My Childhood Friends Are Trying To Kill Me

“What do you mean…”

“I’ll take that as you’ve given me permission. We’ll teach you a lesson.”

Finally, Cedric also untied his sleeves and walked to the center of the circular stage.

As if excited to see Sir Raymond fall, the male nobles watching shouted louder.

“Yes, Sir Namp has been taken down in one shot, so two versus one is a good fit!”

“Kill him! Kill him! Your Highness!”

“Now that’s fair! Break the bones in his face!”

[What’s that logic?]

Lelia looked at Cedric and Damien with a blank look on her face.

As she stood up against them, she suddenly felt sad and upset, and the tip of her nose started to burn and tingle.

“……”

[How could you bother yourself so much because you weren’t good enough.]

Honestly, Lelia hated Princes Cedric and Damien, but… she always consciously tried not to think of them. If she kept thinking about them and hating them, her dead mother would be so sad. They were the children who came out of the same mother’s womb. There are no parents who like their children to fight among themselves. It was even more painful and unfair because she couldn’t tell the truth.

Still, what the hell kind of enemy are these two people as they try to torment her so much?

“……”

Meanwhile, Cedric and Damien were staring at Lelia with their big fists gauging to see how they were going to beat her to the point right before she died. The eyes filled with hostility and malice were particularly stinging.

To protect the honor of Princess Julianna… For that reason, it hurt that they were looking at her like that.

“……”

Feeling despondent, she didn’t think she’d care what happens now.

Lelia, who was discouraged, didn’t even take a boxing stance.

In any case, she didn’t have any extra pills like she used earlier and didn’t have time to make more.

Beep!

It was then, the knight standing on one side of the ring, rang the bell at Cedric’s command.

At the same time, Cedric and Damien kept Lelia in check by taking their boxing stances.

Cedric stepped out first, and Damien stood one step behind Cedric in case he lost.

Cedric stared at her carefully, not immediately punching towards her. A while ago, Lelia seemed wary because she knocked out Sir Namp with one fist.

“Why don’t you go for it?” said Cedric.

He seemed to be trying to provoke her in his own way, but Lelia didn’t respond. Cedric had a subtle look on his face and soon approached and punched her.

Certainly, Namp’s hit was different from the speed and power of Cedric’s fist. In the first place, Sir Namp was an ordinary nobleman, and Cedric was a well-trained knight and even a participant in the battlefield.

Thud!

With the sound of her head turning after being hit by his fist, Lelia’s body fell to the floor.

When the man who had hit Sir Namp with a huge fist collapsed this time, spectators shouted loudly.

“Wow!”

“Kill him!”

“Kill him!”

Everyone was so excited that they shouted, “Kill, tear!”

Cedric felt heightened by the roars and laughed at Lelia, who had been knocked out at once. He slowly approached Lelia. Then he touched her with his feet and spoke loudly.

“Sir Raymond, I told you earlier, didn’t I? It’s not against the law unless you die!”

With those words, he grabbed Lelia’s neck with his left hand and raised his right fist.

“……”

But at that moment, Cedric paused.

This is because the way Sir Raymond looked at him suddenly made him feel strange.

[…That’s ridiculous.]

Someone came to his mind, who had no reason to think of this person.

He shook his head and raised his right hand higher in response.

As he was about to punch the small face, he exclaimed.

“Ugh!”

Suddenly, his right hand was immobilized and he couldn’t move.

When Cedric turned his head in bewilderment, the nobles were quietly looking at one place. Someone was approaching this way, but the knights couldn’t reach him and were flinching. 

As if stuck by an unknown force.

It was a man in a white robe.

“…What?”

Cedric let go of Lelia’s collar and jumped to his feet.

Damien was also looking there with his brows furrowed.

The man walked past the cracks of spectators and came to the stage.

Cedric tilted his head.

The man, on closer inspection, was wearing a robe with a Kreutzian symbol.

Walking all the way to Cedric and Damien, he soon removed the robe’s hood.

It was as expected.

“Griffith, it is you.”

“……”

Cedric and Damien glared at him with an unwelcome look.

They’ve known Griffith since they’ve been on the battlefield, but they haven’t had a 

good relationship with him like the others.

“It’s a boxing match between two and one. It’s great to be a prince.” Griffith muttered in a relaxed voice.

