Chapter 326
(Kyle Calendar Year 514: Age 21)
The 1st Royal Capital Tournament ④: Individual Matches
Translator : PolterGlast
The individual match
preliminaries were being held simultaneously at two locations within the
stadium. Well, there are 50 participants, so it takes a corresponding amount of
time.
Well, if it's the
preliminaries, all our participants should smoothly... ... Huh?
That's not right!
This is bad... there were several, no, a fair number of dark horses. Because
there are several skilled individuals, are several of ours struggling too? What
does this mean?
No, I didn't expect
it to be to this extent, though...
「Yuka,
Her Highness Clarice's Royal Guard... is it what I think it is?」
From the beginning,
the naming was full of points to retort to, but I ended up asking the question
I had dared not to ask until now.
「Yes,
they are originally volunteer soldiers from the Royal Capital who followed and
fought alongside Her Highness on the eastern front.」
「Weren't
they... partly incorporated into the newly established unit of the Royal
Capital Knights after the war, and the rest disbanded?」
「Yes,
they disbanded once; 2,000 transferred to the Royal Capital Knights Archer
Unit, and 2,000 to the Royal Capital Archer Reserve Corps, an organization
similar to the vigilante corps in Teigoon. However, they... started
calling themselves the Royal Guard out of adoration for Her Highness whom they
fought alongside, and that name ended up sticking...」
「Well,
that's more interesting anyway. In the first place, they are ones who volunteered
out of adoration for Her Highness. So, what will they do after Her Highness
marries into the Principality?」
「It is
said that a certain percentage will leave the Reserve Corps. Because in the
first place, they are people who gathered out of adoration for Her Highness.」
「Right...
but the crucial thing is, what is their true ability?」
「In
this tournament, both the Royal Capital Knights and the Royal Guard cannot be
underestimated. It varies depending on the round held, but if it were past supreme tournaments, there are several
people who could aim for victory.」
That makes sense.
The Royal Capital Knights alone is a gathering of 30,000 individuals excelling
in martial arts, and the Royal Guard should probably be considered hand-picked
from a population around the Royal Capital that is no less than 300,000...
Probability-wise, it's quite something.
「Then,
for Yuka and the others' betting,
are these two groups the lines you spread your bets on?」
「Eh...
no, well...」
Yeah, Yuka is
honest in these parts too, so she's easy to understand. This time too, my
father-in-law (Gorman), whom I am most wary of, is probably focusing
solely on the team matches, and to be honest, the others are not the favorites.
「So,
how many people from those lines do you think will advance to the finals?」
「Three...
possibly around five...」
「At
most half, huh... they cannot be underestimated.」
I slightly revised
my understanding. Towards a stricter direction.
And I was to realize
the amazingness of Yuka's prediction at this time. When the preliminaries
ended, the results were clear.
「Yuka,
probably Father-in-law is focusing solely on the team matches, right? Somehow
it's terrifying...」
「Yes,
my father seemed quite fired up, saying it's a battle for revenge for last
time...」
「Even
so, I suppose I should call it a rapid advancement for the Knights and the
Royal Guard. To think it would truly go exactly as Yuka predicted...」
From my place, 3
people—Serena, Almis, and Yorm—advanced their pieces to
the finals, along with 3 from Clarice's Royal Guard, 2 from the Royal
Capital Knights, 1 from my brother Frontier Duke Hastburg, and 1 from Marquis Solis.
「It was
unfortunate for Miss Spica. Sir Isaac too...」
「I
wonder if their opponents in the preliminaries were bad. This is also the luck
of the draw. Even so, I didn't think Her Highness's Royal Guard would do this
well. The Knights are one thing, but...」
Yes, 3 people from
the Royal Guard advanced to the finals, and 2 of them were women. Moreover, the
woman who defeated Spica could be inferred to be quite a formidable
opponent.
「I
think there are three reasons. First, compared to that in Teigoon, I
feel the target setting is a little lenient. If so, it becomes a situation
where the superiority or inferiority of skill is hard to show, and a small
mistake becomes fatal. Because there is no opportunity to recover.」
I see... So it means
the true difference in ability is hard to see. Since Yuka is also a
reasonably skilled person, she probably sensitively senses that difference.
「The
second reason is probably because the venue is the Royal Capital, isn't it?
Because all the players of the Royal Guard are from the Royal Capital.
Including those from the Knights
Order. It might be a little difficult for us to perform here.」
Ah, meaning the
disadvantage of an away game? Certainly, the cheering for the Royal Guard and
Knights from the Royal Capital was extraordinary.
Much less, for our
players, a tournament watched over by such a large crowd is probably a
first-time experience. Perhaps there are parts where they are swallowed by the
atmosphere and cannot fully demonstrate their true abilities... surely.
