Swordsmanship Tournament (3)
The arena thundered with the cheers of countless spectators. The atmosphere swelled, electric with tension. Cain saw this moment as a heaven-sent opportunity.
His family’s situation was growing worse by the day. If things continued like this, there was a real chance he wouldn’t even be able to return to the academy next semester. He would have no choice but to abandon the family and friends who trusted and cherished him—or leave them with crushing disappointment. Worse, it would prove the taunt that delinquent pig of a prince, Sian, had thrown at him during the first semester: “loser.”
Sian himself had vanished somewhere after the second semester began and was nowhere to be seen, yet the old wound still festered inside Cain.
…Which is why this moment is my one golden chance.
A grade-level tournament watched by the empire’s highest ministers and members of the royal family. If he could prove his strength to them here, he could flip his entire future.
He had confidence. Ever since that mysterious enlightenment during first-semester break, he had polished his swordsmanship without rest.
“……”
Before the countdown began, Cain stole a glance at the stands. Just as he expected, Fourth Imperial Princess Rosaria sat in the nearest first-class seat, flanked by her guard knights.
Recent rumors claimed the princess was searching inside the academy for someone worthy of becoming her exclusive knight.
Long, flowing crimson hair. Striking blue eyes. A small, elegant face with a straight nose and flawless features—Rosaria.
Cain found himself momentarily stunned by her dramatic beauty.
…She truly is breathtaking.
Was she building a faction to claim the throne? Or was she simply looking for a knight to protect her? The fact that she, who had never once attended these tournaments, had come here today could only mean one thing.
…It has to be today. This is my only chance.
Cain swallowed hard. With the princess present, the spotlight on this match would burn even brighter. What better stage could there be to prove himself? With luck, he might even be chosen as her personal knight.
He thought of his family and friends.
Please wait for me. Father. And Lucy… Aria…
Soon the announcer’s voice rang out, beginning the countdown. Across from him, his opponent settled into a stance.
…Cain clenched his teeth.
.
.
.
“Waaaaah!”
“It’s Cain! I knew it was Cain!”
“I believed in you!”
The match ended. The crowd’s fervor washed over him like a wave. It had been decided by the narrowest of margins.
“Huk… huk…”
Cain stared at the massive figure collapsed before him. Deus. He truly deserved his reputation as one of the swordsmanship club’s strongest.
If it had been the old me, I definitely would have lost…
His recent enlightenment had come like a flood. Thanks to it, he had stepped into the threshold of three-star level and defeated Deus, who lingered at the peak of two-star. He still couldn’t use auror properly and hadn’t shown it this match, but he had surely proven he possessed real potential.
Still breathing hard, Cain smiled at the cheering crowd and waved. As his gaze swept across the stands it suddenly froze.
“……”
It was Princess Rosaria’s seat. Cain tilted his head in confusion.
What is she looking at…?
In his own opinion, the match had been one of the highest-level bouts among the first-years. Deus had put on a brilliant performance, and Cain had answered it with flair the audience seemed to enjoy. So why was the Fourth Princess staring somewhere else?
Her eyes were fixed in the direction of the waiting rooms, as if she were waiting for someone beyond the distant mountains.
Jet-black hair and golden eyes.
It was him. Sian.
The man who had saved both her and her exclusive knight Emile, then vanished without asking for the slightest reward.
Why had he entered this tournament? Did he need the first-place prize? Or was it for status? If he wanted money or honor, he could have simply asked that day when he rescued her. Why take such a long, winding road?
She couldn’t understand it. Then a thought struck her.
…To prove himself with his own power?
The tournament was a stage of proof—a survival game where skill clashed against skill and only the stronger remained. If he had chosen this path, it could only be because he wanted to earn honor through strength alone.
Rosaria was impressed. As expected, his character ran as deep as his ability.
Even in the previous match, though others might have missed it, she had seen him use mana to end the fight with the smallest possible movements. Such refined control required extraordinary delicacy. Yet more than that, she sensed his true intention had been mercy toward his opponent. He had finished the bout with one clean strike to the throat, never injuring the other party.
By ending matches that way, he sacrificed showmanship and attention, gaining only the quiet status of victor…
Was he deliberately minimizing unnecessary interest, wanting to compete on pure skill alone?
He may be a true martial artist.
Rosaria’s admiration deepened into genuine respect. Soon an event would gather the sixteen remaining contestants to meet her. She found herself hoping it would begin quickly.
The second match of the round of sixteen had just ended. Only two more remained. She wanted the matches over so she could face him again.
The more she thought about Sian, the more her mind refused to focus on anything else.
His growth speed is actually insane…
Watching Cain’s match had sent another chill down my spine. Unless I’d seen wrong, Cain had already stepped into the early stage of three-star.
How hard had he been training? That kind of speed was only possible if the player sacrificed sleep and grinded without rest. At this rate, he would catch up to me in just three months.
This is seriously breaking the balance. Is this even my world anymore?
Even though I had used every veteran trick I knew from my old days, he was still closing the gap. Impatience gnawed at me. At this pace he would overtake me soon. This was a matter of pride.
Being caught up by a character I used to play was unacceptable. I absolutely could not let him give me a “proper education.” If I got thoroughly trampled in a one-on-one duel, my dignity would be shredded. How humiliating and unfair would it be to be stepped on by my own creation?
I wouldn’t deny that I had bullied him. Even if it wasn’t me who did it, he was undeniably the victim. But that was one thing, and this was another.
Once the tournament ended, I would have to raise the intensity of my usual training.
“What are you thinking about?”
While I was lost in thought, Hedy—who had been watching the matches beside me—spoke up.
“Ah… that guy named Cain. I was thinking his skills are actually pretty impressive.”
“You think so too? I was shocked. To think someone like him was hiding in the swordsmanship club all this time. The world really is vast.”
“……?”
Why was she talking as if she had never seen him before? Strange. Hadn’t Hedy already made contact with Cain? Then who had she dressed up for? Or had she simply been mindful of the royal family and the huge crowd?
“What? Why are you staring at me like that?” Hedy tilted her head.
“Were you conscious of the audience too?”
“Huh? Why would you think that?”
“You tied your hair and even put on makeup. It’s the first time I’ve seen you do that.”
“…Ah.”
She gave a small nod, then added, “Well… there is that. And while I’m at it.”
“While you’re at it?”
She hadn’t even met Cain. Setting aside basic courtesy toward the audience, the phrase “while I’m at it” implied she wanted to look good for someone specific.
But Hedy was a loner like me. The only people I could think of were Lloyd, Bobby, and Louie. As far as I knew, she genuinely didn’t have a single friend.
Then who was she trying to impress with the makeup?
…No way.
It couldn’t be. Was it because I saved her life in the underground labyrinth?
It was true her attitude had softened since that day. But this felt like something straight out of a fairy tale—a princess and a prince on a white horse. That sort of thing didn’t usually work in reality. If she were the type to fall in love easily, she could have fallen for someone else long before meeting Cain.
According to the story, Hedy had rejected every man who approached her before encountering Cain. Yet no matter how I turned it over, that was the only hypothesis that fit.
The terrible question still lingered when the announcer’s voice cut through the stands.
“The third match of the round of sixteen will begin shortly! Contestants, please make your way to the arena!”
The flow broke. Without reaching any conclusion, Hedy turned to me.
“Let’s go watch the next match. The second one was great too—this year’s tournament looks like it’ll be fun, doesn’t it?”
She grabbed my arm and pulled me along. I had no choice but to bury the question in my chest for now. Together we moved closer to the next arena.