Chapter 40
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Cheap but Similar (1)
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"I'll guide you to the training grounds."
"Ah, no need. I'll just run there."
In front of the palace entrance, he slowly stretched his body.
'Our fox-like pussies must be waiting for me with bated breath.'
Being guided by the head butler and walking slowly in this situation?
That'd be a total lack of macho spirit.
Run like your balls are gonna drop off. For real.
"Do you know the w—"
"Then I'm off!!"
'Super Acceleration!'
Dash— he bolted into motion right away.
Using the unique skill he'd absorbed from Blanc: Super Acceleration.
And so, I...
"Kyaaaaah!!!?"
'What the hell is this explosive acceleration!?'
He surged forward with thrust that far exceeded the designer's wildest expectations.
"No, that's—"
The head butler's shocked cry from behind faded into the distance like an echo.
But there was no time to parse what the guy was saying.
Just keeping from crashing into bystanders took all he had.
And then, moments later.
"......Huh?"
'Where the heck am I?'
He'd gotten lost inside the palace grounds.
Meanwhile, at the training grounds nestled within the palace.
It was a place normally reserved for the Imperial 1st Knight Order alone, but today was different.
-Wakaja jik.
"Yi Hyun-kun's late."
"The Imperial Princess is late too. I wonder what's going on."
Today marked the once-a-year friendly sparring matches between the knight orders.
The Imperial 2nd Knight Order had naturally gathered at the imperial training grounds as well.
With the bad blood between the two orders...
The atmosphere in the arena should have been downright hostile...
"But why are they so short-staffed?"
"Looks like less than half showed up?"
To be precise, it should have been hostile.
But the rival Imperial 1st Knight Order hadn't even brought half their numbers, so it wasn't.
An awkward silence dragged on.
-Whispers.
"Captain, should we go stir something up?"
"Doesn't seem like a trick. Even from here, I can see the 1st Knight Order Captain looking troubled."
Blanc took advantage of the lull to size up the enemy forces.
How many were missing? And why?
She was sure figuring that out would give Yi Hyun a huge edge in victory.
Not that she had any chance of understanding what even the 1st Knight Order Captain couldn't grasp.
"......Tch."
'Everyone calling in sick on such an important day? And only the ones with boyfriends?'
Unbeknownst to anyone, everyone present was a virgin by sheer coincidence.
The non-virgins had all bowed out for personal reasons.
As Yi Hyun had predicted, this was the 'Overhaul Mod - Virginity Purge' twisting causality at work.
But expecting any normal person to foresee that was damn near impossible.
That was why the 1st Knight Order's morale was already in the gutter.
"Hey, someone go pick a fight."
"With this numbers gap?"
"Damn those bitches. What a mess."
"Don't sweat it. It's just three on three, so if we take that..."
"......"
'Everyone's looking rough. If we hit 'em while they're off-guard, Yi Hyun could pull it off.'
No one in the 2nd Knight Order missed the mood.
Not Captain Blanc, nor Vice Captain Hilde, nor any of the other knights.
Their slumped shoulders snapped straight.
"Dunno what's up, but I've got a good feeling today."
"We knock 'em down a peg, then Yi Hyun finishes the job and rubs their noses in it..."
"No way they'll suffer that humiliation in front of the princess, right?"
How much revenge had they craved after all this time.
The 1st Knight Order was made up of noble heirs—a so-called 'connections-only' club.
Their noses were sky-high.
The 2nd Knight Order, by contrast?
They took anyone with the skills.
Hell, they'd even recruited Vice Captain Hilde straight from the gladiator pits.
Of course they looked down their noses.
Lowborn sluts, third-rate trash—they hurled insults nonstop.
Blanc intended to pay it all back today.
'If Yi Hyun can even make them struggle, that's our win. Can't overpower a mere squire...'
-Thud.
"Her Imperial Highness Princess Liriana enters!!!"
"...Hng!"
The butlers' booming announcement hit right on cue.
Everyone straightened up.
They couldn't afford to look sloppy in front of the princess...
"————The heart of the Empire and its sole sovereign!!! Her Majesty Empress Luna Schattenreich arrives!!!!!"
"""She arrives!!!!!!"""
"......!?"
That voice rang out in the instant.
Louder than for the princess, with the other butlers chiming in unison.
The proclamation heralding the empire's supreme ruler.
Boom—the knights all dropped to one knee in prostration.
The synchronized clash of metal armor against stone was downright majestic.
But their downcast eyes darted about in confusion.
'What the hell!? Why is Her Majesty here!?'
'What wind blew this way!?'
'The princess was pressure enough, but the Empress herself...!!'
Empress Luna observing the spar.
The butterfly effect of Yi Hyun's careless caresses.
If they showed even a hint of poor form in her sight...
-Whispers.
"...Imperial 1st Knight Order Captain, Seraphina!! Her Majesty demands to know why the 1st is short-handed!!!"
"M-many are ill, leading to heavy absences!!"
"Her Majesty warns that such a situation in wartime would cause grave concern!! The 1st Captain must not neglect knight management!!!"
"I beg forgiveness for my disloyalty! I will summon the knights immediately after the spar!!!"
No need to wonder what poor performance would bring.
Just seeing the duke's daughter—the 1st Knight Order Captain—go pale as a ghost said it all.
Blanc's face stiffened.
'Yi Hyun's entry got the princess's nod, but will Her Majesty approve?'
...Even now, worrying about her man. Typical.
-Glancing around.
"......"
'Where's that guy?'
'No sign of Yi Hyun.'
Truth be told, the Empress and princess were much the same.
Zero interest in the spar. Just scanning for Yi Hyun.
Curious where that prime talent for squeezing princess pussy nectar had wandered off to.
"......"
