Chapter 21: 11.1

Chapter 11-1: Opening Ceremony (1)

Erwin looked on as a suspended leg of lamb was spit-roasted over a grill, with flames of different colors blasting out of the seven slanted nozzles on the grill at set intervals, giving off the appearance that the leg of lamb was being cooked in a rainbow. The owner of the food stall was busy cooking naans for other customers, while his well-trained werecat slave was expertly applying cumin, pepper, and cinnamon leaves to the leg of lamb, in addition to the occasional coat of orange honey.

Erwin was on the verge of drooling as he got out of the tent to stand at the back of the line in front of the food cart.

Right at this moment, someone patted him on the shoulder. Erwin's attention was entirely focused on that delectable leg of lamb, and he turned around with a disgruntled expression.

"It's me!" He was greeted by the sight of an excited young man. The young man was none other than Sherry, who had been beaten black and blue just a few days ago.

"Oh, your name was Sherry, right? Are you all healed up from your injuries?" Erwin asked with a smile.

"I'm completely fine now," Sherry replied as he patted his own chest in a confident manner. "By the way, you didn't tell me your name last time."

"'I'm Erwin, Erwin Friar." Erwin wasn't very used to making self-introductions like this.

"Friar? As in Count Friar? Are you Count Friar's son?" Sherry asked as his eyes widened in surprise.

Erwin nodded in response, unsure of what to make of Sherry's bewildered expression. Count Friar had been living a very understated and secluded lifestyle since his retirement, so Erwin didn't think that Sherry would know of him.

"Please forgive me for my rudeness, Master Erwin," Sherry said as he suddenly cupped his fist in a serious salute.

"What are you doing?" Erwin was rather perplexed by Sherry's reaction.

"My father was once the commander of the Valiant Regiment under Count Friar's command, and he fought under Count Friar in several dozen battles," Sherry said in an excited voice.

Erwin had only heard from Larwood and the others that his father was quite an influential figure in the military. Even so, it was quite a surprise to be meeting the son of one of his former subordinates.

Erwin nodded in response, and he didn't know what type of attitude he should adopt. He was simply too hungry to think about anything else other than the alluring aroma of the roasted leg of lamb, and he asked, "Have you had breakfast? Would you like to eat together?"

Erwin found it quite amusing that during his first two meetings with Sherry, he had kicked off the conversation both times with "have you had breakfast?".

Sherry was extremely excited to meet someone from the Friar Family and was just about to launch into some recounts of the battles that his father had fought under Count Friar, only for his words to get stuck in his throat in response to Erwin's unexpected question, and he was rather amused as well.

Finally, everyone lining up ahead of Erwin completed their orders, and it was Erwin's turn, but Sherry stepped forward to stop him before he could pay. "I can't let you pay for my meal every time, Master Erwin. Please allow me to treat you to a meal this time."

He then paid the stall owner before Erwin had a chance to say anything.

The stall owner's refined knife skills were on full display as he expertly sliced off some meat from the outer layer of the roasted leg of lamb. Even the juices dripping down from the leg of lamb weren't wasted. Instead, they were incorporated directly into the pieces of naan, and shortly thereafter, two lamb kebabs were wrapped up and handed over to Erwin and Sherry.

Erwin vigorously inhaled the aroma of the long-awaited lamb kebab before taking a huge bite. As expected, he had made the right decision to come to this food stall. The roasted leg of lamb was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the spices and honey only made it even more delicious. Sherry was also full of praise for the delectable meal.

After eating a few bites of his kebab, Erwin wasn't feeling so woozy anymore, and he asked, "What time is your match today?"

"Sometime after 10 AM. What about you, Master Erwin?" Sherry asked in between large bites of his own kebab.

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"My match is due to take place around 2 PM," Erwin replied as he thought back to the matchup board from the day before. "Also, stop calling me master, I'm not worthy of such a title."

If any bystanders were to hear Sherry, they would come under the opinion that Erwin was a noble of far loftier status than he actually was.

"But I insist, Master Erwin," Sherry said with a serious expression. "Before my father passed away, he told me that Count Friar has shown him much kindness during his lifetime, but he never got a chance to repay Count Friar for his kind deeds. He told me that if I ever got the opportunity in the future, I have to repay Count Friar for his kindness. On top of that, if you hadn't reached out to me last time, I would've most likely gone after that man, and I don't think I would be standing here today had I done that, so I must repay both you and your father for what you've done for my father and me."

Erwin looked at Sherry's determined expression with a resigned look on his face, then asked, "But what do you even need to repay me for? And how are you going to repay me? It's not like I did anything to help you."

"I may not be able to repay you right now, Master Erwin, but who knows what'll happen in the future? I'm sure my services will be useful to you at some point, Master Erwin," Sherry replied with a smile, then finished off the last bite of his kebab.

