BSPC 02

Chapter 2

“Hahaha! Pretty lady, if you marry me, I’ll spoil you rotten. That is, if you don’t mind being my third wife.”

A potbellied, washed-up mercenary approached her with a sleazy grin.

THUD—

“Gaaah!”

Tamia grabbed the drinking cup beside her and smashed it straight down onto the mercenary’s head.

“Third wife? Is something wrong with your brain?”

She had even gone as far as visiting a matchmaking agency, but…

“If you want us to find you a suitable husband, you’ll first need to prepare a list detailing your family background, wealth, occupation, and so on. Normally, our matchmaking fee is quite expensive, but we can offer you a special discount of 300 der…”

Tamia walked out with her head hanging low, trudging down the middle of the street.

She couldn’t scream out loud, so instead she screamed internally.

Why is a matchmaking agency more expensive than the mercenary guild?!

Was there really no way to find a husband without spending money?

While running around here and there in search of a husband, time had flown by.

The tournament was already tomorrow.

At this rate, she might fail to find a husband and lose her chance at the prize money.

That was when it happened.

As Tamia anxiously wandered around, her eyes suddenly caught sight of a huge sign.

[Griffin Order Headquarters]

“Uaaah, it’s finally over for today…”

“Sigh… I wish the sun wouldn’t rise tomorrow. Then we wouldn’t have to train.”

“Wake up from that dream. Even if a hundred suns rose in the sky, His Highness the Crown Prince would still make us train.”

“Uaaaaaah…”

Sweat-soaked knights collapsed all over the training ground.

This was the headquarters of the Griffin Order, known as the strongest knight order in the Empire.

The Griffin Order was the Empire’s greatest knight order, specializing in battles against monsters.

The Second Prince had personally established the order to reduce the rapidly increasing number of monsters, and only those with exceptional abilities were accepted as members.

They were an invincible knight order revered by every citizen of the Empire simply because of their reputation.

However, there was one problem they had that no one else knew about.

“Why is everyone lying around instead of going home? Do you want to train some more?”

“AAARGH! No, Your Highness! We want to go home!”

The problem was that their direct superior was a lunatic training fanatic who had perfected the art of putting his subordinates through hell!

Even though working hours were already over, he was still trying to make the members train more.

Kallen Rodwell, Leon’s aide and vice-captain of the Griffin Order, rubbed his forehead.

This prince is… hopeless.

“Your Highness, have you never considered getting married?”

“Marriage? Why bring that up all of a sudden?”

“If Your Highness were to start a family, I believe you would quickly understand how the members feel about wanting to return home as soon as possible.”

“Marriage, huh… Hmm.”

Leon stroked his chin with his thumb and index finger, pondering for a moment.

His golden hair, the symbol of the Imperial Family, shimmered softly in the setting sunlight.

His eyes were a brilliant crimson, almost as though they were burning red.

His sturdy, lean physique, completely free of excess fat, was a clear testament to the enormous amount of training he did every day.

“You see, Kallen…”

After finishing his deliberation, Leon smiled faintly and gave his answer.

“I’m not interested in a woman who can’t cross swords with me for at least five exchanges.”

“F-five exchanges?!”

Kallen’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

“If, if that’s your standard for a bride, then Your Highness couldn’t even marry a man!”

“That’s great, then. I have no intention of getting married anyway.”

The knights, who had briefly brightened at the thought that their superior might finally get married, immediately drooped again.

And then—

BOOM—!

With a thunderous explosion that shook the ground, the main gate of the training grounds was blown apart.

“Whoa!”

“What the hell was that?”

While the members panicked, the cloud of dust slowly settled, revealing a figure standing within it.

“…Come out.”

“W-who are you? Outsiders aren’t allowed in here.”

“Send out the strongest person here! Right now!”

It was Tamia, who had completely lost her mind in her desperate search for a husband.

“…The strongest person?”

Leon’s gaze naturally turned toward the unfamiliar visitor.

It was a woman he had never seen before.

Her long purple hair was tied high atop her head, and her small, white face was adorned with large, well-balanced features.

Her slightly upturned eyes reminded him of a feisty cat.

But what drew his attention even more was…

Her stance isn’t bad.

In fact, her posture was straighter than that of the exhausted members sprawled across the ground.

The sword hanging from her waist also clearly wasn’t an ordinary sword.

