CHAPTER 162………………………………..
Crack (3)
I stared blankly at my father’s profile.
“Dad… are you serious?”
“……”
So if Ares really wins… you’ll acknowledge our relationship?
Instead of giving a clear answer, Father simply said—
“There will be some time between the tournament and the banquet. Let’s talk then, all together.”
“Ah… yes!”
Father still looked displeased, but still—
Honestly, wasn’t this going surprisingly well?
Could it be that Father actually likes Ares more than I thought?
But seeing my hopeful expression, Father quietly shook his head.
“If you’re thinking I’ve taken a special liking to that boy… you’re wrong.”
“Ah… then why?”
“Because it’s rare for you to act your age.”
Father smiled faintly, almost sadly.
“Come to think of it, it was always like that whenever that brat was involved.”
“Huh? When—?”
“Like when you couldn’t even speak properly yet.”
He murmured softly, then patted my hand.
“But from now on, you must tell your father first.”
“Yes…”
“I respect your feelings, but… there are positions we must consider.”
“…I’m sorry.”
I nodded slowly, overwhelmed with guilt and embarrassment.
But still… I’m happy.
I couldn’t believe how relieved I felt knowing Father wasn’t going to throw Ares into the fireplace.
And… I want to give this to him soon.
Inside my “storage bracelet” was a gift meant for Ares.
Originally, I planned to give it to him right before the preliminaries began…
But—
“Wow… there are way more people than during the hunting festival.”
The hunting festival had been scattered and calm compared to this overwhelming heat and excitement.
Theia nodded beside me.
“It’s a tournament with the title of Captain of the Kore Knights at stake. Even if someone doesn’t win, placing well brings honor to their family.”
“Hm. I guess there was one good thing about me being bad with a sword.”
“Oh, Princess… don’t say that. But more importantly, Glauco still hasn’t arrived.”
“Really?”
I had asked Glauco to bring the final list of participants before the preliminaries began.
Sometimes people registered at the last second.
But with this crowd… will I even be able to go see Ares?
Thinking it would be like a normal hunting festival had been a mistake.
As I was thinking, a voice called out from afar.
“Princess! Your Highness!”
“Glauco? …Are you running?”
Theia and I widened our eyes at the same time.
Glauco—who hated physical exertion so much he’d accepted failing grades for it—was sprinting toward us.
Clutching papers tightly, he hurried over, panting.
I opened my fan for him and asked,
“What in the world is going on?”
“Huff… Sir Icaros…!”
“Callion? What about Callion?”
Callion was supposed to be seated near where I would sit.
I already had everything arranged… did something happen?
Glauco waved the documents wildly as he gasped for air.
The final participant list.
And the last name written there was—
“Sir Callion Icaros has entered the tournament as well, Your Highness!”
“…What?”
* * *
Before any tournament begins, the air is always tense.
But this time, the atmosphere was especially icy, centered around the two men facing each other.
On Ares’s side stood nobles from Orpheum and high-ranking aristocratic families.
On Callion’s side were newly risen nobles, along with some humans who weren’t participating but had come to cheer.
Ares spoke first.
“What. So you came out after all?”
Callion stood before him, silently smiling.
He’d always been the type to wear an irritating grin, but today…
That smile felt especially unsettling.
If Callion was participating, Ares was prepared to fight even harder.
But his attitude was the problem.
He clearly cares about me and Sion… so why act like this?
If he was uncomfortable, he should just say so.
Or at least hide it properly.
But instead, Callion kept smiling like that, deliberately scraping at people’s nerves.
“You acted like you weren’t going to show.”
“That’s because I’m not interested in the captain’s position. Unlike you.”
The people behind Callion burst into laughter and cheers.
“Lord Icaros! You can do it!”
“Your skill isn’t inferior at all!”
Behind Ares, Lunai and the others sneered.
Ares felt irritation rise.
“Are they insane?”
“Obviously Ismenios will…”
How dare they openly mock someone from an ancient noble house?
No matter how favored by the Princess he was… he was still just a human!
Callion maintained his smile even in the murderous atmosphere.
But shadows fell over his bright blue eyes.
“Ismenios. I don’t care who earns some honorable seat.”
Because the seat he wanted…
Was beside that woman.
But that woman—the 13th—had no intention of giving it to him.
More than that, she wanted with all her strength to hand that seat to this damned man.
If I weren’t here, they’d be perfectly happy together.
After this tournament, surrounded by blessings and teasing…
They’d move on to the next stage.
Like a princess and her childhood knight from a fairy tale.
And Callion had come here to shatter that happiness.
“Win until you face me, Ismenios.”
“You—”
“When we were kids, you said it, didn’t you? Not to deliberately force a draw. This time… I’ll do it for real.”
Ares’s expression darkened completely.
“Hey, blue eyes. Then don’t force draws on purpose anymore.”
To throw those childhood words back at him like that…
But Callion had already turned away toward his own people.
The duel for honor was vicious even before it began.
* * *
Callion lied to me.
What the heck… you said you weren’t interested in the position.
There wasn’t even time to meet either Callion or Ares, much less use voice magic.
There were too many participants, so the preliminaries had to move quickly.
Watching from beside Father, my mouth grew painfully dry.
Both of them… both of them are too good.
Ares surged forward with his specialty—magical flames.
Callion was no different.
No matter what attack his opponent tried…
He read it beforehand and struck with a lethal blow.
“Victory, Sir Icaros!”
Every time the announcement rang out, my heart dropped.
I should’ve been happy.
But I couldn’t.
Why…?
Why didn’t he just tell me honestly?
I even revealed my selfish desire—
That just this once, I wanted to cheer for Ares.
Before I knew it, the preliminaries ended.
Then came the quarterfinals… and semifinals.
If only one of them had been eliminated halfway through.
But cruelly, both survived until the end.
At this rate…
And then—
They truly met in the finals.
Even those around me swallowed hard.
I heard Lete cover her mouth and whisper,
“What do we do…?”
I wanted to say something too.
Anything, looking at the way the two men faced each other and drew their swords.
But if I opened my mouth…
I felt like something ugly would spill out.
Piiiip—!
The whistle announcing the match rang sharply.
And without even testing each other…
They swung their swords with full force.
BOOM!
The collision thundered, and the arena floor cracked from the heat.
“Ares…”
Ares’s magical flames were as powerful as ever.
With a single strike, all previous opponents had been crushed instantly.
But this opponent—Callion—
Easily evaded every attack.
And not only evaded—
He was counterattacking, relentlessly, with swift movements.
I knew.
Long ago, during the battle of Charon, I’d seen holy knights fight.
What Callion is doing right now…
He was fighting…
As if he truly meant to kill Ares.
