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155. Engagement – Halpas

The Letii Tournament was held. The venue was a semi-circular structure called ‘Moguntiacum,’ which usually served as an outdoor theater, with stone steps arranged in a circular pattern for seating.

Even before it started, the citizens of Manubiul gathered in small groups, waiting for the warriors to take the stage.

The center of the high stone steps was left wide open.

That place was reserved for the soon-to-arrive king and royalty, with plush chairs set up and canopies being installed to shield them from the harsh early autumn sunlight.

“First… Lady Lena, Sir Mainz. Please go report to the judges to check your gear and head to the arena.”

Behind the stage was a waiting room bustling with warriors. The knight assisting with the tournament had specifically chosen Lena to be the first.

Lena picked up her sword wrapped in white cloth weakly and said,

“I’ll be back.”

“Yeah, Lena. Don’t get discouraged and do your best! Just don’t get hurt.”

Leo encouraged her.

In response, Lena smiled brightly, assuring him not to worry. However, her hair, tied with a feathered scrunchie, swayed lightly, lacking any energy.

Lena, who preferred her hair short, usually didn’t tie it up.

She disliked having hair in her mouth and often cut it short, claiming it disrupted her sword training.

But after leaving Abrival Castle and traveling here, she hadn’t had the chance to get a haircut. Her hair had grown down to her shoulders, and Leo had bought her a scrunchie as a gift.

This was because Ran and Anne had once said that the feathered scrunchie was pretty.

When he found a similar one, Leo thought it wouldn’t be bad.

– “I was just thinking of cutting my hair anyway. My birthday has already passed, but thanks. But isn’t this a bit too modest considering how long we’ve been traveling? Haha. Just kidding. I’ll use it well.”

Lena tied her hair back on the spot, thinking, “Maybe I should grow my hair out this time?” Holding the scrunchie in her mouth as she lifted her hair revealed her cute triangular ears and graceful neck.

She looked so adorably pretty that Leo couldn’t help but hug her tightly. He nearly forgot to participate in the preliminary round set early in the morning.

The preliminaries ended at noon.

Leo effortlessly defeated someone known as the great warrior from a certain tribe. There weren’t many in the entire kingdom who could match his skills, which were on par with any decent knight.

Even though he had other opponents left to face, Leo’s advancement to the finals was instantly confirmed based on the judges’ decision.

On the other hand, Lena faced a bit of a struggle. After a precarious back-and-forth, she narrowly made it to the finals.

Compared to the time she sought to break off their engagement, her skills were still lacking.

She had insisted on training even while traveling, but Leo had distracted her with calls to go have fun.

Yet, even amidst that, Lena’s swordsmanship had steadily improved. This time, perhaps inspired by Bart’s techniques that Leo displayed, her sword carved a distinct path visible even to the eye.

With careful precision, she melded offense with defense; it was neither rash nor completely passive.

Adding Leo’s aggressive style to Noel Dexter’s stable swordsmanship meant her opponents couldn’t afford to relax for even a moment.

However, those she faced were seasoned great warriors who had seen all kinds of trials. They sometimes attacked in such a way that it was a hit for both sides, and Lena, lacking practical experience, often found herself dragged along by their pace.

Moreover, sadly, Lena wasn’t in great condition today. It seemed her earlier complaint of feeling “a bit heavy this morning” wasn’t just mere small talk; her posture was somewhat off balance.

Lena stepped into her first match in the finals.

Leo remained bored in the waiting room. Hearing shouts of “Warrior from the Ainar Tribe, Lena~~~ Ainar~~!!” from outside, he looked around.

In the waiting room, twenty-nine other great warriors who had secured slots for the finals were each finding their own way to relax.

Some warriors whirled their weapons to loosen up, while others knelt and prayed to their gods.

One warrior had a tribal symbol tattooed across his bare back, but Leo didn’t pay much attention to it. According to {History of the Ashin}, that was the symbol of the Ashin, which had already lost its followers to the Cross Church.

Due to harsh environments, the northern barbarians generally believed in a god that evoked strong warriors. The Cross Church had struggled for years to convert them, often replacing their gods with the likes of Lachar.

Lachar, one of the four avatars of the divine, symbolizing battle and honor.

The northern barbarians had no reason to dislike this new god concept, believing their god was in fact even grander. Thus, the Ashin, having lost its devotees, faded out of existence.

However, the barbarians often interpreted the doctrines provided by the Cross Church in their own convenient ways. For instance, one myth about Todler Akiunen suggested that a great warrior who grew strong by capturing monsters had the right to challenge the gods.

While he waited, gently cradling his sword wrapped in thick cloth to prevent any serious injuries, a knight entered the waiting room.

“Next… Sir Leo, Sir Drokza. Please go report to the judges to check your gear and head to the arena.”

It was Leo’s turn next.

He stood up from his seat with a wide smile. Outside, shouts of “Lena! Lena! Lena!” echoed around.

*

Leo won.

It was actually a foregone conclusion. It was rare for a competition meant to give aspiring knights an opportunity to be open to someone with proven skills who could become a knight anytime.

He defeated his opponents one after another with overwhelming skill. Among them was Drokza Albasete—a warrior who had come here with Lena and Leo and was considered a strong contender for victory. He ended up getting eliminated by Leo in the round of 32.

