TOPWL 99

Two days later, Yudit stopped by the barn first thing in the morning. Inside, people suffering from hangovers were sprawled about like laundry left out to dry.

“Ugh…”

Yudit looked at the groaning figures with pity as he handed out bowls of thin stew with tomatoes to each one of them.

“No more drinking… I swear…”

“I can’t put anything in my stomach…”

Despite their protests, perhaps due to the pleasant tang that whetted the appetite, they took one bite, then another—and before long, the bowls were scraped clean. The stew had revived them. Recognizing Yudit, the reawakened men began shaking the others who were still out cold.

“Hey, get up. The prince is here…”

“Nnngghh…”

“It’s alright. Leave them be,” Yudit said, stopping them as he looked around.

He had felt it the last time he visited, too—the barn was warm and cozy. But it had its drawbacks. Until two years ago, it had been used as a stable, so there was still a faint animal smell. The openness was nice, but it meant there was little personal space. Last time, cold drafts had come in through the cracks, but it seemed they’d been repaired—now it felt snug and calm.

“How are things these days?”

At Yudit’s question, one of the men, bundled up against the cold, blinked.

“P-Pardon?”

“I’m asking if you’re eating and sleeping well. Any aches or illnesses? That sort of thing.”

“Oh—yes! Thanks to you, I’m doing quite well. And I mean that sincerely. Since the gaps were fixed up, it’s gotten much warmer.”

“Are the meals decent?”

“Yes! Especially lately—we’ve been eating well every day. Life’s been good.”

He smacked his lips, recalling yesterday’s meal.

“The food’s good, the clothes are fine, the bed’s soft—everything’s great, but…”

The man hesitated, glancing at Yudit.

“It’s alright, speak freely.”

“Well… I know you don’t have to listen since the housing is still under construction, but… it would be nice to have a few more tents.”

“Tents?”

Yudit looked around at the makeshift privacy areas made by hanging canvas on either side.

“Yes, well… I had a daughter three months ago. Sadly, she looks like me—so not much to look at—but she’s precious.”

“Is that so? Congratulations.”

“My wife and daughter are staying in the women’s quarters, but it’s been tough on them. The baby cries a lot, and my wife’s exhausted trying to be careful not to disturb others. But bringing them here isn’t really an option either… It’s hard to feed the baby or bathe her here. If we had just a few more tents, maybe I could bring them over sometimes and give my wife a bit more rest…”

The man looked hesitant again.

“I’ll see to it.”

“Th-thank you!”

As Yudit noted the request on paper, others who had recovered from the stew started glancing his way, clearly hoping to speak as well.

“Um… could I have a word too?”

“Come over here,” Yudit said.

The entire morning passed as Yudit made rounds through the slum’s temporary shelters, listening to their stories. As he stepped out of the barn, he stretched beneath the clear sky. His stiff body relaxed with the motion—until, in the distance, the sound of hooves began to echo.

“What’s going on?”

Shane narrowed his eyes toward the direction of the sound.

“That’s the duke’s banner. Looks like the expedition force is here.”

The hoofbeats grew louder. Soon, dozens of cavalry riders swept past, stirring up sand as they galloped. Clad in armor with swords at their sides, the image of them on horseback stirred something in the chest.

“Where are they headed?”

Their commander, Khalid, was currently staying with Yudit at a shabby inn. If all those knights lined up outside, the innkeeper might faint on the spot.

“Probably the inn.”

“Right? We’d better go warn the owner. Let’s take the shortcut.”

From here, cutting through the alley was faster than riding a carriage. Yudit quickened his pace.

A distant whinny echoed through the air.

“Yudit, where were you?”

Khalid burst out of the inn the moment Yudit entered, his tone oddly excited.

“I just stopped by the temporary shelter to hand out some stew.”

“Ahh. Then you missed quite the sight. Pity.”

“You mean the knights? I saw them on the way back.”

“No, not that. I just finished defeating all the applicants who wanted to act as your proxy in the tournament.”

Yudit blinked, then finally understood—and panicked.

“W-Was that today?”

