Please Vote for Your Knight! Chapter 11

The entrance evaluation was over!

Everyone cheered inwardly.

It had been exhausting enough becoming a mole and performing in the mole game, but watching the other ninety-nine moles was no easy task either.

Kusto let out a sigh of relief.

‘Can I finally go back now?’

Most of the participants would be returning home or to accommodations they had booked.

But Kusto planned to stay at the lodging prepared by Cartamen.

‘I don’t have any money. Why would I turn down a free place to sleep?’

That was when an uneasy feeling began to creep over him.

‘But why are they coming back out?’

The judges who had already left—the Valkyria—were returning.

And this time, they were wearing their armor.

“No way……”

“No, no. Surely not. It’s already getting dark.”

“They have to give us some time to rest. Otherwise, they’re goblins, not humans.”

The participants whispered among themselves.

But the Valkyria weren’t human.

“Special training begins now.”

Commander Amont said it briefly.

Her tone and bearing were completely different from when she had been judging them.

“???”

At Amont’s words, question marks seemed to rise above everyone’s heads.

“Collect your armor and report to the special training grounds assigned to your rank.”

“Wait, but this is a little too much—”

“Whoever arrives last will be demoted.”

At those words, every participant who had been about to protest started sprinting madly toward their armor.

Even the Rank 5 participants, who had nowhere lower to fall, hurried along in fear that there might be some other penalty waiting for them.

They hastily put on their armor and ran toward their assigned training grounds.

Kusto was about to put his armor on when he suddenly realized something.

‘The higher the rank, the better the armor.’

Which meant the Rank 2 armor given to Kusto was something he had never worn before.

Not only was it complicated to put on, it was difficult to wear without assistance.

He needed someone’s help.

‘But who’s going to help me?’

“Do you need my help?”

As if he had heard Kusto’s thoughts, a voice came from behind him.

It was David, who had already finished putting on his Rank 1 armor.

With the handsome David wearing it, even armor designed purely for practicality looked like an extravagant set of royal court attire.

It was ridiculous.

But there was something even more bewildering.

“?”

Why are you helping me……?

Kusto stared at David, speaking with his expression rather than his mouth.

As if he understood, David nodded.

“All right. I’ll help.”

What exactly was ‘all right’ about this guy?

Kusto stared at David as he helped him put on his armor, then suddenly felt a surge of emotion.

“You seem to think I’m some poor guy who always needs help……”

“All done. You don’t have to thank me.”

But David simply finished what he came to do and ran off without another word.

“That bastard……”

Just then, someone smacked Kusto hard on the shoulder before sprinting ahead.

One after another, people who had finished putting on their armor rushed past him.

‘Oh, right! They said I’d be demoted if I was late to the training grounds!’

There was no time to get distracted.

Kusto ran toward the Rank 2 training grounds as well.

 

***

 

—Edith’s Notebook—

※ Participant List by Rank ※

Rank 1

David Bertier

• Honor or death.
• Surprisingly obedient when asked nicely.

Raphael Laurent

• A kind-hearted, beautiful blond who runs an orphanage.
• They say he has potential, but isn’t this rank a little too high for him?

Pierre Simon

• Sat in Seat No. 1 in the waiting area.
• Used to be a coachman, but he’s kind of…… scary.
• Still, doesn’t his ash-gray hair and purple eyes make him look like a ridiculously handsome demon?

Rank 2

Kusto

• Proud despite bearing a slave mark.
• There seems to be a reason he hasn’t erased the mark.

Dimitri Cassel

• Currently receiving a penalty for deception.

 

***

 

Amont was already waiting at the training grounds.

With her arms crossed, she coldly stared at the participants as they arrived, panting.

“Are you out of breath from that little run? We haven’t even started yet.”

Kusto entered the training grounds late.

Three or four more participants came in behind him before the door slammed shut.

One participant who hadn’t made it inside in time clung desperately to the door.

Since both the door and walls were made of iron bars, the sight of participants clinging to the outside looked even more pathetic.

“That man is demoted to Rank 3.”

Amont said coldly.

The participants were horrified.

“Wasn’t that guy Rank 1?”

“She’s demoting him two whole ranks at once?”

“Come to think of it, she never said they could only be demoted by one rank.”

“Wow. This is brutal.”

Only now did Kusto realize that Amont’s training grounds contained both Rank 1 and Rank 2 participants.

‘So they train together.’

The demoted participant was dragged away in despair to the training grounds where Ranks 3 and 4 were gathered.

Ines was waiting there as the Valkyria in charge.

Mila was at the final training grounds, where the Rank 5 participants were gathered.

‘So Rank 5 gets special training by themselves.’

Basically, they were under intensive supervision for being the least qualified.

‘If David hadn’t helped me put on my armor, I would’ve ended up Rank 3.’

Kusto would have to thank him.

But there were already countless participants swarming around David.

‘Forget thanking him. I can’t even get close.’

Just then—

“Interesting. The fact that you still have the energy to chatter.”

Amont’s icy voice silenced the murmuring participants.

“First, practice the sword technique I demonstrated earlier! After that, each of you will come out and perform it individually.”

