The ancient arena located in the northern part of the Royal Capital had completed its renovations, presenting an appearance as if a competition was about to commence. The spectator seats, open to the public, were filled with the townsfolk of the Royal Capital, eagerly gathering to witness the event.
At the center of the northern section of the tiered seating, a few steps higher than the surrounding seats, was the VIP Seating designated for the King and high-ranking nobles.
On the thick wooden planks laid over the stone foundation of the arena, the knights of the Royal Knights Order stood in formation. Among them was Kevin, a lower-ranking knight, who sighed at the atmosphere that felt as if a festival was about to begin.
—Is it really alright to conduct such a spectacle of subjugating Undead Beasts…?
Several of the superior officers who had once looked after him, along with a few familiar faces, had already left the Royal Knights Order and were not present at this event. If given the chance, Kevin wished he could have blackened his shield just like them and followed his former commander, Lionel.
However, having been requested by Crown Prince Alexis, Kevin had accepted the task. As a commoner and a lower-ranking knight, he had no choice but to comply with someone of such high status, and upon hearing the details, he found it impossible to refuse. Thus, he remained here.
The murmurs of the crowd gradually transformed into cheers, growing even louder.
The King, along with Elliott and Emily, had appeared in the central VIP Seating. The arrival of the heroes sent waves of joy through the gathered populace.
The subjugation was about to begin.
In the distance, Elliott stood clad in an extravagant ceremonial military uniform that seemed ill-suited for the task at hand. Beside him, Emily wore a delicate dress layered with soft lace and adorned with jewels, resembling a princess from a storybook.
Feeling unable to watch any longer, Kevin averted his gaze and surveyed the arena. A barrier created by the Court Mage surrounded the venue and the spectator seats. The clergy were notably few, and each bore anxious expressions.
—If the Crown Prince’s worries turn out to be unfounded and everything ends without incident, that would be for the best…
He himself felt a strange unease that made it hard to settle down.
The band struck up a fanfare, and the senior knights stepped forward into the center. As part of the barriers were removed, a dozen or so medium-sized Undead Beasts emerged from the southern opening into the wooden arena.
The sight of the Undead Beasts sent a ripple of fear through the nobles and townsfolk who were unaccustomed to such creatures. However, when Holy Knight Elliott moved from the VIP Seating to the arena, drawing his sword and raising it to the heavens, the fear transformed into anticipation and excitement, coloring the atmosphere of the spectators.
The Undead Beasts that had appeared seemed to be individually confined within the mages’ barriers, creating a bizarre scene that suggested they had not truly been released. It was akin to ferocious beasts being caged.
Everything felt as if a grand spectacle of battling wild beasts was about to unfold.
One by one, the barriers were lifted, and the advancing senior knights dispatched the Undead Beasts as if performing a dance. Each time a head was severed and the corpse crumbled into the earth, loud cheers erupted from the audience.
As a lower-ranking knight, Kevin’s role in this spectator subjugation was merely to fill the ranks and serve as a backup for unforeseen circumstances. For now, he could only watch from a distance.
Kevin glared intently, tracking Elliott’s movements with his eyes.
—…Was the Holy Sword like that…?
He suddenly felt a sense of dissonance. The Holy Sword, which he had grown accustomed to seeing on the battlefield, appeared unchanged from afar. It glimmered faintly, revealing its presence to those around it. Since Elliott had become a Holy Knight, Kevin had grown distant from him, only catching glimpses of his true form from afar on the battlefield. Yet, he had fought alongside him for a year, and a nagging sense of unease lingered in the back of his mind.
As Kevin pondered, the subjugation continued. The last of the Undead Beasts was released from its barrier, and Elliott faced it with his Holy Sword in hand. With a fluid motion, he dashed forward, severing its head in a single stroke. The sight of the hero dispatching the Undead Beast with such finesse sent a tremor of joy through the audience, their cheers echoing like thunder.
Moments later, Kevin felt the ground tremble beneath him. At first, he thought it was merely the lingering cheers that created the illusion. However, the rumbling sound emanated from below, and soon the shaking intensified to the point where he had to lower his stance. When he turned his gaze back to Elliott, he gasped.
The floor on the northern side of the arena was rising like a mountain. The thick wooden planks creaked ominously, and soon began to splinter. With a deafening crack, something began to emerge.
—A dragon-like…!? No, there’s no way something like that could be here. What is that…?
A massive, dragon-like creature, resembling a thick neck, protruded from the ground, towering before Elliott and the senior knights.
—Is this part of the planned spectacle…?
As a lower-ranking knight, Kevin had not been informed of the specific details of the spectator subjugation. Noticing the astonished and frozen expressions of the senior knights, just like his own, Kevin bit his lip.
The ground continued to shake violently, rendering him unable to move.
The dragon-like protrusion, upon closer inspection, lacked a head and resembled a giant worm. It writhed and leaned toward the VIP Seating where the King and Emily were seated. Suddenly, the floor beneath it began to tear further northward, collapsing right in front of the VIP Seating.
There should have been multiple layers of barriers erected by the mages to ensure the safety of the King and high-ranking nobles. However, from the newly formed crack in the floor, a thick, tentacle-like appendage emerged, shattering the wall at the edge of the VIP Seating.