'She's looking our way!?'
'We getting scolded too?'
'Everyone, just stay still...!!'
One glance had the upstanding 2nd Knight Order shaking like leaves, but that wouldn't conjure Yi Hyun out of thin air.
The princess and Empress traded whispers.
As all the knights trembled in dread, their hushed exchange was...
"That man's not here."
"Waiting for Yi Hyun would look odd, so let's order the spar to start first."
"We can always make excuses for the knighting later. Sounds good."
Content that would've left everyone deflating with relief—if only they'd heard.
Lucky they hadn't.
-Whispers.
"...Her Imperial Highness the Princess commands the spar to begin!!!"
"""We obey!!!"""
And so, amid a web of misconceptions, the spar kicked off.
The continent's mightiest knight orders' chest-thumping friendly clash was underway.
Now everyone was grinding their teeth, fighting tooth and nail.
'No way we half-ass this in front of Her Majesty!!'
'Win or lose, we show effort!!'
They sent out three regular knights of roughly equal skill. First to two wins takes it—winner stays on.
The bloodbaths outdid even UFC, and verdicts started rolling in.
"Sorry... I lost."
"It's fine. I'll bring home the win!"
Round 1: Imperial 2nd Knight Order regular knight Layla—defeat.
"Thanks to Layla wearing her down, I got it!!"
"Waaaaaah!!!!"
Round 2: Regular knight Silpi—victory.
"But man, this is way more draining than I thought..."
"Slow."
"Kyaaak!!!?"
Round 3: Silpi—defeat.
A top-tier classic among friendly spars, but the scoreline read 1-2 against the 2nd.
Their mood darkened.
"Tch."
'2 to 1... One more loss and we're done.'
One more defeat, and the whole spar defaulted to the 1st Knight Order.
One face floated in everyone's mind.
The guy who always grinned innocently: Yi Hyun.
'If only Yi Hyun were here... Nah, still too much.'
'Unless they get cocky, his current stats can't hang.'
'Even with that god-tier Blessing, it'd be a stretch.'
Yi Hyun had trained diligently, sure—but level 89 was miles from the 2nd's regular knight average of 120.
Not even Hilde or Blanc gave him great odds.
Some were straight-up relieved he was late...
"We're here, oppa!"
"Thanks, little miss~."
"......?"
That voice cut through.
Every head swiveled slowly.
Yi Hyun trailed right behind a tiny maid girl.
'Ugh, what an embarrassment. Got lost and needed a kid to show me the way...'
Here's what happened.
Palace-lost fool Yi Hyun.
He wandered till he flagged down a passing kid for help.
His clothes flashed the 2nd Knight Order brooch, and his face was decent enough.
The maid was thrilled to guide him... but as a newbie, it took forever to get there.
That explained his shifty eye-rolling on arrival.
'Spar's already going, princess and Empress watching... Eh, play it off like I was running an errand?'
Then, shh—
Yi Hyun darted like a cockroach.
For now, he was officially Hilde's squire.
Time to act like he'd just returned from her bidding.
-Plop.
"I'm back, Hilde-nim."
"......"
'Dude seriously got lost and had a kid guide him? What a clown.'
But by now, anyone in the know was clued in.
"Hmm."
'He even turned down the head butler's escort? Lost in the palace, huh.'
'Even for him... well, idiots have their uses.'
Even the Empress and princess pieced it together on the spot.
Only he was clueless.
'Nailed the natural act, right?'
"So, Blanc-nim, how's the spar going?"
Under the stares of everyone...
Yi Hyun sparkled with 'Send me out if I'm not too late!' vibes...
"The situation's gotten tricky, so Yi Hyun-kun, just sit tight."
"If it's the Empress holding things up, I got this. I'll rack up points—no complaints."
"...What the heck did you even do?"
Blanc flustered on one side,
"Her Imperial Highness declares!! A special entrant from the 2nd Knight Order will fight today!!! Who is it!!!"
"Me!!"
"Yi Hyun-kun!!!"
Perfect princess assist, right on time.
Yi Hyun shot his hand up.
"Just trust me. I'll win this and pay back the 2nd Knight Order."
"U, uu."
"Saying it with that smile... that's cheating."
Blanc couldn't bring herself to stop him.
Under every eye in the place, he strode to the arena's center.
"...Who the hell are you?"
"Squire and disciple to Imperial 2nd Knight Order Vice Captain Hilde: Yi Hyun. I'd like a bout."
"A squire in the spar?"
"I'm pretty tough."
"......"
A beat of silence passed.
The knight glanced between the Empress and Yi Hyun...
'No clue what game's afoot, but no reason to indulge.'
"——Pathetic. Know your place, commoner."
She replied with cool indifference.
"...Pardon? But the princess—"
"Especially before the throne. For a squire to crash this time-honored event, prove you're worthy."
"......?"
"Hilde's squire, was it? She's my equal. Top her, and I'll count it as beating me."
"The princess already greenlit this, and honestly, you're not even on Hilde-nim's level..."
Yi Hyun tried protesting late,
'Hilde? Teammate—I'll go easy. Plenty for knighting creds.'
"That could be fun."
"Her Imperial Highness grants permission!!! Imperial 2nd Knight Order Vice Captain Hilde—prepare for combat!!!"
"Eh?"
Weighing the circumstances, the princess just ordered the fight.
Against level 150 Hilde—not even regular knight tier.
'See? She'll hold back, right? We're on the same side?'
'...A match? Can't be helped, Yi Hyun. Gonna smash you for real.'
The historic duel destined for hero tales raised its curtain.
"Hilde-nim, all prepped and... huh?"
'What the hell is that pervert getup!?'
But now, with a dash of Common Sense Alteration Milking Technique stirred in.