Chapter 22
Noel hesitated for a moment before answering in a hesitant voice.
“Um… Fritz won.”
“Haha, I see.”
Sue chuckled wryly, feeling a bit deflated. Amazing, Fritz.
“It was just a practice match. Most of us weren’t taking it seriously. Me included.”
Noel explained defensively, then chuckled as if realizing something.
“Well, Fritz was taking it seriously, even though it was just a practice match.”
“That’s just the kind of person he is.”
Sue recalled Fritz from the novel. He had an aristocratic air, but he also had a strangely childish side. He was completely indifferent to those he wasn’t interested in, but he was also soft-hearted. He would be serious about things that others would brush off easily.
Sue had barely interacted with Fritz because she was one of those he was ‘indifferent to’, but she responded knowingly, based on what she had read in the novel.
“Noel, if you keep winning, you might get to compete against Master Fritz.”
Noel scratched his cheek sheepishly at her lighthearted remark.
“Well, I don’t really want to go that far…”
“It’s alright. You’re the prodigy of the First Knights, you can do it.”
It was a sincere encouragement.
‘Huh? Come to think of it…’
A question suddenly popped into Sue’s mind.
“Noel, is your leg alright?”
Sue’s gaze naturally fell on Noel’s legs.
“Huh?”
Sue looked up at Noel, who had stopped walking. His blue eyes, staring back at her, didn’t waver.
Should I say something? Sue opened her mouth to speak, then averted her gaze and asked,
“You said you had a sprained ankle. How were you able to participate in the swordsmanship competition?”
Now it was more of a probing question than a genuine concern.
Sue knew nothing about swordsmanship, and she hadn’t given much thought to Noel’s sprained ankle.
But it was strange, when she thought about it. Swordsmanship required vigorous movements of both arms and legs. Why would Noel, who had a sprained ankle, participate in the swordsmanship competition?
This reminded Sue of her conversation with Leo.
‘He even abandoned his Knights training… Why is he suddenly acting so recklessly…’
Was the sprain really a lie? Had Noel really abandoned his Knights training?
Sue hadn’t heard anything from Noel since that day about him not going home or leaving the Knights without permission.
Noel had continued to follow Sue around and act friendly, and Sue was grateful for that. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, like a faint layer of dust settling over everything.
“Noel, did you really leave the Knights without permission?”
Sue finally asked, unable to hold back any longer.
She instantly regretted it, and then she scolded herself for regretting it.
Yes, I’m not trying to pry into his problems or his family affairs. As a ‘friend’, there’s no reason why I can’t ask this question.
Why couldn’t I just ask?
“Ahaha…”
Noel’s voice, which she had thought she would never hear, rang out sooner than she expected.
“Come to think of it, I didn’t answer you back then. I said I didn’t know… didn’t I?”
He mumbled to himself, looking down at Sue. The sunlight behind him cast him in a silhouette. He was smiling playfully.
“Actually, it’s nothing. As you said, the sprain was a lie.”
Sue stared at Noel, dumbfounded, as he casually admitted to his lie.
“Then…”
“But I didn’t leave the Knights without permission. That’s the truth.”
His tone was lighthearted, but there was no hint of flippancy in his voice.
“Really?”
“Yes. I properly submitted a leave of absence form. The sprain… I just said that because I didn’t have a good excuse. I’ll definitely go back to the Knights. I can’t let myself get too rusty.”
“…I see. Thank you for telling me.”
“You were worried, Byron.”
Suddenly, Noel placed his hand on Sue’s head and stroked her hair. Sue froze, unable to move, as she listened to his next words.
“I’ll say it one last time. We’re going to win today.”
“Yes!”
Fritz smiled, satisfied with the resounding response from the Black Eagle Team students who were lined up before him in the corridor of the Grand Training Hall. The day of the Sports Festival had finally arrived. The students had shed their usual uniforms and the shabby training clothes they had been wearing, and were now dressed in brand new outfits.
The steampunk-inspired outfits, which didn’t expose any skin, consisted of loose-fitting shirts and pants for ease of movement. At first glance, they might have seemed as unfashionable as the training uniforms they had been wearing, but the addition of a somewhat tight-fitting vest and leather boots that covered their calves added a touch of style. They were also wearing fingerless gloves that indicated their team affiliation. Sue, being on the Black Eagle Team, was wearing black gloves.
They wouldn’t have needed such elaborate costumes for a small event just for the academy students, but they had to put on a good show for the people who had come to enjoy the Sports Festival.
