The party wasn't what Yujin had expected. Instead of a gathering of warriors, it felt more like a battlefield of words.
Smiling faces masked barbed tongues. People boasted of their superiority, clad in luxurious clothing, engaging in endless, polite debates. It was a place far more suited to someone like Theresis than Yujin.
Those who initially approached Yujin quickly lost interest due to his blunt responses, merely exchanging pleasantries before moving on. In contrast, Raquelamalin was constantly surrounded.
"…I'm tired."
"You should have worked on your social skills."
"Why does a knight need social skills? Swinging a sword should be enough."
Larin approached him, holding the hem of her dress. Yujin hung his head, unable to hide his exhaustion.
Larin knew why they were treating her so warmly. It was solely because she was Yujin‘s partner. Though she hid her Infection, they were trying to ingratiate themselves with a Sarkaz.
Larin could see through their masks. Human emotions weren't easily erased.
"If you don't want to stay, we can leave. No one will care if the two of us disappear."
Unfortunately, that wasn't true. Everyone here was interested in the "Rising Star," Yujin.
"Come on, why not try to build some connections? Expand your network?"
"No. I can't. It's too distracting."
As they whispered to each other, someone approached.
Yujin recognized him immediately. Though one arm was bandaged, it was the knight he had fought in the last match.
"Heh. I didn't think you‘d actually come. But here you are."
"…Is that something the host should say?"
"I thought you preferred to remain mysterious. You haven't shown your face outside of matches, after all."
The knight looked back and forth between Yujin and Larin before shrugging.
"I sent the invitation because someone higher up asked me to. That 'someone' will be very pleased."
"Who is this 'someone'?"
"He'll be here soon."
Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and a spotlight focused on the podium. A young man who radiated nobility raised his hand.
He gave a formal speech, thanking everyone for attending. Just as Yujin thought the opening remarks were over...
"…Sigh."
The spotlight shifted from the podium to Yujin. The man on stage introduced Yujin with flowery language, declaring him his personal guest.
"Let‘s give him a round of applause!"
Larin stifled a laugh. Yujin‘s face looked like it was about to rot as people around him applauded.
"I‘m leaving."
"No, you‘re not."
As soon as the speech ended and the man disappeared, Yujin tried to escape, but Larin grabbed him. She wondered what to do with this adorable man.
Naturally, the attention drew a crowd. People he had already greeted, as well as those who hadn't approached yet, swarmed him.
"I‘m from Rhodes Media..."
"It‘s an honor, Knight Yujin. If you ever need the strength of Swire Foods..."
"If you're interested in drones or engineering, Ellen Select Technology..."
Once the storm of interest finally died down like a burnt-out flame, Larin looked at Yujin, who was slumped in a chair, completely drained.
"Are you okay?"
"No. I'm not okay..."
"You should have mingled beforehand like me. Then you could have handled the sudden attention better."
Larin had already worked the room, exchanging contacts and memorizing faces of those interested in Yujin or who might need help. You never knew when you might need a favor.
Of course, favors required payment. Watching Yujin gulp down water, Larin reached out and straightened his tie.
Is this what being a supportive wife feels like?
Just as the thought crossed her mind, Yujin turned his head. From the moment the party started, one gaze had been following him relentlessly.
His heightened senses traced the stare to its source. It was the face and will of the Merchant Association—their spokespeople.
It wasn't hostility, nor was it goodwill. It was an inorganic, appraising stare, like one would give a product on a shelf. It made Yujin uncomfortable.
"Yujin?"
At Larin‘s call, Yujin turned back. Whatever emotions they harbored, it didn't matter right now.
"Nothing. Let‘s leave once the attention dies down. There‘s nothing for me to gain by staying longer."
This was a place for socializing and networking, and Yujin had no intention of making friends here.
...At least, not until he won the League.
As people‘s gazes shifted and interest waned, Yujin and Larin slipped out of the party.
They hadn't gained much. Those people weren't allies of the Nearls; they were corporate lackeys following profit. The knights were huddled together, engrossed in their own conversations, and Yujin had no desire to join them.
They got into the car to return to the mansion.
"Wait. Could you spare a moment?"
A young man with a bright smile stopped Yujin.
At the top of a skyscraper that seemed to touch the heavens, Yujin and the man looked down at Kazimierz through a floor-to-ceiling window.
"Isn't it beautiful?"
"…Yes, it is."
"I love this view. The radiance of Kazimierz, blindingly bright."
Yujin frowned at the man‘s vague, lofty talk. If he continued with this meaningless chatter, Yujin intended to excuse himself due to a prior engagement.
"Times change, and the world changes with them. That is why Kazimierz, once stuck in the medieval era, now possesses this light, and why Sport Knights were born."
"…What are you trying to say?"
"Join me. If you do, you can reach the place you desire."
Seeing Yujin‘s hardened expression, the man smiled, understanding his wariness. The offer clearly hid an ulterior motive.
"I am already with the Nearls."
"Aha, I know that. I am talking about after."
After the Champions League ended, whether he won or lost. The man was speaking of the future.
Yujin recalled what Larin had told him before coming here. He knew this man‘s position.
The son of the Grand Master, the current head of the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi.
Yet, he was a man who walked a different path, opposing his father.
"It seems too early to discuss what happens after the League."
Yujin evaded the question.
"It is always good to discuss things in advance. Besides, there is a limit to stalling for time."
Stalling? For what?
Pondering the man‘s words, Yujin looked at him. The man was still gazing down at Kazimierz.
"…To me, the League is merely a means to an end. After it‘s over, I might leave for somewhere else. So, I will pretend I didn't hear your offer."
A polite refusal. Upon hearing it, the man smiled.
"Haha... Hahahaha!"
He burst into a short laugh, then continued to chuckle. Yujin narrowed his eyes at him, but the laughter only grew louder.
"Whew, I apologize. It‘s just... a bit absurd."
"What was so funny?"
"You are the first person to describe the Champions League, where the pinnacle of Kazimierz gathers, as a mere 'means to an end'."
Ah. Realizing his mistake, Yujin masked his expression. He had forgotten that for some, just entering the Champions League was an honor, and winning it meant leaving a footprint in Kazimierz's history.
"Haa... I like you more and more. It feels like you see the world through the same lens as I do."
"What lens?"
"Knight Yujin, I want to change Kazimierz. Not into a stuffy city of knights, but into a more advanced, better nation."
Speaking with a wide smile, the man spread his arms toward Yujin.
"The world is changing rapidly. Mobile cities rise to avoid Catastrophes, and concrete skyscrapers fill the sky instead of humble brick houses. Naturally! The people living here must change as well!"
Yujin watched the man, who seemed to be dreaming like a child. What does he want?
"Knights? Good. Honor and glory? Fine. But the knight‘s code causes stagnation. Once the code collapsed, the world changed enough for Sport Knights to emerge, using duels as a way to make money."
"…You."
"Kazimierz is stagnant, trapped in the delusion of knighthood. And now, it is time to break that mold!"
Just like the fallen nation of the Pegasus.
"The squires who followed the knights have already risen above them as the Merchant Association. Who honors the Campaign Knights now? Everyone wants to be on a billboard like a Sport Knight and become rich."
"Do you want to destroy the Campaign Knights?"
"No. A nation cannot function without a military. What I want is..."
The overthrow of the current system. That was it.