CH 32

“…Well then, you will apply with these documents. Is it correct that your tournament name is ‘Loray Ray’?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

I tell the receptionist, who recites the information on the form for confirmation, that I have no problem.

In the end——I still thought that going with the name of a rumored hero might cause some trouble, so I decided to change my name.

I don’t want to get into trouble for a name that I just randomly thought of. If I can avoid it, I should.

“Well then, the application for acceptance is now complete, and the competition list will be announced at noon today. …Here you go.”

With that, the receptionist quickly pulls out a square box and places it on the desk.

“…What’s this?”

“This is a random raffle for an accessory-type magical tool to be worn by the contestants! They are all well-designed, so they’re quite popular! Oh, and of course, it’s free, and you don’t have to wear it if you don’t like it. Just think of it as a gift for being a contestant!”

“…Hee, let me see.”

Thinking how lucky I am to get a free magical tool, I reach into the round hole in the top of the square box and rummage through it to pull a raffle ticket. It’s a bit of fun.

“Let’s see…[SSS Prize ???] …What is this?”

When I opened the raffle ticket I drew and looked at the contents, I saw in rainbow-colored letters, ???, a magic tool with an unknown name written on it.

“Oooh! This is amazing! Jackpot~!!”

I handed the ticket to the receptionist, who rang a bell nearby and said, “Congratulations!”. The contestants around me were also looking at me with attention, wondering what was going on.

“Congratulations! It is the one and only SSS award, custom-made by the royalty of the organizer for this tournament! I hope you’ll wear it and compete!”

Apparently, I’ve won something amazing. As expected of me. Yare, yare, I’m afraid of my own talent. Yareyare, yareyare.

“Well, if you insist that much, may I put it on? So, what kind of tool is it?”

I’m not interested in it at all, but I don’t have a choice? I asked them with a cool demeanor, but inwardly, I was extremely excited.

The receptionist left her seat to pick up the magic tool and quickly returned to say, “Yes! It’s here!” and handed me a box containing the SSS prize magical equipment.

Since it was specially ordered by royalty, it must be a highly functional and cool-looking magic tool. I’m a good-looking guy, and I’d probably look even better if I wore it, but if it’s a rule of the tournament, then I guess I can wear it. I’m not interested in it at all. Let’s take a look.

…I see, so this is the SSS award-winning magical tool. Fumu, fumu, surely this is something that royalty would have custom-made———

“——It’s not. What is this, I don’t need it.”

I took the SSS magical tool award and slammed it to the reception desk with a bang! And I informed the receptionist that I want to return it.

“Eeeh!? It’s the SSS prize [Hanamegane]!? Are you sure!?”

“What’s with the [Hanamegane]…Its name is so uncool. In fact, it’s so lame.”

Its shape resembles a pair of “glasses”, a magical tool that enhances eyesight, and is decorated with flowers in various places.

A nose that is so large that it completely covers the nose when worn, mimicking an actual nose, is attached to the glasses. The whole thing is a fancy magical equipment….But it is neither cute nor fatally tacky. Whoever thought of this is out of their mind.

“…You shouldn’t say that in front of Elena-sama. She really thinks it’s in good taste…”

The receptionist said, apologetically, in a small voice. I see, it was a royal family member named Elena who custom-ordered this bad-taste tool. I’ve never heard of her.

“Well…It’s not mandatory to wear it during the tournament, so why not keep it as a souvenir?”

“…Well, if I just have to hold onto it. …By the way, what is this magic tool for?”

I ask because I think that depending on its performance, it could be, well, useless. It’s a magic tool that someone would have to special order, and it should be used for something.

“…it has no use.”

“…Ha?”

But the receptionist replies, apologetically looking away. What do you mean you can’t use it with magical tools? I don’t understand.

“That tool is just an ornament, so it can’t be used for anything other than an accessory. It doesn’t have the ‘far-sighting’ or ‘detection’ features that are popular in eyeglass-type magic tools. It does have ‘Toughness’, ‘Automatic Repair’, and ‘Resistance’. It probably won’t break even if attacked by an S-class monster……Amazing!”

“That’s not amazing.”

In other words, they’re probably just a pair of fucking lame glasses that won’t break under any circumstances. I don’t need them.

“…I knew it, I don’t need them, so I’m giving it to you.”

“No! I don’t need such a thing——I mean, I’m too afraid of royalty’s custom-made magic tool for my own good, so I’ll pass!”

I said, “Don’t hold back!” and tried to push her, “You won it in a raffle, so it’s yours!”, but she never accepted it. I called out to the contestants around me, but they all looked away and ran away.

