CH 40

TL: Yuki

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「Now then everyone, We will now start with the grouping!!」

We were sightseeing and checking everything in the city, until it was time for the tournament to begin. We never asked for requests, visited ruins, walking around and even confessed to Arena when we went under the tree of the eternal rainbow. We also played a lot on the lake, and boarded La Veil to look at the capital from above. Well, all we did was play around. We didn’t regret it.

And today, the day of the battle tournament has arrived. I was told that a lot of brawny men were gathering, but there are also a lot of other people. I and La Veil were completely buried from all the competitors.

「First will Group 1! Those whose numbers are call come forward!!」

「Oh, it has finally began」

「I don’t want to be in the same group as master on the first round」

「Me too, I don’t want to beat something up to the point that I would hurt my hands」

「Please, can we just forget about that!!」

We don’t really want to be involved with people on the same level as Baldy so we covered ourselves with our cloak. Arena is hidden in my cloak by the way, she currently in fairy form. She’s still probably sleepy, I can hear her sleeping breath.

「First Group Selection is Over!! Now it will be for the second Group!!」

「Ah right. La Veil, can you hold back a little until we reach the qualifying rounds? 」

「Eh, why? That sounds really troublesome…」

「What if I say it’s for Arena?」

「Let me hear more about it?」

Well it will be about the bet. Apparently, if it’s someone popular, it will have a lot of bets, so it constantly increases as the participant climbs up the ranks. To put it in another way, if you win the preliminaries, the amount increase would also be great, so if you win a fight with a very huge difference in bets, the exchange will be several times higher.

La Veil understood my explanation and decides to follow through with it. Well, the real deal will come out after La Veil enters the stage. It would be tough if she got disqualified early in the game.

「Next, third group! … Number 325!!」

「Oh, that’s the number on my back, I’ll be going first Master. See you at the qualifying rounds」

We both placed our big number cloths on our back. It seems to be some kind of magic tool, it seems that it doesn’t peel off not unless you pour in a certain amount of magic power to remove it.

「Alright, See you later」

「Go~Go~」

「Ouo!!」

La Veil quickly disappeared after reaching the door. After a while later I was called in the 8th group. I also into the door and set foot at a place I was instructed to.

「Participants, although familiar faces could be seen here and there, I will now be explaining the rules for the annual battle tournament!」

When we were waiting at our designated places, a tournament staff climbed up an elevated floor and began explaining. I have also heard about it from Aguera-san in advanced, but for now It’s much better to listen carefully.

「First of all, killing your opponents will be strictly prohibited!! If judged that you intentionally killed an opponent, the participant will be disqualified. Other than that, as long as your opponents are alive, there will be no restrictions placed on attack methods. It’s fine even if chop off their limbs as long as it doesn’t result in instant death, it will be fine. There are hundreds of recovery magicians waiting to heal any of the badly injured present in the stadium. So fight with all you’ve got!! And as for the number of qualifier of this time’s battle royal, it will be three people! Well then, you may now prepare for your turn!! 」

As the staff left, the participants begin talking at each other about whom to compete with. Because I have nothing to do, I’m bored from just listening to the people around me.

「I did it, there seems to be no notable people among this group. 」

「Oh, Thunder God and Red For is not in here, I guess I will have my chance this time」

There were two other people who was in the same get-up as me… Other than those mysterious people, there’s no one with notable strength in this group. No,perhaps someone like a dark horse would pop up later. Ahhh the flag has been raised.

「Hey…」

「Nn?」

Ah crap, somebody noticed me.

「You… So you still participated despite my warning at that time… I guess you really want to feel some pain rub off your skin…」

Oh hi there Baldy-san… Sigh, I wanted to be in a group different from this person. It is already useless though, my body is already at its limits being ticked off by this guy. I can’t even pretend to feel happy about it, though I’m still showing a smiling face.

I’m done with this person… He will just annoy me all the more… Trying to calm down… I put out a sigh…

「Fuu…~」

「What with the disappointed look!!」

「Oi, what are you trying to do!!」

When Baldy was about to bother me, one of the clerks came and separated us.

「It’s you again Baldy… Every time you just say whatever you want and troubling other participants! Can’t you just put a stop to this! As I have told you many times over provoking people backstage is absolutely forbidden! Show your power out there on the stage when you fight!!」

「……Tsk!!」

He clicked his tongue then disappeared while forcing his way on the crowd. After glancing at me for a moment, the clerk went away without saying anything.Thanks for the help. That was really troublesome.

「… Oh, did it finally start?」

A cheering can be heard from outside. Well, let’s just hope that La Veil will properly do what was instructed.

『Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen!! Thank you for visiting this stadium on a fine day like this!! 』

In the middle of the venue, a woman who had an extreme appearance for a moderator was calling out to the crowd using a magic tool for voice enhancement. The crowd was looking at her as if they were glaring.

『Today, will be the day for qualifying rounds. There were a total of 800 participants separated by 8 groups! 24 people will be given the chance to enter the final selection match! Will any of them be able to win the final prize? Judge them with your own eyes whose strength will be outstanding! That will lead to a spectacular event for tomorrow!!  』

After that, cheers were raised from the audience area. The Lady moderated also nodded in satisfaction.

『It seems that every one of you understood the thrill of the competition!! Then let us declare the start of the event. Let me present to you, the King of Galania, his Majesty King Mondol Virtella Galania!!!』

A man that was called his majesty stood up from his throne where he can see the whole of the stadium. A storm of voices were cheering for him. The man lifts one of his hands and everyone stopped. Silence enveloped the stadium. The man did not have a magic tool which was similar to what that woman was using, yet he still started his speech. Because everyone was silent, his voice reached out to everyone there. It sounded better that anything they could hear.

「This day has arrived once more. This is a place where everyone can enjoy, and it is this day that participants proud of their skill and power fight it off. That is enough words from me…

Show me your strength!! And I will give my appropriate response to it!! From this point on, under my name, I declare the beginning of the battle tournament!!!」

「「「「Ooooooouuuuuuuuuoooooohhhhh!!!」」」」

「Now then, let us begin the first round, a battle royal of the first qualifying group!」

The battle began with the beautiful sound of a loud gong.

La Veil’s PoV:

「Did it finally start?…」

It is the first time for me being surrounded by a lot of humans alone. Well, it’s not yet my group’s turn after all… I was waiting for my time while familiarizing myself with my halberd, while the others are firing themselves up and sizing opponents for them.

It’s such a shame though. I never thought humans would like such entertainments like this. I have always thought that they were a war seeking race, and I didn’t realize that they could device such interesting ways. Now that I think about it, they were really dexterous at using their hands and excel in a lot of crafts, they also fight in the most savage ways. They are also good at making tools that would improve their lifestyle. Even I possess tools which were the crystallization of their developed technology.

I participated this time in accordance to the wish of my Master, Yet I’m still expecting that there would be humans who can actually entertain me. Because there’s a fairy that I can’t defeat, that I was able to know of places like this. There was also the story where people at the peak of humanity would enter.

(Well if people than can be compared to master, it would either be a strong hero, a demon king or probably my ancestors…)

I wonder if Master would be able to defeat even my father. But well, now’s not the time to think about those things.

「Next, it will be the third group!! Participants, please head to the fighting venue!!」

「Umu, it’s finally time for me to go」

For the time being, let’s clean up all the small fry’s as desired by master.

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『Rook, move to 8, 5』

『Pawn, move to 4, 3』

Because Aidle was too busy at the moment, I decided to play Shogi with Aidle『Parallel』 while blindfolded.