Chapter 64: Southern Hunting Tournament (3)

The forest, which had been quiet, was filled with the sound of rain as clouds blanketed the sky. But as if nothing had happened, the following day greeted everyone with bright sunshine.

The knights from Kraus spent the night shaking off the rain-soaked fabric of their tents as they prepared to leave the forest. They were doing so because Damian, who could be considered the person in charge here, had ordered them to move to Legion as the tournament was soon to be held.

As the command came down, they sprang into action, hurriedly preparing to depart.

Though these knights had been battle-hardened from long years of monster subjugations, they were still human. Naturally, they preferred to move to a well-facilitated region like Legion rather than continue to stay in the damp forest.

Perhaps it was thanks to their collective desire... The knights, already exceptionally well-trained compared to others, began to dismantle the camp with heartfelt urgency. The process proceeded twice as fast as the time it had taken to set up camp when they had first arrived.

Everything happened so quickly that it wasn’t until Orcus emerged from his tent and mounted his horse to leave the forest that he regained his composure.

Unaccustomed to being swept away in a fast-moving flow when he was usually the one to set the pace, it seemed strange to him.

As he stepped outside to propose a hunt, he found the knights already preparing to leave. Though his noble status was nearly top, being the prince of the empire, here Damian was in charge. And when Damian commanded to move, even Orcus had no choice but to comply.

It wasn’t a problem that Damian, not him, was leading the situation. It was a fact that Orcus was already fully aware of.

It was just that he barely had time to think, caught off-guard and buffeted around amid the bustle of everyone so hurriedly preparing to leave.

The confusion in his mind was natural, seeing as everyone was preparing to leave without explanation. By the time he found Damian to ask for an explanation, the camp had already been dismantled.

Orcus, now mounted on his horse and watching the receding forest, spoke with a tinge of regret.

“Just when it was getting interesting…”

“-There’s no need for regret. The tournament, though designed for monster subjugation, is also for the enjoyment of the warriors. And it’s not just a day or two, but a week-long event. You’ll have plenty of opportunities for fun.”

“I suppose that’s true. But wouldn’t practicing even a day more yield better results in the tournament? There’s still time before it starts, after all.”

In response, Damian appeared to ponder for a while before replying with a light smile to Orcus’ statement.

“It’s a good attitude, Orcus, but with your current skill level, whether you stay here to hunt for a day or go to the Legion to practice your marksmanship, the outcome will be the same. So, enough with the small talk, just come along.”

Faced with Damian’s sarcastic critique of his archery skills, Orcus didn’t get angry; instead, he frowned as he responded.

“So, you’re saying you’re going to make me do that stuff again when we get to the Legion?”

“Didn’t you just say it yourself? You want to practice one more day to get good scores in the tournament. So, I’ll give you what you want.”

Orcus exhaled in disbelief at Damian’s words, but Damian remained indifferent to his reaction. Whenever Orcus tried to retort, Damian simply continued the conversation with a smile.

Anyone eavesdropping on their conversation might be utterly shocked. No matter how close they were, one was the heir of a count’s family and the other, the heir to the empire. Their titles alone dictated an immense difference in their social standing.

Even the Emperor, who had encouraged Orcus to make friends, would have been utterly surprised if he had seen this interaction. He knew Orcus well enough to realize that despite giving permission for informality, this level of casual conversation was uncharacteristic of him.

This very casualness was proof that Orcus considered Damian a friend. Their relationship had come this far in a relatively short time, and it was clear that this was Orcus’ first attempt at forming a friendship. His comfort in this setting was an indicator that they were genuinely compatible.

That said, what the term ‘friend’ meant to Orcus remained an enigma, known only to him. Whether a friend was someone with whom he shared friendship or merely an expendable resource branded with the title ‘friend’ by the emperor’s order was a matter only Orcus would know.

“Even with all the effort, you can’t beat Her Highness the Princess anyway.”

“That’s purely a matter of talent. If the competition involves magic, even she wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Even so, beating Elena would be impossible.”

“....”

Orcus’ face soured significantly at Damian’s words.

The statements were sobering facts, hard to brush aside with mere words. And unlike Damian, Orcus couldn’t find any topic for rebuttal. After all, the Damian he had observed so far was a person without any flaws worthy of criticism.

In the end, all he could do was reveal his emotions through his facial expressions.

Sometimes, Orcus pondered.

Had it really been the right choice to stop using formal language that day?

With such trivial thoughts, Orcus continued his conversation with Damian.

***

When they first reached the forest, Damian, Elena, Noel, and Orcus were all using a carriage. But now, only Noel and Elena remained in the carriage. This was because Damian had suggested that Orcus should ride a horse on the way to Legion.

It wasn’t because Orcus couldn’t ride a horse or need training. Horseback riding was virtually essential for nobles. Naturally, as a prince, Orcus had learned to ride a horse from a young age.

For him, mounting a horse was clearly a familiar act. Horseback riding was something he had to practice at least once a week. So then, how long could Orcus sit atop a horse?

Even sitting comfortably in a carriage could become uncomfortable after some time. And the discomfort would only be exacerbated on a horse, where one couldn’t lean back and the ride was far less smooth.

While Orcus might be physically fit, it was more due to his lineage than his own effort. Though his body might endure, his mind might experience an entirely different set of sensations.

The distance from the camp to Legion wasn’t particularly far, but it took two days for a group of their size to travel. Damian believed this time would be enough for Orcus to get used to riding a horse.

For safety reasons, Damian decided to stay beside Orcus, leaving Noel and Elena alone in the carriage, albeit unintentionally.

Noel, who enjoyed physical activities, could have chosen to ride alongside Orcus. Yet, against everyone’s expectations, she chose to remain in the carriage with Elena. Of course, her choice was solely because of Elena.

