Chapter 83
Splash!
“Urgh…”
Blood welled up in my mouth.
But I bit down hard on my lip to keep it from spilling out.
My lips were stained red, but outwardly, it didn’t look too bad.
“Ugh…!”
Thud!
The knight, built like an ox, collapsed forward.
He had exhausted his inner strength and finally fell.
My legs were trembling too, but in the end, it was him who went down.
Which meant…
[Match over! The winner is Ian Impera! Ian Impera!]
“Waaahhh!”
“Ian! Ian! Ian!”
The referee’s declaration was followed by a thunderous roar of applause.
‘Crouching Bear, Fitz Wright.’
He’d been a strong opponent.
At this rate, if he kept training, he might even aim for the next Knight Commander’s seat.
‘Strange. A guy like that didn’t even show up in the novel?’
Maybe he did appear—probably as something like “Red Armor Knight No. 34,” one of those who got killed by the resurrected Kazan Empire.
I wasn’t sure. But one thing was certain.
That guy had talent.
And if he ever found something—or someone—to protect?
He could become a monster rivaling Friana herself.
‘Whatever it takes to get stronger, right?’
It doesn’t matter what it is—hatred, jealousy, love.
‘Get stronger, my bear friend.’
“Ugh…”
The fallen Fitz twitched, his eyelids fluttering.
As expected from a bear-like guy. He just collapsed a second ago, and he’s already regaining consciousness.
“You awake?”
“D-Did I… lose…?”
“Of course. Your opponent was me.”
“Urgh…”
“Still, you did well. You almost got me there.”
“…Thank you.”
“Alright, now get up.”
I reached my hand out to the fallen Fitz.
He just stared blankly at it.
“What? You don’t want to? You planning to lie there until the semifinals?”
“N-No, sir.”
Clack!
After a moment of hesitation, he grabbed my hand.
“Guh… haah!”
‘Damn, he’s heavy.’
Seriously, he’s not a bear for nothing.
[Ah…! A handshake of reconciliation between victor and defeated! How sportsmanlike!]
“Ian! Ian!”
“That knight he fought wasn’t bad either.”
“Right? Can you believe this is only the second round? That was insane!”
“Fitz! Fitz!”
Supporting Fitz up, I turned toward the cheering crowd.
‘A bit of showmanship doesn’t hurt.’
I raised our clasped hands high into the air.
This was, after all, a festival.
Both the winner and loser were here to celebrate.
That was the point.
“Waaahhhh!”
“Whoa… Is that really the same troublemaker I knew?”
“Yeah, right? Were all those rumors just nonsense?”
“Could be. But there were so many witnesses…”
“Who cares?”
“Fair point.”
“Haaah!”
“Good work, my lord!”
As soon as the match ended, Friana rushed over to support me.
Now that the tension had left my body, my trembling legs finally gave out.
“Ha! Yeah, that one was rough.”
“Honestly, when I first saw Fitz’s aura, I was a bit worried. That guy’s gotten stronger since last time.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. The size of his aura alone… near the end, he almost made my heart drop.”
“He did push me a bit.”
“Did you two say anything at the end?”
“Hmm… you heard that?”
“No. The cheering was too loud.”
“Then it’s fine. Just a bit of teasing, that’s all.”
“Haha! Of course. No wonder he suddenly poured everything into that final blow.”
Friana laughed loudly as she helped me walk.
But her eyes flicked briefly toward Fitz, who was leaving from the other side.
“What, thinking of grabbing a drink with him later?”
“Heh. We’re not that close.”
She probably felt conflicted, though.
After all, her rival had taken the position of Royal Guard Knight—a role that was once hers.
“…The semifinals are the day after tomorrow, right?”
“Yes. Since there are more injuries in the second round, tomorrow’s a rest day.”
“Then I guess I can have a drink tonight.”
“What? During the Grand Tournament? That’s… a bit…”
“Hahaha! If a man loses because of one drink, he was bound to lose anyway! It’s a festival, let’s enjoy it.”
“Hmm… if you say so, my lord…”
She tried to resist at first, but after enough persuasion, she eventually gave in.
On the way back to our seats with Friana—
“My lord!”
Two women were waiting for me.
“Ah, Isbart, Islyn. You’re here.”
“Congratulations! I caught the match halfway, but it was amazing!”
“Hehe. You think so?”
“…”
Unlike Isbart, who was bouncing with excitement, Islyn stayed silent.
“How was it?”
“…You were incredible.”
“Yeah?”
“…Yes.”
“Well, I am incredible.”
“…”
She looked uncomfortable.
Well, it made sense. Her secret about being from House Veronia had just been exposed—she must not know how to act now.
“Islyn.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“As the head of Clan Ian, I order you.”
“…What?”
She hesitated so much it almost looked painful.
She’s sharp when handling others’ affairs, but when it comes to herself, she’s a mess.
“Go to Princess Iglen right now and chat her up. If you hear anything useful, report it to me.”
“…Ah.”
“That’s your job, isn’t it?”
“…Yes, my lord!”
“Haha. Good.”
Her expression brightened a little.
Islyn was Islyn.
Veronia or not, she had worked for me and would keep doing so.
Where she came from didn’t matter. That’s what I wanted to tell her.
And she seemed to understand, judging from her smile.
“Alright, off you go. Princess Iglen’s probably sulking since her knight lost. Go cheer her up.”
“Yes. I’ll be off.”
And with a much lighter heart, Islyn left.
That left just Friana, Isbart, and me.
“Hey.”
“Y-yes? You mean me?”
“You drink?”
