Chapter 175 - FIRST SWORD (2)

‘Banquet of Swords.’

A small banquet organized by Duke Spencer for swordsmen.

It wasn’t such a big event in terms of form.

It was not much different from the usual tea parties the nobility routinely held.

‘But if its history and tradition reach 300 years.’

And if the organizer was Duke Spencer, a prominent noble and someone who held the title of ‘Sword Teacher,’ it would be a different story.

‘Its authority is considerable.’

That person did well in the Banquet of Swords.

That person was recognized at the Banquet of Swords.

Stories like that might seem insignificant, but it had a significant meaning in the S?len Kingdom.

‘The Banquet of Swords is a place where only true swordsmen are gathered.’

The reason why the Banquet of Swords continued to stay at a level of a ‘small event’ in terms of size was because Duke Spencer had set a high standard for attending the Banquet of Swords.

Even if your name was quite known in your area, you would not be able to attend the Banquet of Swords.

Even if your parents or teachers were famous, you would not be given an invitation.

In order to be invited to the Banquet of Swords, you must prove that your skills are real by either having an interesting story that no one could deny, or a letter of recommendation from a considerably skilled person in his or her own honor.

In the former case, it was near impossible to pass it by lying because the people of Duke Spencer would carefully investigate the story for any truth or exaggerated parts, and in the latter case, the honor of the recommender was at stake, so it would obviously be impossible for them to recommend a mediocre person.

‘After all, this is the Banquet of Swords.’

It was a very prestigious event for swordsmen in the S?len Kingdom.

What would happen if there was a rumor that a mediocre person was recommended to such a place?

‘Having a bad discerning eye wouldn’t even work as an excuse.’

It was literally a recommendation with their honor on the line.

‘Anyway, it’s that kind of event.’

It was such an event of immense authority that just an invitation to it allowed you to boast of that fact.

For the swordsmen born and raised in the S?len Kingdom, it was literally the stage of their dreams.

But Jude didn’t know much about this great event.

The reason was simple – he had no information about the Banquet of Swords in either his past life or present life.

‘Because it was never held in the game.’

After all, the Banquet of Swords was an event held by the Spencer family.

Therefore, it could not be held if the head of the family, Duke Spencer, was sick. So from the beginning of?Legend of Heroes 2?up to its end, or to be precise, from the time Duke Spencer was still sick up to the point when the S?len Kingdom fell, the event was not held because Duke Spencer had died at that time too and the Red Rose Castle had become the birthplace of a raid monster.

In short, the event never happened in the game.

‘It was only a background setting.’

One would only hear stories about that event.

The stories related to it were only at the level of character lines, like for example, ‘Will the Banquet of Swords not be held this year? It’s such a shame.’

‘But I didn’t expect it from my present memories too.’

The stories that he had heard when he lived as Jude.

Count Chase had snorted and bragged about his friend, Count Bayer, and his prospective son-in-law, Ga?l, having attended the Banquet of Swords and performing well in it.

‘And those two are my father and older brother.’

So it would not have been strange if Jude knew about it in great detail, but unfortunately, Jude knew little about the Banquet of Swords.

Because Count Bayer judged that it would be too much to talk about the Banquet of Swords to Jude who couldn’t learn swordsmanship even if he wanted to, because of his Gueumjulmaek.

‘I like his personality.’

One could say that he was a father who really cared about his child.

Count Bayer and Ga?l were both pure-hearted when it came to their personalities.

‘Well, there was no need for me to know about the details in full anyway.’

Because the Banquet of Swords changed its format little by little each time it was held.

To begin with, the purpose of the Banquet of Swords was to gather the prospects of the S?len Kingdom and broaden their horizons, and not to determine who the best prospect was.

‘Whether they hold a tournament or something else, I just need to do my best and get a prize.’

He didn’t have any intentions of hiding his power.

There was no benefit for him if he hid his power.

‘Of course, if I hide my strength, the bullies who come at me without knowing anything would be surprised… it’ll be fun to step on them.’

Just like what happened to Lucian yesterday.

But Jude didn’t really find it that enticing.

In the first place, Jude wasn’t the kind of person who enjoyed teasing people.

‘Except for Cordelia.’

Teasing Cordelia was no different from the pleasures of life that Jude had enjoyed in his previous life.

‘It’s really amazing.’

Why was he so obsessed with Cordelia in his previous life even though he didn’t know her face, age, or sex?

‘Is this… fate?’

Jude was instantly flustered at the thought that came to his mind unconsciously, and he turned his gaze to side as his face slightly turned red.

Because he wanted to see Cordelia after having those thoughts.

But when he looked at her, he found Cordelia to be a little strange.

