High-pitched screams and wails echoed throughout the dark chamber. The sounds of chains rattling bit sharply into the damp air, and the rhythmic drops of water built up to a dramatic climax that never came.
Crouched in the darkness, Linnie and Prince listened with bated breath. Marielle and Liora were waiting for them just outside… but, where was outside?
And, to make it all worse, the heavy sound of bear-sized footsteps were growing closer and closer.
You're probably wondering how our protagonist got into such a terrifying situation. Well, it all started that afternoon. After Linnie and Liora… settled their matters, they awkwardly decided to venture out into the city together.
'Damn it, I was kind of looking forwards to exploring by myself… but when she asked, it felt like I couldn't refuse! And after that emotional moment together… what the hell am I saying? The blood loss is making my thinking all messed-up. At least the annoying ones aren't following me around, too.'
"Linnie! Over here!"
It was a cart of oil-fried dough. The smell was… incredible! Linnie promptly slammed a coin onto the table and demanded two servings.
"Hehe—hey, what're you doing?"
"Huh? I'm eating my… sorry, what'd you call this, sir? Funnel cake?"
"I thought you got that one for me!"
"Uh, no? Buy your own."
"…That money's for the both of us, though."
"Excuse me, but, the coin you gave me is worth five servings, kid," the vendor said, pushing three more funnel cakes into Liora's hands.
The desserts only lasted a few moments—not even making it to the next cart. And, it was the same story with the next one. And the next one…
"I think I'm… gonna puke…" Linnie groaned.
"Really? But I don't think we've even got halfway through all the carts."
"…Who said we were ever doing that!?"
"We weren't? Why did we just eat all that food, then?"
"You were the one that—whoa, what's that?"
Now that they were at the shore, the beach was visible. Corvailles was built inside and around a bay—albeit, a very large bay. On the sand, there was a wooden, arena-sized platform that was raised ten or so feet off the ground. A massive crowd surrounded it, and the sounds of cheers could be heard from across the city.
In the center of the platform, two people stood—a man and a woman. The man was tall and broad-shouldered, while the woman was of shorter stature. They both held wooden swords. Unlike the normally dressed man, the woman wore an unusual, golden porcelain mask painted with intricate black accents, and a black cloak covered her entire body. On her head was a black jester-esque cap that concealed her hair.
It was quite the strange sight. Strangest of it all, though, was how the small woman was effortlessly dominating the brawny man in the duel. In seconds, the wooden sword flew from his hand, and the woman's sword tapped against his chest.
It was her victory.
By the time they reached the crowd, the woman was already in another duel. It seemed that this was a free-to-enter event—a stage to display and test your dueling prowess.
Linnie considered stepping up, but he wasn't sure if he was allowed to participate without wielding a sword. He was completely useless with combat weapons, never having used them before, so he decided to spare himself the humiliation.
'Why isn't there a wrestling stage like this one?'
"Linnie, look! A wrestling stage!"
"Really? No way! I wanna—"
Before he could finish, the crowd erupted into cheers. The sound and agitation of the crowd nearly knocked them off their feet, and they retreated away from the dense center.
"What's hapening?" Linnie asked.
"I don't know, I can't see. Up there! We can get a view!"
Liora pulled him over to a large rock on the sand. Footholds were carved into it—perhaps it was meant for one of the festival's games. Right now, though, the apprentices were using it to get a good view of the stage.
And what Linnie saw made his jaw drop.
Standing there on the platform was a tall, handsome, and built man wearing a loosely buttoned white shirt. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his muscular arms, and a wooden sword was in his hand. His golden hair blew in the wind.
"The prince?" Linnie mumbled in confusion.
"Huh? That's not The Prince, dummy. That man's way too big and cool-looking."
"I think the word is handsome... and that is the prince. The Crown Prince."
"What!? There's two princes?"
"Yeah. Actually, he said he wanted to meet you. Ahem, for whatever reason."
"Really!? A prince wants to meet me in private after hearing of my beauty... that's kind of romantic, don't you think?"
"What the hell are you talking about!?"
The crowd's cheers once again interrupted their conversation, and they turned their full attention to the stage.
The woman stood opposed to Prince Odrick, and they both held the same wooden swords.
"So? Is he strong?" Liora asked.
"I think so. He's a knight, pretty much. Aliza said he's around the same level as Alwyn, in whatever way knight strength is converted to wizard strength."
"Ehh... you know, I've never even seen Alwyn really do anything, yet. And I've never seen a knight before, either. So those words are kind of meaningless to me."
"Oh. That's right. Well, I don't think you're gonna see anything that impressive here, either, though. If he's really as strong as he says, then that girl is doomed. I bet it ends in one move."
"Noooo... but she's so strong!? I was kind of rooting for her..."
"Nope, totally dead."
The match started, and the large platform suddenly seemed a lot smaller than in the previous matches. The distance between the two closed instantly, and though they were too far to see the details, Linnie could bet Odrick was smiling.
That's because, while the distance may have closed before anyone could blink... Odrick hadn't moved an inch.
There was no loud clanging as their swords collided. Of course, that's because the blades were made out of wood. The clacking, though, could be heard even from the top of the rock that Linnie was sitting on.
He could've sworn he felt a gust of air after the first strike, but it might've just been the sea breeze.
The clacking sounded again and again as the masked woman continued her assault. She put her entire body into every slash and stab, as if she was a tiger and her sword was only an extension of her claws.
Despite the vicious attack, no retaliation came from Odrick. The glowing man only blocked. Not once did he move anything above his elbow. The man didn't even dodge—not even a little.
Then, he took a step forwards. Linnie gulped, feeling the pressure emanating from the platform. He glanced to his side and saw Liora, whose eyes were wide with awe.
The masked woman leapt backwards, creating distance between Odrick and herself. That distance didn't last very long, though, as Odrick cleared it instantaneously.
He raised his sword in the air slowly, as if to say 'I'm going to hit you, and there's nothing you can do about it.'
It cut downwards through the air, and everyone observing the fight couldn't help but to wince.
Miraculously, though... the woman was unharmed. In the last second, she stepped to the side, not even needing to block the strike with her sword.