Chapter 325: Chapter 322: Promotional Ambassador

In the main stands, a seat was reserved for His Majesty the King. Princess Blanche and many other noblewomen were also in attendance.

Regardless of how the nobles might gossip about Blanche behind her back, today was the Princess’s birthday. They all gathered around her, lavishing her with compliments on her beauty and well wishes.

Blanche responded politely. It was only on her birthday each year that she truly felt like a princess, with everyone fawning over her.

“Your Highness, the shawl you’re wearing seems… a bit different?”

The noblewomen and their daughters had a sharp eye, especially since fashion was one of their primary daily concerns.

They had long since noticed that Blanche’s shawl was different.

From its appearance alone, the shawl possessed a unique luster, while their own gowns, though woven from high-quality wool and velvet, had a much duller sheen.

Blanche glanced down at the shawl, a smile playing on her lips and revealing two small dimples.

She happily explained, “This is a birthday gift from Count Ronin of Wushan Territory. I’m told it’s woven from a special material from Wubei Territory.”

“Oh? What material could be so special?”

This immediately piqued their intense curiosity.

Pleasure and beauty were what they pursued in life, so upon hearing of something new—especially something worn by the Princess—they naturally wanted it for themselves.

“According to Count Ronin, it’s called… silkworm thread. He named the fabric woven from it ’silk.’”

Silkworm thread, silk.

The noblewomen had never heard such terms before.

Immediately, many began to ask about the difference between silkworm thread and silk.

Blanche had no idea what “silkworm thread” was, as she had never seen it. As for “silk,” however, she could use her shawl as an example to describe it.

“This fabric not only has a high sheen, but it’s also incredibly soft and smooth to the touch. What’s more, it’s very breathable, which makes it feel cool and comfortable.”

Her description brought the noblewomen’s curiosity to its peak.

“Your Highness, could I possibly touch your silk shawl?” Some people even went so far as to make such a request.

Blanche paused for a moment, stunned, before a wide smile spread across her face. She removed the shawl from her shoulders. “Of course!”

She knew this “silk” would likely become a key commodity for Ronin’s territory, so actively promoting it would be to his benefit.

The white cup was engraved with both her name and Ronin’s, making it inappropriate to show at the moment. Otherwise, she would have even brought out the porcelain to introduce it.

The difference was even more striking to the touch.

“It truly is different from any fabric we have now!”

“That’s right! Our own shawls could never be this smooth!”

“And this cool, refreshing feeling is wonderful…”

They chattered excitedly, their voices a chorus of constant praise.

Blanche was delighted to hear their reactions. This was, after all, a gift from Ronin. The fact that it was so admired by so many people both highlighted his thoughtfulness and made her feel very proud.

“Your Highness, I was wondering, are there more of these shawls available?” Finally, someone posed the question on everyone’s mind.

Blanche took back her shawl and nodded with a smile. “There are. However, Count Ronin didn’t bring any more with him. He said he plans to use silk to make all kinds of clothing, like skirts and formal gowns.”

The ladies’ eyes lit up.

“In that case, could you perhaps make an introduction for us? We’d love to see if we could purchase some silk garments.”

In an instant, the viewing stand seemed to have transformed into a sales floor.

Blanche had never had so many people ask her about something with such genuine eagerness.

She pointed in Ronin’s direction. “He’s preparing for the tournament right now. I can introduce everyone during the banquet this evening.”

Instantly, a dozen or so noblewomen turned their heads in unison to look at Ronin.

“My lord, it looks like they’re all looking at you!”

Startled by the sight, David immediately alerted him.

Ronin glanced over, quite surprised himself.

However, seeing the group of noblewomen smiling and waving at him, he figured Blanche must have been talking about him.

Out of politeness, Ronin stood and gave a nod of acknowledgment.

His gesture seemed to delight them, as if they were now certain they could acquire silk fabric from him.

…

「At ten in the morning」

The martial arts tournament officially began after His Majesty the King arrived, gave a brief opening speech, and lavishly praised the generosity of the four great families.

Across the plaza, the cheers grew thunderous.

While knightly tournaments could include many types of events—such as contests of Riding Skill, archery, or lance work—today’s event was focused on close-quarters combat. It was a test of Swordsmanship, Body Technique, and Combat Skill.

The contestants’ names had already been written on small wooden sticks of identical length. The tournament’s host drew lots on the spot, and whoever was chosen would step onto the stage to compete.

The clash of Longswords and the boom of Combat Skills filled the tournament grounds with a deafening clamor. Yet, the more ferocious the fight, the more thunderous the cheers from the crowd.

Soon, it was Ronin’s turn for his first match.

His opponent was a young noble named Yale from the Ferrensburg Duchy, who was said to be studying at the Royal Knight Academy.

The moment he stepped onto the stage, he was met with cheers from the nobles of the Ferrensburg Duchy.

“Yale, give him a real thrashing!”

The one shouting encouragement was Harlington Gregor, the noble who had clashed with Ronin a few days prior.

Though he knew Yale couldn’t win against Ronin, he still hoped the boy could at least leave a few scars on him.

In contrast to the roaring cheers for his opponent, the only ones cheering for Ronin were Tom and David. That guy Reis stood there silently, as if he were mute.

Surprisingly, the noblewomen in the stands suddenly started cheering as well, leaving Ronin somewhat baffled.

He wasn’t the only one; many of the other nobles were just as confused.

’Could this be a cheering squad organized by Blanche?’

’That’s unlikely. Blanche doesn’t have that kind of influence, does she?’

The battle began in a flash.

Everyone snapped out of their collective bewilderment and refocused their attention on the match.

Everyone had heard the rumors circulating for the past few days about Ronin taking on ten men at once.

They were eager to see what kind of strength this young Knight from the long-dormant Wushan Clan truly possessed.

SWOOSH!

SWOOSH!

The two Knights charged at each other, accelerating so quickly that the air seemed to hiss around them.

For their first exchange, they didn’t use any Fighting Qi, simply clashing with their weapons.

In the stands, Blanche’s heart leaped into her throat. She clenched her small fists, her eyes locked on the stage, not daring to blink even for a second.

CLANG!

The Longswords crashed together, letting out a sharp, metallic shriek.

On the very first exchange, the Knight named Yale was sent flying by the tremendous impact, crashing heavily to the ground. His Longsword was knocked from his grasp, clattering to the ground some distance away.

It was a crushing victory.

Tom and David were ecstatic, roaring with excitement.

The rest of the audience, seeing such a display, no longer held back their own cheers.

Yale staggered to his feet and retrieved his Longsword. “You win!”

He could have continued to fight, but there was no point.

The difference in their strength was too great. To continue fighting would only lead to further embarrassment and could even result in serious injury.

It was better to admit defeat gracefully. After all, there was no shame in losing during the tournament.

Ronin fought several more matches, winning each of them within five exchanges. One of his opponents was Facundo from Screaming Island.

Although his opponent was a Bronze Level Knight, stronger than the others he had faced, Facundo lost all his confidence before the fight even began. In the end, his defeat was just as smooth as silk.

Aside from Ronin, a few others also remained undefeated.

Among them were Missy and the previously mentioned Knight of common birth, Karda.

As for Reis, he was quite skilled, but his luck was poor. He was matched against Karda, and after a hard-fought battle, he conceded defeat with a minor injury.

The tournament continued, but the pool of competing Knights dwindled.

By the time afternoon arrived, only four competitors remained—

Roning Wushan, Missy Cox, Franz Silva, and Karda.

The top three victors would emerge from these four.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep