The Swordsmanship Banquet
Palace Swordsmanship Banquet. At that phrase none of us had ever heard before, we looked at one another. Of course, we understood the intent. The Queen had always said the same thing: instead of young men who had received or were about to receive knighthood asking ladies to dance in front of other nobles, they would demonstrate their swordsmanship through sparring.
Once the thought reached that point, my gaze naturally returned to the paper I was holding. Without realizing it, I nodded.
“That must be it.”
The venue listed was the Royal Knights’ training ground. It was less a banquet and more a swordsmanship tournament.
“Surely we aren’t expected to participate as well?”
Rowell asked cautiously. Of course that couldn’t be the case. No one would want to crush anyone’s will to join.
“Naturally not. If the Hero participated, at least half the entrants would withdraw. However, the Queen did express the hope that you might offer the winner a brief spar.”
The King spoke with an awkward expression, and Rowell gave him a bright smile.
“I would be honored to do so.”
“Thank you.”
Well, that much was fine. Receiving instruction from the Hero would be an honor for them.
“Then how about you join in as well, Anak? It’s been a while.”
…Huh? What did you just say, Rowell? I wasn’t exaggerating when I say I genuinely doubted my ears for a moment. I must have frozen for at least two full seconds.
“What kind of joke is that? Why would I participate and disgrace myself?”
“Why not? It might be nice for a change, don’t you think?”
Please. Don’t ask that so seriously.
“I’ll pass. There’s no reason for me to pick up a sword again now.”
Rowell really… A chill ran down my spine without me realizing it. A swordsmanship tournament at this point?
“Should I participate too?”
“Stop it, Bagloros. If Rowell isn’t entering, who could possibly beat you?”
No matter how much he held back, the moment the signal sounded, before anyone could even blink, the sword in their hand would already be in pieces and a blade would be at their throat. I seriously doubted any young knight could recover from that experience.
Back when Bagloros still took assassination contracts, most of the escort soldiers who survived an encounter with him—more accurately, who merely brushed past him—reportedly laid down their swords for good and returned to their hometowns.
“More importantly, will there even be participants if we hold it so suddenly?”
It wasn’t a formal tournament with dozens of entrants fighting over several days, but if it was announced this abruptly, how many people would…
“The invitations were already sent out several days ago. Furthermore, all noble sons within the kingdom who received their knighthood within the last two years are required to participate.”
Even as the King spoke, he gazed out the window, as if trying to distance himself from the entire affair.
“…I see.”
Rowell and I quietly turned our eyes toward Aegina. Ever since the intense mother-daughter exchange on the day we arrived—when she’d had to change clothes—she had been avoiding the Queen. We couldn’t help but worry how she would react to this situation.
“……”
She merely smiled with a subtle expression. She knew perfectly well why the Queen had suddenly planned this event.
It was both a claim and a declaration that her actions had been without fault.
Perhaps mindful of the upcoming negotiations, she had appeared somewhat restrained these past few days, but now that the delegation had departed, she intended to show both domestically and abroad that her actions had been justified and that she remained unbowed. Including to Sigmut, once they returned from negotiations.
Personally, I could fully understand the Queen’s stance. While I couldn’t agree with the format of a swordsmanship banquet, politically it wasn’t a bad choice. There was the matter of royal prestige, and it would send a certain message to Sigmut as well.
However, while Aegina understood her mother’s actions, supporting them was another matter entirely. There were also the emotional layers that had accumulated bit by bit since childhood.
“…Well, there’s no helping it. The invitations have already been delivered. Still, I’ll go see Mother for a moment.”
Aegina—did you just crack your knuckles a little?
“Go ahead. Be reasonable.”
No, Your Majesty. That is not the appropriate thing to say to your daughter right now.
Fortunately, when she returned after some time, she hadn’t needed to change clothes again. Though the fabric near her sleeves did look slightly stretched. In any case, as the time for the banquet approached, we headed toward the Royal Knights’ outdoor training ground.
It was the same place where the Royal Knights’ entrance exams and regular tournaments were always held, so spectator seating was available. The wide space featured well-maintained grass, and near the stands—true to the name “banquet”—tables had been set with food and drinks that, while not overly extravagant, looked quite appetizing. The practice weapons, neatly arranged, gave off the clear impression of being well cared for, even if they didn’t exactly sparkle.
“As expected of the Royal Knights’ training ground. Naturally, it’s on a completely different level from the academy.”
The academy’s training ground was maintained by rotating students, so while the magically protected grass was one thing, weapon maintenance was always sloppy and half-hearted. Not that it mattered much since they were training weapons with dulled edges, but it was common to find rust on the hilts or broken leather straps meant to prevent slipping.
“It’s been a while, my son-in-law. And Sir Anak.”
Spotting us from afar, the Queen approached and greeted us warmly. She wasn’t wearing her usual dress but light combat armor, which suited her reputation as the “Sword Among Flowers.” On the way here, Rowell and I had joked about whether the Queen herself might participate, and for a moment I wondered if that might actually be true.
“Of course, I’m glad to see you as well, Sir Bagloros. I hope you’ll understand that my greeting was unintentionally delayed.”
