Chapter 65 - Call and Double

"Left side, one point."

Adrianna looked down at her right gauntlet. A long line scored the thick metal. The princess had aimed precisely for it.

The problem was the ring on her right hand—the one the princess had given Galahad. If the princess saw Adrianna wearing it—

'Absolutely not.'

Adrianna bit her lip. Just then, her eyes met the princess's. Those blood-red eyes were steeped in coldness.

'Does she not remember?'

Adrianna murmured under her breath.

As a child, Adrianna had once spent half a day with the princess. In her memory, the princess was radiant and warm, dignified and at ease. So much so that Adrianna had been pleased to hear she was coming.

But the princess she met now was different. She had grown more radiant, but she was no longer warm.

'Focus on the duel.'

She gave her head a slight shake. They were in the middle of a duel. Letting her attention wander was discourteous.

Adrianna adjusted her grip on her sword and reviewed the princess's movements. She was so fast it was hard to believe she wasn't using aura. Still, she wasn't too fast to follow.

The problem was that Adrianna couldn't use aura. It wasn't simply a matter of not using it; she had to forcibly suppress it. That inevitably slowed her reactions. It felt like facing an aura-wielding knight without using any herself.

The princess took her stance again, placing her left foot slightly forward and leaning into it. Adrianna took her own stance in response.

She let out a long breath, clearing the stray thoughts from her mind.

The princess kicked off the ground, closing the distance in an instant. Her rapier shot straight ahead, appearing as a single point. Biting her lip, Adrianna swung her sword upward and struck the middle of the rapier.

CLANG!

The rapier bent with a heavy metallic sound. At that moment, the princess turned her wrist, as though she had anticipated Adrianna's response. Her bent rapier scraped along Adrianna's sword.

The swordplay might have startled Adrianna had she never seen it before, but Galahad had already demonstrated it. She drew her sword back and twisted her shoulders. The shift in her center of gravity pulled the rapier along.

But the princess's blade was faster than Galahad's. Considerably faster.

Adrianna's brows tightened at the impact against her right hand. Another line had been carved into her right gauntlet, almost exactly where the first one was. The princess was openly targeting her right hand, as if she meant to cut it off.

"Left side, one point!"

The princess's smile deepened. Adrianna shook out her right hand as she reviewed their exchange.

Knights beyond a certain level could understand their opponents by crossing swords. It was more effective than conversation. Words could be dressed in lies, but a sword could not.

The princess's sword was...

'... Vicious.'

As vicious as a venomous snake kept shut in a vat of poison for years. What on earth had happened to her?

Then the princess pointed her rapier at Adrianna and beamed. Her eyes curved in a smile so radiant it made even another woman's heart flutter.

["The princess's blade will be faster than mine."]

Training with Galahad had helped considerably. The princess's swordplay was indeed very similar to what he had demonstrated. Extremely similar. Imitating someone's swordplay that closely wasn't something one could learn in a day or two.

'Just what kind of relationship did they have?'

Adrianna adjusted her grip and shook off the thought. Now was the time to concentrate.

* * *

"Left side, one point!"

Another point for the princess.

"Was the princess a Swordmaster?"

"What a very Sir Gilberton thing to say."

"Pardon?"

"Ah, it is you, Sir Gilberton."

"What is that supposed to— No, how can her swordsmanship be so good?"

"Because she is exalted imperial royalty."

"... Are all the royals like that?"

"All the surviving ones are. And she's on the weaker side."

Gilberton's expression turned grave. It seemed to be sinking in at last. The princess strolled back to her position. Adrianna gave her right hand a quick shake, scattering fragments of her gauntlet.

'Another two hits, perhaps.'

A little more battering and the gauntlet would break.

Genius though Adrianna was, dueling was the princess's domain. She might not compare to Adrianna, but the princess, too, had been called a genius.

"No matter how I look at it, she's moving too fast. Isn't she secretly using aura?"

"Didn't I tell you? She's imperial royalty."

"What does that have to do with moving fast?"

"Imperial royalty is very exalted."

Gilberton narrowed his eyes. When he failed to understand, Galahad clicked his tongue and elaborated.

"Imperial royalty must be exalted. To that end, they consume things that benefit their bodies from childhood. A great many things. The money spent on the princess could probably raise an entire battalion in the North."

"Oh, come on. Don't lie to me."

"I'm sorry, but I don't tell lies."

Gilberton's face twitched.

"... Isn't she going to lose at this rate?"

Gilberton asked with a serious expression.

If even Gilberton was saying that, how must everyone else feel? The succession of lost exchanges had already turned the atmosphere funereal. Faces were dark on the northern side. Those normally noisy bastards couldn't even cheer.

It was only natural. The princess had scored three points while Adrianna hadn't earned a single one. With victory going to the first to reach five, it was fair to call the match one-sided.

However...

"She'll win."

The match wouldn't reach five points.

"I've put everything on Lady Adrianna, as you instructed."

"Well done, Tom."

"Put everything on what?"

"The Special Operations Unit's funds. Oh, and your salary too, Sir Gilberton."

"... What?!"

