257. Examination of the Consort (3)
Belair’s Grand Plaza.
Southern citizens flocked to the circular sparring hall that could accommodate thousands of people.
When they heard that they could see the famous imperial knights, they gathered together and filled the seats.
Most of them were ordinary citizens.
However, there were many people who wanted to confirm the power of the empire, like the lords seen at the conference hall.
So now that we have formed an alliance.
Our Leon Empire also needs certain ‘skills’ to reassure the Hawthorne Kingdom.
The kingdom must also show their power to the allied countries to discourage them.
Grand Duke Luke of the Kingdom and Leia of the Empire know this well.
They met and exchanged greetings at the highest royal seat in Dalian.
“Did you rest well so far, Your Highness?”
“Thanks to you, I was at ease, Archduke. “The official residence was very clean.”
Leah put on her uniform hat and turned her back.
He simply held out one hand and asked the Archduke to shake his hand.
“We paid special attention. hahahaha….”
The Grand Duke shook her hand politely.
Afterwards, he politely motioned for us to take a seat.
“Please sit down. “There are plenty of games prepared for today.”
“I’m really looking forward to it.”
Lea, leaning back in the beautiful royal chair, took off her uniform hat.
She elegantly flipped her brilliant golden hair and half-closed her eyes.
Every time Leah’s hair danced, the rich scent of pomegranate seemed to come out.
“Leave the hat to me.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I took her hat from behind and gently placed it on the table behind her.
And then, we looked at the vast ‘Southern-style’ sparring grounds following the leaders of each country.
“Now, let’s watch it together. “The opening ceremony.”
Grand Duke Luke withdrew his condescending look from a moment ago.
Then, he stretched out his hand with the serious expression of a country’s military leader.
“Let’s begin.”
With his firm words, the sparring hall where thousands of people had gathered became quiet.
In the vast open space, only the eagle flag symbolizing the Hawthorne Kingdom flutters.
Soon, the sound of proud footsteps began to be heard, enough to overshadow the sound.
――――――.
Men in blue uniforms walking out of the waiting passage on the Confederate side.
Everyone walked in a balanced posture and stood in a line on the sparring hall.
They certainly looked like ordinary knights with mana.
However, what was different from the imperial knights was the strange bracelets they each wore on their arms.
“You look curious.”
Grand Duke Luke looked at Leah and me with a relaxed expression.
The princess also showed her interest by placing her hand on her soft chin.
As a strong wizard and operational commander, he was intellectually curious.
“Okay, what is that bracelet? “It seems like it has quite a bit of power.”
“It can be said to be an ultra-small weapon that replaces weapons such as wands and staffs.”
The bastard son of Emperor Hodrian, who manages all military supplies in the south.
As he introduced his guards, he glanced at me, who was wearing a simple, unsightly uniform.
“It’s all an artifact. “It’s also of the highest quality.”
Leah immediately recognized the value of the weapon.
In the first place, you can cast magic without a cumbersome wand or staff.
She nodded, as if it was interesting even for a wizard herself.
Luke noticed the princess like that.
He quietly closed his eyes with a satisfied expression.
“My guards are talented people who are quickly called ‘magic swordsmen’ who mix magic and swordsmanship.”
The Archduke pinched his flowing bangs and pushed them to the side.
And then, he spoke with his characteristic eagle-like sharp eyes flashing.
“This is the best force among the guards I have.”
“There are indeed many interesting talents in the South.”
Luke chuckled at the sight of her finally showing interest.
“Now that we are allies, I thought we should reveal at least one secret weapon to each other.”
“Did you teach it yourself?”
Leah slowly crossed her legs.
She then stood alone with her arms crossed as she stared at the magic swordsmen.
“Yes, I also learned magic and swordsmanship from the king at the same time.”
The Grand Duke spoke in a humble voice and rubbed the back of his head.
And, he spoke confidently as if he wanted me to listen.
“Ordinary knights probably don’t even know what they’re getting into.”
“….”
Leia kept an expressionless expression for a moment as Luke seemed to be conscious of me.
Then, she looked at the Archduke, who was the same age as her, and with a cold look on her face like a soldier, she said.
“Does this mean that there is no one in Dalian to stop them?”
Luke’s smile stopped for a moment at the princess’s sharp throw.
He hesitated for a moment to answer such an extreme question.
“For example, is it enough to threaten my father?”
“By father, you mean His Majesty the Emperor…” .”
Luke was satisfied with the extremely high standards.
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Then he smiled and looked around.
