Reborn As A Maid

The sun rose up in the Kingdom of Seraiya, flooding the Grand Royal Arena with dazzling rays of the morning light. The old stones glowed with the warmth of the new day which brought something monumental and important.

Before the start of the competition all seats in the huge stadium were occupied with people. They came from each kingdom on the continent and crowded in the stadium filling it with loud discussions and expectations. Nobles sat near peasants, their social differences did not matter now. Adventurers discussed their exploits with merchants. The children were waving small flags of Seraiya in their hands.

For the first time in centuries, the whole continent met in one place.

Not for the war.

But for the greatest martial tournament in history.

---

The sound of trumpets resonated all over the arena, filling it with their metallic voice as though it was thunder.

One by one the participants of the fight came out through the eastern gate wearing their badges earned during the qualifying round. Some of them received loud applause; others came quietly without any reaction to their presence.

Jennie straightened her simple wooden practice sword which hung on her belt. Roxy looked around full of excitement. "There are so many people here!"

Snow opened his big jaws and yawned. "I hope it won’t last all day."

"Are you only interested in lunch?" - Roxy asked playfully with a mischievous smile.

"No, in lunch and dinner," Snow corrected, swaying his tail.

Jennie gave a soft chuckle, her sound warm and genuine.

---

The second round of the fanfare sounded.

Each knight around the arena drew his sword and saluted in unison. The shining blades captured the sun rays reflecting them.

Arthur Queens stepped into the arena dressed in ceremonial white armor with silver and gold. His presence filled it with his authority since he had served in the Kingdom for dozens of years already.

His voice was magnified with wind magic and resounded loudly throughout the stadium with his professional skills.

"Warriors of the continent—welcome."

The sounds of clapping disappeared; thousands of voices became silent instantly.

Arthur looked slowly around the sea of the faces, his eyes moving from one end of the stadium to another.

"Today, you are no longer separated by the kingdoms. No longer divided by birth. No longer judged by wealth and status." He lifted one arm up and his voice gained volume. "Only your courage, your skills and your honor will decide your way within the arena."

Deafening applause responded him, shaking the arena with the wave of the sound.

---

Arthur continued.

"The Great Fight Tournament exists for celebration of those who protect others. This is not the battlefield. It is the stage where true warriors show their strength of defending, but not destroying."

His look became serious; the warmth of his eyes was replaced by the serious intensity.

"The rules do not change. No killing. Surrender ends the match. Those who cannot fight will get help from the Royal Healing Corps."

He stopped, looking slowly around the participants.

"Fight proudly. Remember your humanity."

The competitors bowed together, answering with their united voice. "We understand!"

---

Arthur gave a gentle smile, returning a little bit of the warmth to his face.

"Then—let the tournament start!"

Once again trumpets of the king rang all over the arena with triumphant sounds.

The stadium burst into the deafening cheers, flooding with the tidal wave of the sound.

High above the arena in the royal balcony Queen Lilia Kingheart was observing the opening ceremony wearing her white-and-gold royal attire and her silver hair flowing beneath the sapphire crown. Her Divine Sword Aurelia rested quietly at her side, its golden scabbard pulsing with the soft light.

Arthur appeared again by her side, his steps quiet on the marble floor.

"The opening was great," she said with quiet pride.

Arthur smiled, his eyes crinkled warmly. "I learned from the best."

Lilia laughed gently, her sound light and genuine. "I do not remember when I taught you how to make a speech."

"No." Arthur shook his head. "You taught me how to be kind."

Lilia’s smile became thoughtful, her eyes were looking down to the arena again.

In Arena Five the referee raised both flags, his voice resounding across the stands.

"First Match! Contestant Number 217—Raven, the White Sword Hunter!"

The cheers were erupting from one section of the spectators who had seen her performance in the preliminaries.

Jennie was going calmly into the arena, her steps unhurried and confident. She was holding only her wooden practice sword which was worn out with countless hours of training.

Her opponent was coming from the other gate: a big man with old scars on his body, his heavy steel armor telling about years of battles.

The referee’s voice resonated through the stadium. "Former captain of the Iron Wolves Mercenary Company—Darius !"

People were applauding the veteran respectfully, remembering his name.

"He survived three border wars."

"They say he once fought off ten bandits alone."

"Poor Raven. She is going to fight with him first."

Darius was resting his massive longsword on his shoulder, its blade flashing deadly. He looked at the wooden blade of Jennie and frowned, frowning his forehead.

