Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 23 - Chapter 2.3

3

“To the west! Leiriss of the Knights of Saturas! To the east! Shin Ruu of the forest’s edge!”

The tournament continued smoothly.

I had only intended to take a peek at the proceedings, but now that we’d stuck around for this long, I couldn’t look away. I felt bad for Toor Deen’s group, who’d been left behind to watch over everything, but at this point, we couldn’t head back to the forest’s edge until both Shin Ruu and Geol Zaza were eliminated.

What are Lala Ruu and the others feeling, watching these fights? Shin Ruu’s been able to secure easy wins so far, so I guess they haven’t had much to be concerned about on that front.

However, Leiriss turned out to be quite a difficult opponent. Having been observing Shin Ruu’s tactics since the morning, he was avoiding crossing blades at all costs.

Shin Ruu was aiming for Leiriss’s blade with the agility of a hunter. However, Leiriss was utilizing careful footwork that made him difficult to pursue, making sure Shin Ruu’s blade sliced through thin air instead. He also kept boldly challenging the hunter, thrusting his own blade forward whenever there was an opening. Shin Ruu wasn’t in any danger yet, but it seemed like his ability to move around was being restricted.

It was a quiet battle, as the two were cutting through nothing but air, but the audience was watching the back and forth with bated breath. That just went to show how much tension there was in the air coming from the two of them.

“That Ruu hunter’s fighting style is somewhat odd. If he aimed for the torso rather than the blade, I believe he would have landed a number of hits,” Raielfam Sudra remarked.

Ai Fa nodded, watching the fight with crossed arms. “Right. In the previous contest of strength, Shin Ruu heavily injured his opponent. And his opponent then was the father of the man he is currently facing, which might be why his skills seem dull.”

“Oh? I have to say, changing how he fights for a reason like that seems like the worst slight he could possibly make against his opponent.”

“It isn’t that he’s changing how he fights on purpose. Rather, it’s something that is happening naturally. That Shin Ruu is kind to his core,” Ai Fa explained. I turned toward her with a look of surprise, only for her to shoot me a sidelong glare and ask, “What?”

“Oh, I just thought it was unusual to hear you assessing someone else’s character... But, well, I guess we’ve known Shin Ruu for quite a while now.”

Shin Ruu had been acting as one of our bodyguards for a long time at this point. When Sanjura had abducted me, he’d taken his inability to keep me safe really hard and had spent a lot of time training intensively with Rau Lea afterward. I was pretty attached to him and considered him an important friend.

Still, that Leiriss guy is frustratingly calm. Especially considering how he kept glaring at Shin Ruu at the dinner party.

I couldn’t help but want to cheer loudly for Shin Ruu.

Sheera Ruu also looked like she was praying as she watched her younger brother’s fight. We had shifted the schedule so she could be here for him. Normally, Reina Ruu would have been on duty today.

“Give it all you’ve got, Shin Ruu!” a voice suddenly shouted from down low near me, catching me off guard. When I looked, I saw that Rimee Ruu had her hands beside her mouth as she called out to her cousin. The folks seated in front of us finally noticed the large crowd of people of the forest’s edge behind them, and their eyes shot open wide.

While that was happening, the state of the battle was gradually shifting. Shin Ruu’s movements were starting to grow less precise. Perhaps his stamina was running out, after all the matches he had participated in since this morning. At least this time he hadn’t been given any unfair equipment, but wearing armor in battle wasn’t really how things were done at the forest’s edge.

Even I had put on protective equipment for kendo class before, and for a weak modern-day guy like me, that was already more of a burden than I could deal with easily. It wasn’t just heavy, it was also hard to move in and restricted your vision, and above all else, it was sweltering underneath. Trying to fight in armor that had a leather base under metal plates must’ve been even worse.

On top of that, the hunters of the forest’s edge hardly ever had a reason to swing their blades at a fellow human being here in this peaceful land. And yet, Shin Ruu and Geol Zaza had shown that they could fight incredibly well with just their outstanding physical capabilities and willpower.

“Keep going! Don’t give up till it’s over!” I shouted without thinking.

Ai Fa turned my way with a bewildered look, but I just couldn’t restrain my emotions. I started cheering for Shin Ruu as loud as I could, just like Rimee Ruu.

But a moment later, Leiriss swept out Shin Ruu’s legs with his own, causing the hunter’s back to slam into the ground. Rather than rushing ahead, though, the noble thrust his blade at Shin Ruu’s chest with an efficient motion.

I shouted, “Gyah!” and almost closed my eyes. However, Shin Ruu twisted his body and Leiriss’s blade stabbed into the ground instead.

Then, Shin Ruu made a swipe straight from the side with his sword, but Leiriss used both his hands to pull his blade free and dodged.

The noble then swung his weapon once more, and Shin Ruu slashed back from a lying position. The crowd went silent throughout the stadium as the sound of steel resounded through the air.

A few seconds later, a deflected blade fell to the ground. It was Leiriss who had been disarmed.

Shin Ruu rose as nimbly as he could and moved to get between Leiriss and his weapon. However, the young noble just fell to his knees.

Even from this distance, I could see his back heaving up and down under the armor. It seemed he had run out of stamina after such a long match against a hunter from the forest’s edge.

With that, everyone came back to their senses and started cheering once again.

Shin Ruu was probably breathing heavily too, as he had lifted his visor and was staring up at the sky.

A short while later, the young hunter reached a hand out toward Leiriss. Was he saying something as he did? I couldn’t quite tell from this distance.

