Chapter 30: Stabbed in the Shadows

“Do not pay it too much mind. Perhaps the Duke didn’t hear you.”

Raihar said, patting my shoulder.

There was no way he hadn’t heard.

His senses were far too sharp.

I had no right to drown in these emotions anyway.

Since everything was a result I had brought upon myself.

I was the one who had wished for things to turn out this way, yet I couldn’t help my mood sinking as it pleased.

Just as I quietly let out a breath, I sensed a presence behind me.

“My younger brother, if you were coming to watch the matches, you should have told me beforehand. Then we could have come together.”

The moment I turned my head, the First Prince Shade wrapped his arm around Raihar’s shoulder and laughed cheerfully.

Behind him, the Third Prince Casion was also visible.

“Brother Shade?”

Raihar widened his eyes in surprise.

I greeted Shade and Casion immediately, but the two merely spared me a brief glance before turning their eyes back to Raihar.

“Let’s not stand around here and go take our seats. Younger brother, who do you think will win?”

“Brother, wait a moment. I have someone I came with…”

Shade moved locations as he pleased, keeping his arm wrapped around Raihar’s shoulder.

Though Raihar resisted and looked toward me, perhaps because it was difficult to break free from someone with such a different build by force, he was dragged away by Shade just like that.

Left entirely alone in an instant, I stared blankly at Raihar being dragged away.

While watching, my breath caught, and I suddenly covered my mouth.

“Ugh.”

Now that Raihar had vanished from my side, my spine went cold, and my vision grew hazy.

I covered my ears, feeling as though the noises of the vast arena and the gazes of the crowd were all focused on me.

Yet even when covering my ears, hallucinations repeatedly echoed in my mind.

The hallucinations cornered me to the absolute bottom, hurling accusations.

Just as I stumbled, unable to control my weak legs, a vicious voice pierced through the hallucinations.

“Get out of the way instead of blocking the path so annoyingly.”

Lifting my head, I saw the prickly-faced Ran Ilay.

Seeing that obnoxious face helped me gather my wits slightly.

While I slowly exhaled and blinked, Ran scanned our surroundings and addressed me.

“Are you alone today?”

“…”

“It seems you’ve been abandoned. You too.”

“It is nothing like that.”

Though it was hardly a proper conversation, exchanging a few words with him caused the hallucinations to gradually fade.

Brushing back my bangs, sweat rubbed off on my palm.

I quietly bit my lip.

“You have no idea how saddened I was when you rejected my challenge, Count.”

“Why? Do you regret not being able to kill me back then?”

“Kill you? How could you utter such a cruel word…”

He covered his mouth with an exaggerated expression, as if looking at some uncivilized savage.

Though I grew irritated whenever he acted in that manner, even that emotion was welcome right now.

Perhaps losing interest because I offered no reaction, Ran let out a flat snort.

“Did you come to see Baron Mariel? It seems he is also participating. You truly are pathetic.”

“No. I shall take my leave now.”

Without Raihar beside me, there was no reason to remain here.

I could just return for now and apologize later for leaving first.

Since Raihar was essentially the one who had abandoned my side first, it didn’t seem likely he would make an issue of it later anyway.

The moment I turned around to leave, Ran grabbed my forearm.

“What do you mean by that? Leaving? Since you are already here, you must at least watch me fight before you go.”

“Why on earth should I watch you fight, Young Lord…”

“So you can realize exactly what kind of person you have made an enemy of.”

Just as I frowned in disbelief, Ran dragged me over to a corner seat, sat me down, and took the seat right next to me as if blocking my escape route.

I subtly scowled.

“You truly have all kinds of ways to torment a person, Young Lord.”

“If you disliked it, you should have stayed away from the Second Prince a long time ago. Or, would you like to stay away from him starting now?”

He smiled as if welcoming the idea at any moment.

“I refuse. More importantly, if you are also participating, shouldn’t you not be here?”

“I suppose you intend to boil and eat that pamphlet later? My turn is still far off, so it is fine for me to remain here.”

In other words, it meant I was helplessly trapped here until he left his seat.

Just as I clicked my tongue, the arrival of the Emperor was announced.

The Emperor appeared alongside the Empress to announce the opening of the tournament and deliver words of encouragement to the participants.

The spectators in the stands stood up in a reverent posture, praising the Emperor and the Empire.

Beginning with the Emperor’s entrance, signs of the matches starting slowly showed.

***

The first match was a duel between nameless mages.

