Fireworks exploded at the center of the uninhabited island, signaling the start of the match. —The match has officially begun. You are now free to move as you wish.” Leaving behind only that announcement, the official departed. Anis, removing his blindfold, immediately surveyed his surroundings. “Looks like I'm at the edge of the island.” He was standing at a spot where even one careless step backward would send him straight over a cliff. It was almost too obvious. Behind him were crashing waves against the cliffs, and ahead of him was a dense forest. The towering mountain above was the only mountain on the island and the location of the escape portal. The terrain was exactly as Myle had described, but there was one variable no one had predicted: he had no bow or arrows. Anis let out a deep sigh. Sefira’s archery style included shooting from a prone position. While this was common knowledge among Sefira’s archers, it was unheard of for most swordsmen. Anis had planned to fully exploit this advantage, lying in ambush among bushes and rocks to snipe passing opponents. But without a bow and arrows, that plan was meaningless. If I hadn’t trained under Keter, I would’ve been doomed. Before his training, he couldn’t even create an Aura Bow, and his close combat skills were nowhere near the level needed to beat a three-star knight. The elixirs Keter had given him, the grueling joint training with mercenaries, Heavenly Strength— all of it had given Anis a new level of confidence. The situation’s bad, but it’s not hopeless. I can at least make an Aura Bow and Arrows. And I still have Heavenly Strength. However, Aura Bow and Aura Arrows were extremely conspicuous, since aura naturally emitted light. And what was worse was that once he formed an Aura Bow, he could only shoot about seven arrows. More complex structures consumed more aura, and bows were far more complex than swords. Originally, Anis had aimed to collect ten badges and earn five points, but now he had to urgently revise his plan. “I have to find either a bow or arrows.” With his mind made up, Anis slipped into the forest, moving carefully rather than quickly. He hadn't gone far when he felt a presence nearby. He frowned, as he could sense that the sound was close. They probably haven't found weapons yet either. No need to fight unless absolutely necessary. Finding my bow and arrows takes priority. There was still plenty of time. Other knights were likely more focused on finding weapons or elixirs rather than picking fights bare-handed. However, something was wrong. The presence was deliberately moving toward him. Lowering his posture, Anis clenched his fists. Thinking it must be an enemy noble targeting Sefira, Anis created an Aura Bow and nocked an Aura Arrow. As he was about to fire… “Anis! Don’t shoot! It’s me!” From the bushes emerged Taragon. If Anis hadn’t trained under Keter, he would have lowered his guard immediately. But after everything he had learned, Anis continued to aim at Taragon. “What’s the name of the ninth form of Zodiac Archery?” Seeing Taragon stumble, Anis lowered his arrow. “You don't know it, so it’s really you.” Taragon seemed unsure whether to feel happy or sad. “More importantly, how did you know I was here?” “I wasn’t specifically looking for you. I was moving carefully while searching for a bow and arrows, but I sensed someone nearby and came to check, and it was you.” Anis was surprised for two reasons. First, it was because Taragon had detected him before he noticed him, which meant Taragon’s stealth and detection skills had surpassed his own. Second, it was because the two of them had started right next to each other on this island. Anis doubted that it was a coincidence. “Taragon. I think we’ve started in a trap.” “You mean how they took our weapons by adding a new rule at the last minute? That’s really…” “Shh. Focus your senses. If I’m right, there are people targeting us already.” Taragon, too, had grown under Keter's training. He realized that when someone trustworthy gave an order, he should obey immediately; it didn’t matter if he fully understood the reason or not. His body reacted first before he could think. Taragon, whose detection ability was sharper than Anis’, sensed it clearly: multiple presences were closing in from all sides. “Anis, I want to believe this is just a coincidence, but… there are people surrounding us, tightening their formation.” “It’s no coincidence. Starting you and me next to each other, putting us at the edge of a cliff—none of it’s random. How many of them are there?” “Ten. They’re not packed too tightly. If we move quickly, we can break through.” “Hold on. Even if we break through, they’ll chase us. Since we have to search for weapons and supplies, it’s