The wait wasn't long. The Champions League would run for a total of two months—a brutally tight schedule. Including the Iron Arm Knight, there were only five opponents standing between Yujin and the championship.
He had already cleared the first hurdle, the Iron Knight Murchal Ingra. That meant Yujin had to defeat a total of six knights in two months.
Though there was still time before the match, Yujin had arrived early and was waiting in the dressing room, leaning back in his chair and staring out.
"Better late than never, I suppose."
Unlike the boos that had greeted him during his first entrance, the cheers he heard now were deafening. There were people chanting his name, waving flags emblazoned with his image.
Admiration? Or just bandwagoning?
Yujin pulled a towel over his face to block out the light and closed his eyes. In the quiet of the room, a knock sounded on the door.
"…May I come in?"
Recognizing it as a staff member, Yujin gave permission. The door opened to reveal a nervous-looking stadium official, sweating profusely.
"You have a visitor. He says he wishes to see you, Sir Knight."
"Who is it?"
Disturbing a competitor right before a match was a massive breach of etiquette. Yujin felt more curiosity than anger.
"It‘s... the Knight of the Iron Arm."
Yujin stood up immediately. Why would his opponent want to see him now? He racked his brain but couldn't recall ever meeting the man before coming here.
"Send him in."
The staff member nodded and hurried out. Moments later, a man dressed in comfortable, casual clothes walked in.
"Oho! So you are the rising star?"
Rising star? Yujin didn't know what to make of the title, but the man calling himself the Iron Arm Knight extended a hand with a bright, disarming smile. Sensing no hostility, Yujin shook it. The man laughed heartily.
"Seeing you up close, you‘re even younger than I thought! Pleasure to meet you. They call me the Iron Arm Knight—an undeserved title, but mine nonetheless."
"…I‘m Yujin."
The middle-aged knight had a way of brightening the room just by being there. As Yujin looked him over, he got a familiar feeling. The man reminded him of Buldrokkas'tee—someone he had fought until he was sick of it.
"It seems you haven't received a Great Knight title yet. Though my friends and I were chatting about where such a monster of a rookie came from."
"Are you calling me a rookie?"
"Rising star" literally meant a star ascending into the sky. It felt like a heavy title. Yujin stepped back awkwardly, but the Iron Arm Knight just crossed his arms and laughed.
"Of course! Someone of your caliber deserves the title. It makes my fists itch seeing those ignorant fools blabbering about you."
"You flatter me."
"Polite, too! And when you sent that idiot Murchal flying in one blow? Ha! That felt refreshing!"
He seemed like a genuinely good person, perhaps just visiting out of curiosity.
"Is that the only reason you came?"
"…Mmm. Well, I was put up to this. I intended to visit after our duel, but emotions tend to run high after a fight, so I thought now was better."
"Pardon?"
"Ahem. I'll ask you directly. Which side are you on?"
Which side. The question immediately brought Daniel‘s explanation of the knight factions to mind. Sport Knights versus Campaign Knights. The Iron Arm Knight was likely asking which banner Yujin stood under.
"If I said I‘m on neither side, would you believe me?"
The Iron Arm Knight‘s brow twitched. Neither side. It meant a third option. A possibility he himself had once proposed, only to be ignored. Yujin was an anomaly—a sudden intrusion into their established order. No one knew who had called him or why he was fighting under the Nearl banner.
"…A Knight of Nearl, then?"
"A Knight of Nearl."
"Tsk. This is why I hate complicated things. Sometimes you just need to think simply... ah, I wasn't talking about you."
Looking out the window, the knight clicked his tongue. His guess had been correct. The boy was here solely for the name Nearl. A rare breed. Surely he knew what carrying that name meant—it meant making enemies of half of Kazimierz.
"Well, that answers my question. My curiosity is satisfied. I‘ll see you in the arena."
"…I‘ll do my best to make it a good match."
"Haha! I love seeing that youthful fire!"
The Iron Arm Knight vanished like the wind, leaving Yujin staring at the empty doorway. He realized the knight had come now because speaking after the match—where they would surely clash violently—might have been awkward.
Yujin was on no one's side. He fought only for the honor of the Nearls. He hated getting involved in complex politics, but having stepped into the storm, he had no choice but to walk straight through it.
2.
Once again, Kalaisha, the Teres siblings, and Buldrokk were gathered around a screen, yawning as they waited for the late-night broadcast. This time, however, Netsalem was with them.
"Seriously, not a single letter. That jerk."
Kalaisha complained with a pout. It had been quite a while since Yujin left, yet there had been zero contact. Entering a tournament like that and not saying a word?
"He was always indifferent. No news is good news," Netsalem said, munching on a fried turnip.
Yujin had a habit of being aloof, especially when he was the center of attention. Theresis and Buldrokk didn't think much of it, but Theresa was different. She was tired of waiting for a letter that never came. When he returned, she decided, she would greet him with a smile cold enough to freeze water.
Seeing that chilling smile, Theresis shuddered. Buldrokk felt the same fear, compounded by having to listen to Kalaisha‘s endless whining.
If I hear this story one more time, my ears are going to bleed.
While Buldrokk and Theresis trembled in terror, the commentators loudly introduced the fighters. They called Yujin a "Rising Star"—a powerhouse who had appeared out of nowhere to seize victory.
Yujin‘s actions were a proof of existence. Netsalem didn't know exactly why Yujin had gone to Kazimierz to become a knight, but since it was the boy's will, he hadn't stopped him. Traveling the world was good experience; Netsalem didn't want Yujin to grow up trapped in the well of Kazdel.
But he hadn't expected him to become this famous so quickly.
The camera panned to the entrance tunnel. The Iron Arm Knight and Yujin walked into the arena.
A roar of excitement greeted them. Unlike the last match, people were chanting Yujin‘s name.
Opposite him, the Iron Arm Knight raised a hand to acknowledge the crowd, a massive war hammer resting on his shoulder.
The commentators shouted their introductions, cracking jokes and hyping the match.
"Cut the audio."
[Understood. Muting commentary track.]
Only when the noise of the announcers vanished could Yujin truly focus on his opponent. Though the knight‘s face was hidden by a helmet, Yujin felt certain the man was smiling.
As the introductions ended, the murmuring of the crowd died down.
The two knights faced each other. The starting bell had already rung, but neither moved. The commentators were shown looking confused on the big screen.
Then, the Iron Arm Knight burst into laughter. He slammed his gauntleted fist against the emblem on his chest and roared.
"I am the Fourth Knight of the Northwood Order! The Hammer that Crushes the Enemies of Northwood! In the name of the Iron Arm Knight, I challenge you!"
Seeing the knight‘s fierce roar, Yujin let out a hollow laugh. If he was going to be like that, Yujin had to respond in kind.
"The Sword of Nearl, Knight Yujin. I accept your challenge!"
An instant later, a thunderous crash echoed as hammer met sword.