Chapter 118: Mock Battle
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 118: Mock Battle
Clear light seeped through the cracks of the closed window. It was too late to be dawn, yet too early to be morning.
I put on the clothes I had left by the bed and added more firewood to the dying embers in the fireplace. The flames, which had been dwindling, roared back to life.
The crackling firewood held my gaze with a strange magnetism.
Eleanor lay in bed with her back to me. She had every right to be tired after I’d kept her up until dawn. Besides, it was her first time facing me all by herself.
I moved to pull the blanket up to her neck, but hesitated. The blanket, bearing the clear marks of last night, looked more like a tattered rag.
I couldn't understand how we'd managed to sleep under it. The bedsheets were in the same state. A strange smell, neither fragrant nor foul, belatedly hit my nose.
After a moment's thought, I decided to cover her anyway. It would be strange to pretend to be neat and tidy now, wouldn't it?
"I'll be back."
As a farewell, I kissed the elegant curve of her back. But didn't she flinch the moment my lips touched her?
Holding the edge of the blanket, I looked down at her. A suffocating silence fell, and she slowly buried her face in the pillow.
She was pretending to be asleep. It seemed she was belatedly remembering how she had panted like an animal last night. The proof was in the flush that spread not only across her cheeks but all the way to the nape of her neck.
I finished pulling the blanket up to her neck. Then, I placed my hand on her slender waist, its curves visible even through the covers.
Her body trembled faintly. A smirk played on my lips. I brought my face close to her ear and breathed my words out with a hot exhale.
"Tonight, I won't be stopping in the middle."
This was the same Eleanor who had waved the white flag at dawn, begging me to stop. When I didn't, she'd even used the mock battle as an excuse, insisting she needed to conserve her strength.
"Hic."
She pulled the blanket tighter around herself and shrank away even more.
"Eleanor. Why must you be so adorable?"
When I lay down beside her and wrapped my arms around her, she struggled.
"You, you monster! Stop it!"
"Calling your husband a monster? Eleanor, I'm hurt."
I forced her to face me. She squeezed her eyes shut and pushed against my chest.
"We're not married yet!"
"Yet?"
When I gave her a wicked grin, her face turned so red it looked like it might burst.
Because of her albinism, Eleanor's skin flushed easily when she was aroused. Thanks to that, it was even easier to read her emotions.
What should I do with this adorable woman? Unable to hold back any longer, I moved on top of her.
"W-wait! The mock battle, the mock battle is about to start!"
"There's still a little time left."
"No! I'm sore!"
"Where?"
I stopped and looked down at her. She lowered her gaze.
"W-well..."
It might have been because of the aromatic oil. At first, it had served as a lubricant, but after it dried, it only caused more friction.
"Then is a kiss okay?"
"If it's just a kiss..."
She glanced at me cautiously before giving a slow nod.
I stole a light kiss. As I pulled away, I made sure to give her lips a little lick.
Her tongue, which had come out as if in welcome, wandered for a moment before retreating. It seemed she had been expecting a much deeper kiss.
"You little minx."
I stole another kiss from her flustered lips and got out of bed. Eleanor now turned to watch me as I left the room.
"Be careful. H-husband..."
Surprised, I turned back to see she had already rolled over to face away from me again. To think she'd get shy over a simple title after we'd seen everything there was to see of each other. In truth, that's what made her even cuter.
"I'll be back as soon as I can."
Leaving the shy girl behind, I left the room.
"Your next opponent is Sir Admon."
The moment I left the court, Jin appeared at my side as if she had been with me all along.
"You mean the knight who's said to be stronger than Sir Gale in terms of pure martial prowess?"
I remembered his name from the list of participating families Jin had brought me before the mock battles began yesterday.
I recalled the note that while Gale was a commander-type knight skilled in both literary and martial arts, Admon was a classic warrior-type.
"Yes. He is one of the individuals you must be wary of."
The list had noted several families and individuals to watch out for. Of those on the list, I had only faced the court knight, Sir Gale. If not for that, I wouldn't have been able to go on such a rampage yesterday.
'I was lucky.'
In any case, I rolled the name 'Admon' around on my tongue. The situation had changed from my original plan. If so, it might be worth considering killing one of the king's prized knights to weaken his forces.
After all, my rampage yesterday had significantly reduced the strength of the Noble Faction.
If the Royalist Faction ends up defeating the Noble Faction, I'll be in trouble too. The king's next target would be me.
The problem is that the Noble Faction, who mistakenly believe I'm on the king's side, would find it strange... But if I have Aron incite them with the idea that the king threw me a scapegoat to save face, killing just one of them should be fine, right?
