Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: The Birthday Party (6)
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Was it because of the sword aura's shockwave?
The smoke screen began to gradually clear.
I hurriedly picked up Allen's sword and Batsu's spear.
And first, I approached Allen, who had collapsed beside the massive crack.
“Ugh...”
Allen muttered to himself as if resigned.
His madness had long vanished in the face of the overwhelming gap.
Even his playboy ailment seemed fully cured.
“To think you'd frame it like that... how...”
Kwaaak—!!
The moment he started muttering.
I slammed the spear I was holding into the floor.
Allen thought that spear would pierce right through him.
However, Batsu's spear merely embedded itself at the starting point of the sword qi I'd unleashed.
“W-what? What trick are you plotting now...?”
Allen looked up at me with an expression of utter incomprehension.
However, I didn't say a word to him.
I simply headed toward Batsu, holding his twin swords.
The saint of the East clutched his two legs.
I stood before him and raised the sword.
“You used paralyzing poison, didn't you? You coward...”
The instant he gnashed his teeth.
I decisively swung the sword.
———!!
Allen's sword slammed into the stage floor.
Thanks to that, it shattered into pieces and scattered around Batsu.
“Not poison, so shut up and stay put.”
I calmly walked behind Batsu's back.
Then, I formed a square with my fingers to check the angle at which the two would appear to the audience.
“Perfect, everyone has a good view, so the picture looks pretty.”
The knights stared at me with expressions of utter confusion.
To them, I replied with a wide smile.
“Wait comfortably.”
Once the setup was complete, I slowly backed away.
And as I hid in the shadowy corner of the stage, I said,
“I'll make you the strongest in the Empire.”
With those words from me, the smoke screen fully dissipated.
Thanks to that, the stage's scene unfolded clearly before everyone.
———.
Two fallen heroes.
And the battlefield turned to ruins.
At that sight, the VIPs and imperial family's eyes widened in shock.
Soon, they all gaped in disbelief.
“The stage collapsed...?”
“What on earth happened inside?”
Gentlemen hiding behind overturned tables.
They rose and stared blankly at the stage.
The stage cracked as if struck by an earthquake.
Batsu's massive spear firmly embedded atop the fissure.
Beneath it lay Irina's knight, Allen.
He breathed raggedly, wearing a decadent expression.
Perhaps because his face was quite handsome.
The ladies, upon seeing Allen, stared intently—even knowing he was a playboy.
In their eyes, Allen looked like a blond beast who had given his all in the duel.
But what mattered more was something else.
The ruined stage.
The massive spear embedded at the origin of that fissure.
“B-Batsu! Batsu's spear did that to the stage!”
The imperial prime minister, who had been hiding behind a table, shouted.
He pointed at the spear, drawing everyone's attention.
“As expected of the saint of the East! To hide such power!”
“With that level of force, it's practically on par with a swordmaster, isn't it?”
The gentlemen admired the collapsed stage, bolstered by the prime minister's words.
However, he shook his head, saying the true marvel lay elsewhere.
“What's truly astonishing isn't just the raw power!”
The prime minister turned with eyes full of admiration.
And he gazed at Batsu, who knelt solemnly.
“That smoke screen from moments ago—it was Batsu's barrier to protect us before unleashing his technique!”
During the fight with Allen, Batsu had frequently kicked up dust winds.
Thanks to that, the VIPs were convinced the smoke screen was his doing too.
“Ooh...”
“Not only skilled, but with such chivalry too... Princess Lydia has raised an exemplary knight!”
The prime minister gave a standing ovation in thrilled rapture.
Inspired by his words, the VIPs also rose to their feet.
And they all looked up at the imperial seats, showering cheers.
At those cheers, Lydia wore a bewildered expression.
“Eh—?”
Her buck teeth poked out like a dazed cat.
As if her mind had blanked from the unforeseen situation.
“Truly splendid, Your Highness!”
The barrage of praise continued.
Finally, she placed a hand on her waist and laughed heartily.
“Y-yeah! This is the power of our Eastern Knight Order. Did everyone see it well?”
Irina, who had come down with her, glanced at the 3rd Princess with a awkward look.
However, she soon wore the same expression as Lydia.
“Princess Irina, you are truly remarkable as well.”
Now it was her turn.
At the prime minister's words, the VIPs all turned to the 2nd Princess.
Suddenly targeted, Irina pointed at herself and asked,
“Me...? Me too, sir?”
“Indeed. You reformed that playboy to fight Batsu on equal footing.”
The prime minister even began sniffling with overflowing joy.
“I was worried when you said you'd form a knight order, but to prepare so thoroughly...”
He received a handkerchief from his attending wife.
