Chapter 481 - Episode 8: The Jousting Tournament
The second year of study abroad life, following a long winter break. It was a day when autumn had deepened. Eleos and his companions had come to the Arena in Lichthagen, the capital of the Kingdom of Rhodeberg.
What was about to begin was the jousting tournament hosted by the Rhodeberg Royal Family every two years. Thousands of spectators crowded the stands, and Eleos and his attendants, along with his friend Silvester Rosbroke and his attendant Paulo, were seated in the spacious VIP section, having received an invitation from Princess Margarete.
"I've seen jousting tournaments a few times in my own country and in the northwestern part of the kingdom... but this is the first time I've seen such a lavish stage created. As expected of the Royal Arena of Lichthagen."
"Fufu, I am honored by your praise. Please enjoy yourself to the fullest today, Eleos-sama."
Margarete, sitting next to Eleos, spoke while gazing at her fiancé's profile with an entranced smile, as she did every single day.
In seats slightly removed from the two of them, Nikolai, Sasha, Amanda, and Theodore were also captivated by the magnificent sight of the Arena.
"Amazing... So if you're a renowned knight of the Rhodeberg Kingdom, you get to compete on a grand stage like this..."
"I'm jealous! I want to try entering someday too!"
"I bet we'll get to see lots of cool knights. I can't wait."
"But jousting seems a little scary..."
And further beside them, Silvester sat looking uncomfortable. Paulo, standing behind Silvester, also had a look of tension on his face.
"Um... is it really alright for me to be in a seat like this... as someone who is merely the son of a provincial Baron..."
When it came to events hosted by the Royal Family, many nobles were among the guests, and the VIP seats were mostly filled with high-ranking nobility. As the son of the Rosbroke Baron family, which fell into the weak category among nobles, he seemed to feel out of place.
"Oh, you needn't worry about that. For nobles, connections are also a splendid form of strength."
"Exactly. Silvester-san, you're the one who created the position of being a schoolmate who can exchange words directly with the Crown Prince of the Grand Duchy of Arqvist and the Princess of the Kingdom of Rhodeberg. You should just sit proudly. If anything, you should show off to the high-ranking nobles around you. It'll probably benefit the Rosbroke family in the future, too."
"...Well, when you put it that way, I suppose so. I understand."
Whether convinced by Sasha and Nikolai's words, Silvester straightened his posture with a bit more confidence.
Shortly thereafter, Oscar Rhodeberg III declared the opening, and the jousting tournament began.
First to take place were matches between knights sent as representatives from each noble faction and knights selected from the Royal Army. There were thirty-two participants in total, including both commoners and nobles. Every knight was a top-tier talent within their respective territorial army or legion, and it was said they approached the matches with extraordinary determination to make a name for themselves.
Among the participants, there were a fair number of beastmen. For them, this was one of the few opportunities to rise in rank as soldiers by overcoming the disadvantages of their race. The policy for this Royal-hosted jousting tournament changed depending on the monarch, but in the case of the current King Oscar, a complete meritocracy was adopted. He had issued a royal decree that representatives be decided solely by victory in matches, from the qualifiers to determine representatives for each noble faction, and even the qualifiers for each noble territory prior to that.
The first and second rounds proceeded at a fast pace, with knights colliding one after another, each time triggering cheers from the spectators. When a knight fell from their horse spectacularly, the cheers grew even louder. Eleos watched the matches while letting out voices of admiration along with Margarete, while beside them, Sasha and Nikolai looked excited, and Theodore watched fearfully. Amanda paid the most attention to the moments when the knights removed their helmets to show their faces.
"It's fun having matches one after another like this. Since they're all skilled, every match is a magnificent contest, and the excitement never lets up."
"Is it not? Besides increasing support for the Royal Family by providing entertainment to the people and encouraging knights to hone their skills by giving them opportunities for advancement, it also serves as propaganda to foreign nations. There are many people from neighboring countries among the spectators, so we show them that our country possesses an abundance of skilled knights."
"I see. Indeed, as a means of making the depth of the kingdom's knightly ranks known, there is no better event than this."
Listening to Margarete's explanation, Eleos nodded with admiration.
Behind the two of them, Yakov was running his pen across a notepad in his hand. Sasha and Nikolai were also taking diligent notes while watching the matches in excitement. The advantages of holding a jousting tournament and the format of the matches would become useful information once brought back to the Grand Duchy of Arqvist.
