Chapter 67
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Descent of the Little Angels
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Slowly, murmurs of curiosity rose from the spectator stands, wondering just what Charlotte was up to.
Joseph, too, seemed worried about her, gazing at her with the look of someone ready to draw his sword at any moment.
But Charlotte alone wore a perfectly serene expression as she gently stroked Nightmare's mane.
'I thought it'd put up more of a fight... And this horse, Nightmare, was it? It's far weaker than it looks.'
Its energy felt like that of an injured wild animal.
Charlotte ran her eyes over Nightmare's body while softly petting its mane, then suddenly frowned in shock.
"There it is."
An horseshoe was embedded in Nightmare's hoof.
Charlotte clicked her tongue without thinking.
Back in her days at the Mount Hua Sect, she had often helped out in the stables, so she knew all about this.
Fitting a horse with horseshoes was beneficial, but only for those under constant care and maintenance. For a wild horse, it was pure poison.
Nightmare's hooves, neglected for so long with rusted shoes still attached, were a total mess—its nails overgrown to the point it could barely stand properly.
And this wasn't just any horseshoe; it seemed infused with some magical contraption, making even planting its feet a source of agony for the beast.
'Ah, I see.'
It all clicked into place.
Candidates for the throne could win this tournament and ride into the finals on horseback, so intentionally weakening Nightmare was a sensible safety measure.
Sure, it looked majestic on the outside, but in this sorry state, it wouldn't be worth even a slime.
'...If you're going to do this, why not just use some safe herbivore? Summoning a Nightmare just to put on a show for the crowd—what's the point?'
Charlotte scowled despite herself.
She loved horses. Any martial artist would.
Even if this was a magical beast and not a true horse, treating a speechless animal so callously was wrong.
"Nightmare, right? You're a magical beast that can use strange techniques, so you must understand me. Right?"
Hiiing-!
Nightmare let out a plaintive whinny. The sense that it truly understood wasn't just her imagination.
Charlotte carefully stroked its back.
"I'll take care of you soon. It won't hurt. So come with me."
Hing-.
Nightmare nodded to the rider behind it, as if to say there was no choice, since it clearly had no intention of letting them dismount.
Charlotte was about to promise tasty feed but held back, realizing it might eat humans as snacks.
She turned back and extended a hand to Joseph, who had been quietly watching her from the side.
Joseph looked up at her in surprise.
"It only fits one rider. I'll pass."
Charlotte shook her head.
Nightmare's legs had been artificially weakened to the point where it could barely carry one person—that much was true.
But she was nine, he was twelve, and no one could have predicted two children like them becoming finalists. Even combined, their slender frames wouldn't match a grown man's weight.
"We can both ride. I'm sure of it."
At Charlotte's firm words, Joseph no longer hesitated. He stepped lightly on the stirrup and vaulted up onto the high back.
Perhaps exhausted from bucking when Charlotte mounted, Nightmare stayed calm and didn't resist further.
Confirming that two riders posed no issue, Charlotte drew her sword long and sliced clean through the ropes binding Nightmare in one stroke.
With just a few flaps of its wings, Nightmare gracefully glided through the orbs of light, carrying the two children.
The winged behemoth of a horse traced a grand circle in the air before slowly heading toward the main pavilion.
But the sight of two riders on its back threw the organizers into a panic.
The crowd, unconcerned, erupted in the loudest cheers yet, going wild for the two children atop the beast.
Waaaaah-!
Hooray-!
Hooray-!
It was well deserved.
The pair atop the sinister, smoke-shrouded magical beast looked for all the world like little angels descended from the heavens.
Charlotte's pink hair billowed in curls through the air as she drew her sword with one hand and thrust it skyward, rewarding the cheers.
Joseph, gripping both the reins and Charlotte's waist in front of him, along with Charlotte herself—they resembled protagonists from a masterpiece depicting myths come to life.
Charlotte shone like the sun itself, and Joseph was her very shadow.
"Night and sun-!"
"Sun and shadow-!"
"Aren't those two beautiful angels the very embodiment of Shadow Blade Day itself?!"
"Ooh, they must be angels sent by the gods for the future of our Cheiker Kingdom!"
The spectator stands grew feverish.
As they carried on like the two children's victory was already sealed, the announcer glanced helplessly at the emperor.
Never in Shadow Blade Day's history had there been two winners.
But the emperor, looking utterly untroubled, simply smiled warmly along with the crowd.
"Make them both winners."
As if it were no big deal, the emperor decided.
The announcer, flustered, checked the emperor's mood before asking again.
"...Is that truly alright, Your Majesty? If you wish, we could prepare a true final matchup—one-on-one between them..."
Emperor Sanchez tsked with an incredulous look, then smiled leisurely at the announcer.
"You know nothing of politics."
"...P-politics?"
In truth, the announcer was a popular bard in the kingdom, tasked with hosting the event. Politics was beyond him.
As the announcer blinked slowly, the emperor chuckled and nodded toward the stands.
"The people are that happy—calling them angels descended, saying heaven's blessings and fortune have come to Cheiker. If I force another round and eliminate one now? What happens to my popularity?"
"...Ah."
"Being emperor means living off popularity more than you'd think. And..."
"And...?"
"Those two children earned a joint win through their talent, despite their youth. We can't arbitrarily judge them under some rule."
The emperor had a point.
Not just the announcer—nearby nobles nodded in agreement as they listened.
The announcer glanced at the emperor and nobles, then at the massive black horse that had gracefully folded its wings and landed at the pavilion. His eyes fixed on the two adorable children atop it.
Clearing his throat, he proclaimed to the stands that the long festival of the day had finally drawn to a close.
- ...Today, on this glorious Shadow Blade Day, for the first time, two winners have been crowned. The victors are Joseph Veros Cheiker and Charlotte Setia. That's two.
Waaaaaaaah-.
A roar that shook the heavens filled the arena.
- Everyone, bless today's champions with all your voices!
Waaaaaaaah-!
Hooray-!
Long live Prince Joseph!
Long live Charlotte!
Long live His Majesty the Emperor-!
Amid the deafening cheers, the lingering orbs of light in the sky turned to rain and poured down toward the ground.
Still mounted, Charlotte craned her neck back to gaze upward.
Her balance off, her head bumped Joseph's body, and she teetered—but she no longer felt unsteady without steadying herself.
Leaning fully into Joseph, she watched the cascade of shimmering light.
'Like shooting stars...'
Even at the Mount Hua Sect, nights spent in the remote outskirts away from the main buildings were pitch black.
Back then, she'd venture off alone for training, vowing to master some incredible martial art.
Sometimes, she'd look up at the sky in utter darkness, where not a single light pierced the void.
Those nights revealed skies etched with dense, beautiful falling lights—just like this.
With the arena now cloaked in full darkness, the rain of light pouring down was breathtakingly beautiful.