Since it was the Banquet of Swords, Cordelia who wore a dress alone stood out more than usual at a place where even women wore training outfits, but that wasn’t what made her look strange.

‘She’s completely lost in her thoughts.’

She stood there with her eyes looking ahead, but she wasn’t actually looking ahead of her.

He wasn’t sure if she was imagining or recalling something, but it was clear to him that she was thinking of something else.

‘Is it because… of what happened yesterday?’

Or of what happened last night with Scarlet?

Sir Cornwell was saying some good things about the Banquet of Swords in front of them, but Jude had gradually stopped listening to him.

Because he was worried about what Cordelia was thinking.

So Jude stared at Cordelia who continued to stare blankly in front of her.

And as Jude had thought, Cordelia was in the middle of thinking about the events that happened last night.

***

“Oh, this is quite frustrating. I definitely want to stab you to death, but touching your cheek feels so nice that I want to forgive you.”

It feels like I’m touching a cat’s paw pads.

No, those two are incomparable.

Her cheeks are truly like the finest delicacy.

“I really want to touch it every day…”

Scarlet sighed without realizing it, and the startled Cordelia struggled to remove Scarlet’s hand.

“Stop, stop touching me. It’s not yours, okay?”

“What? Is it Black Cloak’s then? Is it his so I can’t touch it?”

“Eh, it’s mine though? But why are you suddenly talking about Jude?!”

“But isn’t it Black Cloak’s?”

“It’s mine, it’s mine.”

“Then, since it doesn’t have an owner, can it be mine?”

“What?”

What kind of logic is that?

And why does it not have an owner. I just said that it was mine!

Scarlet giggled when the annoyed Cordelia cutely grumbled, having expected it. She then hugged Cordelia all of a sudden and stroked Cordelia’s head.

“Ah, I’m being healed.”

“Hey, why me? And what’s wrong with you?”

“Well, I’m not sure either?”

Scarlet giggled in a bit of a silly manner as she hugged Cordelia’s waist again, and Cordelia eventually slouched her shoulders, having given up resisting.

“Okay, just do what you want, do what you want.”

“Really? Can I really do what I want?”

Scarlet’s question made Cordelia come back to her senses. Because Scarlet’s eyes looked really dangerous when she saw it.

“Excuse me? Ms. Rogue Master?”

“Just kidding, just kidding.”

Scarlet giggled again before she released Cordelia from her embrace and asked as she held her own chin.

“Anyway, Pink Bomb. Why do you want to avoid being alone with Black Cloak and used the excuse of girl talk?”

“Eh?”

“Hey, even if I’m like this, I’m the Rogue Master, okay? And you said something earlier.”

Cordelia had asked if she and Jude had looked like they were dating.

“Huh, wait a second. No way…are you two not in a relationship?”

Cordelia winced at Scarlet’s question.

And Scarlet became more suspicious at Cordelia flinching.

Does that mean that the rumor was false?

What about the elopement then?

“Y-you’re wrong! We love each other so much, okay?! That’s why, you know! That’s why all those rumors came out!”

Scarlet’s eyes narrowed as Cordelia hurriedly rose from her seat and spoke in a hurry.

Because she found Cordelia acting so frantic to be very suspicious.

“How suspicious.”

“W-what is suspicious? Aren’t you the one’s who’s suspicious? You said that you wanted to stab me to death.”

We’re not rubbing salt into your wound, okay?

Cordelia tried hard to make excuses, but it was counterproductive. Rather, Scarlet’s doubts even deepened.

“Okay, then give me proof.”

“Proof?”

“Yes, proof. Proof that Black Cloak really loves you.”

At Scarlet’s words, Cordelia fell into even more panic.

Because that was what she had been thinking about these days, and she had yet been able to find an answer to that.

“You can’t?”

“N-no, I can, okay? There’s just a lot, okay?”

“Fine, then I’ll listen. Come here and tell me one by one.”

Scarlet lied down on the bed and gestured with her chin as she pointed at the spot next to her.

She seemed to be suggesting that they should lie down and talk.

“T-there? Now?”

“Yes, here and now. Let’s have a girl talk.”

Scarlet smiled and patted the spot next to her with her palm, and Cordelia looked very hesitant but eventually nodded.

She approached next to Scarlet and also lied down.

“Okay, tell me then. Proof that Black Cloak likes Pink Bomb.”

“W-wait a minute. There’s a lot. I don’t know where to start.”

“Hmmm, I see. There’s so many to choose from.”

As Scarlet teased her, Cordelia looked even more adorable, and Scarlet was able to feel the same way as Jude.

‘This is fun.’

It’s so fun.

How can such an adorable person be so fun to tease?

