Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: The Show Must Go On
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"Oh my, what should we do? He looks exhausted."
"Well, fighting four people in a row..."
"Is that why he took down the first one so quickly? He was planning for this?"
Unaware that Beonald was expertly staging a crisis, the onlookers watched with bated breath as he swung his sword diligently, staggering and sweating.
Moreover, he was now facing his fourth opponent after consecutively battling three knights. People chatted as they watched his precarious fight.
"But... couldn't they just switch? Why is he fighting like that?"
"I'm not sure. There must be a reason, right?"
"Come to think of it, hasn't he been glancing at the heir of the Kemmel family and His Majesty the Emperor since earlier?"
"Ah, so perhaps he made some kind of deal with His Majesty?"
Murmur, murmur...
Human imagination is truly boundless.
Even though Beonald hadn't said a word and merely showed his actions, people were already weaving all sorts of stories, adding drums and gongs to the tale.
Furthermore, as the recent events and information were combined and piled on, the story began to inflate more and more.
'Seeing them whispering everywhere, the story is probably being blown up even more than I imagined.'
Beonald knew all too well how incredible human imagination could be, and how rumors spreading among noble circles could grow flesh through exaggeration and amplification without any foundation.
In the midst of his intensely performed fight, as his opponent began to tire again, Beonald seized the moment, struck his opponent's sword away, and pointed his own at the man's throat.
"D-damn it! Like this!"
"The match... seems decided."
"Kgh... I lost."
"Woooooooooah!"
Although the fight had lasted a respectable length, having his sword knocked away and being subdued ultimately decided the victory. The crowd's cheers erupted so loudly it seemed the arena might lift off.
How could it not be a miracle? A student from the commoner's administrative department, who wasn't even a knight major and wore a black uniform due to his tragic lineage, had now single-handedly defeated four knights from the Sword and Shield Club—all knight majors trained in prestigious martial families.
"Amazing! Truly amazing!"
"Now I see why Sir Repart recommended him. Taking on four alone!"
"But he looks really tired... Ah, well, even one such fierce battle would be exhausting. Doing it four times must be tough."
"Yet he still seems willing to fight?"
From the outside, Beonald appeared to be kneeling, breathing laboriously as he struggled to conserve his stamina.
Truth be told, it was a bit tiring.
Fighting while acting required double the concentration. Having to go easy on his opponent while also putting on a performance strained his eyesight twofold, making it unavoidably draining.
"Hoo~ Even so... this is no easy feat. I'm beginning to see again how tough gladiators in the arena must have it. Hoo... hoo..."
"...Having fun all by yourself? Shouldn't you switch out soon?"
"And ruin... hoo... hoo... this atmosphere?"
"Beonald! Oooo! Beonald! Go for it! Beonald! Is he going for a fifth? Beonald! Waaaaaah! Beonald! Get uuuup!"
The crowd's cheers. Even the nobles, forgetting their dignity, were chanting Beonald's name.
Amidst this splendid response, he could have stepped down for a while, but Beonald stubbornly insisted on using it as a reason to fight a fifth knight instead.
Cedron, as if there was no other choice, permitted him to continue and persuaded the others.
Conversely, the Sword and Shield Club side now wore expressions as if they'd all bitten into something sour. The fifth knight in particular had a completely overwhelmed look as he prepared.
"...Uh... uhh."
"Sir Murald, are you alright?"
"Damn, he's completely frozen. President Lloyd, what should we do? Should we make him forfeit?"
The next contestant from the Sword and Shield Club side was completely frozen stiff. The arena was now heated with the crowd's atmosphere and pressure, all chanting Beonald's name. Going in there?
It was a situation that required the courage to face and overcome waves or a typhoon. Moreover, Beonald had already single-handedly defeated four, and even if he won, the opposing side still had four perfectly healthy knights remaining.
Regardless, with no chance of victory, it was a situation where a mental breakdown was inevitable. President Lloyd looked at him with pitying eyes but persuaded him, knowing he couldn't back down here.
"Running away... is a greater disgrace than defeat. Sometimes, you must throw yourself into a fight where defeat is certain. If you flee, you damage not only your own honor but that of your family, the Imperial Academy, and our Sword and Shield Club. Understood?"
"Y-yes, President."
"And even if you lose here... if we win in the final team battle and secure ultimate victory, even greater honor awaits. So pull yourself together, Sir Murald! The responsibility here lies entirely with me anyway."
"Yes!"
Seemingly persuaded at last, he steeled himself and stepped up into the sparring ground.
And so, the fifth match began. Beonald, responding to the crowd's cheers, steadied his breathing once more and started the bout.
Even if he was tired, he had completely seized the momentum, so here, even without strength, strength would inevitably come.
'Still, His Majesty the Emperor should have been watching this show the whole time. As expected, those in high places are busy.'
