Initially, the knight carrying the king’s banner didn’t draw much attention, as several others bore it too. But this knight went further—he rode his horse directly toward the fallen knight clad in heavy armor. The crowd gasped in surprise, but the horse swiftly leaped over the fallen knight, allowing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.

The knight continued to show remarkable skill in controlling his horse. As he struck another knight with his lance, the horse seemed to anticipate his rider’s intentions, veering to the side and turning almost acrobatically. Gradually, all eyes turned to this knight.

“…Who is that?”

The king, intrigued, summoned the captain of the knights and asked. The captain tilted his head in confusion.

“Well, I’m familiar with all the participants in today’s tournament, but with the helmet on, it’s difficult to say who he is…”

“I see.”

The king looked on with satisfaction. After all, anyone who carried his banner was one of his own. He leaned back, thinking that he’d find out who it was when the tournament was over. Meanwhile, the knight was dominating the other lords’ champions.

“Take that!”

A knight struck the horse’s flank with his lance, causing it to startle and jump.

“Ah!”

The knight lost his balance and fell from the horse, eliciting groans from the crowd. It was clear that someone of exceptional horsemanship had been unfairly dismounted. A few boos were heard, but the knights paid no attention.

On the ground, the fallen knight threw his lance aside and quickly drew his sword. Another knight rushed at him with a lance, but with a tremendous crash, the fallen knight was still standing, even after the horse had passed him. In fact, it was the opponent who had lost his balance and fallen from his horse.

Everyone watched with bated breath. Even the other fallen knights seemed to recognise who was the strongest among them. One by one they drew their swords and charged him, but he deftly parried each attack. Some even stumbled from their own missteps, causing the crowd to laugh out loud.

“King Veldam has an incredibly skilled champion at his command.”

Troy gritted his teeth as he spoke, for the knight who had just been eliminated – kicked aside and then stabbed through a gap in his armour – was one of his own. King Veldam, visibly pleased, laughed heartily.

“My knights are so humble, they always manage to surprise me like this!”

What fascinated everyone was the behaviour of the knight’s horse. Normally, a horse would charge towards the barricades after dismounting its rider, but this one stayed close by, watching as if waiting for another chance to carry its master. When the knight had dispatched the last of his opponents with his sword, he signalled to the horse. It trotted over eagerly, and the knight mounted once more, raising his lance. The crowd held its breath as only a few knights remained in the tournament.

Clang! The sounds of armour and lances colliding echoed across the field as two more knights were either knocked down or thrown. One broke his leg in the fall and had to be carried out, while another, his lance bent, removed his helmet and forfeited. Only one remained: the strongest of Troy’s knights, who had watched closely from inside his black armour. He raised his lance and pointed it directly at the king’s knight. The king’s knight moved to raise his own lance, but paused – his lance was bent from previous encounters. He hesitated, then dropped it to the ground as if weighing his options.

“No…!”

Malyn whispered a small gasp, unaware of it, and the king chuckled.

“My dear girl doesn’t understand. Even when a knight drops his lance in the face of his enemy, there are still ways to fight on.”

Malyn looked back at the king. He looked incredibly pleased, his chin resting in his hand, a faint smile visible beneath his veil. She quickly looked away as the knight drew his lance. But his opponent was still armed with a lance, giving him a clear advantage in range. The two circled each other in the arena, gradually closing the distance.

Then the two knights charged each other. Hooves thundered and the knight in black lunged forward with his lance. At that moment, in an amazing manoeuvre, the other knight’s horse swerved sharply to the side. Everyone blinked in disbelief at the horse’s agility, for horses normally only charge in a straight line. Of course, the black knight’s lance missed, scraping noisily against the side of the king’s knight’s armour. The sound of ripping metal filled the air as a section of his armour was brutally torn away.

But he didn’t stop there. In pursuit of the knight, pushed forward by the weight of his lance…

A loud crash echoed. The king’s knight had struck his opponent in the side with his sword, sending him tumbling to the ground.

“Waaaah!”

A tremendous roar went up as the winner was announced. The knight raised his sword in triumph, and the crowd’s cheers grew louder. The king also rose.

“Bring the champion before me!”

Malyn struggled to calm her wildly beating heart. The prize for the lord of the knights was a night in her company, and it seemed she would not have to be in the arms of just anyone. Yet her heart would not be still. The king called out in excitement.

“To think that such an exceptional knight was in my ranks! I will give him my reward!”

“Veldam, Veldam, Veldam…”

The crowd and the king’s knights began to chant the name of the kingdom. A servant ran up to the knight and asked.

“What is your name, sir?”

But the knight just shook his head and picked up a random lance from the ground. It was customary for victorious knights to remove their helmets and announce their names before the king, so the servant stepped back.

The knight rode slowly towards the pavilion where the king was standing. As the king was on a higher platform, their eyes met perfectly. As the knight rode directly in front of the platform, the king called out in delight.

“What is your name?”

“My name is too humble for the king to know.”

“What do you mean? You have brought me so much joy!”

The knight smiled from under his helmet.

“My name no longer belongs to me.”

“Then who does it belong to? Mine?”

“It also belongs to you, Your Majesty.”

It was a conversation straight out of an ancient epic, and the king seemed thrilled at the chance to stage such a scene before the lords.

“Very well, my knight! I will grant you any reward you desire!”

“Anything I desire?”

“Yes! Speak, whatever it may be!”

Malyn glanced anxiously between the knight and the king. Sensing her unease, the king added with a grin.

“Of course, if you desire the prize already promised, it is yours to claim.”

“Such a prize means little to me, Your Majesty.”

“What then shall I grant my noble and honourable knight?”

“May I make a request?”

“Of course!”

The knight tilted his head slightly to look at the king, a faint smile still on his lips, though his eyes remained hidden beneath his helmet. The king, unable to see the knight’s gaze, was left guessing at his true intentions. Then the knight raised his lance and lightly touched the edge of the king’s veil.

In an instant, the atmosphere changed.