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The Martial Arts Tournament 

Satou here. Rather than kendo or judo, the phrase martial arts tournament makes me think of a shonen battle manga. My only real-life martial arts experience is the judo they made us do in gym class. 

“Good morning.” 

I yawned as I entered the room where the others were all waiting. 

“Good morning, master. I’ll go ask Mr. Sebaf to prepare breakfast.” 

Lulu’s smile healed my soul as she cheerfully hurried down the hallway. 

“Morning. Don’t you look tired.” 

“Mrrr. Sleepy?” 

Arisa and Mia greeted me with noticeable irritation. 

“Yeah. I found an out-of-the-way spot to make some arrows, since we were running low after the last battle.” 

“Huh? So you didn’t go off to some establishment with a bunch of pretty ladies?” 

“Of course not.” 

I should’ve known that was what they suspected. 

After my meeting with the duke the night before, I had gone into the labyrinth ruins underneath the old capital to make new Holy Arrows, Holy Short Spears, and so on. I also wanted to make more blue in case we ever ran into another demon lord–class opponent. 

However, ten Holy Arrows, two Holy Short Spears, and just one vial of blue were enough to exhaust my supply of dragon powder from the Seiryuu City labyrinth. 

I didn’t really want to mess around with the corpses in the Valley of Dragons, so I would have to get my hands on some dragon scales or I might end up in trouble somewhere down the road. 

“Sorry for being so suspicious.” 

“Sorry.” 

“It’s all right. Anyway, where did Liza and the others go?” 

I tapped their heads lightly, then asked a random question to hide my feelings of guilt. Tolma had already agreed to show me the nightlife of the old capital during our stay. If I didn’t let my libido run loose once in a while, I was afraid I might cross a dangerous line with someone like Nana or Miss Karina. 

For the time being, my “Poker Face” skill kept those emotions hidden. 

Lulu returned, and as we went to the dining room, Miss Karina, her maids, and the vanguard group came in through the door that led to the courtyard. 

They’d worked up quite a sweat training outside all morning. 

After enjoying a fancy hotel-like breakfast made for us by the chefs of the Worgoch estate, we were sipping cups of blue-green tea when the butler Mr. Sebaf entered. 

“Sir Knight, a letter has arrived for you. And you as well, my lady.” 

I accepted the letter and took a look at the seal. 

Mine was from Tolma, while Miss Karina’s letter was from her younger brother, Orion. 

Tolma’s letter said that his brother, Viscount Siemmen, would be returning the next morning. That was much earlier than what he’d said in the salon. He listed times when the viscount would be available to meet, so I wrote back requesting the soonest slot, the next afternoon at two chimes. 

“Oh, that Orion!” Miss Karina bristled as she finished reading her letter. 

“What’s the matter?” 

“Why, if he thinks seeing some martial arts tournament is more important than a visit from his far-off sister…!” 

She trailed off, too indignant to continue. Large tears began pooling on her eyelashes. 

I tried to offer Miss Karina a handkerchief, but I was speedily intercepted by the iron-wall duo. 

“Nana.” 

“Give Lady Karina a hug.” 

“Tactical commands accepted, I report.” 

Nana promptly hugged Miss Karina to her chest, mechanically repeating, “There, there,” as if comforting a child. 

Miss Karina, socially clumsy as always, was too stunned by Nana’s sudden action to do anything but sit and accept it. 

“It’s all right, Lady Karina. At that age, a fourteen-year-old boy is bound to find affection from his family embarrassing. It might be better to keep a little distance—otherwise he’s just going to get mad.” 

Arisa’s advice sounded strange coming from someone who looked so young. It was probably based on experience from her previous life. 

Once Miss Karina started to calm down, I asked Sebaf what sightseeing spots he recommended in an effort to ease the awkwardness. 

“At this time of year, I suggest the stadium where the second round of preliminaries for the martial arts tournament is held. The master of the house says you are welcome to use his family’s premium seats.” 

At the phrase martial arts tournament, the beastfolk girls’ eyes sparkled. 

Even Liza, usually so composed, was clearly excited; her tail was whacking the back of her chair. 

“Aside from that, the museum is currently holding an exhibition about the ancestral king Yamato. Cyriltoa the Songstress has an extraordinary voice that will soothe your soul, and she will perform at the concert hall. If you don’t mind mingling with commoners, perhaps you would enjoy perusing the unusual wares at the grand market in the harbor ward.” 

All of these sounded like couldn’t-miss attractions during our stay. 

But for now, we’ll start with… 

“Want to go see the tournament today?” 

It went without saying that my suggestion was met with unanimous agreement. 

Surprisingly, even Miss Karina voted yes. I guess her brother’s rudeness didn’t stop her from being interested in the tournament herself. I asked Sebaf to arrange for a carriage and our seats at the stadium, and we returned to our rooms to change clothes for the outing. 

 

“These seats are pretty good,” I commented to Miss Karina as I settled into the soft sofa. 

The other kids had gone to buy snacks at the nearby stands, so the only ones left in the luxury seats were Miss Karina, her maid Pina, and myself. 

The seats were open to the stadium grounds but walled in on the other three sides, with refined decor in muted hues. Given that it was for the use of nobles only, it was no surprise that the furniture was proportionately luxurious. 

Miss Karina was looking out at the stadium from the balcony. She turned to me and responded. 

“I-indeed. The lower seats are terribly crowded.” 

Just as she said, the general seating was jam-packed. 

The areas closest to the grounds were especially full of people, to the point where the onlookers seemed liable to spill onto the field. 

The area where the combatants would be fighting was an elliptical shape, around the same size as an average running track. The pamphlets in the premium seats explained that the stadium was ordinarily used for jousting. 

“Lady Karina, please be careful not to lean over the balcony too far.” 

The drop from our seats to the general seating was about ten feet, so Karina’s maid Pina looked worried. 

Just then, the door slammed open, and Mia and Nana returned from their shopping. 

“Satou, ‘aah.’” 

Mia put one of the candies she held in both hands into my open mouth. 

…Syrup candy. 

Taking the stick from Mia’s hand, I saw that this confection was colorless, unlike the light-brown malt syrup candy I’d eaten with Zena in Seiryuu City. It was probably a starch syrup made from rice and sugar. 

“Master, I have taken custody of these apple larvae, I report.” 

Nana had bought a basket of candy-size apples called “dwarf apples.” 

