The tournament schedule flew by, and it was already the semifinals.
As always, I thwarted the host’s schemes and advanced to the finals.
After finishing the match and exiting the arena, I was met with an unexpected figure waiting for me.
Standing boldly in the middle of the corridor leading to the waiting room was an old man.
His neat attire and lavish yet modest accessories immediately revealed he was someone holding a key position in the kingdom.
I had anticipated that he might show up in front of me at some point, and my guess proved accurate.
After all, they tried every trick in the book to bring me down, and now that I’d reached the finals, they must be desperate.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
“No matter what happens, I intend to win, so I won’t compromise. Turn around and go back the way you came.”
“You’re quite hasty. I understand. If someone who’s tried every underhanded tactic shows up unannounced, anyone would naturally be hostile.”
“Why are you here, of all people?”
“If it’s not a compromise but an offer to recruit you, then surely there’s no problem, is there?”
They’ve changed their approach.
Since they can’t stop me from winning, it seems they’re now aiming to at least entice me into naturalizing in their kingdom.
If they could rewrite my identity, at least they wouldn’t have to bear the disgrace of losing to the empire.
It was a wise decision, albeit a bit late.
“Interesting. After all the petty tactics you’ve used to torment me, do you really think I’d accept your offer?”
“I approached you because I believe this could be overcome with the right compensation.”
The old man squinted his eyes and stared at me intently.
I quickly realized he was trying to assess me.
He wanted to gauge my capacity, my worth.
There was a way to coldly refuse by showing a narrow-minded attitude, but that wasn’t my style.
“Of course, I found it unpleasant, but since there wasn’t a single moment that could be called a crisis, I’m open to negotiation. I’m also curious about how generous the Lyor Kingdom can be.”
If you want to size me up, reveal your cards first.
I turned the duke’s intent to measure me right back on him.
If the compensation was insufficient, it would tarnish the kingdom’s prestige.
On the other hand, giving a grand reward would surely make their stomachs churn.
“Haha! Hahaha!”
Despite my counterattack, the duke began to laugh heartily.
After laughing for a while, as if relieved, he nodded.
“I promise to prepare something worthwhile. I’ll send you a detailed list of compensations later.”
“Are you sure about this? You might be ridiculed for bowing to the empire.”
“I didn’t bow to the empire. I only paid my respects to you, a knight. Anyone who doesn’t understand the difference is surely a fool.”
“Are you okay with most of your countrymen being fools, then?”
“It’s simply a matter of differing perspectives between those who can read the map and those who cannot.”
At first glance, he seemed like a shameless swindler, but after exchanging a few words, my perception changed.
He still had a sly serpent-like quality, but he was quick-witted and extraordinarily decisive.
It made me wonder why he hadn’t shown up sooner.
“Let’s hear your proposal. But first, I’d like you to introduce yourself properly.”
“Forgive me for the oversight. I am Duke Chemill Ludbront, a humble chancellor of the Lyor Kingdom.”
I had guessed he held a senior position, given his age, but I didn’t expect him to be the second-most powerful person after the king.
What a big fish.
“Siyoon. No surname, so don’t bother asking.”
In the kingdom, reaching the rank of Swordmaster alone was enough to earn a title.
However, in a large empire, even knights couldn’t dream of a title unless they achieved significant accomplishments.
Since my first mission ended in failure and I was relegated to guarding the princess, I hadn’t received a title.
That meant I couldn’t even use my original family name, as it was a serious crime for a non-noble to use one.
“Very well. Then, to get to the point, I have only one proposal for you.”
“You want me to become one of your kingdom’s people, don’t you?”
“That’s correct.”
“You’re asking me to live my life bearing the label of a traitor. Are you aware of that?”
“I am more aware of how shameless this request is than anyone else. That’s why our kingdom is prepared to make sacrifices.”
“Are you saying you’re willing to meet any demand I make?”
“As long as it’s not an absurd request, like wanting to become the emperor of the empire, we’ll do our utmost to fulfill it.”
Duke Ludbront stared straight at me, his eyes wide open.
Eyes filled with resolve expressed his unwavering determination to recruit me.
I appreciated that he saw such value in me, but it also felt burdensome.
“There’s one thing I don’t quite understand.”
“And what is that?”
“During this tournament, I’ve done some peculiar things and haven’t even revealed my full abilities. Why, then, are you so intent on recruiting me? I’d like to hear your reasoning.”
I suspected that this might be an acquisition influenced by Letia.
Even for a chancellor, refusing a hero’s request wouldn’t have been easy.
However, Duke Ludbront scratched his head and let out a hearty laugh, as if untouched by any outside influence.
“It’s my gut feeling.”
“Your gut feeling?”
