Chapter 113 - Episode 1: "The Passage of Time is Cruel"
Good! Day! It is! Violia!
...I! Am! Currently! Fighting Onii-sama... Ah.
"Good. That's a point. It's my win."
...My weapon was flicked away and he took a point from meee...
"You're being unfair, Onii-sama! If it comes to a contest of strength, I can never win!"
"Fuhahaha! It's only natural to choose a fighting style that understands your own characteristics!"
Yes. I was having a mock battle with Onii-sama.
Why? Well, for the Martial Arts Tournament, of course! I must start training now!
Recently, I haven't had many opportunities to fight with a sword, so I thought I should polish my skills again here.
...However, as expected, Onii-sama is superb. I'm no match for him...
"...I don't know much about combat. But even I can tell that Big Brother's fighting style is outrageous. What is that? A Doran with technique?"
"That's exactly it. Onii-sama is so skilled at body reinforcement magic that he can do a shoulder throw on a dragon while keeping a cool face. That move just now, even though it was a feint, each blow was incredibly heavy... Not just the main attack, but every single movement is at a dragon-slaying level."
"Heh. So he really is Doran. Amazing."
"Stop using my name as a synonym for a monster."
But Doran, you are sufficiently a monster. At the very least, I don't know anyone other than Onii-sama who can kill a dragon with their bare hands besides you.
"Sigh, I thought I had become somewhat stronger, but I'm still not there yet..."
"There's no need to worry. It's frustrating, but in terms of pure technique alone, even I cannot beat Violia. Right now, I'm winning because it's a brawl with iron pipes, but if it were swords, we would be evenly matched."
...When I was feeling a bit down, Onii-sama comforted me. It's a bit of a perk!
"...Say. Violia, are you seriously entering?"
"Eh? I'm entering? What are you talking about?"
While I was practicing swings with the iron pipe, Keeb gave me an exasperated look. I have no reason to be looked at like that!
"No, I mean. Even if they say there are no eligibility requirements, isn't it stupid to go out in front of the public, especially where the King and soldiers are?"
"I'll handle that part skillfully. I have absolutely no intention of getting caught!"
And even if I were caught, I would just break out of prison again!
"...Where does that nerve come from?"
"Let's see, anger is certainly one of the driving forces, but more than that, my heart is dancing a bit at the thought of a Martial Arts Tournament."
"Heh..."
Ah, oh? Keeb gave me an exasperated look again! What is it with you lately!? Do you want to be made to wear a cute outfit!?
"Don't do anything too reckless, okay."
...Ah.
"C-Could it be that you were worried about me...?"
"Eh? Ha? No. I'm saying I don't want to be dragged into something weird."
Keeb says that, but... h-how cute! Even his blunt way of speaking looks like he's hiding his embarrassment!
"How cute! As expected, Keeb is cute! Keeb! Why don't you enter as well? With your cuteness, you'd surely win!"
"What kind of tournament is that..."
Ideally, I'd like him to enter a beauty pageant. Yes.
"...Well, I am entering, though."
"Eh, you're entering!?"
"Apparently, a request came to the Elsemarin Guild."
"For a beauty pageant!?"
"For the Martial Arts Tournament!"
...Eh?
"Apparently, a request came from the Royal Family saying, 'Please send the strongest and most popular adventurer from the Guild to the Martial Arts Tournament.'"
"Ah, so that's why it's Keeb?"
That makes sense.
Since I had Keeb handle the role of liaison with the surface, I had also asked him to register with the Guild. Naturally, he must have been doing adventurer activities to the extent that he wouldn't be suspected as a Guild member... but I didn't think Keeb would be chosen as the 'strongest and most popular adventurer'!
"I understand the 'most popular' part, but when did you start showing off your strength?"
"Because I have the best track record in the current Elsemarin Guild."
Eh, since when! This boy! To think that had happened!
"Exactly when and what did you do?"
"Nothing much. I just brought in the leftover dragon corpses, and also, I just played around doing appropriate requests when I was bored. I wanted to practice magic too."
"You are quite diligent, aren't you..."