Wait. Why did it feel like she was deliberately avoiding looking at Aegina while speaking?
“I understand, Your Majesty.”
“I trust you’ve been well, Mother-in-law.”
“Have you been in good health?”
“More importantly, what do you think? Isn’t this far better than a tedious ball where one only dances, drinks, and repeats empty flattery and lies?”
The Queen’s eyes and expression were filled with genuine pride, as if she truly believed this.
“I just hope you don’t intend to keep doing this from now on.”
“Exactly. If sparring turns into emotional conflicts, things could get out of hand.”
The King and Ed, who had arrived a step behind us, muttered as they surveyed the training ground. They weren’t wrong. Even if it was just sparring, it still involved crossing blades. There was always the risk of accidents, and even without that, there was plenty of room for noble families to develop grudges. Even if the participants themselves were fine, their houses might not be.
“If someone carries a grudge outside the training ground after a fair match, it only proves how narrow-minded they are. Such a person has no business being a knight.”
“If you keep saying things like that, other people end up suffering in your place, Mother.”
At Aegina’s words, the Queen deliberately pretended not to hear and turned to me.
“More importantly, you’ll be participating too, won’t you, Sir Anak?”
No, why do you keep trying to drag me into this?
“Of course not. I’m content just watching.”
“Why? Plenty of young ladies will be here. It wouldn’t hurt to show off a little. Though I suppose there’s no need—there isn’t a single lady who doesn’t know of your abilities.”
The Queen gave a mischievous smile and took a step closer, speaking in a mock whisper that was clearly audible to everyone.
“You know there are many noble houses aiming to take you in, don’t you? Not just the elders, but the young ladies themselves. If I had another daughter, that would be ideal, but there’s no harm in making the most of this opportunity, is there?”
The Queen laughed with a playful smile. But in the depths of her gaze as she glanced at Rowell, Aegina, and me, a clear trace of sorrow remained. Of course it would. How could a mother not feel the pain of her daughter’s inability to bear children?
“You should start looking for a match soon, shouldn’t you?”
And because of that sorrow, she was also more concerned about the marriage prospects of her daughter’s companion and her son-in-law’s longtime friend.
“Please don’t meddle unnecessarily, Mother. Anak already has someone.”
……?
For a moment, my heart dropped at Aegina’s words. Neither she nor Rowell should know anything about Rofena or Senior Julian, so hearing that so suddenly was startling.
Of course, she had only said it to spare me trouble, but even so, a chill ran down my spine for that brief instant.
“Oh my. Is that so? Then I’d like her to accompany you on your next visit. I simply must see what kind of lady has been so fortunate.”
I could only respond with a smile. In any case, while we were talking, the participants began arriving, and at the exact time written on the invitations, the swordsmanship banquet commenced.
“Thank you all for attending. This banquet is meant as a welcome for the Hero and his companions, but it is also an opportunity to witness the skills of the swords that will protect this kingdom going forward.”
“It is also a chance to display your abilities to other houses and potential future spouses. Of course, winning won’t suddenly make you more popular than you already are.”
At the Queen’s words, several ladies couldn’t hold back their laughter. As a result, the King’s attempt to stand solemnly in the center of the training ground and begin with proper decorum was derailed, and his speech was cut short. Yet the King merely wore an expression that suggested he had expected this, and readily yielded the floor to the Queen.
In response, the Queen lightly clung to the King’s arm. The affection flowing between their gazes was so obvious that it inspired both envy and intense awkwardness in the onlookers.
“Therefore, all participants should keep that in mind and not take this too seriously. Focus instead on showing your best sides to one another. This isn’t a simple swordsmanship tournament—it’s a swordsmanship banquet.”
At the Queen’s playful remarks, the tension visibly drained from the faces of the participants preparing for their matches. Ah, so that had been her intention all along. Indeed, since it was called a swordsmanship banquet, it couldn’t simply be a tournament.
As expected of the Queen of Ayman and Aegina’s mother. Even if she was a bit eccentric, she always thought things through.
This had to be an enjoyable time for both the participating knights and the spectators watching. It couldn’t be something fierce or tedious.
“Of course, some of you might want to stand out on your own, but you all know that’s impossible, don’t you?”
The Queen said this while subtly pointing toward us, and the crowd burst into laughter and nodded in agreement.
“Now then, let the Swordsmanship Banquet begin!”
At the King’s proclamation, the court musicians began playing lively music, and the knights stepped forward one by one. Among them were several who still carried the air of young boys rather than full-fledged knights, their nervous expressions almost endearing.
They had clearly graduated from the academy not long ago. Most men received their knighthood almost immediately after graduation, and all noble sons who had received their titles within the last two years were required to participate.
Thinking back to when Rowell and I had first set out on our journey, we had been about their age. It left me with a strange feeling.
“Now, is there anyone brave enough to step forward for the first match? Whether man or woman, it is the courageous who win the finest spouses.”
Coming from the Queen, who spoke from experience, the words carried real weight. Meanwhile, the King’s eyes grew slightly moist, as if an unpleasant memory had surfaced.