Vote for Your Knight! - Chapter 65

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Vote for your knight!
Chapter 65
The ranking announcement continued.
“We thought he was taciturn and intimidating, but this knight shows a surprisingly tender side to one person in particular. Eighth place: Deni Binoshu!”
“Wooooah!”
An enormous roar erupted from the waiting area.
It was Pavel. Like before, he embraced Deni with a face streaked with tears of joy, his enthusiasm so overwhelming that even Deni seemed caught off guard.
Warmth rippled through the waiting area.
“No wonder he’s so nice to Pavel.”
“But is it really being nice, or did they just get forced to be best friends because they’re stuck together like glue?”
Still, the mood was one of gentle affection.
Only when Deni took the stage did his face come alive. It was an expression shadowed by conflicting emotions.
His current rank had dropped slightly from the Mid-term Ranking.
“I’m grateful to everyone who cast their vote for me. I’ll work harder and aim for an even higher rank next time.”
“Yaaaay!”
From the usually reserved Deni came words tinged with ambition, and the crowd erupted.
Seventh place was Arsen Tan, and sixth was Rafael Lorang.
Rafael was already crying even before he took the stage.
“My children are really enjoying watching Kartamen, you see. They always cheer me on, but I’m so sorry for leaving them in someone else’s care while I’m away doing this…….”
Rafael wiped his tears and continued.
“Still, as much as my children support me, I’ll keep giving my all. Kids, just like you wished—I’ll definitely claim first place someday!”
Rafael’s visuals were devastating: a gentle smile paired with tears streaming down his face.
Watching him take his seat with trembling hands, Edith felt her own heart flutter.
‘Absolutely stunning. I need to get a close-up shot of that face for the broadcast.’
Edith hid her excitement and continued with the announcements.
“He’s already cried so much, I’m not sure he’ll have any tears left for his actual ranking. Fifth place: Pavel Shurb!”
Pavel came bounding onto the stage with a bright smile, delighted with his position.
His Mid-term Ranking had climbed to fourth place, but his standing at this Ranking Announcement Ceremony matched his previous rank of fifth.
It meant he still lacked the explosive momentum to push higher.
Conversely, it suggested his core support was rock-solid.
Edith’s eyes widened as she was about to announce fourth place.
“Fourth place is…… a knight who’s shown us an absolutely remarkable surge in the rankings.”
She turned her surprised, smiling gaze toward someone.
“The protagonist who moved us in the Naval Battle! Killian Gruci!”
“Ooooh!”
Astonished cheers burst from the waiting area.
At the last Ranking Announcement Ceremony, Killian had been only twenty-sixth.
By current standards, that would have meant Elimination.
Even at the Mid-term Ranking, his highest was seventh place.
Yet now, at the official Ranking Announcement Ceremony, he’d vaulted clear up to fourth.
The audience’s thunderous applause during the Naval Battle had played a major role.
Killian made his way to the stage amid congratulations from those around him.
His face was dazed, as if the reality hadn’t quite sunk in.
He looked like a man walking on clouds.
He stood there blankly, his lips moving soundlessly.
“Really…… is this my correct rank? There’s no mistake?”
His voice was hollow with disbelief.
Laughter rippled through both the waiting area and the Survival seating.
Edith shook her head with a gentle smile.
“You really are fourth place, Killian. Congratulations.”
“Th-thank you. I still can’t believe it……. That so many people cast their votes for someone as inadequate as me…….”
“The commanders of the Empire Knights clearly didn’t see any inadequacy in you.”
“Thank you…….”
“So smile with confidence and enjoy this moment. The time to savor it is short, you know?”
At Edith’s ominous final words, Killian snapped back to attention.
She was right.
Once the Ranking Announcement Ceremony ended, it would be nothing but evaluations, evaluations.
Killian finally smiled and took his seat in the glittering fourth-place position.
Now only the rankings from third place down to first remained, plus twenty-fourth place.
Many knights whose names hadn’t been called yet bowed their heads in despair, tears streaming down their faces.
‘There wouldn’t have been a single knight without longing.’
Besides, they’d already competed several times—no one wanted to be eliminated here.
The waste of it would be unbearable.
