Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: A Treacherous Subject Also Has His Uses
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And Chairman Lloyd, having sensed that point to some extent, felt no sense of refreshment or joy even after winning.
There was only relief that the worst-case scenario had been avoided, and liberation from fear.
People were still cheering for him, who had won after what they considered a decent match, but right before his eyes, a situation he hadn't wanted was unfolding.
"Beonald! Are you alright? Come to your senses."
'This is... damn it!'
Princess Zelcy, the moment the match ended, rushed over and looked at Beonald with worried eyes, trying to rouse him as he lay collapsed on the floor.
It was only natural that Chairman Lloyd looked at him with even more displeasure, and Beonald, who was pretending to be unconscious, felt like his stomach was twisting at the princess's tactless behavior that was ruining the setup he had so carefully arranged.
p>'Well, I suppose this happens when one lacks self-awareness. What should I do? Staying collapsed like this any longer is out of the question.'
Beonald finally let out a deliberate groan and pretended to struggle to get up.
It was an extremely embarrassing situation, but for him, who had endured far greater humiliations, this was nothing more than child's play.
Then, with an expression of frustration, he bowed deeply and spoke to Chairman Lloyd.
"I have lost! Truly, you displayed martial prowess worthy of the heir to the Kmel family! Then I acknowledge my lack of qualification and shall withdraw cleanly from here. Farewell!"
"No, wait......"
'If it goes like this, I'll just act embarrassed and dash out of here!'
"Beonald!"
Beonald covered his face as if embarrassed, drew up his aura, and sprinted away at full speed.
He then swiftly removed his armor where it originally was, showing meticulousness by even leaving gold coins behind in case they tried to charge him for repairs. Meanwhile, Princess Zelcy had followed him.
She looked at Beonald with an extremely worried gaze, her appearance so pitiful that even Beonald, whose plan had been completely ruined because of her, felt a pang of guilt.
"Beonald, are you alright?"
"Ah, I'm fine. Aside from my head feeling a bit fuzzy, that is. Anyway, since I lost in such an unsightly manner, I probably won't be able to come near this area for a while. Hahaha, I'm too ashamed."
"I feel truly sorry, as it seems my unnecessary actions led to this."
"No, how could Your Highness the Princess be at fault? It's my own weakness. So please don't be too gloomy. I just need to become stronger."
Beonald smiled awkwardly, comforted her, and then left the Sword and Shield club.
However, Princess Zelcy continued to follow him with a sorry face, and no matter how much Beonald insisted he was fine, she simply wouldn't stop apologizing.
"Wouldn't it be better to go to the temple? Even if it doesn't hurt now, it would be troublesome if something happened later."
'No, I'm better at healing... How can I trust those temple quacks?'
Of course, the temple, aside from divine power, had accumulated know-how over its long history for caring for patients and practically served as a public hospital.
But Beonald was the one who had improved the Emperor's illness using medical arts based on alchemy, pushed out the High Priest, and became the personal physician.
Thanks to empiricism, vast capital, and the power of alchemy, Beonald was overwhelmingly the superior physician when it came to medical skill alone.
'Hmm, anyway, that chairman fellow and the people he gathered are probably spreading rumors by now...'
Even though he lost, the fact that Beonald, a knight rumored to have already reached the level of a high-ranking knight, withstood dozens of exchanges against the heir of a prestigious swordsmanship family would have already spread everywhere.
Knights, with their powerful martial prowess that transcended ordinary humans and soldiers, were always in short supply, and in turbulent times, nobles often went to any lengths to gather knights.
Beonald had been undervalued as a natural-born knight, but if the word spread that this incident proved he had at least the potential of a mid-rank knight, or perhaps even a high-rank knight, it was obvious that people from all sorts of noble houses would flock like a mountain to the front of Beonald's previously quiet mansion.
'In the end, do I have no choice but to borrow the hand of the Valderian family?'
Of course, they would welcome it.
After all, he had proven he had the skill to exchange dozens of blows with the heir of an opposing faction's prestigious knight family that supported the Empire, so his value would increase, but still.
Beonald was calculating various things as he left the academy, but the princess, undaunted, continued to follow him.
"Um... I'm really fine, so you don't need to follow me any further, Your Highness the Princess. The capital is dangerous, you see. I'm just some guy leaving, a worthless fellow, so it doesn't matter, but you shouldn't wander around without an escort."
"That's alright. They're not visible, but escorts, including Imperial Knights, are already attached around me. They're probably hiding somewhere unseen right now, watching over me."
Well, it would be nonsense for that meticulous-looking Emperor to carelessly manage this daughter, who was more valuable to him than family.
However, if he kept the princess with him like this, the already tangled situation could become even more seriously complicated, so Beonald decided to persuade her and send her back.
"Your Highness the Princess, you needn't worry about my condition, so I think it would be best for us to part ways here today. Already leaving the training hall together is one thing, but unnecessary misunderstandings could pile up, and that might harm the Imperial family's peace."
"Is that so?"
"Relations between men and women inevitably invite many misunderstandings from those around them. Even if it's a wholesome friendship. It's not malice, but humans are made that way, so I think it's best we part here today, Your Highness the Princess."
"Friend......"
"Ah, of course, if you wish for something beyond friendship, I would gladly serve Your Highness the Princess. Hahaha. Then, until next time."
Princess Zelcy seemed to like the word 'friend', as she paused for a moment and quietly murmured the word.
That word, which she thought she would never be associated with in her life, had struck her unexpectedly, leaving her moved and at a loss, but since she didn't show it outwardly, Beonald simply thought she understood his words and withdrew.
"A friend......"
With a happy smile at this newly established human relationship, she watched Beonald leave.
However, from the perspective of the Imperial Knights and Imperial Intelligence agents hiding in the surrounding buildings and forests for her protection, it looked like nothing but a pair of fresh lovers in love, transcending status, rather than just friends.
Afterwards, just as Beonald had predicted, his fame spread throughout the entire academy and even the entire capital region.
Rumors kept growing, and even the story of the princess chasing after the fleeing Beonald at the end of the spar was added, completing a plausible romance tale that gossipmongers would absolutely adore.
So, in the end, Beonald, fleeing the people seeking him out because of these rumors, left his mansion on the outskirts and sought out the Valderian family.
From the Valderian family's perspective, there was no reason not to welcome Beonald, who had taken the wind out of the sails of their rival, the Kmel family heir's reputation.
"Indeed~ I thought you were just trying to save the princess's face, but it turns out you went over there, gave them the finger, came back to raise your value, and then came to join us. Hahaha, that was the first time in my life I've seen that bastard Lloyd make a face like he'd eaten a bug. Hahahahahaha!"
Beonald, who had recently decided to take refuge with the Valderian family to avoid the people noisily chattering about the princess, was being looked after by Cedron Valderian