631: Chapter 296: Winter Goes, Spring Comes_2 631: Chapter 296: Winter Goes, Spring Comes_2 Even among the wedding guests, there were noble knights who couldn’t resist the itch and eagerly participated, enjoying the celebration.
Of course, as the newlywed couple, Leon and Olivia did not personally join in.
After all, this tournament was organized to celebrate their marriage.
As for Azeryan and Lokhak, they enthusiastically joined the competition.
For the warriors, this was more engaging than the increasingly popular soccer among the Baron Domain’s folk.
Yet, to Leon’s surprise, Kovis signed up.
He was initially puzzled.
Because their young mage usually wasn’t interested in such events.
However, when Leon saw Count Ackman’s name among the participants, he suddenly had a realization…
remembered that before the event, Ines seemed to have had a private chat with Acro.
As expected, in the individual fights that followed, whether due to manipulation or not, Kovis faced off against the tearful Count in the first match.
Clearly, Ackman was not willing to compete.
In just one round, the young knight fiercely thrust his riding spear, toppling Ackman’s hefty and clumsy body from horseback, showing no courtesy to the Young Master of the West Family.
Watching Ackman land painfully, crying out, as he was carried off the field by Ines’ knights, Leon shook his head, thinking the man likely would never dare find interest in Kovis again.
Yet, in the subsequent competition, Kovis was eliminated midway.
Leon knew, without restrictions, with Acro’s magic and terrifying Sword Control Technique, reaching the finals would have been effortless.
But the tournament’s rule forbidding magic stripped away over seventy percent of the young knight’s ability, and though Kovis held a knight’s title, he was, after all, a mage.
Next, amidst the excited cheers of Avalon residents, the tournament went on round after round.
In the end, the knights stepping into the finals were Avalon Red Knight Lokhak, who defeated the Holy Hall Knight leader, and Princess Guard Lady Agatha, who overcame Moonlight Knight Larian.
Lokhak and Agatha’s final was extremely intense, progressing from horseback to ground, their weapons, axes gleaming and swords flashing, even tearing into the arena sand, creating deep pits.
Witnessing such a spectacular battle, the eyes of residents in the audience shone brightly, exclamations rising wave after wave, feeling they’d gotten their ticket’s worth.
Watching knights duel was far more gripping than a circus show.
Lokhak was immensely powerful, and after the Battle of Rolandena, his strength was substantial, nearly sufficient to challenge Olivia for a while.
However, even though Lady Agatha, visible to the naked eye, couldn’t withstand the inhuman brute force of the Red Knight, getting knocked off horseback in the second clash,
when it came to foot combat, comparing martial skills, battle experience, and strategic wisdom, the young Red Knight was notably inferior to Agatha.
The foot combat concluded with the female knight’s effective strikes, slightly ahead of Lokhak.
The champion from the Sea Eagle Knights was Sir Agatha.
Leon naturally held no discontent over a non-Avalon native winning the championship.
The competition was fair, and whoever won by strength rightfully deserved honor and applause.
Moreover, he and Olivia watched clearly from their high stand as Lady Agatha intentionally held back, allowing several hits from Lokhak, ensuring their scores weren’t drastically apart, earning glory for her lord without embarrassing the host.
To the soldiers and audience, their fierce battle appeared neck-and-neck, a subtle edge only, showcasing profound social tact.
Descending from the stand, Olivia, dressed in a blue and white long gown as the “Arena Lady” of the knight tournament, personally crowned the victor with a gold-plated laurel.
“Congratulations, Lady Agatha,” the newlywed golden-haired girl smiled.
Kneeling on one knee, Agatha rose, sighed: “…If you had competed, this laurel would not have been mine to claim, Lady Olivia.”
Hearing this, the girl simply smiled even brighter: “Do not belittle yourself.
Your martial skills are impressive to me.
Besides, today I am merely Leon’s wife, not a knight.”
After speaking, Olivia stepped aside, and Leon, as the “Lord of Glory” of the tournament, then awarded Agatha her champion’s prize.
A fertile knight’s fief in the Panglos Forest.
And a knight’s longsword, forged from Spiritual Vein Ore Crystal and Black Crystal Steel by the Dwarf Master Craftsman of the Edel Chamber of Commerce, enchanted within the Mage Tower by Kovis using Lorelette techniques.
Thus, with the closing ceremony, all year-end festivities in Avalon concluded, and wedding guests began their respective journeys, leaving this beautiful land in high spirits…
The winter’s idle farming season always passed in a flash.
The Orland Calendar of 674 ended amid sky-filling snow.
Reaching the start of 675, entering the coldest January, Larian and Miss Magreina’s child was born, also a boy.
To commemorate the great poet Galliard, who aided their elopement, Larian and Magreina named their son “Liam,” the Urian rendition of his name.