The last competition Belasko won was the catch a slippery pig contest at his village fair.Now he has to beat the best warriors in the kingdom.Belasko, a farm boy who ran away to war, is a decorated soldier and war hero with a good military career ahead of him. When Markus, champion to the king of Villan, summons Belasko to take part in the competition to choose his successor, a world of possibility opens up to him. Possibility that Belasko cannot resist. In order to take the mantle of champion, and rise to one of the highest positions in the Villanese court, Belasko must prove himself yet further against the finest blades in the kingdom. Against warriors from all walks of life. From those who have had access to the best fencing instructors money can buy, to fellow career soldiers, he must best them all. Including a young noble named Ervan with whom his fate will be intertwined. Only by working hard alongside newfound friends and foes, pushing himself to the limit, and putting everything on the line, can Belasko fulfil his potential and become the first commoner to claim the title of Royal Champion.Set fifteen years before The Swordsman's Lament, this novella sets in motion both the events of that novel and Belasko's destiny.