「Besides...
the crossbows used for competitions in Teigoon are of the highest
quality, but compared to that, the ones here lack reliability somewhat.」
I see, so the
feeling of handling them is different. We adjust that area during official
practice, but having a different feeling from what you are used to is
significant...
I guess that kind of
dexterity is also required in outside tournaments... Since they were always
held locally, I was also indifferent to that point.
「Lastly,
let me say it. The one who defeated Spica... she was too strong. Isn't
that it?」
「As
expected! Actually, she was the strongest player in the Royal Capital
tournaments as well. It seems she was invited by the Royal Capital Knights too,
but an army of only men didn't suit her...」
That makes sense.
The Royal Capital Knights is basically just men. Because the few women who were
in the knight course at the academy, once they graduate, are highly sought
after as guards for noble women, and don't flow into the Knights Order.
As a result, the
Knights Order has become an extremely scruffy group centered around
muscle-brains.
「So she
went to the Royal Guard?」
「Yes,
that's right. Even among the volunteer soldiers, there were around 100 women,
but not all of them joined the Knights Order. Therefore, there are two capable women in Her Highness's
Royal Guard.」
「I
see... exactly as planned. Are you acquainted with them, Yuka?」
「Ah!
You are going to invite them, aren't you. Yes, I have spoken with them several
times during crossbow instruction. Shall I call out to them after the
individual match finals are over?」
「Hahaha,
you see right through all my thoughts. But I want you to do the recruitment after
the team matches are over. Because that will surely be more effective.」
「Ah...
right. That's how it is. Understood.」
The two of us looked
at each other with scheming faces and laughed together. Tomorrow's finals are a
tournament format. I hope our own people don't crush each other before the
finals, but... this depends on luck.
※
The first night was
a banquet. Or rather, for the next three days, it's going to be a barrage of
banquets, giving me a bit of heartburn.
Here, too, befitting
a guest drawing attention politically and commercially, greetings come
incessantly, leaving me no peace. Dodging them appropriately, I somehow managed
to just get a minimum meal and promptly left my seat.
After all, the main
event is the final day, and today is merely the opening act. Besides, there are
crowds around the people I can converse intimately with—the three Frontier
Dukes including my brother—and around my father and father-in-law too...
Since His Majesty
the King and His Majesty Krieger have also left their seats along with
Her Highness for future meetings, it probably won't be considered rude.
And the next day, we
welcomed the individual match finals.
※
「It
seems the Archduke of Westlights, who boasted overwhelming strength
until now, is struggling as expected. How does the Archduke evaluate the rapid
advancement of the Royal Capital players?」
Behind His Majesty
the King, who asked thus, Knight Commander Gouras, Legion Commander Hoffman,
and Legion Commander Schultz were also staring at me proudly. Her
Highness Clarice, who commands the Royal Guard that defeated two of the
players I selected, also has a proud expression.
「Let's
see. To be honest, I was impressed by everyone's sincere dedication to the
crossbow. Also, I take my hat off to the population of the Royal Capital and
the depth of that layer.」
Yes, this part is my honest feeling,
and other than Spica's matter, it's something I anticipated to a certain
extent. But you know... we won't end it like this either.
When I thought so,
my brother pointed at his own face and laughed. Ah... does that mean my face
has become a villainous face scheming evil again?
「However,
we too have our track record up to now, experience, and network of people. I
think His Majesty will also be able to enjoy it, you see.」
「Oh, Clarice
and Gouras were also boasting that they could win if it's the individual
match, but... you have the confidence to repel even that.」
「I
wouldn't say confidence, but I do have expectations. Believing in the power of
my elites.」
「I see,
the dignity of an absolute champion, huh...」
No, please stop with
the unnecessary titles. Because it will be troublesome if I get strange rumors
spread about me again...
「Then I
definitely wish to see the skill of those elites.」
「I too
expect there will be something to learn this time.」
Hahaha, both Her
Highness and the Knight Commander are breathing heavily. It seems they are
quite confident. Well, looking at the preliminary results, one can see why.
『Incidentally,
I had conveyed to each player, "Assess the opponent's true ability, and if
you seem to have leeway, you may hold back in the preliminaries."』
Well... that
backfired, and Spica, who didn't go all out from the start, ended up
losing, but... As for the remaining three who won narrowly, I heard later that
they faithfully followed my instructions and apparently adjusted to win right
on the borderline on purpose...
「I'm
sorry, it's all my fault, isn't it...」
Amidst the
intersecting speculations of each person, after the draw for the final
tournament matchups, the first match began. Reflecting on yesterday, I
instructed the three to go all out right from the start. Since the difficulty
of the targets seems to have increased today, they should be able to
demonstrate their true abilities too.
And then...