better to avoid unnecessary fights.” The battle royale wasn’t about showing off strength; it was about survival. Even if they won a fight, if they couldn’t gather badges afterward, it would just drain their stamina for no gain. “In that case, why don’t we deal with them here? They must have come straight here without finding weapons either. If we use a lot of aura to take them out quickly, we can stay hidden afterward and focus on finding bows and arrows until our aura is replenished.” “You have a point, but I want to assume the worst: they already have weapons, at least one or two are three-star knights, and if we drag this out, reinforcements will come.” Ten knights had coordinated their movements from the start. Anyone could see that the tournament was rigged. As such, it wasn’t impossible to think they had started with swords. It was an unfair and ridiculous situation, but now was not the time to complain. They had two choices: fight or flee. Anis placed a hand on Taragon’s shoulder. Anis quickly whispered his plan to Taragon, who nodded immediately after hearing it. “I’ll do exactly as you say.” Tens of thousands of people watched the participants’ feats through a single giant screen set up above the stands. —T… The Sword Dragon! —Go on. You're no match for me. On the screen, Rajis, the Sword Dragon, was shown letting a three-star knight pass unharmed after a brief encounter. “As expected of Lord Rajis, the Sword Dragon. Since the opponent had no will to fight, he let him go right away. Truly a model knight.” “But then, who’s actually going to fight him? No one wants to face Lord Rajis. What if he ends up with zero points?” “If only he were a bit better-looking…” While the citizens were exchanging opinions about the Sword Dragon’s actions, the view on the screen quickly shifted—this time to Jordic, the Spear Dragon, who was fighting two three-star knights at once. —Damn it! How did he find a spear so quickly?! Though the opponents had swords, they were no match for Jordic, who wielded a spear. In just seven exchanges, Jordic overpowered both knights, collected their badges without ceremony, and moved on. “Not quite like the Sword Dragon, but still, Lord Jordic is amazing. His spear bends like taffy!” “Did you see how he was swinging that heavy spear with one hand, but the two knights could barely defend?” “Saying swords are supreme is so outdated!” In fact, among noble families, spearmanship was the second most common after swordsmanship, mainly because spears were easier to learn. The screen continued to broadcast violent scenes: fighters engaging in brutal hand-to-hand combat without weapons, or knights forming alliances to hunt down lone participants. The people didn’t just cheer; they also booed at knights who handed over their badges to avoid conflict, or those who camped near the escape portal without fighting. “Boo! What are you doing?! That’s boring!” Thɪs chapter is updated by 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝙣𝙚𝙩 “Fight fair and square! Are you even knights?!” “Which family is that disgraceful knight from?!” They would never dare say such things in front of knights in person, but under the guise of a grand festival with tens of thousands gathered, they were bold enough to yell whatever they pleased. Meanwhile, the nobles were enjoying the tournament from their private rooms. While commoners had no choice over what to watch, nobles could freely select the screen they wanted to view. Most of them monitored their family’s knights or participants they were personally interested in, just as Myle was keeping an eye on his younger siblings, Anis and Taragon. “How can they change the rules on the day of the tournament? Lord Eslow is supposed to oversee the tournament!” There was no way for Myle to figure out that Eslow had allowed Sefira to participate to test them. Not having expected that the rules would be manipulated to sabotage them, he repeatedly bit his lower lip in nervousness. For a swordsman, losing a sword was inconvenient but manageable—they could simply pick up any sword and continue fighting, even if it wasn't ideal for their style or physique. But for an archer? There was nothing an archer could do if handed a sword. It wasn't like they could shoot arrows with it. What infuriated Myle even more was that bows and arrows were treated separately. “If they were going to separate bows and arrows, they might as well have split swords into blades and hilts too.” Next to Myle, Katherine and Didos were watching with similarly grim expressions. “Still, it’s fortunate that both of them trained in hand-to-hand combat. We didn’t expect a situation , but at least they're prepared.” Katherine knew better than anyone how fiercely Anis and Taragon