I Start with a Bad Hand!

“…What are you eating right now?”

“A sandwich. Want some?”

Is this a picnic…?

The archery club members, who had been nowhere to be found since the start, along with some cadets and even Agnes, were all huddled together, munching on something. They had even managed to start a campfire somehow. There was no sign of enthusiasm or energy on their faces.

They couldn’t hide their discomfort upon seeing Icarus. No wonder, since Icarus frowned slightly at the sight of their makeshift camp. I glanced at his expression.

‘Is he upset that while he’s working hard, others are slacking off?’

But he seemed to be seriously concerned about something else.

“…It’s dangerous to gather around a campfire in the forest like this. The sound of people will attract animals.”

And the smell of food too. As he spoke like a camping expert and sat down next to me, the tense atmosphere began to ease slightly.

“Why did you bring sandwiches?”

“The senior in the archery club told us to bring plenty of food. The match hasn’t ended early in years.”

Agnes said this while stuffing a sandwich into my mouth. It was delicious.

“You don’t have a bow. Why are you walking around with just a quiver? Where did your senior go, walking around with the prince?”

“A lot has happened. But why are you all sitting here?”

An archery club student held up an empty quiver and answered on behalf of the group.

“We’re out of arrows.”

“Then you should’ve gone back.”

“My parents are here. They’d be disappointed if I went back too soon after the match started.”

Touched by his oddly filial words, I nodded and then asked,

“But if you ran out of arrows, that means you were shooting a lot.”

“Out of those fifteen arrows, we only hit the Sereti guys twice.”

“Hey, they’re really good. They were climbing trees and everything.”

“All we learn at the academy is sparring, but seeing them charge at us even with wooden swords was terrifying.”

One of them had suddenly grabbed a branch and jumped onto a tree while riding a horse, maintaining their balance and attacking from there. When I asked if they could lend me a bow, they handed me one from the corner.

“Thanks to that, the match is at a standstill… most of our troops have been wiped out.”

“Considering that, the match isn’t over yet? Shouldn’t the Sereti team have won by now?”

The expressions on the archery club members and Agnes’s faces turned strange.

“We did prepare quite well this time. There’s a reason the Sereti team can’t approach our camp.”

“…What is it?”

“You have to see it for yourself. It’s really hard to explain.”

As they continued their grumbling, Agnes, who had been sitting next to me, eating snacks, looked at Icarus and spoke.

“But Your Highness, you should be careful. The Sereti guys are on the lookout.”

“For me?”

Chewing on his snack, Icarus looked at Agnes.

“It was a while ago, but they asked us if we had seen the Second Prince nearby. We said we hadn’t, but they seemed pretty desperate to be asking us.”

Icarus raised an eyebrow slightly, accompanied by a leisurely smile.

“You said it was a while ago, right? Then they probably aren’t looking for me anymore.”

What was he talking about? I stared blankly at the campfire, then suddenly remembered the puzzling words of a Sereti student.

“We’re in a bit of a bind ourselves. The Oliphant was our trump card prepared specifically for ‘that person’.”

‘Could that be Icarus?’

Icarus mentioned this was his first time participating in the match. If that’s the case… maybe that’s why the Sereti team brought out that insane elephant. In the original story, since he didn’t participate, they didn’t bother to use it. I glanced at Icarus, who was joking and laughing with Agnes.

‘If they went to such lengths because of Icarus, he must be quite famous even outside the empire.’

Even when that gigantic elephant illusion appeared, Icarus remained calm and figured out it was an illusion. Considering that the students, who were training to become knights, couldn’t keep their composure and retreated, his practical experience was definitely different. I pushed some more snacks towards him.

Before I knew it, someone had shyly taken out a makeshift kettle, transforming the picnic into a tea party. Everyone’s eyes gleamed not with passion but with a touch of madness.

“Hey, brew the tea.”

“Let’s grill some mushrooms too.”

Why are they more focused on eating than the match? I couldn’t understand, but it was time to move. However, just as we got up, Icarus frowned again at their words. He seemed to be on the verge of saying something, clearly not agreeing with what was happening.

“Those… are edible mushrooms.”

With a serious face, Icarus pointed to a tree trunk, indicating a certain spot. Don’t eat the ones on the left; they aren’t fully grown yet.

‘Is he a mycology expert or what….’

The polarization of madness was becoming more apparent. Some were too engrossed in the match, while others weren’t engrossed at all. For everyone’s sake, this match needed to end.

***

“…I didn’t expect to run into them here.”

Icarus whispered quietly. Indeed. I nodded silently.

A group of Sereti students were huddled together, discussing their strategy. I glanced at Icarus, who was drinking water from a distance.

‘But… they need to stay hydrated.’

If we got caught, it would be over. The two of us couldn’t take on that group. Then Icarus leaned in and whispered in my ear.

