wait...” I was panicking.

I would have never thought in a million years that Ash would resort to such a coercive method! No way I can win this! Being carried so forcefully yet gently, all I could do was look up at Ash with a bright red face. Ash’s smile prevented any further resistance. I felt like a freshwater fish inside a hot pot.

When Ash started walking out, the presenter made an announcement asking the audience to bid farewell to the tournament’s winner. The crowd sent us off with roaring applause.

I-I guess there’s no way back now! Everyone will acknowledge this as our exit. As expected from Ash! He just took the initiative to start the closing ceremony!

“For now, let us just return to the Sacula mansion. Then...”

“Th-Then?” I could feel a scary amount of happiness lurking on my tongue.

“I will gaze only at you, as you requested.”

I might just die of happiness...

“Yes, please!”