Chapter 119 - Live to Sienna Pt.119

Oh my!”

A big man’s sword brushed Jamie’s waist in a big arc. It was such a close-knit moment that Jamie’s pocket would have burst if it had been a little closer.

Jamie calmly thrust his sword into the man’s left crevice. The ink pouch burst and wet the big man’s waist.

Sienna, who was watching, let out an exclamation. As the battle continued, those who wet their pants with ink went out after receiving signals from the organizers one by one.

“The imperial knights are struggling.”

Valore’s voice was small, but it was clearly passed on to the nobles sitting in the stands.

The knights of the imperial family were all wearing red shoulder straps, so they were distinguished at a glance. At the beginning, a third of the participants were imperial knights, but the number was now significantly reduced.

The nobles cheered the imperial knights with excitement. However, their support alone did not change the flow of the game. Even for those who knew nothing about swords, there was a significant difference in the skills of outside knights.

“It’s hard to tell from these games.”

Arya said to the emperor.

“Are you saying that they are going to show a different side in a one-on-one match?”

“Wouldn’t they show their skills in a one-on-one match rather than in a messy struggle like that?”

“Well, no matter how different it is from their usual practice, this is too one-sided.”

“The most important virtue for knights is not to be good at dog fights, but to chivalry.”

Arya struggled to defend the Knights of the Imperial Household.

Sienna sneered at the imperial knights rolling on the clay floor of the stadium. It was a mockery of Arya that represented them.

“The knights aren’t ornaments. All you seem to need is to put on shiny armor and greet.”

The sharp voice of Sienna raised Arya’s eyebrows furiously. Sienna kept going on regardless of her.

“For prioritizing the aesthetics, I wouldn’t be so proud of them rolling in the mud.”

“Are you trying to insult the Knights of the Imperial Household?”

“Insult? I’m just saying what I see in the game.”

As Sienna and Arya tried to fight, Valore interrupted.

“The game is still going on, so let’s keep watching it.”

At Valore’s mediation, they watched the game with an annoyed look.

In order to prevent injuries, the participants were required to use a wooden sword instead of a real sword, and ink pockets were placed only on the waist, but as the game progressed violently, more people were seriously injured.

She saw a knight who was bleeding on his head and was being carried out. The helmet on his belly was crushed and the skin on a part of his head was peeled off, indicating how serious the injury was. The mixture of red dye and real blood produced more terrible scenes than expected.

Sienna sighed and put her palms on her eyes because it was difficult to watch the game anymore. The coldness of her palms seemed to quench the heat in her eyes a little.

She thought she got better with seeing blood, but she felt sick when she saw blood after Carl was attacked and injured in Tromil.

“Are you feeling sick?”

Carl asked her quietly.

“It’s just a little nausea…”

“If you’re not feeling well, you should go back first. I’m sure the Emperor will understand.”

Valore, who was sitting next to Carl, looked at Sienna with worried eyes and said, “You don’t look very well. Why don’t you go in first?”

“It’s all right…”

Before Sienna could finish answering, Carl got up first and pulled her hand.

“Now that the Emperor has given us permission, we will head out first.”

“Sure.”

They went out of the auditorium, receiving the worried gaze of the emperor couple and the fierce gaze of the nobles, including Empress Arya.

“Hoo-.”

As soon as Sienna got out of the stadium, she took a big breath. Looking at her hand which was holding onto Carl’s hand, she smiled and said, “I could have gone out alone. Why did you follow me?”

“Because the game is boring.”

“Lies.”

He shrugged his shoulders.

“You are such a sweet person. It’s so sweet that it would eventually hurt someone.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve heard a lot that I am a scary person, but you’re probably the first one to say I am a sweet person.”

“It’s because your face is always frozen. But I’m sure Carl’s people know. What a sweet and warm person you are.”

“Are you my person, too?”

At Carl’s words, Sienna smiled. She wanted to be his person, but that was her greed. Now that they are married, she was just grateful for the fact he was by her side.