“It will probably be difficult to deal with the great conqueror. “Because you are the Grandmaster.”
Leah looked down at the archduke’s magic swordsman escort.
However, the interest I had when I first saw it faded away.
Because she fought while watching her opponent, she was out in her mind.
“Sir Mikhail.”
The first princess of the empire lifted her head and looked up at me.
Her arms were crossed alone and her beautiful curves were obscured.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Would you be able to fight and win against those knights?”
I finally stood side by side as if responding to the words of the princess who opened the gun.
And then he looked down indifferently at three black-haired men and a woman wearing navy blue uniforms.
Just 3 seconds.
“Yes.”
At this, Archduke Luke’s eyes twitched for a moment.
Because an ordinary guard looked down on the elite knights who had dared to train them to learn artifacts.
However, his mood was not at ease.
Because Leah’s subsequent reaction drove a wedge into his heart.
“That confidence is always impressive.”
The princess rested her chin on the soft back of her hand.
And then, she extended her hand and allowed her to participate.
“Go out. “Because you are the first and last runner in this sparring.”
I looked at her and bent one knee.
And then, she slowly kissed the back of Leah’s hand.
“I will follow your orders.”
After that, I silently got up from my seat and went down the stairs.
And then, I faced the four magic swordsmen standing alone in the vast sparring hall.
“Now, please wait a moment. “Your Highness Leah.”
Luke looked embarrassed at the fact that his great bodyguard had to fight against only an ordinary knight.
He asked Leah so urgently that his butt was lifted from his seat.
“Are you saying that this man will deal with all my knights alone?”
“That’s right. Is there any problem?”
The Grand Duke shook his head resolutely.
Then, he pointed to me standing alone with his finger and said.
“Confidence is good, but it’s not at a level that an ordinary guy like that can deal with.”
Luke seems to care about me beyond ignoring me.
Lea chuckled at this, and then asked with the unfocused, bloody blue eyes that only appeared on the battlefield.
“So, what do you think is the significance of this sparring?”
Luke flinched for a moment at the changed atmosphere.
Then he finally came to his senses and repeated the princess’s words.
“If it is meaningful…. “Isn’t that about revealing the capabilities of both countries and interacting with each other?”
“Yes.”
The princess raised one of her hands, which was supporting her voluptuous curves.
She then spoke firmly, pointing to the magic swordsman escort group, ‘Aegis’.
“One ‘escort knight’ is enough to reveal our military power to suit them.”
“….”
The Grand Duke of the Hawthorne Kingdom was unable to respond to Leah’s cold words for a moment.
He was just dumbfounded that his bodyguard was undervalued right before his eyes.
“If you’re that dissatisfied, check it out yourself.”
Leah held his head high.
Afterwards, he looked down at the vast stadium with haughty and sensual eyes like a queen and said,
“The power of our empire.”
Luke also gave a stern look.
And he answered while maintaining the cool-headed expression befitting a grand duke.
“Good. “Before forming an alliance, let’s ‘properly’ check each other’s strengths.”
He got up from the chair.
Then, he performed loudspeaker magic through the ring artifact on his finger.
「Let the game begin.」
The moment when the name of the highest military ruler in the South falls.
The Aegis all bowed their heads and showed respect to the Grand Duke and Leia.
After that, he started looking only at me.
“….”
I fiddled with the two swords on my waist.
Hector and Irina’s treasured sword.
I adjusted the sheaths of the two swords and waited silently to see what kind of techniques they would use.
But.
No matter how long I waited, they did not take any action.
As if waiting for someone.
As if responding to this, I also took my hand off the scabbard.
That moment.
―――――――.
A group of shamans came up from another passage in the sparring hall.
I know them.
Lise and her students were the starting point of all these incidents.
The half-elves glanced at me and lowered their eyes as if they were traumatized.
Then, they began to carefully place both hands on the floor of the sparring room.
Soon.
As the powerful mana of the two elves and the human transferred to the floor of the sparring hall, the ground shook violently.
As if the floor was alive and moving.
The rock tiles moved like waves and a dent began to form in the middle of the sparring hall.
Quaaa――――――!!
A stream of water with tremendous force rose up from the bottom of the dugout.
The stream soon poured into the center of Dalianjang, creating a huge lake.
However, the great shaman’s power did not end here.
Just as there is a mountain if there is a lake, if a lake was created in the middle of Dalianjang, sharp hills were built at both ends.
As if it symbolizes a mountain.
The sparring arena, which I had never seen before, unfolded before my eyes, as if I was fighting in nature.