"Why are you shouting, Sir Gilberton? Don't tell me you don't trust Adrianna?"

"It's not that— No, what lunatic would take bets on a match between Her Highness and Lady Adrianna?"

"That one over there."

"What crazy—"

Gilberton had surged to his feet, only to stop dead. Then he turned his head back in stiff increments. A high-ranking demon-beast... no, the Grand Duke was glaring at him. Galahad discreetly hid his face behind Gilberton.

"His Highness the Grand Duke is taking the bets."

"Then His Highness bet on the princess?"

"A truly heartless father."

Gilberton let out a low groan.

"Wait, if His Highness bet on the princess, aren't we in trouble?"

"Calm yourself. I've only lost a handful of contests. You could call me a born gambler."

Galahad's confident reply reassured Gilberton a little. Then something struck him as odd.

"Doesn't that mean you have lost—"

Just then, the match resumed. The princess kicked off the ground. Adrianna moved her sword in response, and their blades tangled again. Sharp metallic clashes rang out in rapid succession.

Adrianna parried the princess's attacks one by one. Her swordplay was straightforward, without a wasted movement. The princess's, by contrast, was flamboyant, striking at Adrianna like a living snake.

Their blades continued to intertwine. Adrianna steadily beat aside the princess's sword, one attack at a time. Sparks flew in succession.

Then Adrianna advanced for the first time. Instead of knocking the princess's sword aside, she pressed it down. And then...

CLANG!

Adrianna's sword scraped the princess's forearm, leaving a small scratch on the red armor.

"Right side, one point!"

Cheers erupted from the northern side. Adrianna dipped her head and stepped back.

"Oh...? Tom! You placed the bet properly, right?!"

Gilberton's face brightened. Tom nodded confidently at his question.

It was only one point, but their faith in Adrianna seemed to be returning. She was regarded as the North's hero, after all.

"That's our Lady Adrianna!"

Cheers poured in from all around.

Galahad quietly studied Adrianna. Her brows were lowered—not the expression one expected from someone who had just scored. She must have realized it too. The princess had deliberately given her that point.

Furious as she was, the princess had no intention of settling for a simple victory. Clearly, she meant to savor this for as long as possible. She waved her rapier, as though inviting Adrianna to try her luck.

As if being beaten weren't enough, she was being toyed with too. Nevertheless, Adrianna offered a courteous salute. This time, she kicked off the ground.

"Right side, one point."

Cheers erupted again.

* * *

"Right side, one point!"

"Three to three! She's caught up! Fuck!"

Gilberton cheered, spewing crude curses.

The sudden equalizer had everyone burning with excitement. Yet amid all the cheers, Adrianna, the one responsible for the comeback, wore a dark expression. The princess was beaming.

Then the princess looked at Galahad. Her red eyes seemed to whisper that she was superior. The message in her gaze was blatant.

'That should be enough.'

Galahad pointedly turned his attention to Adrianna. Then he raised his voice and shouted,

"My wife, you're almost there! Keep it up!"

Adrianna merely adjusted her grip, apparently wholly focused. The princess's presence sharpened enough for even Galahad to feel it from afar.

Then a soldier announced the resumption of the match. Unlike before, the princess pushed off the ground twice. The slightly staggered timing of her footwork made her figure sway.

There was one technique Galahad hadn't told Adrianna about, for two reasons. Knowing about it wouldn't help her block it, and she wouldn't need to block it anyway.

Adrianna's sword moved swiftly.

'Oh.'

Rather than block the slowing rapier, she thrust her own sword forward. It was instinct, not calculation.

'She's controlling her aura even better than before.'

To think she'd improved in so little time. She truly was a genius. Galahad was genuinely impressed.

Unfortunately, she had the wrong opponent. The princess pushed her rapier farther forward instead, catching Adrianna's blade with its guard. Then she swept it upward. It was a difficult move to anticipate, and it left Adrianna's center wide open.

A hit near the heart was worth two points. This was her chance to end the match. Yet the princess aimed not for Adrianna's heart, but for her right gauntlet.

CLANG!

With a sharp ring, fragments of the gauntlet flew upward. Its joint clattered across the ground. A beat later, the gauntlet split apart.

THUD!

The gauntlet landed heavily.

DRIP.

Red blood fell from Adrianna's pale wrist, wetting the fallen metal.

The princess's eyes widened almost to bursting. The corners of her mouth trembled wildly, as though she could barely contain her laughter. Then her red lips stretched wide, and a violent laugh burst from between them.

"Hahahaha!"

The laughter was so clear and ringing that the spectators flinched. Her reaction was more intense than expected.

Adrianna hurriedly hid her hand behind her back. Seeing where the ring sat, Galahad understood.

'She put it on her ring finger.'

He let out a quiet groan.

"Haha!"

Laughing harshly, the princess spun her sword. Aura blazed along it in an instant. The color of her aura was...

"... Is that pink?"

Before Gilberton finished his question, the princess moved. A pink point shot toward Adrianna.

'It's over.'

Aura was forbidden in the duel. Drawing on it meant defeat regardless of the score. But the rules weren't the only reason Galahad was certain the princess had lost.

