BSS 69

Chapter 69

Inside the circular colosseum were five arenas of various sizes, with the one in the center being the largest.

Originally, different matches had been held simultaneously across all five arenas, but now, in the later stages of the tournament, only the large central arena was being used.

Since it was a tournament-style competition, there were only a few contestants left.

All of the kids from our academy had been eliminated early on, and I was the only one who had made it into the quarterfinals.

Perhaps because of that, the enthusiastic clapping directed at me had grown even more intense.

‘They’re only aiming for first place because the winner is the only one who gets to make a wish directly to the Emperor…’

Of course, if I won and received the certificate of victory, giving it to the headmaster would probably help my future prospects too.

The headmaster absolutely melts over things like that.

When the commentator asked me for my thoughts earlier, I regretted not saying something like, “What a beautiful night. I dedicate this honor to the headmaster.”

If I had, the headmaster might have been so moved that he’d give me my own private training ground.

“Professor Irito.”

“Yes, Ginny?”

I hurriedly tugged at Professor Irito’s collar as she was watching the newly started youth division semifinal.

It was because an unfamiliar woman had appeared in the Emperor’s viewing box—perfectly visible from my seat.

Judging by her presence, she didn’t seem like an ordinary concubine. After all, she was sitting right beside the Emperor.

“Um… is that the First Empress?”

“Yes. That’s her.”

True to her background as a professor of economics, she was extremely knowledgeable in matters like this.

“Wasn’t there someone who almost became the Second Empress? What was her name again?”

“There was a woman the Emperor favored greatly and intended to elevate to Second Empress.

She was a concubine named Estia Spodro. However, because her origins were considered too lowly, it fell through repeatedly.”

“Right. Estia Spodro.”

That was Ash’s mother.

She was dead now, but had she lived, she might have become the Second Empress—a tragic figure.

Professor Irito seemed secretly pleased by my unusual curiosity, as I normally avoided questions like this.

“What kind of background did she have? She had a family name, so she must’ve been a noble, right?”

“She was the daughter of a noble, yes—but only of a viscount’s house. Her status was far too low even to become a concubine. Usually, a viscount’s daughter becomes nothing more than a palace maid.

There are rumors that she caught the Emperor’s eye because she was the only female knight in the Royal Imperial Knights.”

If a viscount’s daughter was considered “only that much,” then what did that make me, the daughter of a baron? Hm.

“Estia Spodro was said to have received the Emperor’s passionate affection, but one day she vanished without a trace. Most people believed she was poisoned to death. Still, everyone kept quiet about it. Because…”

“I know. I can guess.”

I had heard the rumors about the First Empress’s jealousy.

From that point on, Professor Irito lowered her voice.

“And then, thirteen years later—just last year, actually—she reappeared alive. With a twelve-year-old boy.”

“That was Ash.”

“It caused such a stir that there wasn’t a place on the continent where people didn’t know.

She claimed the child was the Emperor’s son, and the uproar was enormous.”

In the end, Ash was officially recognized as a prince.

His hair and eye color were far too distinctive to be dismissed.

Prince Aeron de von Epiros, the Second Prince.

How much hardship must Ash and his mother have endured before he was called that?

Someone like me, far removed from politics, couldn’t even begin to imagine it.

“Despite the First Empress’s fierce opposition, the Emperor formally reinstated Estia as a concubine and officially acknowledged her son as the Second Prince.

As a result, the hierarchy among the princes was disrupted—something unprecedented.”

I remembered Ash’s tearful voice as he said his older brothers hated him.

“Um… it seemed like there were more than one prince older than Ash, right?”

“Oh my, you’re well-informed. That’s right. The Emperor has many sons.

But only two had been formally recognized as princes—those born to the Empress. At least, until Estia returned.”

“I see. So Ash’s existence broke that system. It was absolute authority that had never been threatened before.”

How did the prince who was demoted from Second Prince to Third feel?

Suddenly gaining a half-brother—no wonder he wouldn’t want to be friendly.

“People said it was incomprehensible. But the Emperor went that far, even making Estia a concubine.”

“Why do you think he did that?”

“Perhaps because he loved her deeply. Given her background, there’s no other explanation.”

“Hm… I heard the Emperor has over ten children.”

“Exactly eleven, as far as we know. Considering the length of his reign, that’s not particularly many.”

Still, I couldn’t get used to polygamy in this world.

With my arms crossed, I stared resentfully toward the Emperor.

“Estia didn’t die that long ago, did she?”

“She died less than half a year after returning to the palace. The soil on her grave probably hasn’t even settled yet. If I remember correctly, it was only a few weeks after she was officially named a concubine.”

“Ugh… so that was almost immediately after Ash was recognized as a prince.”

