Chapter 275: The First Queen

It was the third day since the start of the First Queen competition between Fenrir, Eve, and Ria.

Of course, everything that happened in between was also taken into consideration, including the fight against the dragons and turning them into guard dogs.

The dwarves had regained their ancestors’ Hearthfire of Nidavellir and worked on their armor and weapons.

Lastly, there was the loot they obtained from the ruins of Nidavellir.

This day was special—not only because they had claimed two new “allies” and bolstered their fighting prowess, but also because…

“Today is the day we announce the winner!”

Inside the main hall of the castle, Beatrix excitedly announced this to the usual audience: almost everyone from the Valkyrie Knights Order and the top brass of their kingdom. There were about a hundred people in attendance—the rest were still on patrols.

It was dinner time, and everyone looked excited as they turned their attention to the raised stage, where three girls, one man, and one emcee awaited.

To Beatrix’s right stood the three girls, all wearing the same normal maid clothes they had donned at the start of day two.

To her left, Axel stood in his usual coat and tie, almost as if he couldn’t sit still unless he was wearing that same black-and-white three-piece suit.

“Alright, let’s begin!” Beatrix shouted, waving her hand.

In that moment, a projector appeared, displaying details on the wall to the side. A simple tabulation showed the three girls alongside a blank bar graph.

“On the first day, Princess Eve took the lead by perfectly handling her duties as a maid, earning a near-perfect score of 95!”

As she spoke, the graph began to move, revealing a growing gold bar above Beatrix’s image. It climbed to about half of the entire canvas before stopping, proudly displaying the “95” in the center.

“WOAH!”

Claps erupted at this sight, almost as if the winner had already been decided. However, the competition was still far from over.

“Of course, the other two didn’t fall behind either! Let’s move on to Fenrir!” she continued. “With her excellent job managing paperwork, her final score was just shy of Eve’s at 90!”

In the next moment, a gray bar appeared over Fenrir’s image. It rose and halted just short of matching Eve’s 95.

“WAAAAH!”

The crowd cheered once again, their excitement akin to watching an intense battle, even though it was just numbers being displayed. The final bar had yet to be shown.

“Finally, we have Teruria! With her friendly demeanor and carefree attitude, she earned a total of…!” Beatrix paused, teasing the crowd with anticipation. Then she lifted her card and announced, “75 points!”

“OOOH!”

A purple bar rose above Ria’s image. While it didn’t reach Fenrir’s or Eve’s heights, it was still quite impressive.

“Aww… I thought I performed well on day one…” Ria pouted upon seeing her score.

With that, the results of the first day were finally revealed.

However…

“Now, it’s time for the secret metric for day one!” Beatrix grinned. “Since she was chosen by Axel to spend the night with him, Princess Eve will receive a 20-point deduction!”

The bar quickly fell, bringing Eve’s score down to match Ria’s. Eve’s eyes widened in shock; she hadn’t realized that being chosen by Axel would negatively impact her score!

On the other hand, Fenrir smiled confidently. With Eve’s score dropping, she believed she was now in the lead!

Or not.

“Fenrir, for wearing inappropriate clothing and attempting to seduce Axel, will receive a 35-point deduction! Ria, for the same violation, will also face a 35-point reduction!”

The scores of both competitors dropped, bringing Eve into first place once again.

“WAAAAH!”

The fluctuations in their points excited the crowd, making it harder to predict who would ultimately win.

Of course, the contestants themselves, unaware of the results beforehand, became increasingly anxious about the outcome. Only Beatrix and Axel, who were responsible for the grading, knew what was next.

“Finally, let’s move on to the scores for the second day!”

Beatrix continued to energize the audience as the grading proceeded.

However, the results for the second day were rather chaotic. After all, they had to battle dragons midway through the day and then spend the rest of their time preparing to bring them into their camp. In terms of sacrifice, Cherry would have received a high score if she had participated in the contest.

Acting on orders she received from Navi and Mimir just seconds before confronting two dragons undoubtedly required immense courage from her.

Especially knowing that the Medusa’s Head could petrify even its wielder.

Her willingness to follow those orders reflected her faith in Axel and the others—that they would rescue her even if she became petrified.

From that battle alone, Eve earned 80 points, Fenrir 95 points, and Ria 90 points. Fenrir, as the frontline fighter against the dragons, and Ria, who assisted Nina in setting up the curses necessary for their victory, received notably high scores.