Ran, who I thought would only pick fights, watched the first match with unexpected seriousness.

Though it was a match between mages whose names and faces I didn’t know, their duel was incredibly fierce.

The wind sliced through the air with force, and intense flames burned fiercely as if to envelop their entire bodies.

The subsequent matches were also waged with equal intensity.

Even I, who had at first only bided my time to escape, ended up focusing on their passionate displays.

Lightning struck down, the ground shook, and bright flashes erupted before my eyes.

Once another match concluded, Ran murmured quietly beside me.

“What…”

He scanned our surroundings as if focusing his entire attention on a single spot, then pressed his temple and looked at me.

“Is something wrong?”

When I asked in annoyance, he blinked innocently, then laughed detestably.

“It’s nothing.”

‘Does he sense something?’

Following Ran’s lead, I scanned the area, but everyone was entirely focused on the duel, staring only at the arena.

‘There doesn’t seem to be anything.’

Turning my gaze back to Ran, he was staring at the arena once more, as if nothing had happened.

It seemed it had merely been a show to tease me.

I glared at him intently.

Just then, Ran’s handsome face—even if detestable—scowled in displeasure.

“Why did that man even participate in this when he has no enthusiasm to fight properly?”

Following his click of the tongue, I glanced at the arena to find Mariel.

The moment I spotted Mariel in the distance, my heart plummeted.

Feeling as if the spectators in the stands would start whispering about me at any second, I lowered my head.

“The person you love to death has appeared. Why aren’t you watching?”

“I do not need to watch.”

“Is that so? Then again, he isn’t even worth watching. It is obvious who will win.”

Ran seemed to dislike Mariel.

‘Since he said he despised weak people.’

It seemed he wasn’t entirely wrong.

The match began, and after a few loud thuds sounding as if something were erupting from the ground, cheers erupted immediately.

The match concluded anticlimactically.

I heard Ran chuckle dryly beside me.

Though the cheers gradually faded after Mariel’s match ended, I still couldn’t bring myself to raise my head.

Because I kept my head lowered, Ran tugged at my sleeve.

“Are you sleeping? You must at least watch this match.”

“I don’t need to watch…”

Just as I was about to snap at his pestering, the spectator stands shook on a completely different scale than before.

The spectators were passionately excited, welcoming the figure who appeared in the arena with a fervor bordering on madness.

Shouts of “Duke, Duke!” were heard from all directions.

Since there were only two people in the Avelonia Empire who could be addressed as Duke, I slowly raised my head as well.

Mikeron Leilight came into view, standing opposite his opponent before the match began.

In that moment, my eyes were stolen by him standing in the distance.

Even though I couldn’t see a person’s energy like Ran, Mikeron’s surroundings looked as if they were shining with a brilliant light.

Mikeron exchanged greetings with his opponent, then conjured a long, large light in his hand, gripping it as it formed a sword.

The moment I saw the sacredly glittering white sword, I instinctively fumbled at my chest.

Because I felt as though that sword would pierce my heart once again.

The match began, and Mikeron swung his sword as if to seize the initiative.

The ground split, and pure white light erupted on both sides.

I couldn’t take my eyes off Mikeron as he focused on his opponent.

His stance holding the sword, his fluttering hair, his sharp gaze.

Every single moment that comprised Mikeron was engraved in my eyes as if being recorded.

The match was fierce.

Though Mikeron was driving him back, the opponent was persistent as well, showing why he held the reputation of the Light Magic Tower Master.

The opponent swung his staff, discharging intense light in all directions.

The arena was covered in pure white light, and as the duel became obscured, murmurs were heard.

“It seems the great Light Magic Tower Master has been backed into a corner. Seeing how he couldn’t even afford to show consideration for the spectators.”

Ran smiled mockingly, looking thoroughly amused.

Just then, the light gradually receded, and the silhouettes of the two began to show.

Though faint, the tall man was visible holding a long sword against his opponent’s throat.

As the light vanished completely, Mikeron was revealed, staring down his opponent without a single thread of disarray.

The moment the victor became clear, the spectator stands shook violently.

Amidst an excitement entirely different from before, Mikeron’s immense popularity was newly felt.

I quietly watched the scene, then lowered my gaze.

Just then, Ran, who was sitting beside me, rose from his seat.

“It was a splendid match. I think I must go prepare for my match now.”

‘If he was going to leave, he should have left earlier.’

As I let out an annoyed sigh, he looked down at me and requested.

“You must watch my match.”