They couldn’t believe he said that. Cedric and Damien were dumbfounded.

Griffith is also a prince, but he is now far behind in the line of succession.

A prince abandoned by his imperial family. Cedric laughed at Griffith inwardly.

In addition, he was in the Imperial City of Auraria.

How dare he be so arrogant to a prince here.

“We were only dueling with the one who dared to defame the Princess.”

“Ahaa…” Griffith replied insincerely and climbed the stage and approached Lelia, who lay on the floor.

Then he pushed her with his toes. 

When Lelia’s body turned and her face was revealed, he raised the corners of his mouth with a strange expression.

“……”

At the same time he reached out. Lelia’s eyes grew big. Clear energy was spreading into her body. Her face  collapsed from a throbbing sensation just now, but the pain disappeared as if it was just a lie.

It was divine power.

He turned his head and offered to Cedric and Damien lightly, “Then I’ll fight on behalf of this friend.”

“You? Why?”

“……”

“What’s the connection between you and him?”

At Cedric’s words, Griffith turned and looked at Lelia.

Their eyes met.

“My best friend.”

Griffith said with a strange look. Lelia suddenly felt her heart stop.

[What do you mean best friend?]

[Don’t tell me… do you recognize me?]

She was dumbfounded by the ridiculous idea. In the meantime, Griffith took off the cumbersome robe he was wearing. The robe flew over Lelia’s head.

Staring puzzledly, Griffith gestured to Lelia to move away.

“……”

Lelia held Griffith’s robe unexpectedly and stepped aside.

[When the hell did he get here?]

Lelia was in a daze.

The male aristocrats who were looking around were all fierce and refused to get close to Lelia. It was unpleasant to be treated like a bug, but she felt comfortable because no one was around her.

Griffith said, rolling up his sleeves,”You can go at it together like you did just now.”

Cedric and Damien’s eyebrows wriggled at his provocation.

“… It’s a foul to use divine power during a duel. You know that, right?” said Cedric.

“Oh, yeah.”

Griffith spoke as if he were right, and took a stance. The look was natural, just like a boxing player in a gambling house.

When Cedric looked, the knight hesitated but blew his whistle.

At the same time, Cedric’s fist flew at him. While watching, Lelia closed her eyes tightly.

But there was no sound, and when she opened his eyes, Griffith was lightly avoiding Cedric. Damien, who was watching from behind, also saw the scene and let loose his clenched fist .

[Cowards…!]

Lelia gritted her teeth and blamed the two inwardly.

In the middle of the stage, Griffith was still avoiding their attack. Cedric and Damien looked very agitated.

“Oh, but there’s one thing to check.”

“……”

Griffith stated, avoiding his fist, but Cedric ground his teeth. He kept avoiding it, and he seemed very angry.

“I overheard earlier that it’s not illegal if you don’t lose your life. Is it the same if your opponent is a member of the Imperial family?”

“Do you think you can beat us before you die? There are two of us, though.”

Cedric laughed. Since the two participated late in the battlefield, few people saw Griffith fight.

Even in the final battle, Griffith only healed from the rear with divine power.

But it was ridiculous to hear it come out of his mouth so confidently.

“What’s the answer?” Griffith asked again, and Cedric snorted.

“Yeah, that’s right. But that’s not gonna happen…!”

Unfortunately, Cedric couldn’t finish his sentence.

In an instant, Griffith’s fist hit Cedric’s jaw. Damien, who stood in the back and was puzzled, was in confusion.

Thud!

As soon as he turned his head toward Griffith to avenge Cedric, his body flew away.

There was silence among the spectators who had been shouting, “Kill, tear” until a while ago.

Griffith approached Cedric, who was lying down, grabbed him by the collar and raised his fist.

Just like Cedric had held Lelia.

Without a moment to think about whether Lelia should stop him, his fist fell down.

The knights just hesitated, not knowing what to do.

It was understood that it was not unlawful if the prince’s life was not taken by him, but the knights could not stand idly by to see how injured the imperial family they guarded would be.

As the knights approached and tried to stop him, Griffith clicked his tongue.

“Ugh!”

The knights who entered the round stage and tried to restrain Griffith were suddenly unable to move and were tied up because of his divine power.

Griffith spoke lightly, as if to calm the knights, “Do not worry. When it’s over, I’ll heal you right away.”