How to Live as a Genius Knight in a Fantasy World

28.

Rohan’s choice was to attack the weapon he held, not Jin.

It was because he couldn’t bring himself to strike Jin, who was legitimately engaging in the duel as a swordsman.

If he had faced Jace in the same situation, he would have surely taken a life.

“Even if I lose with this choice, I won’t regret it.”

The decision Rohan made in the split second he brought down the sword.

Clang!

Under Rohan’s powerful attack, Jin’s sword flew out of the arena.

Simultaneously, a pain radiated from his grip.

Jin’s expressionless face, which had shown no change until now, contorted, revealing vivid emotions.

Seeing his bewildered expression, Rohan felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction, even though he held no ill feelings towards Jin.

“Ugh…”

Even though in the very next moment, he had to release all his strength, dropping to his knees with a groan.

One side lost the weapon, the other was in no condition to continue the fight.

In a short time, silence filled the arena packed with people.

Even the referee hesitated to easily determine the winner.

It was Jin who spoke first.

“…I lost.”

Upon Jin’s admission, the referee nodded once before declaring Rohan the winner.

“The winner is… Izell’s Rohan! The champion has been decided!”

As if waiting for the referee’s signal, the announcer boomed a loud voice, and the applause of the crowd filled the arena.

Amidst the cheering spectators as if it were their own accomplishment, Jin stood with a mixture of relief and regret on his face.

Even until the moment of admitting defeat, he couldn’t erase the conflicted expression, but he was well aware that Rohan had the chance to take his life.

As long as he knew, attacking him would be a despicable act of discarding honor like a worthless scrap.

However, it was inevitable that doubts and regrets lingered.

“What was the final attack all about?”

Regardless of the outcome, it was a clear fact that Jin had overwhelmed Rohan throughout the match.

The firmly established advantage was overturned in a single move.

Although he had exposed a vulnerability before the decisive moment, it was merely a slight negligence due to fully understanding Rohan’s skills.

“But I have to admit it.”

For the sake of a tiny suspicion, he couldn’t tarnish the honorable conduct he had shown.

That was Jin’s decision.

Amidst the loser’s admission and congratulations, Rohan, having taken a brief rest, finally rose as the champion.

“Congratulations… and thank you.”

Rohan hastily greeted Jin, who slightly bowed his head.

“Thank you. Honestly, I was quite nervous… It was a good fight.”

At Rohan’s sincere words, Jin smiled.

“But, is your arm okay?”

Jin, who saw Rohan’s arm still bleeding, expressed his concern.

Only then did Rohan examine his own arm. When he saw blood flowing from the hole where the knife had pierced, a forgotten pain suddenly rushed back.

“Wait a moment… Ugh…”

As Rohan, who seemed fine, suddenly complained of pain, a soldier who received separate instructions from Viscount Ezel swiftly entered the stage with a potion in hand.

“Rohan! Hurry, spray this! It’s from the Viscount!”

After receiving the potion from the now alert Chris, who was reminded of the severity, he sprayed it on his deep wound on the left arm.

With a sound akin to water hitting a hot iron plate, a faint mist rose.

“Ugh…”

The unbearable pain made it seem like a scream would involuntarily escape, but the fact that many people were watching gave Rohan a level of patience he didn’t usually have.

After the brief mishap, Rohan, who received the proof of victory in the tournament, finally left the stage.

“You really won? Really?”

“You were so cool, Rohan!”

“You make our castle proud!”

Soldiers from Ezel Castle who came to watch the match crowded around Rohan as he left the arena.

“Impressive…”

Sophia muttered as she watched Rohan’s back, surrounded by sturdy men, heading back to his quarters.

“Does Rohan really appeal to you that much?”

As if forgetting that the Viscount was next to her, Sophia turned her head quickly, surprised.

“Oh, no. It’s just that the match was so impressive just now…”

Though Sophia denied with a nod and a shake of her head, it was effortless to read her true feelings.

“Alright, let’s go back now.”

The Viscount, with a cold tongue, walked out of the arena with Sophia.

After the exhilarating moment of victory, Rohan lay sick in bed from the next day.

Having suffered so many wounds that even potions couldn’t fully heal, he exhausted all his strength, even using the blessings of his breath.

No matter how trained and skilled his body was, it was only natural that he couldn’t endure.

There was still quite some time left until the awards ceremony, which was a comfort.

Already two days had passed just lying in bed.

Rohan, who had a recovery rate that was by no means inferior compared to other knights due to his young age, still didn’t feel well enough to stroll outside the inn as comfortably as he would have liked.

“Rohan? Are you feeling okay?”

Chris opened Rohan’s door and walked in as he lay there endlessly.

“Here, I brought you food. Oh, and medicine.”

Perhaps because it was promised that he would receive a large prize, or out of camaraderie, Chris took care of Rohan in his own way.

Unable to even eat with a spoon due to the soreness all over his body, he simply couldn’t bring himself to engage in any other activity.

After placing the empty bowl haphazardly next to the bed, he opened his status window after a long time.

“My skill proficiency seems to be rising too slowly, so I find myself checking the status window less.”

He used to check it several times a day, but now it seemed like only two or three times a week.

“Oh, it’s risen quite a bit.”