"A wooden blade?"

"I use it well enough," Jennie said with a polite smile.

The veteran laughed, the sound genuine and warm. "You have the courage. I admire you." He stuck his sword into the ground with some difficulty; its blade sank a little bit into the stone. "Fight seriously."

"I will."

The referee moved back, raising his hand.

Both flags were lowered.

"Begin!"

Darius jumped forward surprisingly quickly for such a big man, bringing his longsword down with powerful blow.

Jennie made only one step.

The sword hit the empty stone, throwing the pieces of it.

When Darius could regain his balance—

Tap.

The wooden sword of Jennie brushed against his wrist.

Her fingers automatically opened. The sword fell out of his hands.

Clang.

The enormous blade hit the ground with a resonant sound in the complete silence of the arena.

Audience gasped and started to talk excitedly.

Darius was looking at his empty hands with an unbelievable expression. "...Impossible."

Jennie wasn’t attacking the veteran, but just waited for him to make the next move.

The man smiled. "So... You disarmed me." He grabbed the sword in his hands again. "Next time, I’ll take you into account."

The veteran attacked once again. This time he was acting faster and sharper. Again the steel flashed.

However, Jennie danced between those flashes, moving smoothly like water.

Each blow was avoided by millimeters, each step was perfect.

Never once she seemed nervous, or frightened, or confused.

Finally, Darius used his strongest attack—the overhead blow that could split a shield.

Jennie took a soft breath.

Then she struck back.

The wooden training sword caught the steel one in the perfect moment.

The sharp crack sounded in the arena.

Darius’s blade rose in the air and fell a few meters away with a ringing sound.

The veteran froze.

Gentle touch of Jennie’s wooden blade rested on his shoulder.

The silence reigned in the arena.

The referee waved his flag. "Winner—Raven, the White Sword Hunter!"

For some time nobody moved.

Then the stadium burst into cheers.

"She won!"

"With a wooden sword?!"

"She never attacked seriously!"

High above, Arthur was looking at the silver-haired swordswoman with a narrow gaze. "...Remarkable."

Lucas was crossing his arms, speaking with interest. "She defeated a veteran mercenary with no harm to him."

Lilia was looking at the swordswoman with her calm eyes. As usual, she was impressed by the grace and sincerity with which Raven performed her bows after the victory.

For some unknown reason, for Lilia, watching Raven fighting felt somehow familiar to her.

Inside the divine sword of light, Aurelia shimmered, greeting an old friend whose legend wasn’t ended yet.

The audience hadn’t calmed down after the victory of Raven when another announcer’s voice resounded in the Grand Royal Arena.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The next match is going to be fought by one of the most outstanding warriors of the Kingdom of Valen!"

The audience cheered and started to scream excitedly.

"Kai! Kai Viper! The Genius Spear Knight!"

From the western gate, a young man with short black hair slowly came to the center of the arena. He was wearing the blue and silver armor with the crest of Valen—an image of a falcon flying under golden laurels. Across his shoulder he was holding an elegant spear with the silver blade that was shining in the sunlight.

His face was calm, confident, but absolutely not arrogant.

With steady steps Kai Viper entered the arena.

Opposite of him there was standing a huge lancer who was about two meters tall. With his reddish armor covered in scars of many battles and the enormous spear in his hands, he looked like a siege warrior.

The announcer started to talk, waving his hands with enthusiasm. "Veteran lancer—Magnus Ironhorn!"

Audience started to whisper knowing the name.

"Magnus? He was the captain of the Red Lance Brigade!"

"He is extremely strong!"

Many of them thought that Kai would have a hard time with this veteran in the first round and would finally meet his rival.

Kai just smiled and said in his warm voice. "It will be my honor."

Magnus put his spear on the ground and smiled widely. "So, you are the famous genius? I heard enough about you."

Kai bowed respectfully. "I heard about your service. The defense of the eastern border by the Red Lance Brigade is a legend."

Magnus smiled again. The thunderous laugh of the man filled the arena. "Good. Then don’t show mercy."

On the royal balcony Arthur was looking at Kai with interest. "Kai Viper..."

Lucas nodded with his arms crossed. "He is talented. His basic skills and movement are perfect."

Arthur added, his voice filled with thoughts. "But talent doesn’t make great knight. The character does."

As the referee raised his flags, Kai Viper returned to the memory of his youth.

