The Green Sea of Anticipation

"I'm going. You two enjoy yourselves."

"Wait! You're just going to leave us..."

"I'm going! Handle your own business! Don't interrupt someone else's date with that clueless attitude! Let's go, Ash."

"...Huh? Ah! Yes!"

That Chad bastard. All that muscle and zero situational awareness. If you lack tact, at least have some courage. How does he expect to get married acting like that? If Akia turns him down, I'll give her a standing ovation.

I walked briskly away from the nauseatingly fresh couple, and Ash followed at my side with effortless grace. His steps were so light that I wanted to keep it a secret just how widely I was forced to stride to keep up.

Honestly, swordsmen... I glanced up at Ash with pointless irritation, then paused.

"Why are you smiling like that?"

"Because it makes me happy."

"......"

Smiling so suddenly was unfair. Whispering so many hidden meanings was unfair. Suddenly drawing this close was unfair.

"I can't even express how delighted I am. Jeanie, you may not realize it, but you have an effortless talent for making me happy."

It was better to say nothing right now. I was afraid I might start stammering like Chad if I opened my mouth.

I'd convinced myself I only liked his face, but feeling this way even when he wore that plain disguise left me confused. Did I like more than just his appearance? And if I did... wasn't that liking him far too much?

Pushed along by the surging crowd, we barely made it inside the building, only to find it even more packed than the streets outside. With that many people funneling in, it was inevitable. The place was pure pandemonium—spectators hunting for seats clashing with merchants hawking snacks.

Shouts without clear cause echoed everywhere, and fights over seating broke out in all directions, swords drawn in an instant. The guards intervened before blood could spill, but the atmosphere was anything but peaceful. It wouldn't have surprised me if some spectator dropped dead before Robenin even stepped into the arena.

I'd never been fond of crowds to begin with, and after having my feet trampled several times, my love for humanity evaporated at record speed. Part of me wanted to summon Endairon and sweep every last one of these people away, but as a modern individual blessed with both patience and reason, I endured.

They say enduring with the character for patience three times can save all of humanity.

"Everyone's certainly eager. I didn't expect the seats to fill so quickly."

"Hmm... where should we sit? I don't like being too far inside."

"What about those seats along the corridor?"

"Perfect."

The general seating used mostly by commoners was cramped and filthy. The floor was so sticky I wondered when it had last seen a mop, the chairs looked ready to collapse, and the main arena was so distant that the people down there appeared no larger than fingernails.

I felt a wave of regret for not using my Saint title to secure VIP seats. But revealing my identity was the last thing I wanted. If people found out I was here, chaos would erupt. Besides, watching the match while laughing and chatting comfortably with my companions seemed far more appealing from these seats.

In the end, the others had scattered, leaving only Ash and me, but...

Since things had turned out this way, I decided to treat this as a chance to make up for our last ruined date.

Because my parents had appeared out of nowhere, I hadn't even gotten to touch Ash after he'd gone through all the proper purification rituals. I'd wanted to ply him with drinks to test his tolerance, then remove that necklace of his! All ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with the purest of intentions, of course!

Wasn't it simply a woman's natural instinct to want to see a handsome man's cheeks flushed from alcohol?

"The arena is rather far away, but this isn't bad at all. Jeanie? Would you like to sit here?"

Ash, completely unaware of my thoughts, had already spread a handkerchief neatly over the seat and was offering it to me. Our spot was tucked in a corner with a slightly diagonal view of the arena, and he was giving me the better side. Touched by the gesture, I sat down obediently.

The arena itself was nearly circular despite its square shape, its open ceiling naturally drawing one's gaze upward. The weather was flawless, as if the sky itself knew this was the long-awaited day. A perfect blue that seemed to whisper that happiness could be found in the simplest things.

To think I would get to watch Robenin get crushed. What better day could there possibly be?

"Hehehe."

Even in a good mood, I couldn't bring myself to agree that Rai possessed anything resembling a pure soul.

I swept my gaze across the stands. Though there was still time before the match, nearly every seat was taken. So many people had been waiting for this day alone.

The crowd buzzed with excitement, eagerly anticipating the start of the duel. Of course, I was one of them. Feeling the air thicken with heat and fervor, I couldn't stay still. I pulled out the green flag I'd bought in the plaza.

"Jeanie...? Exactly when did you buy that?"

"Earlier! On the way to get Akia."

It was a simple cheering tool—a long rectangle of green fabric attached to a wooden stick. Waving it with both hands felt surprisingly refreshing. I shook it at Ash with obvious pride.

"I wanted a bigger one, but they were sold out. So I bought two. Want one?"

I was feeling generous. Waving two would be ideal, but I'd specially lend him one. I held out a flag as if bestowing a great favor. He ought to understand that I didn't offer this to just anyone.

"...It's all right. For now... I'm an imperial citizen, after all."

"Ah, I'll respect that."

Right. I'd gotten so used to his flawless attendant act that I'd forgotten—he was the empire's prince.