Ran left the area leisurely after a detestable smile.

I also rose from my seat immediately, watching him depart.

Another match was just beginning in the arena.

I also rose from my seat immediately, watching him depart.

***

Stepping out of the stands, perhaps because everyone was focused on the match, the corridor was entirely empty.

Staring blankly at the empty hallway, the image of Mikeron I had just seen flickered before my eyes.

‘Why is my mood sinking so much?’

It was difficult to comprehend, despite being my own emotion.

I shook my head violently to drive away the unknown depression.

Brushing off my thoughts, I had just taken a step to head back when I heard the door to the spectator stands opening.

Rowdy cheers echoed behind my back, falling quiet once again as the door closed.

I stared straight ahead silently and headed toward the stairs at the end of the corridor.

The person who had just exited the stands also followed behind me.

While slowly walking down the stairs, muttering voices were heard from behind.

“…It must be. It has to be. For their sake…”

It was a low, thick voice belonging to a man.

Considering he had come down while the matches were in full swing, I thought he might be a participant.

Was he chanting some spell to win?

While descending, the man behind me continued to follow me.

At first, I had thought our paths simply overlapped, but when he kept trailing me even after reaching the second floor where the participants’ waiting rooms were located, an oddly uncomfortable feeling arose.

When I stopped on the spot, the man also halted his steps.

‘He really was following me.’

I let out a sigh internally.

Feeling as if he would follow me until the very end if I didn’t deal with him, I turned around.

Looking back, I saw the man’s haggard face.

His deep dark circles stood out particularly, and his complexion looked poor.

He looked as if his sleep had been disrupted, perhaps from a hangover the previous night.

Though he was an unfamiliar face, I assumed he was likely one of the people who harbored complaints against me.

Since the atmosphere surrounding him was highly unsettling.

“Why are you following me?”

Though terrified of what kind of accusation might erupt, I asked calmly.

The man stared at me with unfocused eyes, then reached inside his clothes.

“…Must be. It has to be…”

“I do not understand what you wish to say. Please speak clearly.”

“…Must do it.”

I couldn’t make heads or tails of what he was saying.

He merely mumbled the same words repetitively.

Realizing any further conversation was pointless, I turned my back.

‘He’ll drop off eventually if I just go on my way.’

Just as I resumed walking, the man spoke.

“For their sake.”

Finally, words I could comprehend emerged.

The moment I turned my head, the man holding a dagger lunged at me.

“For their sake… I must kill you!”

It happened too quickly for me to even resist.

The sharp, forceful blade pierced my flesh.

“Ugh.”

The blade embedded itself in my stomach, twisted my innards, and slid out heavily.

Blood dripped from the wound left by the blade, but even as I saw the vivid color, I couldn’t comprehend what had occurred for a moment.

“Kill. I… I must kill. I have to…!”

The man stared at me with unfocused eyes, laughing breathlessly.

Staring blankly at his crazed face, I collapsed powerlessly onto the hard floor.

Though I had already experienced my heart being pierced, the sensation of having a hole punched through my flesh was not something I could get used to.

Warm blood poured down my ruptured abdomen.

“Uuuugh…”

Though I could barely even breathe, I desperately pressed against the wound, trying to gather the blood spilling out.

But even when applying force to block the hole, the speed at which blood leaked through my fingers was far faster.

Both the pain that felt as if my organs were burning, and the helpless terror welling up over my palms, were utterly horrific.

I never expected to die in this manner once again when I hadn’t done anything.

Having faced the moment of death once more, oddly, the desire to let go of everything felt far greater than the instinct to survive.

Right, after all, even if I returned to life again, another pain would only assault me.

I wanted no more of this suffering.

Though Raihar weighed on my mind, other than that, there was nothing I regretted.

As the desire to find peace grew stronger, the strength in my body began to fade gradually.

Just as my vision grew dazed, the metallic clatter of the dagger striking the floor brought me back to my senses briefly.

Barely raising my dropping head to look at the man, the person who had been laughing like a madman just moments ago was now muttering in a state of panic.

“N-No. I didn’t mean to do this… Why… why did I do such a thing…”

The man slowly backed away, staring at my limply sprawled figure with a face filled with terror.

His blood-stained hands were trembling.

Though I felt something was going strangely, I lacked the strength throughout my body to think, and now even the pain was gradually fading.

Through my blurring vision once more, the sight of the man fleeing entered my view.

Treating that spectacle as the final sight, I closed my heavily dropping eyelids.

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