The one who achieved victory this time was a human knight from the northeast, but the runner-up was a cat-person knight from the southwest. The two shook hands in the center of the Arena, praising each other's skill and fighting spirit, and they were met with generous applause and praise.
For the sake of safety, the participants wore specially made armor with added protection, and used wooden spears with rounded tips that broke easily. Even so, as long as they accelerated on horseback and clashed spears, it was inevitable that the battle would be rough. There were years when deaths occurred. This time, all participants finished the match alive, but there were three seriously injured people who were either slashed by the tips of broken spears or suffered fractures from the impact of falling from their horses.
"The Royal Family will cover all of their medical expenses. Healing magic and magic potions will be used without hesitation. It would be pitiful if skilled knights who dedicated their fight to the Royal Family became unable to return to military duty due to injuries."
"I see, then that's a relief... So, is the special match what happens next?"
"Yes. A duel between heroes the kingdom prides itself on; in a sense, it is the highlight of today."
While Eleos and Margarete spoke, the participants of the special match entered.
One was Baron Georg Karlgrain. The commander of the First Legion, the most elite of the Rhodeberg Kingdom Army. An outstanding knight who could be counted among the top five in the kingdom.
And the other was Count Nordlingen, the foremost militant of the northeastern noble faction. A fierce general who had shown great results even in the Great War with the Republic of Betumia, and naturally, he himself was famous as a knight.
The two, who had high recognition among the kingdom's citizens due to their activities in the two Betumia wars, would clash their pure skills as knights. It was a match that could not possibly fail to be exciting.
"Baron Karlgrain! The symbol of the Royal Army, the Sword of the Royal Family! And Count Nordlingen! The proud territorial noble who protected the lands of the kingdom with valor! This duel between these two shall be a match carved into everyone's memories! Let us all gathered here witness it thoroughly!"
When Oscar called out loudly, an explosive cheer shook the Arena. Among the nobles in the VIP seats, not a few forgot their usual elegance and got fired up. Nikolai and Sasha were also howling with their fists thrust upward.
Drawing the attention of the great crowd, Baron Karlgrain and Count Nordlingen finally entered the match.
The two, more heavily equipped than usual, rode armored beloved horses and galloped toward each other. They held their tournament spears, marked with their family crests, straight ahead, and then—the instant they passed each other.
Baron Karlgrain dodged the tip of the opponent's spear, though it grazed his armor. Count Nordlingen took the spear to his shoulder but held his ground on horseback, showing his endurance.
Both ran through as they were, received new spears, and galloped again. After that, they passed each other twice more without a winner being decided.
And then, the fourth pass. Whether by a difference in skill, or luck, or for a reason known only to God, it was decided. Baron Karlgrain's spear struck Count Nordlingen's chest squarely, the tip of the spear shattered into pieces, and the impact knocked Count Nordlingen off his horse.
Shouts of joy and voices of lament both echoed in the Arena. Eleos, who thought it would be interesting regardless of who won, clapped his hands happily to praise the efforts of both, and Margarete imitated him beside him.
Baron Karlgrain walked over to the standing Count Nordlingen, exchanged words, and then shook hands. Oscar praised the fighting spirit of the two, and the spectators also boisterously praised the battle of the heroes.
"That was fun! It was so, so fun! I'm really glad I was invited. Thank you, Margarete-sama."
"I am happy that you enjoyed it. Will you watch events with me like this again?"
"Of course. Interesting events become even more fun if I watch them with Margarete-sama."
At Eleos's words, Margarete froze, her face turning bright red while she placed her hands on her cheeks. Seeing Eleos pierce his fiancée as usual without realizing it, Yakov smiled warmly, and the other attendants and Silvester's group gave wry smiles.
In this way, while greatly enjoying his days of study abroad in Lichthagen, Eleos continued to accumulate various experiences. Thus, he created memories of his boyhood and gained experiences that would be useful in the future.
An announcement.
Starting today, I have begun posting a new work, "The Paradise of Aquilegia."
It is a war chronicle/nation-building story about a protagonist reincarnated as the second son of a weak noble family, who struggles to build his own country amidst an era of turmoil.
If you like, please take a look.