Scarlet began to be excited again at Cordelia’s cuteness while Cordelia could only fret and barely open her mouth as she found it hard to get over the trial right in front of her.

“First.”

“Yes, first.”

“Jude calls me P-Princess.”

“Oh, you have a pet name, huh?”

“Yes, a pet name. That.”

“But to call you a princess… Eh… really?”

“W-what’s wrong with being called a princess?”

“I mean, why is it not something like?baby? Anyway, keep going.”

At that moment, Cordelia imagined Jude calling her?baby?and suddenly felt really complicated.

It was crazily embarrassing, but also felt strangely nice.

‘Have I gone crazy?’

Why is my heart beating so fast again?

“Hey, hey, keep going. Could it be that you’ve run out things to talk about?”

“N-no. There’s just too many to choose from, okay?”

“Yes, yes. There must be too many to choose from.”

“Ahem, ahem.”

Cordelia regained her composure because of Scarlet, and said as she raised her finger.

“Next, Jude always gives me a piggyback ride whenever we travel to a far place. So that my legs won’t hurt.”

“Whoaaa.”

What is this? This feeling of wanting to tease her yet feeling I’m being made fun of at the same time?

Scarlet really wanted to hit her but also felt like she had been hit, so she decided to hold it in for now.

“And?”

“Uh… Ju-Jude always escorts me. Every time we go somewhere.”

“Isn’t that natural since you’re his fiancée?”

“I-is that so?”

He did it because I’m his fiancée?

“Well, we’ll see if you tell me more. Continue.”

“Uhhh… and… uh… that’s right. Jude always cooks for me. And he’s really good at cooking. I’m sure you’ll fall in love if you eat the meals Jude cooks.”

Cordelia spoke with shining eyes, but on the contrary, Scarlet’s eyes dimmed.

‘Is he taming a wild animal with food?’

But that proof seemed believable.

However, she still had some doubts about it.

“Hey, I’d like to ask. Do you like your family’s cook the same way as him?”

“B-but Jude does it even though he’s not a cook.”

Come to think of it, he never complained about doing it.

Is there a special reason why?

But it was then.

“Ah, I think I know why.”

“Huh? Really? You know?”

“You’re bad at cooking, right?”

When Scarlet pointed it out, Cordelia felt like a hammer struck her head at that moment and couldn’t say anything else.

The reason why Jude always cooked their meals.

The reason why he didn’t allow Cordelia to do it even if she asked him to let her do it once.

‘It’s…possible!’

And that was why she looked like she was struck by a hammer on the head.

She was greatly disappointed.

And her emotions came rushing in without her understanding why.

“Is that so? Is it because he doesn’t want to eat what I cook for him? Because it’s really bad?”

Cordelia asked as she cried a little without realizing it, and Scarlet hurriedly shook her head.

“N-no. That’s not it. I… I’m just saying it’s possible. D-don’t mind it. You can’t always put your heart into cooking if you have to do it all the time. Yes, that’s it. Cooking outside is troublesome work.”

Their situation had suddenly become the opposite, but now was not the time to think about it.

Scarlet was now the one who was in a panic as she realized that she made a big mistake when she saw Cordelia feeling depressed. So when Scarlet frantically spoke, Cordelia blinked her eyes and asked.

“Is it…like that?”

“Yes, it is. It’s definitely like that.”

Scarlet quickly nodded head before she suddenly smiled and sat up.

“Moving on, it’s like that, huh? He calls you?princess, always carries you on his back, escorts you, and cooks for you.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Scarlet laughed again when Cordelia nodded as if she herself had realized it.

“Well, I understand. But it’s somewhat lacking? It’s not enough.”

“It’s not enough?”

“Yes, it just feels like he’s your dad.”

“Ah, Daddy?”

“Yes, daddy. But why do you look like that… No way, is his nickname?Daddy?”

“I-it’s not? That’s just what I call him when we play with puns sometimes.”

“You really called him that.”

“Uhhh…”

“Anyway, that’s fine. Then what is his pet name?”

“Eh? His pet name?”

“I mean, Black Cloak calls you?princess?as your pet name. Then you must have a pet name for Black Cloak. Don’t tell me you don’t have a pet name for him?”

At Scarlet’s remark, Cordelia began to think again.

In fact, every time Jude called her?Princess, Cordelia would either call him?Milord?or?Dolswe, but those didn’t feel like pet names.

“Don’t make that look. Hey… don’t do that. Don’t be sad. Black Cloak is also a human, a human. If you’re fine with it, you can make his pet name as?Prince.”

“Uh… o-okay.”

But prince is a bit…

However, Cordelia wrote that in the list in her mind.

“Anyway, is that it? Is that all?”

“N-not yet! There’s the love letters!”

