77 – Climbing-12
“Awesome…”
Oksana was staring at the male gladiator, mesmerized.
The picture drawn on the flyer faithfully described his appearance without the slightest exaggeration or error.
He wasn’t wearing ridiculously small armor, and he wasn’t clumsy with his sword.
No, actually, it was awkward. Compared to the warriors of the north, he had no sense of danger.
Even so, that expression was serious.
“More than I thought, you called the right person.”
“Isn’t that cool?”
“Sure, it’s cool.”
However, Alexandra’s eyes were full of doubts.
‘Really male gladiators, where the hell did you get them…’
Even with her, it wasn’t that she wasn’t interested in men at all.
What will the men of the empire and the capital look like? I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious.
After meeting her eyes once, Alexandra was able to give up her fantasies and her expectations neatly.
Being judged by the men of Selam and having her value thoroughly analyzed.
It was Alexandra who went through all those situations and realized what kind of existence a man in the Empire was. So, I could feel how absurd the presence in front of her was.
‘I don’t think I’ll go that far, but I can’t. Because of me?’
In her opinion, it was better to get real benefits in return, even if she suffered a little humiliation.
If she had prepared a proper gift this far, she wouldn’t be able to use her last rudeness as an excuse to turn the deal in her favor.
“Wow, the sword is cool too! It’s shiny! Shouldn’t we wear armor like that too?”
“It must be new armor. If you roll in the snow or in the wilderness, it will lose its luster in a matter of minutes.”
“I guess…”
Apart from her sister, Oksana’s head was full of bright smiles.
“Smile, there is…”
Being a man with a sword itself was not that unusual or unconventional.
The northern part is a place where you die if you don’t fight.
Of course, it was not normal for a man to have to hold a sword. Even so, there were no people who learned how to use a sword in case of an emergency.
But, that gladiator. Evan’s expression was a little different.
Even though he is very nervous, his mouth is full of excitement and anticipation.
I enjoy using the sword.
‘Is this really necessary? Of course, shouldn’t a woman protect us?’ Unlike the northern man who grips his sword with a frown on his face, he is willingly accepting this moment.
“I see.”
Even Alexandra had to admit that Oksana’s eyes were sharp.
If it was Selam’s man, he wouldn’t have come out wearing armor to a place like this even if he was given millions of dollars.
It was not impossible if it promised a really astronomical price, but objectively, trade with the north was not worth it to the empire.
Really, luckily, Iris just found a ‘person like this’.
“It begins.”
“I, I made eye contact with you!”
“It must be an illusion.”
I wasn’t watching this with her fuss like Oksana, but Alexandra couldn’t help but be curious too.
After she also corrected her posture and sat down, she prepared to watch his sword.
“…Um?”
Strange.
As he took the first step, Oksana and Alexandra felt the same emotion at the same time.
It’s awkward. Rather than his movements being strange, the attitude of the knight accepting them was strange.
Rather, if it was an ‘overly splendid and well-organized’ response, I would have been able to understand that ‘it was a sword fight after all.’
And, it was not something to be particularly displeased with. Even if it was in the north, if it was a situation where they had to fight a sword over a man, they would have done something similar.
However, this was a bit awkward.
The man seemed to be ready to fight, but the knights didn’t seem to be ready to fight.
After several such awkward battles continued, it seemed that the man was also taken aback. The flow of the attack slows down, and doubt slowly blends into his expression.
“You are too much. This is too much…”
Oksana watched the sword fight with her limbs trembling.
“…I told you not to expect too much.”
“This was something to look forward to!”
Alexandra also had no choice but to sympathize with Oksana’s anger.
I told you not to expect it, but strictly speaking, it was more like saying, ‘Don’t even dream, because a man who is that devoted and strong wouldn’t exist.’
However, Evan’s posture and sword were quite plausible.
From noble mtl dot com
It is unrealistic to find out the opponent’s skill by watching such a clumsy sword fight, and if the skill is revealed, you may be disappointed.
