24 Hearts

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Chapter 3. Flag Competition.

Capital Aslan, Loa Arena.

The Red Flagstaff qualifier was much more fun and exciting than the Green Flagstaff. It wasn’t like what Count Genuine bragged about. Their duel was to get a declaration of defeat without stopping until they overpowered their opponent.

They were so courageous that they didn’t blink even if they struck their opponent’s sword and sparked it up into the air, unafraid to shed the blood of the other as they cut their blades through the armors of their enemy. Not everyone did it, but in general, it indeed seemed to be that way.

There was one reason why they could fight like a berserk with no care, and that was because there were elixirs of priests, doctors, and alchemists in case of emergency prepared in the arena.

If it wasn’t a fatal injury such as a cut in the neck or a stab to the heart, it could be properly treated within a short time and set for the next game. There was, after all, a reason for the high admission fee and competition fee.

Finally, he had a lot of fun watching. Watching them fight evoked a feeling in him, and he thought it would be okay to participate even once. Those that participated in the Red Flagstaff were the winners of the Green and Blue Flagstaff.

The higher the Flagstaff was, the stronger the opponents were, so if someone had the skills and luck, they might be able to level up through these duels.

Rnnng!

A shout rang out throughout the stadium. A shout that could not be heard on the Green Flagstaff resonated during the preliminary round of the Red Flagstaff. The winner had come out. It was a pretty fierce game with blood smeared all over the stage. The man with a sword aimed at his neck declared his defeat, and he was immediately carried away with a stretcher. On one side of the stadium, the winners and losers were quickly healed by a priest and a doctor. How the divine light flashed and healed their wounds quickly could be seen from afar.

“Isn’t it fun? This is incomparable to the Green Flagstaff.”

“Yes, it certainly is. The Green Flagstaff was boring enough to make me wonder why the hell I came to see it. The Red Flagstaff is really exciting.”

“As a mage, I’m not sure, but I heard that those who fight with melee weapons, whether it be a swordsman or a spearman, learn a lot when they watch this game.”

Judah nodded at what the Count said. Watching the game was worth all the money it cost. It was understandable why Aslan’s martial arts competition became so famous on the continent and became a world-class festival. When the morning game was over around 1 PM, the games were put on hold to make way for lunch and a brief break. Watchers got up from their seats to head to the restaurants near the arena.

“We should go and eat something too. We only ate breakfast and I’m hungry.”

“Let’s go.”

“No, you can eat here. Even in a country that values honor, there are things that money can do. Don’t worry, it’s perfectly legal.”

He then rang the bell on the table. Soon, a man came in. When he said he wanted to order food, the man handed over the menu he was holding. They opened it, and it should be said that its contents were not cheap at all.

“It’s expensive.”

“It is expensive. But if you think of it, you can’t order food in other stands right now, so it’s not a bad price. Get what you want to eat.”

Arhil quickly approached Judah’s side to get him to buy something for her, and pressed her body against his. Judah flinched at the sudden soft touch. Arhil glanced at the menu board and pointed at one with her finger.

“I want this! Jeanne, what do you want?”

“Haha. There you go, choose what you want to eat. Don’t mind the price.”

“Thank you. If so, I’ll ask for this.”

The prices made it hard to choose like usual, but Judah chose what he wanted to try because it wasn’t polite to refuse such favors from the nobles. The Count also chose what to eat. Soon after, a loaf of hot steaming bread and soup came out first, and they started serving food in turns.

“Dad! Me too!”

Then, the door flew open, and a girl came in. The girl who had brown hair, a small body, and who would definitely become a beautiful woman, was the daughter of the Count, who they watched duel in the Green Flagstaff. Judah, Jeanne, and Arhil all glanced at the girl, who came in briskly. She paused from where she stood, adjusted and brushed off the dust that seemed to be on her clothes, and lifted the hem of her dress. Count Genuine greeted gracefully, acting casually.

“How are you? I didn’t know there were visitors.”

“It’s useless to pretend to be so modest. They already know all about you.”

The Count got up from his seat and walked to his daughter with open arms. At his honest confession, his daughter’s eyes narrowed, clutching her fists and slapping the Count’s arm. It was quite painful, making him take a step back as he rubbed his arm.

“Dad! Why would you do that?! I told you not to!”

“Haha, I have no choice but to boast about my daughter as your father, so why not? I said a lot of good things.”

“That’s because one bad word is worse than ten good words!”

Their relationship was really good, showing a close familial bond without hiding anything. The daughter had people watching her, so she seemed to be unable to say anything more, and she walked past the Count to sit down on an empty chair. She pointed at the clerk who served the food from the cart, then pointed to Arhil’s order with her finger.

“Please bring me one more of the same thing as this one. Hmm? Why? You heard everything about me from my dad, don’t be shy. Why are you holding up such hard manners rather than laughing out loud? Isn’t it better to share?”

“I’m good. I’m Arhil. Nice to meet you, Sarah!”

