Chapter 65: Southern Hunting Tournament (4)

 

Every year, a hunting tournament took place in the southern region.

 

This year’s tournament venue, the very place we had arrived, was Legion, one of the territories nestled close to the Luneproud Mountains. Unlike a continuous affair confined to one location, the tournament’s location meandered annually, shifting among territories bordering the mountain range.

 

Although the primary participants were nobles, the hosting territory reaped significant economic gains. This owed to the fact that citizens joined in the grand festivities held during the tournament.

 

For those who were born and raised in the South, the springtime hunting tournament was as ingrained as a tradition. There was no shortage of participants to worry about.

 

The yearly rotation of the tournament’s location catered not only to ecological considerations, such as wildlife habitats, but also ensured that no single territory monopolized the advantages. Originally, when the Kraus family first established their presence in the south, they single-handedly managed this event. However, as generations unfolded, this approach evolved into the current rotational system.

 

‘Should I call this a coincidence?’

 

In fact, this year’s tournament venue, Legion, had a close relationship with the Kraus family.

 

Well, in the first place, it would be hard to find a family in the South that wasn’t entangled with the Kraus in some way. But the lord of Legion, Viscount Graham, was uniquely bonded to the Kraus family in a vassal relationship.

 

Growing up as an heir of the Kraus family, I’d known him since childhood, and it seemed the emperor had taken quite an interest as well.

 

While there weren’t Imperial Knights serving as escorts or anything that grand, various circumstances and individuals associated with him reveal that affairs related to Orcus didn’t escape Kraus’s fence. It was as if my father precisely understood the range within which he had complete control.

 

The relationship between my father and the emperor might have been close, but this was also evidence of how well the imperial family grasped the power of the Kraus.

 

It was no wonder they had maintained an empire for a millennium.

 

In any case, we managed to arrive at Legione without delay.

 

Orcus, who had claimed that riding horses was like a hobby to him, proved it by skillfully steering his steed. Though it was probably his first time riding for an extended period, his well-toned physique showed no signs of discomfort.

 

Seeing Orcus confidently handling the horse next to me was slightly different from what I had anticipated, but still, I was relieved since I didn’t need to rely on the training I had prepared, given that I was responsible for their training.

 

As we passed through the castle gates and headed towards the gathering point, the stares from the people were relentless. While this happened every year, this time was particularly intense, probably due to Orcus’ presence beside me.

 

His bright golden hair and blue eyes seemed like something out of fiction. Yet what drew people’s attention wasn’t just his appearance; the royal insignia embroidered on his shoulders was eloquent enough for even commoners to discern his stature.

 

“For some reason, your shoulders seem wider than before you entered the castle.”

 

“Well, I can’t show a hunched figure, can I? Besides, considering its frontier status with the Luneproud Range, this city is surprisingly well-off.”

 

“Even though it’s near mountains overrun with magical beasts and monsters, they rarely invade the castle. And preventing such occurrences is partly why we’re here.”

 

Upon hearing this, Orcus nodded with satisfaction.

 

“That makes sense. Given all the effort I’ve put in so far, I’d better stay active.”

 

A few days ago, he was the guy complaining about being a mage, not a warrior. But now his face radiated confidence. Naturally, he wasn’t aiming for first place, but a decent performance would be enough to achieve his goals.

 

Because it was well-known that the Crown Prince had a talent for magic.

 

His aim in participating in the hunting tournament was more about the experience than the scores. Nonetheless, it was my role to guide him so he could put up a respectable show.

 

Participating directly in the tournament would be the perfect way to build an image of being multi-talented and to win favor from the southern lords, who were all made up of warriors and martial artists. Given Orcus’ current abilities, especially considering he was a mage, he had more than enough skills to earn their favor.

 

‘Who taught you this?’

 

...I wanted to say that, but this was all due to Orcus’s own effort and, fortunately, his natural talent for moving his body. Had he been interested in swordsmanship, he could have been a fairly skilled knight—that was how talented he seemed.

 

The more I found out about this divine lineage, the more multi-talented it seemed. He could even wield a bizarre power that was entirely different from mana, called divinity.

 

Not that I was envious or anything.

 

Because I was really not.

 

The journey to the castle went without any hitches.

 

The actions of the local citizens, who had clearly seen many visitors come and go today, were quite adept. Though surprised by the appearance of the royal family, this was only evident in their eyes; their conduct remained impeccable.

 

Perhaps some information had been shared in advance...

 

Orcus found the subdued reaction of the local citizens intriguing, but it was not actually that surprising.

