“Luke, that guy… It’s been a while. But if the match is over, he should go rest. What is he doing just standing there?”
After stepping onto the stage for my match, my gaze met Luke’s, who was staring at me from the passageway.
It had been a month since I last saw him—a familiar face I had met while rescuing children in the forest.
Since the match was over, he should be resting, but instead, he stood there deep in thought.
Somehow, I had a feeling he was expressing gratitude for the lessons I had given him before.
A small smirk formed under my mask.
“That brat. I saw him earlier, and his skills have improved quite a bit. He must have been training hard.”
I had worried that his growth events would disappear because of my interference, wondering if he was progressing properly.
But those concerns were unnecessary.
The Star’s Boy was steadily growing on his own.
“Hey, man. You don’t care about me at all, huh?”
“My apologies. What were you saying?”
“I’m Duran. You didn’t even listen to my introduction? That’s too much, man. I’m quite the renowned knight in the South, you know?”
Turning away from Luke, I faced a bald, muscular man smirking as he introduced himself.
He was holding a spear taller than himself, its sharp and sturdy blade hinting at its exceptional quality.
“I saw your name on the tournament brackets. But are spears allowed in the Sword Martial Festival? The name suggests otherwise.”
“Ahh, the first tournament might have been like that. But over time, they started allowing other weapons. Restricting it to only swords would hurt its practicality, so they made a reasonable change.”
Duran spun his massive spear effortlessly, treating it like a mere wooden stick, as he explained.
As I nodded at his explanation, I overheard murmuring from the spectators behind me.
— Hey, isn’t that guy… the ‘Righteous Knight of the South,’ Duran?
— That bald head and monstrous physique… Yeah, it’s gotta be him. I heard he enjoys helping starving children.
— If that’s true, he’s a role model for knights everywhere.
— I agree. Apparently, in the South, people say, “If it’s Sir Duran, of course he would do that,” as they do good deeds.
— Wow… That’s a beautiful story.
I had heard similar stories somewhere before.
More importantly, Duran was a good guy.
Helping starving children?
He was genuinely kind-hearted.
And from the way people spoke, he seemed skilled as well.
It seemed I had to retract my earlier assumption of him being weak.
“Are you ready?”
“Yeah. I’ll let you go first.”
“Quite confident, aren’t you? Here I go!”
Boom!
As the gong rang to signal the match’s start, Duran launched himself forward like a flash of lightning.
A precise thrust utilizing the full advantage of his long spear.
If one looked closely, they could see a transparent aura forming a sharp edge at the spear’s tip.
“Oh?”
He knew how to wield aura properly.
Indeed, he was worthy of the title “Righteous Knight of the South.”
Unfortunately, he had drawn the worst possible opponent.
“My condolences, Duran. Meeting me in the first round is truly unlucky.”
I had my own reasons for being here.
Though I felt bad, I had to end this quickly.
Duran’s spear surged toward me, brimming with ferocity.
But before the tip could reach me—
I casually lifted my foot and stomped the ground.
Rumbleee!
[Authority Activated.]
[Opponent has been rendered combat incapable.]
“!?”
Perhaps I had grown even more proficient since the last time I used this against Luke.
Even though I hadn’t stomped with much force, my Heavenly Demon’s Supreme Step caused Duran to completely lose his balance and collapse instantly.
Thud!
“Urgh…! What… just happened…?”
“Good effort. Get some rest.”
Duran lay sprawled on the ground, utterly bewildered.
I approached him and swung my sword.
Crack!
A shattering sound echoed as his protective artifact activated.
The match-ending signal rang throughout the arena.
The audience, witnessing the unbelievable scene, fell into a stunned silence.
— Wh-what was that?
— Taking down an aura-wielding knight with just a single step? I’ve never heard of such a thing…!
— That knight… His name was Licht, right?
— Licht…!
— A powerful contender for the championship has appeared!
Shock quickly turned into excitement.
And the joy turned into cheers.
Soon, the roar of the crowd shook the entire arena.
Licht! Licht!
Amidst the deafening cheers, I glanced at the aristocratic viewing seats located on the upper level of the arena.
Everyone there had their mouths agape in amazement at the technique they’d never seen before.
Even the Emperor’s expression had changed, so it seemed my Cheonma Gullyeongbo (Heavenly Demon’s Royal Skill) had made quite an impression.
