There was no doubt about it.
The champion—
was Arashi.
No one could take that away from him.
Standing aboard the cruise ship, Arashi narrowed his eyes as he sized up the king.
Meanwhile, King Topkabo III felt as if he had a fishbone stuck in his throat upon seeing Arashi.
Originally, he had expected that with Lafitte hosting, this marathon would be spectacular.
Who would've thought—
this would turn out to be the most boring marathon ever!
As the two stared at each other, the queen standing nearby—Sophia—curiously glanced at Arashi.
His clothes were soaked through, perfectly outlining his physique and masculine presence.
The moment her eyes met his—
it was as if she had been struck by lightning.
She nearly fainted.
That gaze…
So sharp.
So domineering.
So overwhelming.
If only he could become my personal knight…
No, no—Sophia, what are you thinking?!
You are the Queen of the Illusia Kingdom!
You mustn't lose control like this!
Snapping herself out of her thoughts, Sophia quickly composed herself and stepped forward, gently reminding the king:
"Your Majesty… you need to announce the champion."
"No mood."
After staring at Arashi for a moment, Topkabo III said irritably,
"From now on—cancel this marathon!"
"Your Majesty…"
Seeing the king lose composure like this, Sophia hurried to stop him.
Fortunately, they were on the cruise ship, surrounded only by guards and nobles.
If the citizens on the beach had seen this—
his royal image would have been severely damaged.
"Then… I will make the announcement," Sophia said.
The king waved his hand impatiently as he returned to his seat.
"I'm tired."
Arashi remained unusually quiet.
Although the marathon had somewhat ruined his mood, he had still become the first contestant to board the ship.
All he needed to do now—
was wait for the official announcement, take the five million Berries and the system reward of three thousand Travel Points—
and leave.
However…
after seeing the king's attitude—
he suddenly didn't feel like leaving so easily anymore.
This senile old king—
working together with Lafitte to create such a twisted Death Marathon—
definitely needed a lesson.
Just as Arashi was considering how to "educate" the king, Queen Sophia had already walked up to him.
Having already reviewed Arashi's registration information, she smiled gently, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
"You are Kairo D. Arashi, correct? A traveler?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Having spent some time in the West Blue, Arashi had already picked up some gentlemanly manners.
He removed his hat and gave a slight bow.
"Though now… I have another identity—Champion."
"No… two identities."
Seeing how calm and composed Arashi remained—even in front of her, without the vulgar admiration most men showed—Sophia's heart began to race.
Her voice even carried a slight tremor.
"Because you have won this marathon, you will also be granted the title of Knight of the Illusia Kingdom."
"But don't worry—although you will be knighted, you will retain complete freedom."
"Then… let us make the announcement together."
Taking a deep breath, Sophia lifted her flowing gown and stepped beside Arashi.
Without hesitation, she took his hand and raised it high, facing the beach as she declared loudly:
"The champion of this marathon is the bravest knight by my side—Arashi!!!"
"Let us all cheer for the champion!"
As Sophia's voice echoed across the ship—
a system notification rang out in Arashi's mind.
[System Notification]
Congratulations to the host for winning this competition. Reward obtained: 3000 Travel Points.
Travel Points have been added successfully. Current balance: 5000 points. Please keep up the good work!
[System Notification]
Due to the host's outstanding performance, a hidden mission has been activated.
[Mission]
Accept the title of Knight of the Illusia Kingdom, attend the royal banquet, and stay overnight in the palace.
[Mission Reward]
2000 Travel Points.
"…This counts as a mission?"
Hearing the notifications, Arashi was momentarily overwhelmed.
This was basically free points!
Even if the mission hadn't appeared—
he would have gone to the palace banquet anyway.
After all, he was still thinking about how to deal with that foolish old king.
Wait.
Stay overnight in the palace?
Could this be the real key to the mission?
What the hell—
could the palace be haunted?
Or was there something hidden within?
Otherwise—
how could such a simple mission be worth two thousand Travel Points?
After receiving the cheers and worship of the crowd on the beach, Arashi—now the champion—was personally escorted by the queen.
Seated in a royal carriage under heavy guard, he headed straight for the palace.
Next came the knighting ceremony.
After being officially granted the title of Knight, the royal banquet began.
Throughout the entire process, King Topkabo III kept a dark expression.
Clearly—
he was extremely dissatisfied with this marathon.
More importantly—
Lafitte still hadn't been found.
He didn't even have someone to vent his anger on.
Not long after the banquet began, the king left early, citing poor health.
As for this troublesome old king—
Arashi couldn't be bothered with him for now.
Instead, he casually chatted with Queen Sophia about his travels, sharing interesting stories.
Her laughter rang out repeatedly, bright and charming.
Watching Sophia constantly attend to him—
and noticing the subtle change in her gaze after the king left—
Arashi suddenly understood.
The queen…
was clearly planning something more intimate with her newly appointed champion knight.
So that's how it is.
Staying overnight in the palace—
really does hide something interesting.
Extra chapters are already prepared… waiting to be unleashed.
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