Rivals Converge at the Knight Arena
Even I had to admit it was a pretty well-laid trap. It took about thirty minutes for Mist's gaze to return to normal.
"Good grief..."
Recalling her eyes once more sent a strange chill down my spine, and I scratched the back of my neck.
Her pupils had dilated hazily.
The way she stared fixedly at the nape of my neck carried an eerie glint.
"I won't stop you from looking at me all weird like that."
The trigger must have been that moment when I accepted her loyalty.
She'd given me similar looks before, but at least she'd made an effort to hide them.
But after I took her oath, it was like the reins came off—she stopped hiding it altogether.
No, the number of times she stared openly had increased to the point where I was getting used to it.
"..."
I considered giving her another warning, but let it go.
Her gaze was creepy, sure, but she never actually touched me otherwise, so complaining felt pointless.
"Whatever, fine."
Saying anything more wouldn't change her anyway—it'd just hurt my mouth.
With that thought, I headed toward the Nebula Ducal Residence's Knight Arena, which I'd scouted in advance.
"Yawn..."
As expected, three sleepless days had left me seriously fatigued.
How to describe it? My whole body felt oddly numb yet hypersensitive at the same time.
Sounds weird, but that's exactly how it was.
The air brushing my skin grated on my nerves more than it should have,
my movements lagged by about half a second,
and the thump of my heartbeat echoed unnaturally loud in my ears.
Even Mist's quiet footsteps and presence trailing behind me were starting to irritate.
Oh, it's quieter now.
A quick glance back, and she caught on immediately, suppressing her presence.
Well... better than my past life, at least.
I gave Mist a quick gesture of thanks, then rolled my stiff neck muscles as I thought that.
Maybe using mana to reinforce my body and fight off the drowsiness helped.
Compared to the all-nighter training in my past life's military days, this was nothing.
Back then, I was hallucinating, my eyelids heavy as lead—I thought I was gonna die.
"Oh, here we are."
After leaving the mansion, a colosseum-like structure loomed ahead.
The unique feature? As befitting knights, it combined a sword-fighting arena with a shooting range for various firearms—an odd hybrid setup.
Stepping inside, I immediately felt the knights already training turn their eyes toward me.
"That's him..." "Isn't that Lord Abel?" "Who else shows up right now?" "Hmm... Lord Kaizen and Lord Abel..."
Oh, right.
I was heading to the far end of the arena to avoid disrupting their training amid the murmurs when it hit me.
Kaizen's got ties with the knights, huh?
That explained it.
A few knights were looking at me with eyes that treated me like something uncomfortable.
Surprising.
To already have a small faction's support in just a month and a half?
After all, he'd passed out from the Duke's test, then thrown a fit when he woke up. Unexpected.
Thud. Thud.
As I shook off the drowsiness with idle thoughts, footsteps approached.
What the—his height...
Turning, I saw a massive knight striding over—tall enough that I had to look up a bit.
At least two meters, with overwhelming muscle to match.
His forearms were thicker than most women's waists.
Even unarmed, the middle-aged knight exuded crushing pressure.
"Greetings."
"..."
"I'm Bargis, captain of the Nebula Ducal Residence's knight order. Might I have the honor of your name?"
Very gentlemanly introduction.
Call it a preconception? The guy looked so gruff, yet here he was, so polite...
Feels like he's wearing the wrong clothes.
"Abel."
"I see... As expected..."
"Hold on—one thing before that."
I scratched my head lightly and eyed Bargis.
His demeanor was impeccably courteous—no flaws.
But with no sleep, maybe I was misreading it.
My nerves were on edge; I might be overreacting.
"Speak casually."
"...Are you sure?"
"Sigh... Yeah."
I nodded lightly, and Bargis cracked his stoic face with a small smile.
"Hahaha. Then I'll follow your lead, Lord Abel. I came just to say this."
"..."
"Your bold, exhilarating declaration left me truly impressed."
His eyes brimmed with genuine goodwill.
Was that all? He turned and headed back to the knights right after.
"What the..."
He really came over just for that one line?
"Pfft."
They say absurdity breeds laughter.
His heavy approach contrasted with his quick exit drew a chuckle from me.
I sat in a nearby chair, waiting for Kaizen and Bella.
"Ha..."
Abel's voice— that man's—echoed through the entire Nebula Ducal Residence.
"Hahaha..."
His words were shocking.
On the way here, he'd endured mercenaries' attacks for three days straight, no sleep.
He swore it on the God of Contracts—pure truth.
So fight him now, in his weakened state.
"Hahahahaha!!!"
Bella let out a hollow laugh.
Checkmate. Perfect word for it.
Ignore his declaration? Everything she'd built would crumble.
Win, and she breaks even. Lose, and she's done.
"Haa..."
Her energy drained; she slumped into her chair.
Worst case.
Bella's sharp mind dissected his broadcast.
[Right now, I'm sleep-deprived from three days of relentless attacks on my way to the Nebula Ducal Residence, no proper rest.]
He never named her or Kaizen.
But people would assume.
Constant ambushes? Not normal.
Someone hostile ordered it.
Who? Only fellow bastards Kaizen and Bella.
"..."
Seamless logical trap.
If she were innocent, she'd admire it quietly.
"Haa... Damn it."
Muttering, Bella checked her gear.
The stage was set.
Dally till tomorrow? Public opinion would side with Abel.
"..."
She gathered all her equipment and headed to the Knight Arena as declared.
"Puhahaha!!"
While Bella lamented her bind and armed up,
boisterous laughter erupted from Kaizen's room.
"Hahaha!!!"
How could he not laugh?
Abel dismantled his schemes, flipped them into a noose for him and Bella.
Admiration barely covered it.
"Kehhehe. Ah, really."
Fine, he admitted it.
His petty tricks were laughable.
Treating Abel as prey, not foe.
His month of idling like a wastrel bred that bias.
Abel was a nobody.
"So embarrassing I can't show my face..."
No, he was the nobody.
Misjudging an enemy's strength? Fatal for a warrior.
"Kehhehe."
Still chuckling, Kaizen grinned as he geared up.
Not cold analysis like Bella.
Simple: a warrior answers a warrior's challenge.
Bang!
Fully armed, Kaizen bolted to the Knight Arena.
About an hour after arriving.
Sipping the thick coffee Mist brewed to fend off drowsiness, the arena door opened.
"Oh, they're here?"
Perfectly timed, or coincidence?
Kaizen and Bella entered together.
The murmuring knights fell silent, eyes on us.
Thud. Thud.
Kaizen: long sword at hip, sniper rifle and guns on back.
Bella: mana-engraved gear befitting a mage, fully kitted.
"..."
Confirming their full armament, I rose and walked toward them.
Distance closing.
Finally face-to-face, we three halted in unison, no words needed.
"..." "..." "..."
Long, or short? Time to end the fight for the Duke's heir.