“Could I have one?” 

“Affirmative.” 

Nana held out the basket, and I brought one of the fresh dwarf apples to my lips. 

As soon as I bit into it, juice flowed into my mouth, along with the tart sweetness characteristic of the fruit. A moment later, the scent of apples filled my nose. 

“Very tasty.” 

“Yes, master.” 

It did seem a little lacking in sweetness, but that was probably because I ate the syrup candy right before it. 

“Mrrr?” 

Mia, who was also tasting the apple right after the candy, furrowed her brow in a similar reaction. 

Next, Lulu came back with Pochi and Tama in tow. 

“Octopus skewerrrs!” 

“And squid skewers, sir.” 

An appealing smell wafted over me from the large bag the two beastfolk girls were carrying. 

“I thought most people didn’t eat octopus and squid here?” I asked, vaguely remembering something I’d heard. 

“Really?” Lulu answered. “There were commoners buying them at the stands.” 

I guess it’s mostly nobles and people from other territories who don’t like them. 

As she spoke, Lulu set up the folding table that was in the corner of the luxury box and expertly arranged the skewers on top. 

“We’re baaack!” 

“Master, we have returned.” 

Last to arrive were Arisa, Liza, and Karina’s maid Erina. 

“Man, that was rough,” Arisa grumbled. “The chicken and meat skewer stands were really crowded.” 

“Right? Not to mention all the fistfights and pickpockets about.” Erina nodded. 

With help from Lulu, Liza added the chicken and various kinds of meat skewers to the table. 

Aside from the meat, there was also a modest stack of baguette-shaped bread loaves decorating one end of the table. 

“Look, look! I got boiled edamame and peanuts for Mia, too!” 

“Arisa. Thanks.” 

“Huh, that looks pretty good.” 

Snacking on the edamame and peanuts made me crave a nice cold beer. 

While we were sampling the various snacks, the time came for the matches to begin. 

The copper gong rang out, and an announcer’s voice echoed through the stadium. 

“Match one: Magic Swordsman Tan, the Bloodiron Explorer, versus Zi-Gain Master Kajiro, the Samurai of the Saga Empire.” 

Most of the group turned to watch the two combatants enter the grounds, but Arisa and Mia seemed more interested in something else. 

“That announcer sounded a little muffled. Are they using Wind Magic with a speaking tube, perhaps?” 

“Mm. Those.” 

Mia pointed to several huge tubes sprouting up among the audience seats. 

According to the AR display, they were magic tools called wind speaker towers. Arisa’s guess was right, but she’d already moved on. 

“Ooh, Tan might be a weird name, but he sure is handsome. And this Kajiro fellow is wild and unshaven—like a real warrior!” 

Peering through one of the luxury box’s longscopes, Arisa relayed some utterly useless information. 

I used my “Telescopic Sight” skill to take a look at the competitors myself. 

The tall and muscular Kajiro was shouldering a longsword that was more than six feet long, waiting quietly for the match to begin. He was barely wearing any armor, so maybe his style was “victory to whoever makes the first move.” Befitting his introduction as a samurai, the man was wearing a kimono and hakama. Since he was blond with Italian facial features, it called to mind a foreign Japanophile. As a native of the Saga Empire, famous for its hero summoning, he was probably influenced by Japanese culture in his upbringing. 

Meanwhile, Tan was equipped with a one-handed mithril sword and a buckler and clad in glossy armor made from the shell of some kind of beetle monster. 

Tan was level 42, while Kajiro was level 39. 

Both exceptionally high levels, which was probably to be expected in the semifinals—too high, in fact. Both were in the top five of the tournament competitors. 

So they’re matched up so they can crush each another before reaching the finals… No, maybe that was overthinking it. 

“Hmm, I can’t see their stats from this distance.” Arisa grumbled discontentedly, then offered her predictions aloud. “From what I hear, Tan’s probably going to win, since he can use magic.” 

“Arisa, that is quite premature. In addition to Sir Kajiro’s large frame, one must not underestimate the range and power of that enormous longsword. No doubt the match will be decided by whether Sir Tan is able to use magic before he is struck down.” 

Ooh, that’s an unusual amount of talking for Liza. 

Tan seemed to have a few levels on his side, but Kajiro was more of a pure fighter, so he could probably make up the difference easily in a swordfight. 

“Whoa, tacky.” 

“Yes, his garments rather lack refinement.” 

The subject of Arisa’s and Liza’s appraisal was the referee, who’d just walked into the arena in brightly colored clothes, holding large red and white flags as well as a horn. 

The combatants entered two circles outlined on the ground, about a hundred feet apart. 

This appeared to be the starting position. At this distance, a magic user probably wouldn’t be able to finish a lengthy chant before their opponent attacked. 

The referee blew a horn and shouted that the match had begun. 

“The warrior man charged, sir!” 

Before the sound of the horn had faded, Kajiro sprang forward. His white blade flashed down toward Tan. 

“… ? Instant Shield Hirameki Tate!” 

A defensive barrier spread from Tan’s shield like a ripple of light, repelling the longsword’s attack. It reminded me of the reactive armor you’d see on a tank. 

Before Kajiro could swing his lengthy sword back around, Tan’s one-handed blade lashed out toward Kajiro’s face. 

Kajiro contorted to dodge the strike, only to face a triple lunge from Tan. 

“Oh, he’s moving away, sir!” Pochi flailed her now-empty skewer stick. 

“Mmph! Mmph mmph?” 

“Tama, try to finish eating before you speak, okay?” 

Tama tried to join in on the commentary with a mouthful of food and was met with a light scolding from Lulu. 

Gaining some distance, Kajiro slid his feet to adjust the space between them, while Tan used a short Body Strengthening chant to power himself up. 

“Strengthening?” 

“I guess he’s using some kind of buff spell.” 

Mia and Arisa listened keenly to the chant, trying to predict its effects. 

“But why doesn’t Kajiro attack while he’s invoking the chant?” 

“Arisa, that is precisely what Sir Tan wants him to do. If he fell for it, he would likely be met with a severe counterattack.” Liza knew her stuff. 

“Master, the samurai unit’s movements are strange, I inform.” 

“Yes, that’s a slide step…” 

As I started to explain the move to Nana, the fighters went back into action. 

No one was listening to my explanation, so I returned my attention to the match as well. 