Leon became interested in her and raised one hand.

“Are you looking for me?”

“You’re the strongest person here?”

Tamia, the woman who had just barged into the training grounds, looked Leon up and down.

“Hmm. You look a little young to be the strongest… Well, I suppose skill doesn’t necessarily follow age. Come on, draw your sword!”

“…What?”

“Excuse me! Do you even know who the person standing before you is?”

Kallen quickly jumped forward and positioned himself between Leon and Tamia.

“How would I know? I’m seeing him for the first time today.”

“Hah! This man is the Empire’s—!”

“That’s enough, Kallen.”

Leon casually stopped Kallen.

“From the looks of it, she’s searching for someone to spar with. Who knows? Perhaps we’ll find out whether this woman can exchange five blows with me.”

Apparently taking his words as an insult, Tamia raised her voice.

“Five blows? Is there really anyone as weak as you who can’t even exchange five blows with me? Is that all the Griffin Order is capable of?”

“‘Someone as weak as you’?! Please, just shut your mouth!”

Kallen, caught between the two, felt his head beginning to spin.

Not only had this woman suddenly barged into their training grounds, she was also casually making remarks that bordered on insulting the Imperial Family!

Yet Leon’s face was actually beginning to show a smile.

“You’re confident you can exchange more than five blows with me?”

“Wouldn’t it be a shame to stop after only five?”

Tamia grinned and slowly drew her sword.

“Come at me with everything you’ve got.”

Oh? Look at this.

She dares provoke me?

The corner of Leon’s mouth curled upward.

Ever since becoming the youngest Sword Master, he had never once lost a fight.

Even Kallen, the strongest person in the Griffin Order besides Leon, was afraid to cross swords with him.

And yet this woman was telling him to come at her with everything he had?

“I don’t go easy on people just because they’re strangers.”

Leon pointed the tip of his sword straight at Tamia.

“A-are you really going to fight that woman?”

“Kallen, just make sure you referee properly.”

“I hate people who say they’ll go easy on me without having any reason to.”

Tamia grinned.

“Here I come!”

She charged toward Leon at incredible speed.

Surrounded by the members of the Griffin Order, the swords of the two combatants collided.

CLANG—!

Urgh…!

Leon almost let out a groan, but managed to swallow it.

W-what kind of strength is this?!

It was the most overwhelming physical power Leon had ever encountered in a sparring match.

They had merely crossed swords, yet Leon’s body was being pushed backward helplessly.

He quickly withdrew his sword and retreated, searching for an opening in Tamia’s defense.

But no matter where he struck, she blocked his attacks with ease.

Worse, she immediately counterattacked, driving Leon into a corner.

Leon’s body staggered from side to side.

She’s evenly matched with me—the captain of the Griffin Order, the strongest knight order in the Empire?

Leon had expected Tamia’s sword to be sent flying after barely two exchanges.

Instead, he was completely overwhelmed by her astonishing skill.

“Why do you keep getting distracted? Do I really look that easy to you?”

Apparently noticing Leon’s hesitation, Tamia pressed her attack with even greater ferocity.

If this continues, I’m going to lose…!

In the end, Leon abandoned his pride and resorted to his final move.

He infused his sword with a bluish aura and thrust forward with all his strength.

“HYAAAH—!”

But Tamia seemed to have been waiting for exactly that.

She met his attack with a sword aura far denser than his own.

KRAANG—!

The tremendous impact shattered Leon’s stance.

“Urgh…!”

For a moment, his vision flashed.

Then he felt an icy killing intent against his throat.

“…I lost.”

“Pfft. That was boring.”

Tamia made a disappointed sound and sheathed her sword.

“W-WOOOOAAAH!”

“She lasted more than five exchanges! And she even defeated His Highness!”

“Your Highness, are you finally getting married?!”

The members surrounding the two erupted into a unified roar.

Some of them even hugged each other and shed tears of joy.

“What’s this? You’re getting married?”

After hearing the knights’ shouting, Tamia widened her eyes and asked Leon.

“Stop talking nonsense. I’m not getting married.”

“No! You have to!”

“…What did you say?”

“That marriage.”

Tamia pointed at herself.

“You’re marrying me.”

Leon’s face twisted violently after receiving a sudden proposal in front of the entire Griffin Order.