BSS 68

Chapter 68

The Winkan Festival, hosted by Elan, featured a wide variety of competitions, but the most popular of them all was, as expected, the martial arts tournament.

People were thrilled by blood‑splattered battles.

They gathered warriors together and became intoxicated by the strength those fighters flaunted.

There were many kinds of martial arts tournaments. Some were gladiatorial contests open only to gladiators, while others were brutally vicious adult tournaments where anyone, regardless of rank or profession, fought with their lives on the line.

The winners of each competition claimed both fame and a massive cash prize, and if luck was on their side, they might even be scouted as a noble’s bodyguard.

In any case, the more cruel and刺激적인 a tournament was, the more popular it became.

—A winner has been decided!

Strangely enough, however, the most popular tournament of all was one where killing was forbidden and even inflicting life‑threatening injuries resulted in disqualification—
the so‑called refined and dignified competition known as Quiponcove.

It was the tournament I was participating in.

—The only spirit summoner in this tournament, Miss Jeannie Crowell of Drike Academy, is victorious!
Honestly, no one expected her to hold her ground this well at the beginning!

Most of the participants were minors, and the fights themselves weren’t particularly刺激적, yet this tournament drew the most attention because it was the only one personally attended by the Emperor, with prizes awarded in the Emperor’s name. It was a competition steeped in prestige and history.

Since it gathered the prodigies each nation proudly presented, contestants tended to fight with their country’s pride on the line, which also contributed greatly to its popularity.

Moreover, it was practically tradition that winners of Quiponcove would go on to wield great power.

Exaggerating a little, winning Quiponcove elevated a nation’s reputation almost as much as winning a war.

That was why this naïve, bloodless tournament was so popular.

—Miss Crowell! Please share a few words about your victory.

“Thoughts…?”

—You’ve advanced to the finals. How do you feel? Your goal is obviously first place, right? If you have a secret technique for winning in a single strike, what would it be?

The host, wearing a flashy hat, climbed up onto the arena floor and shoved a staff enchanted with amplification magic toward me, firing off questions without pause.

Instead of answering, I slowly looked around the circular coliseum where the match had taken place.

It was about the size of a soccer field, and the stands were packed to the brim with people.

Some spectators were even standing wherever they could, and among them I could see the relaxed noble seats and the Emperor’s viewing box.

—Yes? Just one word about how you feel, please.

At the host’s urging, I only frowned harder.

There were simply too many people here—it made me feel like a monkey in a zoo. I had no interest in being a spectacle.

“Sorry, but I’m a bit shy around crowds.”

—You don’t look like it…

“I don’t really have anything to say. Can I step down now?”

The only reason I was doing something so unsuited to me was because of Ash.

That idiot dumped a debt on me and ran off.

Just wait until I catch him.

—W‑wait a moment. Then please answer just one question. Everyone’s curious.

“What is it?”

I asked irritably, wanting to hurry back to the waiting room and rest.

The commentator forced an awkwardly loud laugh and raised his eyebrows, as if expecting some showmanship from me, but it only looked ridiculous.

—Your opponent in the finals is Latshamu Pedri, the rising star of Winted Academy. What do you think?

“What about him?”

—Are you confident you can defeat him within ten seconds again?

Up to now, I had ended every match within ten seconds.

That wasn’t so much because I was overwhelmingly strong, but because I was still fighting with internal injuries that hadn’t fully healed, making it impossible to prolong battles.

Every time I used mana, severe stomach pain and headaches assaulted me, so I had no choice but to rely on fast, precise, and lethal techniques.

Rather than fighting my opponents properly, I’d won by using a somewhat underhanded method—grabbing them and hurling them straight out of the arena.

I summoned Undine, wrapped their heads in water, and tossed them out of bounds.

Thankfully, in Quiponcove, being forced out of the arena counted as a loss.

“Gah! What is this?!”

“Gurgle…”

Those who had never fought a spirit summoner before became easy prey.

Mages were the easiest opponents, since they couldn’t chant spells when trapped underwater. Agile, physically oriented fighters sometimes managed to avoid the water bubble surrounding them.

When that happened, I’d simply wait until they came close, then have them step on the water I’d spread around me—snaring their ankles and dragging them out of the arena.

Water couldn’t be cut, so once they were caught, there was nothing they could do.

Because spirit summoners controlled spirits—nature itself—far more delicately than mages, techniques like this were possible.

And before I knew it, ending matches quickly had become my trademark.

“Who is that, anyway?”

Latshamu? What a strange name.

When I asked back, the host looked utterly flustered.

Think about it—how would I know your country’s celebrity?

—You don’t know him?

“Nope.”

—He is the second son of Duke Pedri, the Swordmaster who represents Elan.
He’s also the younger brother of Lord Robenin Pedri! You really don’t know him?

“I know Duke Pedri the Swordmaster. He comes up in noble lineage class. He’s on the exams too.”

—And Latshamu?

“I said I don’t know him. I’ve heard of Robenin Pedri, though.”

Robenin Pedri was famous as a genius among geniuses.

Anyone attending an academy would know that name.

Smiling brightly, I continued,

“Do I really need to know his younger brother too?”

Something did come to mind.

The Pedri family was a prestigious house of swordsmanship that had produced the most winners in this tournament’s history.

Their influence was said to rival even the royal family.

—But he’s your next opponent. A strong candidate for the championship… Have you ever considered Latshamu Pedri a rival?

“Come on. How can I consider someone I don’t even know a rival?”

—That sounds like you’re confident of winning again.

“It doesn’t matter who the opponent is. Just like always, I’ll throw them out in one go, and I’ll win. I’ve answered, so can I step down now?”

I could tell from his expression—he thought I was an arrogant brat.

I could see it clearly.

—H‑ha! Thank you for your answer. Then let’s quickly move on to the next event. The next match is the youth division semifinal!

Finally released, I headed straight for Drike Academy’s waiting room beneath the stands without looking back.

“Good work, Jeannie!”

When I returned, Instructor Irito handed me a cup of green juice that was good for internal injuries. It tasted absolutely awful, but the effect was undeniable.

“Come on, you must be tired. Sit here.”

“Is there anything you need?”

“Jeannie! Eat this!”

For obvious reasons, the delegation kids, the knights—everyone suddenly started treating me extremely well, which felt strange.

They gave up the seat with the best view of the arena for me, fanned me if I looked hot, and bent over backward to please me.

I wasn’t used to such kindness. It was burdensome, but I decided to enjoy it arrogantly for now.

“Then, excuse me.”

I took the best seat and sucked down the green juice through a straw.

It tasted so bad I felt like throwing up, but if I didn’t drink it, I really would throw up—so I forced it down anyway.

Damn these internal injuries.

[Master! Good work!]

[My stomach hurts.]

[That’s what happens when an internal‑injury patient uses mana! You forced yourself to use mana, so of course it hurts. Continuing to use mana is just stupid!]

[Did you just call me stupid?]

[Huh? I absolutely did not. Do you have any proof?]

[After all the trouble I went through bringing you along, and you get cheeky with me…!]

The only one I could complain to about the pain was Rai, but Rai was currently trapped in a small birdcage by Instructor Irito.

She had suggested leaving Rai back at the lodging, but when I stubbornly insisted on bringing him along, she somehow procured that cage.

She must have been worried I’d take Rai into the arena during the match.

As if I’d bring a snake into the arena.

‘Well, I would have if I hadn’t been caught.’

With Rai’s cage tucked under my arm, I watched the matches in the arena.