Unlike the previous bout, this time they were exchanging blows in rapid succession, their blades creating noticeable sparks. 

“Wow. He hasn’t stopped chanting for a second, even while he’s deflecting all those sword blows.” 

“Very calm.” 

Arisa and Mia crunched away on their snacks as they provided a magic user’s perspective on the match. 

Then, whether it was thanks to the level difference or the Body Strengthening, Tan slowly began to take the lead. 

The battle was so intense that the cheering audience lapsed into silence, watching with bated breath. 

“Ah!” 

A loud clang resounded through the stadium as Kajiro’s enormous weapon snapped in half. 

“Kajiro!” 

I heard a woman cry out from the passage leading to the stadium’s waiting room. 

She must be a member of his family. 

Even with his sword broken, Kajiro refused to give up the fight, swinging toward his opponent in a last-ditch attempt at a comeback. 

But Tan was ready for him and blocked with his own sword wrapped in purple lightning. 

A static-like ZAP! boomed through the stadium, and Kajiro fell to the ground. 

Tan must have paralyzed him with an electric shock. 

Tan held his sword point to Kajiro’s neck, then looked to the referee to pronounce him victorious. 

Bloodthirsty voices rang out from the audience. 

“Kill hiiiiim!” 

“Death to the loserrr!” 

Uh, no, this isn’t a Colosseum death match. 

It was only a few dozen men, not the whole stadium by any means, but the scattered jeers calling for Kajiro’s death were painful to hear. 

But Tan simply shrugged as if to dismiss the demands, refusing to rise to the bait from the ill-mannered spectators. 

This gesture appeared to go over favorably with the ladies; shrieks of admiration rose from the crowd. 

“Winner: Magic Swordsman Tan!” 

When the referee finally declared Tan’s victory, an uproar rose from the crowd that drowned out the unpleasant jeers. 

Naturally, we joined in to applaud the excellent bout. 

While we waited for the next match to start, we munched on snacks and discussed the previous battle. 

“Was that a hakama? What a wonderful piece of equipment. I did not expect it to hide his footwork so well.” Liza seemed impressed with Kajiro’s Japanese-style outfit. 

Tama and Pochi were both attempting to mimic his footwork, but they couldn’t quite get the hang of it. 

“This is haaard.” 

“I can’t help lifting my feet, sir.” 

“Here, try it like this.” 

Taking off my shoes, I demonstrated the slide step for them. Of course, since it was mostly based on what I’d seen in manga, I had no idea whether I was doing it right. 

Explaining the basic move was easy enough, but showing them how to fine-tune it with their toes was harder. 

Tama and Pochi crouched on the floor, squinting at my toes. 

“Wiggle, wiggle?” 

“Like a slug, sir.” 

Taking a liking to the movement, Pochi sprawled out on the floor and began shunting herself around like an inchworm. 

Should I tell her that’s not how a slug moves? 

Just as Tama was about to start doing the same, Lulu cut in, “Pochi! Good girls don’t roll around on the floor in their best clothes, you know!” 

“N-nooo, this is different, ma’am. Lulu, I didn’t mean to, ma’am.” 

“How is it different, exactly? Now, what do we say when we do bad things?” 

“I’m sorry, ma’am.” 

Shoot. I guess I should’ve scolded her. 

Pochi knelt down in a suitably apologetic pose. 

“Pochi baaad.” 

Tama shrewdly scurried over to Lulu’s side, putting on a reproachful look. 

You were about to worm around, too, weren’t you? 

I gave Tama a pointed look, and she hurriedly switched to the same “apologetic” pose. 

Okay, that’s better. 

The next match was a fierce swordfight between two beastfolk. 

This time, both combatants ended up bleeding. It wasn’t very pleasant to watch. In fact, the way they were slashing at each other with fierce grins on their bloodied faces was terrifying. 

“Master, they’re whacking each other, sir.” 

“Liza could wiiin.” 

“While I would by no means go down without a fight, I somehow doubt that I could defeat either of them.” 

Both beastfolk were level 30, so from a numerical standpoint, Liza would probably lose. 

“Oh! What a move!” 

“Twiiirl?” 

“My head is spinning, sir.” 

“Mm. Wow.” 

The younger group raised a chorus of admiration for the acrobatic fighters. 

Getting overexcited, Tama and Pochi started dangling themselves a little dangerously over the railing to cheer them on. 

“You mustn’t lean over the railing, you two,” Liza warned. 

The two backed away immediately, but each time one of the beastfolk landed a blow or executed an acrobatic dodge, they leaped right back on. 

Finally, tired of telling them off, Liza picked up Tama and Pochi and held them like a pair of stuffed animals. 

The foxfolk man swung his broadsword around like a shot put, using the momentum to let loose a spinning slash like something out of a manga. 

Not to be outdone, the raccoonfolk man separated his sword vertically into two thinner swords and began whirling himself around as well. 

“Three tuuurns?” 

“My head is really spinning, sir.” 

Tama and Pochi, still secure in Liza’s arms, whipped their heads back and forth dizzyingly as they watched the fighters. Between their flailing arms and tails, I was afraid something was going to go flying off. 

Still, this is a martial arts tournament, right? Not, like, a circus? 

It was definitely interesting, but something was off. All I could do was assume that as one’s level rose, the stat inflation allowed for moves that would normally be impossible. 

“Master, can I move like that, too? I inquire.” 

“If you use Body Strengthening well enough, I’m sure you can.” 

Unfortunately, this comment also caught the attention of Miss Karina, who had been watching the match quietly. 

“Why, in that case, perhaps I could do it, too.” 

“Indeed, Lady Karina, it is possible.” 

The intelligent item Raka blinked on Miss Karina’s chest. 

The heated battle between the two beastfolk had the crowd worked up into a fervor, but shockingly, it ended in a draw when the fighters knocked each other out simultaneously. The rematch would be held the next day. 

The final round of the morning was between a beastfolk spearman and a female samurai who appeared to be around twenty years old. 

Apparently, she was a relative of Kajiro, the longsword-wielding samurai from the first match. She wielded both a polearm and a short sword. 

Both combatants’ levels were in the mid-twenties, significantly lower than the fighters we’d seen so far. 

“Just you wait, Golao. Papa’s going to win this tournament and get a government job.” 

“I vow to restore Lord Kajiro’s pride.” 

