I Tried to Become a Worthless Scumbag to Break Our Engagement for His Happiness, but Instead I Was Hugged, Kissed, and Sworn Eternal Love by the Ice Knight (BL) - CHAPTER 46
The moment one wears the cloak of a knight, even as an apprentice, they are a knight.
That was common sense.
It was the rule of the order that knights must address one another by their proper knightly titles once they were granted. Earlier, the reason Rolan so casually called him Heliosphere was to show Fleck that they were close even outside the knight’s title.
In fact, now they were already saying,
“Lord Rocca, you have quite the presence.”
“What a funny joke, Lord Plut.”
Trading friendly barbs with the correct honorifics.
Fleck desperately tried to keep the unease inside his heart from showing on his face.
Brave, the one who had summoned Heliosphere, still did not have a knight’s title. But Heliosphere had already been granted the title Rocca. Brave was not particularly close to him, and as long as they stood here as knights, he should without question call him Lord Rocca.
Yet with his anger clear in his voice, he shouted loudly,
“You’re late, Heliosphere!!”
He called him by name, rudely and without form.
“…Haa… Lord Plut, I leave Fleck to you.”
“Understood, Lord Rocca.”
Heliosphere sighed deeply and, with reluctance, entrusted Fleck to Rolan.
“Fleck, please wait here for just a little while.”
He brushed Fleck’s shoulder gently, so tender that anyone could see he didn’t want to leave his side.
“Yes, I will wait.”
Rolan, watching, was secretly surprised—he didn’t say take care.
Heliosphere gave Fleck’s head a light stroke, then swiftly pulled his sword belt and cloak from the domain of space magic and donned them with a graceful flourish.
As Fleck watched his back, he turned to the knight supporting him lightly and asked,
“Lord Plut, may I ask something?”
“Eh, yes, of course. What is it?”
“Will this become an official duel? Or is it just a mock battle?”
The calmness of Fleck’s question shocked Rolan even more. But as the well-trained son of a duke, he hid that surprise completely.
With a gentle smile, he answered at once,
“It is only a mock battle. Please rest assured. The observing knights will serve as judges, as always.”
If it were to be a formal duel, there would need to be a prior petition and neutral judges set in place.
Besides, since this was already begun in public before so many people, no one could later claim it was truly a duel.
“I see… then it will be fine to stop it midway, yes?”
Rolan had to suppress another surge of surprise at Fleck’s further question.
“If there is a clear difference in strength that we can judge, then yes, it will be stopped.”
Since it was only a mock battle, there would be no later claims of grievance or responsibility about its result. Mock battles happened every day—anyone who complained about them simply wasn’t fit to be a knight in the first place.
Satisfied with Rolan’s explanation, Fleck lined up his thoughts in preparation, just in case.
“I understand. Thank you very much.”
After a clean bow, Fleck sat quietly to watch. And Rolan thought to himself—rumors are only rumors, after all.