My Uncle and I Choose the Life That Will Not Be Ruined

Chapter 26 : Knight's Resolve

The buzz of people under the clear sky.

Many students were hanging out at the knight school adjacent to the royal academy. There are usually only a few female students in the school, but now there are many female students from the Royal Academy walking around. Among them were Miriella and Alexis.

"It seems that Ed is already in the contestants' waiting room, so let's head straight to the audience."

"Yes"

Alexis walks so proudly that people notice him, but he doesn't care. The three that went together followed while looking down in embarrassment.

According to Alexis, about 80% of the knights in apprenticeships from the knight academy and 20% of the students from the royal academy participate in the spring exchange games. It seems that Edmont usually goes to the knight school for training, and it means now is the long-awaited participation.

Miriella and Ann were trying to somehow calm down Anessa, who had been fidgeting *sowa*sowa* with anticipation and anxiety since the morning. With her finally calmed down, her party entered the mortar-shaped arena.

Many students are already sitting in the audience seats.

An exchange match had begun in the arena. Currently, trainees between the ages of 12 and 14 are competing. The sound of wooden swords hitting each other resounded.

"It's amazing. Everyone is very skilled aren't they." (Miriella)

"All of these age groups are trainees of the knight school." (Alexis)

"Is that so" (Miriella)

"Anessa, are you trembling?" (Ann)

“Edmont-sama......I wonder if he will be okay.”

Next to Miriella who was admiring their swordsmanship, Alexis was pointing and explaining.

On the other hand, Ann encourages Anessa, who begins to tremble. Even though it was an exchange match with a wooden sword, Anessa's worries didn't end because of the fierce fighting that she doesn't usually see.

The match for trainees ended, and the match for apprentice knights aged 15 and over began.

"People who entered the knight school from the primary school and passed the exam at the age of 15 have already joined the Chivalric Order as apprentice knights."

“Then, do they attend school while they are in the Chivalric Order?”

"Aa. Many of them will be captains or higher later."

After a few games, the audience cheered loudly.

Edmont came out side by side from the entrance. As he waved to the audience, he always had a bright smile on his face.

Standing next to him, on the other hand, was a boy with a much smaller body compared to Edmont. He wears the same black uniform as the other apprentice knights, but he seems to be wearing a slightly larger size.

The boy with dark brown hair and eyes has a brave expression, but his face itself is young and cute. Miriella has become worried in a different way than Anessa.

"Is my Onii-sama's opponent will be okay I wonder? The physique is quite different, too."

Alexis picks up Miriella's muttering like he's talking to himself.

"It's okay. That guy is..."

"Anessa!"

Edmont, who was watching the audience, saw his fiancé and waved his hand loudly. His face with a big smile hasn't changed since he was young, but Miriella thinks that his body size and behavior have grown quite a bit.

Seeing her brother like that, his fiancée Anessa also waved back.

Led by Edmont's loud voice, the opponent's small boy also turned his attention. His big eyes are staring at one point in surprise.

The boy, who looked dumbfounded even from a distance, was urged by the referee to take the starting position. He holds up his wooden sword in a state of fidgetiness.

"I, is it really okay?"

"Well, just look."

At the signal to start, the two people facing each other stepped firmly on the ground.

Edmont stepped in with the momentum of pulling out his wooden sword. The boy caught it with his wooden sword.

With a dull sound of *gon*, the two crossed each other violently.

Their movements were fast, and even with an amateur's eye, it was a clear distinction from the match up to this point.

"Amazing...They're evenly matched I see."

"Serge..."

Ann mutters.

Miriella and Alexis both looked at Ann's face. Ann seems to be engrossed. Then Alexis started explaining again.

"That guy is Serge Becquerel. He's a first-year high school student at the Knight's Academy, and he's also an apprentice knight. I've heard that to Ed, who's been out-of-class practicing, he is a training buddy."

"Oh dear"

"As you can see, he's small, but according to Ed, his swordsmanship is outstanding even in the knight academy. Look at him, he's quick."

When she turned her eyes to the arena again after being told that, she saw Edmont who had just swung down his wooden sword.

