Musou Knight: Crow of Cinders-Chapter 63: Entrance Ceremony 2

Chapter 63 - Entrance Ceremony 2

Boos and jeers grew louder by the second. I sighed, crossed my arms, and stared at Paul. I just knew he would orchestrate this circus.

Paul Xess spread his arms wide, grinning like a salesman about to pitch snake oil.

"Before you start cussing at our top elites, let me explain our culture. In this academy, knight candidates may challenge someone from the royal class to a wager duel. If the challenger wins, he takes the slot and all resources. If the royal wins, the challenger is demoted to the squire class, and the squire leader takes his place. Oh, and every challenge requires a fee, a fee of one hundred gold coins. Winner gets half, the academy pockets the rest. Be warned: anyone can challenge anyone ranked above them, even regular-class candidates."

What a predatory system. It was designed to fuel competition, but in reality, it was just a pay-to-win scheme. Aristocrats with bottomless purses could duel endlessly, while poor commoners wouldn’t even afford a single shot at climbing.

As soon as Paul finished, a voice rang out from the field. He seemed to be in his late teens or early twenties, judging from his beard patterns and thickness. His curly white hair reminded me of the wigs formerly worn by Renaissance judges.

"If that’s the case, may I challenge that level 2 trash over there?!"

Paul laughed. "Put a hundred gold in a box. Men, bring them!"

Five knights marched forward carrying ten wooden boxes, setting them before the ten elites. My eyes locked on the container placed in front of me. I nearly drooled.

Could I break this? Would a roasted pig or turkey drop?

The challenger, dressed in black, turned to his entourage. They rushed to fetch funds from his patron in the stands. The nobleman handed over a glowing coin, which the knight placed reverently into the box.

A musou coin. The superior currency. This object was the wuxia equivalent of spirit stones. Each coin brimmed with enough energy to replenish a level 5 knight’s energy completely. Normally, it was worth a thousand gold coins.

And, of course, it doubled as premium currency in the pay-to-win shop of the game. Too bad I didn’t have a system to exploit it. If only I had one of those novel systems and cheats, my life would have changed drastically.

"A musou coin?" Paul raised a brow at the youth. "That’s excessive. Are you sure?"

The challenger smirked. "Then how about that trash puts up something of equal value? Winner takes all!"

The crowd roared in approval. Lenitia shot me a look and subtly gestured for me to back down.

Why refuse when someone’s practically handing me free money on a silver platter? I unsheathed the broadsword hanging at my belt.

The blade, hilt, and guard gleamed crimson. The sword hummed with a high-pitched resonance, and fire flickered at its tip. To the locals, it probably looked priceless. To me? Just an uncommon-grade weapon. Temporary gear. Nothing special.

I had gotten it from the training dummy’s drop the other day, along with a handy manual. I had never tested it in real combat yet, but hey, there’s a first time for everything.

"A magic weapon?!"

The crowd erupted again. Even Paul gave me a sharp look. I could hear gulps ripple through the stands.

"Is this enough?" I asked.

Paul hesitated, but the knight who had delivered my box leaned in. "Junior, that thing’s worth at least three thousand gold coins."

I laughed. "Perfect. Isn’t this his turn to prove whether he’s serious? Of course, he has to match the value, right, General Xess?"

Paul snapped back to his senses and sneered. "Naturally. If that artifact were sold at our capital’s auction house, it would fetch five thousand gold coins! Therefore, a single musou coin is insufficient."

The hint landed. Whether Paul inflated the price or not, I didn’t care. Extra pocket money never hurt.

The sponsor began sweating bullets. He eventually scribbled on a scroll and handed it to his servant, who rushed it to the stage.

Paul examined the note and nodded with satisfaction. "A promissory note will do. So, the wager stands: a note worth four thousand gold coins, a musou coin, the magic sword, and the royal knight class slot. All on the line. Do you both accept?"

I sighed and nodded. The challenger croaked out his agreement.

"I accept!"

"Good!"

Well, duh. No matter who won, either Paul or the academy pocketed twenty-five hundred gold coins. What a predatory son of a beach.

Paul burst into laughter and pointed toward the massive coliseum beside the academy.

"This place isn’t suited for musou combat. We’ll gather in the arena. Those who wish to challenge for the seat, prepare yourselves!"

The crowd erupted with excitement. Knights and men sprinted toward the coliseum to secure the best seats, while middle-aged patrons, women, and aristocrats followed in a rush of silks and jewels.

The five knights carried the wager boxes. The other nine elites brushed past me, grinning. Their smirks practically screamed mockery.

Well. Not for long.

Lenitia and I entered the arena under escort. Paul trailed behind like the master of ceremonies. As a combatant, I was ushered through the special entrance and emerged into the coliseum’s arena.

At the center, four square stages rose three feet above the ground. My opponent was already perched on one, laughing with his followers and patrons. He accepted a long metal spear from his entourage, twirling it with ease.

I stepped onto the stage with Lenitia at my side. She leaned close and whispered,

"If this place follows my country’s traditions, the duelist can send a follower as their representative. I sense a level four knight among them. Can you handle that?"

I scoffed. "Woman, I killed Troturre by myself. Who do you think I am?"

"...Suit yourself. Don’t ask for my help then."

She snorted and stepped down from the platform, joining the spectators.

Paul arrived last, striding onto the stage. He cleared his throat and bellowed,

"I see you’re preparing, but I forgot to explain the rules!" 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Here we go.

Lenitia and I glared at him, bracing for the worst.

Paul turned to me. "The challenged may choose the combat rules. One-on-one duel, team battle between followers, or all-out battle between both teams. Which will you choose?"

Relief washed over me. At least he wasn’t forcing me to fight an entire squad.

"One-on-one battle."

"Good!" Paul’s grin widened. He turned to the challenger. "Traditionally, both sides may send representatives. But this is knight training! No proxies allowed. You fight with your own strength. Guardians and followers, step out of the arena! Any interference counts as disqualification!"

The coliseum erupted in murmurs. Candidates glanced at their followers, disappointed. Patrons and parents shouted in anger, but their words were lost in the chaos.

My opponent spat on the ground as his entourage reluctantly withdrew from the stage. He got into a combat stance.

I tossed aside the sword’s scabbard and shifted into a high-guard stance, bracing for a sudden thrust. Flames rippled from the blade’s tip down to its hilt, answering my will.

Paul strolled to the edge of the arena and turned back with one final warning.

"The match concludes when one participant concedes, is unable to continue, or dies! Get it? Admitting defeat is no shame. If you or your opponent dies, whether by accident or on purpose, there will be no accountability. After all, if you die, it’s your own fault for overestimating yourself!"

My opponent sneered. "Heh, perfect. Then, don’t blame me for being ruthless!"

Paul laughed. "DUEL, BEGIN!"