CH 90.2

Galid trudged towards me. Katarina breathed, looking nervous as she tried to draw her saber. Reaching out, I restrained her hand, then looked around, swiveling my head, for something suitable.

Oh. Now that would be nice.

Grabbing the round table by the leg pillar, I lifted it up, pouring mana into it.

“Take iiit!”

Galid, holding an ax in both hands, lunged at me.

He had blabbered grandiose statements such as killing a giant and being a slayer, he may have been bluffing, but his speed was quite fast. He reached right in front of me in an instant. I swung the table.

The guy sneered.

Like laughing at an asshole doing something stupid. He believed that his ax would split the table, so he heaved the ax and struck it.

His sneer didn’t last long.

The ax stuck into the table, but couldn’t split it.

The table hit his embarrassed face.

Bang!

Galid’s body flew.

He hit the ceiling loudly and fell to the floor in a pitiful state. His nose bone caved in and his teeth came tumbling out.

“Huh… huh! G, Get off…!”

And also seemed to be suffering from concussions.

Seeing him still trying to get up, I hit him with the table a few more times. Then he stopped trying to stand up. Tsking, I kicked him off, knocking him away to the corner of the inn.

After hitching the ax from the table, I set it down in front of the man who appeared to be Galid’s friend.

The man looked at the fallen Galid with a dazed expression, as if he couldn’t believe how the situation had transpired.

Tuk. Tuk.

I patted him lightly on the cheek.

His head snapped back, then he came to his senses and turned his tensive gaze to me.

“Excuse me.”

“Y, Yes?”

“Let’s talk.”

“Huh? Th, That my friend, he, I—”

“What friend? I just wanna talk. Hope you would comply.”

“…of course,” he gulped.

* * *

Unlike other sovereignties, the Principality of Polycia has a short history.

Originally, barbarians lived in tribal units, just like orcs. They made their living by hunting and plundering other tribes.

This was due to the weather in the north, which boasts sub-zero temperature all year round.

Unlike other kingdoms, farming was difficult, and adding to the woe, the food was always in short supply.

It was the late King Regner who unified such savages and received food support from the Empire along with the title of Grand Duke.

After Regner’s death, Leslie’s father, Osner, succeeded him.

Osner was weak.

And sickly. He was unfit as a ruler by barbarian standards.

Naturally, he shouldn’t have been able to become the Grand Duke. However, the Empire did not want the barely stable principality to fall into chaos again, so it directly intervened and authorized Osner as the succeeding Grand Duke.

Osner faltered as a warrior, but he excelled as a lord.

The wise Osner brought several benefits to the principality through negotiations with the Empire, and thanks to his efforts, the number of people starving to death in the principality were significantly reduced in numbers.

The people of the principality cheered.

No one questioned him about his qualifications as a monarch anymore.

Everyone in the principality respected him.

However, even the wisest of North failed in parenting.

As soon as his term session was fulfilled, the Witch Leslie led her own faction and raised a rebellion.

She dethroned her father, Osner, and kicked out all of her siblings, and established a dictatorship.

""

That was how the anecdote went as far as the world was concerned.

And these were mostly bits I didn’t know.

Because there was no detailed explanation about the Principality of Polycia in the game.

All I knew was that Leslie’s father wiped out the capital of the principality and became one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King’s army later.

And since it was said to have happened at a festival, judging from the timing, it will probably happen at the tournament and festival that will be held this time around.

“Are you here to participate in the tournament?”

The middle-aged man with a bald head yawned and asked.

“Yes.”

“You have a lot of guts to come and apply for participation on the same day. Are you the only one who wants to participate? Or the lady behind you too?”

“I am alone.”

The middle-aged man, who heard me, inscribed something on a wooden plaque with a chisel and threw it to me.

“Take that and go over there and wait. When the preliminaries start, just show that shit and you can enter.”

The place the middle-aged man pointed out was crowded with dozens of people. Contrary to my expectations that the barbarians’ smell of savage sweat would be seething the place, there were quite a lot of foreigners.

A knight in aristocratic armor.

A martial artist in a revealing cloth suit.

Even an elf with a thin sword strapped to the waist.

Wait, why is an elf here?

I was under the impression that Elves prefer cramming themselves in their forest as per the game settings.

Did he run away?

As I was wondering, Katarina pulled my arm.

“Hey, Cloud?”

“What’s up?”

“There…”

Katarina pointed her finger at something.

Someone.

Three meters tall with six arms. Its six arms were holding large axes, great swords, and hammers.

However, the skin and appearance was close to a human.

Even considering how he stunk like a beggar who hadn’t taken a bath in years.

“Well, isn’t that a bit dangerous? Seems very dangerous, I…”

Grimacing at the monster’s ferocious appearance, Katarina looked to be considering suggesting that I back out.

I spoke, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Katarina, close your eyes and remember what we saw with the Elven King in the forest.”

“Huh? Alright.”

Katarina was puzzled, but she obeyed my words.

“You did?”

“Yes.”

""

“Now then, open your eyes again and look at the walking slab of beef.”

She opened her eyes and looked at the six-armed monster.

“How do you feel?”

“…stand-offish.”

“That’s right.”

She’s finally starting to get used to the adventure.

I grinned and patted her on the shoulder. However, she had a puzzled look on her face as if she did not like her own change.

It was then.

A woman emerged from the balcony above the huge arena. She brushed her grayish white, long hair to the side.

“Welcome to the home of warriors, fighters.”

Princess Leslie intoned.