Chapter 32
The first match of the Sword Tournament.
Khal checked the brackets. Just as Frank had predicted, he was set to face Frank in the very first round.
He stood waiting, lightly loosening the muscles in his arms and legs.
Beside him, Lowell was repeatedly taking deep breaths, trying to soothe his nerves.
“I don’t think you need to be that tense,” Khal remarked.
“But the favorites to win, Morris and Frank, are in this tournament.”
“Ah, those guys were here too.”
Khal belatedly recalled the man with the long black hair. He was likely Deses’s right-hand man… currently, he sat with his eyes closed, quietly immersed in meditation.
“Aren’t you even a little nervous?” Lowell asked.
Lowell felt a slight sense of injustice that he was the only one feeling the pressure.
The other participants were gripping their swords to steady their hearts or moving constantly to shake off the tension. Khal, who could estimate their skill levels at a glance, let out a single word with a bored expression.
“This is boring.”
“…Khal. Even so, don’t let your guard down too much.”
Lowell, who could guess Khal’s inner thoughts, gave a troubled laugh.
“There needs to be something worth being nervous about for that to happen,” Khal replied.
After saying that, Khal glanced toward Frank.
Frank was wearing an oddly sinister grin.
‘He’s definitely plotting something interesting.’
Right then, one of the administrators rushed over to Khal.
“I-I am so sorry.”
He bowed deeply to Khal in apology.
“Is something wrong?” Lowell asked on Khal’s behalf.
