Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

Maria hesitated and raised her sword, but in the end, her opponent could not overcome the injuries to his body and collapsed to the ground.

The referee declared Maria the winner.

She felt both relieved and confused.

Marna's voice pulled Maria back from her memories:

"However, reality is not a chivalric romance novel, where there is often a clear distinction between good and evil."

"The protagonist, as a knight, is good, while the opponents he defeats in his adventures are evil. Every battle is a battle between good and evil that makes people feel that the ending is justified."

But what about reality?

"You dealt a devastating blow to your opponent, inflicting near-fatal damage, yet you had no intention of actually knocking him down."

"—Or rather, enlightenment."

The battle with the Plastic Knight was indeed the catalyst for Maria's mental breakdown.

She had thought it was just a “fierce” battle.

But no matter what, the ending was something she hadn't anticipated.

The battle does not end when one side faints.

It wasn't a "heartwarming" ending where everyone opened up and encouraged each other after the competition.

It was a battle where one side fell in a pool of blood while the other remained standing.

But do I have the right to go this far? Do I even want to do this?

Did I accidentally go too far?

He and I are clearly just rivals!

"You know very well that, aside from some disgusting contestants, many battles in knightly arenas are not simply a contest between good and evil."

"Everyone may have their own reasons for fighting."

"Have you realized what you've been doing all along?"

"You are using your own 'ideals' to shatter other people's 'ideals'."

Maria's goal was undoubtedly to save her family through knightly competitions, and for this, she was determined to overcome any hardship.

However, "having to hurt others" was not one of the "sufferings" she came to realize.

Marna then revealed why she had only just realized it:

"Whether it's a fierce battle or a one-sided one, the former is just using the so-called 'hard-fought battle' as an excuse for self-indulgence, while ignoring the essence of knightly competition."

"In the knightly arena, everyone is just fighting for their own benefit, engaging in a bloody battle that shouldn't have continued."

"Whichever side is injured, the one that remains undefeated and reaps the benefits is always the Knights Association and the Business Alliance."

They revel in the self-satisfaction of "striving to overcome hardship".

Upon hearing this, Maria raised her head, her mouth slightly open as if she wanted to refute something.

But she was stunned, and in a very short time, she calmed down.

It seems that's the case.

Everyone became a pawn to be manipulated at will.

In the past, there would have been many ways to salvage the family's reputation—or rather, the current family predicament would never have occurred.

And those who participate in the knightly competition with other intentions may be the same.

People often say, "We should thank the Business Federation and the Knights Association for giving us 'an opportunity'."

But who is it that forces people to resort to this one method to escape their predicament?

They even created that "predicament" themselves.

What exactly am I competing against on the field?

What exactly am I fighting for in the Knights' Tournament?

Why do I need to defeat an opponent I've never met in a knightly arena to gain something I shouldn't have lost?

Having become a pawn, what do you want to gain from the player?

In a daze, Maria understood a criticism that Marner had made to her long ago—

"Knights cannot gain any glory from knightly competitions."

The benefits of winning or losing are unrelated to the chess pieces.

That's always a matter between the players.

Maria, who was once immersed in the afterglow of "hard fighting and then victory", never thought about those things.

At that time, all she knew was that she needed to become stronger to win the next match.

Their only thought was to win, not "why use this method."

"'I did it, I used all my strength to defeat the opponent I needed to defeat,' your previous thoughts were just like the self-positioning of the protagonist in those simple novels."

"But how can reality only have 'evil people' blocking your way? Or do you see all your opponents as 'evil that must be defeated'?"

"If that's the case, then you shouldn't waver; you should be glad that your opponent has fallen."

The answer is naturally no.

This girl is definitely not a bad person.

He is not the kind of person who would stop at nothing to achieve a certain goal, even if that goal is related to the interests of his family.

She now has the leisure to reflect on her victory.

The weak self can only savor the hardship of the battle afterward while trying to become stronger before the next battle.

There was no time to think about the reasons for the battle, nor time to consider the substance of what was being done.

But now she has a little more leeway.

Only after becoming stronger will one realize—"Why should I follow their rules?"

Only after gaining power will one realize—"how much suffering their rules have caused."

Only when you become stronger will you realize how far you are from shaking the root of this injustice.

"Do you understand? That's why I'm not continuing as a competitive knight."

Marner had always kept quiet about her past.

But now that he brought it up himself, Maria's gaze became more curious.

"Because under their rules, I can only follow their 'schedule' and obey their wishes, forcing one after another of those who 'have no other choice but to choose knightly competition' to the brink of despair. Among them are farmers who are levied exorbitant taxes, impoverished citizens, and infected people who are about to die."

“Even if you lose a game, you can still go back to Lin Guang’s house.”

"But among those who can only rely on knightly competitions to survive, how many can compare to the current conditions of the even impoverished Nearl family?"

Even a fallen nobleman is still a nobleman.

Maria's participation in the competition did indeed involve a bit of luck.

Even if you can't make a name for yourself, you can still make money; and even if you don't make money, you still have Aunt Zofia.

She also has a very strong support system.

Marna's words gradually brought back to her these "naive" thoughts that she would never reveal to outsiders.

"I am indeed as weak as Zofia said."

"Marna said."

“I don’t have the strength to fight them head-on, nor the determination to hurt others. Even if I lie to myself and say that I have a more important cause to uphold, I can’t bring myself to do it.”

"And I certainly don't have your sister's idea of ​​fighting back even if it means breaking my head."

Marna continued her self-deprecating remarks, but now her face showed more of a wry smile.

"You have elders behind you, but what do I have behind me?"

"Your grandfather—my father—passed away due to overwork."

“Your parents—my brother and his wife—have also disappeared without a trace.”

"There is nothing behind me, no light is shining on me."

Even if Marna never mentions his past, Maria still knows the name "Lightless Knight".

For most people, the title he bestowed upon the Knights Association before suddenly resigning from his position as a competitive knight should simply be a reflection of his lackluster Originium Arts.

However, in his explanation, the words "no light" seemed to have acquired a deeper meaning.

No one supported him.

No one shines on him.

He could only do his best to protect the Nearl family, which was now without the "Radiant Knights," in his own way, without being attached to the knightly competitions he despised.

"I am unable to emit light, yet I am incredibly harsh on you two sisters who are willing to do so."

Jealousy, disgust, helplessness.

These emotions, which an elder shouldn't have shown, were revealed in his calm voice.

"I'm a failed uncle."

Upon hearing this, Maria jumped to her feet and shouted at Marner:

"...No! How could that be! You...my sister, me, and even Aunt Zofia, we all respect you very much."

"It was clearly me... who unwittingly added to your burden... I... I will no longer participate in the Knights' Tournament."

Marna stopped him, and continued:

"No, you can participate. Don't be swayed by my words. Only you can decide what you want to do."

“Maria, you have the eyes of a pegasus and golden blood flowing through your veins. You are just like Margaret, a person who deserves the title of ‘Radiant Knight’.”

Marner's phone rang.

Their conversation was interrupted when he picked up his phone, which displayed the name of the department head of his company.