“Oh, I guess you heard my name from my dad. You can comfortably call me ‘Sarah’. That makes it easier for me, then!”

Arhil greeted her first, followed by Jeanne and Judah slowly introducing themselves. The Count sat down next to her, watching his daughter’s eyes.

“You said you’d eat outside?”

“I did. But if you got me my lunch, I’ll be saving money.”

Shrugging her shoulders, she stretched out a fork and ate the food in front of the Count. She muttered that it was delicious, but as if she only wanted to taste it, she immediately stopped touching it.

“By the way, Dad, how do you have guests when you said you don’t know anyone in Aslan?”

“These are the people who helped me. They’re a party.”

“Dad?”

Sarah looked like she didn’t understand. It was very unfamiliar that her father, who had money, power, and everything, was helped by others. That said, she didn’t dare ask. In the arena, except for the VIP seats, it was very quiet as if everyone went out to eat.

“You said you’re a Blue Lancer? Lady Jeanne. Oh, can I call you Lady Jeanne?”

“Yes, you can refer to me as that.”

“If you can excuse me, would it be okay to know how old Sir Jeanne is?”

“I’m 19 this year.”

“Hey. Are you not participating in the Green Flagstaff competition?”

Jeanne smiled bitterly and glanced into Judah’s eyes. “I want to do it. But… I couldn’t participate this time because of certain circumstances. I will definitely participate in the next competition, or next year.”

“Sorry. If you joined this time, I would’ve wanted to duel with you. I heard that the Blue Lancers and Flying Fighters are so powerful! But the two empires do not seem to get along well.”

As they ate, they gently continued the topic of conversation. The two chatted and laughed, while Judah shared food with Arhil. To not alienate the Count who was eating silently by himself, Judah talked to him as well. Soon after, the Count quietly laid down the dishes and wiped his mouth with the napkin on his lap.

“Dad, have you finished eating already? There’s still a lot left?”

“No, an uninvited visitor came. When you eat, don’t touch my meal…”

“What do you mean?”

No one understood the Count’s words, but Judah did. He felt an ominous energy, some magical power that he could not normally feel. The magical power that became stronger and stronger was the opposite of the divine power used by Arhil.

‘Is this a devil?’

He didn’t believe it, but only demonic beings used this evil magic. When Judah opened the subspace and took out his bastard sword, the Count looked at him in admiration.

“By your reaction, you must have felt it too. Sarah, get ready.”

“Yes? What?”

“Prepare to greet uninvited guests.”

Their harmonious meal turned sour. Despite being at a loss, Jeanne summoned her gear as Judah did the same. At that moment, Arhil trembled.

“This… This energy! Ah, it’s a demon! A demon…! No, a monster? How?”

“Wait a minute! Am I the only one who doesn’t understand? What are you talking about? A devil?”

He knew it when he saw it. Judah lifted his head. Something fell from the sky like a meteorite through the open ceiling overlooking the arena. Immediately, the Count shook his hand to activate a magic barrier, and something like a stone bumped into it.

Kwa-ang!

However, not one or two simply fell from the sky. The building shook with a huge impact, and dust fell from the ceiling. Half of their meals were left unattended, and the screams from those who stayed in the arena echoed through the building.

“Do we have to run away? Dad?”

“It would be much safer to be here.”

Even if the building collapsed, the Count had no problems, so they didn’t need to worry. The Count reassured them as something hit the magical wall he had unfolded, then he looked down at the stone that fell into the arena. Evil magic radiated from that stone. Upon closer inspection, it was no ordinary stone. It looked like a stone statue crouching. And in fact, the statue opened its eyes, stood up, and stared at the side of the Count.

-Nice to meet you, the owner of the fifth fragment!

What? Why was there a gargoyle here?

Gargoyles, which can only be seen in a labyrinth of the two continents, appeared in the peaceful capital of Philoria, Aslan. Judah found himself laughing as anxiety grew within. He never wrote or heard of such a thing happening. He didn’t know whether Xian enforced this, or whether destiny was so twisted that he launched something like a butterfly effect. If he twisted the story too much, he wouldn’t be able to guess about the future story. Judah looked at the gargoyle carefully, feeling that everything he had written down was useless. There were more than two gargoyles fluttering their wings.

50 of them flew, grouped together like bats.

He didn’t know if it was correct; a rough estimation of them proved to be so.

-Count, hand over the fragment. If so, we will retreat without causing any damage.

“These days, thieves have a bigger audacity. They covet something that unfit for their lives.”

The Count snorted as he stepped forward. As magic power radiated from his body, he summoned huge fireballs in both his hands. Judah grabbed Sarah’s wrist as she approached the Count and pulled it back.

“Let me go! Dad!”

“You’ll only interfere. You are with us.”

Sarah tried to shake Judah’s hand, but to no avail. He was stronger. The girl glared at Judah sharply, but she wasn’t foolish enough to fight against his eyes.