“What, what is it?”
“A Westerner defeated Lady Luciana?”
A chilling silence.
The cause of the emotion that had taken over the Colosseum’s stands was none other than the victor.
They had talked about likely finalists, about championship contenders, but in their hearts, there was only one winner.
Luciana Speda.
Referred to as the treasure of the North, she was the pride of the Speda family to them.
Showing skills worthy of her nickname, she easily defeated her challengers and made it to the finals.
And she lost because of a momentary blindness?
To someone from the West, whom they hadn’t even heard of before?
“Boo! Get lost, third-rate referee!”
“How can you judge that a person lying down like that has won?”
“Duke Speda! Please punish the outsider’s despicable methods!”
The jeers that swelled like a wildfire instantly filled the Colosseum.
“To neutralize the armor! It must have been a cowardly trick!”
Behind this were the pride of the northerners, and also the cunning provocation of those who had lost to Hans a moment ago.
“Hans Byron.”
The mouth of the martial arts tournament’s organizer opened.
All eyes turned to Duke Speda, who was observing everything from the top of the arena.
-A knight’s fight should be fair and square.
In that sense, your method is as pitiful as it gets, enough to be called Western. This final match is invalid.
The audience, and the losers, were convinced the Duke would say something like that.
After all, it would be hard to look kindly on an outsider who had even defeated his daughter. Faces filled with anticipation scoffed in certainty of victory.
“I thank you for a great match with my daughter.”
However, their speculation was spectacularly off the mark. A different kind of silence settled over the Colosseum once again.
“That’s too much praise.”
“I can confidently say that there’s no one else your age who could compete with Lucy to that extent.”
Duke Speda, smiling warmly as he blessed the winner, then turned his gaze to his daughter.
“I am ashamed.”
A single sentence born out of the responsibility for not securing a victory as a member of the Speda family.
“You look quite alright for someone who is saying that.”
But not only feelings of self-reproach existed there.
The stiffened audience murmured in astonishment.
“The cold treasure of the North… she smiled?”
“Even in defeat?”
“It must have been a satisfactory duel.”
“Yes. Though I lost, I poured everything into it and learned a lot from this match.”
Luciana nodded sincerely.
What is important in victory?
Physical strength and muscle, essential for wielding a sword?
Magical power and the number of times magic can be cast?
Of course, those things are important, but they are not the absolute factors.
Among those she knew, if she were to pick someone lacking in physical strength, her own servant would be second to none in that regard.
The same goes for magical power.
Just by looking at Hans, who didn’t use the flashy and powerful magic that Liza cast, it could be guessed that his magical power wasn’t that great.
However, he managed to utilize his strengths well enough to bury his disadvantageous conditions, thus defeating her and even taking the championship.
“Dare I say, in creating variables on the battlefield, I believe Hans Byron is several times superior to me.”
An artifact that completely destroys armor, magic specialized in striking the weak points without direct firepower, sharp dynamic vision, and elaborate footwork that dodges any technique.
‘It’s far from being stable, but if it succeeds, it can snatch victory even from opponents much stronger than oneself.’
That was precisely the element he needed to complement, insisting only on head-on confrontations.
‘And above all, the courage to stand up to me without being intimidated played a part in his victory.’
Both Liza and that mercenary.
It was visible that they were intimidated by her family name, Speda, and by her well-known swordsmanship.
But Hans was different. Although he was physically inferior, his dagger did not carry such fear.
‘It was the same when he handed over the only return stone.’
After saving him.
The way he turned his back without a moment’s hesitation to face the demon overlapped with the image of a knight in shining armor from a fairy tale.
‘Gasp! What am I thinking… I must have lost my mind for a moment.’
The shock of defeat was great. Unaware that the tips of her ears had turned faintly red, Luciana resolved to devote herself more to swordsmanship.
“If you have learned and grown from something, that’s enough. Use today’s defeat as a stepping stone and aim for victory next time. Well done.”
The duke, too, attributed her visible dismay to the unfamiliar experience of defeat, and turned his head back to Hans.
“Congratulations on your victory. It seems you’re not in a condition to enter Vigor now. Let Yegor know once you’ve recovered.”
“Thank you. Though I am a Westerner, it was thanks to your lordship’s magnanimous grace that I was able to win.”
The duke’s eyebrows raised.
Hans’s somewhat sarcastic tone was easily guessed to be a complaint about the jeers he had received throughout his matches.
At first glance, it might seem presumptuous, but the Duke of Speda quite liked that attitude.
After all, what kind of servant would he be if he weren’t? As a minion of the Speda family, he should have that kind of backbone.
However.
The behavior of the northerners he encountered today, he too agreed, was utterly disappointing.
“…Just like my daughter, you all have something to learn from the fight that just took place.”
Everyone in the Colosseum involuntarily swallowed at the sharp aura emanating from him.
“That is the Sword Saint.”
The strongest existence guarding the North.
The man who captivated everyone’s attention with just his presence raised his voice.
“Fair and square? Cowardly? The intent behind a fight is ultimately determined by the winner. Our ancestors, too, established their roots in this land infested with demons and monsters by any means necessary.”
Those who had slandered Hans as cowardly hung their heads.
The same was true for those who had been defeated by him in a hollow manner.
“To disparage the victor, who achieved a hard-fought victory without choosing means, as an outsider, can you truly claim to be northerners?”
A harsh reprimand.
Yet, those who understood the deep meaning behind it turned pale.
The sharp words of Duke Speda were both advice and a warning.
Not to quibble over the results of the martial arts tournament he hosted.
The effect was dramatic. Even those who had lost a lot of money gambling were scared stiff at the thought of offending the temper of one of the strongest nobles in the North.
This silence was the result.
It was a strange award ceremony with not a single cheer as if they were in a library, but “Much better. Thank you for your consideration.”
The actual winner seemed to be pleased.
***
“I never imagined you would win.”
Yegor held his head as if it was a headache.
“I was sure Lady would come to me.”
But what can he do? He’s facing none other than me.
Whether he dislikes the fact that I won, Yegor sighed deeply.
Or, more precisely,
“Can’t we see any progress with the strength you showed in that martial arts tournament?”
In front of something green, I awkwardly bowed my head.
“I’m trying my best.”
“That damned effort! It’s not about effort; produce results. You put on a decent show of making tea, but the taste just doesn’t make the grade!”
The bright green color with not-so-bright taste.
According to someone, it was like rotten water disguised as tea.
According to Yegor, tea ceremony is an essential virtue for a servant.
Always be prepared so the master can enjoy the leisure with tea.
Listening to his scolding, I found myself missing tea bags and instant coffee.
After listening to numerous ‘pieces of advice.’
Yegor, having regained his composure, began to walk.
“Let’s stop here. My current task isn’t to scold my subordinate but to guide the winner of the martial arts tournament.”
‘It seems you’ve done plenty already.’
Muttering internally, I walked with him through the familiar corridors.
“This will be your first time on the second basement floor.”
The second basement floor.
The place he had strictly warned me not to go down to was mentioned.
“If the first floor is merely about high-quality weapons and armor, the second floor is literally a treasure trove. You can pick one thing you want from there.”
“Didn’t you say there was a guardian?”
Having already fully experienced the difficulty of the guardian spirit of eyes at the Count Baltrion’s Vigor,
Being a duke’s family, it would surely be no less formidable, certainly not a weaker opponent.
“Rest assured. The guardian is currently away from the second floor.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Now, since I’ve left the door to the second floor open, all you need to do is choose one and come out. Don’t judge solely by its appearance, but take a careful look around…”
Yegor, who had been slowly passing down his know-how on choosing relics, suddenly stopped speaking.
Not just his mouth, but his steps halted as well.
Because of that, I had no choice but to stop behind him.
“…What brings Lady here?”
The cause was Luciana, who was loitering on the first floor of the Vigor.
“Oh, Yegor, it’s nothing special. I came to return my armor and sword.”
“You could have asked Hans to do that.”
A sharp glare swept over me.
It was as if she was reproaching me for not even being able to retrieve the master’s equipment properly.
“Don’t be too hard on him, Butler. After all, I came here before giving him a chance to retrieve them.”
“Is that so?”
With a sly wink, Luciana sent a signal my way without the butler noticing.
Thanks to her, I was able to escape from the endless nagging.
“And I thought I’d give a tour as well.”
“A tour, you say?”
“Yes. I suppose I can at least recommend a relic to our martial arts tournament winner.”
Regardless of how much trouble Yegor was in, or how much of a headache he was having, it seemed like a pretty good offer to me.
Especially since she, free from the pressure of the guardian spirit, might allow us to take more daring actions.
“Have you obtained the Lord’s permission?”
“Of course. Here, a handwritten letter from my father.”
After scrutinizing the paper handed over by Luciana, the Steward slowly nodded his head.
“Understood. Since the Lady is well-versed in relics, she will certainly be of help to him.”
He bowed politely and then left the Vigor, leaving us two behind.
“What are you standing there for? Let’s go choose your prize.”
Following Luciana, we arrived on the second floor of the Vigor.
Though the Count Baltrion’s family also had a significant collection of relics, it felt almost disrespectful to compare it to this place.
Like being in a feast and wondering what to eat first.
While I was happily pondering my choice, she suddenly presented me with a relic.
“This is a relic I personally recommend.”
[Yeti Power Glove]
[Item Category: Gloves]
[The Yeti, the most ferocious monster in the North, is a symbol of strength. Just its movement alone can alter the ecosystem of the snowfields. The great curiosity of what it would be like to embody that strength was soon realized by the hands of a craftsman.]
[When worn: Stamina +2]
[Allows the wearer to convert one of their basic attributes to strength according to their will.]
It was a relic that seemed to be inspired by something you’d find in a fantasy game.
I understood why Luciana recommended this relic to me.
It was perfect for inflating my chronic lack of stamina and strength.
It was indeed a symbol of reliability.
“It certainly looks good.”
But something that’s merely reliable doesn’t quite fit my adventurous spirit.
“Hmm. I could recommend another relic, but…”
“No, Lady. Since we’re here, why not aim for something bigger?”
This place was certainly filled with expensive and high-performance relics.
However, having raided this Vigor in the game, I knew the structure inside out, aware that all this might just be a decoy and bait.
“Why don’t we try going to the third basement floor?”
With the real treasures lying just around the corner, how could one simply pass by the mill without entering?
Cliche Novel 
wait bro raided this place?🤣😭
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