After leaving the Red-Feathered Bat, we somehow managed to arrive at the Arena ten minutes before the swordsmanship tournament was set to begin.

“Brother! Over here!”

“Glad we could meet up!”

“W-we have been waiting for you, Lord Clay!”

We were lucky to reunite with Alice and the others the moment we reached the crowded entrance of the venue.

It seemed that as soon as they realized we had been separated, the three of them had immediately headed for our final destination and had been waiting here for me and Freesia all along. Hearing that made me feel guilty for our unnecessary detours and lingering too long at Eisel’s place. Or rather──

“We sincerely apologize.”

“Truly, we do.”

Knowing we owed them an apology, Freesia and I bowed our heads in unison.

“Please don’t worry about it. Getting you and Sister together was part of the pla──nnngh! As long as you both enjoyed the festival, that’s what matters.”

“Alice…!!”

Seeing us like this, Alice smiled and urged us to raise our heads.

As expected of my sister, she didn’t scold me for slacking off but instead forgave me wholeheartedly. What an incredibly broad-minded person she is. Truly, Alice is unmatched. She hesitated mid-sentence for some reason, but I chose to ignore it. Because Alice is always kind to me!!

“Well then, we’re heading this way.”

…And just like that, even though we had finally regrouped, we ended up splitting into two groups inside the arena. The reason was that Freesia and Weiss, as participants in the tournament, had to be taken to the waiting room designated for competitors. Since there were only ten minutes left before the event started, the staff promptly escorted them away.

“Are you really not going to participate, Clay?! I still think you should! No, you absolutely should!!”

Even as we parted ways, Freesia kept pushing me to join the tournament. I brushed her off casually and moved with Alice and Levia to the spectator seats──but, to be honest, I was wavering.

“Are you sure about this, Brother?”

“Hm? About what?”

For some reason, instead of the general seating, we were led to a special section reserved for high-ranking nobles and state guests. As I walked toward it, feeling an odd sense of discomfort, Alice spoke up.

When I tilted my head exaggeratedly, she subtly glanced at my sword.

“Don’t you want to test the sword that Lord Eisel crafted for you?”

“……”

Her perceptive words left me momentarily speechless. As expected of my little sister—she observes people well… or rather, she’s highly attuned to the atmosphere.

It was true. My heart was excited about my new sword, and I was eager to try it out. However, that desire didn’t mean I had to satisfy it here and now. I wasn’t a child anymore. I wouldn’t throw a tantrum just because I couldn’t play with a new toy immediately. If I thought about it that way, there was no reason for me to join the tournament just to test my sword.

──Besides, standing out unnecessarily in the tournament would be a hassle.

It might already be too late, but I still hadn’t given up on a peaceful future. Entering the tournament had no direct connection to slaying dragons. If it wasn’t necessary, I had no intention of making a spectacle of myself. In the first place──

“No, I’m fine. Let’s just cheer for Freesia and the others together.”

When we were outside, I didn’t want to be too far from Alice. I had already failed at that once today, which only made me more determined to stay by her side. I never wanted to go through that kind of awful experience again.

By the time we reached the special seating area, we could see that it offered a much better view than the general spectator seats, and the seats themselves exuded luxury.

“Uh… where are our seats?”

As expected of the Chrono King Festival’s most popular event, the general seating was naturally packed, and even this special section was crowded with nobles and state guests.

Honestly, I would have preferred to sit in the general section, where I wouldn’t have to deal with so many high-ranking figures. However, simply being a Bradley had gotten me led here. That was the power of the Military Supreme Commander’s family name. Just stating my identity was enough to warrant this treatment. I really wished they wouldn’t.

“A-are you sure it’s okay for someone like me to sit here…?”

“Well, if it were a problem, they would’ve stopped you at the entrance, so I’m sure it’s fine.”

Of course, since she wasn’t a participant, Levia was watching the tournament with us──

“I-I suppose so…”

Her face had gone completely pale, overwhelmed by the sense of being out of place.

──I understood that feeling. In fact, I felt a strong sense of camaraderie.

But please stop clinging to the hem of my clothes. You’re too close. Seriously, too close. Even if it’s unintentional, having you do that brings back old memories. Seeing how utterly terrified she was, I hesitated to shake her off.

“Forget it, forget it…”

Getting worked up over something so trivial was ridiculous.

──I’ll just let her be.

For now, I needed to focus all my energy on escorting Alice. No matter what threats appeared, I would put my body on the line to protect my precious sister.

With that thought, I moved to take my seat──

“Oh my, what a coincidence, Clay.”

A familiar voice spoke up from right beside me.

Reflexively, I stiffened and turned my head toward the voice──

“──It’s been a while, Your Highness… Lady Gravitell…”

There, I found myself face-to-face with none other than a key figure of the Dragon-Slayer Faction—and by extension, one of the nation's most powerful individuals—alongside his fiancée.

Why were they here──no, questioning that was pointless. Given the location, it wasn’t strange at all for them to be at the Arena. There was every reason for them to be here.

──Still…

That didn’t make it any less surprising that our seats ended up right next to each other.

“And who are these ladies?”

“It is an honor to meet you. I am Alice Bradley, the humble younger sister of my esteemed brother, Claym Bradley. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Chronos, Lady Schvia.”

“S-s-s-servant L-Levia Haydenrott, at y-your service!!?”

As I stood there dumbfounded, the exchange continued. As expected of my sister, she remained perfectly composed even when unexpectedly encountering the prince of our nation. Her basic capabilities were leagues ahead of mine. Also, Levia, what do you mean by ‘servant’? You idiot.

“No need to be so formal. I’m not fond of stiff etiquette.”

“I greatly appreciate your kindness.”

“T-thank you very much!!”

After gracefully executing a curtsy, Alice turned to me with a gentle smile.

“Shall we take our seats, Brother?”

“A-ah… yeah…”

It seemed like switching seats wasn’t an option. Urged by my sister, I had no choice but to sit next to the prince.

The moment I settled into the overly comfortable chair, I could feel piercing stares from all around me. Subtly glancing around, I saw that these were from nobles who had been waiting for a chance to approach the prince. Noticing me suddenly taking a seat beside him, their gazes turned outright hostile.

──Ugh, I want to go home…

I had expected this, but I still wanted to leave. But it wasn’t my fault. I was merely seated where I had been guided. If they had a problem with it, they should take it up with the staff. Or they could have just occupied the seat before we got here.

“Sigh…”

“I’m looking forward to seeing how they perform!”

“Huh? Ah, yeah… me too…”

The prince, on the other hand, seemed to be in a great mood. That only made my stomach twist even more.