“His Imperial Majesty, bedridden as he is, would be so proud...!”
At his touching words, the gentlemen's expressions softened in unison.
They began applauding Irina even more vigorously.
“Ah... Th-thank you, everyone. But I did nothing. It was all Allen's own achievement.”
Irina cleared her throat shyly and spoke.
“For the Empire to produce two such promising knights! This old minister can now pass without worry.”
The moved prime minister, Moshian, slowly sat back down.
He was a founding merit who had served the emperor and his descendants for generations.
It was no surprise he'd react this way first, cherishing the princesses as he did.
Thanks to that, interest in the uninvited intruder who had interrupted the duel had long faded.
Now, I could simply rejoin the VIP seats as if nothing had happened.
I quietly passed by the two knights.
And as I silently descended the stairs.
Suddenly, Allen and Batsu—now the Empire's hopes—stared up at me blankly.
To them, I left one warning.
“From now on, take better care of yourselves. You're the faces of the princesses, after all.”
The escorts wore dazed expressions, unable to comprehend my words.
Leaving them behind, I leisurely departed the stage.
———.
VIPs cheering for Allen and Batsu.
I passed their tables naturally.
As if completely unrelated to the stage.
“Irina's knight order is better than I thought.”
“Yeah, reforming Allen shows she's quite sincere.”
The gentlemen exchanged information, wine glasses in hand.
This was the moment her previously ignored knight order was mentioned among the elite.
I closed my eyes, savoring their words like music.
Then returned to Senior Miya's side.
“Hey.”
Senior pursed her lips round like an animal.
She approached me and patted my shoulder.
Had she figured out what I'd done?
As expected of a diligent mana user with sharp eyes...
“Why butt in when you couldn't even block it?”
Senior grinned slyly like a cat.
“Thanks to that, no one's hurt, and we won't get in trouble.”
Miya brushed the dirt off my back.
She seemed unaware of what happened inside the curtain.
“Still, better not poke angry seniors. Next time, just request support.”
“Yes, if we had messenger pigeons to send requests with.”
But that wouldn't happen.
Rookies in the Disaster Response Agency don't get issued pigeons.
In the end, we'd just handle incidents first and suffer cleanup.
That's why I hated leaving the office.
I forced a smile and sat at the table.
However, thanks to those damn knights' rampage, nothing remained on the table.
In the end, I could only stare at the peanuts scattered on the floor, having eaten nothing.
I'd long forgotten the recent duel.
My bigger dilemma was whether to pick up the peanuts Lydia had so carefully grown.
But that dilemma soon faded.
A black shadow loomed over my head.
“Sir Veil Mikhail?”
A deep, resonant voice.
It was the chief secretary who had given me the 3rd Princess's gift a few days ago.
“Fancy meeting you again.”
The chief secretary smiled faintly.
I shook his hand.
“The Princesses request your presence briefly.”
At the word "Princesses," Miya—who had been sulking dejectedly—lifted her head.
And she whispered to me, glancing around cautiously.
“What's this? Why call you suddenly?”
“Who knows.”
Had they noticed my intrusion into the duel?
“I'll go and come back.”
I put on my uniform jacket.
And hid the dirt-covered dress shirt.
“You okay going alone?”
Misha looked at me worriedly.
To her, I casually asked,
“Well, if it's about intruding in the duel, expulsion from the party at worst, right?”
Though I'd stopped the princesses' duel, from my position, I'd only fulfilled my Disaster Response Agency duties.
The punishment, if any, would be getting kicked out of the party.
“Yeah, they wouldn't reprimand a defense knight for doing his job, would they?”
This was actually good.
Time to escape this uncomfortable place quickly.
Then nap on the office sofa.
With that thought, I raised the corner of my mouth.
“Why smile on your way to get scolded?”
Senior eyed me strangely.
“Not smiling. Just nervous laughter from fear and sadness.”
I grimaced into a gloomy expression.
Then Miya still eyed me sulkily.
Soon, she sighed deeply and said to me,
“I'll go with you.”
Senior stood from her seat.
Her form-fitting dress stood out prominently.
“Less scary going together than alone, right?”
“No? It's my solo decision—how could I drag senior into it?”
“It's fine. I grew up making mistakes too.”
She declared confidently that I should trust only her.
“Seniors helped me back then, so I'll do the same.”
No, really, it's okay.
I wanted to explain the reason desperately.
However, she had already taken the lead.
With no choice, I followed behind senior.
As we climbed the stairs together.
Before leaving, I looked down at the bustling first-floor VIP seats.
Then, I locked eyes with the prime minister, who was toasting.
He raised his glass to me with a smile.
As if suggesting drinks together later.