My “Keen Hearing” skill was now able to pick up the mutters of the combatants under the cheering of the crowd. It must have adapted to the loud environment. 

I guess even after maxing out a skill, I can still improve its performance by using it well. 

When the allotted time for evaluating the opponent was up and the match began, the spearman immediately went on the offensive. 

“““Yaaaah! Kill herrr!””” 

The audience was getting a little vicious. They must have been worked up after the previous fight’s anticlimax. 

The edge of the spear’s cross-shaped tip sliced through the woman’s sleeve, and the other end bit into her arm. Blood sprayed into the air, agitating the audience. 

“““Bloooood! Woooo!””” 

I didn’t exactly love where this was going. 

In the gamelike system of this world, blood loss seemed to result in continuous damage. The samurai’s HP and stamina bars steadily decreased as time passed. 

“““Yeaaaah! Kiiiill!””” 

The blood loss sent the woman staggering, and the crowd roared madly. 

“Mrrr…” 

“Weh…” 

Tama and Pochi, still in Liza’s arms, curled up fearfully with their ears flattened and tails hiding between their legs. Even Liza, normally so stoic, had turned pale. 

Something was most likely frightening them— Oh, no. Of course. 

“Arisa, could you cast Calm Field on Liza, Tama, and Pochi, please?” 

“Okeydoke!” 

Arisa obeyed my quiet request without making a scene. The magic quickly took effect, easing the beastfolk girls’ panic. I caught them before they collapsed, bringing them over to rest on a sofa. 

“What’s the matter?” Miss Karina asked. 

“The intensity of the crowd seems to have gotten to them.” 

But that wasn’t quite what had happened. 

In all likelihood, the real cause of their distress was that the jeers of the crowd reminded them of the riot back in Seiryuu City. If the magic soldier Zena hadn’t stepped in to help, the three of them might have been killed. It made sense that the experience would have traumatized them. 

“It’s all right,” I murmured, laying my hands over theirs. “We’re here for you.” 

“You’ve got me, too!” 

“And me.” 

“I will defend you, I declare.” 

“Mm. Safe.” 

Everyone else was just as worried about the beastfolk girls, and they all gathered around to put their hands on top of mine encouragingly. 

I think Miss Karina wanted to join, too, but she hesitated too long and missed her chance, so instead she just stood outside the circle looking left out. 

“Master, I apologize for worrying you.” 

“We’re okaaay.” 

“P-Pochi is just fine, sirs.” 

The beastfolk girls smiled with a little difficulty and returned to their seats. 

And yet, the cries of “Kill her!” were still roaring through the stadium. 

Come on, people—read the room a little. 

But my snide mental commentary stopped dead in its tracks when I saw the man standing over the bloodied samurai woman with his spear raised. 

However reluctantly, he appeared to be trying to stab her in response to the audience’s demands. 

“Why isn’t the ref—?” 

Before I finished my question, I realized the woman was still holding her broken short sword. 

From a refereeing standpoint, that probably meant the fight was technically still on. 

The woman rolled to avoid the spear a few times, but finally the spearman trapped the arm holding the short sword under his foot, rendering her powerless. 

“That’s it! Kill her! If you do well, the house of Count Bobino will gladly employ you!” 

An arrogant voice called out from another section of the luxury seats. 

At this, the spearman muttered as if he’d lost his mind. “Golao… Papa’s going to do it…” 

Shoot, this doesn’t look good. 

“Stop! Golao is watching!” I used my “Amplification” skill to try and bring the man back to his senses. 

“Golao…” 

Shaken by my cry, the man shifted his spear to the side, the cross-shaped tip stopping just short of the woman’s neck. 

“Winner! Spearman Jirau!” 

As soon as his victory was announced, the man dropped to his knees. The medical staff came in to help up the samurai woman and carry her off the field. 

“Well, I know I’m bored of this now. Should we go back?” 

“I agree. This bloodthirsty atmosphere doesn’t suit my delicate senses.” 

I wasn’t really bored, but I didn’t like how cruel this was getting. 

Besides, the yells of the crowd were probably stressing out the beastfolk girls. 

“If Sa—Sir Pendragon is going back, I suppose we shall as well.” 

With that, we all headed to the carriages. 

Along the way, my “Keen Hearing” skill picked up an interesting conversation. 

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?! I’m a direct descendant of the esteemed Bobino family, I’ll have you know! Foolish knights!” 

“Quiet down, please. We are detaining all members of the Bobino family by order of His Grace the duke. Any resistance will be considered mutiny against him.” 

The first voice was that awful, arrogant noble from before. 

On the map, I confirmed that the duke’s men had surrounded the Bobino estate, where the Wings of Freedom members had been hiding out, and an elite force of imperial guards were facing down the count’s private army. 

The duke had made good on his word from the night before, dispatching his troops the very next day. 

I’m glad to see he’s so quick to action. 

 

When we returned to Count Worgoch’s manor, I decided to try to comfort the beastfolk girls by preparing hamburg steaks at their request. 

The maid of the house was able to get some tofu for me, so I made a test run of a tofu version for Mia as well. 

“Pochi!” 

“Tamaaa!” 

Seeing the steaks, the two squealed and clung to each other joyously. I was glad they weren’t just pretending to be cheerful anymore. Hamburg steaks had been the right choice. 

“Satou?” 

Mia looked at me doubtfully when I placed the steak in front of her. 

“This is a tofu hamburg steak. It may look like a normal one, but it’s made with soy and wheat flour, so I think you should be able to eat it.” 

It included eggs as well, but she regularly ate pastries that contained eggs. It shouldn’t be a problem. 

“Just try a bite, okay? If you don’t like it, I’ll make you something else.” 

“Mm.” Mia hesitantly reached her chopsticks toward the tofu hamburg steak. “Yummy,” she mumbled. 

Then, after thoroughly chewing up and swallowing the single bite, her eyes sparkled. 

“Delicious! It falls apart in your mouth, and the mysterious flavor is nothing like bread or vegetables. It’s so good—it’s amazing!” 

This time, she spoke Elvish to declare her approval at length. 

Good, guess she liked it. 

For a while now, I’d wanted to make a hamburg steak that Mia could eat, since she always looked disappointed watching the others eat theirs. 

“Hamburg steak… I never knew that such a thing existed…!” 

Miss Karina trembled with emotion at her first taste of the dish. 