For someone from Dmitry like me, this was purely someone else's problem, but for Ash the atmosphere here must have felt like a bed of thorns. The entire arena openly prayed for Count Trenpe's victory.

Which meant Robenin's defeat. In other words, a great many people were hoping to see the empire's pride shattered.

The difference was obvious at a glance. Those cheering for Count Trenpe waved every imaginable green item representing Heidricke, while Robenin's supporters wore red—and their numbers were noticeably smaller.

The stands rippled with green no matter where you looked. It was exactly what a dense forest would look like from above. The occasional red fruit among the leaves didn't change the forest's color. When green dominated so overwhelmingly, the red was nothing but scattered specks in a sea of foliage.

For anyone with a normal state of mind, simply stepping into the arena with a sword under this atmosphere would be an immense ordeal.

The stands were ruled by a cruel, one-sided thirst for someone's downfall. No one expected Robenin to win. They had only come to witness his reckless arrogance and seize the perfect chance to mock a duke's bloodline.

They were a pack of hyenas waiting for the moment the empire's greatest pride would be humiliated.

Even setting personal feelings aside, objectively his chances are low.

Count Trenpe had already reached the rank of Sword Master by the time Robenin was born crying—though knowing that bastard, he probably hadn't even cried at birth. Either way, the count was one of the continent's most renowned powerhouses.

Heidricke's proud blade, a general who, alongside the Great Spirit Master Tiatragen, symbolized the nation's strength. A hero and spiritual pillar who had protected this country for far longer than Robenin's lifetime.

In contrast, Robenin was nothing more than a greenhorn who, less than six months after his defeat at the count's hands, was already baring his teeth for another round.

He might be the empire's boasted genius, but he was also a pitiful lunatic who wandered the continent mad for battle, picking fights with everyone he met. If his status were lower, someone might have stopped him, but as the eldest son of a ducal house he was like a prized stallion released into the wild with no one daring to rein him in.

Clearly he ignored even the emperor and the duke. An insufferable man who lived exactly as he pleased, yet his overwhelming skill was real. He kept defeating strong opponents and building his reputation.

When rumors spread that Robenin had won, my stomach ached for three whole days.

When that arrogant fool had finally been crushed by the count, how refreshed the people of Heidricke must have felt. Heidricke had always been uncooperative and rebellious toward Elan, so the fact that their hero had humbled the empire's pride sent the entire nation into open celebration. It had practically been a festival for weeks.

In the end, they'd even prepared a special event during this festival as if to celebrate a second victory in advance.

From the moment it received the extravagant name Dra Tum Dra, this had stopped being a mere duel between swordsmen. It had become a battle of national pride between Elan and Heidricke, and the most delightful part was how clearly Elan's defeat loomed.

People must have been burning with impatience to see the empire's arrogant nose smashed flat. Enough to abandon their daily lives and gather here.

Nobles and commoners alike thought the same. Every single one of them stared at the arena with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the same itching anticipation.

And among all these people, the one hoping for Robenin's humiliation with the purest heart was me. I didn't spare a single thought for national pride. I simply found Robenin so repulsive it made me want to curse.

As time dragged on, my restlessness grew. I couldn't stay seated and kept standing up again and again. No point hiding it—I was a person severely lacking in patience.

"Ugh! Why isn't it starting? It feels like hours have passed!"

"It's been less than twenty minutes..."

"Who cares! Tell them to start already!"

"Calm down, Jeanie. The emcee has come out, so it should begin soon. Look."

"Where? I don't see anything."

"There."

Only after Ash pointed with his long finger could I spot him.

The emcee, wearing a flashy green cloak, was emerging from the contestants' entrance. He looked tiny as a mouse tail from here.

"It's too far!"

My eyesight was better than average, but this distance was impossible. I narrowed my eyes and even shaded them with my hand, searching for any sign of Robenin.

Damn it, I should have bought a telescope! In this world such items were prohibitively expensive, toys for nobles only.

If they'd been sold on the street I would have bought one immediately. I quickly scanned the people around me, but everyone seemed to be in the same situation—squinting desperately.

If a commoner nearby had a telescope, I could have offered a hundred times its value and bought it. Since none did, I had no choice but to rob a noble.

[Hurry up and go. Don't get caught.]

[Understood!]

[If you do get caught, absorb it and destroy the evidence.]

[Leave it to me! Who do you think I am? Master's spirit! Perfect crimes are my specialty!]

Most telescopes were made primarily of metal, so in theory I could have had Rai create one. The problem was that I didn't understand the theory. Without knowing the exact scientific principles, the shapes of the components, or how they combined to function, I could only imitate the outer appearance. I couldn't make one that actually worked perfectly.

If it were as simple as gold ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠coins, I could make as many as I wanted. Making money really is the easiest thing in the world.

When expectations run high, the wait feels endlessly long.

Finally, the emcee announced the beginning of the Dra Tum Dra with exaggerated gestures, circling the arena once before leaping lightly onto the platform. At that moment, a roar loud enough to hurt the ears erupted from the stands all at once.