These fools.
To be surprised by something this trivial.
In the remaining matches, I plan to win using only my power, without relying on Aura at all.
I can’t afford to reveal my true identity by using Aura unnecessarily.
By the way, there’s still quite some time left before the second round match…
What should I do before then?
While scratching my mask, I thought of Justia.
The empire’s treasure, with a beauty so stunning that even a goddess might envy.
Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen her fight before.
There haven’t been any good opportunities, after all.
However, even aside from her ability to see the truth, I can’t deny that I’m curious about her skills.
I thought about watching her match before the second round as I walked.
“Excuse me.”
In the corridor leading to the participants’ room.
I stopped upon hearing the clear voice of a woman.
“…..”
“Why is she waiting for me here?”
In the quiet hallway where everyone had stopped walking, I looked at the woman in front of me.
Hair as beautiful as the night sky.
A glamorous figure with just the right amount of exposure.
And an intense aura, like that of a wild beast.
“Licht, what is your true identity?”
Elda Perlenka was waiting for me, her eyes holding more than just curiosity.
***
“What do you mean by ‘true identity’? That’s a rather sudden question.”
“Exactly what I said. You… Licht, that’s not your real name, is it?”
“Well, I wonder why you think that.”
In the hallway right after the match, I faced Elda, returning her gaze.
With a calm yet audacious attitude.
However, I didn’t outright deny it, and that seemed to make Elda’s eyelashes fall slightly.
Licht…
A man who appeared suddenly like the wind.
I’d only heard the name today while talking in the park, but seeing his strength in person was enough to make his name known across the Empire.
No, it’s not just that.
Even in the history of the Empire, it would be hard to find anyone as strong as him.
He’s not going to talk easily, but I have to find out his true identity.
After scanning the surroundings briefly, Elda grabbed Licht’s wrist and pulled him into a room.
Thunk.
The door closed with a heavy sound.
Inside the room, it was just the two of us.
Elda, with sharp eyes, spoke to Licht.
“Why do you think that? It’s strange that such a strong knight’s name hasn’t been known until now. To defeat an Aura knight with a single step. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“…..”
“If you’re hiding something, tell me. The Geonmaje (Sword Master Tournament) is a big opportunity for Academy students. If this continues, I’ll surely lose to you, so at least I want to know why.”
She spoke quickly, almost like a machine gun, as she stood close to Licht, her chest nearly touching his.
At that moment, Licht’s blood-red eyes wavered.
Just as I thought…
I need to uncover the truth here.
After swallowing a dry lump in my throat, Elda spoke again.
“Even though this is the first time we’ve met today, I don’t think you’re a bad person. So, can’t you tell me the truth? So that I can continue to believe in you.”
Her tone was filled with sincerity.
Had her feelings reached him?
“…”
Licht remained silent, not denying anything, and quietly swallowed.
Seeing this, Elda was convinced that this man was indeed not a bad person.
If he had truly wanted to deceive her until the end, he wouldn’t have spoken to her at all.
Besides, even before the tournament started, when they had shared bread together, they had spoken comfortably.
There was something instinctive about him that made Elda feel drawn to him, like she had known him for a long time.
Then, Elda suddenly recalled something her grandmother had once told her when she was young.
“Did you say that when you meet the person destined for you, you’ll instinctively feel it…?”
It was none other than her grandmother’s words, so she remembered them clearly, but to be honest, it was hard to believe.
She had always thought she wanted to serve a man stronger than anyone else as her husband and bear his child.
But what if…
What if, really, what if…
Someone appeared who not only felt instinctively close to her but was also stronger than anyone else?
How would she react in front of such a person?
As she tried to collect her thoughts, Licht slowly opened his mouth.
“Ha, it can’t be helped. I didn’t want to burden you, but… now that it’s come to this, I need to tell you something, but I want you to promise me one thing.”
“What is it?”
“That you won’t tell anyone about what you’ve seen and heard in this room. What do you think? Will you accept?”
His voice was calm, without any fluctuation in tone.
But in Licht’s voice, there was an undeniable strength.
‘I have no choice but to accept the promise.’
The Black Knight was a golden opportunity for students to prove their skills.
As her advisor, she needed to know what was happening at the competition.
After some thought, Elda nodded.
“…..”
In the stillness of the moment, like a tranquil lake, Licht removed his mask.