“While I take care of them, you sneak away.”

“…What?”

“I don’t know how it will go, but I’ll clear a path for you. At least you can go alone and—”

Icarus was about to draw his wooden sword and move forward.

“Get the national treasure, ugh.”

Panicked, I grabbed the hood of his robe to stop him. He turned around, eyes wide, clutching his neck. Was he kidding? How could he handle them all by himself? No matter how skilled Icarus was, without backup or a mount, he couldn’t take on that many opponents.

“What?”

“Where are you going? How do you plan to handle all of them by yourself?”

He raised his chin slightly and smiled leisurely, but I wasn’t in the mood to smile. I didn’t like this kind of sacrifice.

“That’s irresponsible.”

“…What?”

“You should be thinking about how to get both of us out of here without getting eliminated. What are you even talking about?”

As a future knight, how can you say something so irresponsible? Icarus clutched his chest dramatically, pretending to be shocked and hurt by my words.

“You’re wounding a knight’s honor deeply.”

“What does honor matter in the face of death?”

“Isn’t it usually the other way around? Facing death fearlessly and with honor,”

“How can you win every battle honorably? Even if it looks like you’re losing right now, surviving to the end gives you another chance.”

Among the group of Seretti students, there were some familiar faces. One of them had passed by me while I was lying down earlier. I took off my robe and threw it at Icarus.

“Cover yourself and lie down. They probably know your face, Your Highness.”

As disheveled as possible. I ruffled my hair and walked out of the bushes, ambling aimlessly. Just act normal.

“What’s this?”

“Who’s that?”

The Seretti students, who had been on guard, relaxed as soon as they saw me.

“Is the match… over?”

“What?”

As I stretched, the sound of my stiff joints creaking filled the silence. They sheathed their wooden swords, feeling less threatened.

‘Thank goodness.’

However, one of them approached me with a suspicious expression. It was the student who had seen me lying down earlier.

“Weren’t you the one from before? What are you doing here?”

“Ah… I moved spots. Too many people were wandering around there…”

It was just… noisy.

At my weary tone, they exchanged knowing looks.

“So the match isn’t over yet…?”

Sighing, I asked while rubbing my face, and they nodded, smirking.

“We’ll end it soon.”

“Yeah… let’s get this over with…”

Just as they were about to turn away, one of the Seretti students raised his hand to stop me.

“Wait a minute.”

What now?

“Who’s that lying over there?”

‘Damn it.’

I hadn’t considered the higher vantage point of someone on horseback. Luckily, I had told Icarus to cover himself with the robe. Otherwise, this could have ended badly.

I tried to maintain a calm tone as I answered, aware of all the Seretti students’ eyes on me.

“Ah… he’s my…”

What should I say? My lord? Peer? Comrade? …Friend?

“He’s my…”

What on earth should I call him? At that moment, I realized the problem was trying to explain him in relation to myself. To give a natural answer, I needed to refer to something inherent to him.

As I continued to stutter, the Seretti students began to look increasingly suspicious. It seemed like they were about to turn the conversation in a different direction.

“He’s…”

Something unique about Icarus. Quickly, quickly. What’s there? Icarus is a prince, a student at the academy, and…

“A man.”

Icarus, who was lying awkwardly, visibly flinched. A moment of silence passed. The Seretti students exchanged glances and then burst into cheers and whistles. What?

“So he’s your man.”

“You were having such a good time hiding him like that.”

‘…What?’

With one slight change in wording, the meaning had taken on an unexpected nuance. By saying “a man,” my dry explanation had suddenly become a solemn declaration.

“What? No, I meant he’s just a male.”

“I thought Thomple people were cynical about everything, but it seems they aren’t when it comes to love.”

“Hey, listen to me.”

Despite my words, they continued to chatter in a foreign language I couldn’t understand, casting sidelong glances at me. Even though I couldn’t understand, I could guess what they were saying.

‘They probably think I’m insane for doing this in the middle of a match…’

I would have thought the same. Amidst the cheers and suggestive looks, they turned away. Thankfully, they headed towards their makeshift camp instead of ours.

“You don’t need to hide your ‘man’ so tightly. We won’t hurt him, so don’t be so scared.”

“We won’t interfere anymore!”

As they swept past like a sandstorm, complete silence returned to the clearing. I looked back at Icarus, who was still covered by the robe. Although his face wasn’t visible, the shaking underneath the garment continued. Soon, laughter began to emerge from beneath the cover, no longer concealed.

I didn’t have the courage to lift the jacket and see his face. So, I left Icarus there and started walking away calmly.

Thud… Thud…

I really need to leave this crazy match. Just then, I heard the sound of someone approaching through the grass. I quickened my pace.

“Are you just going to leave your man behind?”

Um…

Yeah, I think it’s time to forfeit.