“I don’t mean to brag, but my instincts have never been wrong. From the moment I watched your preliminary match, my gut was screaming at me.”
“Well, the way you phrase it is a bit…”
“Ha-ha-ha! Please pardon my choice of words. Listening to the roaring cheers of the crowd these past few days seems to have roughened my speech as well.”
At this point, I began to wonder if the people of the Lyor Kingdom all had a loose screw.
Even Letia and Zenith had shown odd behavior in private moments.
Should I be happy that such people thought highly of me? Or should I be upset?
“For now, it’s difficult to give you an answer immediately.”
“Of course. Even if you tell me long after you’ve won, I’ll be satisfied. There will undoubtedly be backlash over the empire’s victory, but if I can recruit you in the end, I’ll have no regrets.”
It was clear that he wasn’t interested in using me as an excuse for the tournament’s success but rather valued my true abilities.
With such sincerity, I found myself inclined to consider his proposal seriously.
His ability to maintain a deferential attitude while subtly drawing out goodwill was impressive.
If I wasn’t careful, I might find myself signing on the dotted line before realizing it.
“Well, it wouldn’t sit right with me either, so let’s decide right after the finals. But I have a request in return.”
“And what might that be?”
I leaned closer to Duke Ludbront and whispered my plan softly into his ear.
His previously calm eyes widened dramatically upon hearing it.
It was natural—this was a concept his mind would never have conceived.
“For such an important final match, let’s make this a grand spectacle.”
“It’s not a bad idea, but proceeding without the consent of the parties involved…”
“You don’t need to worry about that. They’ll agree without question. If anything goes wrong, I’ll take full responsibility.”
“If you’re willing to go that far, I’ll start preparations immediately.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“Leave it to me.”
With a handshake, I sealed a temporary agreement with Duke Ludbront.
Now, all that remained was to wait for the finals.
The road leading to the arena.
Along it, two horses galloped with all their might.
Their coats were stained with blood, and though they panted heavily, they pressed on.
It seemed they might collapse at any moment, but the horses moved as if driven by sheer willpower.
It was their master’s desire, after all.
“What if it’s already over?”
“Well, there’s nothing we can do. Let’s just hope the opponent held out as long as possible.”
“Ugh! If only we hadn’t run into those bandits along the way…!”
Letia and Zenith, having rushed like the wind, looked utterly disheveled.
Despite their messy hair and dirt-streaked clothes from the relentless ride, they didn’t care.
They swung the reins in their hands, urging their horses onward.
“Master, I can see the arena!”
“From here, we run on foot!”
Letia and Zenith dismounted and sprinted toward the arena on foot.
They intimidated the gatekeepers blocking their way with sheer force of presence, barging inside.
In their haste, they didn’t even head for the spectator seats but emerged directly from the tunnel leading to the main stage.
Though they had returned at full speed, the finals were already nearing their conclusion.
As expected, Siyoon had achieved an overwhelming victory.
Even the strongest contender couldn’t measure up and lay defeated.
The once-roaring audience, now filled with groans, refused to accept the reality before them.
They wanted to criticize Siyoon as they always did, but his skills were too extraordinary to deny.
“It seems we’re too late for the climax.”
“To think we missed the most critical moment…!”
Letia let out a long sigh of disappointment, muttering that she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.
But then Siyoon turned his gaze toward her.
“I was waiting for you.”
“…Huh?”
“Your timing is perfect. Come up here.”
“Me?”
“Is there anyone else here besides you?”
Letia glanced around for Zenith, but she had already slipped away unnoticed, likely since Siyoon’s gaze first turned toward Letia.
“W-why are you calling me?”
“What do you think? Obviously, to have a match with you.”
Letia blinked in confusion but instinctively caught the iron sword Siyoon tossed her.
The moment she gripped it, Siyoon took his stance, clearly ready to fight with full force.
“You just rushed here exhausted, and I just finished the finals. I’d say our conditions are about the same. What do you think?”
“…Not bad.”
Letia quickly realized that Siyoon had orchestrated this situation.
He wanted to fight her.
Feeling that she couldn’t refuse such a sincere challenge, Letia also took her stance.
“If we’re going to do this, let’s make it a wager.”
“Fine. What’s on the line?”
“If I lose, I’ll transfer the privileges I earned as the tournament champion to you.”
“And if I lose?”
“Promise to free me from being a prisoner.”
“Alright. In the name of Heter I’ll accept your condition if I lose.”
The sudden duel between the two brought new excitement to the otherwise anticlimactic tournament.
Excitement akin to a raging storm.
The remaining audience erupted into cheers, overwhelmed by the unexpected turn of events.
The very crowd that had spent the entire tournament booing finally began to cheer with unrestrained enthusiasm.