TOPWL 124

“Huff…!”

The young man barely managed to deflect Khalid’s sword, exhaling in ragged breaths. It hadn’t been a calculated move—his body had reacted purely out of survival instinct.

Clang! The sharp clash of steel against steel rang out, harsh enough to make even the onlookers’ wrists ache. Khalid’s eyes flickered with interest as he looked at his opponent.

He pressed forward again, slower than before but with relentless strength. The young man, perhaps because he could finally see the strikes coming, was putting up a decent defense despite the effort it took. Occasionally, he even launched counterattacks, creating an illusion of an even match at a glance.

“Could he actually win this?”

“Well, he’s up against a war hero. I bet he’ll at least make it to the final four.”

“You never know. Maybe he’s gotten rusty from being too busy with romance.”

Yudit could feel the subtle glances cast in his direction from the spectators. Their words made him uneasy—not because he thought Khalid might lose, but because he feared Khalid might get hurt. As Yudit fidgeted with worry, Shane leaned in and murmured softly,

“There’s no need to be concerned.”

“But…”

“His Grace doesn’t like revealing his full strength. He’ll win—barely, but certainly.”

The reassurance helped ease some of the tension in Yudit’s chest, but it didn’t make his worry vanish entirely. He bit the inside of his cheek as he watched the match unfold.

It dragged on for over ten minutes. Whether it was physical fatigue or mental exhaustion, the young man looked utterly worn down. He was a stark contrast to Khalid, who hadn’t broken a sweat.

“In cases like this, it’s better to deflect the blade at an angle and aim for the collarbone than strike straight down.”

At this point, Khalid was practically giving him a lesson. As he parried the young man’s sword, Khalid suddenly looked up. Yudit, who had been leaning forward on the railing with his fingers intertwined, gasped and stiffened. Their eyes met—just for a moment, but the feeling was unmistakable.

“Seems someone’s worrying for me. Time to finish this.”

The moment he spoke, Khalid swung his sword straight for the young man’s neck. Alarmed by the uncharacteristic speed, the boy raised his blade vertically in panic. But before the blades could clash, Khalid shifted his sword’s path. By the time the shimmering trail of motion faded, the tip of his sword was already resting at the young man’s heart. It had been so fast that even those watching closely hadn’t seen it happen. Yudit swallowed dryly at the abrupt end.

The young man stared at the blade pointed at his chest, then gave in.

“…I concede.”

“Well fought. I hope to see a stronger version of you next time.”

“Victory goes to His Grace, Duke Khalid Baldwin Meyer!”

The judge raised a flag toward Khalid. The crowd applauded the skillful match.

“So much for that famous talent. He’s more average than I expected.”

“Still, that last move was insane.”

“Wonder how the next match will go. I’m curious.”

Amid the clapping, conversations buzzed here and there. Khalid turned to Yudit with a bright smile and waved. The crowd’s eyes followed, landing on Yudit. Flustered but unable to ignore him, Yudit returned the wave. With his helmet off and that easy smile on his face, Khalid looked so dazzling that Yudit’s heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

Once the preliminaries ended, a massive crowd poured out of the arena. Yudit walked down the corridor, cheeks still flushed from the excitement. The thrill refused to fade.

Preliminary contestants fought two matches a day. Once in the main tournament, they would only have one match per day, but until then, they had to win twice in a row to advance. Both Khalid and Wadiram won their second matches as well. Hiore and Licht likewise emerged victorious.

Wadiram once again took the chance to promote his armor and District 3 of Bern—enough to make his weapon smith cry. Licht won like a fairytale prince. Hiore, perhaps having been warned behind the scenes, seemed somewhat subdued, but still managed a win.

Yudit considered going to see Khalid, but the sight of the crowd made it clear it wasn’t going to happen. Access to the contestants’ waiting area was being restricted as well. After a moment of hesitation, Yudit turned away from the tightly packed corridor.

“Sigh…”

Seated in the carriage, Yudit let out a long breath. Watching matches fought with real swords was exhausting in its own right.

“Are you alright?” Shane asked.

Yudit nodded. “Yes, I’m fine.”

Despite Yudit’s reply, Shane still looked far from convinced.

