Chapter 33. Knight's Competition

TL: Warriormonk

Translator: Isleidir

The carriages and its escorting knights pulled into its destination after a lengthy travel. The base of Hols Mountain had a large clearing that had attracted a lot of people.

People from Tarpan Barony, as well as the representative and his guards sent by the great noble, were already present.

The knight's competition began as soon as Luke's party arrived. An appropriate clearing was made, nobles and representatives were seated, and the knights stood nearby when Viscount Luter, younger brother and representative of Earl Jason stood up and announced the start of the match.

"We will now begin the knight's competition for the right to Hols Mountain and its mines."

The knight's competition would go to the side to first win three matches during five matches in total. Both sides were extremely tense, as this was a supremely important competition.

A knight's skill is subjective. It means that the outcome of their matches were dependent on their opponent's strength, making it more advantageous to send out your knight after your opponent, since you could gauge the opponent's strength.

Tarpan Barony went first, something decided on by a coin toss, and sent out their knight.

"For the first match, Sir Roy will be fighting on behalf of Tarpan Barony."

A broad shouldered knight in full armor walked out to the middle of the clearing, his armor shining in the sun.

Because relations between Tarpan Barony and Nigel Viscounty had always been tense, they had both planted numerous spies throughout the years in order to determine the strengths of their rivals.

Nigel Viscounty already knew the strengths and weaknesses of Sir Roy.

"It looks like we will be able to win the first match."

Nigel Viscounty sent out a knight whom they knew was more skilled than Roy. It was a practical decision made based on their opponent's strength.

A knight from the side of Nigel Viscounty made his way into the clearing and began to clash his weapons with Roy. Both were regular knights incapable of using aura, so the match was a long and brutal slugfest.

Kwaang! Kujijik. Kwakwang!

Armor plates were crushed, blood spilled, and rough breaths spat through the opening of visors.

"Huk, Huk, Huk."

The match ended after ten whole minutes. The exhausted Roy had sustained a fatal injury, falling to the ground.

Kwadang!

Blood spilled from a hole punctured in his armor.

"The first match goes to Nigel Viscounty!"

Cheers arose from Nigel Viscounty's camp simultaneously to the announcement. Tarpan Barony's camp remained deathly quiet.

Three soldiers rushed to the clearing and cleared the corpse from the field.

It was now Nigel Viscounty's turn to send out the knight first, for the second match.

"Sir Aroos will be the knight fighting for Nigel Viscounty in the second match."

A knight walked out into the field, followed by another knight from Tarpan Barony's camp.

Nothing unexpected happened in the second match, and Tarpan Barony's knight won the match.

Sir Aroos's corpse was also cleared from the field by soldiers. Both fiefdoms had collected one victory and one defeat.

"It's time for the aura experts to fight." Luke muttered.

It was once again Nigel Viscounty's turn to send out a knight first, and vice knight captain Jeff was selected.

Tarpan Barony had two aura experts, their knight captain Heinlihi and vice knight captain Rick.

Tarpan Barony's side would be saving Heinlihi for battling Lapal, Nigel Viscounty's knight captain, which made Rick their only option.

It was as everyone had predicted. The third match was between the vice knight captains Rick and Jeff.

The match between aura experts were vastly different from the previous matches. Both knights utilized aura to increase their speed and strength to extremes, their movements a blur to most people in the audience.

The knights seemingly ignored the weight of their full plate armor as they ran across the clearing at each other, their weapons blurring as they cut through the air at their opponents.

Kwang! Kwaang!

Sounds resembling a crumbling building rang out despite the sounds coming from two swords crashing. The two aura experts did not try to save their aura and instead poured it without reserve into their attacks.

Aura experts were rather limited in the amount of aura they could utilize to strengthen themselves, however. The first side to run out of aura would lose.

After about twenty minutes, Sir Rick's movements had slowed down visibly. Vice knight captain Jeff had cultivated relatively more aura throughout his tenure. Jeff's eyes shone fiercely as he saw an opportunity.

'I must reduce the force of Tarpan Barony while I have the chance."

The knight's competition was an officiated match, and also a good chance to get rid of one of the aura experts that would prove troublesome in future conflicts. Jeff squeezed out the last of his aura as he increased the ferocity of his attacks.

"Keeu."

Rick was on the verge of collapsing when Baron Tarpan chose to forego the match.

"That's enough."

The Baron threw a white handkerchief to signal his foregoing of the match, and Viscount Luter raised his hand, stopping the match.

"Stop the match! Victory goes to Sir Jeff."

Jeff looked disappointedly at his breathless opponent.

Nigel Viscounty had now won twice. One more match, and they would be able to win the mining rights to Hols Mountain. Viscount Nigel's face visibly brightened at the prospect.

Baron Tarpan and his vassals were silent and somber at the prospect of defeat.

Viscount Nigel looked towards his knight captain, Lapal, whose eyes were burning passionately.

"Sir Lapal, we are counting on you for the fourth match."

"Please, leave it to me, lord."

Lapal gripped his sword as he walked into the clearing.

'My opponent will be Tarpan Barony's knight captain, Heinlihi.'

Lapal had never crossed swords with Heinlihi, but the spies had reported that he would have a slight upper hand.

'I will grasp victory, for my lord and fiefdom.'