Eve, who could only use her attacks as a distraction and posed a lower threat, still achieved a commendable score due to her significant strategic value during the fight.

With their current scores, it was clear who was leading; however…

“Finally, let’s reveal the extra scores!”

There are still a few items left to announce.

“First, Ria! With her expertise in curse knowledge, alongside Nina, they assisted the dwarves in creating the Fetters of Drómi that bound the two dragons!” Beatrix continued. “For that, she will receive 150 points!”

“Wha—?!”

The other two were stunned by this sudden surge in scores, almost as if the grading had been manipulated! However, even though this left both Fenrir and Eve trailing far behind Ria, they refrained from complaining. They waited… since the scoring wasn’t over yet.

After the cheers subsided, Beatrix nodded and resumed.

“Next, we have Fenrir!” she announced. “Thanks to her assistance in transferring the Hearthfire of Nidavellir, which shortened what would have been days of travel on foot to just a moment, she will receive an additional 130 points!”

“…”

Fenrir remained silent, frowning.

Even with this boost, her score only matched Ria’s and did not surpass it.

“WOAH!”

Just as everyone cheered, Beatrix quickly interrupted them, raising her hand.

“And then, finally, Eve!” she announced. “For not neglecting her maid duties even after everything that happened, and for preparing the bath and bed for Axel… she receives 125 points!”

“…Huh?”

Those taking notes and those focused on the graphs projected on the screen quickly noticed something unusual.

Adding up their points, the three girls each totaled 280 points!

A triple tie!

All eyes turned to Axel, as if seeking clarification. Even Eve, Ria, and Fenrir looked at him accusingly, as if he were some indecisive fool who had manipulated the scores to create a tie!

“Ahem!”

Of course, such suspicions were unfounded.

Axel had already chosen who the first queen would be, based on the past two days and his own judgment. The main reason he had manipulated the scores to create a tie was to eliminate any notion of actual score manipulation by Beatrix.

The scores served merely to excite the audience, while the real outcome was what Axel was about to announce.

“I… will call your names from third place to first. Each will receive one point, two points, and three points, respectively.”

He turned to face the three girls on the other side and smiled.

“Third place.”

He said, pausing for dramatic effect.

If there had been sound effects, a drum roll would have sounded at that moment.

“Third place is Ria, gaining one point.” He smiled. “Come here.”

“Aww… I didn’t win?” Ria pouted as she stepped forward to stand before Axel.

Despite her pout, it was clear she wasn’t too upset with the outcome, as if she had anticipated this result. Sometimes, Axel found it hard to tell if she was simply teasing or genuinely contemplating deeper thoughts.

Regardless, Axel retrieved a bronze crown from his inventory and carefully placed it on Ria’s head. It might appear inexpensive, but the gems that adorned the crown were anything but.

“Waah!” She exclaimed, her face lighting up at the unexpected gift. “Thank you, husband~!” She then leaped into Axel’s arms for a hug.

Cheers and applause erupted soon after—energetic and boisterous, chasing away any sadness from Ria’s “loss.”

“Second place is…” Axel continued after the clapping subsided.

He looked at the two nervous girls standing side by side. Once he announced the second place, the identity of the first place would become clear. They clutched each other’s hands tightly, their nerves palpable.

“Fenrir.”

When Axel called her name, a brief silence fell over the crowd.

An explosion of cheers shook the entire castle, akin to an earthquake. The air was filled with a cacophony of cheers, clapping, jeering, and shouting from the members of the knight order.

Axel placed a silver crown on Fenrir’s head, a consolation prize that acknowledged her position as the second queen. Despite her sulky demeanor, she refrained from lashing out, recognizing that the competition had been fair and square.

Finally, Eve stood before Axel. Her eyes shimmered with a mix of emotions, but she managed to hold them together with a bright smile. Axel returned her smile as he carefully placed a golden crown atop her head.

“Congratulations,” Axel whispered. “You will now become the First Queen.”

Eve’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears as memories of her past briefly flooded her mind.

The fall of her kingdom and the loss of her father—the king—her mother, and her siblings. The demise of the original members of Arianne’s knights and the days spent wandering the wasteland in a desperate struggle for survival.

Everything began to change the moment she met Axel.

“Finally…”

She whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“Finally… I can…!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep