The Crimson Throne

Mariam woke Elaine up the following morning at dawn and helped her dress. The young maid left the tent for a moment and returned with a breakfast tray. Though she was no longer in her manor, Elaine still brought along a few poison testers as a precaution. To survive, she could not lower her guard, no matter the situation. 

After breakfast, a knight guided Elaine to the event's departure ceremony. When she arrived, most nobles had already settled in their arranged location. Elaine curtsied before the two sovereigns and continued following the knight toward her designated seating area beside Gerard. "I apologize for my late arrival, father." She again curtsied.

The Duke acknowledged her. "You arrived just in time. You may sit."

"Thank you, father." Elaine sat on a comfortable ornate chair and studied the surrounding environment. Unlike the lower aristocrats, she and the Duke had elevated seating positions similar to the d'Amboise head, though lower than the monarchs. The general arrangement resembled the campsites Elaine saw the previous night, with the Léonas' nobles separated from Étoile. 

She glanced at the d'Artois, wondering if the Marquis and his heir noticed their precious jewel had infiltrated the participating soldiers and was about to enter a dangerous territory. They still seem clueless. Elaine sighed and continued her observation. On the ground, the troops from different Étoile's noble houses had gathered into formation, with the Croix and d'Amboise's knights and soldiers leading. A few magicians approached and provided each knight with a transparent card. The knights bit or sliced their fingers and dripped blood onto the mysterious object. They then returned the cards to the magicians.

"What are they doing?" Elaine asked.

"They are leaving behind part of their essence, milady," Yusef answered for the Duke.

"Essence? Do those cards function similarly to the crystals given to us when traveling through the portal?"

"Not exactly, milady." He explained. "Unfortunately, even if we traced the knights' location inside the Insidious Forest, we could not come and rescue them. Thus, it is more reasonable to track their living status. The card will split apart if the essence's owner dies. Using this method, we can count our casualties during the event."

"Can we not watch the process like my coming-of-age ceremony?"

The black-clad man shook his head. "The magician association did not establish contact with the inhabitant of the Bael Kingdom, nor did they have a tower inside the Insidious Forest. Therefore, we would not see what happens during the event."

Then what was the point of allowing spectators this time if no one could watch anything? Are we all just going to sit idling for weeks? Elaine did not know about the previous joint expeditions, but the entire procession felt illogical and excessive. Instead of wasting time coming to a faraway land, the aristocrats from both empires could have stayed home and received the result in a few weeks. Or has this become another socializing opportunity for the bored nobles?

"I understand now. Thank you, Yusef."

"It is my duty, milady. Please let me know if you have other questions."

Elaine contemplated Yusef's information. Unfortunately, she only learned fragments about the tournament when the book revealed Celeste saved Cecil after he received a fatal wound, yet she did not know how or why he was injured. During this event, Celeste discovered healing, a unique ability that would allow her to participate in the Temple's selection—a privilege many individuals would kill to attain since becoming a member of the Temple also meant receiving its protection. 

Elaine had seen Cecil during practice with other knights. His swordsmanship level rose above many, and it was not an easy feat to damage him. It must be a terrible monster to wound him so extensively. She recalled the creature from her nightmare and shuddered. Though she believed Cecil would fare well against the beast, the darkness inside the Insidious Forest would be a significant handicap. If her suspicion proved correct, the menacing place inside her dream and the ominous forest before her were the same. Is that forest the creatures' actual dwelling? Elaine could not confirm her deduction and was not planning to find out. Excessive curiosity usually led to disastrous consequences, and whatever resided within the Insidious Forest was not of her concern. For the current event, she would only need to perfect her part as a demure noble lady and restrain from drawing attention to herself. 

Elaine then shifted her attention in the Léonas Empire's direction. Surprise held her expression after she saw the Léonas' troop commander. "Is that the First Prince?" 

"Yes, milady," Yusef replied.

"Will he also compete in the joint expedition?" An unremarkable question escaped her lips, though she meant to ask why the Léonas Emperor would allow his heir to participate in a known dangerous event. 

"The First Prince requested to join the expedition." This time, the Duke himself answered Elaine's question. 

"But does the Léonas Emperor not worry about Prince Nickolas, given the countless fallen knights in previous occurrences?" 

"If the Léonas Emperor allowed his heir's participation, then he must be confident about Prince Nickolas' ability." Gerard glanced at her. "Besides, it is not our place to question our allied emperor's decision."

"Yes, father. Please forgive my overstep." Though she had more questions, Elaine quelled her curiosity. The Duke already indicated that he did not want to continue with the current topic. 

A few more hours passed, and when the sun rose high in the skies, the Étoile Emperor and Léonas Emperor stood from their chairs and stepped toward their respected troops. "It is time. Let us wish our brave knights and soldiers a safe departure and bring back glory to our empire." 

"Glory to the empire!" The troops from both sides yelled in synchronization and knelt before their emperors. 

"You all may rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."