Come to think of it, I had indeed kept Keeb idle ever since the Saint vote. Yes. I didn't think he was active in the Guild, though.
"Oh, I'm happy. It means Keeb has been recognized as excellent, doesn't it? Congratulations."
I was surprised by many things, but for now, it doesn't change the fact that I'm happy. Let's say congratulations honestly.
"Thanks. ...Well, by the way, regarding the Guild track record, I'm apparently second in history. Sigh."
"Eh? There was someone above you?"
When I asked, I was glared at with damp eyes. ...Ah.
"Ayle Kanone. ...Does that name ring a bell?"
It does... It's me...
"I see. Then, the participants will be Violia and Keeb, the two of you."
For now, I reported to Doran. I told him that the participants would likely be Keeb and me.
"I don't want to. Why is Violia entering?"
"Oh, because it seems fun, of course!"
"If you enter, it won't be fun for me!"
"Ohohoho! My apologies for that! But I'm entering!"
It seems complicated for Keeb, but well, it's a rare Martial Arts Tournament. I want to enter too!
"By the way, you said it would be Keeb and me, but will no one else enter?"
"Eh? Did you think I would enter? Young lady, that's a bit impossible."
"I know. If Giovan enters, he'll die. But for example... wouldn't it be fine for Doran, Chesta, or Onii-sama to enter?"
When I spoke to them, all three made complicated faces.
"Nah, I can't, right? There's no one else with an arm like this. It'd be a dead giveaway. I'm technically a criminal, after all."
Ah, come to think of it, that's true. Since I used Chesta at least a little when we wiped out the noble district of Elsemarin, it might be dangerous to have him show his face...
"And... I don't really want to see the castle's knights. I feel like I'd put weird strength into it if I had to fight them."
...Come to think of it, that's true. Yes.
In that case, I won't force you.
"Also, you know, if I get pumped up after fighting, I'll feel like getting high..."
...And above all, he was a drug addict. Drugs were illegal. If he accidentally got high and went crazy at the venue, he'd be arrested instantly!
"Um, then how about Onii-sama? It's not like you couldn't wear a full-face helmet, right?"
"Well, I also want to enter quite a bit... but if you are entering, I shall refrain. It's better to narrow down the conspicuous ones to one person. And right now, it is you who should be conspicuous rather than me."
Oh... I was looking forward to being able to cross blades with Onii-sama in the Martial Arts Tournament, but if that is your thinking, it can't be helped.
"And above all, I have the other mission of ensuring you escape safely from the venue!"
"Oh, thank you, Onii-sama!"
I hadn't thought about that part at all, so that is very helpful!
"Then wouldn't it be fine for Doran?"
"No, I..."
"It's difficult for Chesta because he uses a prosthetic arm in his fighting style, but in your case, wouldn't it be no problem as long as you participate in a full-face helmet?"
Doran's abilities are his abnormal physical strength and the body reinforcement magic that makes that abnormal physical strength even more monstrous. With those two, he could sufficiently use them even while hiding his face.
"There's no point in me entering as well. I think it's enough if Violia and Keeb enter."
"It's not a matter of enough or not enough. After all, it's a rare opportunity, isn't it?"
"Even if you say that. There's no need for me to enter."
Doran lacks the motivation to do things that aren't necessary... I wish he would judge things based on whether they're interesting or not, at least a little.
"Isn't it fine. Doran. Enter."
...Just as I thought that, Giovan poked Doran while smirking.
"I want to see it. A guy in heavy armor winning his way up through nothing but stupid brute force."
"Hey."
"Isn't that kind of thing good too! Right! It seems interesting, so enter."
Doran, who looked annoyed while his back was being slapped repeatedly by Giovan, thought it over throughout the slapping... and finally, he nodded.
"...Then I shall enter as a Holy Knight. Is that fine?"
A Holy Knight? You're a Holy Knight? That was a bit unexpected.
"Eh? Well, of course... you'll likely need Carol's permission, but wouldn't it be fine? But why a Holy Knight?"
