The Royal Deal Chapter 193

[ … words ]

Lunia led her to a place which was dense with trees and bushes. It looked wild. The grasses there were so overgrown that they reached her waist. Lunia looked around the area as though trying to find something. She found a patch of grass which was sparser than the ones around it and combed the place with both hands to reveal a big hole among the bushes.

A peephole! I wonder why there is such a place near the training ground.

“Lunia! This…”

Lunia laughed. “Yes! This is the place I used when I was still training. I am sure a few of the newly anointed knights know of this place, too.”

The fact that the always uptight and law-abiding Lunia having such a rebellious side made Amethyst laugh in happiness.

“Madam, please crouch down and follow me,” said Lunia.

“Okay.”

As Lunia crouched down and crawled through the hole, Amethyst followed suit.

“We will come up to the training ground through this. Please be careful to not cross it fully otherwise we will get caught. We should watch from around here somewhere.”

“Okay,” whispered Amethyst. She soon joined Lunia in sitting behind the bushes. As Lunia had said, the arena was clearly visible, but the bushes hid them from view. The sound of clashing swords filled the air. It gave Amethyst goosebumps. She saw Alexcent in the arena fending attacks. Contrary to how she had imagined him, his cool and his calm was gone. He looked fierce. She was almost afraid of him.

His face looked foreign, close to alarming. His eyes were red, and they looked crazy. His lips were tightly shut. The only thing that he emanated was the intent to kill and crush. There was no hint of a smile on his face.

It wasn’t just him. Everyone around him had the same aura. They were no longer recognizable. The knights who had laughed and joked with her always looked transformed into something unfamiliar. They were all tensed, focused and ready to kill.

“I am sure there won’t be a time in the future to see him like this. He is the best in battle. He is able to identify his opponents’ weakness at an instant and attack very swiftly,” said Lunia. “He doesn’t turn into a monster as people say though, it is just an analogy people use because he is indomitable when fighting.”

Amethyst recalled Buer and Gen calling him a monster in battle, only now she knew what they had meant. Alexcent looked like the same human but somehow completely transformed. She felt shivers run down her back and wrapped her arms around herself for comfort. I have been so reckless, she thought, I squeezed his cheeks and playfully hit him on his back…

She realized that his restraint, even in his anger towards her, was greater than he would show anyone else.

Clang! Leyrian’s sword fell to the ground and another duel came to an end. Hill must have realized that things were futile the way they were and started to strategize.

“Marcus! Lugent!”

“Yes!”

“Join in as well!”

Marcus, who was watching from a few paces away, clenched his sword and entered the arena. Other knights followed as well.

“Marcus, you handle the back with Buer.”

“Sure.” At Hill’s orders, Marcus directed his energy towards his sword.

“The rest take either side. One blow is all we need. Even a scratch on his sleeve will be considered a success. Aim for the right sleeve.”

“Okay!”

Even if one of them could just touch the duke with their sword, the duel would end. Otherwise, it seemed today’s duel would end only with someone’s death. When the knights joined and made for Alexcent, Amethyst covered her mouth resisting a scream. She was struggling not to make a sound. If she did, they would be caught.

“Madam? Is everything okay?” asked Lunia, worried for Amethyst. Unlike her, Lunia looked very calm and composed as though she saw this on a daily basis.

“Even if it is Alec… six people to one is too much. They are all skilled knights…”

“Don’t worry. Nothing will happen to the duke.”

“But… Alec isn’t even using his usual sword that he is comfortable with.” The knights all had their swords imbued with magic, but Alexcent only used an ordinary sword.

“My lady, the ones you should actually be worried about right now are the knights. If His Excellency fights with his own sword, nobody would come out of this training alive. He knows this so he is being lenient with them.”

Amethyst turned to look at the knights. She realized that Lunia was right. The knights didn’t look very good. Alexcent appeared to be at ease, while his opponents already looked tired. Even so, she felt worried. In a duel, lives were at risk.

Alexcent glanced at the bushes where they were hiding and turned back to the knights, his lips turned up in a smile. Amethyst was startled. She didn’t miss it. He looked this way! Did he see me? Have I been caught?