Dodging it by simply pulling his body. Serge slips into Edmont's reach.

Edmont repels Serge's sharp thrust with ease. The dull sound of wooden swords colliding again resounded.

However, Serge quickly pulls the repelled wooden sword and puts in two or three more blows in a row. Edmont used his legs to keep his distance while barely blocking.

"Onii-sama is being pressured, isn't he?"

Edmont re-grasped the wooden sword and swung it down from above with all his might. This time, after receiving it with a wooden sword and sliding it as it is, Serge swept Edmont's side.

"Kyaa!"

Along with Anessa's scream, Edmont fell backwards.

"Winner, Serge!"

The referee raised his voice, and a beat later, the audience erupted.

Amid the mingling of applause and cheers, a smiling Serge reaches out to Edmont.

Edmond, who stood up in response, also had a bright smile on his face.

When Edmont turned his face toward Anessa, he lowered his eyebrows embarrassedly and smiled. When Anessa saw that, she smiled in relief and waved at him.

The small Serge, who stands next to them, is looking straight at the four of them. Miriella should be the same age as him, but aren't their heights about the same level.

Edmont tapped him on the shoulder, and the two left together. A big round of applause erupts from the backs of the two men. Miriella and the others also saw them off with the best possible applause.

--------------------------

After that, the three girls left the arena with Alexis.

When they waited in the garden behind the school building to have an appointment with Edmont, Edmont appeared shortly after. Behind it was the small figure of Serge, who had just put (away) their sword together.

He bowed deeply to Alexis, followed by Miriella and Anessa, to whom he also gave his deep gratitude and introduced himself.

Serge stood in front of Ann with a pretty face full of determination.

Bending one knee, he kneels in front of Ann.

"Ankoro Mochiko-sama, daughter of Baron Juliennebell"

"Please call me Ann. Ann. By all means."

"Ann-sama"

When Miriella and Anessa glanced up at Edmont, he innocently replied, "He asked me so I told him!" Ann also looks at Edmont, but quickly turns to Serge.

"Ann-sama... I have a dream."

"Yes"

"I've always wanted to be a knight who protects the only princess. When I saw you for the first time, I understood. You are the princess that I should protect!"

Serge stretched out a large hand that did not suit his small body. Ann gently puts her white, graceful fingertips on it.

Serge, who raised his head again, looked straight at Ann's face and said loudly.

"I, want to be a knight who protects you!"

--------------------------

The five of them walk along the road where the sun is about to set.

Miriella and Anessa can't hide their fidgetiness in the colorful story that comes up. And although Ann herself was silent, she looked like she was about to hum.

Edmont, who was talking with Alexis, called out to the girls as if he remembered.

“Serge seems to have fallen in love at first sight!”

"I was surprised."

Can I finally talk?, Miriella bites. Edmont nodded and continued amusingly.

“He’s the second son of a baron, and since he won’t inherit the family, I think he’s aiming for first generation peerage! He’s always said that he wants to be a knight who protects the princess!”

Anessa takes a deep breath and smiles with distant eyes.

"It's lovely isn't it."

"Yes! It's good to have a goal!"

A beautiful princess and a knight who protects her. It's like a good romance novel relationship. Ann, in particular, is so beautiful that she has become a hot topic in the academy. In Anessa's mind, Ann already looked like a princess in a romance novel.

Miriella quietly snuggles next to Ann and speaks softly.

"Ann, if it bothers you..."

"It's okay, Miriella."

Ann, who had been silent for a long time, nodded to reassure Miriella.

"Besides, Serge still longs to be a "Knight who protects the princess" and yet, because he has a childish side, it's no good if he stays like this isn't it. Though I said that, since we finally met, it's not difficult at all from here. Easy peasy Easy peasy"

"Ann.......?"

She couldn't catch what she said because she spoke too fast halfway through, but apparently it's nothing to worry about. After her soliloquy, Ann gripped Miriella's hand tightly and showed an angelic smile.

"Miriella. It was fun wasn't it, the exchange match."

"Indeed, it was wasn't it."

Miriella also grabbed Ann's thin hand and whispered in relief.