“D-drink? I don’t really… drink much…”
“So you have drunk before, then.”
“W-well, yes.”
“Good. Let’s go. My treat.”
Isbart looked helplessly between Friana and me.
But when Friana shrugged, she had no choice but to follow.
Late evening, as night crept in.
Aemon stood by the window in a worn-out nightgown, gazing outside.
“Heh. That boy Ian… I always knew he’d make it big one day.”
Aemon’s one and only son, Ian Impera.
Just a year ago, he’d been nothing but a spoiled, troublesome brat.
Now he’d become a full-fledged count.
“Sniff…”
Thinking of all those hard days, Aemon’s eyes grew red.
“My dear wife… now even in the afterlife, you can hold your head high…”
He’d spent years managing the territory alone while his delinquent son caused endless trouble.
He’d always blamed himself for not being a better father.
But now things were different.
The enemies who had been eyeing the family were gone. His son was rising fast, shining brighter every day.
Now he was even competing in the Grand Tournament, bringing honor to the family name.
“At this rate, he might even win the tournament! Haha!”
Aemon chuckled, imagining the scene.
“No, no… even if Ian’s grown, winning the whole thing’s too much to ask…”
Still, his heart pounded with excitement.
“By now, the second round must be over…”
He’d heard the first round had been a bye.
Just three more wins to take the crown.
But still, it was a dangerous competition—he couldn’t help but worry.
Bzzt—
“Oh!”
A small crystal orb in his pocket glowed faintly.
It was a magic communication orb—the one Ian had taken with him.
Aemon quickly infused mana into it. The familiar, beloved face appeared on its surface.
[Ah, can you hear me?]
“I-Ian! How did it go? Are you hurt anywhere?”
[Haha. If I were hurt, I wouldn’t be able to call, would I?]
“Well… true enough. So? How was the second round?”
[Of course I won. Naturally.]
“Ooh! R-really?! I heard your opponent was the royal guard of the Isoether Kingdom!”
[He put up a fight, but he’s still a rookie. Not too bad, though.]
“Hahaha! Well done! Well done, my boy!”
Aemon felt like kissing his son’s face right through the orb.
He even puckered his lips toward it.
[Ugh! What are you doing, Father?!]
“Haha! That’s how proud I am of you!”
“Uh… My lord? Is that the young master’s voice?”
Elen, who’d been dusting outside, peeked in at the sound.
“Yes, Elen! Come congratulate him! Ian just won his second match!”
“R-really?! That’s amazing, young—no, Lord Ian!”
“This girl! ‘Young master’? He’s a Count now!”
“S-sorry! Old habits, my lord…”
[Heh. ‘Young master,’ huh? Brings back memories.]
“Puhaha! Do you need anything, boy? I’ll send people right away!”
[No, I’m fine. I’ll be coming home after the tournament anyway.]
“Hmm, true enough.”
After some cheerful talk, Ian brought up something else.
[By the way, Father, how about moving to a new estate after the tournament?]
“Huh? What’s this about?”
[I guess… I just feel lonely not having you around. If you don’t want to, that’s fine.]
“Hmm… it’s not that I don’t want to…”
Aemon hesitated.
The new mansion was obviously better—closer to the capital, more convenient for work.
But giving up the old house, which had been passed down since the previous lord, made him reluctant.
[…We can talk about it later. There’s time. Get some rest, Father.]
“…Alright. You did well in the second round, so rest up! Prepare well for the semifinals! And if it gets dangerous, you stop right there! Your safety comes first, understand?”
[Of course. I didn’t come this far just to die here.]
“Haha… Good. Then—”
[Well, then… bzzt… goodnig—bzzt!]
Zap.
“Huh?”
The orb glitched for a moment.
But it was fine—he’d probably meant to hang up anyway. The distance between Wicellan and Isoether was long; signal interference was expected.
“Count Aemon hasn’t changed a bit.”
“Yeah. Still the same doting father.”
Thinking of him made my chest tighten.
Aemon wasn’t even my real father—no blood relation at all.
The body belonged to Ian, but the mind inside it was me, Lee Jin-soo.
And yet, he’d embraced even a delinquent like me without hesitation.
How could I not feel moved by that kind of love?
‘He’s suffered enough. Time to let him live comfortably.’
Having him move into my mansion would make things easier anyway.
It always bothered me that he lived alone beyond the Kranig Mountains.
“By the way, Lady Elen’s grown a lot too. She looked like such a kid when I first met her.”
“Right?”
Through the orb, she had seemed much more mature than before—taller too, though her lively energy hadn’t changed.
She’d be a great help if she came to the estate.
Right now, Islyn was handling everything—estate management, clan affairs, even her own magic training.
No wonder she was overworked.
Having Elen help would make things smoother.
“You’ve never met Isbart, have you? You’re around the same age—you two should get along…”
“Uuueegh…”
When I turned, Isbart looked half-dead.
“What happened? Poison?”
“No, just a mug of beer.”
“Hehehe…”
Her half-lidded eyes and dopey grin made it obvious—she was drunk out of her mind.
And this woman was supposed to be the tactical brain of the Eternal Knights?
Clack!
“Huh?”
Isbart, completely wasted, suddenly grabbed my shoulders.
Friana’s eyes went wide in horror.
“Wh-what in the world—?!”
“Hehehe…”
“It’s fine. She’s just drunk.”
This much could be considered cute.
As long as she didn’t try anything weird—
“You… you adorable littl—”
My instincts screamed.
Years of training told me danger was coming.
And as always…
My bad feeling never lied.
“Bleeergh!”
