Chapter 231:
Chapter 231 Nonsense.
As the day drew to a close, the Capital Knights gathered once again.
Although the same members had gathered, the atmosphere was iparable to before. In the silence that seemed to sink into the ground, a woman spoke first.
“This is truly pathetic…”
Vi, the pristine white Capital Knight.
She, who seemed to be sculpted from musical notes, openly disyed her difort. She red at Selpen and Clotte, who had been defeated, and spoke again.
“You are truly pathetic. Show some reaction, at least.”
“….”
Selpen and Clotte did not respond. That was answer enough for Vi.Vi pressed her temple with her index finger, as if she had a headache.
“When you should be showing the best performance and rising to the rank of hero, the honor of the Capital Knights is falling with every match…”
Vi’s voice, which usually sounded like a heavenly melody, was now seriously disturbed. A discordant note, to put it musically.
“….”
Losers cannot make excuses. They shouldn’t make excuses. Selpen and Clotte had no choice but to silently endure the rebuke.
But at that moment.
“Lady Vi, it’s alright. Since you will ascend to the rank of hero anyway, you don’t need to worry about the honor of the other Capital Knights.”
At the escort knight’s attempt to soothe her, sparks flew from Vi’s eyes.
“…What did you say?”
Vi red at the escort knight as if she wanted to kill him.
“Even if I be a hero, the honor of the Capital Knights must always be high. The higher a person, the higher the title they receive. Always walking the highest path—that is my path.”
As Vi exuded a murderous aura, something like a musical staff, tinged with gold, rose in the form of a haze.
In this situation, it was Selpen who spoke.
“You’re thinking wrong, Vi.”
“…?”
Their gazes met in midair. Selpen asked again.
“What did you just say?”
“Vi, listen to me carefully.”
“I’m not asking because I didn’t hear you.”
“I’m emphasizing it once more. It’s important.”
Selpen continued calmly.
“Vi, you seem to only know the oue, but those magicians are by no means ordinary.”
“Not ordinary? To what extent?”
“I don’t know how you’ll take this, but…”
After swallowing a dry gulp, Selpen barely continued speaking. By the way, she was still in a tattered state.
“They are at the level of Capital Knights.”
Silence fell upon the space.
Vi looked around with a face that questioned if what she had just heard was indeed true. Everyone seemed to share the same sentiment as Selpen.
Yes, if they had witnessed the match, it would be hard to miss how amazing the representatives of the Magic Department were.
Selpen continued to speak.
“If the time and ce were different, the oue might have been clear. And if it hadn’t been a draw, the defeated side would surely have been me.”
“…This is absurd.”
However, Vi seemed even more infuriated by Selpen’s words. She eventually couldn’t bear it and mmed the desk.
“Is it right to say such things so confidently now?”
The high treble clef engraved in Vi’s eyes shone as if it would leap out at any moment.
Vi felt stifled.
If it was true that the magicians had be stronger, then why hadn’t the Capital Knights advanced to a higher level during their progress?
She swung her sword, trying to find a point of motivation. No matter what level they reached, they should raise their heads and aim for higher ces, yet they seemed slightly disheartened just by looking at the Magic Department.
‘Weak. So weak. How can they be so weak?’
Vi’splexion darkened.
Despite still holding the title of a Capital Knight as always, merely uttering such words felt pathetically weak to her.
‘Our predecessors as Capital Knights weren’t like this. They seem like trash clinging to their unique abilities…’
It was at that moment.
“Vi, the next match will begin soon.”
Vi looked at the clock. In the quiet dawn, they had to proceed with the next match against the Magic Department.
“I’ll take care of it. Wait.”
“Yes, Vi.”
The escort knight was about to leave, but Vi suddenly stopped him.
“Oh, wait a moment.”
“…!”
As Vi called out, the escort knight abruptly halted.
“Who is participating from the Magic Department?”
“It’s not n, as expected. It’s Trixie.”
Vi quietly nodded.
‘So it’s another ordinary representative.’
It seemed n intended toe outst again. However, if it was Trixie….
“Isn’t she from a fairly well-known family among magicians?”
“Yes, that’s right. Fritz, the family Trixie belongs to, is quite famous among magicians.”
“That means….”
Among the representatives of the Magic Department, even students who weren’t well-known had produced results. It was needless to say that Trixie, being superior to them, would be exceptional.
The paper the escort knight handed over included information rted to Trixie. Vi’s experienced eyes quickly scanned through it.
“Recently seeded the position of the head of the family, and all her academy grades are top-notch…. Unlike other representatives, she has been called a genius countless times….”
The other Capital Knights quietly watched Vi as she murmured.
“There’s no need to think too hard about it.”
At that moment, someone lightly raised a sword. It was Libra, the knight who wore a straw hat and chewed on grass, the one who cuts through memories.
She spoke very slowly.
“Anyway, isn’t n someone you will face directly, Vi? And now we are in a situation where we must win, so it seems right for me to participate.”
“No.”
But Vi firmly called out to Libra, who was adjusting her straw hat’s strap. Libra stopped what she was doing and looked at Vi with a perplexed gaze.
Vi pondered once more.
‘Trixie.’
What followed her was the title of genius.
If someone who had been called a genius remained by n’s side, it was clear she would be much stronger in the future. No, perhaps she was already incredibly strong even now.
‘And Libra.’
Libra, the one who cuts through memories.
She was strong. Even Vi couldn’t dispute that. Not only did she possess the unique ability to cut through memories, but her swordsmanship was also exceptional.
But…
‘Nothing has gone as predicted.’
After experiencing the defeats of Selpen and Clotte, there was nothing she could be sure of anymore. What if even Libra, the one who cuts through memories, were to lose?
Essentially, they would lose their trump card. So Vi had no choice but to devise a slightly different strategy.
After a few minutes, Vi nodded.
“Libra.”
“I’m listening.”
“I’m sorry, but… it’s not your turn yet.”
“Hmm?”
Libra seemed quite taken aback by that statement. She slightly lifted her straw hat and looked at Vi.
Vi, however, turned her head nonchntly. Instead of looking at Libra, she gestured towards Libra’s escort knight who was standing idly in the distance.
“It would be better for that escort knight to go up.”
“Are you saying to send my escort knight into the arena?”
“Yes.”
After a brief silence, Libra spoke again.
“Are you still underestimating the Magic Department? With the level of an escort knight….”
“I’m not underestimating them. Quite the opposite.”
“Opposite?”
“Yes. I took your words at face value. That’s the conclusion I came to.”
Libra fell into thought for a moment.
“…!”
Then her eyes widened.
“Vi, you don’t mean…!”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I mean.”
Libra’s gaze at Vi became extremely sharp.
“…You’re thinking that I might lose to Trixie, so you’d rather send in an escort knight who will definitely lose. Is that right?”
“Exactly. It’s better this way. From now on, all the remaining representatives should be matched against escort knights.”
Vi’s eyes shed as she spoke.
“And I will face n directly. Understood?”
“Stop this nonsense.”
Libra immediately protested, but Vi swiftly wrote names on the paper,pleting the match schedule.
When Libra reached for the paper,
“You’re the ones talking nonsense─!”
Vi shouted fiercely. The veins in her neck stood out prominently.
“A Capital Knight losing! A Capital Knight! Not anyone else, a Capital Knight─!”
For a moment, silence fell over the room.
After catching her breath for a moment, Vi spoke again.
“…Shut up and do as I say. No Capital Knight can lose anymore, so just do it this way. Before I kill you all.”
n.
Vi’s mind was entirely focused on him.