had trained. They had honed their close-combat skills extensively, preparing for all possible scenarios. Didos also tried to reassure Myle, adding, “Lord Myle, both Lord Anis and Lord Taragon had already surpassed the level of the Galaxy Knights in close-quarters combat. Please don't worry too much. They will surely succeed.” Typically, mercenaries were superior to knights when it came to hand-to-hand fighting. Anis and Taragon had learned directly from those mercenaries, learning through real, brutal combat. While the hundreds of knights gathered here surely had experience in fighting, few of them had fought dozens of mercenaries back-to-back without rest. Thanks to their encouragement, Myle managed to stop his habit of biting his lip until it bled. Feeling something missing, Myle looked around. Keter had definitely been with them earlier, but at some point, he had disappeared without anyone noticing. Myle hadn't noticed, so neither could Katherine or Didos. “Y-yeah… where did he go?” Even though they were glued to the screens, not a single one of them realized Keter was no longer by their side. “He’s not off causing trouble again, is he?” “No way. The tournament’s already started,” Katherine said. As she pointed out, the match was well underway. What kind of trouble could he possibly cause now? But they had overlooked one crucial detail. Unlike the commoners’ bleacher-style seating, the nobles' area was composed of private rooms—luxurious suites offering all kinds of services. In a large and luxurious private room, the three nobles allied with Galahind were laughing loudly as they watched Anis and Taragon’s trouble on the screen. Just then, someone knocked at the door. A knight guarding the room cracked the door open and said, “What is it?” “It’s a gift from Viscount Monsord. It’s a two-hundred-year-old Sangreal.” “Wine? Alright, hand it over.” “Would you allow me to bring it in myself?” “That's not allowed." A platinum coin was discreetly pushed through the door crack. The knight briefly looked around, then pocketed the coin. He opened the door a little wider and whispered, “Just make your appearance and get out. Don’t mention that I let you in.” Many baronets and knights wanted to get into the good graces of the high nobles. This wasn’t the first time the knight had accepted a bribe . The one who entered the room was Keter. He didn’t disguise his face or change his voice. He came exactly as he was. “Wait a minute... I've seen you before.” The knight stopped Keter. Though he had never met Keter in person, he had seen his portrait before. Suspicious, he glared at Keter with narrowed eyes. Keter simply shrugged. “Well, I do have a face that's hard to forget.” “Hmm. Couldn't be. Go ahead.” The knight couldn’t possibly imagine that Keter would show up here alone, without disguise, brazenly carrying wine, and neither could Galahind. “What is this? Who are you?” Normally, when asked that, one would announce which family they were from. Instead, Keter casually extended the wine bottle. “This is a two-hundred-year-old Sangreal from Viscount Monsord.” The mention of a two-hundred-year-old Sangreal immediately made Galahind’s eyes widen. “What?! A two-hundred-year-old Sangreal? Are you trying to deceive me? Fewer than ten bottles exist in the entire kingdom! And you're saying some no-name viscount got his hands on one?” “Allow me to verify it,” said Count Eiwen. Eiwen, who was sitting beside Galahind, was a wine enthusiast. He took the Sangreal from Keter and began inspecting it thoroughly. Of course, it was a genuine Sangreal, as Keter had personally stolen it from Eslow's wine cellar. However, it wasn’t exactly in perfect condition anymore; it was laced with a generous amount of odorless, tasteless laxative. “...Impossible! It's genuine! How could he possibly have obtained this? As far as I know, this bottle is so precious that you must be someone like Lord Eslow to own a bottle…” Once Galahind confirmed its authenticity, he burst out laughing. “Haha! A genuine two-hundred-year-old Sangreal! Excellent! A wine worthy of celebrating this glorious moment! Hahahaha! Ah, I shall remember the name of Viscount Monsord. You may go now.” Galahind quickly turned his attention back to the wine and the tournament screens, forgetting about Keter entirely. Pretending to leave, Keter slipped into the restroom instead. From his clothes, he pulled out a small silver disc and attached it to the ceiling. It was Rose, the masterpiece of Ragnon the Bomber. Despite Ailos telling him not to mess with it, Keter had heavily modified it to massively reduce its blast radius, only enough to destroy the bathroom. He linked the bomb’s trigger to the door handle using a mana thread. After planting it, he