Aura surged from Adrianna's sword—pure white aura. Without a single drop of impurity, that pure white easily overwhelmed the pink mixture of red and white.

Aura fashioned in the imperial court, and aura tempered over a lifetime on the front lines. It was obvious which represented the firmer conviction. If dueling was the princess's domain, aura was Adrianna's.

The contest was decided in an instant. Adrianna's sword pointed at the princess's heart.

"Ah..."

Adrianna opened her mouth. Her impassive expression broke, revealing dismay.

Just as she gathered herself and tried to speak, the princess said,

"I concede."

She released her sword and stepped away.

Adrianna bowed to her retreating back.

"Thank you for the lesson."

'Pure evil.'

Adrianna surely meant it sincerely, but that only made it a more effective taunt.

* * *

"The second match will be between Liam, commander of the Second Battalion, and..."

"A splendid match. Wait, why are you glaring at me again?"

"This was not right."

Galahad smiled wryly at Adrianna's rebuke.

"Using a precious gift to provoke your opponent... It was conduct unworthy of a duel."

"You're right. It was quite underhanded."

Adrianna's eyes widened a little when Galahad readily nodded.

"But without it, you would have lost."

"Then my skill was insufficient, and that cannot be helped. There is no shame in defeat. One cannot win every time."

She was right. Defeat must carry extra weight for the North's hero, yet she felt no shame at all. Her aura wasn't pure white for nothing.

"Provoking your opponent is part of imperial dueling. They do worse in the capital. Some knights insult their opponents' parents to rile them up. They're remarkably good at it."

"Other people doing wrong does not justify doing wrong ourselves."

She was honest to an exasperating degree. That was precisely why she would be the sword to pierce the Demon King. Unsettling an opponent with a gifted ring wasn't against imperial dueling rules, but there was no need to irritate her further.

"Very well. I'm sorry."

At his unreserved apology, Adrianna shook her head.

"I am not the one you should apologize to."

Her gaze was directed at the princess. Galahad clicked his tongue and waved. The princess stared at him without blinking, her eyes thoroughly bloodshot.

"I'll apologize properly."

"Very well."

Adrianna sat beside Galahad. She had stopped glaring, but her brows remained lowered.

"Besides, I was at stake in that duel. I wanted you to win, whatever it took. If you lost, I wouldn't be able to hold your hand anymore. I was desperate too."

At his heartfelt words, Adrianna's brows lifted slightly.

"I'd rather be in the barren, cold, barbaric North with you than in the capital without you."

"... You may stop now. I understand. When you consider it, I bear some fault as well."

Adrianna nodded with a small sigh.

Galahad's eyes gleamed.

"Quite right."

"... Pardon?"

"Come to think of it, I suggested it, but you're the one who carried it out, aren't you?"

Adrianna's brows twitched.

"No—"

"You even wore it on your ring finger. I never took you for such a schemer."

The crowd grew noisy. Someone had probably scored. Galahad looked at Adrianna. Her eyes were darting wildly.

"You really toyed with her. Sticking your ring finger out like this."

"When did I do that?!"

"Raising your voice? You must have a guilty conscience."

"No—"

At last, Adrianna heaved a deep sigh.

"So what do you want?"

"Goodness. Anyone listening would think I was saying all this because I wanted something."

Adrianna briefly narrowed her eyes.

"Still, I can't disappoint your expectations. Give me your hand for a moment. I thought I saw you get hurt earlier."

"Aren't you about to duel?"

"That's precisely why I need it."

He needed to hold her hand for the duel? Adrianna couldn't understand it. Judging by his upturned lips, he was plotting something again.

"Your hand."

With a sigh, Adrianna held it out.

* * *

"Now, the final match is between Galahad, commander of the Special Operations Unit, and Bunch."

"Well then, I'll be off."

Adrianna stared blankly after Galahad as he staggered into the arena. He had held her hand so tightly that it still tingled.

'Why?'

Adrianna murmured as she looked at her reddened hand.

Galahad was clever. Yet he had held Adrianna's hand right before a duel, and for longer than usual at that. It was an act that depleted his strength. She seriously pondered why he had done it.

Then Gilberton approached. He looked much happier than usual. His face practically begged her to ask, so Adrianna spoke.

"Has something good happened?"

"Ah, I won big."

"Won?"

"The commander bet on your match, my lady."

Gilberton chuckled slyly. The Grand Duke liked betting, so he must have been the one taking bets.

"I was a little startled when the commander staked his entire fortune, with my salary thrown in too, but..."

Gilberton grinned slyly. Judging by that grin, he had definitely won.

If Galahad had staked his entire fortune on Adrianna, that meant the Grand Duke had bet on the princess. The thought of her father backing the princess made Adrianna's chest tighten. Yet Galahad had wagered everything he owned on her. Amid the tightness was a strange, ticklish feeling.

'His entire fortune...'

Adrianna gave a small cough.

Then Gilberton boasted that he'd bet all his winnings on Galahad. Adrianna frowned. If Galahad intended to win, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to hold her hand. He clearly had something else in mind. Most likely...

"Heh heh. I'm rich now."

Adrianna looked away from Gilberton.