Chapter 55: The Wager of National Fate
"But the problem is Marie!"
From that previous remark, it could be inferred that Marie's class this time might not be Rider, but an Avenger who has been blackened.
She was no longer the innocent and adorable Austrian princess, but a French Queen with a devious, petty nature who always seeks revenge.
Eikou didn't think there was any way to have a proper conversation with someone like that.
"Gawain, Tristan, let's make a hypothetical assumption…"
He analyzed seriously:
"We've accidentally stumbled into a hot spring accident, and the people we need to explain to are members of the rival class… She's not friendly at all, holds grudges, and apparently she's even the Vice President of the Student Council, someone with huge authority in the school. And on top of that, the monthly exams—the inter-class competition—are right around the corner. What do you think she'll do?"
"She'll definitely use this as an excuse to threaten us! Our entire high school life will be spent under her terrifying rule!"
Tristan said this with utmost seriousness.
If in a situation like this they were caught by the dark Queen of France, the careers of the Knights of the Round Table were as good as over.
"So, should we take the gamble?" Eikou asked hesitantly.
"It's better… not to…"
Gawain pondered for a moment, then finally shook his head.
"A clear conscience fears no slander, but idle gossip could stain the honor of the Knights of the Round Table and bring shame upon the visage of Our King… Is there no way to turn a big issue into a small one, and a small one into nothing?"
"The only option is to sneak away while they're not paying attention."
"But how? The main exit is already occupied by the girls. Are we supposed to just walk right past them?"
"Who said anything about the main exit? We'll climb the wall." Eikou suggested.
"Climb the wall…"
Gawain considered the possibility.
With their physical ability, scaling the high wall surrounding the hot spring wouldn't be difficult.
But the problem was—their clothes were still in the changing room at the entrance.
"It's fine… At the very least, we still have our towels. This is the final line of defense to preserve a man's honor—so we're not caught running naked down the street."
Eikou spoke with utmost seriousness.
As he spoke, he carefully tightened the towel around his waist, afraid it might suddenly fall.
For Eikou right now, that thin towel was no different from the Absolute Demonic Front defending Uruk, safeguarding the last shred of dignity a man could have—it absolutely could not be lost.
"Anyway, I'd rather run out wearing only a towel than stay on this battlefield another second."
"Understood…" Gawain nodded solemnly. "Sir Eikou speaks with reason. I agree with this course of action."
"I agree as well. My personal honor is one thing, but we absolutely cannot disgrace the Round Table." Tristan concurred.
Eikou thought silently to himself—he was already the biggest stain on the Knights of the Round Table anyway.
But now wasn't the time for jokes. The three exchanged glances filled with determination.
If they were discovered, their reputations would be ruined, they could be blackmailed, and there was even the risk of suspension…
And with the inter-class battles just about to begin, how could they stumble at such a critical moment? Dragging down the progress of the Britain class was simply unforgivable!
The three stacked their hands together.
"Our mission tonight could very well affect the honor and victory of the Britain class…"
"For Our King, for our class, for the Round Table, and for our purity as knights—in short…"
"A wager on the fate of a nation!"
"This is—the battle to save Britain!"
It seemed their voices had grown a bit too loud, because Bradamante, who was closest, caught some of the noise.
"I think I heard something."
The female Paladin noticed movement behind the rock and called out loudly: "Hello! Is someone there?"
The three young men froze in panic and immediately clamped their mouths shut, hiding behind the rock.
Bradamante tightened her towel around herself and slowly swam toward the rock to check.
"What do we do? Someone's coming…" Tristan whispered.
"That girl's a hardcore fan of the Knights of the Round Table, right? If she sees this scene, her dreams will be shattered," Eikou muttered.
"We absolutely cannot let that happen!"
"No choice then, we're going all in—let's dive to the other side. With the mist this thick, she might not see us."
[The Paladin Bradamante is closing in on your position.]
[You immediately make a decision and lead the two Knights of the Round Table to dive toward the opposite shore.]
[Roll one Luck check, and one Agility check.]
Two dice rolled simultaneously.
[Agility Check Result: C — Success.]
[Luck Check Result: B — Success.]
[You successfully swim to the other side of the rock without being noticed by Bradamante or the other girls.]
Eikou cautiously raised his head above the water.
Good, they were still safe for now.
The other two Knights of the Round Table also surfaced one after another, and after confirming that everyone was still in one piece, they all exhaled in relief.
"Good… the whole team survived…"
Eikou and Gawain climbed out of the hot spring and hid in the decorative shrubs.
"The next step is to find a way over this wall. Beyond that high wall… lies freedom…!"
"..."
Tristan remained silent, still curled up in the hot water.
"What's wrong, Tristan? Hurry up and get out here! Freedom is before our eyes!" Eikou urged impatiently.
"You two go on without me…"
His voice carried pure despair.
"What the hell,"
Eikou froze.
"You bastard, don't tell me lust has clouded your mind and you want to sneak a peek at the girls bathing?! This is not the time for perverted crap, you idiot! Even if you're horny, there's got to be a limit!"
But then Tristan stood up with a face full of anguish.
The towel that should have been wrapped around his waist had completely disappeared; he could only use both hands to cover his lower body.
Gawain and Eikou were instantly struck dumb.
Their faces turned pale, sinking into deep despair.
"Tristan, your towel…"
The final line of defense protecting the honor of the Round Table—"The Now Unreachable Utopia"—had completely collapsed!
"When I swam across, I realized the towel was gone…"
"What?! Then let's go back and look for it!"
"No, Bradamante is still over there," Tristan hurriedly waved his hands. "I'd rather climb the wall and escape like this than face a girl who admires the Knights of the Round Table while looking this disgraceful! It would shatter her dreams!"
"You idiot, letting you go out like this would be even worse! Compared to her dreams, your chastity and honor have already been blown to pieces, you know that?!"
"I'll use both hands to cover everything down there."
"Covering just your 'harp' isn't gonna help! You think it's fine as long as you hide the 'headstock' and the 'neck'? The rest of your body is completely exposed! Does it not matter if your bare back gets filmed?!"
Eikou immediately felt a throbbing headache and slammed his fist angrily against the ground.
Damn it, this unlucky bastard Tristan! His Luck E just had to screw them over at the worst possible moment!
"Our national fate operation… could it be about to fail?!"