Please Vote for Your Knight! Chapter 43

6th — Arsene: 211 votes
5th — Pierre: 320 votes
4th — Kusto: 1,591 votes
3rd — David: 1,904 votes
2nd — Denny: 1,928 votes
1st — Kilian: 4,017 votes

This score…!

Norman Fossi’s eyes widened.

Of all people, Kilian—the eliminated member—had come in first.

He must have received quite a few sympathy votes, but the sight of him clinging to the boat with just one arm must have left an enormous impression on everyone.

In second came Denny, who had done an excellent job as the team’s leader.

Soon, the overall rankings appeared on the screen.

□ Team Rankings
1st — Dmitri Cassel’s Team (Leader)
2nd — Grimal Baldo’s Team (Leader)
3rd — Denny Vinosh’s Team (Leader)
4th — …

“Based on team records, Dmitri’s team has taken first place, and all six team members will receive 100,000 points. And!”

Edith pointed toward the screen.

Another ranking appeared.

□ Individual 1st Place by Team
— Kilian Grouchy (4,017 votes)
— Dmitri Cassel (3,768 votes)
— William Ripon (2,001 votes)
……

“These are the knights who received the most votes on their respective teams and will therefore receive 100,000 individual points! And the knight who came in first overall is none other than… Sir Kilian Grouhy!”

“Waaaaaah!”

Norman Fossi let out a scream and shot to his feet without realizing it.

Only after coming to his senses did he notice that the other journalists in the press section were cheering as well.

Norman Fossi quickly sat back down and pretended nothing had happened, clearing his throat.

“Honestly, these journalists have no dignity.”

Then he began scribbling praise for Kilian in his notebook.

 

***

 

“Everyone, excellent work!”

Inside the waiting area.

All the teams had gathered after completing their missions.

Edith spoke with a satisfied expression.

Everyone answered with a resounding, “Yes!”

But the knights’ expressions varied greatly.

The difference between the knights who got good rankings and those who didn’t is pretty obvious.

It was understandable.

“The next event will be the Equestrian Group Dance evaluation.”

At Edith’s words, the knights’ eyes lit up.

The Equestrian Group Dance!

It was an event in which the knights rode horses while performing synchronized movements as though they were dancing.

The sight of an entire team performing the routine in formation was truly spectacular.

It was also a training exercise that helped them maintain formations during actual combat.

And, of course, it was a form of entertainment beloved by the people.

That was why the outcome of this event would depend entirely on the people’s votes.

“The Equestrian Group Dance evaluation will, naturally, be held publicly in front of the people.”

“Yes!”

“You’ll also be given two weeks of rest before the evaluation.”

“Ooooooh!”

The knights erupted in cheers at the welcome news.

After such grueling evaluations, they desperately needed a break.

But Edith wasn’t a Princess who only handed out carrots.

“And one thing you must remember!”

The entire room fell silent.

“After the Equestrian Group Dance evaluation, there will be a ranking announcement ceremony. Keep that in mind as you prepare for the next evaluation.”

The knights’ reactions became complicated.

Their excitement instantly faded at the mention of the ranking ceremony.

Apparently, they were terrified of seeing their rankings.

I’m going to die editing all of this, too.

Edith cried out inwardly.

“All right, everyone dismissed!”

 

***

 

“This really is a proper vacation this time. Two whole weeks without seeing each other? What am I going to do?”

Maurice spoke as they walked down the corridor leaving the circular arena.

“Exactly. Let’s make plans to meet often. Oh, and bring Shushu too!”

Pavel chimed in.

Olivier asked with a puzzled expression,

“Who is Shushu?”

“Oh, you don’t know?”

Maurice looked horrified.

“That’s what Pavel calls Sir Denny Vinosh.”

“Ah…”

“Ugh…”

The knights who hadn’t known let out groans as though they’d just witnessed something they wished they could unsee.

Only Pavel continued smiling brightly.

They were just about to leave the circular arena when—

“Joan! Joan!”

“Look, Raphael is there too!”

“Dmitriiii!”

A huge crowd had gathered at the exit.

They were the knights’ fans—the Maris and Jangs.

A group of soldiers struggled to clear a path for the knights to pass through. But there were so many people that even the soldiers were being swept around by the crowd.

“We should run.”

Olivier, having calculated the situation, said that and immediately took off.

The other knights followed, sprinting through the narrow path—or rather, the gap—that had been made for them.

“Hello! Hello! Hi!”

“Whoa, you came to see me?”

Some knights, like Maurice and Pavel, continued greeting their fans one by one as they ran.

“Do you really like me that much? Why me of all people…?”

“Why not? Dmitri is so cool!”

“Seeing our Dmitri like that breaks my heart.”

Dmitri awkwardly accepted the greetings, not knowing what else to do.

Raphael also smiled in wonder, repeatedly looking around at the crowd.

That was when it happened.