Lapal's appearance only added to the somber mood of Baron Tarpan's camp.

Viscount Luter announced Lapal with a flare.

"And in fourth match, Sir Lapal from Nigel Viscounty!"

It took a while for the fourth knight to show up from Tarpan Barony.

'They're not giving up the match, are they?'

Right then, the judge announced the opponent.

"And from Tarpan Barony, Sir Alexei."

The judge had stuttered, as if he had not expected the name. Simultaneously, Viscount Nigel had jumped up from his seat.

"Wh-What?"

Viscount Nigel glared at the Baron in surprise. Alexei was the name of a mercenary knight whose price was legendary.

Alexei was in his fifties and had been serving as a mercenary knight for a long time, a veteran aura expert.

"Crazy bastard, you hired such an expensive mercenary knight for just a mine?"

The visocunt's hand was shaking. Alexei was also notorious for leaving his opponents in knight's competition as corpses.

"He's given up the profits from the mine completely. He's taking this opportunity to whittle down our forces."

Viscount Nigel's face had darkened as he figured out the Baron's plot. He wanted nothing more than to throw the fourth match.

Unfortunately, foregoing the match without even fighting would besmirch Sir Lapal's honor irreparably.

Knight Captain Lapal's face had also darkened at Alexei's name.

'Baron Tarpan wishes to kill me.'

He did not, however, have any intention of giving up the match. He was a knight, born and bred solely for the battle. He took a couple of deep breaths as his will to fight burned passionately.

'Even if Alexei is a notorious, I am still an aura expert. I will not go down so easily.'

Right then, Viscount Nigel walked towards Lapal.

"Sir Lapal."

"Yes, lord."

"You do not wish to forego the match?"

Lapal nodded stiffly.

"I would rather die than live in shame, my lord."

"Please, try to hold out as much as you can. I will be ready to throw the handkerchief at a moment's notice."

"Yes, my lord."

Viscount Nigel was planning on letting Lapal fight for a little bit, before throwing in the handkerchief as the Baron had done in the third match. Viscount Nigel retreated, and Lapal drew his sword.

Sererereung.

A knight walked out to the clearing from the Baron's side. Wearing a silver full pate armor, his face was visible through a raised visor.

Alexei looked young for his age, which was in the fifties.

"I did not think that I would be fighting you today, Sir Alexei."

Alexei's eyes frowned, skin around them marred by scars.

"The Baron did have to overreach, in order to afford me."

"I am also an aura expert. I will not go down so easily."

"Hahaha, you think all aura experts are equal? Even with the same title, there will be differences."

Alexei's eyes gradually began to shine with killing intent.

"My employer has demanded your death. Prepare yourself."

A tornado of killing intent exploded from Alexei as soon as he finished his sentence. Lapal was startled into raising his shield, when Alexei kicked the ground and became a blur streaking towards him.

Kwaang!!!

An explosive sound rang out as Lapal's shield became deformed. Lapal staggered backwards off balanced. One clash had been enough for him to realize the difference between the amounts of their auras.

'I will still persevere!'

Lapal grit his teeth as he swung his sword in a counter strike, but he was nowhere fast enough to catch up to Alexei's movements. His sword swung through empty space as Alexei retreated.

Kwaang!

Alexei's fierce attacks continued to deform Lapal's shield.

Alexei's strength, bolstered by aura, was more than enough to mold metal. Lapal grit his teeth through the pain that began to pulsate through his arm.

Kwang! Kwwanng!

Sword and sword clashed, sparks flying in the air. Alexei continued to rain down ferocious blows, but Lapal did not lose grip of his sword. The skin on his hand had long been torn to pieces, and blood dripped down his arm.

Lapal's expression began to grow somber as he felt his aura being used up in vast amounts.

'I won't be able to hold out much longer.'

As if he had read Lapal's mind, Viscount Nigel stepped in and began to throw a white handkerchief. Lapal had relaxed slightly for a moment, when Alexei's sword tore through his defenses.

"Keeuk!"

Alexei's long sword had smashed aside Lapal's shield and penetrated his armor. This was the destructive power of concentrated aura.

Lapal spewed blood from his mouth and fell backwards as the handkerchief fluttered to the ground.

"Stop the match! Victory goes to Sir Alexei."

The match over, soldiers ran out to the field to assess the situation. Viscount Nigel, unable to contain his worry, was among them. The soldiers removed Lapal's armor, and the priestess Daphne examined his wounds.

"Ho-How does it look?"

"The sword missed his heart, my lord. It did puncture his lung, however, and sir Lapal will need at least six months to recover fully."

The Viscount sagged with relief at the news that Lapal had not died.

"Thank the gods. Move Sir Lapal off the field."

"Yes, my lord."

Alexei's victory had evened the scores. Both sides had won two matches, and lost two matches. The final match would be the deciding factor.

Viscount Nigel's face darkened as he realized that the Baron would most likely send out Heinlihi, his knight captain, for the fifth match.

Kurotan, whom he had recruited rather suddenly, was also an aura expert, but Heinlihi was a famous knight captain.

'Heinlihi became an aura expert over five years ago. He's a veteran! It seems I'll have to give up on the mining rights.'

The Viscount shook his head bitterly. He would have to be satisfied that his knight captain Lapal had been able to narrowly avoid death.