Could it be that while he was wearing the Holy Knight armor as Carol's guard, he took a liking to that armor?
"I thought the Royal Family's lot would want to beat someone from the Cathedral."
...Oh.
"If a Holy Knight were to mow down the Royal Family's soldiers there, it would be 'interesting.'"
"...Yes. That would be very 'interesting,' wouldn't it. Yes. Please do that by all means. I want to see that too."
It is definitely interesting to see the Royal Family's aim being crushed! Yes, by all means, let's have Doran play the role of a Holy Knight. Since he himself thought it would be 'interesting.' Yes.
...So.
We each completed the procedures.
Keeb at the Guild. Doran through Carol. And I at the registration office for general applicants. We each applied for participation in the Martial Arts Tournament.
Keeb is as he is, but Doran and I each registered under pseudonyms. I don't know about Doran's, but mine is 'Stradivarius.' Ohohoho.
After successfully completing the Martial Arts Tournament application at the registration office in the Royal Capital, I casually strolled through the streets of the capital.
Originally, I quite liked wandering the back alleys of the Royal Capital. There are many unusual things, and it's interesting just looking at them. ...Well, the direction is quite different from the back alleys of Elsemarin.
As a souvenir for Elsemarin, I stopped by my favorite candy shop and bought a fair amount of sweets, and now, I thought I should head back on the dragon, when...
"Ah, sorry."
I was bumped into by a fellow who wasn't looking where he was going. Well, it was just a shoulder bump. I have thoroughly trained my core, so I didn't waver at all.
"You should be careful of what's in front of you."
So I decided to pass by quickly, but...
"U-Um!"
After we passed each other, my wrist was grabbed. I turned around while reflexively reaching for the dagger in my pocket... and there, I came face to face with a somewhat unexpected face.
Golden hair and sky-blue eyes.
...No matter how you look at it, he's a blood relative of House Clarino, isn't he...?
Since House Clarino has a tremendous number of people including the main house and branch families, I don't know which house or who he is, but for now, I only know he's someone related to House Clarino!
He's wearing high-quality clothes that look newly tailored, and has a reasonably trained physique. Only his hands and face are exposed, but there are some scars. They look like they were gained from fighting.
...But despite that, he doesn't look like someone whose job is swinging a sword. Well, since House Clarino is a family of military men, everyone likely possesses a certain degree of martial arts skill, and there are nobles whose hobby is monster hunting...
Which means the man in front of me is someone belonging to a branch of House Clarino who has a hobby of training his body a bit but is not a professional soldier. No good. I haven't narrowed it down at all.
"...U-Um. You are Ayle Kanone-sama, right?"
"Eh?"
Moreover, unexpectedly, I was called by that name. No good. I don't know who this guy is at all!
E-Err... there are only two times I used the name 'Ayle Kanone.'
One was when I was active as an adventurer; I used that name then.
And the other was with the previous Saint and around there.
...Which means this guy in front of me is someone related to the Cathedral, perhaps...?
If so, a Holy Knight, maybe. He looks a bit thin for a knight, but from his appearance, he's still at an age where he could be called a boy, so perhaps he was going in and out of the Cathedral as a Holy Knight apprentice, or something like that...?
U-Ugh, no good, I have no memory of him at all!
While I was just bewildered, the golden-haired fellow in front of me, taking advantage of his height to look down at me slightly, said this as if troubled:
"Um, don't you remember? It's me, Lital. Lital Pia Esclan."
...Eh?
"Last year, I participated in your dragon hunt..."
Eh? Eh? ...Eh?
In my memory, Lital Pia Esclan was a noble brat... like a flower carefully raised in a greenhouse, or an angel napping on a fluffy cloud, he was that kind of kid...?
Eh? This guy in front of me, no matter how you look at it, is taller than me...?
"A-Are you... Lital...?"
"Yes! That's right!"
When I asked back fearfully... the fellow in front of me brightened his expression and gave me a cheerful reply with a full smile. That smile certainly had the traces of the brat I had looked after when I was an adventurer, which made me even more confused!
What happened!? What on earth is happening here...!?