"How is the takeover of the capital's underworld going?"
"The capital's underworld is too large and powerful for a foreigner with no money or backing to take over with personal ability alone."
"Still, I thought you of all people would be able to do it."
"The problem, is it not, is that it would take a great deal of time."
True, even for a named character like Jin who specialized in this field, the conditions were too harsh.
"Financial support will be arranged soon."
I've arranged to borrow troops for the Northern Continent expedition through Aron, and Count Dresden has agreed to handle their supplies. That means I won't have to spend my own money.
Furthermore, with Aenya and the Rasino mother-daughter duo working hard, my financial situation should normalize soon.
"I certainly hope so."
Jin vanished into the crowd as naturally as she had appeared.
"He's here! He's here-!"
As I entered the arena, cheers erupted from all sides. Men reached out to slap my palm, while women offered handkerchiefs and flowers.
Meanwhile, Bronx II, who was already seated in the stands, was surprisingly smiling. Even though he must have realized he was now on a runaway train with no brakes.
'What is he plotting?'
He was definitely up to something. More strange things kept popping up. My opponent for the day, Admon, and his troops were nowhere to be seen in the waiting area.
"Where's the opposing team?"
"Well, look who their opponent is. They probably feel like a death row inmate being dragged to the gallows. I imagine they're having trouble taking that first step."
Muel seized the opportunity to flatter me. But I thought differently. The king's smile, everything... something was afoot.
"Prepare for battle. This might... turn into a real fight."
"Sir? Yes, sir!"
Muel gave a military salute and relayed the order to his comrades. He might seem that way, but he was a knight who had survived two years on the battlefield. Once the fighting started, he would prove himself as reliable as he always had.
Meanwhile, the crowd also seemed to sense that something was wrong. Their murmuring grew louder. Just before the match was scheduled to begin, the announcer stepped into the center of the stage.
"Sir Admon fell gravely ill last night and will be withdrawing from the tournament!"
"What? The knight who was running wild just yesterday suddenly falls gravely ill? Are we supposed to believe that?"
"This looks like he's running away because he's scared of Sir Allen."
"A surrender? He surrendered? A knight, in front of everyone?"
Even though the announcer had spoken the truth, the uproar only intensified. Everyone—man and woman, young and old, regardless of status—condemned Admon for surrendering.
To surrender without even fighting was a tremendous dishonor. Why do you think all my previous opponents fought me, even knowing they couldn't win? It was all for the sake of honor.
Surrendering in a place like this, with so many nobles gathered, was an act that could get one ostracized from high society.
And yet, Admon, a renowned court knight, had done just that...!
While everyone struggled to understand the situation, only Bronx II remained calm.
'Did he predict I was going to kill Admon?'
If so, he must have also guessed that it was a losing proposition either way.
If Admon fought, he would die at my hands. If he didn't fight, it would be an admission of the king's plot to use me to weaken the Noble Faction.
The outcome was the same either way? Then his decision must have been to at least preserve his forces. This hinted at a more direct show of power to come.
It was a slightly disappointing result. The Noble Faction's suspicions would turn to certainty, but I had failed to reduce the king's strength.
The commotion that started in the stands spread to the waiting area. Servants hurried back and forth between the two, and nobles whose turns were approaching went to see for themselves. The result...
"Sir Harold of Bussen fell from his horse a moment ago and is unable to fight!"
"Sir Eymond also has an upset stomach...!"
Convinced of the king's plot, the participants from the Noble Faction began to surrender one after another. Among them were many of the families and knights Jin had warned me about.
The Royalists, too, did not hesitate to surrender, as if they had spoken with the king beforehand.
Extremes meet, as they say. The murmuring died down at once. Instead, the Royalists and the Nobles put distance between themselves, glaring at each other. Everyone sensed that war was imminent.
Even the common folk were silenced by the grave atmosphere. A silence fell over the place where hundreds had gathered, and tension rippled through the air.
Clop. Clop.
A moment later, the sound of hooves broke the silence. A single rider was crossing the arena, heading toward the center of the stands where the king sat.
It was me.
"Does this mean I'm the winner?"
The announcer who received my question glanced at Bronx II. The king, wearing a fake smile, shot to his feet and spread his arms wide, looking around at the crowd.
"The winner has been decided! Let the music play! Allen of House Tobalts has overcome countless powerful foes with his valor and strategy... ahem, and stands here today! He is the strongest knight of this era! Everyone, rise and welcome him with your blessings!"
