Before her return, Charlize did not participate in the fencing competition.
Because she knew the Grand Duke would be more pleased with the prince's performance than the outstanding performance of the princess.
'I wanted to make my brothers shine.'
As a result, I only watched them at a distance. Of course, her family didn't try to know Charlize's, pitiful heart.
Competitions with tens of thousands of participants. There were too many people to decide the finalists because work was daunting.
By the organizers.
"I'm going to start the preliminary round now!"
Screamed in front of countless participants. It was the host of the famous Marquis Benedict, the main representative of the competition.
"This is how the qualifier is. A total of 36 balls are in this box. If I grab any ball and lift it up, the mission information on the ball will be the qualifier."
Charlize already knew how to qualify.
'Escape from the fantasy dungeon.'
The Marquis grabbed the ball from the box and lifted it up. He made a low announcement of the tension.
"Escape from the fantasy dungeon."
'A thousand first-come, first-served people.'
"A thousand first-come, first-served people."
As Charlize murmured inside, and The Marquis said solemnly. The Marquis laughed when he saw the participants who were a little scared.
"Fantasy dungeon is literally a maze designed to hallucinate. The monster is in front of your eyes, but in fact, they are all fake. You don't get hurt if you're attacked."
Of course, it hurts a lot. The Marquis added.
"To reach 1,000 first-come-first-served people, all of the monster that has blocked the road must be cut off. Participants have to fight their fears."
It requires swordsmanship, but it never hurts. It was a good way to qualify.
"The more afraid you are, the more powerful the monsters are."
In other words, it is like a nightmare of reality that can be seen without having to dream. I've had experienced the fantasy dungeon a few times.
Under the emperor's wielded Keira, all the monsters were slaughtered.
"Then, all participants, please enter the dungeon! The preliminary round ends automatically when the thousand people are filled!"
The preliminaries began with the final shout of the Marquis.
Charlize stepped in effortlessly.
Swinging swords, the monster has fallen. It was not to mention the fake, as it really boiled its knees in front of her.
She quickly identifies and stabs the weakness of the monster. Charlize wasn't exhausted. The monster's attack was easily averted.
Crrrrrrr!
A large wolf with five heads, a bat flying with rainbow wings, and a snake whose scales are as sharp as a sword.
In front of Charlize's sword, it soon fell like smoke.
Despite a series of participants giving up in fear, Charlize moved forward without hesitation.
The light was getting closer. The corner of Charlize's mouth went up. At that time. The lion, hiding in the corner, rushed to bite Charlize's arm.
The head was a lion, but the body was a dragon. Charlize stabbed her sword in the open-mouthed lion's neck.
With a burp.
The wriggling lion's head was fixed with her left hand, and the sword was pierced on the weak spot of the monster with an expressionless face.
The fake monster who was pierced with a sword soon disappeared with smoke. Charlize licked her lips.
The exit was seen.
Charlize was in no hurry because she only had to make it first come first served. On the contrary, the fantasy dungeon was as beautiful as a tourist destination if one wanted to enjoy it.
Unlike ordinary dungeons, the interior was brilliantly shiny as if it had been replaced with a full-color jewel. It was cool and not humid.
Unrealistic beauty was everywhere.
'It's amazing to see it slowly.'
Instead of icicles, the golden fruits are hanging. If you eat that, of course, you will suffer from hallucinations.
The dreamy floating fish in the air were also impressive. The color changes from time to time and catches the eye.
Of course, the monsters in the tourist mode often interfered with Charlize.
Charlize took care of the monster without much effort.
"Congratulations!"
Perhaps because she was always in the dark place all the time, her eyes were wide open as the bright sun went out.
Charlize walked with a slight frown on her forehead. As if enjoying the festival, enthusiastic cheers and applause poured out.
"You're the 85th finalist!"
I came out like this, but it's still in two digits? Charlize shrugged lightly with surprise.
There was no trace of blood that I thought had been spattered while cutting down the monster. The clothes were clean as they came.
The only difference is that the sleeves are a little wrinkled.
"Please tell me your name."
"Reeze."
Charlize was soon given a card reading '85'.
Tomorrow, 100 players will go to the finals and the final round. From now on, the selection will be made through competition.
The fencing competition is an interesting spectacle, and it attracts countless spectators. Before returning, Charlize was always sitting in the stands.
'This time is different.'
Charlize had the confidence to defeat all her opponents.
But until then, Charlize didn't know either. I'm going to run into my family at the finals tomorrow.
*****
A day before the competition.
In front of the second son of the Duke, Dante, the servant was kneeling.
"The messenger said Charlize had received a letter a few days ago, but why didn't she reply?"
"Well, that's…"
I couldn't help it.
Dante deliberately hid the truth in case he was adversely affected ahead of the competition. I couldn't hide it anymore.
"She didn't reply."
