Chapter 61

After returning to the ground, I immediately headed for Senior Yuriko's room.

I was going to question her, but the room was empty.

When I asked the dorm mother, she said that Yuriko had submitted a leave of absence and wouldn't be back for a month.

I couldn't understand what she was thinking. I suspected her of being behind the boar monster and Tyranno, but if it were pure malice, she wouldn't have called for help. It even seemed like she was giving us appropriate trials to make us stronger.

Ten days passed, and finally, the fateful day of the duel between Anne and Clanel arrived.

Anne's magic circuit had fully recovered, and using Tyranno's magic stone, she had raised her rank to the middle of Rank 2. There were no uncertain elements.

We had been in the capital for three days and were being treated as honored guests.

It was probably due to the king's consideration.

Today, we were at the dueling arena.

Apart from the luxurious VIP seats, it was no different from the Colosseum of the Sealed City of Erin.

Here, various battles took place, including the annual martial arts tournament to determine the best knight and gambling matches where slaves fought each other.

"I'm going now. Soji, Kuna."

In the waiting room, Anne, who had finished preparing her equipment, smiled.

She wasn't nervous or excited. She was in the ideal state of calm concentration.

This ability to maintain composure before a match that she had bet everything on was one of Anne's strengths.

"Anne, this is completely away territory, so be prepared."

Yes, this was the heart of the royal family.

Even the servants who took care of us showed hostility towards Anne in their actions.

The stigma of being the daughter of a criminal still plagued Anne here.

"I'm used to it. Besides, as long as Soji and Kuna are by my side, I won't be bothered by the crowd."

Anne smiled, saying this. She had become much tougher.

"...Hey, Kuna. I want to talk to Soji alone for a moment. Is that okay?"

Kuna, who was asked by Anne, looked a bit dazed before smiling.

"Sure. Soji-kun, I'll head to the VIP seats first."

With that, Kuna left. As she was leaving, I heard her whisper, "Good luck, Anne."

Left in the room were just me and Anne.

My heart was beating a little faster, influenced by Anne's atmosphere.

Anne, blushing, cleared her throat and spoke.

"Soji, thank you for everything. I wouldn't have made it this far without you. If you hadn't been here, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have been able to protect Kval Besta, let alone my own life."

"You're welcome. Protecting a cute disciple is a teacher's duty."

When I said that, Anne smiled.

Then, with a flushed face, she took half a step forward, a little closer than usual.

"I always take from you, Soji, but I want to become someone you can rely on. ...I'm not strong enough yet, but if I win today and am recognized as the bearer of Kval Besta, I feel like I can break through one of my shells."

Anne's eyes were filled with confidence. Her confidence was not misplaced.

Having learned from me and harnessed the power of Kval Besta, she was growing at an incredible rate.

"Win, Anne."

"Of course. I won't lose to anyone but you. I don't want to lose. ...So, watch me. If you're watching, I'll definitely win."

"I'll be cheering for you from the stands. Good luck."

"Thank you."

Anne nodded. The duel was about to start, and we couldn't linger any longer.

"I'm going now."

I turned and started walking away.

"Soji!"

Anne called out to me in a louder voice than usual. I turned around.

Anne was right there. She put her hands around the back of my neck, stood on her tiptoes, and pressed her lips to mine.

A kiss, just a touch of the lips.

It probably lasted about ten seconds. Anne's cheeks were flushed, and she smiled beautifully.

"This is my first kiss. I love you, Soji."

Then, Anne ran off towards the arena.

I pressed my lips, staring in the direction she had disappeared.

◇

After standing in a daze in the waiting room for a while, I moved to the VIP seats.

It was the best seat to watch the duel.

These VIP seats were prepared by the king's order.

The moment I entered the room, the disdainful gazes of the surrounding nobles pierced me, and whispers echoed around.

I sat in the designated seat and spoke to Kuna, who was sitting next to me.

"It seems she's more popular than I thought."

"Yes, I didn't expect so many people to be here."

Indeed, the VIP seats were full, and even the nobles who would normally never sit with commoners were mingling in the general seats.

Not only nobles, but commoners were also standing to watch, and the venue couldn't accommodate all the spectators.

"Soji-kun, just to be sure, you're not betting again, are you?"

"Of course I am. I bet all my wealth on Anne."

"You're greedy and a gambling addict... There's no saving you."

"...Kuna, Anne is betting everything on this match. Shouldn't I do the same?"

"And you're using Anne as an excuse."

Kuna gave me a sidelong glance.

I whistled and pretended not to notice.

After a while of silence, Kuna fidgeted and looked at me hesitantly.

"Um, Soji-kun. When we were alone, did Anne say anything?"

Kuna's words were interrupted. The audience suddenly became noisy.

"Anne has appeared."

Looking at the arena, I saw Anne enter the square stone ring.

A chorus of insults greeted her.

"Traitor," "Rebel," "Shameless," "Whore." The words were unbearable.

I tried my best to cheer for Anne amidst the abuse.

"Kuna, what was it?"

"Never mind."

Kuna smiled wryly and turned her gaze to Anne. She shouted, "Good luck!" Anne noticed us and waved.

"Excuse me, I'll sit here."

As we watched Anne, a well-built man sat next to us.

"Your Majesty, is it alright? For someone like me to sit next to you?"

Yes, it was the king.

The surrounding nobles and the king's attendants looked at us with displeased expressions.

"It's fine. I've always said I like talented young people. It's not unnatural for me to admire you, who defeated Clanel Feilarte at Rank 1."

The king smiled.

The movement of the air around us was strange. I see, the servants were using magic to control the sound so it wouldn't leak out.

"...I'll be blunt. You didn't come here just to chat, did you?"

"That's harsh. I came to thank you. Thank you for supporting 'Anne.'"

The king spoke in a gentle tone.

Of course, he didn't bow in public.

Still, I was surprised. He called her Anne so naturally, as if he was used to it.

"That girl is like a daughter to me. If I could, I would protect her no matter what."

The king's fist was trembling.

Even as king, or perhaps because he was the king, he couldn't act.

However, I still felt uneasy. A sense of discomfort rose in my chest.

"I just lent a hand. Anne fought and won on her own."

"...But because you were there, Anne was able to stand up. And because you continued to support her, she was able to grow this far. Eventually, I will reward you in some form."

Those words made something inside me snap.

Even though he was the king of this country, my voice became rough.

"Don't mock me, Your Majesty. We are fighting for our dreams. Reward me? ! Don't use me to assuage your guilt. Your sins won't be erased by that. I would be troubled if you were satisfied with that. You should suffer from your sins for the rest of your life."

I spat out the words in a strained voice.

"Do you know?"

The king deliberately left out the subject, making his question ambiguous.

"Are you asking me that?"

"No, I'm sorry. Forget it."

The moment I said I knew, the king would have to punish me.

This question was a death sentence.

"But I want you to accept my gratitude. My heartfelt thanks for helping Anne."

"...Indeed. I'll accept the sentiment. Let's not bring in unnecessary things and just watch Anne's battle. If what you once said about liking shining young people is true, I think you'll see the best. Yes, Anne's shine."

I smiled warmly.

Then, I influenced the wind spirits to pick up Anne's movements and voice.

As a teacher, I wanted to feel her movements as closely as possible.

Next, Chapter 2. Final chapter.