BBYW Vol. 3 Interlude Part 19 (WN)
Interlude – Royal Martial Tournament
Part 19 – Morning of the Conspiration
“Hnngh…morning already…?”
Woken up by the sunlight filtering through the gap between the curtains, my heavy eyelids opened slowly.
I moved my still blurry gaze to the clock on the wall and learned it was still quite early in the morning. I was certainly not what you would call an early bird, so it was an unusual time for me to wake up.
“Today…I don’t have anything planned in particular…hmm…what shall I do?”
I was in my room in the academy dorm. Many of the students were participating in the royal martial tournament, so the noble academy was on holiday.
I had won my third bout the day before, so I was set to advance to the semifinals next. I had no matches today; I was completely free.
“This afternoon there’s Valon’s match, if I remember correctly. The opponent is the Saverne heir…I might as well go and watch.”
My opponent in the semifinals was going to be the winner of today’s match. Under normal circumstances, that would be Valon, but Marquis Saverne was definitely going to pull something, so there might be a plot twist.
“Though…if I go, there’s a high chance I’ll meet that woman…”
The face of the dark-skinned woman I fought the day before, because of her misunderstanding, came to mind.
She possessed a mysterious, almost superhuman beauty, but at the same time acted in a curiously childish way. Being Valon’s fiancee, she would probably go to the arena to cheer for him. If we bumped into each other, the atmosphere would become awkward, to say the least.
“Well, if it happens, it happens. I’ll just keep pretending not to know her and…hm?”
I got up from the bed and noticed something unusual under the door. I went closer to check it and found it was a piece of parchment, folded in two.
I picked it up and opened it: it was a message from one of the Fangs of Steel spies.
“The sender is…Kisaragi. Maybe House Saverne made a move?”
I scanned the message and clicked my tongue in irritation.
“…a woman thought to be Valon Sphinx’ fiancee was abducted. Those bastards…”
I glared at the parchment, then ripped it to shreds.
It was a House Sphinx problem: I had nothing to do with it. There was no reason why I should go save Valon’s fiancee.
“However…it’s a damn unpleasant feeling. Makes me sick, even.”
A beauty like that got abducted. I doubt the men who captured her would behave like gentlemen. They might easily take her clothes off, touch her all over, and do much worse…the probability was high.
Thinking that a woman I knew, no matter how little, could be violated in such a way made my blood boil. Especially because, in this case, we had shared such a passionate kiss.
I could allow it if Valon, her fiance, laid his hands on her, but not any other man.
“I held back yesterday, dammit. Thinking that she’s Valon’s woman, I managed not to take such a fine woman for myself…and some other bastard is going to take her? No fucking way! Are those idiots trying to start a war with me!?”
I couldn’t allow anyone else to do what they wanted with her. Almost seething, I tossed away my room wear and changed. I picked up my faithful blade, resting close to the pillow, and gripped the hilt.
I couldn’t be bothered to go out in the corridor: I opened the window and jumped down from the second floor to the garden below.
“…young master. You are going, as expected.”
After I landed, Kisaragi appeared, from who knows where, and approached me.
“You know the place, don’t you? Lead the way.”
“Certainly. This way.”
I gave my orders curtly and dashed out of the dorm. Kisaragi quickly caught up, then started guiding me.
“The Sphinx lady is being held in a deserted shack outside the capital. At our pace, we should arrive there in about one hour.”
“Alright…let’s hurry.”
I accelerated more, almost grazing the ground with my steps. House Saverne’s goal was probably to force Valon to forfeit the match, which was scheduled for the afternoon. I was going to settle things before noon.
“Nothing will go your way, bastards. Don’t fucking think you can involve a woman in your plots with me around!!”
Filled with an anger I had not felt even when they tried to assassinate me, I bared my fangs and grinned.