She understood that feeling all too well.
Edith swallowed the surge of emotion and opened her mouth.
“We’ll announce the rankings starting from twenty-fourth place!”
Tension rippled through the waiting area.
There were far more desperate knights vying for twenty-fourth than for the top three spots, which were largely predictable.
“The candidates for twenty-fourth place are…….”
She could see the knights praying fervently, each hoping that slot would be theirs.
Edith watched them with a pang of sympathy.
“David and Travis Zicon!”
“Kyaaaaa!!”
The knights cried out.
A sound that was half celebration, half despair.
Some of them began chattering.
“See? Joan must have given those 100,000 Points to David.”
“I’d do the same if I were Joan. You should’ve seen how well David treated her on their team.”
“Like he was practically attending to her every need. Following her around everywhere.”
“Always taking Joan’s side, no matter what.”
Even as they sighed, there was an air of acknowledgment.
Edith watched the two candidates approach the stage.
Travis Zicon was trembling so badly from nerves that his legs were shaking.
David, by contrast, appeared composed.
Like the other knights, he seemed to believe that Joan had given him those 100,000 Points.
‘If that’s the case, David’s chances of Survival go up considerably.’
David’s previous ranking had been forty-first.
For a knight in such a low position, 100,000 Points made an enormous difference.
“Let’s hear from both of you. First, Travis Zicon.”
“I, I still can’t believe it…… It feels like a dream. I really, really want to survive. I, I…….”
Travis Zicon burst into tears, unable to continue speaking.
David, watching this unfold, opened his mouth with composure.
“I’m truly grateful just to have made it this far. I want to thank all the fans who supported me, my teammates, and everyone here.”
His response was far more measured than Travis’s.
The bearing of someone already certain of his Survival.
‘He’s probably referring to Joan when he mentions his teammates.’
“Now then, to announce twenty-fourth place…… but first!”
As Edith paused, jeers erupted from the knights.
They were dying of curiosity and wanted to know why she was dragging it out.
‘This is what the broadcast people call drama.’
Edith pulled out a golden slip of paper.
“Now I shall reveal who Joan chose to give those 100,000 Points to!”
The knights all assumed it was obviously David.
Seeing them so relaxed and certain, Edith felt a satisfied smile spread across her face.
“That person is……!”
Edith unfolded the slip very slowly.
She opened her mouth, then closed it again.
More jeers poured from the knights.
They already knew who it was—just announce it already.
Edith smiled apologetically and opened her mouth.
“It is! Kusto!”
The Circular Arena froze in silence.
Every eye fixed on David and Kusto.
Kusto was a strong contender for a top ranking.
David, meanwhile, was an Elimination candidate.
Yet Joan had given those 100,000 Points to Kusto of all people.
David’s face went deathly pale as his certainty of Survival crumbled.
Edith glanced at Joan, who was trying to avoid all eyes.
‘Joan was on the same team as David.’
They’d spent a lot of time together too.
‘I knew David’s ranking was precarious. I understood the danger.’
So it made sense to give him the 100,000 Points.
It would have been the more honorable choice.
‘But why?’
Why had she chosen Kusto instead of David?
They barely knew each other—there were almost no points of contact between them.
‘And yet I picked Kusto of all people.’
A preemptive strike.
‘There’s no other reason for it.’
In the mid-term ranking, after all, Kusto had edged her out and stolen her first and second place positions.
If Kusto received the 100,000 Points here, regardless of where he finally ranked, people would assume it was because of those points.
It was only a matter of time before he became the scapegoat.
Edith opened her mouth with a bitter taste in it.
“Then I shall announce the protagonist of 24th place.”
Caught off guard, Travis Zicon stopped his tears, his expression bewildered.
But now it was David who was whimpering.
There was more than sadness in his whimper.
Resentment simmered beneath it.
Resentment toward Joan.
‘After all I’ve done for Joan.’
Of course, his kindness had been meant to earn points as well.
Edith finally unfolded the slip of paper on which the survivor’s name was written.
“The final survivor, the protagonist of 24th place, is……!”
Silence fell over the Circular Arena.
In that silence, Edith’s trembling voice rang out.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————