“Yummy-yummy!” 

“Master, the hamburg steak is delicious, I commend.” 

Tama and Nana had limited vocabularies, but they still expressed their enjoyment of the food clearly. 

“Oh man, hamburg steak is the best! …Sir.” 

“Makes you want to jump up and shout, ‘Aww, yeah!’ right?” 

Pochi and Arisa, on the other hand, were a little hard to understand. Arisa seemed to be having a major influence on Pochi’s vocabulary; I might have to do something about that soon. 

At any rate, after I enjoyed everyone’s reactions for a while, I soon gave in to their demands for seconds. 

“Satou, more.” 

“Sorry, Mia. I don’t have enough tofu to make another helping.” 

“…Whomp-whomp.” 

Mia almost never said sound effects aloud like that. Guess she was really disappointed. 

I managed to earn her forgiveness by promising to make her hamburg steak again for dinner. 

In the end, everyone but Mia ate too much and went down for the count. They were all flopped out on the floor groaning. Once I got them to take some stomach medicine and lie down properly, I decided to leave them to recover for a while. 

I called out to Mia, who was cleansing her palate with fruit water. 

“Seems like we have some time to kill. Want to go check out the aristocratic quarter’s magic shop?” 

“Mm, let’s.” 

The magic shop was within walking distance, but the Bobino mansion roundup was still going on, so I decided it would be smoother and safer to take one of the Worgoch mansion’s carriages. 

The magic shop was on the outer edge of the aristocratic quarter, near the lesser nobles’ estates. 

There was a magic shop for commoners in the downtown area, too, but I decided on this one because it was the only place that carried intermediate attack magic. 

As I entered the store in high spirits, I suddenly ran into an acquaintance. 

“Ooh, if it isn’t Sir Satou!” 

“Hmm? Is this an acquaintance of yours, Tolma?” 

“Yeah, I told you about him before, remember? When that army of monsters attacked Muno City, he…” 

Tolma was inside the magic shop, chatting with someone who appeared to be the manager. 

He spun the tale of the defense of Muno City as if he had witnessed it with his own two eyes. 

The store manager was a large, muscular man with a grim face, hardly the sort you’d expect to run a magic shop. An ax or a broadsword would be more fitting in his hands. 

The manager grinned as he listened to Tolma’s excited tale. If his expression was anything to go by, he probably figured that Tolma was exaggerating as usual. He certainly didn’t seem seriously convinced. 

“The name’s Kikinu. I was born in a small kingdom in the east, so forgive me if my name seems strange. If it’s too hard to pronounce, feel free to call me Meathead or Manager or Old Man or something.” 

“Not at all. My name is Satou.” 

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Not liking to be ignored, Tolma shook his finger. What was it about him that made me want to punch him so much? 

“You really should give your full name, you know.” 

I hadn’t given my surname because I wanted the man to speak freely with me, but as usual, Tolma couldn’t read between the lines. 

“My apologies. I am Satou Pendragon, an honorary hereditary knight.” 

“Oh-ho? You must be fond of heroic legends, eh?” The manager noticed that my name was taken from a fictitious hero. 

“This guy’s master is Baron Muno, who used to be called Baronet Donano.” 

“I see… That explains that, then.” 

Guess Baron Muno was famous for his love of hero stories, even in the old capital. 

“Ultimately, I chose the name Pendragon myself.” 

“Well, that’s all right. Only fellow die-hards would recognize it anyway.” 

So Mr. Kikinu was a fan just like Baron Muno. 

“Anyway, what’s a swordsman like you doing in a place like this? Collecting more scrolls, I suppose?” 

“Well, yes, but I also wanted to see the spell books.” 

“Spell books? Why?” 

“Some of my traveling companions use magic, like this one here.” 

I gestured to Mia, who was hiding behind my back. 

Briefly raising her downcast eyes to peer at Kikinu from under her hood, the elf briefly mumbled “Mia” by way of introduction. 

“A beginner’s book for the little lady, then? I might have a few that would work.” 

“No, no need for that. Could you show me any intermediate or higher books, please?” 

Mr. Kikinu raised his eyebrows. “I think those would be too difficult for a child…” 

“Mrrr.” 

Mia didn’t like being treated like a kid. She shifted her hood slightly, showing the man her pointed ears. 

“A-an elf?!” 

“Mm.” 

“Mia is an elf of the Bolenan Forest,” I explained on her behalf. 

“I-I’m terribly sorry for my rudeness!” 

Kikinu ducked his head with such vigor that it almost smashed into the counter. 

“Okay.” Mia was apparently moved by his sincerity, and her dour expression quickly vanished. 

“I didn’t know you were a fan of elves, too, Kikinu,” Tolma said. 

“I don’t know about ‘fan,’ but… Did I ever tell you that I’m from the Black Dragon Mountains?” 

“Oh yeah.” 

“The monsters from the mountains often carried plagues into our villages.” 

Kikinu began explaining his background. 

“Black Dragon Mountains” sure sounds like an exciting name. 

“Every year, villagers fall ill to these plagues, but thanks to the Tree of Healing Rest that the elves planted long ago, people rarely die.” 

“Mm. Good tree.” Mia nodded wisely. 

“Huh. I bet you could profit off a tree like that if you cut some roots from it.” 

“Impossible. One fellow did try to plant it somewhere else to make money, but it withers if planted anywhere but where the elves put it.” 

Kikinu shook his head. 

“Not enough spirits,” Mia whispered to me, explaining the real reason for the replanting failure. 

I guess you needed spirits for a Tree of Healing Rest to grow. Come to think of it, the land around the dwarves’ home of Bolehart City was withering because of a lack of spirits or mana, too. 

“Regardless, that’s why I feel indebted to the elves.” 

After chatting amiably with Mr. Kikinu for a while, I had him show me his lineup of scrolls and spell books. 

Naturally, the variety of a major city’s magic shop turned out to be extensive. 

“This one looks good.” 

“Really? These books here are old staples, but that one’s practically a joke…” 

The volume I was holding was called Rotation and Romance. It was by the same author as the magic-tool-creation book I’d found in Sedum City in Kuhanou County. 

“Oh, I don’t know about that. Some of Professor Jahado’s inventions are pretty remarkable.” 

Until now, I only knew the author’s name from the cover of the magic item book, but the author bio in this one revealed that he was an old professor living in the royal capital. I would love to meet him once we got there. 

