ITBFL | Chapter 22

Episode 22

The match had begun.

“Good luck, everyone.”

“Don’t worry, Vice Commander.”

The defense team—comprised of Deputy Dezers, Astel, and Bennu—responded confidently.

The base consisted of a simple tent. On the table at its center lay the “treasure,” which was none other than a single carrot.

Our task as the Erne Order was to protect this carrot and cut down the opponent’s base.

After we all joined hands and renewed our determination, the whistle signaling the start of the game echoed through the forest.

We had 60 minutes.

“Let’s go, Sir Hedel.”

“Yes.”

Hedel and I hurriedly began running toward the Visel Order’s base.

To reach the opponent’s base, we had to cross the forest.

The Visel attack team was probably somewhere in the forest, heading toward the Erne base as well.

Our strategy could take two directions:

We could anticipate the enemy attack route and ambush them first, or avoid confrontation altogether and head straight for their base.

The first option had the advantage of neutralizing the opponent in advance.

‘But expending too much energy early on might make it hard to reach their base in time.’

Considering the length of the forest, simply cutting across it would already take at least 30 minutes.

‘If attackers push themselves too hard, it could backfire.’

Moreover, the defensive skills of Erne’s knights were considerable.

That’s why we chose the straightforward strategy—head directly to the opponent’s base without hesitation.

The wind blew through the trees.

Hedel and I moved quickly without delay, passing through the dense thickets.

I could sense that Hedel kept glancing at me as we ran.

“Spit it out.”

“Excuse me?!”

“You have something to say, don’t you?”

I asked as I sliced through a thick vine blocking our path.

“Ah, n-no, not really.”

I had just been testing him, but it seemed he did have something to say.

Come to think of it, Hedel was Cassium’s deputy, so he probably knew what task Cassium was currently undertaking.

“Do you happen to know if Cassium…?”

“He has no intention of getting married.”

Hedel blurted out reflexively, his tone filled with unwavering certainty.

Even though his pupils darted nervously five times after saying it.

“What?”

“Just as I said.”

Hedel avoided eye contact and tried to move forward quickly, only to trip over a vine.

I stopped, cut through the vine, and blocked his path.

“You know about the marriage talk too, huh? Did you hear it from Cassium?”

“……”

“So that’s it.”

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

So that guy had been going around telling his subordinates he had no plans to marry.

That explained why he hadn’t come in person when the proposal was made and why he never showed his face to me.

‘While I was agonizing over it… what was I even thinking?’

How much more ridiculous did he intend to make me?

“Tell Cassium something when you see him.”

“Yes, Vice Commander?”

“That I’m not interested either.”

The vine entangling Hedel’s foot was finally severed.

Watching the now-liberated Black Panther knight, I started moving forward again.

As I resumed running, I bit my lip.

A heavy weight pressed down on my chest, hot and suffocating.

‘I’m just angry.’

Hurt pride, frustration—that’s all it was.

But somewhere deep down, I knew those feelings didn’t fully explain everything.

Still, my mind refused to acknowledge it.

I pushed forward faster and rougher than before, cutting through the forest.

“What’s that?”

Back at the Erne defense base.

Astel and Bennu mumbled, prompting Dezers to follow their gaze.

“That’s…!”

“Sir Dezers, do you know what that is?”

“Of course! That’s Kim toki!”

“Kim toki?”

A sleek, black, muscular little rabbit hopped energetically through the grass.

There was only one rabbit like that in the entire world.

It was Vice Commander Lize’s Kimtokki.

“Kim toki!”

Dezers instinctively almost chased after the rabbit into the forest but remembered his current duties.

He was on defense, and maintaining one’s assigned position was crucial for tactical success.

‘Why is Kim toki here…?’

It seemed to have wandered here on its own.

Dezers resolved to report it to Vice Commander Rize immediately after the game ended.

Until then, he could only hope nothing happened to the rabbit as he kept his eyes on the forest.

“From here, I’ll go this way. You head left.”

“Understood. See you soon.”

“Right. Don’t forget to sound the signal if anything happens.”

“Got it.”

We were nearing the forest’s edge and would soon enter the defensive perimeter.

We decided to split up to disperse the defense team’s forces.

Each of us would aim to neutralize at least one defender before regrouping at the final point to plant our sword in the treasure.

The path I took led to a cliff with a river running alongside it.

‘Almost there.’

The sounds of wind and water grew louder. I quickened my pace.

‘How much time is left?’

It seemed like we had arrived faster than expected.

Just then, I heard five sharp whistles from the distance.

