Translator: MarcTempest

Editor: Himanshu02The capital city of Sharnof was already one of the largest cities on the continent.

But now, with the festival just a week away, it was literally crowded with people.

The Royal Martial Arts Tournament was finally approaching in a week.

“Today, the Bronze Cross Knights of the Holy Kingdom are entering the city. Do you think they will make it to the top three this time?”

“Who knows?”

“No, they will. The Western Alliance’s Vingoro and their top-ranked knights couldn’t make it this time, so they have a good chance!”

The capital city became bustling with people a month, no, a week before the tournament started.

There was a reason for that.

It was because the parade of the famous knight orders from various countries and regions within the empire was quite a spectacle.

Of course, the reaction of the welcoming crowd varied depending on the reputation and quality of the knight orders.

“That’s the Eastern Third Knight Order, right? They should be glad if they can settle in the middle or lower ranks this time.”

The knight orders that received lukewarm reactions were mostly those with low achievements or poor knights.

On the other hand, the knight orders that received tremendous welcome were mostly those that had made a name for themselves on the continent.

After a few knight orders had passed by, the highlight of today’s parade finally arrived.

The reaction was explosive, incomparable to any other knight order.

“Woah! It’s the Golden Lion Knight Order!”

“They already have an unprecedented record, but if they win this year, it will be their tenth victory, right?”

“Actually, it’s kind of boring. It’s like a tournament where the winner is already decided.”

As the spectators said, the Golden Lion Knight Order from the south, led by the Grand Duke, was impressive.

First of all, their size was different from other knight orders.

The number of squires and apprentice knights who followed behind the knights riding horses at the front was not inferior to that of an average knight order.People came to watch the Royal Martial Arts Tournament to see the Golden Lion Knight Order dominate the competition!

These days, there were people who said that it was no different from a fixed match because of their overwhelming strength.

“I’ve seen enough of the Golden Lion Knight Order. Let’s go back to our lodging now.”

The main attraction had entered, so there was nothing more to see. The crowd that had gathered like clouds began to thin out.

There were still some knight orders with big names entering, but none of them received half as much welcome as the Golden Lion Knight Order did.

Being undefeated in any field had its own weight.

Clatter, clatter.

Finally, when most of the welcoming crowd had left, a small group of knights began to pass through the gate. They were not very large in size, and what was peculiar was that they did not have any emblem or motto that symbolized their knight order.

Seeing their strange appearance, some of the curious spectators began to observe them.

“I’ve been watching the tournament for over twenty years, but I’ve never seen them before. They must be a newly established knight order.”

Their curious eyes soon moved past the knights and to the flag they were carrying.

“Wait! That flag is the royal flag!”

“Then are they royal guards? Is that possible?”

Then a small exclamation came from among the crowd.

“Oh, I remember seeing him at the coronation ceremony. He’s His Highness Eurius, the First Prince!”

“Then is his knight order his personal guard or something?”

“Long live His Highness Eurius!”

It had been just over a year since the Northern War ended.

There were still many people who remembered Eurius’s name.

But his knight order was not well known, so there was little or no reaction from them.

“Don’t pay too much attention to their reaction right now.”

Eurius, who was riding a horse at the front, comforted his knights who had bitter smiles on their faces.‘When this Royal Martial Arts Tournament is over and my knight order leaves through this gate, their reaction will surely change.’

That’s why he planned to participate in this tournament to make that happen.

In fact, there weren’t many knight orders on the continent that had plausible names attached to them.

Most of them were divided into First Knight Order, Second Knight Order, or Eastern, Western, etc., which was more common.

If there was a knight order with a separate name, it was likely to be a knight order with a long history and achievements.

For example, the Golden Lion Knight Order of the Grand Duke was a name bestowed by the emperor himself after he ascended to the realm of the superhuman and accumulated considerable achievements.

Eurius was confident that this tournament would give him that achievement.

That’s why he deliberately didn’t make any shoddy names or mottos.

***

“Father Gideon, we have received information that the target has entered the capital.”

“Hmm…”

The man called Gideon rubbed the snake-like tattoo on his wrist and opened his mouth.

“I’ve heard that they failed twice already in the Pluto branch. But it will be different if we step in. Right?”

“Of course.”

“We, the Bartuk branch, are different from those who make money by assassination.”

“Hmm…”

Gideon nodded with satisfaction and got up from his seat.

“As you said. But they are also one of the seven branches of the main temple of the cult. Don’t be complacent.”

“Yes, sir.”

“The timing of the attack will depend on the opportunity, but I think it would be best to do it during the tournament.”

“I heard that the emperor also watches the matches. Wouldn’t the security be tighter?”

One of his subordinates asked with a puzzled expression. But Gideon had a different idea.

“That’s exactly what we’re aiming for. If the elite knights are all stuck to the emperor’s side, what will happen to the prince’s guard at the arena?”

“Ah!”

They understood then.

Of course, it would be very difficult to escape if they touched the prince in front of many eyes.

But they were basically fanatics.

They were willing to throw away their lives at any time to ensure their target was eliminated.