Arcadia's Ignoble Knight: The Sorceress' Knights Tournament

Chapter 40

Most of the arena was silent. No one spoke. The only sound came from Heracles' loud screaming, and even that was steadily decreasing into mostly quiet whimpers.

Down below, several medics came out carrying stretchers. Lady Akane and Ladies Akarshaka and Akarshana were with them. Two people went over to the still twitching leg and carried it on its own stretcher, while four more lifted Heracles and placed him on the stretcher. While Lady Akane went to Heracles and began to use Spiritual Evocation to summon a spirit, Ladies Akarshaka and Akarshana went over to Caspian and summoned their own healing spirits.

Elincia's heart felt like it was going to burst with relief. Caspian had won. She should have known that he would, but even though she wanted to be confident in his skills, a part of her had still been worried.

Does that mean I don't deserve Caspian because I worry for him?

"Stop that."

A hand whacked her in the back of the head.

"Owch!"

Elincia held a hand to her head, which stung from the blow. She looked over at Lady Erica, who retracted her hand with graceful nonchalance.

"W-what was that for?"

"Because you were thinking something stupid again. Let me guess..." raising a hand to her chest, Lady Erica adopted an overly exaggerated expression of guilt. "'I don't deserve to be with Caspian because I don't have enough confidence in him.' That's what you were thinking, right?"

"H-how did you—"

"Because whenever you feel guilty, your face scrunches up like a warg pup," Lady Erica said. "You're not very good at masking your feelings. In either case, you need to stop being feeling so guilty over everything. There's nothing wrong with worrying about someone you love. It's when you have so little confidence in someone that you don't believe they can win that causes problems to arise. Now stop being a stick in the mud and cheer for your man."

"Yes!"

Elincia couldn't keep from smiling. She felt better after hearing Lady Erica's talk. It was natural to worry about the people she loved, but so long as she remained confident in their victory, she wasn't betraying them.

Clapping with the rest of the arena, Elincia basked in her best friend's victory.

***

Caspian wandered out of the arena.

Akarshaka and Akarshana had healed him and left. They'd said something about needing to go back up to the viewing box.

Traveling down the steps, Caspian entered the waiting room. While not very large, the waiting room was spacious enough to give people ample room to avoid others, if that was their desire. As he walked in, he was greeted by gray stone worn with age, two smiling faces, and one worried maid.

"Caspian!" Cassidy and Christo cried out at the same time.

"My stylish friend!" Adesh said, also at the same time.

"How are you feeling, Master Caspian? Are you injured?" Cassidy asked, worry clear in her voice.

"Did you win? Huh? Did you? Did you?" Christo's excitable squeaking made him twitch.

"I see that you have returned from your stylish duel." Adesh said. "How was it? I am told that Heracles is a most stylish foe."

"All right. All right. That's enough crowding around me," Caspian muttered, pushing the three back. "I'm feeling fine. No, I'm not injured. Yes, I did win."