There were other books by the same author, who seemed to be fixated on a certain theme: Where Rotation and Reciprocating Motion Meet and New Magic Born of Rotation. 

The “old staples” the manager recommended were Foundations of Staffs and Catalysts, Gems and Cores, Thirty Circuits for Use in Magic Tools, Magic Tools and Carving Magic, How to Engrave Runes, and From Seals to Magic Circles. 

Every one of these titles grabbed my attention, so I decided to purchase all of them. 

Unfortunately, there was nothing about how to make scrolls. 

“I’ll take all of these, and one of each kind of intermediate spell book, please.” 

There were also manuals for Explosion Magic and Destruction Magic, the two that Miss Ringrande was said to have revived. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any on Space Magic, Gravity Magic, or anything that might be considered taboo. 

“Th-that many?! …Oh, right. I almost forgot, since you’re a friend of Tolma’s and all, but would you mind showing me your noble identification papers, please? And you need a certain license to purchase any books containing spells that could be used for military purposes…” 

“Will this do?” 

I showed him the silver plate denoting my nobility and the permit I’d received from the duke the day before. 

“An unlimited permit? And with the duke’s official seal?! H-how on earth did you…?” 

I couldn’t bring myself to tell the speechless Mr. Kikinu that I got it as payment for some tasty tempura, so instead I flashed him a trademark Japanese smile. 

Next, I had him show me his scroll collection. 

“You could just buy these directly from our workshop, you know.” 

“Hey, Tolma. Don’t try to steal my customers.” Mr. Kikinu smiled drily, evidently accustomed to Tolma’s oblivious remarks. 

“Don’t worry, Lord Tolma. I have all kinds of strange scrolls to order there when I visit.” 

In fact, I was planning to try to get custom scrolls of my self-designed spells, so I figured I’d buy the ones that were available in-store first. 

The general scrolls Mr. Kikinu showed me were no different from the ones I’d bought in Gururian City, but I bought quite a few military magic scrolls. 

They were all lesser or intermediate level only, but I got attack spells like Fire Storm, Laser, and Explosion, two communication spells called Whisper Wind and Telephone, and a magical interference spell called Break Magic, to name a few. 

Ah, if I’d had all these spells before, it would’ve been so much easier to defeat the demon lord. 

Unfortunately, though, there weren’t any scrolls of a few other spells I wanted, like Aqua Heal, Remove Poison, Cure Disease, and so on. 

According to Mr. Kikinu, the scroll versions weren’t very effective, so potions were considered much more reliable. 

“What about spells like Magic Hand, Lock, and Unlock?” 

“I’m sorry, but—” 

“Sir Satou,” Tolma interrupted, “making scrolls like Lock and Unlock that could be used for crimes is strictly prohibited.” 

So military spells are all right, but not those… 

Other spells like See Through and Clairaudience were also forbidden, since they could be used for spying. I was told that nobles often had special constructions on their grounds to prevent that kind of magic. 

Mr. Kikinu added that some of the books I’d just bought, like Magic Tools and Carving Magic and From Seals to Magic Circles, contained spells that could be used for spying, too. 

Incidentally, the Magic Hand spell I asked about was supposed to be similar to telekinesis. As it turned out, though, when it was used from a scroll, you couldn’t do much more than lift a pen for less than a minute, so it wasn’t exactly in high demand. 

Tolma added that Viscount Siemmen’s warehouse had a Magic Hand scroll, though, so I’d have to see if I could get it from him. 

Once I’d collected a good number of things I wanted, I decided to wrap up my shopping here. 

I paid a rather substantial amount using gold coins from my Garage Bag and put away all of my many purchases. 

“Oh-ho? Is that an Item Bag? How fitting for a noble.” 

“Do you carry these here, too?” 

“Sometimes, but we don’t have any in stock at the moment. They’re high-class made-to-order items. It can take years to get one in.” 

Oh-ho-ho? 

I had assumed that it was the kind of relic you could find only in a labyrinth or an ancient empire, but from what Mr. Kikinu said, they were still being made in magic tool workshops. 

Come to think of it, I guess Miss Karina did mention back at Muno Castle that she had a Magic Bag, too. 

I asked Mr. Kikinu a little more about their functionality and learned that even the highest-quality Item Bags held about the same amount as the Garage Bag I’d found in the haunted fortress in Muno Barony. 

So the one I first picked up from the Valley of Dragons was unique after all. 

 

Once we finished our business at the magic shop, Tolma showed us around the bookstores and trading firms of the nobles’ quarter, then guided us to the other magic shop downtown. 

The reason I wanted to visit the trading firms was to buy a cask of wine to send to Elder Dohal and the dwarves. I also sent a special high-grade sake set to Mr. Garohal, who had sold me the Forge scroll that helped me defeat the demon lord. 

At first, I smiled blandly when Tolma commented, “The old capital is like my personal garden!” but it turned out to be truer than I expected. 

Tolma led us all over the old capital, showing us the hidden sights. We went down strange back alleys, cut through other people’s gardens, and generally followed a path that was more like a naughty child’s favorite obstacle course than a shortcut. 

Tama or Pochi would probably have loved it, but Mia started falling behind pretty quickly, and I ended up carrying her on my shoulders. 

Eventually, this sketchy course led us to a strange patch of land between two buildings, almost like an empty lot. 

Because it was actually surrounded by a grove of trees, not buildings, it was more like a natural park, but it still struck me with that impression. 

“Fresh,” Mia murmured. 

True enough, the scent of greenery was strong here. 

Suddenly, I got a strange feeling and glanced at the radar in the corner of my vision. As it turned out, this place was treated like a different map area. 

It was a tiny space, but just to be safe, I used my “Search Entire Map” skill. Fortunately, it didn’t alert me to any hostile presences. 

“Sir Satou! Over here.” 

Tolma had already pushed his way forward through the weeds and was waving us over. 

Looking in his direction, I saw a single house buried among all the greenery. 

“This is one of the best shops in town. They’ve always got tons of good finds.” 

Cheerfully ignoring the CLOSED sign on the door, Tolma walked on in as if he himself owned the place. Maybe I could learn a thing or two from his boldness. 

The entrance of the ivy-covered brick building was too small to enter with Mia on my shoulders. Even at my height, I was a little worried I’d hit my head going in. I lowered her to the ground, then took her hand and entered the store. 

