When traveling between cities, taking a carriage was the norm.
I always did the same, and this time was no exception.
Everything had gone smoothly. I had given a small sum of money to a traveling merchant and secured a spot in the carriage’s luggage compartment. But then, I suddenly remembered that there was a dungeon along the way.
Of all places, its location was inconvenient.
It was a spot that required a full two days of travel one way.
There was no way I could ask the carriage to wait for me that long, so once I got off, I would have to continue on foot to my destination.
If I moved diligently, I could just barely make it in time for the event.
But was it really necessary to go that far?
Even as I questioned myself, I couldn’t just ignore it.
The place offered decent profits, and I made it a habit to stop by whenever I passed through the area.
A crossroads of choices.
I weighed the potential rewards against the effort required, mentally crunching the numbers.
In the end, I decided to visit the dungeon.
The dungeon itself was relatively easy to clear.
The trouble came afterward.
Regardless, I managed to earn some extra money and even helped a group of adventurers in distress before finally arriving at a city.
***
The City of Knights.
That was what people called this place.
At first glance, it didn’t look any different from other cities.
But a short walk was enough to reveal what set it apart.
No matter where one went, knights could be seen everywhere.
This was because the city housed a knight academy.
With both official knights guarding the city and trainees filling the streets, people clad in silver full plate armor were a common sight.
It was a unique scene, one that couldn’t be found elsewhere.
“Please have a safe journey.”
After booking a room at a high-end inn and stepping outside, two staff members followed me to the entrance and bowed politely in farewell.
This was the power of money.
It almost made me feel like someone important, and my shoulders lifted involuntarily.
“Having plenty of funds really makes life fun.”
It was worth going to the dungeon, even if it was a bit of a stretch.
Since there was nothing urgent to take care of, I decided to take my time exploring the city.
As I walked wherever my feet led me, I eventually came across the marketplace.
Lined on both sides of the street were stalls covered with tents, with merchants raising their voices to attract customers.
It was similar to Alto but had a calmer atmosphere.
In the past, I would have simply passed by scenes like this.
I had spent my days rushing around as if something were constantly chasing me. I was too busy to even glance at my surroundings.
It had been a bleak and exhausting way to live, even by my own standards.
Looking back, I might have been carrying an unnecessary burden all on my own.
What had I been hoping to accomplish with those so-called comrades who lacked even a shred of teamwork?
Back then, I had believed that struggle was everything in my life, but now things were different.
At long last, I had put down the weight on my shoulders.
With leisurely steps, I wandered the streets, occasionally snacking as I passed by stalls.
For today, at least, I was allowing myself to enjoy the moment like a tourist.
Even when life was busy, it was important to take the time to enjoy things.
With that mindset, I continued browsing the marketplace.
I was fully immersed in the feeling of being on a long-overdue vacation when someone suddenly called out to me from the side.
“Warrior! How about a sword tougher than steel?”
When I turned my head toward the voice, I found a weapons shop owner thrusting a longsword toward me.
“This is a specialty you can only find in this city. It’s lightweight yet sturdy, and it hardly ever chips!”
I glanced at the boasting merchant before examining the sword.
His words sounded impressive, but in reality, it was just an ordinary knight’s sword.
Neither the materials nor the craftsmanship were particularly outstanding; it was the kind of weapon that could be found anywhere.
A quick glance at the price tag on the back revealed an absurd markup under the pretense of being a specialty item.
Does he really think he can swindle me?
I tapped the weapon at my waist and replied,
“I already have something good.”
The shopkeeper’s eyes shifted to Shadow Fang.
“Come on now, if you’ve come to the City of Knights, you should at least carry a knight’s sword.”
“I’m happy with the one I have.”
“Don’t be like that. Just give it a try. I’ll give you a good deal~.”
“Oh, no thanks. I’m not buying it.”
I shook off the persistent weapons shop owner and stepped back onto the street.
Since there weren’t any particular tourist attractions, I was starting to grow bored when I finally arrived at the plaza.
“It’s about time.”
Looking up at the sky, I saw the sun slowly sinking toward the horizon.
Long shadows stretched from the buildings.
The number of people coming and going on the streets gradually dwindled.
Fixing my gaze on the distant clock tower, I started walking again.
It was the time of day when everything calmed down.
But for me, it was finally time for the event I had been waiting for.
“The duel is about to begin!”
“Place your bets over here!”
A strange number of people had gathered in one corner of the plaza.
Pushing through the bustling crowd, I spotted two men facing off against each other.
“So you’re the weirdo who goes around challenging famous knights to duels?”
A knight clad in full armor asked the man across from him.
“Oh? So you’ve heard of me? Guess I am a bit famous.”
The man who answered was dressed in nothing but light cloth, without a single piece of protective gear.
His arrogant demeanor made him seem more like a local thug than a swordsman.
“So you’re aware of your own reputation. You’ve been tarnishing the honor of proud knights. That’s a crime I can’t overlook.”
“All I did was challenge them to duels and win. I don’t see how that’s a crime~.”
At the cocky reply, the knight’s expression darkened with anger.
“Don’t be so insolent! A duel is a battle of pride between warriors, not a means to humiliate your opponent!”
“I’m not a knight, so I wouldn’t know about that.”
Even as the knight roared at him, the rogue swordsman barely seemed to listen.
He nonchalantly picked at his ear, making it clear how little interest he had.
The knight clenched his fist tightly in fury.
A murderous aura surrounded him as if he was ready to strike at any moment.
Over a hundred spectators held their breath in anticipation of what would come next.
