Episode 8
Since the Harvest Festival was organized by the ducal house, the festival grounds weren’t far from the duchy.
Luckily, I arrived before the swordsmanship tournament began.
I got off the carriage after promising the coachman we’d meet again at the plaza in three hours.
“Why are there so many people?”
Maybe because everyone was crowding into one place, but even though it was autumn, the heat was intense.
I fanned myself with one hand to cool off, while pushing my way forward through the crowd with the other.
That’s when a huge building came into view.
“The highlight of the Harvest Festival! The swordsmanship tournament will begin shortly!”
Hearing the announcer’s booming voice, this must be the arena.
Nobles had separate seats, but commoners had to stand and watch in a limited space.
Since I arrived early, the crowd was still manageable.
Thanks to that, I managed to grab a decent spot.
…Though calling it a “good spot” felt a bit sad, since I still couldn’t see very well.
It’s absolutely not because I’m short.
These people just grew up eating like beasts and got way too big.
“Well, I only need to know who wins anyway.”
I stood on my tiptoes, scanning the match casually.
But as word spread, more spectators poured in, and the space quickly became cramped.
People kept cutting in, saying they wanted a closer look, and the area turned into total chaos.
Surrounded by aggressive young men, I became easy prey and was steadily pushed backward.
“If I fall here, that’s two weeks of bed rest!”
Just as I lost my balance and was about to fall—
“…Huh?”
I had already imagined countless feet trampling over me when—
Someone grabbed my hand and yanked me toward them.
“You should be careful.”
“Th-thank you.”
My lifesaver was a handsome young boy.
If this were a typical possession story, I might’ve thought it was a romance flag.
Sadly, this is The Chronicles of Arthur, and I’m Chloe Ritz—the girl who’s about to die.
More importantly, right now—
“Now, at last! The youngest knight! Aphelion Rehaven’s first match!”
Swordsmanship.
That’s what matters!
My heart pounded with excitement for about three seconds, before it turned ice-cold.
I shouted at the boy, who looked my age but was at least three heads taller than me.
“Can you… lift me up?”
…Yes, I was asking him to let me ride on his shoulders.
I know it’s rude to ask for more after being saved, but what choice do I have?
I have to see this match, and I’d already been pushed far from the arena.
At this point, even standing on tiptoes wouldn’t help.
“You want to watch the match?”
“Y-yes! I mean—yes!”
The boy kindly asked again, glanced toward the arena, then nodded.
“Please, get on.”
A moment later, he knelt down on one knee.
“Now that I’m actually getting on… this is kind of embarrassing…”
I hesitated, but the roar of the crowd made me anxious.
In the end, I made up my mind and hopped on to signal I was ready.
“Hold on tight.”
The boy wasn’t annoyed at all. He was more worried about my safety.
“Wow… the air’s nice up here.”
The wide-open view made me gasp. From this height, I could easily see the match.
“He really is good.”
Introduced as the youngest participant, Aphelion easily faced adult knights who looked three times his age.
One after another, he defeated most of the adult competitors without much trouble.
“As expected of Young Master Rehaven! He subdues knights much larger than himself with ease!”
The crowd cheered loudly, agreeing with the announcer.
They were fascinated by the shining talent of such a small child.
This must be why the ducal house poured money into hosting the Harvest Festival.
To show off the dazzling skill of a boy winning against grown knights.
That’s probably why most participants were sturdy adult knights to begin with.
“Did you come to the arena to watch Sir Rehaven?”
The boy spoke to me while I was focused on the match.
Unlike nobles, commoners had no assigned seats, so they had to stand the entire time.
Because of that, most spectators were men.
Seeing a girl like me here probably made him curious.
“Well… yeah, I guess.”
“He’s amazing. I respect him a lot.”
The boy, who looked my age, used formal language to praise Aphelion.
If he studied swordsmanship seriously enough to come here, that made sense.
“He truly lives up to being the one and only Child of God.”
He continued praising Aphelion.
People had long known that the Rehaven ducal house produced extraordinary individuals.
The duchy had revealed the existence of the “Child of God” like bait to the masses who loved rarity.
Of course, they hid the other one, presenting only the perfect child.
“…Yeah, I suppose.”
Aphelion had grown up bathed in endless love and attention.
Watching the boy shining brightly in the arena, I smiled bitterly.
Aphelion smoothly advanced to the finals and sat in the waiting area, catching his breath.
He didn’t even drink water, just stared blankly then stood up when the bell signaling the finals rang.
“The final match begins!”
At the announcer’s cue, the knights stepped onto the arena.
After briefly sizing each other up, both knights charged at the same time.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
The sharp sound of blades echoed.
His opponent, a commoner who had joined the Imperial Knights through special selection, lived up to his reputation.
He didn’t show flashy techniques, but his defense and follow-up attacks were clean and stable.
In contrast, Aphelion moved so swiftly and beautifully that even someone who knew nothing about swordsmanship would be amazed.
As their fierce battle continued—
I suddenly noticed Aphelion’s grip loosen.
“Don’t tell me… he’s about to drop his sword on purpose?”
Knights with true chivalry never quit voluntarily.
Some were famous for holding onto their swords even after losing consciousness.
And yet—
The greatest knight was about to deliberately cause an accident?
Just then, the referee watching the match shouted,
“Stop!”
The crowd stirred. It was the first time the referee had personally intervened.
“I declare Sir Ethan defeated immediately for violating the rules.”
The match was stopped due to Sir Ethan’s foul.
“What are you saying?! I swear I did no such thing!”
Sir Ethan shouted as he removed his helmet.
However, all three judges agreed with the referee, and the victory went to Aphelion.
Sir Ethan continued to protest, but a common-born knight had no way to fight injustice.
In the end, he was escorted out without even getting a chance to explain.
Aphelion lifting the trophy and Sir Ethan walking down under harsh jeers formed a painfully stark contrast.
Thus, the swordsmanship tournament—the flower of the Harvest Festival—ended hollowly.
“Did you enjoy it?”
The boy gently asked after lowering me from his shoulders.
“He’s even more handsome when he smiles.”
With that glow on his face, he definitely wasn’t meant to stay a nameless extra forever.
I nodded shyly at the charming boy.
“Thank you. And for accepting such a ridiculous request.”
“Not at all. It would’ve been hard for you to watch alone. I’m glad I could help.”
Still kind to the end.
He’s probably part of the protagonist Arthur’s group.
“I’m glad the person you were cheering for won.”
“Ah… haha…”
“Though I do feel a bit sorry for Sir Ethan.”
…Huh?
Sorry for Sir Ethan?
He had been framed as if he committed a foul and was being mocked for acting childish against a kid.
A knight who abandoned chivalry for victory deserved criticism—that was the public opinion.
Feeling sympathy for him went completely against the crowd’s reaction.
“…Did he notice that Aphelion was about to surrender?”
That couldn’t be it.
Only I, who knew the future, and the referee bribed by the duke could’ve noticed that split-second signal.
“I was wondering why you felt sorry for Sir Ethan—”
I was about to ask when—
Someone suddenly barged into our space and cut off the conversation.
Without a sound, the newcomer grabbed my hand and dragged me away.
“Ah— that hurts…!”
The grip around my wrist was painfully strong.
It felt like my bones might crack, but I couldn’t even ask them to loosen their grip.
There was only one person who would treat me like this.
And that person would never listen to my pleas.
“Th-thank you!”
I shouted toward the boy chasing after us.
I hadn’t even properly thanked him or exchanged names.
I don’t know if he heard me through the crowd—
But I yelled anyway.
