Chapter 7.5 - I - A challenge is put up

 

Kuro’s sleep was interrupted when the Rubinforth siblings barged into his cottage.

 

“Hey, wake up now, Mister Kuro!” Sophia began shaking him.

 

“Wha—” he was still disoriented, but he dragged himself up, anyway.

 

“Come on, the Tri-Skill Tournament preparation begins now!”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Don’t ask, just come with us!” William began pulling on his clothes.

 

“Alright, alright!  Let me just put on a coat; it’s cold outside.”

 

 

There were a lot of tents that came into Kuro’s view once he got out of the cottage.  The Rubinforth manor was on a hill overlooking a wide plain that was owned by the Saint’s family, and the cottage he was using stood a few distances away from the main house.  Right below them was the plain where the tents were set up, complete with the colorful flags showing who’s occupying certain spots.

 

And the town of Fen was located right beyond that plain, near the boundaries of the fief, and so one could enjoy a scenic view of nature from that spot.

 

“…”

 

The banners fluttered gently in the gentle breeze that blew across the plains, and he could see that there were groups of armored men and horses coming and going around the place.  The noise of the marching armies could be faintly heard from where Kuro stood.

 

“Come, Mister Kuro, let’s have you register in that tent over there!” Sophia grabbed his hand and started pulling him in the direction she wanted him to go.  Of course, Kuro had to come along, even though he’s kind of feeling weak and out of himself since he hadn’t eaten his breakfast yet.

 

“And pray, my children, where are you taking that commoner?”

 

“!!!”

 

The three of them stopped dead in their tracks when they heard a familiar voice call out to them.  Upon turning around, they saw the Duke and his entourage of guards walking towards them.

 

“Uh…uhm…P-Papa!” William exclaimed, “It’s good to come across you here!”

 

“Indeed, it is, my son William!” the Duke answered in an indifferent voice, never taking his eyes off Kuro, “I am about to come and see the preparations for the tournament when I happen to you walk towards the venue with that commoner.”

 

“W-well, we w-wanted to take him on a tour!” Sophia replied, complete with her anxious shaking.

 

Kuro was giving her a sarcastic look while thinking, ‘Good lord, brat!  Your acting sucks, it’s like you’re giving away that you’re hiding something.’

 

“Don’t worry, my daughter Sophie, I am very much aware of your intentions!” the old man had a triumphant grin on his face as he declared, “It’s not like I was born one long sleep ago.  My answer shall be no, that barbarian cannot enter the tournament.”

 

“!!!”  

 

Kuro, Sophia, and William were all speechless to hear his pronouncement; it’s like he jammed the last nail on the coffin of their plan long before it even materialized.  Kuro was desperate.  He wanted to help the Saint in any way he could, and his best chance to enter the tournament was through the plan of her siblings.  But it seemed the Duke had outwitted them…

 

“!!!”

 

An idea then came into Kuro’s mind.  He doubted if it would be successful, but he had to try somehow.  It’s better than doing nothing.

 

“If I may speak, Your Excellency…”

 

“No, you may not!”

 

But Kuro, the commoner, never intended to give up.  He had to do it, for this was his only chance, “Your Excellency, please—”

 

“I said you may not speak!” the Duke rejected him firmly, “One more word, and I’ll have your tongue cut!”

 

Kuro could feel his blood boiling.  Well, if worse things come to worst, he’ll just have to ask for the Saints’ to bail him out, “Alright, you win, bald, old fucker!”

 

“You said what?”

 

“I thought you told me not to speak?”

 

The Duke was taken aback by his brash manner of speech, “I allow it!  What did you say to me?”

 

“I said, you’re a bald old fucker!  I had enough of your high-handed treatment of me; even though I’m a commoner, I still have my dignity as a person.  Now, if you say you nobles are indeed superior to us, then I guess letting me join the tournament is a trivial matter to you!”

 

“What are you trying to say here, you boor?”

 

“Are you an idiot?  I thought you’re someone great!  You can’t get what I’m implying?” Kuro’s heart was beating like crazy, but now that his brain had snapped, there’s no turning back on his words now, “I’m telling you to show your ‘nobility’s’ superiority over us, who are commoners!  Let me join that tournament if you’re not afraid I can beat the shit out of your candidates and shame that shiny head of yours!”

