The replica of the Ether Weapon showcased by Postinger certainly seemed impressive, appearing to have abruptly turned the tides of battle against Ail.
However, it was only temporary.
Ail managed to cut through all the ether in the shape of chains with a single strike and then sent Postinger out of bounds with a follow-up attack.
This display left quite an impression on the audience and was likely the biggest upset of the tournament.
But…
“Why is a Holy Knight of the Latima Order present here?”
Christian, upon returning to the mansion, refused to partake in a meal with his grandfather and instead shut himself in his room.
A Holy Knight, presumed to be of the rank of Guardian Knight from the Latima Order, had participated in the martial arts competition hosted by the Aries Order.
Ail’s presence brought many questions to Christian’s mind.
“What is it? Has the Latima Order already fallen? A Guardian Knight converting seems improbable.”
Upon considering it, he could not fathom such a situation unless the Latima Order had indeed fallen.
He couldn’t help but imagine the worst-case scenario he wished to avoid thinking about.
“There’s supposed to be some time left before that event happens, right?”
The Latima Order would eventually fall, with its Holy City burning, wiping out both the clerics and the believers, including the Holy Knights, cardinals, and even the Pope.
The only survivor from Latima would then be the Saintess, Rachel.
“Anyhow, it seems necessary to attempt to meet this Holy Knight.”
The problem lay in not knowing where to find this Holy Knight named Ail and whether he was genuinely a Guardian Knight or perhaps escorting the Saintess.
“Is there something going on with the Aries Order?”
If Christian’s speculation was correct, Ail was indeed a Guardian Knight.
Although he might lack the holy energy of the Saintess, Rachel, Ail possessed a holy energy so intense that Christian considered it among the finest he had faced, despite Ail’s young age.
If he had achieved such accomplishments while still young, it implied being blessed by the Goddess Latima and being an elite nurtured within the Latima Order.
Participating in a tournament hosted by another order, located at the opposite end of the continent, as a Guardian Knight from the Latima Order?
Anyone would suspect some clandestine agreement between the two orders. Furthermore, what fueled his suspicion even more was…
“Come to think of it, wasn’t a Holy Knight from the Aries Order also participating?”
Christian, who didn’t usually concern himself with other participants, couldn’t help but remember the participation of a Holy Knight from the Aries Order in their own hosted tournament.
He couldn’t gauge their skill level but found it peculiar that the Holy Knights of two different orders were positioned to meet only in the finals, as though following a well-crafted script. By now, it was hard to dismiss it as mere suspicion.
“In that case…”
If Ail was a Guardian Knight, it was crucial to verify who he was currently escorting.
Considering who Ail might be escorting—whether the target was the Saintess or the Pope—and whether he could entrust such guardianship to a reliable faction or organization…
“That means he’s staying within the Aries Order.”
Regardless of the reason, Ail’s existence provided a significant clue for Christian.
Truthfully, Christian had no memory of ever encountering a figure such as the Guardian Knight known as Ail.
As mentioned, the Latima Order was utterly destroyed, leaving no survivors in its Holy City except Saintess Rachel.
“Aunt… Rachel…”
The unfortunate circumstance was that all high priests of the Latima Order were residing in its Holy City’s stronghold.
Although some branches fortunately evaded the massacre, the priests managing those branches only held middle-tier administrative roles.
Hence, the loss of all high-ranking officials on the same day proved disastrous.
Moreover, individuals emerged claiming this catastrophe was divine retribution, and believers buying into those claims only exacerbated the situation.
Thus, the remaining priests and believers of the Latima Order, forced to conceal or even renounce their faith, inevitably led to the erasure of the name Latima from the western continent.
However, the Saintess Rachel never hid her faith.
Consequently, she often found herself alone until reuniting with his master and comrades.
Remembering Rachel inevitably evoked a deep nostalgia. Instinctively, Christian could feel his hand moving towards his heart.
Rachel had left behind the Latima Chalice, which still resided within the Arsenal, serving as a precious holy relic that had saved his life multiple times.
Indeed, in a way, Rachel was a life savior, having spared his life several times.
To him, she was not only a sister but also an aunt figure—someone he dearly missed. Therefore, if Ail was escorting the Saintess…
“Should I go to meet?”
He wanted to meet her, as she was a near and dear existence, even more so than his master, akin to family.
“What’s this, are you planning on going somewhere?”
“Yeah. I might have a sister I know here… huh?”
Suddenly responding to his own muttering, Christian snapped out of his thoughts and lifted his head.
Before him stood Aira, arms crossed and looking down at him with a somewhat annoyed expression.
“Why did you come in without saying anything?”
“I knocked. You didn’t answer, so I decided to come in.”
“Isn’t it usual to not enter?”
“Well, that’s my decision, isn’t it?”