 

By now, Orcus and Noel had spent enough time in the South that none of the nobles settled here would be unaware of their visit. Given the circumstances, it wasn’t hard to deduce that the Prince and Princess would participate in the tournament.

 

And the information that reached them naturally trickled down in one form or another, whether it was rumors or something else.

 

Perhaps Viscount Graham, who had been so attentive to the royal visit, had personally announced it to the local citizens.

 

As we moved away from the bowing locals, Orcus leaned in and spoke to me in a hushed tone.

 

“Did you notice that man standing near the bakery earlier? I didn’t recognize when he was wearing a hat, but as I walked by, he moved his hat to his chest to pay his respects. Would you believe he had a shaved head? Are they adding fur to hats nowadays?”

 

Was this guy originally like this?

 

I was not sure if Orcus had changed or if the original novel failed to capture his personality entirely.

 

I responded to Orcus with a faint smile.

 

“Somehow, I’m suddenly feeling dizzy.”

 

“Hm?”

 

***

 

As we entered the castle, the familiar emblems of noble families began to come into view.

 

It was no surprise, as these were the crests of the families participating in the tournament. Typically, they’d arrive on the day of the event, but it seemed that word of the Prince and Princess’ arrival had encouraged early arrivals.

 

But that wasn’t the only familiar sight.

 

Viscount Graham, the owner of the castle, along with my father and Alphonse, were waiting for our arrival. As they paid their respects to Orcus, I immediately dismounted to greet my father.

 

“It seems everyone has arrived early. Are we the last ones?”

 

“Not exactly. Two families have yet to arrive. But according to what I’ve heard, they should be here sometime today.”

 

I had a hunch about which families were running late. It wasn’t that they were tardy; rather, the distance between Legion and their respective territories was significant.

 

Orcus seemed not to mind, possibly understanding the situation. He began conversing with my father and Viscount Graham. While listening to their conversation could have been enlightening, I moved towards the carriage to escort Elena, sensing that formalities were wrapping up.

 

However, by the time I reached them, I was already a step behind.

 

Noel and Elena were descending from the carriage, holding hands. Noel, dressed in a uniform like a knight, was already assisting Elena out of the carriage. As an escort, Noel was flawless.

 

But why was the Princess escorting Elena?′

 

Despite feeling a bit overshadowed, I didn’t mind and walked over to where they stood. As I approached, Elena’s expression seemed to change. Compared to the red face I had seen earlier this morning, had she grown more composed?

 

‘Cute.’

 

I swallowed the words that nearly slipped out and locked eyes with Elena as I spoke.

 

“Did either of you experience any inconvenience during the journey?”

 

“Oh, Damian.”

 

It seemed Noel had been paying attention to Elena, as she only turned around after I spoke. Elena was indeed acting differently than usual, and while that would naturally concern Noel, I couldn’t help but smile, understanding why.

 

“As you can see, our journey has been quite comfortable,” Noel replied.

 

“That’s good to hear.”

 

Noel answered, but Elena remained silent. Our eyes met, and I noticed her purple eyes were quivering, like a boat facing a strong wave.

 

She hadn’t fully sorted out her emotions.

 

It was strange to see her so affected by a simple kiss, considering she was usually the one taking the lead with me.

 

“Elena.”

 

I called her name softly.

 

First, I needed to gently disentangle the hand currently held by Noel.

 

As I reached out and clasped Elena’s hand, her warmth and trembling flowed immediately into me. Almost instinctively, she released Noel’s hand, but remained frozen in place.

 

I sensed the rapid beat of a racing heart. I couldn’t discern whether it was mine or hers.

 

Her cheeks had flushed to a deeper shade of red than before. Her quivering lips parted, and her voice whispered my name.

 

“Da... Damian...”

 

“Yes.”

 

I had no anticipation of what would follow.

 

Between us, the ambiance was tense—charged, much like her gaze and my heartbeat.

 

I perked my ears when her lips parted again. My gaze was fixed on them. I was fully alert, ready to pull Elena closer at any moment.

 

In the end, that readiness proved to be unnecessary.

 

“I’ll... I’ll go grab some water!”

 

“Yes, what?”

 

By the time I questioned her sudden words, Elena had already slipped her hand from mine. When I looked for her again, she had retreated into the crowd of knights.

 

For an instant, I stared vacantly in the direction she had darted toward, until an unfamiliar whistling sound came from behind me.

 

“Phweeee—”

 

Was that a whistle? Or just a sound from the mouth?

 

Distracted by the bewildering noise, I turned to find Orcus and my father looking at me with speculative eyes. Their silent gaze only made my mind more turbulent.

 

‘Please don’t look at me like that.’

 

--- END OF CHAPTER ---

 

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