 

“H-How p-p-preposterous!”  Well, of course, it’s the Duke’s balding head.  He’s pretty much sensitive to being called about it.

 

“Isn’t it the truth?” Kuro kept on his offensive, “You’re afraid because I might win even though I’m a ‘hopeless’ commoner.”

 

“…”  The angry, red-faced Duke remained silent for a few moments, but he never removed his scowl towards the insolent Kuro.  His guards had their hands on the hilt of their swords, ready to strike the otherworlder down after hearing his insults.  Neither Sophia nor William could stop what’s about to happen; they just silently stepped aside to avoid witnessing the worst…

 

“…”

 

The noble and the commoner then engaged each other in a battle of stares.  Neither side had the intention of giving up, but the Duke knew what he had to do.  His honor had just been sullied by this foolish commoner.

 

“What you said about me is something I could not let pass.” the Duke was seething in anger.

 

Kuro swallowed his words; it’s seemed that this old guy won’t take this lightly.  Well, when someone called you a ‘fucker’, it’s pretty understandable, after all.  You may beat the bloody pulp out of the person who insulted you.

 

And to think the Duke is an esteemed member of this kingdom’s nobility.

 

“You…” the Saint’s father was shivering, and he was already fuming mad, “I could take that disgusting word you just said about me, but you passed your tolerable limit when you took notice of my head!”

 

“…” Kuro couldn’t understand what the old guy meant by that.  Did he just hear that this guy prefers being called a ‘fucker’ than ‘bald’?  There’s something wrong with his head…

 

The Duke continued to spew out his threats, “And so, I’ll allow you to join.  I’ll make you regret your words, but I shall take no pity on you when the time comes that you’re being beaten to a pulp.  And my daughter—nor anyone, will even save you!  If I win, I’ll have your head on the pike, you hear?”

 

“Sure!” Kuro nonchalantly replied, though deep inside, he was about to wet his pants, “And if I win, you’ll listen to every word I say!”

 

 

Armed with a special permit from the Duke himself, Kuro enlisted in the candidates’ roster for the upcoming tourney.  It was Sophia who wrote his application, and William was the one who made sure it was processed on time.

 

“That’s some good tough talk, Mister Kuro.  I never saw Papa that angry and humiliated in all his life.” Sophia commented while they were waiting for William to finish, “Though, if it was in other circumstances, I don’t think I’d spare you from insulting our father.”

 

“Haha…” Kuro could only laugh awkwardly, “I don’t intend to do that, Your Excellency.  My parents raised me well to know that I should be polite with my elders.  However, aside from the fact that I can’t take his insults anymore, we’re pretty desperate to enter the contest, right?  So, I provoked him into allowing me.”

 

“Hmm…now that you explained it, I can see the merit in such action.”

 

“Well, I’m pretty desperate to win as well…I don’t want to lose my head in this world…”

 

“Ha?  This world?”

 

“I-I mean, this c-country, yes.”

 

“Don’t worry, Mister Kuro.” Sophia reassured him, “You helped us get this far, I’ll make sure my father shows clemency for your ‘irrational’ actions.”

 

“You have my gratitude, Your Excellency.” Kuro bowed in the most formal way he knew before the Saint’s younger sister, “And I deeply apologize for my insults to your father.”

 

“Hmm…no wonder the Marquise of Monfort puts her faith in you.”  Sophia was impressed by his gesture.  As a result, she strongly felt she had to do something save this brave commoner from a tragic fate.

 

She has to talk to William about it in a bit…

 

“Hey!  Your registration for the tourney is done, Mister Kuro!” William then came over to their side the moment he was done with the papers.  He gave him a bronze medallion.

 

“What’s this?”

 

“Ah, that shows your group in the upcoming combat.  So basically, you’ll be assigned to the Bronze group.”

 

“I see…”,

 

“And so, we’ll have to find you a proper weapon in which to fight.”

 

“Alright then, lead the—” Kuro’s face suddenly turned pale, “Wait, what did you just say?”

 

“What, you can’t be fighting in the tourney without a weapon, Mister Kuro!  Do you have a death wish or something?”

 

“Real weapons?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“No, no, no!  I thought it’s just a tournament?”

 

“It is.”

 

“Then why are we using actual weapons?”

 

“Mister Kuro…” there’s a look of horror on William and Sophia’s faces, “Perhaps you don’t know that a Tri-Skill Tournament is a game of injury and potential death?”