Even so, it was true that it far exceeded the level that Alexandra expected, and maybe even that of Oksana.
If there were only decent opponents, no, even if you wielded a sword alone in the air, you would have been able to show off a better sword than this.
“Oh, that’s absurd. Should I call this an empire…”
If you were told to make a cake with cheese made from the moon in the night sky, you would laugh it off and tell them not to say such nonsense.
But if you arrive at the real moon, arrive safely in the empire with plenty of that cheese, then move it to the table, break the plate, and see the cake crumbling right in front of your eyes.
I understand that it is unrealistic, but it becomes something that I cannot bear to admit.
“Ugh…”
It was incomplete combustion. It was like being starved for a few days, and then taking the steak that appeared in front of you, only letting you smell it and taking it away again.
Alexandra looked at Oksana with worried eyes. If she felt this way herself, then the disappointment and discouragement Oksana felt for her would not be small.
She did not let go of her expectations, but her sword fight ended like that.
After receiving the sword several times, her knight lost his posture and collapsed. She didn’t even think to stand up, and Evan pointed the sword at her throat with a slow movement.
“I think I can do more…”
Her article wasn’t overly weak either.
Since the first thing Alexandra did when she came to the empire was an indiscriminate sparring, I was able to roughly figure out what their skills were.
The knight who played the opposite role was also not the best knight, but he did not appear to be a foolish knight who neglected training.
At least that figure couldn’t be all of her.
However, the sword fight is over. Alexandra looked at Oksana with worried eyes. She couldn’t predict what she would do.
“Haa…”
However, she seemed so discouraged that she did not even have the strength to cause an accident.
As her older sister, it was a pitiful sight for her, but as the head of the Shinigami, who was obliged to control her, it was a slightly reassuring expression.
“But, can I have a meal with him…?”
Oksana bowed her head, looking downcast, and muttered as if it were her last hope.
“Oksana. That’s…”
Even with his brother’s pitiful eyes, Alexandra couldn’t bear to stand firm.
“Realistically…”
“Really?”
Alexandra couldn’t understand how the empire had the guts to accept that offer.
You might try to use this to gain an edge in trading.
Even if you don’t mention the meeting openly, if you have had enough conversations with the gladiators in advance, it won’t be difficult to negotiate ‘seemingly mutually beneficial’.
However, this was unavoidable. Even if Oksana, back in her homeland, let this go, she will share her melancholy with the royal family and even the people of the Northern Kingdom.
No matter how you think about it, her country was overly familial. However, Alexandra was also a member of that nation.
“Of course it’s possible. They said it can be done in the Empire, so just wait a little bit. Okay?”
“…Yes!”
I couldn’t help but smile just because Oksana’s expression brightened a little. Alexandra smiled bitterly and accepted that she was Oksana’s older sister.
/////
“So you’re up north, b*tches, watching that assh*le do his thing. Is that it?”
“…Refrain from talking.”
Iris wanted to run out of this place right away.
From the moment she decided to welcome her reaper, she took full responsibility for herself.
Strictly speaking, it was a substitute for what the emperor was supposed to do.
Without the enormous trust that her current empress had given her, she would not have been able to easily take on even the ‘relatively insignificant’ envoys with the northern kingdoms.
However, at this important moment, the princess was not entertaining her envoys or expressing gratitude to Evan, but was dispelling Logan’s doubts.
She was continuing her relationship with him by inertia. It’s a bit sad, but now I can be sure.
When she is with him, she is not happy.
It is a meal in the best seat with the best food prepared.
Even this brief meeting was something he wouldn’t do despite the fact that she had asked for it several times.
Not a stranger at all, but the emperor’s man. Even though they made a vow to be Logan’s woman.
Logan accepted this position very coolly. Just for one reason that he is suspicious of Evan and her affair.
Iris’ eyes were infinitely cold, but she was swaying aimlessly.