“!”

“Everyone, start practicing!”

It was like a bolt from the blue.

They had to learn a sword technique after seeing it only once, and then perform it individually.

“How is that even possible? They say she’s a genius who can learn a sword form after seeing it just once, but……”

Complaints erupted from all around, but there was no changing the decision.

Eventually, the participants began gathering in small groups around those skilled enough to have memorized the sword technique.

They needed help.

The groups were broadly divided into two.

One group gathered around David.

The other gathered around a man named Kilman.

‘What does that guy do that everyone’s gathering around him?’

Curious, Kusto looked over at Kilman.

Sensing his gaze, Kilman strode over.

“Did I tell you to stare at me? Move! Where does a slave-born—ugh!”

Kilman shoved Kusto hard.

But the one sent flying was Kilman himself.

“Are you all right?”

“That slave bastard! How dare he push Sir Kilman!”

Kusto was dumbfounded.

“Kilman or whatever his name is pushed me first. And I wasn’t staring at him.”

“‘Kilman or whatever his name is’?!”

“A practitioner from the Pius school!”

Kusto looked at Kilman, who was clearly pleased with himself.

Pius was the region where Kusto had lived until recently.

He had even been hired by the lord there and taken part in a campaign to suppress pirates.

‘There was a swordsmanship school there too?’

But Kusto had never once seen them participate in a pirate hunt or any actual combat.

Were they the type who locked themselves away in a training hall, practicing among themselves and acting superior?

Still, it seemed they weren’t completely without skill.

Kilman had managed to reproduce the entire sword technique demonstrated by the Valkyria after seeing it only once.

He even seemed relaxed enough to teach it to the participants gathered around him.

“How did you memorize all of this?”

“It wasn’t difficult. It was similar to the swordsmanship I’ve practiced before.”

“As expected of you, sir.”

As Kusto turned away, he could hear Kilman laugh arrogantly behind him.

Kusto tried reproducing what he could remember.

But it wasn’t perfect.

‘If I want to keep my rank, doing this alone will be difficult.’

But there was no way Kusto could learn from that Kilman, while David’s group was already packed with people.

‘Then there’s only one person left.’

Kusto looked toward the corner.

Dimitri was practicing alone.

No one approached him, as though an invisible barrier had been erected around him.

No one except Kusto.

“If it wouldn’t be an inconvenience, I’d appreciate some help learning the sword technique.”

Dimitri froze like a statue.

‘Does he dislike people who used to be slaves too?’

Kusto was about to turn away when Dimitri slowly looked at him.

“Were you…… talking to me?”

“?”

“You want…… to learn from me?”

He looked as though he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Kusto was slightly flustered and nodded.

“You seem skilled, so I’d like some help. I’d appreciate it if you’d allow me.”

“From me……”

Why does this guy keep pausing after saying ‘from me……’?

“If you don’t want to, you can just say so.”

“N-No, that’s not it!”

Dimitri shouted hurriedly.

Then, with an overly solemn expression, he asked,

“I just want to ask you one thing. Are you sure you won’t regret it?”

“What……? How is getting a little help something I’d regret? Do you actually not want to teach me?”

“N-No, that’s not what I mean!”

“I don’t regret things easily, so I’d appreciate it if you’d just teach me.”

“Then…… I’ll help you.”

Dimitri agreed.

For some inexplicable reason, the tips of his ears were red.

‘This wasn’t the wrong choice, was it?’

With some doubts, Kusto watched Dimitri demonstrate the sword technique.

His doubts immediately vanished.

The movements were incredibly clean.

Exactly as Kusto had seen during the ranking evaluation.

Kusto followed his movements, memorizing the sword technique.

“Is there anything else you’re curious about?”

Dimitri asked.

‘He acted like he didn’t want to teach me earlier. Why is he like this now?’

Well, good things were good things.

“Is it correct to bend my arm upward at this part?”

“Oh, that part! You see—”

Dimitri’s face lit up slightly as he explained with remarkable enthusiasm and dedication.

‘What is with this guy?’

He was incredibly kind.

Kusto noticed people around them stealing glances at the two of them.

They were mostly participants standing at the very ends of the two larger groups.

They had to rise onto their toes just to see David’s or Kilman’s movements.

Kusto found it strange.

‘If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to join us?’

The fact that no one was asking Dimitri for help wasn’t merely strange.

It was fascinating.

‘Traitor or not, staying alive is what matters.’

Besides, Dimitri was helping him earnestly, his cheeks even flushed red with enthusiasm.

Kusto couldn’t imagine having a better teacher.

“I think you’ve practiced enough. We’ll begin the individual evaluations now.”

Just as Kusto finished memorizing the movements, Amont announced it.

Disappointed groans rose from all around.

Kusto felt the same.

‘If only we had a little more time.’

He had barely managed to memorize all the movements, but he hadn’t fully ingrained them into his body.

Besides, he had never learned swordsmanship from any particular school, nor had he ever trained as a squire.

He had simply fought however he could, doing whatever was necessary to survive in actual combat.

In other words, he was someone who had to start again from the basics.

‘Can’t be helped.’

As expected, there was only one way.