Please Vote for Your Knight! – Chapter 28

Author: Asternkm

David was the first to draw the ball that would determine their opposing team.

“The opponent for the Grade 1 team is… the Grade 2 team!”

The Grade 2 representative was Denny Vinosh, and a cheer led by Pavel erupted from behind him.

The Grade 1 team also began loudly chanting David’s name, unwilling to lose.

Soon, a Grade 1 flag and a Grade 2 flag were planted at the tops of the two hills.

David and Denny stood with their backs to their respective flags.

“The first team to steal the opposing team’s flag wins!”

Upon hearing that, Denny threw off his shoes.

“Wooooo!”

“He’s serious about this!”

Laughter spread from the other grades as they watched with growing excitement.

But only the Grade 1 team couldn’t laugh.

“Our David was raised with such refinement…”

“Taking off your shoes is something people of low status do.”

“Why can’t he take them off? They’re both people, aren’t they?”

Kusto’s voice reached David’s ears.

He wasn’t protesting. He genuinely sounded as though he couldn’t understand.

As if responding to Kusto’s words, David took off his shoes without hesitation.

“Whoa!”

“Lord David!”

A roar erupted at the unexpected sight. No one except Kusto had expected him to do that.

Denny bit his lip before throwing off his top.

“Wooo! He’s taking it all off!”

“Even Lord David couldn’t possibly go that far… WAAAH!”

When David took off his top as well, the stadium erupted with deafening cheers.

“Ahem, ahem. That’s enough preparation. The match will begin now!”

Edith quickly moved the match along.

However, contrary to her words, she didn’t forget to focus the video orbs on the two men, filming them from various angles.

A moderate amount of stimulation, without going overboard, would help the ratings.

Denny charged forward, using his large, muscular body to his advantage. David didn’t dodge and blocked him head-on.

Thud!

The two became entangled and fell to the ground together.

Denny got up first and sprinted toward the Grade 1 flag—

“Argh!”

But Denny suddenly toppled forward again.

David had thrown his entire body over him and brought him back down.

Dirt covered David’s pale muscles. His previously crisp trousers were wrinkled and filthy.

Yet with his solemn blue eyes, beautiful blond hair fluttering in the wind, and graceful movements, he looked like a god of war descending onto the battlefield, completely contrary to the actual circumstances.

Regardless, it was a fact that David had thrown his entire body into stopping Denny.

“D-Duke David! How could you do something like this…!”

At that moment, Denny was completely overwhelmed.

For a duke to lower himself this much…

While Denny momentarily lost his strength, David shoved him away and quickly climbed the Grade 2 hill.

Denny gritted his teeth and began climbing the Grade 1 hill as well.

David was the first to pull out the flag.

It was by the narrowest of margins.

With his luxurious platinum-blond hair covered in dirt, David raised the flag.

“Wooooo!”

Denny also pulled out the flag.

He had given the game his all, and he had no regrets.

Even the dejected Grade 2 team erupted into cheers.

“This round goes to the Grade 1 team!”

The next match was between the Grade 4 and Grade 5 teams.

The victorious Grade 4 team went on to face Grade 3, represented by Maurice Arnaud.

Unlike his clumsy performance during the swordsmanship demonstration, Maurice ran as fast as a flying squirrel and seized the victory.

The final match was between David and Maurice.

It was evenly matched from the very beginning.

“Gaaaaah!”

“Hyah!”

Maurice nimbly dodged David, who charged at him like the wind. But David quickly twisted his body and shoved Maurice.

“Argh!”

While Maurice was thrown off balance, David crawled toward the Grade 3 hill.

“No!”

Maurice also hurriedly began climbing the hill.

But the hill Maurice climbed wasn’t the Grade 1 hill.

“We’re not letting you take our flag!”

He had climbed the Grade 3 hill and latched onto David.

“Let go of me!”

The moment David twisted his body, the two of them slipped down the hill together.

Taking advantage of the opening, Maurice quickly climbed toward the Grade 1 hill.

David also began climbing the nearby Grade 3 hill again.

His determination was incredible.

The two reached their flags almost simultaneously.

It was a battle of flying dirt.

But victory belonged to Maurice, who was just a little faster.

“WOOOOOOO!”

“Long live Grade 3!”

The unexpected victory by Grade 3 sent thunderous cheers throughout the stadium.