"Ahem...!"
"That, that shameless-!"
The Noble Faction, thinking it was all a setup, clapped with displeased expressions. The Royalists, likely aware of the relationship between the king and me, were also half-hearted. Thanks to them, I was forced to endure stinging glares from both sides.
Bronx II paid them no mind and proceeded to award the title and the prize money. He was handing me the document certifying my status as a successor noble, his fake smile still in place, when he spoke.
"Since things have turned out this way, you'll have to help me, Sir Allen."
Bronx II wanted to maintain the Noble Faction's misconception that I was on his side.
He must have judged that if the Noble Faction was wary of me, it would lighten his own burden.
So that's why he kept up that fake smile—to hide these intentions.
I clicked my tongue inwardly. After trying to use me and ending up in this mess, he was trying to use me again? It seemed he hadn't learned a thing.
"If Your Majesty hadn't pulled such a foolish stunt, we could have been good partners long ago."
"...What are you trying to say?"
I straightened up and looked around at the nobles who were clapping reluctantly.
Thanks to the considerable blow I'd dealt them, the power of the Noble and Royalist Factions was now evenly matched.
Considering the Noble Faction was a loose coalition, the Royalist Faction, united around the central figure of the king, had to be considered stronger.
In other words, the nobles could be defeated one by one, or they might try to avoid war altogether. Bronx II must have considered that when he started this act. But I wasn't foolish enough to be played by such intentions.
"This has been a meaningful tournament. The Lord says, 'Do not be arrogant.' I have realized the truth in those words. Had luck not been on my side, the victory would have gone to another. This is a fortunate result. Surely, it is the Lord's blessing upon the Northern Continent expedition."
Both the Nobles and the Royalists wore blunt expressions, as if wondering why I was spouting such long-winded nonsense. But as I continued, their faces grew serious.
"As some of you may know, I will soon be departing with Count Dresden on an expedition to the Northern Continent. It will be quite a long journey, but now that the Lord has lit the path before me, I can go with peace of mind."
I had just officially announced the Northern Continent expedition. I also made sure to emphasize the phrase 'quite a long journey.'
I was letting everyone know that I would be away for some time. It was a signal for them to set aside their worries about me joining the fray and to fight the king.
The nobles stirred, seemingly understanding my meaning. Most of them had suspicious eyes. They were wondering if this, too, was another of the king's plots.
I wasn't worried. Once they saw the massive fleet departing for the Northern Continent, they would have no choice but to believe me.
My departure—the departure of the king's most powerful knight, the man who shared control of the south with Dresden—would look like an opportunity to the Noble Faction.
"I ask for your prayers as well. Let us hope that no unavoidable circumstances force an army of over a thousand to turn back."
Of course, there would be those who saw this as a chance to target my domain, so I didn't forget to add a warning.
As soon as I finished speaking, I saw several nobles flinch. It was surely no coincidence that they were from families with territories near my own.
As a warning, I met their eyes one by one before stepping down from the platform.
The Noble Faction still hadn't lowered their suspicious gazes, and Bronx II's face, no longer wearing a fake smile, was crumpled like a piece of paper.
Regardless, I turned my back on the arena. With the mock battle ending like this, the post-tournament banquet would surely be canceled.
My business in the capital was finished. It was time to go home.
A few days later. I was leading our party, breaking in the fine warhorse I had received for winning the tournament, when Eleanor called for me. I guided my horse alongside her carriage.
Even after calling me over, she avoided my gaze and fidgeted, muttering in a voice as small as an ant's.
"Um... it's a secret from Aenya."
"What is?"
"Oh, come on... You know."
A chuckle escaped me. She wanted to keep what happened between us a secret from Aenya. I suppose it did look like I was cheating on Aenya with her.
"Having a secret affair behind Aenya's back doesn't sound too bad."
"Aah... honestly, stop thinking things like that all the time."
"But you like it too, don't you, Eleanor?"
"I do not!"
Eleanor slammed the carriage window shut. I chuckled and moved back to the front of the column to lead the party.
Unfortunately for Eleanor, her wish did not come true. As soon as we returned, Aenya, who had rushed out of the castle upon hearing the news, went straight to her and started sniffing.
"Wh-what...?"
Having something to hide, Eleanor froze like ice. Even her voice trembled faintly.
Seeing a sly grin spread across Aenya's face, I shook my head.
Aenya gave Eleanor a gentle hug and whispered in a voice only she could hear.
"You... did it with him, didn't you?"
"Hic."
Eleanor's hiccup was all the answer Aenya needed.