Despite disputing such an obviously standard point, aira snorted and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.
Aira sat before Christian, grabbing the cup placed in front of him, and casually drank from it without a second thought.
“More importantly, where are you headed? Do you have anyone to meet in the capital?”
“Well, it’s just…”
Contemplating how to explain it, Christian decided this wasn’t something he could share, so he skillfully skirted around the topic.
“There is, but you wouldn’t know her.”
“Hmm, really?”
Knowing she wouldn’t be informed if she probed further, aira stopped asking.
“But isn’t it better to rest a bit more? You’ve got a match tomorrow.”
“The same goes for you, doesn’t it? What are you doing up instead of resting?”
“Not resting? I’ve been resting plenty.”
“You say resting, but that sulking expression while pacing the room like a dog needing to go out suggests otherwise.”
Aira exaggerated, twisting her face and miming restlessness dramatically, causing Christian to frown.
Yet Aira merely snorted at Christian’s wary stare, stating decisively,
“What’s up with you? Ever since you saw that Holy Knight from the Latima Order, things have been off, you know?”
“…….”
Even if others didn’t notice, aira was quick to discern that something was amiss with Christian.
Family bonds? Sure, that was part of it.
However, having sparred countless times and trained together incessantly, aira had developed an awareness of the inexplicable gazes and emotions Christian occasionally directed towards her.
She hadn’t questioned what those feelings entailed, but she wasn’t oblivious either. And now, those same emotions surfaced again.
Emotions, earnestly directed not at her but at someone else.
“You must know him, right?”
“No, I don’t know him.”
“Another secret, huh?”
With a sigh, aira turned her gaze away from Christian. Seeing this, Christian hesitated for a moment but found he had no different reply to offer.
“… I truly don’t know that Holy Knight. But it seems like I might know who that person is linked to.”
“Someone you know?”
“Yeah. There’s someone I know from the Latima Order. Or, at least, there was.”
“Hmm…”
She didn’t ask him how he knew that person. Aira possessed enough insight to refrain from probing into things Christian desired to conceal.
“So, you’re going to meet?”
“I’m not sure. I want to, but I don’t even know what to say if I do meet them.”
“Hey, are you talking about a girl?”
“Uh? Oh, yes. She is a girl.”
Remembering Rachel, Christian smiled. Aira, as if she had just seen something unpleasant, frowned deeply while reluctantly nodding.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Well, I didn’t expect you to believe in destiny and love at first sight or anything. I thought you only cared about training and muscles, so this is quite surprising.”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
Regaining her composure, aira calmly continued,
“Just go and meet her already.”
“It’s not about wanting to see her; it’s about the uncertainty of whether she’s there or not.”
“What’s this cautious, timid act when you taught me to face things head-on? Are you going to keep dithering crucial moments like this?”
“But that was Master Laura’s teaching…”
“Whether it’s Dame Laura or whoever, you taught me the same thing.”
Aira insistently clung to her point, unwilling to hear any rebuttal, and then stood up.
“Instead of messing up tomorrow’s match by overthinking, just go meet her today. Don’t sob and cling to me if you lose.”
“Am I going to mess up the match? Am I going to cry and cling to you? Did someone hit your head on the way here?”
Christian burst out, but he managed to restrain himself using the patience he had cultivated through rigorous training. He then took hold of Aira’s arm and forcefully dragged her out.
“A worry like yours doesn’t suit you at all.”
“It’s not the dilemma of seeing her; it’s about the uncertainty of whether she’s truly here,” he exclaimed.
“Regardless, why don’t you confirm it by just going? If she’s there, you meet her; if not, you’ve got your answer, right?”
“But, preparation of heart…”
“Forget heart preparations. Let’s see: I haven’t washed my hair, but it doesn’t seem noticeable. My face looks decent enough? Change your clothes before going. And your pockets… Here, pocket money. You’re set, right?”
After checking Christian over, aira patted his shoulders reassuringly and smiled with enormous satisfaction. Christian looked at Aira in disbelief, then spoke.
“I’m not going to ask her out on a date.”
“Well, sometimes you face rejection — that’s life. Don’t be embarrassed. You might face even more rejections in the future, who knows?”
Regardless of what he said, aira didn’t let up. Eventually, overwhelmed by Aira’s persistence, Christian sighed and nodded.
Watching his reluctant agreement, aira’s eyes glinted sharper and sharper.
Though he said he didn’t want to, he seemed half-heartedly smiling, making Aira’s suspicion gradually intensify.
‘Who is it? Who makes him ponder so deeply? Whoever this lady is, she must be exceptionally beautiful…’
Yes, she would unravel the mystery of this training-obsessed fool’s dilemma over some woman. As his “elder sister” she felt the need to check it out.