episode_0259

“Hoo.”

The two archery competitions have ended.

I took a deep breath and glanced at the status screen.

-Tiring!

▶The archery competitions are over.◀

▶The score corresponding to the ranking has been recorded.◀

[ Martial Arts Tournament Score: 585 points ]

‘…I guess it’s a bit lacking.’

It’s not a bad score, but it’s not enough. In the game, you’d usually get over 600 points at this point.

Although the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Tournament serves as the main episode in Chapter 3, it can be a bit of a disappointing choice if you’re just trying to avoid Dead Trigger.

Unlike intimacy, which improves your relationship with each character by increasing their stats, Noblesse Points are your reputation within the aristocratic society.

Therefore, if you raise this point, you will have more business partners and they will offer you good contracts, which will affect Another Plan, and this episode also provides an opportunity to raise Carcein’s Noblesse Points.

In other words, even if it doesn’t seem like it, the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Tournament provides an opportunity to accelerate Another Plan, so it’s better not to miss it.

Well… the background in the game is like that too. If the symposium evaluates the civil officials’ abilities in evaluating the nobles, then the military officials’ abilities should be evaluated through this kind of martial arts competition.

He was the son of a family with both literary and martial arts talents, which was a perfect fit for increasing Noblesse Points.

‘But why of all people… Ugh.’

Well, I can guess why the score is low.

The missing figure corresponds to the three shots that were missed initially.

Unlike the conditions in the game, the concentration of mana fluctuated greatly, and the turbidly scattered air currents destroyed the formula for the Retry Divine Skill that I knew.

So all three shots missed.

To recalculate, change plans and open the way to reach the target.

There is absolutely only one person at this point who would give this variable a chance.

“For someone who got the highest score in the first event, he doesn’t look particularly happy?”

A silver-haired, golden-eyed man, not much different from Arsien or Florence, who had just handed me the winner’s flowerbed.

Albert Schenian Peselos.

He was the crown prince of the empire.

“So, what do you want?”

“Yes?”

“You know that it’s a tradition in archery to end with the winner demanding a certain prize, right?”

Uh… was there something like that?

“That’s ridiculous. You didn’t even know that and just hit the highest score?”

Albert smiled in vain as he watched me acting embarrassed.

“Anyway, you’re saying that I can just pick and choose what I want and ask for it?”

“Okay. I have to finish, so speak quickly.”

-Tiring!

▶You can ask the Crown Prince for one reward.◀

‘Yeah. You can tell just by looking at it that this is a trap.’

Although it was a message I had never seen before, I could tell at a glance.

You might think that it is a deserved reward, given the tradition and the fact that winning was not easy, but this game is not that easy.

If we demand too much for the purpose of Another Plan, it is likely to come back as an even bigger poison.

Well, then this should be simple.

There’s an excuse to do that in the stands.

***

For Harnie, the archery competition did not remain a very good memory.

Because it all started from that day.

Suddenly, the winner came to me, not Heli Youngae.

This was the place where the rumor spread that Heli Young-ae, with whom she had been close, had fallen out with him and had stolen a man.

As she was nicknamed the man-stealing vixen in high society, Harnie was only thinking of taking up some space.

I want to support my fiancé Karsain, but I can’t.

however.

When the time came, I couldn’t just sit there and take up space.

I can’t take my eyes off Karsane as he fires arrows one by one.

Even though I was holding the bow that I hated so much, I didn’t even think about it.

The game ends with Karsene’s last shot.

With thunderous cheers, it was the moment when the winner was decided.

‘Oh my god.’

Were you praying or something?

Harnie’s two hands were tightly clasped together. When the game was over and his tightly clasped hands were released, it seemed as if even the tension had been released.

Up until this point, it was just the typical image of a girl cheering on her lover.

But what was even cooler was the way her eyes stayed glued to one man without a single moment of break, and the corners of her lips gently rose in a curve when the winner was decided.

Hmm. This is love.

Mina, who had been watching the scene, asked with cat-like eyes.

“Your Majesty, you are a good shooter. Don’t you think so?”

“Uh, yeah? Yeah.”

“Hey. What’s that reaction, Miss? Are you rooting for the master?”

“Of course!”

Harnie shouted in anger as if she had been startled for a long time.

“I kept looking at it, wondering what would happen if I missed. I don’t know much about fire and bows, but…”

“Huh. Really?”

In the past, when it came to archery-related events, I would often watch with a blurry focus and say I was going to take a break or go to work.

It must be thanks to the sprouting emotions that I was able to focus so intently.

So, Mina decides to grow this sprout a little more.

“Could it be because of the token that the young lady gave?”

“What, what is it?”

“All people who hold bows are like that. If you have a token from your lover, you can hit them better because their supportive feelings reach you?”

“That, that’s…”

When you look at that flushed face, your whole body starts to shiver.

“Go see the master later and tell him congratulations. Be sure to tell him this too!”

It’s a shame that it’s close to a girl’s unrequited love, but if Harnie, who is a peerless beauty, keeps pushing forward like this, there will definitely come a time when it works out.

Little by little. Like putting that chocolate in your mouth and letting it melt.

Harnie’s affection for Karsain had to reach him and melt him.

“Okay. Okay.”

Harnie smiles prettily and gets up from her seat.

Finally, the awards are being handed out.

It was a tradition in archery to grant the winner a certain request, so this was likely in progress.

But, one thing that is strange is that Carcein is coming this way.