The central whistle blew every five minutes, so five whistles meant 25 minutes had passed.

“Not bad.”

At that moment.

Amidst the sound of the wind coming from behind, another noise mixed in.

It was the sound of footsteps.

In the next instant, I immediately took a step forward, turned my body, and swung my sword.

Clang!

“…!”

I naturally assumed that those ambushing me were members of the Bisel Order’s defense team.

But they weren’t.

“You’ve finally shown yourself, Lize!”

“Mars? Weren’t you an attacker?”

It was Mars who had attacked me.

“You didn’t expect an attacker to be lying in wait, did you?”

Mars laughed loudly.

‘Is this a strategy where both the attack and defense teams strike simultaneously?’

If so, it meant facing a 2-on-5 match, which could be disadvantageous.

Considering the one-hour time limit, it was actually quite a valid strategy.

However…

“Mars, is this your team’s strategy? Or is it your own?”

“Of course, it’s mine. Surprised?”

“As expected…”

“What? What do you mean?”

“I thought it was a pretty good strategy. But…”

“Heh. Is that so?”

Mars, looking triumphant, swung his sword at me again.

“Listen until the end, Mars. I thought it was a good strategy, but in the end, it’s not.”

“What…?”

“For that strategy to be effective, you should’ve collaborated with your team.”

“Enough. Shut up. Who are you to judge whether it’s good or not?!”

“What difference does it make if you’re here alone? It’s just like meeting the attack team halfway.”

“I said shut up!”

“All you’re doing is wasting time waiting for Erne.”

Mars clenched his teeth and charged at me.

“Just because you got a marriage proposal from a duke’s family, you think you’re so great!”

“You clearly don’t know what boasting is, Mars.”

If I were the type to boast about such things, I wouldn’t even be having this conversation with you.

“By the way, I heard your prospective marriage partner is also in the Erne Order. Why isn’t he around? He didn’t show up during the proposal either. Did he run away because he didn’t like you?”

Mars’ words stung me a little.

But I chose not to respond.

‘Reacting to such remarks only benefits the other party.’

This was the manual for dealing with those who pick fights.

People who provoke others are usually waiting for the moment their target gets irritated and reacts. Giving them that reaction only benefits them.

It was something I had read in a book titled The Great Leader’s Guide to Handling People.

“And by the way, what’s with that rabbit? Is it some kind of monster? What did you train it to do that it torments me even after death?”

But I wasn’t a “great leader,” so I ended up falling for it.

“What are you talking about? My rabbit is alive and well. How could you even hit it?”

You can mess with me, but don’t touch my rabbit.

“What?”

Mars’ face showed visible confusion upon hearing my words.

It seemed he genuinely believed he had killed my cute and beloved golden rabbit.

“But I definitely fed it poisonous herbs… Wait, it didn’t eat them?”

“Poisonous herbs?”

Suddenly, I remembered the time Mars had handed me some greens, saying they were for my rabbit.

— Give this to your rabbit, Lize. You don’t even have enough money to buy rabbit food, do you?

I had intended to eat them myself but was puzzled when the entire basket disappeared.

“That was poisonous?”

Mars didn’t bother answering my question and kept breathing heavily.

Letting out strange noises, he suddenly shouted at me.

“A rabbit, daring to pull off such a stunt?!”

“What stunt?”

“Pretending to be a ghost and tormenting me!”

“So, did you faint?”

“…No!”

“Enough. I don’t have time to waste on this.”

As I tried to move toward the enemy base, Mars rushed over to block my way.

“You’re not going to write me a recommendation letter, are you?”

He was referring to the royal knight recommendation letter.

“I will.”

“Liar.”

“Move, Mars.”

Whether he would be accepted was questionable, but I really intended to write it since I had promised.

Mars, seething with anger, glared at me and charged with his sword.

He came in so hastily that he failed to notice the gaps in his stance.

I lightly struck his shoulder. His grip weakened, and the sword fell from his hand.

“Ugh!”

Mars let out a scream, clutching his shoulder as he collapsed.

I hadn’t hit him that hard, but Mars curled up as if he were having a seizure.

Instinctively, I approached him.

“Are you alrigh—”

Then, in the next instant.

Mars, who had been crouched down, suddenly straightened up and used his full weight to shove me.

“Lize, take this—whoa?!”

It’s good to be prepared for everything, but it’s difficult to anticipate the truly unexpected.

I had never imagined my cousin would push me, let alone push me toward a cliff.

And my body immediately began falling toward the deep waters below.