Even David had no choice but to acknowledge him.

‘Maurice… he’s incredible.’

He brushed back his sweat-soaked blond hair and gave a faint smile.

It had been a long time since he’d had such an unusual and entertaining match.

“The pre-event warm-up game, Capture the Flag, goes to Grade 3!”

After the game ended and the participants cleaned themselves up, they entered the circular arena one by one.

After playing a round, their faces were clearly less tense.

But that lasted only a moment.

At the center of the circular arena were 54 seats.

And the moment the participants saw the numbers attached to each seat, they became tense once again.

“Almost half of us are going to be eliminated.”

“There’s no losers’ revival round either?”

The seats were arranged from the bottom upward, with ranks through 11th.

But the seats from 10th to 1st were positioned in the central row, large and elaborate enough that anyone could tell at a glance, ‘These people must have high rankings.’

The ranking was also higher as the seats moved from the sides toward the center.

Because of the influence of the game earlier, the participants gathered and sat in small groups in the waiting seats according to their grades, even though no one had told them to.

Today, the judges’ seats had been set up directly in front of the waiting area.

“Everyone, the day of the first ranking announcement has finally arrived! You’ve all been waiting for this, right?”

“Yes…… no.”

Nervous voices could be heard here and there.

“I’m a little disappointed.”

Ines quietly muttered to herself.

Amond silently stared at the waiting seats.

Mila seemed even more nervous herself, tightly clasping her hands and squeezing her eyes shut.

Edith was in charge of announcing the rankings.

For a survival program, the ranking announcement came rather early.

Only about half of the 100 participants had managed to stand out.

Edith had made the quick decision that dragging things out just to carry the other half along would actually hurt the program more.

“Then, without further delay, I’ll begin announcing the rankings! First up, 53rd place!”

Skipping 54th place, the announcement began with 53rd.

The participant called for 53rd place covered their mouth with both hands and jumped to their feet as if they couldn’t believe it.

The rankings that followed were called one after another.

The lower rankings passed by quickly.

Once they reached the top 20, the atmosphere changed drastically.

As if realizing they had no hope left, noticeably more participants began to despair.

Denny glanced at the seat beside him.

Pavel, who was always smiling brightly, had his eyes closed and was praying earnestly.

Denny was about to pat Pavel on the shoulder, but then noticed that his own hand was drenched in sweat and flinched.

“26th place, Killian Grouchy!”

When a fourth-grade participant was called, Kusto’s shoulders twitched.

‘Not this time either.’

He had expected it, but somehow, he still felt disappointed.

He didn’t need a high rank. He just wanted to survive.

It wasn’t only because of the promise he had made to the Princess.

He simply wanted to enjoy Cartamen a little longer.

No, not merely enjoy it. He wanted to survive as long as possible.

Kusto’s heart was pounding hard and fast.

He had thought of Cartamen as nothing more than a game where they risked their lives for the thrill of it. He never imagined the question of survival would make him this nervous.

And yet, cruelly, the ranking announcement continued.

“15th place, famous for the whip he received from his master, Pierre Simon!”

“13th place, a participant who has been making waves in Cartamen after graduating as the academy’s top student, Olivier Morty!”

The participants congratulated one another as they made their way to the center stage.

As the surrounding seats emptied one after another, even Maurice, who was usually so carefree, began to feel his chest tighten.

His stepmother’s voice echoed in his head.

“Maurice is going on Cartamen? Let him go. The merchant lord will obviously kick him out of the position of heir for bringing shame upon the family.”

He also remembered the mocking faces of his half-siblings, who weren’t much younger than him, and the face of his father, who had coldly cast his mother aside.

‘I can’t get eliminated here. Please, please…….’

“He’s a participant who has brought smiles to many people. 11th place, Maurice Arnaud!”

“!”

“Maurice!”

“You did it!”

Maurice’s eyes flew open.

The people around him hugged him and cheered as if it were their own victory.

Most of the lower-ranked participants hadn’t even had their names called yet, but they were even happier for him.

Moaurice walked onto the stage in a daze, and only after sitting down did he finally smile.

‘Father, Mother. I hope you’ll see me like this.’

Kusto watched Maurice clench both fists in joy with envy.

He had never envied anyone, no matter how wealthy or powerful they were.