TBTD 28

Chapter 28

‘Maybe it’s because I had a meal with the Emperor and Empress.’

Thankfully, since I was sitting next to Valentin, I was able to comfortably watch the knights banging their heads on the ground.

I took a bite of the cake Valentin had brought me. The whipped cream melted softly in my mouth.

‘It’s delicious.’

The training field in front of us was far from sweet, but compared to the strange, chaotic atmosphere from before, it was nothing.

As for the strange looks people were giving us, I just pretended not to notice.

“Your Grace.”

Valentin, who had been looking down at the men rolling on the ground, turned his gaze to me.

‘He’s not going to tell me to roll on the ground too, is he?’

Just in case, I stuffed the rest of the cake into my mouth at once. Ah—I’m choking.

When I slightly frowned, Valentin immediately noticed and handed me a bottle of water.

He uncrossed his arms and sat down beside me. Seeing that, I felt relieved. It didn’t seem like he was going to throw me into the group on the ground.

Thanks to that, I finally said what I had been hesitating to bring up.

“Do you remember the mage wearing a robe?”

The one who threw the strange potion bottle.

Valentin raised his eyebrows as if it were obvious. His sharp eyes flashed with the clear intent that he wouldn’t let that person go next time.

“That person’s hands were strange.”

“Hands?”

“Yes. The hands that were exposed under the robe looked terrible, like they were burned.”

It had been dark because of the cloudy sky, but his sharp eyes hadn’t missed it.

I mentioned it carefully in case it might become a clue. Valentin said he would keep it in mind and lightly tickled my chin and neck.

‘I could tell you even more.’

In fact, I know who she is.

Her name is Mafi Norton.

She was a mage from the Magic Tower who later disappeared and studied dark magic on her own.

In the original story, the dark mage who helped Cordelia and Chase attack Valentin was Mafi. She was also the one who later caused the great monster disaster.

So the mysterious woman I saw in the forest must have been Mafi. After all, she was the only dark mage in the original story.

But I couldn’t suddenly reveal the mage’s name when I was supposed to know nothing.

Besides, even if I left it alone, Valentin would eventually find her. Maybe it was enough for me to drop a small clue to make it easier.

‘…The original story seems a little twisted, but it’ll probably still follow a similar path.’

I wiped my mouth with a napkin and forced down the anxiety rising inside me.

“It seems the closing ceremony is starting.”

At Valentin’s gesture, Neumann, who had stood up from the ground, looked around.

The knights began lining up by family to conclude the subjugation.

Under the large, colorful flags, the knights gathered. Compared to the first day, they seemed more relaxed.

“The influence of the Ice Flower is impressive.”

Following Neumann’s gaze, I looked toward the wide steps surrounding the large field.

That area alone looked like a different world, bright and cheerful.

Women with excited faces had gathered there, eager to see which knight would take first place in the subjugation.

There were young ladies who came to look at the man they admired, as well as wives and mothers cheering for their husbands or sons.

“But who are those people?”

I pointed to a group dressed in dull colors among the elegant outfits.

Some were moving their pens quickly, others were painting on large easels.

Their sharp eyes and busy hands even gave off a sense of charisma.

“They are reporters sent by the press. It’s rare for the empire’s most famous nobles to gather from all over. And since various incidents can happen at events like this, it’s an opportunity they can’t miss.”

I see. Judging by the wolf-like eyes aimed at me, I could easily imagine tomorrow’s headline.

‘The Beast in Silver Armor! Is he man or monster?’

Is that too mild?

Aware of the painter’s constant brush movements, I straightened my back for no reason.

“We will now begin the closing ceremony. Please line up in your respective positions!”

Soon, the Emperor’s long speech began.

Though it was long enough to be boring, the knights’ posture never changed from beginning to end.

“…Therefore, I shall bestow the Ice Flower upon the one who shone the brightest in this subjugation.”

The Emperor finally ended his speech and made a dignified gesture.

A servant stepped forward and removed the red cloth covering a large object. Inside a square glass case was the Ice Flower.

“Wow.”

