A Sister's Rampage and a Brother's Wish
I stared blankly at the short knight. "Grand Duke, today is the final match between the imperial family's pride, the Golden Knights, and the Grand Duchy's pride, the Giant Legion. Who do you think will win?" Theodora's voice shattered my train of thought.
I turned my head to look at Theodora, who was sitting beside me. She wore a mischievous, almost childlike smile, as if she were plotting some playful trick. "Well..." I replied, "I have a feeling the Giant Legion will take the victory."
At my response, she shook her head with supreme confidence. "The Golden Knights are the finest order in the Empire. There is absolutely no way they will lose."
I let out a soft chuckle. As if. In the world of competition, there was no such thing as "absolute." I offered her an easy, relaxed smile. "Well, we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?" As I spoke, looking directly at her, Theodora smiled back.
It was a breathtaking smile, one capable of melting a man's heart. Rumors flashed through my mind of the countless noblemen who had desperately clawed their way into imperial galas just to catch a single glimpse of her. It was a smile fit for a sublime goddess, one that set the hearts of the Empire's men aflame—yet, to me, why did this dazzlingly beautiful smile feel so... artificial?
"In that case, Grand Duke, why don't we make a wager?" "What kind of wager?" I asked, my curiosity piqued. "How about the loser has to grant any wish the winner desires?"
I pondered her proposal. In terms of sheer coordination and individual skill, the Golden Knights held a slight advantage. The tournament rules also favored them; after all, the Giant Legion was a force bred purely for slaughter, not structured sportsmanship. Looking at those two factors alone, we were at a disadvantage. However, in large-scale team battles, command capability was the ultimate deciding factor. And when it came to tactical leadership, no one could match Agrippa. On top of that, that short knight... my gut insisted it was Mary. Agrippa alone boosted our odds of winning exponentially, but if Mary was also on the field? The scales tipped entirely in my favor. Our probability of victory was practically ninety-nine point nine percent. The situation was overwhelmingly advantageous for me. Accepting the bet posed no real risk. Instead, I began to contemplate what wish I should make. What should I ask for? Perhaps to secure Joy's engagement to Yohanes's son and demand she not interfere with it? But... what did Theodora want from me? An annulment? Or perhaps the return of her political authority? Whatever it was, she was going to find it incredibly difficult to win.
"Fine," I readily agreed. For the first time, Theodora's brow furrowed. "Aren't you accepting this far too easily? You don't even know what I might demand." I shrugged dismissively. "It doesn't matter, since I'm going to win anyway. Shall I tell you my terms?" My words, which bordered on arrogant, made her gaze turn icy. "No. Since you speak with such confidence, Grand Duke, I shall not listen to your wish either." With that, we both turned our heads sharply back toward the arena. I realized today that her expressions were far more varied than I had thought. Perhaps it was because she usually seemed so haughty and cold, but even if it was artificial, her bright, clear smile was still her most beautiful look.
Boom! A loud blast signaled that the team battle was ready to begin. A man wearing a tight black-and-blue bodysuit stepped up between the Golden Knights and the Giant Legion, projecting his voice across the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen! The moment you have all been waiting for has finally arrived! The grand finals of the team battle are about to begin!"
"Roaaar!" "In one corner, the loyal soldiers of His Imperial Majesty! The greatest order in the Empire! The force that has turned countless enemies of the realm into fertilizer for our soil—the Golden Knights!"
The announcer, watching the Golden Knights bask in the roaring cheers, shouted once more. "And in the other corner, the fierce beasts! The miraculous army that has brought endless glory to the Empire! The pride of the Grand Duchy of Francesco—the Giant Legion!"