Still, he took first place in a consolation match held for those not advancing to the semifinals.

Entering the Letii Tournament or placing in a competition for the Maunin qualifiers were both noteworthy achievements, akin to the semifinals.

“Ahh. Congratulations, Leo. I expected it, but… you became a knight first, huh?”

Lena was eliminated in the round of 16.

Her opponent was less than favorable. She happened to meet a senior knight who wasn’t very competent and wasted time before encountering a squire who casually joined the tournament with a carefree attitude.

In such a way, becoming a knight wouldn’t be easy as joining the knights’ order would likely be a tough task… but that wouldn’t happen. He would meet Leo in the subsequent quarter-finals.

Even in her gloom, Lena congratulated Leo. Though she felt a pang of regret for not catching up to her dream of becoming a knight and marrying Leo, she tried hard not to show it.

“Thank you. But Lena, you just met the wrong opponent today. Your condition wasn’t good either. It was just a stroke of bad luck, so don’t be too disheartened…”

He tried to comfort her, but Lena shook her head vigorously.

“No. Managing your body is part of the skill, and even if I had beaten that squire, I would have faced you in the quarter-finals. I lost to Uncle Drokza in the consolation match… If I start making excuses, it would never end. It’s just that my skills weren’t enough to qualify for knighthood.”

No.

Lena had grown at an incredible pace whether in battle or at any time. She had developed skills well over those of a common knight before even a year had passed.

The reason Lena didn’t become a knight this time was that I had interfered with her training.

It wasn’t intentional. I just wanted to spend as much time with her as possible; still, somewhere deep in my heart, I felt relieved she didn’t become a knight.

I loathed myself for feeling joy at the delay of my lover’s dream. But it was merely delayed, and Lena would surely become a knight within months…

“I’m sorry.”

Leo sincerely apologized.

Lena laughed, “Haha! Why are you apologizing? If you’re sorry, could you just wait until I become a knight?” and patted his back.

“Whoa! Just how old is that kid? I’ve never seen such a young champion before!”

When the thirty-two participants in the finals took to the stage, applause erupted from the crowd. The cheers reached a peak when Leo stepped up, for his displayed prowess was utterly overwhelming.

“Now, we will proceed to the award ceremony. Everyone, please take your seats.”

The woman serving as the emcee shouted.

Traditionally, the winner of the Letii Tournament was presented with a high-quality sword by a woman dressed as Queen Letty during the festival.

While Leo possessed the best swords in the world, he accepted the sword from the queen without further ado.

Applause poured out once more. Lena, standing nearby, also clapped, celebrating his victory.

And just as it seemed the tournament was coming to a grand conclusion with prizes being awarded to the four standout warriors…

“The king wishes to see the winners. Please come this way.”

The emcee approached the five awardees with the announcement. As the crowd’s gaze focused, Leo ascended the stone steps.

However, as he neared the halfway point, a masked knight blocked his path.

It seemed they wanted to temporarily collect the sword of someone approaching the king. At that moment, a message suddenly appeared in his mind.

[ Achievement: Swordmaster, 3/3 ]

[ The ‘Swordmaster’ achievement will be lost. ]

[ Quest: Guardian, 1/3 ]

‘W-what’s this?’

Unconsciously extending his sword, Leo looked at the knight before him.

Is this person the Swordmaster?

But, seeing the short and frail man before him, Leo couldn’t conceive that he was the strongest in the continent.

Furthermore, a strange stream of messages continued to pop into his head, distracting his concentration. He was unable to notice that the knight was casting a displeased gaze through the mask’s eyeholes.

After handing over his sword, Leo, now unarmed, began to ascend the steps again. He struggled to regain his composure amidst the deafening cheers and chaotic messages…

Just as he was almost at the top to meet the king, yet another message came to mind.

[ Achievement: King 2/7 ]

This time, he wasn’t surprised by the message. He had received a similar one when he met the aged king of the Orun Kingdom. However, his concentration broke again.

The man seated higher than Prince Pablo de Klaus. He had deep navy blue hair, a symbol of the Klaus royal family, and was now in middle age with a mix of ambition and wisdom, staring at Leo with discomfort. No, he was… he was not a king.

This person, shrouded in the swirling black divine energy, was an ‘Apostle.’

“Glad to meet a fine warrior.”

– Barbatos?

‘Petra de Klaus’ spoke. As he opened his mouth, a twitchy and neurotic question followed inside Leo’s head.

“I’ve seen well. Amazing, isn’t it? So young, yet—oh, very impressive.”

– What brings Barbatos’s Apostle here?

The king’s gaze suddenly pierced through Leo’s white knuckles.

As if he had seen through his fist, the palm of his right hand bore the insignia of Barbatos, hidden from others.

“Other warriors were excellent too. It’s been a while since I seen such a good match. Everyone worked hard.”

– Answer me. Why. Are. You. Here? Don’t know how to respond? Then bring that Barbatos fellow forward. How dare such a nameless deity send an Apostle to me…

Only then did Leo have an inkling. This king was an Apostle half devoured by a deity.

And judging from the eccentric, shield-shaped divine energy swirling around him, it was clear this person served Halpas, the black crow of Malhas.