Every petal, stem, and leaf was made entirely of diamond.

Depending on the sunlight, it sparkled in red, blue, and pale green. Everyone stared at it in awe.

A diamond as large as an adult man’s fist—and delicately crafted at that.

Its noble beauty drew gasps from all around.

‘Who will win first place this time?’

Unfortunately, Valentin hadn’t participated after the first day, so he couldn’t receive the Ice Flower. That meant the scene of him giving it to Lucy would naturally disappear too.

Feeling restless, I rubbed the ground with my toe and looked around.

My gaze landed on a man smiling proudly.

The rose-haired man stood with his hands on his hips, chest puffed out confidently.

And beside him was someone I hadn’t expected.

‘Hersion?’

With his gentle expression and straight posture, he looked very different from the red-haired man.

‘Then the man next to him…’

The Second Prince, Chase?

I gasped.

Now that I knew his identity, I could see Cordelia’s sharp, upturned eyes in his face.

The knight beside him seemed to be speaking confidently, as if certain that Chase would receive the Ice Flower.

Well, even though he was under Cordelia’s protection, Chase wasn’t lacking in skill.

‘It’s just that the people around him are exceptionally talented.’

Unless something unexpected happened, Chase, who had roamed the forest for three days, would likely become the owner of the Ice Flower.

My mood sank.

Valentin had nearly died because of them!

It even felt like something that originally belonged to Valentin was being taken away.

‘No, calm down.’

Valentin himself, who had insisted on giving me the Ice Flower before, looked completely indifferent now.

It would be ridiculous for me to be the only one upset.

I looked away from Chase’s face and stared forward.

At that moment, the Emperor slowly unrolled a scroll and spoke.

“The one who made the greatest contribution in this monster subjugation is…”

The surroundings fell silent.

Only the Emperor’s voice, amplified by a magic stone, filled the vast field.

“Nathan Rafelria.”

…What?

Dozens of eyes turned toward me.

My name had already spread far and wide, and my tall height and sturdy build stood out even among the knights.

I wanted to hide, but there was no way to conceal a body that stood out in a crowd.

‘But why me?’

As I stood there blankly, someone slapped my back hard.

“As expected of Sir Nathan! From today on, I will serve you with full respect. Hurry and go!”

Neumann excitedly pushed me forward.

And it wasn’t just him. The enthusiastic reaction of the Berenice Knights made me feel embarrassed.

Isn’t there some mistake?

“I only participated on the first day. Isn’t there an error?”

‘How many did I kill again?’

It had been such a chaotic situation that I couldn’t remember exactly.

Who carefully counts in a moment like that? You just deal with whatever comes at you.

‘I didn’t even check the bracelet that counts the numbers.’

Without realizing that this way of thinking was already different from ordinary knights, I became more and more confused.

But I couldn’t keep the Emperor waiting any longer. In the end, I walked toward the platform.

The intense gazes from all directions felt almost painful.

The Emperor seemed surprised, perhaps not realizing that Nathan Rafelria was the “beast” he had dined with earlier.

However, he quickly composed himself and handed me the glass case containing the Ice Flower.

“Nathan Rafelria, trainee knight of the Berenice Knights, displayed outstanding martial prowess and slew many monsters. I, Emperor Rikayen, highly commend his achievements and bestow upon him the Ice Flower.”

I stood stiffly, too nervous to react.

The attendant beside us coughed loudly.

“C-cough! Ahem! K-kneel!”

Only after four loud coughs did I hurriedly bend one knee.

I extended my arms in a familiar posture, and the glass case was placed into my hands.

The Ice Flower had a solid weight to it. It was on a completely different level from the diamonds seen in movies or dramas.

‘How did they even carve it into the shape of a flower?’

As I stared at the flower sparkling in dozens of colors under the sunlight, the Emperor gestured for me to rise.

“If there is someone here to whom you wish to present this proof of your bravery, I grant you the honor of doing so before all.”

If there was someone I wanted to give it to, I could do it now.

Lost in thought, I looked at the knights and then at the ladies and noblewomen surrounding them.

‘Who should I…?’