Royal Match
As the signal to begin sounded, Raycis snorted and addressed his opponent.
“If you admit defeat now, you won’t have to suffer.”
“…That’s unnecessary concern. Or is the prince’s sword all talk?”
I stood holding my wooden sword at the ready, looking at him calmly.
“What?! Can’t you understand my good intentions?!”
“…That’s what I mean by all talk.”
“You brat!”
Provoked by the cheap taunt, he charged with his sword raised high. As he closed in, I turned his world around and slammed him to the ground from behind.
“Guh!”
Raycis seemed bewildered by what had happened. I stood quietly beside him and slowly brought the tip of the wooden sword to his neck.
“The prince is all talk, it seems.”
The aristocrats watching on the veranda were amazed by the child candidate’s movements. When Raycis had charged with his sword raised, they had believed the prince would win. But Reed had read Raycis’s blade and used a throw to put him on the ground, even cushioning the impact.
And Reed placed the tip of the wooden sword against the prince’s neck, as if threatening to deliver the final blow.
“I could defeat you anytime, you know?”
“I’m holding back, you see?”
This was his way of demonstrating his true abilities to the prince, without words. Riezel, Raycis mother, covered her mouth, desperately wanting to attend to her son, but was being held back by the king and his attendants.
Reiner sighed as he looked at his son with a stern expression. Ruubens and Diana wore wide smiles.
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I moved the sword’s tip slowly to the center of Raycis’s face.
“Is this over now?”
“D-don’t mock me!”
Belatedly understanding he had been thrown, Raycis stood up, putting some distance between us. I simply watched, letting it pass.
Regaining his composure, Raycis muttered grimly,
“I let my guard down. I won’t do that next time.”
He takes a ready stance with the wooden sword, this time slowly closing the distance as if watching my movements. However, I have already sized up his skill from our earlier bout, so I don’t feel the need to take a stance. But he seems wary after the previous events, and unable to attack me while I’m not in a stance.
To be intimidated by this much. I let out an exasperated sigh and, while holding the wooden sword in my right hand, I extend my left hand towards him and tauntingly beckon with my fingers “Come on.”
“!! ……You dare mock me!!”
Enraged by my blatant attitude, he charges at me. He raises the wooden sword overhead and brings it straight down. Seeing his sloppy form, I deliberately receive the strike. The wooden swords collide with a dull wooden clap ringing out.
“You fool!! If I can so much as cross swords with you, I’ve already won!!”
Raycis shouts proudly with a smirk, as if declaring victory. He must think that by entering a sword-locked deadlock, the age and physical differences will allow him to overpower me. His expressions give away what he’s thinking. Even as a prince of a nation, he shouldn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve like that. Contrary to his expectations, I simply deflect his force, disrupting Raycis’ posture.
“Wha-!”
The unexpected move catches him off guard, a surprised voice escaping him. And then I follow up by throwing him again.
“Guah!!”
Thrown to the ground, this time Raycis falls face-down. It seems he also dropped his wooden sword when I threw him. As he hurriedly tries to stand up, I gently point the tip of my sword at his cheek.
“…See? You’re all talk, aren’t you?”
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scene transition
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I coldly state the facts to him. The murmured words dripping with a callousness that surprises even me as I look down at him with frigid eyes.
It seems he only just realized the vast gap in our abilities. Terrified by this reality, Raycis’ expression twists in fear as he tries to say something. Noticing this, I lean in close and softly whisper in his ear.
“Are you not the proud prince of Renalute? And yet you so easily defeated by…a countryside bumpkin from Magnolia? The son of a sickly mother who you insulted? Have you no pride as a prince? Are you not ashamed to have tampered with the wooden sword intended for me, while dressing yourself in practice gear and armor? Do you mean to shame your father, mother, and family? Stand up!! I will not…I absolutely will not permit this…!!”
Raycis lets out a grunt and clenches both hands into tight fists, his face contorting in anguish. He likely understands the intent behind my words. What he did was foolish beyond measure. No matter how much he may dislike or hate me, there is no excuse for making a guest of the nation wait until he finished his preparations. To then insult that guest and their family on top of that – forgive me, but at this rate he lacks what it takes to be a prince.
Some time has passed, but he still hasn’t gotten up. He hasn’t started spewing obscenities like earlier, so he’s probably lost in self-reflection. Recalling Zack’s words about “breaking the heart,” I coldly muttered, as if aiming to deliver the final blow.