Dong, dong. The drums sounded twice, just like yesterday. The team representatives, who had been waiting for the signal, began to march into the arena.
The moment they crossed the boundary between the cool corridor and the hot arena, a deafening roar filled the air. The thunderous drums, the wild cheers from the packed spectator stands.
Sue looked up at the stands of the Grand Training Hall, which had been empty just yesterday. The crowd, buzzing like a swarm of bees, was a diverse mix. Academy students who weren’t participating in the events, their parents, their servants, knights from the Knights Order who had come to cheer for their juniors, and wealthy commoners who had plenty of time and money to spare.
The noble students, who normally had to maintain a dignified and refined demeanor, were reduced to clowns for the entertainment of others, at least for today. Or so Sue thought.
While some, like Enzhe, openly expressed their displeasure at the event, most of the students seemed to be enjoying the cheers and attention.
Once all five teams had entered the arena, Acrea, standing in the center, recited the oath and opening address flawlessly.
Acrea was the overall vice-representative of the sixth-year students. Since Fritz, the overall representative, was also the representative of the Black Eagle Team, Acrea was giving the oath in his place.
“…Until the day the proud buds of Full Bloom blossom into full bloom.”
As Acrea’s gentle voice concluded, another deafening roar erupted from the spectator stands, making Sue want to cover her ears.
After the opening ceremony, Sue, who had nothing to do until the Ribbon Race in the afternoon, dutifully looked after Enzhe, who was in a foul mood.
Enzhe was currently filled with displeasure at the large crowd, especially the presence of unknown commoners. As soon as the opening ceremony ended, she went straight to the academy infirmary to take a nap, without attending any of the events.
Enzhe, sound asleep, looked like a holy angel. Sue sat by her bedside, reading the magic theory textbook she had brought from her townhouse.
She spent her morning doing things that were far from what one would expect at a Sports Festival. She drew the curtains when the sunlight streaming through the window became too strong, and fanned Enzhe to make sure she didn’t wake up from the heat.
It wasn’t until after lunch that Sue was finally released from her duties. Enzhe, who had a sudden appointment with Duke Fritz, dismissed Sue with a cheerful smile.
“Well then, enjoy yourself, Sue!”
Sue, who had parted ways with a happy Enzhe, set off in a good mood.
However, she couldn’t think of anything she wanted to do or anywhere she wanted to go. The swordsmanship competition that Noel was participating in was still a while away, so Sue ended up wandering aimlessly, without a destination in mind.
Then, she suddenly felt like visiting the team barracks. The team barracks were like a waiting room for the students participating in the Sports Festival, but since they were located in a secluded area, and most students preferred to watch the other events, they were practically abandoned.
But when Sue arrived at the Black Eagle Team barracks, it was much more crowded than she had expected. She peeked inside and saw Shina Fritz standing proudly in the center of the commotion.
“Master Fritz! You were amazing earlier!”
Vercia’s voice was loud enough for Sue to hear even from a distance.
“How can you be so good at magic, Master Fritz… It was incredible, beyond what people like us can even imagine.”
She stood beside Fritz, her eyes sparkling with admiration, praising his greatness in a lengthy speech. The students around them cheered in agreement.
Fritz seemed pleased with the praise, but he didn’t try to engage with them or let it go to his head.
Judging from the situation, it seemed like Fritz had won the magic duel.
He’s really something.
When Sue had checked the scoreboard while passing by the barracks earlier, the Black Eagle Team was in the lead by a significant margin. They were so far ahead that they could probably lose every event from now on and still win. It was clearly Fritz’s doing. There was no denying it.
“Ah, Master Fritz! Are you thirsty? Please have this!”
Vercia offered him a water bottle. Fritz took it and thanked her curtly. Vercia, once again, was lost in admiration. She looked like an idol fan.
‘I hope it stays at the fan level…’
Sue, hoping that Vercia wouldn’t become a target for her ‘report’, left the barracks without a word.
“Ugh…”
Stretching her stiff body, Sue headed back to the academy building. She planned to kill some time and then go to the Grand Training Hall when it was time for the swordsmanship competition.
Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen Noel all day. She had been spending a lot of time with him at the academy lately, so she felt a little lonely.
Back in the sixth-year building, Sue wandered through the academy gardens, her mind half-dazed. The weather had been hot and humid lately, and she was feeling a little overheated and suffocated.