The Giant Legion was an elite force meticulously raised by our Grand Duchy over generations. True to their name, admission required a minimum height of 1.9 meters. Swinging massive halberds with their long, muscular arms and hurling fire-infused explosive shells barehanded to obliterate distant enemies, they were more than worthy of being called the grim reapers of the battlefield. Well... since this was a tournament, they couldn't use explosives or live-edged halberds, but they were still the pride of the Grand Duchy and a reflection of my own power. I could not tolerate an embarrassing defeat here. I had practically begged Agrippa to participate, bribing him with a promise of a week-long vacation just to get him on the field. If they lost after all that? I might just disband the Giant Legion on the spot.
Perhaps it was due to my reputation as a usurper, but the crowd's reception of us was noticeably colder compared to the Golden Knights. Still, that wasn't what mattered right now. The minimum height requirement was 1.9 meters, yet the knight standing at the very front of our formation looked barely 160 centimeters tall. She held a heavy-looking spear with an air of complete nonchalance. It has to be Mary, right? While I was plagued by these anxious thoughts, the announcer's voice rang out. "And now, let the battle begin!"
Clang! A massive bell chimed at the announcer's signal, marking the start of the match. As the battle commenced, my mind raced with the possibility of that knight being Mary. Why had she suddenly appeared now when she hadn't been there before? Although I hadn't paid close attention to the earlier rounds, this mysterious short knight was definitely making her debut in the finals.
Thud... Thud! The Golden Knights formed a tight phalanx, locking their massive shields together as they began a slow, deliberate march forward. Seeing this, Agrippa raised his sword high. Instantly, the Giant Legion split into two wings, moving with surprising speed and leaving the short knight standing entirely alone in the dead center. Did they just abandon the center? Deploying such a formation practically invited the enemy to encircle and crush them piece by piece. The Golden Knights seemed momentarily taken aback by the bizarre tactic, halting their advance. However, perhaps viewing it as an insult, they quickly resumed their march, radiating an ominous, aggressive aura. Watching this unfold, a sudden realization struck me like a bolt of lightning. Of course! It really is Mary. Agrippa was no fool; he would never abandon the center and split his forces without a flawless reason. He had divided them because he knew Mary, with her superhuman strength, could hold the center entirely on her own. She was a Ryan, after all.
At that exact moment, the knight I suspected to be Mary sprinted toward the oncoming Golden Knights, using her spear like a vaulting pole to launch herself high into the air. Crash! The knights hastily raised their shields to block her descent, but the pint-sized warrior calmly shattered their defense upon landing, dropping right into the heart of their formation. She then drew a short one-handed sword and began ruthlessly battering the knights, who were packed too tightly to move or swing back. Even if the weapons were blunt and the knights wore padded gambesons beneath their armor, getting struck with solid iron was still... "Aaargh!"
To make matters worse, she wasn't just aimlessly striking their armor; she was viciously targeting vulnerable areas like the neck and face, which the helmets couldn't fully protect. Blood began to spill from the knights who were struck in those exposed gaps. No matter how blunt the blade, a sword swung with her monstrous strength was more than enough to crush fragile human flesh. So that's why she brought a short sword. It was perfect for swinging wildly and thrusting into vital points within a cramped, crowded space. What a ruthless brat. It was painfully obvious whose brilliant idea this had been.
As she threw the enemy ranks into absolute chaos with her short sword, the Giant Legion seized the opportunity to launch a pincer attack on the disoriented formation. "Argh!" "Urgh!" The knights in the front row desperately tried to regain their composure, raising their shields and thrusting their spears forward. But their defense was shallow. The greatest strength of a phalanx lay in the terrifying wall of long spears presented by the first through fourth ranks, completely denying the enemy's approach. However, because the knights in the second, third, and fourth ranks were too busy trying to defend themselves against the rampaging short knight, they couldn't apply proper pressure to the front. Consequently, the Giant Legion closed the distance, using the axe-heads of their halberds to shatter the enemy's spear shafts.