Harnie hesitated in embarrassment as he was about to go to Karsin after receiving the award. In the meantime, Karsin arrived in front of Harnie.

A scene unfolded that wouldn’t have been strange even if you shut your mouth tightly.

“I dedicate the glory of victory to my fiancee.”

A moment of silence passes by.

And then the cheers burst out all of a sudden.

─Gyaaaah!

A man who got down on one knee and presented his victory to his fiancée was like a bomber that exploded the hearts of women.

There is no need to say more after seeing it with your own eyes.

‘…Our young lady has melted?’

The appearance of no longer feeling any past trauma.

Rather than melting and permeating Karsine’s heart, Harnie’s side was melting.

***

Of course, there was one thing I could have asked of the Crown Prince, but it was right to throw it away.

-Tiring!

▶The required number is low, so the Noblesse Points are not reduced.◀

▶The competition continues.◀

Since it was the first game anyway, I think it would have led to a bad ending if I had just drunk kimchi stew and tried to get something while there was still a long way to go.

anyway.

After avoiding the dead flag, it continued to the next match.

[ Martial Arts Tournament Score: 1228 points ]

By adding some extra items, I was able to make up for the lack of points.

‘The score branch point obtained through confirmation was 1200 points as of the second day, so there doesn’t seem to be any other problems.’

Considering the duration of the martial arts tournament, there is about a day left, but that is a trap.

On the third day, there are too many events that Karsin cannot participate in, so if possible, he should solve everything on the second day. If he does not accumulate enough points here, he will automatically be eliminated from the final day and will be eliminated.

So I accumulated as many points as I could on the second day.

Anyway, that’s it.

I won’t be participating on the third day, and there were no dangerous events.

On the last day, the fighting competition was over after finishing the highlight, the arena.

“Oops. I thought too long.”

I came to buy snacks for my fiancée, who was currently resting, although it was to collect her thoughts.

After hastily buying crepes and drinks from the nearby area, I quickly returned to Harnie.

Harnie was sitting quietly on the bench.

“I’m sorry. Am I late?”

“No, I didn’t wait that long.”

Is that so? I’m glad it didn’t take too long.

“When on earth did you practice archery?”

“Ah. That’s it. Radiel took care of it. And Talphon too.”

“Oh, really?”

…I felt a little flustered.

It must be my mood. More importantly, I need to tell you about tomorrow’s schedule.

“Harnie. Let’s go for a walk─”

-Crunch.

Huh?

Is this mine?

“Hmm. This, this is delicious too!”

“…?”

What the heck? Why are you taking mine instead of yours?

He looked at Harnie with those eyes.

“Oh, it tastes different. I want to try this too…”

“…”

Yeah. Well, that could be the case.

I bought this with my own money.

It won’t work.

I too must seek revenge for this.

-Little by little.

“in…?”

“I wanted to try what you drink too. Mmm. It’s delicious.”

Harnie stole what was mine, so I’m going to steal what’s mine too.

Harnie made an excuse that she wanted to eat something different, so I made the same excuse and drank my drink.

This is legal. Hmm. There’s no problem!

…But for some reason, Harnie’s expression became strange.

“Uh…Why are you like that…?”

“How, how could this be…!”

“Oh, no! You took it first! So I took it back too…”

“You are…!”

Uh… Is this the kind of thing where back spikes are going to fly?

What was the problem? No, it was legal! I stole it in the same way!

-Tsk!

“How, how is this the same!”

“Eww!”

So I got to taste the consecutive spikes for the first time in a long while.

What’s next…obvious.

“Don’t say anything.”

“Oh, that’s unfair…”

“I told you not to say anything!”

The conversation could not proceed.

However, it felt a little different than when I usually do something wrong.

Harnie would occasionally glance at me without saying a word and repeatedly turn his head away. What was unusual was that he was not touching the drink he had been drinking so well before…

It seemed like she had gotten over it for now, but I still wondered if there were any other problems, so I quietly walked with her.

***

After the second day of competition, a festival was held.

To those who have disappointing results, I offer consolation and encouragement for tomorrow.

Congratulations to those who achieved satisfactory results.

The streets are abuzz with talk of martial arts competitions.

But Arina walked alone through the city, clenching her fists.

-But… my feet aren’t very wide, so could you possibly connect me to Lord Karsein?

Even now, I can’t forget what Count Stern said to me after I shot the arrow.

He declined my offer.

Please connect me to Carcein.

It was possible to ask to be connected to another family, but strangely enough, Arina felt annoyed.

“Phew. No. I have to prepare well for tomorrow.”

Just as I was about to make plans for the next day.

A conversation from a nearby balcony catches my ear.

“Isn’t that amazing? That kind of trajectory!”

“If someone can optimize their equipment like that… maybe they are qualified to be a successor.”

“Hmm. I think he’s the right person to be Bagrand’s successor.”

“Honestly, wasn’t the gap too big? I shouldn’t say this, but… who would be more suitable as a successor… Ahem.”

“Looking at that ridiculous upward curve, it’s understandable to think that way.”

“Haha. But there is such a thing as authenticity!”

“Dark dark. You can’t ignore that.”

The story ends there, but…

Those people were all vassals of the Bagrand Dukes who were called out whenever there was talk of succession.

Before she knew it, Arina was in the alley, shaking her fists.

-Tiring!

▶Arina’s intimacy has decreased.◀

[ Current figure: 20% ]