Despite the situation, I could see the fondness in Lord Kyros’s eyes when he talked about the prince. It was the same fondness I’d seen in Prince Luifon’s eyes earlier when he’d happily talked about his best friend.
I’d seen that look in other people’s eyes too: when the servants of the castle talked about their master, when they enjoyed nice food and pleasant cups of tea, when they mentioned the heroes of their homeland, when they watched flowers bloom…
People get such gentle looks on their faces when they think about the things and the people they love.
The two of them were best friends, and they worried about one another. Lord Kyros seemed to understand the prince’s behavior entirely, and the affection he held for him didn’t seem to have turned to hate either. And yet, he wouldn’t let go of his sword.
“Still, I can’t forgive him for insulting you. I will make him take back these words,” Lord Kyros said.
“You don’t need to! Please leave my honor to me. I’ll defend it myself!”
Lord Kyros blinked at me confusedly, and I added resolutely, “If anything, I’d rather you corrected him on something else. He called you a coward! Even I took offense to that.”
Lord Kyros let out a soft laugh. He took my hand and brought it to his face before kissing the tip of my fingers so lightly I wasn’t entirely certain his lips had come in contact with my skin. “Understood. I’ll go beat up my dear friend, then.”
“O-okay! Umm… Do your best?”
“I will. But before I go, Marie, may you bless this poor man headed to battle with a kiss?”
“Wh-what?!” I shrieked without meaning to.
Lord Kyros laughed. “It was just a joke. I’ve long decided never to force your hand on anything.”
He caressed my hair softly and grabbed the handle of the door that led outside the private area without another word. I realized too late that I should warn him.
“Lord Kyros!” I exclaimed. “Not this way! The ladies are—”
Alas, my warning had been too late indeed. What lay beyond that door, however, wasn’t quite what I had expected. The noble ladies I’d seen earlier were all splayed on the ground, except one who was in the process of being thrown over Mio’s shoulder. I stared at the chaos in utter confusion.
After Lord Kyros’s victory, the seats of the coliseum had started emptying. However, they were now once again full, and the crowd was bubbling.
“Ladies and gentlemen! You are about to witness a special exhibition match! A duel between the winner of our tournament, Count Kyros Granado, and our dear prince and commander of the royal knights, His Highness Prince Luifon Sandalkia Dilts!”
At the announcement, the coliseum filled with cheers.
I clapped too. This time, I wasn’t in the royal box all the way up but in the regular seating area. After all, I couldn’t very well sit in the prince’s box while cheering for his opponent! I was surrounded by spectators on all sides, and my seat wasn’t as comfortable, but I was much closer to the stage.
Prince Luifon was the first to enter the arena. He wasn’t wearing a helmet, and he waved at the crowd with a bright smile.
The jet-black warrior made his entrance soon after. This time, however, Lord Kyros wasn’t wearing his helmet either. Despite that missing piece of his costume, there was absolutely no doubt that he was the man I’d watched fight on this very stage earlier. With his training sword in hand, he looked so manly that I felt overwhelmed.
“He really seems like a completely different person…” I whispered.
“Did he seem that weak to you before today?” Mio asked.
That wasn’t quite it. I hadn’t thought he’d looked weak, but I’d just never associated him with fighting. As a high-ranking nobleman and the wealthiest man in the kingdom, I’d never have guessed he’d have occasions to wield a sword! On top of that, Mio was more or less his bodyguard. Who would assume a man who allowed a petite woman to guard him would be so strong?
“Come to think of it, I wonder: Who’s stronger between you and Lord Kyros?” I asked.
“Not even I can compete with him—if he has a sword in hand, that is,” she explained. In other words, Mio was confident she’d win if they fought barehanded.
But I wasn’t sure that really answered my question. They both seemed to be in a league of their own in any case.
At the center of the arena, Lord Kyros started speaking. This time I was close enough to hear.
“Luifon, even if we forbid attacking the top of the head, we may graze each other’s faces,” he said. “Wear a helmet. I don’t want you badly wounded.”
“I don’t mind,” the prince said with a shrug. “I was starting to get bored of looking this good. If anything, I’d say you’re the one who needs to protect his face. Don’t you think Marie will hate you for good if you lose half of that handsome nose of yours?”
“You always know exactly how to get my goat.” Lord Kyros had been holding his helmet in his hands, but now he threw it down. “On guard, Luifon! For the first time in over ten years, I’ll fight you seriously.”
“How unconvincing. The Kyros from back then would’ve rushed me by now instead of blathering about helmets,” Prince Luifon shot back.
I got goosebumps at Lord Kyros’s intensity. Unlike earlier, I could feel his bloodlust in the air. Despite that, he still seemed unsure of himself, and when he swung, I got the sense he wasn’t aiming at anything. He must have been worried about the possibility he might accidently kill his best friend.
Regardless of whether it was reasonable for Lord Kyros to hesitate in this situation, it was plain to see that he was. Naturally, his indecision hadn’t escaped the prince’s notice, and he laughed viciously. “Do you think my sword won’t kill you?” he jeered. His gaze was ice cold.
“I’m not looking down on you that much,” Lord Kyros insisted.
“Then stop dawdling and come at me!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Prince Luifon kicked the ground with his pure-white boots to propel himself forward. He was keeping his body low as he aimed a thrust straight at Lord Kyros’s stomach.
Lord Kyros reflexively deflected the blow with his own blade. The resulting clang was so loud I felt my eardrums vibrate. While the sound still rang through the air, the prince unleashed two more blows. Lord Kyros parried them both, but the prince was rapidly closing the distance between them.
Mio produced a bag of fish cakes. “Our lord is stronger, but His Highness is quicker.”
“Ah! No! Watch out!” I shrieked, closing my eyes as Prince Luifon swung his blade once more. Thankfully, Lord Kyros yet again successfully deflected the hit.
Then, when I dared to look up again, I saw that Lord Kyros was about to counterattack. He was pushing his sword forward against Prince Luifon’s, keeping it low at about hip level, and then he rotated his wrist, forcing the prince’s blade to rotate with his own. From there, Lord Kyros thrusted forward in one swift motion. A disturbing noise resounded as his blade grazed Prince Luifon’s armor.
Had that been a provocation? Prince Luifon looked even more angry than before. But he didn’t falter. He stepped forward, slashing at Lord Kyros several times in quick succession.
The two tall figures were exchanging blow after blow in close proximity, switching swiftly between offense and defense as their positions required.
“I-it’s only a matter of time before he gets a hit in…” I whispered, worried about Lord Kyros.
“The same goes for his opponent, my lady,” Mio reminded me.
After parrying a set of rapid blows, Lord Kyros took a half step back and swung his sword at the prince with all his strength. Prince Luifon raised his sword to block—his timing and stance were excellent, offering him the perfect defense—and yet, he was pushed back so hard he almost landed on his backside. He managed to catch himself at the last possible moment and remain standing. But unfortunately for him, Lord Kyros was already striking again before Prince Luifon could recover his balance.
“Urgh…!” The prince leaped backward to dodge and put some distance between the two of them. Immediately after, however, he once again closed in on Lord Kyros from the side and slashed at his chest.