Chapter 52: The Oath

“Waaahhhhh!”

Cheers erupt from the spectator stands and from the knights watching the matches.
The tournament progresses in a bracket format, and while there are still many matches remaining, the arena has been divided into four sections so bouts can proceed simultaneously.
To avoid fatigue from consecutive matches causing lackluster fights the further one advances, the schedule is planned across multiple days.
Today also serves as the opening ceremony, so attendance and attention are especially high.

Among them, the masked knight known as “Robin” seems particularly popular.
That opening declaration must have done the trick.
Questions like “Who is that masked knight?” and “Who will he confess to?” are buzzing around.
He’s playing the role of hype-maker quite well.

In the early matchups, there’s probably no one who can defeat Sir Richard.
It’s not that we’re rigging things in his favor.
It’s just that the bracket is designed so he faces stronger opponents later on.
Still, what worries me is… something Lady Katalina said to Sir Richard…

Clang!
With a sharp sound, Sir Richard knocks his opponent’s sword aside mid-match.
The sword spins through the air and arcs high above before falling back down toward him.
Even with a blunted blade, it’s dangerous.
Yet Sir Richard calmly snatches the hilt out of the air and takes hold of it.

“Winner!
Sir Richard Claudius!”

The referee declares his victory.
First round cleared.
Hehe.
The flying sword draws even more attention from the audience.
And then—

“…Knight Robin!”

Hm?

“I was deeply moved by your oath!”

Sir Richard?

“So I, too, will follow your example… and dedicate this sword to the one I love!”

Wait—what?

“My beloved, ‘Battlefield Goddess Muse’ Electra Vent!
I swear that I will win this tournament and, together with the holy sword, pledge my eternal love to you!!”

Sir Richard!
You’re not the type to do something like this normally!
This has to be Lady Katalina’s idea!

Given where I’m standing, it’s hard to respond properly.
I hurry to a spot where Sir Richard can see me and meet his gaze.
We nod to each other.

It’s a public declaration, but we’re already engaged.
We understand each other’s feelings.
Besides, there’s no one denying our relationship.

“Wooooooh!!”

The crowd and the knights, clearly in a festive mood, erupt in cheers.
The atmosphere feels warm.
This kind of thing is allowed here.
Everyone probably just wants to get swept up in the excitement.

Maybe he deliberately knocked the opponent’s sword flying just to draw attention.
I watch as Sir Richard leaves the field looking embarrassed.
Cute.
Then I immediately glance toward Lady Katalina in the stands.

Our eyes meet.
She flashes me a grin and gives a thumbs-up.
I knew it.
This was Lady Katalina’s setup.

Beside her, Lord Eldmica wears a troubled smile, half exasperated, half resigned, as he looks at her.

“Honestly… Lady Katalina.”

I can’t help but think that people must adore her.
That thought lingers with me.

The decision to do something like that was probably known only to Sir Richard and “Robin.”
After that, there are no more flashy performances, and the matches continue.
Even so, every bout is engaging.

All the knights participating in this tournament are confident in their skills.
And watching them, I’m reminded that their confidence is well-founded.
Reading evaluations on paper and seeing the real thing are completely different experiences.

And then—

“Wooooooh!!”

It’s the match of the “Hero,” Lord Harird.
Judging by the reaction, his fame is still considerable.
The people of the capital have surely heard the rumors of the “Hero.”
The wedding incident may be a scandal among nobles, but to commoners it’s probably an amusing story.
And likely not a purely negative one.
His achievements in defending the nation haven’t been erased.

Seeing this reaction, I understand what Lady Katalina meant when she said Sir Richard lacked “flash.”

The two-year conflict in the Grandra border territory was a national crisis sanctioned by royal decree.
The achievements earned there carry more weight than I realized.

…

Lord Harird doesn’t make any declaration like Sir Richard or the others.
Well, he probably didn’t prepare one.

Because Lady Katalina dislikes bullying the untrained, she encouraged Lord Harird to participate long in advance.
She even offered some support in return.
So the man standing here today doesn’t look slack or unprepared.
He must have trained again.
His livelihood depends on it.

“Hah!”

He seems quite fired up.
I never saw him as a “Hero” myself.
I only heard that he stood out on the battlefield.
There are probably many in the audience like me.
I hear people murmuring, “So that’s the hero…”

And Lord Harird, too, clears the first round without difficulty.
Watching that, the thought that comes to mind is—

“That should make a matchup with Sir Richard exciting enough.”

