Time returned to the moment when Zofia and Arthur faced each other in the knight tournament.
"…I don't need your pretentious act, Arthur."
Holding her sword in her left hand, Zofia spoke calmly to Arthur, who had already removed his heavy armor.
She had watched his matches.
In nearly every one, he wore top-tier equipment provided by sponsors and corporations, then claimed victory with ease.
And he had this inexplicable flair for performance, constantly spouting bizarre lines.
What baffled her most was that the audience absolutely loved it.
Normally, knight tournaments had professional commentators.
But somehow, Arthur had changed that. During his matches, commentators would only offer a few brief remarks, while the one doing most of the talking became Arthur himself.
Each competing knight was equipped with a portable microphone, yes, but it was rarely used.
Who had the leisure to talk while fighting?
Even those knights who built their personas around theatrics would only shout a few scripted lines at the start.
Most would turn off their microphones entirely once the fight began.
Never had there been a knight like Arthur, who kept his microphone on from start to finish, casually talking even in the middle of intense combat.
Zofia admitted it—those strange lines, combined with his flashy fighting style, did give the audience an excellent experience.
But she didn't like it.
Even in this spectacle-driven arena, where popularity meant everything, Arthur's approach had brought him enormous gains.
An independent knight, yet backed by a massive fanbase. No capital behind him, yet countless sponsors and corporations reached out to him.
Arthur had become what most competitive knights dreamed of being.
Perhaps the only thing he lacked was a championship title.
But unfortunately for you, you've run into me.
Zofia had nothing but disdain for underhanded tactics.
After spending time in the knight circuit, she had come to vaguely realize that these competitions were far from fair.
But so what?
Her strength was her confidence to stand apart from it all.
And to win openly and honorably—that was her bottom line.
Interesting. Didn't expect to meet an opponent like this.
Arthur kicked his heavy armor off the stage.
Now, he wore only a light inner suit, and even his spear was casually tossed aside.
Amid the audience's uproar and the dissatisfied voices coming through his earpiece, Arthur simply turned it off and switched on his portable microphone.
"Relax, relax~"
From his shadow, a pitch-black spear slowly rose.
A solidified shadow.
"Recently, some people have questioned my strength. They think it's just because my equipment is better that I can win so easily."
The official commentator said nothing.
They had been instructed to wait and observe.
Arthur waited for the murmurs in the audience to settle, then cleared his throat.
"Yes! That's exactly the kind of person I am!"
The crowd erupted again.
"But isn't that only natural? The quality of one's weapon is part of a knight's strength. And support equipment is allocated based on the level of backing a knight receives… until I met this knight here, who possesses both beauty and virtue."
Arthur abruptly shifted the tone of his speech.
___
Meanwhile, as the staff at the arena hesitated, unsure of what to do, a youthful voice came through the commentator's earpiece, carrying a hint of immaturity.
"Don't worry about it. Just go along with Arthur's plan."
"Yes, boss."
The commentator replied in a low voice, subtly signaling the staff nearby to stay sharp.
After all, the Chamber of Commerce's new partner, and Arthur's sponsor, the boss of the Cape Group, was watching closely.
People like them only needed to follow orders.
Meanwhile, the stage lights suddenly converged on Zofia, who stood there, momentarily at a loss.
The murmurs from the audience were drowned out by the volume Arthur had deliberately raised on his microphone.
"I've watched every match this knight has fought. I always take my opponents seriously. And what did I see? I saw a true knight. A knight who has never broken the rules, never relied on so-called superior equipment, and fought her way into the top sixteen with nothing but a whip-blade."
By now, the whispers in the crowd had nearly faded. Most spectators were looking at Zofia with admiration, even as she stood there awkwardly, goosebumps threatening to rise across her skin.
Zofia felt extremely uncomfortable.
She had never thought of her actions as anything remarkable. To her, it was simply the natural way things should be.
Even if that "natural way" had become so rare in knight competitions.
'Why does this guy talk so much?'
She complained inwardly.
Still, she accepted his goodwill.
She didn't know why he was doing this, but Arthur's actions had clearly answered her wish for a fair and honorable fight.
'…Looks like I've met a decent opponent.'
Zofia steadied herself, preparing to respond in the best way she could.
That meant giving it everything she had, holding nothing back, and fighting openly and fairly.
Arthur's smile did not waver as he assumed his stance as well.
"Heh, even without supplies, even if I give up my advantage in equipment, I, Arthur, will still stand undefeated in this arena!"
On the massive screen of the knight tournament, Arthur's confident grin filled the display.
"WOOOOOOO!"
The crowd erupted as his fans screamed in excitement.
Why did they like Arthur?
Was it his handsome face, his flashy Originium Arts, or his wealth?
Those certainly played a part. But what they loved most was Arthur Pendragon's unrestrained attitude.
Arthur Pendragon might not be the strongest knight. But so what?
A suffocating life needs an outlet. Endless restraint demands release. People just wanted to relax.
How many watched knight tournaments to learn about the noble ideals of chivalry from those carefully packaged "products"?
Almost none.
Most were simply indulging in Kazimierz's unique fascination with knights, just looking for entertainment.
And Arthur was the perfect choice.
After all, how many spectators had never imagined themselves in the arena while watching?
Feeling the familiar feverish energy from the stands, Arthur's grin widened further.
"…Hah. At the peak of knighthood I stand above all. Where I am, there is the sky!"