“As expected, you followed.”
“Did you know?”
“I had a feeling someone was watching.”
“It seems my skills have dulled quite a bit.”
A faint smile crept across Anna’s lips as she said that. Maybe Reina had asked her to follow me, just in case.
“By the way, Young Master Ike.”
“Huh?”
“Is it okay if I ask what you were doing?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Young Master, your body smells strange.”
You noticed.
Anna hadn’t said it directly, but it was clear. Her half-lidded gaze never left me. No matter what excuse I gave, she wasn’t going to let this go.
I had wanted to keep it a secret, but I couldn’t help it. I needed someone to handle the cleanup anyway.
“Anna. I have a question for you.”
“I will do my best to answer.”
“Are you on Reina’s side?”
“Of course. Everything I have belongs to Lady Reina. No matter what happens, that won’t change. Even if I die, that truth remains.”
There wasn’t a moment of hesitation in Anna’s reply.
It was so firm it almost seemed suspicious—yet, for some reason, I believed her.
Maybe it was because she was a character who didn’t appear in the original work.
“If you go into that alley, there’s a shop. Take a look and judge for yourself.”
“I think there might be a misunderstanding. Are you okay with that?”
“You probably wouldn’t understand even if I explained it myself. Just know this—I’m on Reina’s side. No matter what.”
Anna seemed satisfied with that answer and gave a quiet nod.
“Okay.”
“Take care of it yourself. And I’ll keep it a secret from Reina. Got it?”
I said that as I passed her.
She didn’t respond.
Suddenly, her presence vanished.
When I turned around, only the empty alley remained.
“…This is tough.”
Let’s think about something else.
How do I get from the competition to the finals?
How strong are the contestants who passed the preliminaries in the other groups?
And how do I protect Reina from now on?
There’s still so much to do.
The future where Reina can be truly happy still feels far away.
It’s not time for me to stop yet.
With that thought, I stepped into the mansion—biting my lip, holding back the nausea, and steadying my trembling body.
***
“Young Master Ike, the final bracket has been posted.”
It was Reina who came to me while I was resting in the guest room.
“Ah, thank you, Lady Reina.”
She handed me a sheet of paper with the list of finalists and the match schedule.
My match was first on the opening day of the finals.
My opponent: Aaron Merod.
I had never heard the name before, but he had left a strong impression during the qualifiers.
“Round of 16 in two days, quarterfinals two days after that, and semifinals on the last Friday. The schedule’s a bit tight.”
I worried whether my body would get enough rest with just a day between matches. All the opponents were finalists—strong fighters.
If they were all aspiring knights, the fatigue would be overwhelming.
“One of the purposes of the dueling tournament is to see how well you can perform under pressure and exhaustion.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
Huh?
When I looked up from the match list, Reina was already sitting beside the bed.
She must have dismissed the attendants.
“I asked everyone to leave for a bit. I wanted to talk in peace.”
Reina smiled like an angel.
“I heard the preliminaries were a little rough for you? Even though you boasted you could win.”
No—actually, it was a mischievous grin. More goblin than angel.
I felt heat rise in my face.
“…It’s true. But he was a favorite for the championship. If I’d known that, I would’ve taken it seriously from the start.”
Of course, that was a complete bluff.
She probably assumed she wouldn’t even make it this far, let alone stand out.
Even when compared to the other qualifiers, no one thought she was better.
But her skills were far from ordinary.
“Well, I’ll believe you. Then, if you say you’re giving it your all in the finals… does that mean you’ll get your revenge from the preliminaries?”
Hearing that, I looked back at the bracket.
At the far end, opposite from me, was the image of a masked man.
People say hidden talents sometimes appear in these duels, but this guy—he was something else.
“If we meet, it’ll be in the finals.”
“Are you confident?”
“I have to believe I’ll win. I can’t let myself be intimidated.”
“I like that attitude. But it won’t be easy.”
With those words, Reina stood up from the bed.
“My father, Rupert, and I will be watching the finals from the audience.”
“Yes.”
“As I said before, I’m rooting for your victory.”
She left the room with a light smile.
‘…I can’t lose.’
The thought slipped out without meaning to.
***
“Salute your opponent.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Thank you very much.”
Like me, the man who bowed had striking dark gray hair.
Aaron Merod—my first opponent in the finals.
“May Eos bless us!”
“Thank you very much.”
The duel began with the referee’s declaration.
“Phew…”
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and stilled my mind.
Slowly, I spread my magic throughout my body.
Mana surged from my heart, gradually stimulating each muscle.
The moment the energy reached my fingertips, I twisted the flow.
I hadn’t even done anything yet, but heat surged through me.
Feeling that heat, I launched myself forward.
“…I lost.”
Aaron’s spear shattered in a single blow.
Just like that, my first match ended almost anticlimactically.
Opponent had no chance. He had the power of waifu by his side.
Thank you for the chapter!
Thanks for reading!