“Doesn’t it make you think about how powerful maternal love is? They say she returned to the palace already knowing she didn’t have much time left.”

Professor Irito went on to explain further.

There were two prevailing theories about why Estia had disappeared so suddenly.

One was that she had realized she was pregnant with the Emperor’s child and vanished to avoid the Empress’s scrutiny.

The other was that she had become pregnant by Lorgan, a black-haired knight—who was both the Emperor’s nephew and the captain of the Imperial Guard—and fled out of fear the Emperor would discover it.

After all, if she were carrying the Emperor’s child, she wouldn’t have hidden it—she would’ve flaunted it.

They said the First Empress strongly opposed Ash’s recognition as a prince because of this latter theory, but the matter was temporarily settled when Lorgan proved that injuries from battle had rendered him infertile.

Even so, controversy erupted again over when he had become infertile.

“Ugh.”

Disgusting. My teeth clenched on their own.

The longer rumors stretch, the filthier they become.

If it sounded this horrible to someone uninvolved like me, how must Ash have felt?

I could vaguely understand why he ran away.

At any rate, one thing seemed clear.

Estia had returned to the palace for Ash, knowing her death was near.

And the Emperor had loved her more than he loved the Empress.

Many thoughts swirled in my mind.

Because, truth be told, I still hadn’t clearly defined something.

Why did I want to see Ash so badly?

Why did the urge feel so obsessive?

What did I want to do when I met him?

What did I want?

Ash.

Why do you keep coming to mind?

Why do you bother me so much?

Why do you make me act unlike myself?

As I looked at the Emperor’s profile, gazing into the distance, I thought how much he resembled Ash.

Strictly speaking, it was Ash who resembled the Emperor.

“……!”

Had I been staring too intently?

At some point, the Emperor turned his head and looked straight down at me.

The same eyes as Ash’s.

Golden eyes like the sun.

While he was looking at me, it felt as if I were meeting Ash himself.

That was when I finally realized it.

What I wanted to do when I met Ash.

***

-First, both contestants will exchange greetings.

Before a match, greetings were practically a formality meant to test the opponent’s nerve.

The red-haired boy standing across from me had a physique so sturdy it was hard to believe he was in the junior division.

He looked at least fifteen.

Was this guy supposed to be in the youth division and came to the wrong place?

“My name is Ratshamu Pedri. I look forward to it, you cowardly little runt from a tiny country.”

Huh? What an arrogant brat.

That red hair was said to be one of the symbols of the Pedri family. The more prestigious a house, the more likely it was to have a symbolic hair or eye color.

To preserve those traits, they often married within the family—which, frankly, I wasn’t a fan of.

“My name is Ginny Crowell.”

“……You speak rather casually, don’t you?”

“I don’t really want to ‘get along,’ but let’s do our best, kid.”

“How dare you! I’m bigger than you! And I’m the son of a duke! Show some respect!”

“Aren’t we all equal while we belong to the Academy?”

“Th-that’s…”

Before learning, all are equal regardless of rank.

One of the few sayings in this world I actually liked.

As long as you wore the academy uniform, you were somewhat free from social hierarchy.

“And I’m a lady, so you should be the polite one.”

“I’ve never seen a lady like you.”

“And I’ve never seen a junior division kid like you.”

Tch.

How is he thirteen? His build is ridiculous.

Ash, who’s the same age as him, looked closer to me—a ten-year-old.

Anyway, I really didn’t like Ratshamu Pedri.

Because he kept glaring at me and picking fights for no reason!

What was his problem?

“You impudent wench! Earlier, you dared to look down on me!”

“Huh? When did I?”

“I heard your interview! It echoed all over the arena!”

“Oh. That explains it.”

So there was a reason.

“You boasted that you’d throw me around!”

Sensitive about his pride, huh?

He sure used the word ‘dare’ a lot.

Well, as the son of a duke, he probably wasn’t used to being dismissed.

“Sorry. I’ll lightly apologize for publicly dismissing you.”

‘Lightly?!’

“It’s not like I said something untrue. It was a fact.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

“Can you swim, by the way?”

Personally, I liked prideful guys.

Because they were fun to tease.

Ratshamu’s face, turning as red as his hair, was quite the sight.

-The duel will now begin. Please prepare.

Before a duel, swordsmen draw their blades, brawlers equip their gauntlets, and mages preload their staffs with memorized spells.

In that sense, it was only natural for me, a spirit contractor, to summon Undine in advance.

“Undine.”

Three, two—

I’d heard the commentator’s countdown so many times now—

-One!

“Un Bre… ath.”

Whoosh!

Before I could even fully activate my signature technique, Un Breathing, Pedri charged straight at me