Chapter 29

The Princess's Assault. Also known as the Meat Princess's Charge. Almost a one-sided victory.

Mikaeris stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

I had always thought Mikaeris was strong. Even to a layman, his movements were polished and flawless, without a single flaw. This must be the result of endless training he has undergone. However, when he effortlessly overpowered a knight much larger than himself, used magic to enhance his strength, and wielded borderline unfair magical artifacts to go for the kill, I could only open my eyes wide and hide my gaping mouth behind a fan.

Each time he won, the shrill cheers made me a bit uncomfortable.

"Well... I had heard, but you are truly strong."

"More so this year, with even more determination."

"Yes, I hear the King and Queen are also here."

"That's always the case. But it's different this time, isn't it, my sister?"

Huh? Me?

Well, a hikikomori usually doesn't go out, and since the venue was within the Latitché territory, I think it was probably just barely okay. I also heard that my father had even assigned a hidden guard, the Shadow, to protect me, in addition to my escort knights.

I thought it might be different because it was far, but the Latitché territory is quite vast.

Besides, it's also a bug repellent for me, Mikaeris.

I can't see the princess from this seat, but I wonder where she is.

Mikaeris has steadily advanced through the first and second rounds and is already in the semi-finals. Given his past performance, I suspect he might be a seeded player, but it seems there are no seeds in this tournament.

Each time he wins, he looks over here and bows.

He doesn't look at anyone else and immediately looks at me, but there are always shrill cheers from all over. Mikaeris is indeed popular.

He doesn't climb up to the VIP seats, but I feel like he's checking my face. He's really looking. More than that, this is something you don't get to see often. I'm trying to burn it into my memory.

However, I feel strange glances, like someone is peeking at me.

The other participants also seem to be looking at me a lot.

I don't like it. The glances are creepy. I quickly hide my face behind a fan and pretend not to notice.

Jibril also avoids it similarly, so I don't think I made the wrong choice.

So far, it seems Mikaeris hasn't even used half his strength.

He seems to be using the same sword as before, but I haven't seen his magic sword yet.

The sight of the flames dancing was truly magnificent, and I would love to see it again. However, Mikaeris doesn't seem to intend to show it unless he has a worthy opponent.

When he used it against the doll, it was a service.

The morning session is mostly over. During the lunch and tea time, they do some consolation matches to rank the losers, and the semi-finals and finals start in the afternoon.

The morning is relatively calm, with just the usual excitement, but the afternoon is when the real excitement begins. The swordsmanship tournament is also dramatic, with the elite among the participants and the drama of the matches being a major draw. Some people come just to see the drama, even if they don't care much about the sword skills.

By the way, the wolf-type beastman also advanced.

I wonder what his palms look like? Do they have paw pads?

"Is it going to be another one-sided victory for my brother this year? Lately, there are only weak opponents."

Jibril, nibbling on a sandwich, said somewhat dispiritedly.

Then, picking up a cucumber sandwich, she continued, "But the real show starts after the victory."

Mikaeris, who is quietly sipping tea, doesn't deny it, suggesting that there are no threats among the current participants.

He stood out even to a layman, and he is truly amazing. But, is it really okay for him to be a top contender? Some participants are so solid that they could be in a royal match, but Mikaeris exudes a sense of ease.

"He hasn't won yet."

"Oh, but he seems very confident."

"I have the confidence to not fall short—my goal is much higher."

Well, who is stronger than Mikaeris, the top contender? In my knowledge, only my father, who is the King of Cheaters, is that strong. He is even said to be wrong to compare him to Raven.

"What does Mikaeris plan to do with such strength?"

"I have something I want to protect. By participating in this tournament, I gain various things along with honing my skills."

Something to protect? Is it the Demetrias territory or Jibril?

Mikaeris, with his calm red eyes, now looks more like a noble prince than a knight, as he is not wearing his armor.

Kistaria and Julius, both handsome men, are around me. This world is like a dating game, but...

I ate a sandwich with eggs, but the bread was a bit soggy and not very good. My picky taste is to blame. The tea is delicious, which makes it a bit disappointing.

"Albert, if you feel any danger, please run away. You don't need to get involved in the problems of our earldom."

"No, Mikaeris. Don't worry. If I have my father's permission, I will fully support you. My abilities are minimal, but I will use them without hesitation to protect my childhood friend. But, that..."

"What is it?"

"Your opponent is the princess, right? Princess Elmedia is the daughter of the Queen Consort Mezarin. Is it really okay? Even if it's a marriage into the royal family or a royal princess marrying into the earldom, it's not a bad deal for the Latitché family. If the Latitché family interferes, they might not openly criticize, but the relationship might become awkward."

"I have no interest. In fact, getting involved in the princess's faction or Prince Lucas's faction would be much more troublesome."

Mikaeris said this with a firmness that was almost harsh.

Marriage to the royal family often leads to a promotion in rank.

The Elmedia I know is a beautiful girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her face, with a dignified and gentle expression, is said to resemble the Queen Consort.

By the way, Mezarin is also the mother of Prince Lucas. I can understand why he doesn't want to get involved with them, especially after they were just squeezed by my father.

If they were to demand that I mediate or try to please them, I would die.

I wonder if only my mother could please my father? If I were to get married and have a child who looks like me—rather, like my mother, Christina—my father might dote on that child. But there is no one and no plans for that.

"Mikaeris."

"Yes."

"I will do my best. I will definitely protect you from the princess!"

"...