Yes.
I know there’s probably more I should be thinking, but that’s my honest first reaction.
I’ve been run ragged these past few months preparing for this tournament…
Right now, its success matters most!

I appreciate everything Lady Katalina has done, truly.
But her unreasonable demands are something else entirely!

Now, the other notable competitors…
Based on the results of the first day, who remains and who deserves attention.
Announcing that is also part of the operations team’s job.
If everyone starts wondering “Who will win?” then the excitement will keep growing.

That’s why we’ve also set aside seating for those who will be writing reports and spreading news.
Honestly, “Robin” is probably drawing more attention than Sir Richard…

And with no major incidents, the first day comes to an end.
Due to the nature of the tournament, more than half the participants have been eliminated on day one.
The knights we identified as strong contenders have all advanced smoothly.
As an event, day one is a great success.

As the person in charge, I carefully check to make sure no one has been left injured.

…

Even so, there are still two people whose gazes linger on me.
My former husband, and the captain of the Pharmason knight order.
The latter really is targeting me instead of Sir Richard…

“Sister.”

“…Ah… ‘Robin.’”

The masked knight approaches me as I survey the knights.
I can’t help it.
Seeing him wearing that mask so seriously, knowing who he is, makes me want to laugh.

“So?
I look pretty cool, don’t I?”

“…Yes.
It suits you very well…”

No, don’t ask me that.
I can’t tell if he’s being serious or trying to amuse himself.

“Still, I was caught offヴguard by the Holy Knight’s oath.
I didn’t expect him to pile on like that.”

“…Weren’t you two coordinating beforehand?”

“No.
I had permission for my own oath, but I wasn’t told he’d follow up like that.”

“So you didn’t know?”

“And judging by your reaction, neither did you.”

“Yes.
If I had known, I think I would have stopped him.”

“Haha.
I can imagine.”

Standing out and performing were part of the tournament’s original goals.
So it’s not wrong, but it is embarrassing.

“Now then.
For the tournament, avoiding major injuries is ideal.
That much is obvious, but…”

“Is something wrong?”

“No.
I was just thinking that for your ‘moment’ to shine, someone will inevitably have to get hurt.”

“…Well.
That’s the nature of this kind of event.”

My magic provides healing and enhancement.
Against monsters, enhancement alone might be fine.
But in a tournament that demands fairness, I can’t use enhancement magic.

So all I can do is heal.
But to demonstrate that, someone has to be injured.
Still, I don’t want injuries just for the sake of spectacle.

“By the way.
Would you use healing magic on anyone?
Even if they were someone who committed infidelity, or someone who secretly caused others to be injured?”

That’s…
I do have feelings.
There might be times I wouldn’t want to.

“For now, there’s no one I’d refuse to heal.
I suppose it depends on their actions going forward.”

“Heh…
I see.
That sounds right.”

“Robin” nods in satisfaction.
He’s serious and composed, yet—

Ugh.
The mask just doesn’t match.
It’s funny even when he’s just talking normally.
Lady Katalina’s love of humor might be contagious.

“By the way, this mask of mine.
It’s something I inherited from my father.”

“Pfft!”

I can’t help but spit out a laugh.
Your father?
You mean His Majesty the King?
The King wore that mask?
Stop, please stop.
Why are you telling me this?

“I did have this one custom-made for myself.
I just chose a design similar to my father’s.”

I didn’t need to know that!

“…Do you perhaps do things like this regularly?”

“Heh.
Occasionally.”

Occasionally my foot.
He seems far too comfortable with this.
Apparently, this Crown Prince does things like this all the time.

“Anyway.
‘Robin.’
Is the person you’re aiming for at this tournament present?”

I change the subject.
Yes.
That’s safer.
Though even this topic is dangerous, given it’s about the Crown Prince’s future bride.

“Well, who knows.”

“Who knows?”

“She’s trying not to stand out.”

“Not to stand out…?”

I’m curious who she is.
After all, she’ll influence the future of this country.

“Anyway, support me, will you?”

“…Yes.
Of course.”

“I should be going now.
Take care.”

“Yes.
Thank you, ‘Robin.’”

With that, he turns and leaves with a flourish.
Even his manner of departure carries a certain flair.