Chapter 18: Imperial Capital – Martial Arts Tournament – 26
After that, I spent my days accepting subjugation missions at the guild and entering A-Rank Dungeons.
There were events like inviting Lady Dorozitte to my home and a sudden visit from His Imperial Majesty, but well, that was that.
Amidst all this, I was able to hear some news regarding Marquis Fulcrum. However, it seemed that there were no significant developments at the moment. During His Imperial Majesty’s visit, it was mentioned that the Marquis had ostensibly begun preparations to counter the invasion of the Kin of Twilight. There were no suspicious activities in his territory, and it appeared that no dubious individuals had been found around the Marquis for now.
His son, the young Momental, was actively participating as a member of Princess Marishielle’s party, the Water Lily Lion. As usual, it seemed that Princess Marishielle was being pursued by him.
“Recently, Marishielle has been complaining a lot. It seems she’s being quite persistently pursued, but telling her to stop would only create more problems, so it’s quite troublesome,” His Imperial Majesty sighed.
Aside from that, the recent surge of activities by the Kin of Twilight had also calmed down for the time being. Although, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that it was somewhat unsettling.
In any case, becoming an adventurer for the first time meant that I was now staying in one place for an extended period. I recalled a bit of my previous world, but compared to that time, these days were incredibly peaceful.
It truly felt like an ideal life, but just as I began to feel that it was somewhat lacking, the martial arts tournament was finally just a week away.
“By the way, do you know the rules and format of the martial arts tournament, Soushi-san?”
After dinner, as I rested on the sofa in the living room, Mariane sat down next to me and asked.
“Yeah, I’ve heard the basics. We’ll fight in an octagonal arena. We can use our usual weapons. You win if your opponent becomes unable to fight, steps out of the ring, or surrenders. There are recovery methods available, including Elixirs, but no grudges if someone dies. That’s about it.”
Saying it out loud, the rules sounded rather rough, almost as if life was taken lightly.
However, according to Lady Dorozitte, once you reach A-Rank as an adventurer, defensive skills become quite powerful, so it’s rare for someone to die instantly from a direct clash. Adventurers themselves have strong vitality, so usually, Potions or Elixirs are sufficient. Now that I think about it, it was the same when Sakurahime was on the brink of death.
“That’s about it. The only other thing is that potions and magical tools are prohibited.”
“That was mentioned too. But the size of the arena…”
I had once gone to scout the massive arena in the Imperial Capital, and the octagonal fighting stage made of stone was only about 100 meters wide and long.
Well, it was certainly spacious enough for a fighting stage, but…
“Is there a problem?”
“It’s just too advantageous for me. If I stand in the middle, about half of the arena falls within the range of my Shockwave. Honestly, I could probably send many opponents flying out of the arena with just my Shockwave and win.”
“I see. But isn’t that just how it is? That’s your strength, after all.”
“True, but if most of the matches end in a single blow, it wouldn’t be fair to the audience. So I’m a bit troubled about what to do.”
As I said this, Mariane narrowed her eyes and chuckled softly, “Hehe.”
“If your opponents heard that, they’d surely get angry. And the fact that it’s not an exaggeration makes it all the more amusing.”
“I’m not trying to belittle my opponents. But considering my strength, I can’t help but think that way.”
“Of course, I don’t think you’re being arrogant, Soushi-san. Everyone in the Soul’s Guidance, including myself, is more concerned about how you plan to defeat your opponents without taking their lives. That Shockwave, if unleashed seriously, could destroy the entire arena.”
“I’ve trained to adjust its power, but fighting against humans is different. Well, it depends on the opponent.”
“Yes, I think it’s best to make that judgment in the moment. The adventurers participating in the tournament are diverse, so things might not go as planned.”
“That’s true… Fighting is like that. Thank you, Mariane. I think I can stop worrying about it for now.”
“I’m glad to be of help. By the way, Larni and Karma said that if they face you, they’ll surrender immediately.”
“Ah… If I were in their position, I’d probably say the same.”
I forced a wry smile, but I could tell that even if they faced me, they wouldn’t actually surrender.
Mariane seemed to understand this as well, chuckling softly before her expression turned serious again.
“Also, this is something everyone is concerned about, but what do you plan to do if you win, Soushi-san?”
“What do you mean by ‘what to do’?”
“Of course, I’m talking about Princess Marishielle.”
“Ah, that topic… I don’t have any feelings for her, so I haven’t really thought about what to do. Besides, there’s no guarantee that I’ll even win.”
“Is there a possibility of intentionally losing?”
“No, that’s not what I mean. There might genuinely be cases where she’s stronger. I have no intention of holding back.”
“In that case, there’s no doubt you’ll win. But can you really do nothing towards the princess afterward?”
“The surroundings wouldn’t allow it. Besides, it seems the princess herself has publicly stated that if she loses, she’d be willing to marry the victor.”
“If she were to seek you out, it would be practically impossible to refuse.”
“That’s true. Well, whatever will be, will be. At the very least, even if such a conversation arises with the princess, I have no intention of neglecting everyone in the Soul’s Guidance. That much is certain.”
I said that thinking it was probably what everyone was concerned about, but seeing Mariane’s somewhat happy expression, it seemed I wasn’t mistaken.
Glancing around, I noticed that before I knew it, Larni, Sfenia, Shizuna, and Karma had been eavesdropping. While it was nice to see them all smiling, I suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me.
I could only hope that my current words wouldn’t become part of my dark history.