“Yes.”

Yudit had known the tournament was today, but when Shane stuck close to him in the morning, he’d assumed it would happen in the afternoon. When Yudit looked at Shane, the man spoke in a calm, steady tone.

“My duty is to guard Your Highness.”

Meaning, he hadn’t fought because he’d chosen to stand watch instead. That quiet, unwavering sense of priority—it was just like Shane.

Just then, the door opened and Diego and Eden entered, followed by Huyan and Wadiram. They glanced once at Yudit and Khalid, and their expressions shifted into something complicated—part embarrassment, part discomfort. Yudit didn’t understand why until Khalid leaned in with a sly grin and murmured,

“You left early, so I told them not to worry and just wash up and come eat.”

It seemed they’d gathered their courage to come inside despite their shame at losing, only to find Yudit there after all. Their faces betrayed their surprise. The awkward silence that followed was broken by Khalid.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave. You all go ahead and talk.”

With that, he scampered off to his knights.

Not sure what expression to wear, Yudit sat down quietly, casting subtle glances at the others. Since Hess had the day off, the innkeeper and his wife brought out the food. As Yudit had feared, their faces were pale as they looked out the window at the knights stationed outside.

Yudit turned to Huyan, who looked like he’d rolled through a dust pit, and spoke up.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“…No, I’m alright.”

“You’ve got a lot of dust on you. You should wipe it off with a warm towel—”

“I’ll handle it myself.”

Huyan cut him off, his tone colder than Yudit had ever heard. Startled, Yudit fell silent, but then Huyan’s face twisted with regret and he muttered,

“I’m sorry. I’ll be back shortly.”

Without another word, he left the room, not even glancing back. Wadiram, who had been spreading jam and butter on bread, sighed deeply as he watched Huyan’s retreating figure. Yudit, sensing that Wadiram had taken the least damage of the group, turned to him.

“Wadiram, what happened?”

“Well, to put it simply…”

Wadiram explained what had occurred earlier. During the festival, over thirty people had volunteered to represent Yudit, but by this morning, only around eight had actually shown up.

There was Khalid, Huyan, Wadiram, Diego, Eden, and a couple of strong young men from the village.

They gathered in a wide clearing for the matches. Since Khalid couldn’t fight them all at once, they settled on a tournament format and drew matchups on the spot.

First round: Khalid vs. Villager 1, Huyan vs. Eden, Wadiram vs. Villager 2, and Diego vs. Villager 3.

The winners of round one were Khalid, Huyan, Wadiram, and Diego.

“You won, then, Wadiram.”

“Well… calling it a win feels generous. The villagers had no real training. It was all a bit one-sided.”

Even Wadiram, usually shamelessly bold, looked sheepish under Yudit’s brightened gaze.

Round two was Khalid vs. Huyan, and Wadiram vs. Diego. After a fierce battle, Khalid defeated Huyan and advanced.

“What about you, Wadiram?”

“Diego… that guy’s pretty good,” Wadiram said, his expression turning wry.

“So, the final round was between Duke Khalid and Diego. But that duke… he’s something else. He fought Huyan for over thirty minutes without showing a hint of fatigue. Sure, he conserved energy—dodged everything by a hair’s breadth each time. Huyan got excited, and the moment he saw an opening, he charged in. But it was a trap. He thought their swords would clash, but Khalid deflected the strike entirely. Huyan lost his balance and fell flat on his face.”

So that’s why he was covered in dust.

Wadiram finished describing the duel, then glanced at Diego and lowered his voice.

“Still, Diego held out pretty well. But his sword couldn’t take it. The duke’s sword was… special. When they clashed, Viego’s blade couldn’t handle the force and snapped. And with that, Duke Khalid claimed victory.”

“…I see.”

The ending left a bitter aftertaste. Swords weren’t cheap, and now Diego’s had shattered over this proxy tournament. Yudit found himself thinking that he ought to buy Diego a new one. These men had gone so far on his behalf—it made him feel proud… but also uncomfortable.

Sensing that unease, Wadiram asked.