Joan struck Raphael hard on the shoulder as he rushed past him at incredible speed.

Then he climbed into a waiting carriage.

“Uh, Joan! Wait for us too…!”

Raphael called desperately, but the carriage door closed firmly.

“What an utterly disloyal man…”

Pavel, who was struggling to run alongside them, pouted and muttered.

“What happened? Did he abandon you?”

Someone suddenly ran up beside Pavel.

“Oh, Shushu!”

“……”

“Shushu didn’t abandon me, so I’m fine!”

Pavel wrapped his arms around Shushu—no, Denny’s waist.

“Waaaaah! Did you hear that just now? He called him Shushu!”

“Hearing it with my own ears makes it even more sacred!”

Amid the screams coming from all around them, Denny quickly pried Pavel off.

“Let’s just get somewhere without people around.”

Just then, a carriage even larger and more magnificent than Joan’s appeared beside it.

The door swung open, revealing David.

“Get in!”

Several knights hurriedly climbed into the carriage.

Once it was packed so tightly that there was no room for another person, the door closed and the carriage set off.

Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief and look around at the faces inside.

“Thanks, David. That awful Joan left on his own without an ounce of loyalty. And you even let me and Shushu ride with you.”

“Shushu came too?”

David smiled calmly as he said it, and Denny’s face turned deathly pale.

“E-Even you, David? You’re calling me by that horrifying nickname too…!”

“Haha. I’m kidding.”

“I knew it! But that’s a terrible joke…”

“Shushu.”

“No, David!”

Denny covered his head with both hands and groaned in agony.

Besides Pavel and Denny, there were three other passengers in the carriage.

Kilian, Dmitri, and Kusto.

David spotted Kusto and smiled.

Since Pavel and Denny, who were staying at the same lodging, were dropped off first, there was more room in the carriage.

“Kilian, I heard you’re doing leg-strengthening exercises.”

“Ah, yeah. I’ve been doing them occasionally while staying at the lodging.”

“Lodging?”

David asked.

Kilian explained where he was staying.

It was a place near the slums that could hardly even be called proper accommodation.

David frowned.

“From now on, stay at my estate and train there. There’s a modest training ground in the garden, so it’ll be convenient.”

“No, I can’t impose on you like that. You already helped me so much during the team event. How could I impose on you by staying at your house too?”

David tilted his head and asked,

“Do you really think staying at my estate would be imposing on me?”

“Of course.”

“It’s a place that large, overflowing with wealth and food?”

“Uh…”

“How would having one more person there possibly be a burden?”

“Well… I suppose…”

His tone was strangely self-important, but everyone in the carriage somehow found his reasoning convincing.

And so, somehow, Kilian ended up staying at David’s estate.

David looked at Dmitri.

“Dmitri, I’d like to invite you too… You don’t look well.”

Dmitri shook his head, his face pale.

“I’m just a little tired today.”

“Come to think of it, being the leader must have taken a lot out of you.”

Kusto said.

Dmitri’s estate happened to be right ahead.

“I’d like to rest alone for a while.”

He sounded so firm that even David couldn’t bring himself to insist.

“Thanks for bringing me this far.”

Dmitri got out of the carriage and walked away alone.

David watched him for a moment before turning to Kusto.

“And this time, Kusto, I’d like to offer you—”

Just then—

“Ugh…”

Dmitri frowned and suddenly collapsed sideways.

“Dmitri!”

The three of them jumped out of the carriage and rushed toward him without a second thought.

Kusto lifted the fallen Dmitri and was horrified.

“He’s burning up!”

“How long has he been like this?”

“Let’s get him inside first.”

David instructed the coachman and servants to wait, then entered Dmitri’s estate with the other two.

As David and Kilian stepped inside the cold, chilly mansion, they looked bewildered.

“The master has come home. Why isn’t a single servant coming out to greet him?”

Kusto, carrying Dmitri on his back, answered,

“There aren’t any.”

“What?”

“He doesn’t have any servants. No one wants to work under Dmitri.”

Kusto entered Dmitri’s room as though he knew the place well.

Then he laid him down on the cold bed.

“This idiot is in this state and still insists on being alone…”

Kusto bit his lip.

“We need to call a physician.”

“We should at least give him some water.”

At Kilian’s words, Kusto and David went together to the dining room.

“We should grab some bread or something for him to eat when he wakes up.”

David said.

Fortunately, there was some bread that hadn’t gone bad.

It was rather rough-looking, as though it had been made by hand.

“He even makes bread. He’s surprisingly talented.”

Kusto tore off a small piece and took a bite, just in case.

He immediately became overwhelmed with emotion.

“No wonder he’s so weak! He lives on this garbage! This is driving me insane…”

“What’s wrong?”

David took a bite as well, then immediately threw the bread into the trash.

“His cooking skills…”

After letting out a sigh, he spoke without the slightest hesitation.

“We’re just going to take Dmitri to my estate and nurse him there.”