“Your face is red.”

“I-Is it?”

Yudit flusteredly touched his cheek, wondering if it was still from the effect of Khalid’s earlier presence.

“Pardon me for a moment,” Shane said, gently placing a hand against Yudit’s forehead. His palm felt cool in contrast.

“You have a slight fever. It would be best to rest thoroughly today.”

“It’s just from all the excitement. I’ll probably be fine by the time we get home.”

The road was more congested than expected. It was the very path Yudit had helped pave not long ago. Though it was a good sign that many people were heading toward District 3 of Bern, the issue now was a growing hunger gnawing at him.

Feeling a little guilty, Yudit glanced at Huyan and Shane. If he was this hungry, they must be starving. He rummaged through his bag, hoping in vain to find something, but only came across the empty wrapper of the sandwich he had already eaten. It still held a lingering scent of food. Disheartened, Yudit quietly zipped the bag shut.

The carriage entered a shadowy forest. From here, it was just a straight path home. Knowing the way, Yudit relaxed a little despite the darkness. He began to nod off and eventually leaned against someone—whether it was Shane or Huyan, he didn’t know—but the shoulder offered made for a more comfortable rest.

***

Yudit had fallen into a deep sleep when he was suddenly jolted awake by a powerful force yanking him into a tight embrace. His eyes flew open just in time to see the forest spinning outside the carriage window at terrifying speed.

“What is…?”

“Don’t speak! You might bite your tongue!”

Huyan’s voice rang out as he clutched Yudit even tighter. Their bodies lifted and slammed repeatedly against the walls of the carriage. Yudit struggled to hold back a scream as bile surged up his throat.

Then, with one final jolt, the carriage crashed into water. The moment it struck the surface, pain tore through his body like it was being ripped apart. Multiple arms wrapped around his head to shield it, but the impact was too great—Yudit blacked out for several seconds.

“Wake up!”

A stinging slap struck his cheek.

“You mustn’t lose consciousness!”

A sharp voice pierced the fog in his mind. Yudit forced his eyes open. His vision was doubled and blurry, like he’d had too much to drink. Squinting with one eye, he managed to focus. Through the haze, he saw Shane—his ear torn, blood pouring from his nose.

“Shane… are you…”

“I’m fine.”

“What… happened…?”

“An ambush. Someone deliberately rammed the carriage. But we have to get out. If we stay, we’ll drown.”

Only then did Yudit notice that his ankles were soaked. Water was pouring in through a shattered window.

“The door… the door…”

In his daze, Yudit grabbed the handle and pushed—but it wouldn’t budge, like there was a solid wall on the other side.

“Why… isn’t it opening?”

“Water pressure. We have to wait until it’s completely filled. Only then can we open it.”

The water had already risen above their knees. The carriage had sunk to the bottom of a lake. The pitch-black water filled the space rapidly, and dread crashed down on Yudit like a wave. He stumbled backward instinctively and touched something soft. It was Huyan’s thigh.

“Huyan. Huyan, are you alright?”

Unlike Shane or Yudit, Huyan hadn’t come to. Blood was running freely from a gash on his forehead. In a panic, Yudit pressed his hand to the wound, but Shane grabbed his wrist—firmly.

“Right now, Your Highness must focus only on escaping.”

Holding both of Yudit’s wrists, Shane spoke with grave seriousness. The water was now up to their waists.

“Breathe calmly. Keep taking deep breaths until the water reaches the ceiling. I’ll give you the signal. When I do, take a deep breath and hold it in. As soon as the door opens, swim out. Understood?”

“Y-Yes… I understand.”

“Thankfully, this lake isn’t very deep. Just having your lungs full of air will make your body float. Don’t kick around—if you lose your direction, you might hit the bottom or crash into the walls. Wait calmly until your body starts to rise, then kick. You don’t need to be fast. But no matter what, don’t exhale until you reach the surface. You can do this. You will survive.”

Shane’s voice was steady with confidence, but it only made Yudit more anxious.

“What about Huyan?”

“I’ll go back down to retrieve him after you’re safely out.”

“How? It’s pitch black down there—how will you find your way back in and bring him out?”

“…”

“You’re lying.”