Erwin could only nod in response with a resigned expression upon hearing this. However, at the same time, he admired Sherry for taking such bonds so seriously.

After finishing his breakfast, Erwin's plan was to go back to lie down in the tent, but Sherry insisted on taking him to see the opening ceremony of the Pillow Sword Tournament. On top of that, Sherry's match was set to begin soon, so he had to go to the contestants' area for registration and physical examination anyway. Thus, Erwin was dragged by him to the contestants' area in the east, and the guards at the entrance granted them free passage after examining their iris sword badges.

There were already around 10 contestants waiting in the lobby tent for the competitors, and these were most likely the contestants due to participate in the earliest matches of the day. Erwin took a glance at the clock hanging in the tent to find that it was already almost 9 AM.

Erwin and Sherry made their way directly into the passageway. From there, they could go one of two ways, the first of which was a slope that led upward. That path led to the contestants' spectating platform in the ring-shaped venue. As for the other path, that one was provided for contestants to directly enter the venue. There were several employees from the tournament committee stationed at the entrance, and the contestants who had passed their physical examinations were able to collect their registered equipment from there before going into their matches. After their matches, the contestants would have to come back here to return their equipment.

The two of them made their way up the slope, and with the light provided by the Nightglow Stone lamps situated in the corners between the wooden and copper rods, Erwin was carefully inspecting the mixed wood and copper construction style of the passageway, marveling at the fact that this style of construction could produce sturdy structures while significantly conserving materials.

Inside the passageway, they could already hear the commotion from the tens of thousands of spectators gathered in the venue. Upon emerging from the passageway, they were greeted by the sight of the radiant sky and the sound of countless people discussing spiritedly among one another. Only now were they able to fully sense the atmosphere of the Pillow Sword Tournament. The venue was split up into three major rings, but within each ring were five to six levels, so looking down from above, one would be able to see close to 20 levels in total. From Erwin's perspective, there were people everywhere, and he couldn't help but be amazed by this spectacular sight.

Erwin emerged from the passageway before making his way into the contestants' viewing platform, upon which he caught a glimpse of a beautiful silver-haired figure looking out beyond the railing. A sudden breeze blew past to pick up her silver locks, which swayed and shimmered like a breathtaking silver waterfall. For a moment, Erwin was transfixed by the curvature of her proud, swan-like neck and the sight of her delicate shoulder.

The woman seemed to have sensed Erwin's gaze, and she turned around to face him. Her golden eyes were like the vast sea, and her gentle smile seemed capable of melting through even the coldest of snow and ice. During their previous encounter, Erwin had already been stunned by the princess's beauty, and he didn't fare much better on this occasion, either, standing like a stick in the mud, unable to move or speak in a completely uncharacteristic display.

Sherry was given quite a fright by Erwin's display of insolence, and he hurriedly tugged on Erwin's sleeve, urging him to salute the princess. Several days ago, he saw Erwin joking around with the daughter of Prince Lazaar, and now, he was completely disregarding proper etiquette even in the presence of the princess! Cold sweat was beginning to bead up on Sherry's forehead, but he couldn't help but admire Erwin for his courage. All of the other contestants who were here to see the opening ceremony were consciously making an effort to keep their distance from the princess. After all, everyone harbored a sense of respect and veneration for the members of the royal family. However, Erwin seemed to have no such qualms and was directly approaching the princess without any inhibitions.

Only after receiving that tug on the sleeve from Sherry did Erwin remember that he had to salute the princess, and his face was slightly flushed from nerves and embarrassment as he stuttered, "Er... Erwin Friar p, pays his respects to His Highness."

Princess Onean was rather amused by his awkward display. She was used to being surrounded by refined and composed gentlemen, so it was very rare for her to see someone as shy and reserved as Erwin.

Meanwhile, Sherry's admiration for Erwin was only continuing to grow. The expression of unease and shyness on Erwin's face was extremely convincing. If Sherry didn't know any better, he would've been swayed to think that Erwin was just some shy and innocent young noble. Thinking back to Erwin who was wooing Lana with the composure of a seasoned veteran, Sherry was struggling to come to terms with the fact that this stammering bundle of nerves was the same person.

As for Erwin himself, he was cursing the princess for being so breathtakingly beautiful. Even though he was already quite experienced when it came to dealing with the opposite sex, he was being made to look like a complete amateur who had fallen head over heels.

"Erwin Friar? You're the son of Count Friar, right?" Onean asked with a smile.

Erwin's eyes widened as he nodded in response, wondering how the princess knew about him.

Onean's eyes suddenly lit up upon receiving confirmation, and she seemed to have taken an interest in Erwin.

"I heard that you were almost killed for hitting on Prince Lazaar's daughter, is that right?" Onean asked with an amused expression.

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