*

The next day, all of the participants were the survivors of yesterday’s ordeal. Fortunately, the Knights of Phoenix, Milton, and Havali, were also able to reach the finals. Of course, Jamie made it to the finals as well.

The competition of outside participants was held in public, but the preliminary round between the imperial knights was not open to the public, so the citizens’ expectations were high, but yesterday’s performance brought their excitement to the rock bottom. The fact that only five of the 24 players who made it to the finals were former imperial knights showed the level of their skills.

Most people were amazed at how they could be so different. Some citizens even made a joke that when selecting the knights, the imperial family chose them based on their appearance, not their skills, and used them as decorations for the imperial family.

The faces of the nobles who sat down to watch today’s game were not too good either. The poor performance of the imperial knights undermined the authority of the privileged class, which was not a welcoming prospect to the nobles.

Some said that only the imperial knights should be allowed to participate in the Mutu competition from the beginning, while others said that it was wrong to include those who were not good in the first place, adding that they should investigate corruption in the authorities who selected them as the Knights.

The high-ranking aristocrats, including Empress Arya, remained tight-lipped when the story of the imperial knights’ internal corruption was mentioned.

Twenty-four contestants arranged the order with their opponents by drawing lots.

“Congratulations, Sienna. I heard that two of the knights from the Phoenix Knights have made it to the finals. I’ve heard that only five of the Knights of the Imperial Household have survived, and it’s amazing that two of them belong to you.”

Marie, the Empress, sincerely admired and congratulated, even though none of her own knights reached the finals.

“Milton and Havali worked hard on it. I’m glad that their efforts have paid off.”

“I really congratulate you. Our knights participated too, but…”

One of Marie’s knights was knocked out as soon as the match began, as he fell back in surprise by a sudden attack and his ink pocket burst in the process. The other one didn’t last long either.

“I was embarrassed yesterday when both of them suddenly said that they were quitting their job as a knight. I thought it was only my knights, but apparently, most of the knights who participated in the competition are quitting. I guess yesterday’s game was a shock to them.”

Sienna had a different idea. Even if they were humiliated, they were the ones who were recognized for their skills enough to participate as representatives of the Knights. If they quit, they should have quit with the knights who couldn’t even make it to the game.

It was clear that the knights’ sudden resignation the next day was due to pressure placed on them. It must have been to scapegoat the few players as responsible for the poor performance, forcing them to quit before the Emperor demands a major reconfiguration of the Imperial Knights.

“The knights are coming in.”

Voices rang out inside the stadium to announce the appearance of the knights.

Today, the contestants appeared later than the emperor. There was a pattern on the back of them that symbolized their family or affiliation. The hot cheers for them shook the stadium.

“Are you going to be okay?”

Carl was looking at Sienna with a worried face. It seemed to be because she was surprised to see the battles yesterday.

“This much is okay.”

Even though she said it was okay, Carl had a suspicious face. She said to reassure him.

“Did you forget? I’m from northern Heidel. I, a native of the Waters family, can’t be scared to see the knights fight. It’s a place where you fight monsters several times a day.”

As Sienna spoke proudly, even hitting her chest, Carl nodded with a faint smile.

“Yes.”

Then he held her hand tightly. As if she should be relieved because he was confident.

Jamie easily advanced to the next turn.

On the other hand, Milton and Havali, members of the Phoenix Knights, fell in the first round. Still, Sienna was not disappointed. This was because both of them did not give up and were immersed in the game until the end, despite the superior performance of their opponents.

Some imperial knights showed disgraceful play, getting overwhelmed by their opponent’s charisma and quickly declaring their withdrawal. They were booed by the crowd.

As the game progressed, Sienna was able to find familiar faces. They were definitely Carl’s men. As easily as Jamie, they made it to the next stage.

“I think I know which of them is yours.”

She said mischievously. Carl asked her to guess who they were without erasing his smile.

“Will you give me a prize if I get it right?”

“I’ll present you with a hot night.”

Said Carl, winking at Sienna. Sienna’s face flushed, and she hurriedly looked around her in case anyone heard him.”