Chapter 613

After the wild festivity of the first night passed, the morning of the second day dawned.

The five members of the main party stepped out of the lord's mansion and began walking down the main road.

"Ugh..."

"My head hurts..."

Everyone looked miserable, having overdone it the night before. Their eyes were puffy, their cheeks sallow, and their hair a complete mess.

"Hahaha! Lucas, what's with your hair!"

Laughing at the sight of the knight, whose usually neat blond hair was now tangled in all directions, Junior beside me started sweating coldly.

"Your Highness isn't looking too great either..."

"What did you say? Ah!"

I was shocked when I felt my hair, and indeed, it was sticking out in all directions. Did I get hit by a bomb in my sleep or what!

"More importantly, I don't remember anything after the drinking contest... Nothing bad happened, right?"

"Nothing much. Except for Senior saying, Is this a drinking show? Then I should strip~, and trying to take off your top..."

Did Ash pull that stunt again? Or is this a problem with being RetroAddict?!

Evangeline started braiding Lucas's tangled side hair on her own whim, while Lucas, looking as if he had attained enlightenment, smiled benignly at the morning sun. This guy still seems drunk, doesnt he?

Damian pressed down my wild hair as if saying 'lie down, lie down.' You're the last conscience of Crossroad, Damian.

"Your Highness, shall we get some hangover soup? There's a place selling soup over there. I'll go buy some."

"Oh, that sounds good. I'm counting on you, conscience number 2, Junior."

Junior, puzzled by the term conscience, hurried off towards the soup vendor that was open early in the morning.

It's good that at least one member is looking out for their health.

Holding a cup of hangover soup each, we sipped on our soups as we lazily walked towards the southern plains.

This was in preparation for the main event of the festival, the martial arts tournament.

The tournament was set up in the southern plains.

Since this tournament was fundamentally a 5 versus 5 party battle, the usual arena was too small to accommodate the scale, so they had to set it up outside.

Its the southern plains, so it wont matter much if it gets a bit destroyed...

The tournament area was spacious.

It was nothing more than a large square marked on the ground, surrounded by seating and standing areas for the audience to comfortably watch.

And at the center of the arena was...

Something very large, covered with a white cloth, displaying its majesty. Evangeline, who was stuffing soup in her mouth, tilted her head in curiosity.

"What's that?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Well unveil it once all the participants arrive."

Before long, the hero party started showing up one by one, shuffling in. Simultaneously, the audience began to trickle in, gradually filling the stands.

The audience would come and go throughout the day as the tournament progressed, and once all the heroes had gathered, I began the announcement.

"I will explain the rules of this martial arts tournament!"

While a rough outline had been given to everyone beforehand, this was the first time the exact rules were being disclosed.

"First, the victory condition! This tournament is not just a simple party versus party duel."

I approached the large object in the center of the arena, grabbed the white cloth covering it, and then yanked it to the side.

Flap!

As the cloth was removed, the crowd gasped in surprise. I smirked.

"This... you will have to fight against a Fake Dragon!"

Boom!

That sound wasn't made by me but actually came from an internal sound system inside the... artifact-laden wooden dragon.

It's an object shaped like a dragon, covered in various magic artifacts.

Not only does it resemble a dragon in appearance, but its neck, legs, and tail can move, and it's also gigantic.

It was commissioned by me from the production guild to simulate battles against the Great Black Dragon Legion.

"Really... making that thing was a hell of a lot of work for a month..."

Lilly pretended to wipe away tears, followed by the alchemist guild master and the carpenter guild master, who also wiped away their tears.

The conditions I had set for making this Fake Dragon were bizarre, and these people from the workshops had worked themselves to death over the past month or so to create it... You've done well.

"The victory condition for this martial arts tournament is simple! Hit the set targets across the dragons body to accumulate a total of 10,000 points, and you can win!"

As the heroes looked bewildered at the somewhat comically shaped dragons face, they refocused their attention on me. I continued the explanation.

That's when it happened.

"Hey~ Young and fresh. Just looking at you is refreshing."

"I'd love to stick a straw in that youth and suck it dry. Keke."

Approaching us with bizarrely creepy remarks were... the 'Uncles' party.

Originating from the Leprosy Extermination Squad, our frontline's super tanker, Torkel.

From the Inquisitor, SSR-grade healer and damage dealer, Zenis.

From the Blacklist, the blind swordsman, Nobody. The dark mage, Chain.

And... Dearmudin!

Our opening match opponent was this formidable contender for the championship, replacing Lucas with the mighty Elder of the Ivory Tower.

This is tough from the get-go! Even the comments are harsh!

"Hey~ Lucas, dear."

"Looks like you've run off to a younger and brighter party, huh?"

Nobody and Chain, among the teasing uncles, crunched up their faces and leaned into Lucas.

Lucas rolled his eyes left and right, his face slick with cold sweat. It seems he's feeling a bit guilty, having been traded to our side.

"I, I didn't betray you! This was entirely the will of my lord..."

Before Lucas could finish his excuse, the two uncles gripped his shoulders tightly.

"Hehe. Running away won't do any good."

"The shadow of an uncle always strides large steps behind you, right? Keke."

"Eek?!"

"Run all you want, but when you look back..."

"You'll find that the 30s are right upon you..."

"The 40s come even quicker..."

"And then from the 50s, it's just a blink of an eye...!"

With wicked chants, Nobody and Chain laughed among themselves and walked into the arena.

Torkel and Zenis followed after a bashful bow, and Dearmudin, stroking his beard solemnly, left us with a word.

"Tsk tsk, you don't know that it's actually better to be an uncle... Ah, standing up has made my back hurt."

Dropping a comment that seemed a level deeper, even this old man headed towards the arena. Ah, grandpa! Quit spoiling life!

As the uncles walked away, Lucas, trembling, finally spoke up.

"Just you wait... I will... never become an uncle...!"

Lucas seems unaware of the law that saying 'never' 'definitely' 'absolutely' makes it inevitably happen.

I briefly imagined Lucas as an uncle. Would he have a beard? He's always so tense, maybe he'd have wrinkles between his brows too.

"..."

I then looked at Damian, Evangeline, and Junior. The kids tilted their heads at my gaze.

When I first saw them two years ago, they were just kids, but now they've grown up or are close to being adults.

'I miss you.'

I want to see you all become uncles and aunts, grandpas and grandmas.

I want to be there through the time, the wrinkles, the graying hair, the bending backs.

'I want to grow old with all of you.'

And that, surely, will be beautiful.

I smiled faintly and patted the heads of the clueless kids.

Yes, to see that day, I will protect this world from the coming destruction.

"Let's go!"

I slapped Lucas on the back and led the way. The rest of the main party members hurriedly followed.

I smirked, adjusting my glove.

"Let's show these uncles that the kids these days have got quite the temper!"

...But then again, am I not the biggest uncle here?

Oops?

--TL Notes--

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