“Oh… did Black Cloak write love letters to you? Can you show me something like that?”

“Eh? Ah, n-no. Not that one. I mean… t-the ones that became known. The letters I wrote to Jude.”

“Ah… the letters you left each time you two run away? It is quite famous.”

Cordelia turned beet red again at Scarlet’s words, but she firmly continued.

“It’s not just me. Jude also wrote to me.”

Scarlet clapped her hands when Cordelia said it as if she was proud of a life achievement.

“Yes, yes. He wrote to me once while I wrote to him three times.”

“Wow.”

In fact, it wasn’t just three times.

If one counted the number of times she said lovey-dovey words just so that she could come with Jude, it would be more than five times.

‘Ugh, I’ll have to think more about that tomorrow.’

The messages that she left as if she was the more active one in love. And the rumors that spread around.

Cordelia did not realize that she had dug her own grave, but she added those things into the list in her mind, and Scarlet finally made a conclusion.

“Okay, I’ve heard your story well. My judgment is out.”

Scarlet crossed her arms and made an expression that looked that of a femme fatale after a long time, and Cordelia sat up in a hurry.

“What is it? Do you really think that Jude likes me?”

Cordelia unknowingly revealed her innermost thoughts, and Scarlet replied as she clicked her tongue.

“I don’t know about that. But I am sure of one thing.”

“What is it?”

“I want to strangle you to death!”

These damn couple who rubs salt into my wounds!

Scarlet grabbed Cordelia’s neck and halfheartedly shook it.

‘And one more.’

What I clearly learned after hearing her words.

But I don’t intend to tell you that.

‘It really is love.’

I don’t even have to say who I’m referring to.

“Ah, I really want to kill you.”

Scarlet began to pinch Cordelia’s cheeks again.

And back to the present.

“Cordelia.”

Scarlet is mean. She didn’t even give me a proper answer.

“Cordelia.”

She just pinched my cheeks. I mean, Jude had only pinched my cheeks a few times.

“Corde…lia?”

“Eh?”

Cordelia finally came to her senses after being called three times, and she turned to Jude who pointed to the stage in the banquet hall.

Sir Cornwell was giving a lengthy speech, but the prospects were listening to his speech with sparkling eyes.

‘Did you not sleep last night?’

‘Eh? Oh…yes. Because of Scarlet.’

‘Does that person like you a lot?’

“Eh?!”

Cordelia unconsciously raised her voice, but her voice wasn’t heard that loudly because of Sir Cornwell’s loud voice while giving a speech.

But she was ashamed by the surrounding gazes, so Cordelia hunched her shoulders and looked into Jude’s eyes again.

‘W-what are you talking about?’

‘I mean, Scarlet. I think she likes you?’

‘Ah, yes. I think she likes me a lot.’

I like Scarlet too.

But it was at that moment. Cordelia suddenly remembered on what happened yesterday, so she pulled the hem of Jude’s clothes.

‘By the way, Jude.’

‘What is it, Cordelia?’

‘You…no. I’ll tell you later.’

If she found it too embarrassing to say ‘Prince’ with her eyes, it would be even more so if she said it with her voice.

She then thought that she had to come up with another pet name.

‘Cordelia?’

‘I think the speech is over.’

Cordelia found the end of Sir Cornwell’s speech to be quite a good timing.

Jude had no choice but to look at the front again, and Sir Cornwell faintly smiled when he met eyes with Jude.

Since he was freed from his escort mission, he became a really nice person just as Jude had thought.

“Then I’ll explain the rules of the tournament next.”

It was a Banquet of Swords that had been held after several years, so naturally, it was the first tournament after a few years.

Lucas who was sitting nearby, and all the other prospects around them also felt nervous and excited at that moment.

And sensing all that enthusiasm, Sir Cornwell pleasantly smiled.

“The mood here is quite heated up. So let’s make it even hotter.”

Sir Cornwell clapped his hands once, and a knight who was waiting behind him appeared with a pushcart.

A pushcart covered with white cloth.

And what was under that cloth.

It was obviously the prize of this tournament.

“Let’s reveal the prize.”

Sir Cornwell pulled the cloth, and Jude and Cordelia widely opened their eyes in that instant.

The two looked at each other unconsciously, and shouted in their minds simultaneously.

‘Jackpot!’

‘Bingo!’

The prize that was revealed.

In the game, there was no way to obtain it because the Banquet of Swords was not held.

First of all, it was a sword.

It was also a very good sword that anyone would covet.

But it wasn’t the reason why Jude and Cordelia were excited.

‘Its real identity.’

The secret hidden in the sword in front of them.

The gamer brains of Jude and Cordelia began to activate again.