Noel turned her head and looked out the window.

Through the window, Orcus and Damian could be seen astride their horses.

She couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but the ever-changing expressions on Orcus’ face were entertaining to watch. Occasionally, Orcus looked a bit uncomfortable, but their ongoing conversation seemed genuinely enjoyable.

After arriving in the southern territories, aspects of Orcus never visible in the imperial palace began to emerge. From reuniting with Elena to developing a connection with Damian Kraus, life in the South had been nothing but pleasant.

“Umm...”

Noel had been staring at the two men for a long while, her eyes were filled with a hard-to-define envy. Eventually, she turned her gaze back to Elena sitting beside her.

Elena’s beauty never seemed to fade, no matter how many times Noel looked at her.

She was a complete contrast to herself—a pure, white-skinned girl. The faint scent of lavender that emanated from her had a calming effect on Noel’s mind.

Normally, Noel would have chattered excitedly with Elena. She had boarded the carriage anticipating an engaging conversation on their journey to Legion, but that dream had proven unattainable.

It wasn’t because the relationship between Noel and Elena had become awkward.

It hadn’t happened since she found out that Damian was Elena’s fiancée. There were times when Noel, who saw Damian training, suddenly asked him to fight, but it did not affect the relationship between Elena and Noel.

There was only one reason why Noel was not conversing with Elena right now.

“Heh...”

Listening to the faint sound of breathing, Noel looked at Elena’s relaxed face, then gently touched Elena’s cheek without hesitation.

The warmth transmitted through her fingertips, and the supple sensation of Elena’s skin felt almost like touching a monster called slime—not that Noel had ever encountered such a creature.

To put it simply, the feeling was addictive.

Unable to resist the addictive feeling, Noel continued to poke and prod at Elena’s cheek. She stretched it a little, and even flicked it with her finger. Each time, Elena’s facial expressions shifted in amusing ways, bringing Noel both laughter and joy.

“Mmm...”

“Haha!”

After coming to the South, the Elena that Noel met again was different in many ways from the Elena she knew before, but there were also aspects that remained the same. Her carefree smile right now proves that.

Since their reunion, Elena had matured significantly, no longer exhibiting her former timidness.

Noel admired the changed Elena, but there was a corner of her heart that missed the image she had seen in the garden that day. However, seeing her now made her realize that such worries were unfounded.

If there was one regrettable thing, it might be that it was impossible to have a normal conversation with Elena right now.

After all, one couldn’t have a conversation with someone who’s asleep.

While gently touching Elena’s cheek, Noel pondered the changes in her.  It was only this morning that Elena was in this state. And about the cause, Noel also had some insight.

‘What on earth happened inside that tent?’

On a day when rain was pouring down, Noel had encountered a completely drenched Elena in Damian’s tent.

Although Elena had her own tent, there was nothing strange about the two of them being together. Damian and Elena were engaged, so Noel had no suspicions about them being together. It was a sight she had often seen even back in the lord castle of Kraus. However, it was the first time, she had saw water poured into the tent as soon as she entered.

The reason she attributed Elena’s current state to that moment was that her demeanor had noticeably changed since then.

When Noel entered the tent, Elena left without saying a word. Both she and Damian stared blankly after her for a moment before Damian faintly raised the corners of his lips.

Confused by Damian’s inexplicable smile, Noel returned to her spot without much conversation, only harboring questions about Elena’s sudden behavior.

Meeting Elena again happened after hearing that they would be departing for the region of Legion after the rain stopped.

The Elena she met again had a noticeably different aura than before.

If she was tightly wound and composed before, she now seemed a layer more relaxed.

It wasn’t just her aura that had changed. The pale skin with a light flush made Noel initially worry that yesterday’s soaking might have affected her health. Although she was a mage, Elena had a physique that wasn’t as hardened as her, so considering how soaked she was yesterday, it was natural to worry she might have caught a cold.

But it didn’t take her long to realize that wasn’t the case.

“So what exactly happened yesterday?”

Noel asked when Elena woke up from her sleep.

“Huh, what?”

“I’m talking about the tent. You were with Damian. When I got there, water was suddenly pouring down...”

“Uh...um, well, you see...”

After only a few words, Elena, uncharacteristically flustered, blushed and bowed her head.

Noel looked curiously at this new side of Elena, but she offered no further words. Seemingly unsure how to respond, she shifted her gaze out the window toward Damian. At that point, Noel chose not to question her any further about that day.

Witnessing Elena’s discomfort only intensified Noel’s curiosity, but she had no intention of prying if she didn’t want to talk. Most importantly, she could tell from her behavior that something had happened between her and Damian. For Noel, that was enough to know.

How much time had passed?

Jolted by Noel’s question earlier, Elena was now leaning against her, fast asleep.

She probably hadn’t slept well the night before. As for the reason, Noel felt she didn’t need to ponder.

“Love...?”

Noel muttered the word as she gazed at Elena, a term that suddenly surfaced in her mind.

She couldn’t pinpoint why, but Noel thought that perhaps love had been the catalyst for Elena’s change. Romantic love was a realm completely unfamiliar to her, something she had never even considered. So, all it evoked was a sense of wonder.

Damian and Elena. Elena and Noel...

The difference in their relationships, Noel thought, might just be the nature of the emotions binding them.

After contemplating for a moment, Noel shook her head and began to gently touch Elena’s cheek again.

“Yap.”

“Hehehe...”

Love or friendship. Despite pondering it, Noel couldn’t identify any clear differences between the two. All she recalled was that friendship connected her with Elena, while love connected her with Damian.

Would she, too, change if she were ever to experience love?

Picturing Elena’s face when she was with Damian, Noel decided to entertain the idea of experiencing something she had yet to understand.

--- END OF CHAPTER ---

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