Rohan, who checked his proficiency after a long time, couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

Except for the King’s Strike, all R-grade skills had surpassed 70% proficiency, and the ancient warrior’s swordsmanship he acquired first had already exceeded 80%.

The Warrior King’s strike exceeded 50%, so there was a sense of accomplishment in using the skills diligently.

“As expected, Izell’s swordsmanship… didn’t improve much.”

Despite using it diligently in the midst of fighting, there was no significant progress.

If surpassing 20% was a consolation, then it was indeed comforting.

While Rohan repeated eating and sleeping on the bed, others who came up from Izell Castle enjoyed busy daily lives.

“Shall we visit that house today?”

“Weren’t the women we saw yesterday also nice?”

“There are so many taverns, why do you want to see the same woman twice?”

Some spent their fortunes at the tavern every day,

“Are you leaving soon?”

“There’s still time.”

“…You’re here again today, Lord Rou.”

Some fell in love and shared their affection,

“Lord Izell and his lady are dining!”

“Oh, truly beautiful.”

“That lady rumored to be… lacks the beauty described!”

“She’s an unbelievable beauty coming from a rural estate.”

Some experienced their debut in high society.

“So this is… a ball.”

Sophia, raised as a noblewoman, was attending a proper ball for the first time.

Having recently come of age and being located in a remote rural estate, attending a ball was a rare occurrence for her.

Of course, being in the midst of her teenage years, Sophia also had fantasies about the ball.

Dressing up in a glamorous gown, Sophia, who entered the palace with Lord Izell, took her first steps into the ballroom she had long admired with a trembling heart.

As the servant guarding the door shouted loudly, the attention of the people enjoying the music and dance turned towards the new guests.

Men who had casually turned their heads unknowingly let out sighs after confirming Sophia’s beauty.

Just starting to exude her beauty as a woman, she was a figure fitting the description of “lovely.”

For a moment, all the men in the hall were captivated by her beauty, and amidst the music and dancing, words of praise for her beauty were heard.

Although most of the compliments were spoken in a way that the person in question couldn’t hear, there were also instances where voices were raised to gain Sophia’s favor.

The situation, akin to every girl’s dream, was actually happening to Sophia.

However, for some reason, Sophia couldn’t bring herself to enjoy such a situation.

“It’s uncomfortable.”

Having heard compliments about her beauty since childhood, she felt overwhelmed by the gathering of many people in such a confined space throwing compliments at her.

It wasn’t just compliments; there were also lingering, sticky gazes that ran all over her body.

What made Sophia even more uncomfortable was that they weren’t just looking or complimenting; they began competing to engage her.

“Lady, would you honor me with a dance?”

“Oh, I’d love to spend time with you, beautiful one.”

“The melody is perfect for a waltz.”

While it was a situation one might dream of, Sophia, in reality, found their approaches far from pleasant.

The desire that couldn’t be hidden in their eyes made even the instinctive repulsion palpable.

Unable to dance with a joyful heart, Sofia rejected their offer, now starting to gossip with a cold gaze.

In a corner of her heart, Sofia felt her romantic illusions shattering into pieces.

It seemed like this was not where she belonged.

As it was her debut in society, the Viscount Ezel deliberately kept his distance from Sofia, but he couldn’t prevent her from coming to him on her own.

“Sofia, what’s the matter?”

Seeing his daughter’s gloomy expression, Viscount Ezel asked with a worried voice.

“I want to leave.”

At Sofia’s abrupt declaration, the Viscount was once again taken aback.

“Why all of a sudden? Was there really something wrong?”

“No, not really… I just don’t want to be with them. The way they look at me feels sinister, and their subtle attempts to touch me are unpleasant.”

At Sofia’s straightforward words, the Viscount’s expression hardened a bit more.

Having enjoyed balls in his youth, the Viscount understood what Sofia’s words implied.

And he was well aware that there were people who felt repulsed by such behavior.

‘It seems more time is needed.’

Being still young, it was something she could fully understand.

However, she needed to confirm it once more to herself.

“Is it really okay for you to leave like this? If you do, it will be difficult for you to attend this ball again.”

Though his words were gentle, the hidden meaning was clear.

It was a question of whether she could postpone her debut in society in this way.

Despite the concern in his question, Sofia firmly nodded her head.

“It doesn’t seem like the right place for me. Actually, this dress has been uncomfortable from the start.”

In response to his daughter’s answer, the Viscount also nodded.

“Alright, do as you wish. I’ll take you outside the palace. Lisa and Ellie will be waiting.”

At the Viscount’s response, Sofia’s expression brightened.

Leaving the palace, Sofia, with the help of the maids, got into the carriage and let out a long sigh.

“Sofia, why are you leaving so soon?”

“Weren’t there any handsome men? Didn’t any of them catch your eye?”

Though the maids looked sympathetic, Sofia had no energy to explain at that moment.

Quietly asking them to let her rest for a bit, she returned to her quarters and quickly discarded the suffocating dress.

Feeling lighter, she threw herself onto the bed.

Lying still under the covers, she finally realized what she had done.

‘I’ve messed up…’

Her long-awaited debut in society had turned into a complete mess.

As grand as Arden Castle was, at that moment, she just wanted to return to her room at Ezel.

After lying there for a while, Sofia suddenly felt a deep frustration.

She hastily put on her clothes.

“I’ll just be out for a moment.”