“Hey, Gramps!” I heard Tolma yelling farther inside. “You alive in here?” 

After a moment, there was a crashing noise and a yelp of pain from Tolma, followed by an angry retort from an old man. 

“Am I alive, my arse! If anything, it’s been so long since I saw ye that I thought ye might be dead yerself.” The old shop owner was too short to see behind Tolma. “Anyway, Tolma. Who d’ye think yer bringing into my store?” 

“Oh, these are some friends of mine…” 

Tolma turned to introduce us, finally giving us a glimpse of the shop owner. 

He had a green hat like a nightcap, a wrinkled face, pointed ears, and grayish skin with silver eyes. According to the information on the AR display that popped up next to him, this man was a kind of fairyfolk called a spriggan. 

If I remembered correctly from video games and such, spriggans were treasure-hoarding sprites. Perhaps that was why the shelves behind him were full of magic items, scrolls, and so on. 

“It’s too bright… I cain’t see.” 

The old shop owner shaded his eyes with his hands for a moment. When he lowered his arm, his silver eyes were now jet-black. 

“Looks like a little humanfolk boy… Hmm? Isn’t that the Silent Bell of Bolenan? I see, I see.” 

Noticing the bell hanging from my belt, the spriggan shopkeeper folded his arms and nodded wisely. 

Then he noticed Mia hiding behind me. 

“Oh-ho-ho? Is that young lady an elf? Yer the spitting image of Cyriltoa, though ye mustn’t be.” 

“Mm. Mia.” 

A little sullen, Mia lowered her hood as she offered a terse introduction. 

“…I’m sorry if I offended ye.” 

The old shop owner took off his cap and stood behind the counter. 

“My name is Eucham Bolesven. As you can see, I’m but an old spriggan.” 

“I am the youngest elf of Bolenan Forest, Misanaria Bolenan, daughter of Lamisauya and Lilinatoa.” 

The spriggan introduced himself in Elvish, and Mia did the same. 

Her expression returned to normal as smoothly as if her pout had been wiped away with a cloth. I guess there are certain rules and customs that only fairyfolk know. 

Oblivious to the quiet change in the mood, Tolma began pestering the shop owner. 

“Got a few minutes, old man? I want you to show these two that special item you were telling me about, the one you called a book of treasures.” 

“Hmm, that one, eh…? Very well. Just a moment.” 

The old fellow disappeared into the back of the shop, and Tolma set about making tea and rearranging the chairs in the room as if it were the most natural thing in the world. 

“I come here to buy adult books all the time.” 

“Erm, then this ‘book of treasures’ you mentioned…?” 

“Ha-ha-ha! Of course not. At my age, I wouldn’t come here to buy those.” 

Tolma laughed off my concerns easily. 

It wasn’t that I wasn’t interested in the adult books of this world, but I didn’t exactly want to go through a whole song and dance of introductions just to get my hands on them. Fortunately, Mia didn’t seem to know what “adult books” meant; she didn’t declare me “guilty” this time. 

“Satou, tea snacks.” 

“Is something like cake or cookies all right?” 

“Honey nut cookies.” 

I took out the sweets from my Garage Bag as requested, placing them on a handkerchief in lieu of a plate. 

“Something smells sweet in here, eh?” 

“Please, help yourself.” 

I offered the cookies to the old shopkeeper as he returned with string-bound books and scrolls. 

“Delicious. Bring these next time, too.” The old spriggan must have been a fan of sweets. This was probably also a roundabout way of granting me permission to come back. 

While the shopkeeper ate with relish, I turned my attention to the books he’d brought. 

Could it be…? 

I read through the scrolls stacked along with the books. These weren’t magic scrolls like the ones I bought at Mr. Kikinu’s place but rather rolled-up notes of some sort. 

The books bound with strings listed the chants for various spells. 

There wasn’t a single line of explanation in the Shigan language, either. Instead, the rolled-up papers contained guides and notes for reading the scrolls, so I used those to try to read them. 

It brought me back to my time as a student, when I would try to reverse-engineer the source programs for games from the binary code. I’d always enjoyed stuff like that. 

It wasn’t encrypted like the guide to making Holy Swords, making it relatively easy for me to read. 

“Is this Space Magic?” 

“That’s right. I’m impressed ye could decipher it so quickly, boy!” The spriggan raised his eyebrows in surprise, then smacked my shoulders admiringly. “No wonder ye were entrusted with the Silent Bell. A traveling sorcerer left these with me and asked me to give them to the first person who could read them,” he explained, telling me the origin of the spell book. 

I never would have expected to get this handy volume here, and I was extremely pleased. It would make a good souvenir for Arisa, who was back watching the mansion. 

“Incidentally, Sir Eucham… Are the scrolls on the shelf behind you for sale, by any chance?” 

I pointed to the shelf that had caught my attention a little while ago. 

“Hmm, ye have a sharp eye. I normally dinnae sell them, but they were left to me by the same sorcerer. Perhaps ye ought to have them, if ye like.” 

“Yes, please!” 

Thanks to my enthusiasm, the old shopkeeper agreed to sell me four scrolls. 

They included the Space Magic spells Clairvoyance and Clairaudience, the Practical Magic spell See Through, and the light magic spell Illusion. 

The spriggan man warned me not to peep too much, but I had no intention of using it that way. 

Tolma seemed to want to chat with the old shopkeeper for a while, so we decided to go on ahead. 

Following the shopkeeper’s instructions, we proceeded straight from the door and came out an alley near the main street. 

“Huh. So this is where it’s connected to?” 

I looked over my shoulder, only to find nothing but fences. 

A glance at my map told me there were several empty lots full of trees. 

When I searched for Tolma and Mr. Eucham, I found that the store was actually located some ways away. 

“Wandering Forest.” 

I put together the information from Mia’s short explanation in my head and filed it away. 

From what I gathered, Wandering Forest was a Spirit Magic spell that formed a barrier to protect the shop. If one were to proceed in any direction but the correct path, they would come out in a different area like we just did. 

So there was a reason for Tolma’s meandering route after all. 

Feeling rather satisfied, I found a street carriage to take us back to the mansion. 

 

“Lady Cyriltoa does not meet with anyone without an appointment, I am afraid.” 

On the way home, we’d passed by the concert hall where Miss Cyriltoa the Songstress was performing, so I’d stopped in to see if Mia could meet her. Unfortunately, the older lady at the reception counter sharply refused. 