"The front line! The front line is collapsing! Hold them back!" The knights desperately raised their large shields to block the Giant Legion, who had now breached their perimeter. But the giants swung their long arms, hammering their heavy axes against the wooden shields. Thud! Thud! And then... Crack! The shields splintered into pieces. Through the newly opened gaps, the Giant Legion began to pummel the front line. The effortless collapse of the enemy's first rank was a massive blow. The second rank hadn't even reorganized yet! Perfect! Keep going wild, Mary. As the formation shattered, the enemy forces began to scatter.
"You little pest!" Unable to stand the humiliation of losing to a pint-sized knight, several of the stronger-looking knights banded together to pressure her. But it was too late; their formation was already in ruins. The Giant Legion surged into the broken ranks, pressing their offensive. With victory practically assured, I relaxed and watched the short knight's movements. I shook my head in awe at her beast-like combat style—dodging incoming spears with exquisite reflexes, choking up on her weapon, and delivering brutal thrusts to her opponents' midsections. It was definitely Mary. Now that Valorang was dead, she was the only person left in the entire Empire who fought with such primal, animalistic ferocity. Good grief... she really doesn't know how to hold back. However, when Mary finally began to get surrounded, the Giant Legion, having thoroughly shattered the enemy's front lines, swept in to crush the knights surrounding her. And just like that... the match was over. It was a surprisingly swift conclusion.
"Hmph..." Theodora let out a cold snort, her mood visibly souring. I suppose she had never expected the Grand Duchy to employ such a daring strategy. To be honest, neither had I. I couldn't believe they had hidden Mary until the very end. I had explicitly forbidden her from participating, but she clearly treated her older brother's warnings as nothing more than a neighborhood dog's barking. Still, if she was going to participate anyway, wouldn't it have been better to deploy her from the start? A knight of Mary's caliber would have been a massive help during the qualifiers. Saving her for the finals... was it supreme confidence that they could reach the finals easily even without her? Regardless, introducing her at the very end to catch the enemy completely off guard was a stroke of absolute genius. Following the conclusion of the team battle, the individual swordsmanship and jousting events took place... and Mary swept the championship in both categories. Displaying a dynamic, beast-like agility that defied her small stature, unbelievable physical strength, and mind-boggling balance control, she claimed ultimate victory.
"Meryang! Meryang!" Resting my chin on my hand, I stared blankly at the crowd chanting her alias, lost in thought. I had always known she was a monster, but I hadn't realized she was this much of a monster. Watching her display of martial dominance, I finally understood with painful clarity why Valorang had pushed so hard to name Mary, a woman, as his successor. But... what was she planning to do during the award ceremony when she had to take off her helmet?! Participating in the tournament under a false name was a severe offense that could easily be construed as lèse-majesté. The citizens of the Empire held the tournament sacred; to them, it was a holy competition of noble knights. To participate under an alias was bad enough, but if they found out the double-champion was the sister of the Grand Duke—whom the public absolutely despised? We'd be lucky if a full-scale riot didn't break out.
I glanced at Theodora beside me. Her brow was deeply furrowed. She was undoubtedly irritated; the Golden Knights, whom she had placed so much hope in, had only managed to win the archery category—a minor, unpopular event. It felt like a massive waste to use my wish on this, but I had no choice. I had no desire to invite unnecessary chaos upon myself.
Sigh. What did I do to deserve a sister like her? To be completely honest, I was thrilled that Mary had won. The only problem was the cleanup. I called out to Theodora. "Theodora." Perhaps because of Mary's victory, my voice sounded surprisingly cheerful even to my own ears. As she turned her head to look at me, I leaned in and whispered softly in her ear. "I'm going to use my wish now."
"Eek!" Startled by my sudden proximity, she flinched and pulled back, her face flushing slightly. "Y-you shouldn't lean in so suddenly! You scared me!" As she grumbled in annoyance, I continued, "Lend me your ear for a second." Since there were too many eyes and ears around us, I made the request quietly. "Sigh... What is it?" She reluctantly leaned in, wearing an expression of mild distaste. "Well... about that wish. That knight, Meryang... I'm pretty sure it's my sister, Mary." With that, I whispered my wish to her.