“If you don’t show the will to fight… it would be wise to admit defeat at this stage. However, you will then be branded as a coward without backbone, lacking in spirit and courage… above all, a weakling of feeble heart. I had thought Prince Raycis was a man capable of becoming a wise king like His Majesty Elias. In your current state, you will only bring shame to the country…”
“Tch… Who are you calling a weakling of feeble heart?!”
Seemingly ignited by my words, he flipped over from his prone position and glared at me with a demonic expression.
“…I won’t admit it, I’ll definitely defeat you!!”
The hesitation in his eyes seems to have dissipated a bit. I feel I’ve finally caught a glimpse of his true self.
“…As eloquent as ever, I see.”
There seemed to be a hint of emotion returning to my words as I responded to him. Raycis brushed aside my wooden sword, then rushed to retrieve the one that had been rolling on the ground. Gripping the wooden sword, he assumed a stance, facing me. This Raycis was no longer fearful, but came charging towards me.
How much time had passed? The nobles on the veranda had turned pale. Raycis was utterly outmatched by the son of Count Reiner-Baldia. Despite the overwhelming difference in skill, the opponent hardly used any sword techniques at all, simply effortlessly throwing Raycis around and lightly touching his vital points with the tip of the wooden sword.
Yet, even with such a vast gap in ability, Raycis refused to admit defeat. This has resulted in a prolonged match. The decision of the match’s outcome rests with the participants themselves and King Elias, who was observing the scene with a stern yet intrigued expression.
How many times had he been thrown and had the sword’s tip pointed at his vital spots? Raycis had still failed to land a single blow on me. What’s more, his stamina was already beginning to wane.
“Haa… Haa…”
“What’s the matter? It seems the prince’s only asset is his eloquence.”
I still maintained my stance, holding the wooden sword lightly in my right hand.
“Damn… This… monster…!”
With a frustrated expression, he shouted and charged at me again. He swung the wooden sword towards me, but there was no strategy or technique. Seeing through his movements, I deflected his force and sent him spinning, slamming him to the ground on his back. Of course, I had held back.
“Monster? No, I am… perhaps a demon to you?”
“Gah!!”
I then placed the tip of the wooden sword against his neck. How many times had I done this now?
“Damn it… Haa… Haa…”
“…It really is just empty talk, isn’t it?”
Well, this has become a troublesome situation. Raycis had more determination than I had expected. I had thought that continuously demonstrating the complete gap in our abilities would eventually break his spirit, but that assumption was wrong.
“Shall we call it a day? Isn’t it time you admitted defeat?”
“I won’t admit it! I absolutely won’t!”
I had to admit, I had probably provoked him too much with my anger. As a result, he has become even more obstinate than I anticipated. Perhaps I should try a different approach. I kept the tip of the wooden sword against his neck as I posed a question.
“Your Highness Raycis, may I ask you one more thing?”
“Wha… what is it, suddenly…?”
“Was it your own intention to slander my sickly mother ? Or was it someone else’s influence?”
Raycis’ expression turned dark and severe at my question. So, it was [his] doing, after all? I already had a strong suspicion, but I decided to ask Raycis once more.
“Your Highness, please tell me.”
Raycis, showing an expression as if he had crushed a bug, finally murmured in resignation.
“It was I who decided to say that in the end. However, the information about your mother’s poor health was something I heard from hearsay…”
“Norris, isn’t it?”
Raycis seemed surprised that I had mentioned Norris’ name. Ah, children are so transparent. I see… Norris, you are my enemy.
Well, I’d like to end this match now. With that in mind, I made a proposal to the prince.
“Won’t you please admit defeat, Prince Raycis? Otherwise, it may lead to the worst outcome.”
“Persistent!! I absolutely will not admit defeat!!”
I’m amazed by his unyielding determination. But if he becomes too obstinate, I should teach him that it can sometimes end up strangling oneself. I let out a small sigh and slowly raised my hand. Raycis looked puzzled, not understanding the meaning of my gesture. Then, I gave a mischievous grin and declared loudly.
“Everyone, I… admit defeat.”
“…What?!”
Raycis stared at me with a mix of anger and bewilderment, a complete reversal from before.
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He won the battle but he lost credibility, like a lot~