“Then, if I could make an appointment, please—” 

“Even if you were the son of a noble or a royal from another kingdom, I could not accept your request. If you would like to make an arrangement in the future, you will have to acquire a ‘songstress meeting license’ from His Grace the duke.” 

What is this, a side quest? 

I managed to keep my irritation from showing with my “Poker Face” skill. 

“Call Ciya.” 

“Excuse me? Who do you think you are? Calling the great Lady Cyriltoa the Songstress by a nickname!” 

The old lady’s eyebrows practically shot through the ceiling. She had to be a devoted fan of Miss Cyriltoa—more like a worshipper, really. 

But her attitude quickly changed when Mia lowered her hood. 

“Call her.” 

“…Those ears! You look like…! Could you by any chance be a relative of Lady Cyriltoa?!” 

“Mm. Mia.” 

Unmoved by the woman’s shock, Mia replied with her usual shortness. 

After that, we were able to meet Cyriltoa the Songstress without any further trouble. 

“Welcome! If it isn’t Laya and Lia’s daughter Misanaria. How long has it been? A century? Why, you’ve grown so much! How lovely.” 

“Uh-huh.” 

To my surprise, Miss Cyriltoa spoke normally for an elf. The ones I’d met so far, Mia and the store manager in Seiryuu City, both spoke mostly in one- or two-word sentences; I’d assumed she would be the same way. 

Miss Cyriltoa was a young elf girl who bore a striking resemblance to Mia. 

Her hair was closer to light blue in color, long and straight, but other than that you could barely tell the difference. Her age was several times more than Mia’s, making her older even than the store manager. 

Elves must age physically very slowly, no matter how old they are. A lolicon would probably be thrilled. 

“My, it’s been so long since I had fresh fruit from the Mountain-Tree.” 

“Mm, good.” 

The slice I offered Miss Cyriltoa put a smile on her face. 

She had declined the baked goods and dried fruit I offered, saying they would be bad for her throat, which was why I’d brought out the fruit instead. I took it from Storage through the Garage Bag, of course. 

“The Bolenan Senate contacted me to say that you were missing, Mia. Did you run away with this human boy, then?” 

“Mm. Lovers.” 

As usual, Mia was deadpanning, so I explained in her stead. 

She didn’t seem too happy to be corrected, but I thought it was best to cut off rumors like that before they started. 

“How wonderful. So you rescued our princess from an evil sorcerer.” 

“Romantic.” 

When I finished summing things up, each elf commented on the story. 

I guess Miss Cyriltoa is preoccupied with love, too. 

“Lady Cyriltoa, it’s almost time for your next performance…” 

As the three of us were chatting, the receptionist from before came to call Miss Cyriltoa away. We must have been talking for longer than I thought. 

“Oh my, what a shame. Will you be staying in the old capital awhile?” 

“Mm. Will come back.” 

When Mia noticed Cyriltoa seemed reluctant to part ways, she nodded reassuringly. 

“Oh, I know! Mia, you can have this.” 

Miss Cyriltoa took an instrument case off a shelf and handed it to Mia. 

“Ciya!” 

“I don’t use it anymore. It’ll be happier with you.” 

Lady Cyriltoa stroked the case lovingly. Her hand, encased in a glove up to the elbow, was labeled artificial hand in my AR display. 

Its movements were so natural that it was impossible to tell it apart from an ordinary hand, but it must have been inadequate for a master musician. 

“…Mm. Okay.” 

After hesitating a little, Mia accepted the musical instrument in its case. 

As the receptionist panicked further, Cyriltoa took her sweet time saying good-bye. 

“I would love to chat again.” 

“I’ll make some sweets that are easy on the throat for next time.” 

She giggled. “I can’t wait.” 

Waving her gloved hand, Miss Cyriltoa left the room. 

In the carriage on the way home, Mia hugged the instrument case to her chest as she relayed stories about the elfin songstress in short, halting sentences. As it turned out, she’d lost her arm in a tragic accident while exploring in the Labyrinth City Celivera. 

Mia remembered her singing abilities as being average, so she must have devoted herself to training her voice after losing her arm. 

I had a lot of respect for her ability to persevere in the face of adversity. 

While I was discussing this with Mia, the carriage arrived back at the mansion, and I decided to take everyone to see her perform sometime. 

 

Late that night, I returned into the labyrinth ruins under the old capital. 

Naturally, I wanted to test out the scrolls I’d acquired. 

The reason it ended up being so late was that I had to explain to Arisa and Mia the Space Magic spell book I’d only just gotten. 

As soon as I explained, Arisa wanted to learn it right away, but she didn’t have enough skill points to reach the level that allowed her to use Teleportation; she ended up rolling around on the floor in despair. 

Anyway, it was time to start experimenting. 

“Hmm. This one’s more powerful than I expected…” 

When I used Fire Storm from the magic menu, it utterly destroyed everything I set up to test out my spells’ effectiveness: rocks, armor, and more. The temperature itself was lower than that of Forge, but its overall power was much higher. 

Spells created specially for combat really were destructive. 

I didn’t feel like going too far, so I started my experiments in a relatively high level of the labyrinth, but at this rate, the spells might actually cause noises or tremors aboveground. 

Just to be safe, I moved closer to the middle tier of the labyrinth to experiment with the other scrolls. 

The attack spells all packed a punch, but the Light Magic spell Laser did relatively little area damage. 

Since it was possible to reduce its power by adjusting the number of beams fired, it might be handy in a variety of ways. 

If used in conjunction with Condense, a spell I’d acquired previously, I discovered I could focus all the beams together to raise its power, alter its trajectory, and things like that. Glad Condense has its uses after all. 

I didn’t get to test Break Magic very much, but it seemed decent, too. However, if I used it to cancel out an intermediate spell like Fire Storm, the excess magic would end up surging in all directions. I’d have to find a way to protect against that. 

According to one book, Mana Section was the best way to prevent this magic “surge.” There was another one for the list of scrolls I needed. 

The communication spells were all very handy. Clairvoyance, which could be used to check in on faraway companions, and Telephone, which could communicate with them, seemed especially useful. 

Hopefully, Arisa or Mia could at least learn how to use Telephone from the Space Magic book. Maybe Lulu could, too, since she had the Chant skill. 





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