"…What?"
"The princess. She didn't reply."
Only after the servant carefully told him twice did Dante realize the situation. Who does what? That kid? My interest?
"…No way. I'm sure she didn't know that I sent it. Isn't that right?"
"After reading the letter and confirming the sender, she returned it as it is…"
The servant immediately denied.
Dante blinked his eyes.
This wasn't what Dante thought.
Charlize's cheeks that would have turned red, the voice of excitement that she asked many times to ask if it was really true that her brother sent it.
What the servant had to deliver was this princess figure. How nervous, how delighted, and how excited she was.
But she saw my name and sent it back?
Something must have gone wrong.
"What's this fuss about?"
After entering the dining room, the Grand Duke drew his eyes. The first son returned to the academy's dormitory a while ago. So there were two men left in the Grand Duke's castle.
Dante lowered his eyes when the Grand Duke and his eyes met.
"Nothing, Father. This servant made a mistake, and was asking me for forgiveness."
Knowing that the Grand Duke had no mercy on his own flesh, the servant bowed his head and made a guilty face.
The cold stare of the Grand Duke passed right through. He was a preference for a quiet morning.
"Don't be noisy in the morning."
"I'm sorry."
Dante glanced at the servant. The servant shook his knee and backed away. The meal was in a stiff atmosphere.
"Tomorrow is already competition."
Suddenly the Grand Duke opened his mouth.
"Can I expect your grades?"
Dante blinked at the subtle pressure of the Grand Duke.
"I'm working hard on my training, Father."
"Yeah. Try to stay in shape."
Dante had something he wanted to say more than talk about the competition.
"Well, father…"
The main topic of breakfast was a difficult story, like politics and the economy.
However, Dante broke the unwritten rule.
"Maybe the news of Charlize,"
Dante bit his lips. This is because the Grand Duke's expression has become grim.
"To make the rice taste worse, what are you talking about on the table?"
"…I'm sorry."
Dante lowered his gaze.
The Grand Duke was displeased.
"Be careful."
"I'll be careful."
Maybe it's because the atmosphere is broken once.
A rigid silence continued.
The Grand Duke was uncomfortable. I hurried up and started to eat. Suddenly, the chair of the Grand Duke was seen in his eyes.
A chair with white lilies in order to always honor the Grand Duke.
There is a place for the dead, but no place for the living.
'I've never had a meal with that child.'
There were a few chances.
Just as long as Charlize first came down and sat down in the dining room, the Grand Duke walked away that morning.
And after it has been repeated several times. Charlize did not appear in the dining room.
'Useless thoughts.'
Dante put Charlize's name in his mouth for no reason. I just messed up.
The Grand Duke roughly passed through the dining room. Dante, who was left behind, sighed slowly and laid down his fork.
Even though I thought it was wrong, I kept thinking of the reaction that the servant didn't do anything. Are you telling me it's true?
Charlize.
She saw Dante's name and sent the letter back.
'What's this feeling?'
My heart trembles with anxiety. Dante tried hard to ignore this strange sensation, but it didn't work out. Something was changing little by little.
*****
The finals were different from the preliminaries. For now, the stage for the formal competition was very big and colorful.
And the spectator seats surrounding in the center stage. The thronged crowd watched the competition with excitement.
The first competition was soon fought.
"Before the competition, be courteous to each other," said the referee said.
Charlize greeted with a neat silence.
The sword with Charlize was a double sword. For the sake of thinking, I was planning to use this sword that the 9th Prince did not know.
'At that time, it was a long sword, so I can use a double sword this time.'
Charlize looked at her first opponent. He looks five years older than her. It's an adult man.
I always feel a strange excitement that feels like my heart is going to explode just before the actual battle. I was nervous.
Charlize had to win the competition because she had a high goal. Was it because of the pressure that she should never make a mistake?
Charlize closed her eyes with a sword in her hand. And breathed deeply.
"Start!"
I heard the referee's scream. Charlize opened her eyes.
The opponent who looked down on Charlize, who had a relatively small body size, rushed first.
In her experience, the more nervous Charlize was, the better she could be.
The heartbeat that sounds like it's popping out.
The feeling of coolness in the spine.
The feeling that turns white in the head, and only the sense of being immersed in this moment of time.
"Reeze, win!"
Of course, Charlize won.
Charlize was slowly rising. But at the moment, I realized that the 9th prince's seat was empty.
The Imperial family is obliged to attend the fencing competition.
The 9th prince was not seen until her turn in the second battle.
'Why?'
Soon, what Charlize herself said came to mind.
[I'll accept whatever direction the obsession has been expressed.]
Charlize knew only one man for hundreds of years who made one disappear at some point.
He never gave his own thing to others.
A monarch who never had a way of missing something that he had in his hands.
Charlize was feeling an invisible chain.
Dylan.