He saw a small cottage far from the city—a humble house with a leaky roof and drafts, entering inside. It was raining outside, and raindrops were dripping through the old roof into the buckets on the floor. At the dinner table there was sitting his father, looking at the ancient family crest on the wall.

Once, the name of Viper was the name of respected knights—their family had an honorable name in the whole kingdom. Then they suffered from the terrible misfortune.

Kai’s grandfather took the responsibility of the failed campaign on himself to save his commander and kingdom from the political scandal. Despite his sacrifice that spared the kingdom from the political turmoil, the family name got the shame.

They lost all their titles, their lands, and their honor.

One day Kai asked his father. "Did Grandfather really betray the kingdom?"

His father shook his head, his eyes were full of old pain. "No. He protected it. But history doesn’t always tell the truth."

That night Kai promised to himself. "I will become a knight. I will restore the honor of our family."

His father sadly smiled, putting his hand on the shoulder of his son. "Then become the knight whom people can trust. Not fear."

From that night Kai trained every sunrise and sunset. Every injury, every failure, every lesson was bringing him closer to his promise.

The referee’s voice interrupted his memories.

"Begin!"

Magnus instantly attacked, swinging his heavy blade powerfully.

Kai evaded, making smooth movements.

The heavy spear was missing his target by just a few centimeters.

The veteran rotated and made another attack. And another. Each of them had years of battlefield experience.

The audience was watching excitedly, their eyes fixed on the duel.

"What incredible speed!"

"He really is a veteran!"

The eyes of Kai were still calm, but he was concentrating.

He wasn’t confused by the veteran. He was studying him.

His spear was moving with the maximum precision, slightly deviating every thrust of his opponent. Instead of meeting the force with force, he was leading it to the empty place.

Metal clashed with metal, and the rhythm of the duel resembled a dance more than the battle.

Jennie observed the ongoing match from the area reserved for competitors, studying Kai’s moves professionally.

A small smile played on her lips. "His skills are top-notch."

Roxy nodded, her emerald eyes wide with amazement. "He’s incredible."

Snow shifted an ear, his golden eyes sharp. "I don’t think he ever had a serious fight."

Jennie whispered her agreement. "Nor has his opponent."

All of a sudden, Magnus roared, delivering an incredibly quick series of thrusts. Silver flashes whizzed around, leaving the spectators in shock.

Kai inhaled deeply, his eyes narrowing.

Then—

His spear vanished into nothingness.

Well, it moved too fast to be seen anymore.

One strike knocked Magnus’s weapon off.

A second attacked the weapon shaft.

A third broke through Magnus’s defenses.

The tip of Kai’s spear touched Magnus’s throat tenderly.

Silence.

It took less than a heartbeat.

Magnus glanced at the shining spear tip, widening his eyes.

Then he burst into a hearty laughter, filled with sincere appreciation.

"...Perfect."

He dropped his weapon, relaxing his shoulders. "I surrender."

The referee instantly lifted both flags, announcing the verdict loudly.

"Winner—Kai Viper!"

Applause shook the arena as if by a hurricane.

Kai lowered his spear, bowing respectfully to his opponent. "Thank you for the match."

Magnus smiled with obvious relief and pleasure, his face softer and kinder. "No. Thank you. You have shown me how real technique is."

Arthur nodded, his eyes shining with admiration. "He never tried to humiliate his opponent."

Lucas smiled, his voice filled with respectful pride. "This is the sign of a real knight."

High above in the royal balcony, Lilia clapped in genuine admiration, her eyes sparkling. "He’s outstanding."

Arthur nodded, his voice thoughtful. "He will surely become a favorite."

When Kai left the arena, he passed Jennie in the competitors’ corridor on his way.

They stopped and looked at each other.

Kai smiled politely, his voice warm. "You showed great skill."

Jennie smiled, her eyes calm. "You have, too."

Both warriors noticed the spark of strength in each other’s eyes in that second.

Neither of them needed to say anything more.

They would meet again.

Not as strangers, but as rivals destined to face each other once more in the upcoming rounds.

The tournament continued around them, the cheers of spectators echoing through the arena like a symphony of hope.

But in the shadows of the royal balcony, Arthur Queens was observing the silver-haired contestant with increasing interest.

And in some dark corner of Aurelia, an idea began to take shape.

The true purpose of the tournament was just starting to show itself.

And the fates of all the assembled people were soon going to collide in unexpected ways.

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