After a moment, the noble took Shin Ruu’s hand and rose to his feet. Then he staggered over to his blade to pick it up and hold it in a vertical position in front of his chest. I figured that was probably how the knights of Genos saluted in gratitude.

Shin Ruu gave a single nod and then turned back toward the eastern exit, while Leiriss walked off in the opposite direction. A thunderous round of cheers and applause showered down upon them as they went.

“A narrow victory, hmm? The next match may prove tricky,” Raielfam Sudra muttered as the cheering trailed off.

The following round was between Geol Zaza and Melfried, and once again it was a match that could only be described as incredible. Geol Zaza fought like a wild beast, as before, but Melfried’s true strength became all the more obvious when he was facing a difficult opponent.

The duke’s son was even more graceful than Leiriss, but when he swung his blade, it also had a lot of strength behind it. His body was larger than the younger noble’s by a good amount too, and though he wasn’t as broad-shouldered or barrel-chested as Geol Zaza, they were around the same height.

The head of the ducal guard was as precise as a machine. Whether he was attacking or defending, he didn’t move any more than was necessary. Even when the tip of his opponent’s blade skimmed his cheek, he didn’t budge. He just elegantly swung his blade again and again, looking totally unconcerned.

Sometimes he was like a gentle breeze, and at other times a whirlwind. Every movement was perfect, whether it was fast or slow. His opponent was very much like a storm too, but Melfried was successfully warding off Geol Zaza’s momentum and striking back with his blade. It was a carefully calculated dance, put together by one who excelled at fighting other human opponents.

“That’s no good. He’s playing into his opponent’s hands and getting trifled with,” Raielfam Sudra remarked, right before Melfried’s blade struck Geol Zaza’s right wrist. The hunter’s weapon fell to the ground with a dull thud, and he let out an angry roar.

Geol Zaza charged at Melfried barehanded. In response, the noble swung his blade up from down low. The tip of the weapon hit Geol Zaza right in the chin from underneath, sending his huge frame flying. The hunter’s back struck the ground hard, and a moment later, the tip of Melfried’s blade was pointed at his fallen opponent’s throat.

Another tremendous cheer filled the arena, and Melfried’s victory was declared.

“The wrist, chin, and throat... He was cut three times,” Raielfam Sudra commented.

“Indeed. If not for that armor, he would have taken that blow to the chin full force. And if this were a contest of strength, that blow to the wrist would have settled things,” Ai Fa added, calmly assessing the match.

The blow to the chin might have caused a concussion, as Geol Zaza wasn’t getting up. Still writhing about, he tore off his helmet and pounded the ground with both fists, letting out a furious roar.

“Our blades are meant for hunting giba, while theirs are for cutting other people... It was easy to see the difference between the two in that match.”

“Yes. However, Geol Zaza might have won if he hadn’t had that armor on, as that would have allowed him to move more nimbly.”

“Still, it’s amazing that Melfried was able to beat a hunter from the forest’s edge! That’s the nobleman with the gray eyes, right? Will Shin Ruu be able to win?” Rimee Ruu asked innocently. However, the two hunters didn’t offer an answer to her question.

In the meantime, the matches to determine third place and under kicked off. According to Zasshuma, the top eight places were rewarded prize money in accordance with their ranking. Geol Zaza’s opponent from the quarterfinals was left too injured to participate, though, so the bottom three places would be determined round-robin style.

We must have been watching for over an hour at this point. While the unfamiliar swordsmen were facing off to determine their rankings, I sent Morun Rutim and Cheem Sudra off to tell the group waiting by the wagons to hold on a little longer.

The deciding matches for the lower ranks ended with the battalion commander from the militia whom Shin Ruu had defeated taking fifth place, and then the battle for third place was held, pitting Geol Zaza against Leiriss.

Geol Zaza hadn’t fully recovered from his concussion, and Leiriss’s stamina was exhausted. The two faced off with less than half of the strength they had shown before, and shockingly it was Leiriss who seized victory. Had he observed and analyzed the hunter’s match with Melfried? His success had most likely come from aiming for a blind spot caused by the helmet and thrusting up with his blade diagonally from below, leaving Geol Zaza writhing on the ground again.

Now that I thought about it, my boxing-loving old man had once explained to me that once you take damage to your head, even an attack with only half as much power will be enough to knock you down again. At any rate, Leiriss had taken third place, putting Geol Zaza in fourth.

“Now it’s finally time for the finals...” I muttered to no one in particular.

This wasn’t a fight with the pride of the people of the forest’s edge on the line anymore. The hunters had already done enough to fulfill our goals of improving our relationship with the house of Saturas and showing the world at large how strong the hunters of the forest’s edge truly were. Even so, I wanted to see Shin Ruu win this thing. Like with Geimalos, I just couldn’t help feeling that way. No matter how hard and painful of a struggle it might be for him, if Shin Ruu could win this match, it would be a great confidence booster for him...

If Ai Fa’s judgment isn’t mistaken, Melfried is stronger than Sanjura, so if he can beat Melfried...won’t that mean Shin Ruu has obtained the strength he’s been seeking? I recalled how Shin Ruu had wept like a child when I was rescued from Cyclaeus’s manor after Sanjura had abducted me. I just hope you won’t be left with any regrets... Give it all you’ve got, Shin Ruu... I prayed in my head, just as Shin Ruu and Melfried were making their entrance into the arena.