“…Shit. I have no choice but to store it in a different storage space….I really don’t need such a horrific object, but——”

I hated it, and as I tried to throw it into a different storage space,

“——Haa!? I thought I filed the application properly! There must be some mistake!”

What I heard was a man’s loud voice echoing through the room.

I turn my head to see what it is.

What came into view was a brown-haired boy dressed as a swordsman making noise at another reception desk, and a woman who was dealing with the situation without hesitation.

Nearby, a brown-haired girl in a black robe, who appeared to be his party member, and a slender blonde-haired boy in simple, light swordsman-style equipment looked on in bewilderment.

“My apologies, sir. Your application has been voided because you did not meet the entry requirements. The details are written on this form——”

“Huh? …Ah, it really says so. What the heck, I just came all this way——”

“…Alt. Don’t you have something else to say? Something to say to the party member who brought you to Magikosmaia because of your own misunderstanding and to the receptionist who you caused so much trouble, right?”

“Nn…Ahh. Luze wanted to leave too? What, you should have said so then…Okay, we’re both goners! Then maybe I could make it!”

“You’re not going to make it, you idiot! Just apologize already! Qu-i-ck-ly!!”

“Ouch, ouch! Stop pulling on my ears! Alright! I got it already!!”

So said a strong-willed girl with brown hair and the silly-looking man with brown hair, slamming into each other. It was a very noisy party.

“Haha…Maa, maa. I don’t think Alt meant to offend you, and you’re bothering other people……”

The other party member, the blonde boy, was smiling bitterly and looking apologetic to those around him……Huh, I think I’ve seen him somewhere before——

“——eh”

I was trying to remember who it was as I looked at the blonde boy, and then our gazes snapped together. The blonde boy looked at me as if surprised.

“Huh, Master——”

“——!!”

I finally remembered who it was. At the same time, I instantly put on the Hanamegane from my hand in an instant.

“Cain? What’s wrong?”

“……No, it’s nothing. Master wouldn’t wear glasses like that……and he has red hair……Maybe it’s just my imagination.”

The blonde-haired boy——Cain told his companion that he had mistaken me for someone else, and removed his gaze from me.

……That was a close call. Why is Cain here? The equipment is something proper and martial, unlike the sparkly one before……He looks like a nice young man. I wonder if he has had some kind of change of heart.

“——I’ll take it then.”

I slammed my application down on the long desk and immediately left the reception area. There is no need to sneak around and hide…But, my intuition tells me that if I carelessly make contact with them, I could get into trouble. There was no need for me to get myself into trouble.

¶

A few minutes later.

The place was a private room prepared for the contestants of the competition, where I had fled to escape.

After writing my tournament name on the plate I got from the registration desk and sticking it on the door, I was lounging around trying to rest until noon——When I heard a voice.

“——Lina-chan, good luck! If you win, I, your master, will receive a lot of research funds! Do your best to die!! You have to die for it!!”

“——I honestly didn’t want to leave, but…Well, I’ll do it in moderation. It’s a good training ground.”

Since this is my own private waiting room, I figured they would just walk right past it. But——

“——Don’t say that and do your best~! If you don’t do your best, Lina-chan…Huh, who’s in there? Trespassing?”

At the same time, I hear such a voice the door is opened. ——Of my own room.

“Contestant name, Loray Ray…He’s not here. I’m sorry. He’s a little bit crazy——”

Entering the room was a woman in a sorceress’ robe with a glowing atmosphere and,

A girl with strong, crisp eyes, and long hair tied up with a hair clip, hanging down from side to side.

And both had one thing in common——Red hair, red eyes, and long elf-like ears.

These girls look like Charu. I don’t know why, they look so familiar. More like…

“——Hmm? Where have I seen you before…”

“…I’ve never met you before? I’ve never seen or heard of you, have I?”

The red-haired girl——Lina, put her hand on her chin and stared at me with a curious look on her face. I tried to keep my composure and hid my face with my hand, urging her to leave.

“…Maa, it was all in my head. He’s wearing weird glasses, and that guy had dark hair……Besides, even if we met here, I wouldn’t be able to win. I have to challenge him after becoming stronger——I can’t kill you.”

Lina says, “I’m sorry” and grabs the robed woman as she exits.

“…Yare, yare.”

After the door slams shut, I sit deep in my chair and sigh.

Like, why is Lina even here? I’m glad I had put my glasses on just in case. I don’t know why she’s trying to kill me, and I don’t know what she means. I mean, you were the one with the red flame at the time, so don’t fuck with me, I could go on and on about it——

I looked sharp and said.

“——When it’s all over, we’ll run away. ASAP.”