returned to the hall just as casually as when he entered. Keter hadn’t planned this in retaliation for Galahind altering the tournament rules. The plan to deliver a “gift” of wine and explosives had been made regardless, as tormenting enemies was fun and deliciously satisfying! However, even Keter hadn’t expected it to go this smoothly. When he claimed he was delivering a bribe for Galahind, the attendants had led him straight to the room without suspicion. The knight barely even checked him. Keter almost felt disappointed that no fight had broken out. He had mentally prepared for it, just in case. Meanwhile, Galahind, completely oblivious to what fate awaited him, happily watched Anis and Taragon standing frozen on the screen. “Hahaha, look at them, stiff as turtles. Truly pathetic. Count Eiwen, you've handled your part, yes?” “As soon as Anis and Taragon are defeated, we’ve arranged for the screen to switch to their moment of failure for all citizens to see.” “Good work. And Count Delmore?” “We gave advance instructions to the event organizers to keep officials away from Sefira’s vicinity.” Galahind then turned to the last noble, Count Bristan, who also nodded. “There will be no knights interfering with our little operation.” “Perfect! Flawless! Absolutely flawless! Hahahaha!” “A toast, Lord Galahind. A Sangreal at this moment will make it even more meaningful.” “Indeed. Let’s drink together.” Anis and Taragon are rats in a trap. Now feeling secure, the nobles finally turned away from the screens and raised their glasses. They clinked their glasses and took their first sip, which took no more than ten seconds. What could possibly happen in such a short time? The first to react was Eiwen, who quickly set his glass down. “What’s wrong? Has it already started?” asked Delmore. Clutching the screen with both hands, Eiwen shouted, “They’re gone. Is my screen malfunctioning?!” “Gone? What nonsense…!” Yet the same thing was happening on everyone’s screens. Just moments ago, Anis and Taragon had been hunched and still, but now the feed showed nothing but an empty patch of ground. The once-joyful atmosphere instantly plummeted. Silently, they flipped through screen after screen. But no matter where they searched, Anis and Taragon were nowhere to be found. “W-what’s going on?! Where the hell did they go?!” Meanwhile, back on the uninhabited island, ten knights, sent by Galahind to ambush Anis and Taragon, arrived at the location, only to find no one there. The knights exchanged confused looks. “Strange. We should have encountered them here…” “There's no way they could have broken through the encirclement.” They began scanning the area but quickly gave up as they could not see any footprints or sense any signs of movement. “Let's head toward their starting point. They might have retreated there.” “Agreed. They might have decided to hole up and wait.” “Keep formation as we move. We might run into them on the way.” The sound of waves echoed as they reached the cliff where Anis and Taragon had started. “There’s no one here.” One knight even checked over the cliff’s edge, though he doubted it. “Could they have climbed down the cliff?” “That would be insane. They couldn't have known we were coming.” “But look here— the footprints stop right at the edge. If they had gone into the forest, there would be tracks leading that way.” One knight, who looked smarter than the others in appearance, pointed this out. Everyone focused on him. “Maybe they thought there could be weapons or elixirs down below and decided to climb down? The whole island isn’t surrounded by cliffs, after all. If you look carefully, there are plenty of rocks to step on to reach the shoreline.” “If it were anyone else, maybe not, but if it’s Sefira… it’s believable.” Publicly, Sefira was seen as cowards—avoiding fights and focusing on defense. But if they hadn't encountered Anis and Taragon during the ambush, then this theory was the only plausible explanation. “Still, we don't know if they went right or left along the coast.” “No need to climb down ourselves and be reckless. Let’s split up and cover both sides of the shoreline.” The ten knights divided into two groups of five and moved out. Shortly afterward, at the eastern shoreline, five knights began scouring the area. But even after an hour, there was no sign of Anis and Taragon. “Maybe they slipped and fell into the sea?” “Or maybe they went the other way.” “We’ll have to check. Let’s move along the cliff edge. You two stay here and guard this spot.” Two knights approached the rocks pointed out toward the sea. They were going to follow them and head toward the starting point. They heard a strange sound. They started to turn around, but… Arrows flew straight into them.