Looking at the empty emperor's seat, Beonald smiled.
He probably thought the outcome of this match was more or less decided after Beonald's second victory and the delay before the third, saw no need to watch further, and left to tour other locations.
The noble faculty's events weren't limited to this one, and he likely needed to make at least a brief appearance at the commoner faculty to build the image of an emperor who cares for all.
'The difference between being able to focus on one thing or not is significant.'
Beonald's act, staged to both perform and avoid the emperor's gaze, had worked perfectly. He wondered what the emperor would think upon returning to find him suddenly exploding in popularity.
And so, amidst the cheers, the fifth match finally began. Beonald decided to put on another brilliant display of crisis.
The true climax would come in the team battle, after all.
Around the time Beonald was gaining popularity, the Emperor of the Calleum Empire, Geraldo Calleum, was currently at a concert hall in the noble faculty, enjoying an orchestra performance.
Designed and built solely for focusing on music, it was a place where one could never hear any commotion from outside.
Moreover, aside from the invited high nobles, the Imperial Knight Order and high-ranking knights were stationed, completely blocking out any other conversation.
'...How tedious. I simply cannot understand why people enjoy this sort of thing.'
Concealing his true feelings of boredom, the Emperor listened to the musical performance. He would have preferred to be doing something else, something more productive, but as the Emperor, he had no choice but to endure for the sake of dignity and managing the nobles.
"Hmm, this piece seems particularly good."
"Yes. It's a new composition by the famous composer Baron Bernly, but the children performing are also quite skilled."
"Heh heh heh, indeed."
'Philistines...'
What was so good about any of this? The Emperor disliked the sight of them laughing and complimenting each other.
Those who smile and act chummy on the surface, only to slander each other behind backs, constantly scheming to stab others in the back to enlarge their own power and wealth. He had spent a lifetime watching these parasites play, using loyalty to the Empire and honor as their shields.
'...Still, it's a necessary evil to maintain the Empire.'
"...Hmm, is that so? I see."
"Oh? Is that the talk over there?"
"Understood. I'll head there right after this concert ends."
Unable to focus on the concert anyway, the high nobles were busy sucking up and chattering amongst themselves when knights began approaching them one by one, whispering.
Were they conveying some urgent news? The Emperor glanced around and found it strange—knights were whispering to every single high noble.
Usually, this meant some incident had occurred. A commotion also broke out among the lower audience seats.
'What's going on? Why is everyone leaving so rudely?'
The performance was still in full swing, yet the students and nobles in the lower seats began streaming out like a receding tide.
Except for the conductor with his back turned, even the performing students could see people suddenly leaving. The Emperor could now easily understand that some incident had occurred.
"Sir Legion, it seems something has happened. Investigate the situation immediately."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
He immediately ordered Sir Legion, the captain of the Imperial Knight Order guarding him, to look into the situation.
After about five minutes, having gathered all reports, Sir Legion calmly approached the Emperor and delivered his summary.
"Your Majesty, the current commotion is due to a miraculous event occurring at the site of the knight major students' match."
"A miracle?"
"Yes. That... individual named Beonald, whom Your Majesty also saw, has consecutively defeated four knights in a five-on-five match and is reportedly on the verge of defeating the fifth knight now."
"Hmm, alone... against five? As expected, he seems no ordinary fellow... But is that such a commotion-worthy event?"
Looking throughout Imperial history, martial prodigies causing upsets was a common occurrence.
Furthermore, Beonald already came with the guarantee of Sir Repart's recommendation, so the Emperor thought such skill was to be expected rather than surprising. However, this was a misjudgment stemming from his complete lack of understanding regarding entertainment and noble gossip.
"...Your Majesty, of course, the fact alone isn't such a big deal. The problem is that... how should I put it... a story is attached to him, which seems to be causing a major stir."
"A story?"
"...Yes. That is to say... it's not a matter of looking at just one aspect. The incident is so intricately intertwined from multiple angles that the explanation is complex, Your Majesty."
Sir Legion, as captain of the Imperial Knight Order, possessed not only exceptional martial prowess but also intelligence. Yet even he prefaced that the situation was so convoluted it was difficult to explain at once.
After repeatedly verifying the incidents and information, then checking the rumors circulating outside, the stories inflated by nobles, their tastes, and even the Emperor's own actions and relationship with the princess, he could finally barely conclude why Beonald's fight was so popular.
"...And how is that related to popularity?"
Even after explaining in utmost detail, whether the Emperor could comprehend it was another matter entirely.
An emperor who had stubbornly adhered to extreme calculation and rationality could never understand the nobles' pleasures and delights. He only considered them as means for politics or conditions for exchange—that was his limit. Sir Legion sighed inwardly, thinking it would take much more time to make this emperor understand.