“You really don’t listen to reason, do you?”
It was an obvious and childish provocation, but the knight had no intention of letting it slide.
He drew his sword with a powerful motion and shouted,
“Just as you wanted, I’ll be your opponent. Right here, I’ll reclaim the honor and pride that my comrades have lost!”
At that, the rogue swordsman grinned.
“The usual rules. Until someone surrenders or can’t move anymore.”
“Works for me!”
The rogue swordsman gripped his sword, and the duel began.
The spectators swallowed hard and silently watched the battle unfold.
A deathly stillness settled over the plaza until the knight made the first move.
“Haaah!”
With a sharp battle cry, he swung his sword, but the rogue swordsman twisted his upper body, narrowly avoiding the blade.
However, the knight was no amateur.
After his sword sliced through empty air, he swiftly adjusted his stance, spreading his legs wide for balance.
With a quick upward slash, he countered in an instant.
“Sir Logan, cut down that thug in a single stroke!”
“Show him the true power of the Platinum Knights!”
Among the onlookers were the knight’s fellow comrades.
They cheered loudly for Logan of the Platinum Order, urging him to take revenge and put the rogue swordsman in his place.
“I didn’t expect this. You’re better than I thought.”
The rogue swordsman spoke as he deflected Logan’s blade.
“Don’t act like you’ve already won!”
Logan pressed down harder on their crossed swords.
At this point, skill no longer mattered.
It was a test of pure strength. A battle of pride between men.
“Ugh… Oooof…!”
The rogue swordsman started losing ground.
Step by step, he was being forced backward and was barely managing to hold his ground.
“A knight’s virtue is in constant discipline. I can feel your laziness through your sword!”
In raw physical power, Logan had the clear advantage.
Step by step, Logan advanced, driving the rogue swordsman back.
“I told you, I’m not a knight.”
“Enough with the excuses. Every man carries chivalry in his heart!”
“Hah, seriously… The knights in this city are all crazy!”
The rogue swordsman swiftly dodged to the side.
Logan immediately stepped forward with his right foot to regain his balance, but he was a moment too late.
By the time he had steadied himself, the rogue swordsman had already raised his sword.
“Guh!”
Logan tried to guard at the last second.
Clang!
The rogue swordsman’s blade struck his helmet with a resounding impact.
Logan staggered and was momentarily dazed from the blow to his head.
“Hahaha! That helmet’s only making your vision worse!”
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
The rogue swordsman used the flat of his blade like a blunt weapon.
He didn’t give Logan a moment to recover and kept landing consecutive strikes on his head.
“That bastard fights dirty!”
“Do you have no knightly pride?!”
Logan’s fellow knights shouted in anger, but the rogue swordsman paid them no mind.
He was relentless, aiming only for Logan’s head with almost obsessive precision.
“I’ll kill you!”
Unable to stand by any longer, some of the younger knights broke the rules and stepped in.
“Calm yourselves! You must not interfere until the duel is over!”
“Step aside! This isn’t a duel. It’s a joke!”
By the time the commotion had settled and the onlookers had been restrained, the rogue swordsman had already sheathed his blade.
“Thank you all for your passionate support and enthusiastic cheers!”
Like an actor at the end of a play, he bowed deeply. But no applause followed.
The crowd hadn’t been cheering for him; they had simply wanted a spectacle.
In truth, they had likely been hoping for the city’s proud knight to claim victory.
Disappointment was evident on their faces as they began to disperse, one by one.
No matter how many times I see him, he’s still just a thug.
This wasn’t the first time I watched one of his duels.
The rogue swordsman’s win rate was probably around 95%.
If he fought twenty times, he would make a mistake and lose about once.
Considering he won nearly 100% of his duels against other knights, Logan was exceptional.
Though today, I hadn’t been lucky enough to land in that rare 5%.
Now that I had seen my fair share of this fantasy-style dojo-conquering spectacle…
It was about time for me to step in.
“You had your fun. Let’s do this again sometime.”
Even as he prepared to leave, the rogue swordsman continued mocking Logan’s junior knights.
“Hold on.”
I called out to him.
All at once, the crowd’s attention shifted toward me.
“Are you talking to me?”
The rogue swordsman tilted his head, pointing at himself.
“Yeah, you. I challenge you to a duel.”
“Hah… Looks like I’ve really become popular. Never thought I’d see the day when people started challenging me first.”
He shrugged at the onlookers.
“I have a rule. Only one duel per day. If I fight too often, I’ll run out of entertainment too quickly.”
He spouted his arrogant nonsense, but I just scoffed.
“What, are you scared?”
“…What?”
His expression stiffened.
“Well, I guess there are plenty of strong people in this city. You must be afraid of losing face if you fight just anyone. That’s why you only pick opponents you know you can beat.”
The spectators murmured among themselves.
The rogue swordsman glared at me as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“You’re not even a knight to begin with.”
“Didn’t you hear what Logan said? Every man carries chivalry in his heart. I may not wear armor, but I’m a knight too.”
It was pure nonsense, but that only made it more exciting.
At the very least, the spectators didn’t seem to care, as long as they had something to watch.
“Fight! Fight!”
“Don’t chicken out. Accept the challenge!”
“Place your bets over here!”
Both the gamblers and the onlookers were all for it.
For someone who thrived on showmanship, ignoring them would be difficult.
Glancing around at the crowd that had once again formed a circle, he reluctantly drew his sword.
“The rules stay the same. Until someone surrenders or can’t move.”
As expected, he accepted my challenge.
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