「Whaaaaaaat」
In the first round,
three from the Royal Capital Knights, one from the Royal Guard, one from
Frontier Duke Hastburg,
and one from Marquis Solis disappeared. Of course, the Knight Commanders
who had their chests puffed out until the matches started turned to ash and
shrank...
The subsequent
second round consisted of two matches. Yorm advanced automatically with
a bye, Serena confronted the male from the Royal Guard, and Almis
confronted the female from the Royal Guard who defeated Spica.
「Such a
thing...」
This time it was Her
Highness's turn to let out a fading scream. Because in this second round, the
players from the Royal Guard were also completely wiped out. Both of them were
defeated due to an overwhelming difference in true ability.
That the female
player from the Royal Guard, who was viewed most favorably as a candidate for
victory, would actually lose here was something Her Highness, as well as the
spectators from the Royal Capital, seemingly never imagined.
Of course that's the
case, Almis is a player at a level representing the nation, who has
polished her archery skills since she was young, with Christoph's
endorsement.
Here the spectators
screamed. Because at this point, the betting results were decided. And in a form where the Archduke's
Direct Territory of Westlights monopolized first and second place...
「We did
it!」 「It's 12 times!」 「It's
the victory of our unity!」
Amidst many sighs
leaking out, it goes without saying that... there were three people raising
voices of joy. My brother and I... had no choice but to float cramped smiles at
the sight of our wives and sister making a huge fuss.
And the semi-final
was contested between Yorm and Serena, and Almis was
confirmed for the finals with a bye. The battle between the two was a great
close contest with neither yielding, but Serena, who has a day's
advantage (superiority) in handling the crossbow, won through.
And in the final
match, it seems Almis and Serena had quite a good match, but
according to Yuka, it was an overwhelming victory for Almis.
「Miss Almis
is probably not at her full power. Probably... but. Her true ability might
perhaps be about the same as Miss Carleen right now?」
Seriously... Carleen
herself was also invincible at one time, but in recent years a powerful rival, Aura,
appeared and she handed over the top seat. But after that, while mutually
engaging in friendly competition with Aura, she polished her skills
further and has grown more than before.
Equal to that...
amazing.
「Splendid,
as expected of my friend. You will entertain us even more in the team matches
after this, won't you?」
『No,
His Majesty Krieger, I certainly have tricks prepared, but... please
don't say that at this point.』
「It's
frustrating, but we still have a long way to go. I will definitely show you I
can win someday.」
『No...
Her Highness is marrying away, so there is no 'someday rematch'.』
「Such a
thing... are you saying there is still this much of a gap. Even though until now
we so much...」
『Knight
Commander, I'm sorry. Purely speaking, the only one originally from our place
is Serena. But saying that probably won't be any consolation.』
「Hahaha,
both Gouras and Clarice were frogs in the well called the Royal
Capital. Archduke, is that not so? Even so, to monopolize the top spots, as
expected the dignity of an absolute champion was not just for show.」
「No,
no, we too felt anew this time the sense of crisis that we must repeatedly
train every day so as not to be called the bat in a village without birds.」
「Village
without birds... my ears hurt. As expected, if it's not the home ground...」
I did not miss that
mutter.
「How
about it, Your Highness. Dispatching excellent individuals from within the
Royal Guard to the Demon Territory Dukedom or something.」
「And
next time they become the Archduke's players? Well... if the person in question
desires it, it can't be helped. But for those girls, a scruffy place is...
wait, that wouldn't happen, right.」
I mean, were the
Royal Capital Knights that scruffy a group?
「Ah,
please allow me to supplement. I think that's not actually the case, but by the
command of His Excellency the Knight Commander, who felt they fell behind the Frontier
Knights and the Demon Territory Knights in last year's great war...
Fierce training following the example of the Commander continues every day.」
「Yuka,
that's the same as our place, right?」
「That
is true, but... over 30,000 people, covered in sweat and mud every day...」
I see, smelling like
men, no, maybe it just plain stinks.
Setting aside the
battlefield, the Commander is normally a gentleman. Other than winter, he
thoroughly enforces bathing after training, and additionally, perhaps due to
the influence of me, a Japanese person, scrub-washing the body with soap has
recently been adopted as a custom too. Of course, not every day, though...
And we're even
building large public bathhouses in Gaia, Aegis, and Ishtar.
By comparison, the
concept of hygiene in this era, even in the Royal Capital, is lagging behind
from our perspective. That was clearer than looking at a fire.
「Last
year in Kleirat,
from the perspective of epidemic prevention, Takuhir-sama sent massive amounts of soap.
There were temporary bathhouses in the rear too, and until combat began in
earnest, the girls
always spent their time cleanly.」
Saying so, Yuka
made a complicated expression. She must be feeling the gap with that time. The
women especially...
In this era too,
baths were considered a luxury item and something far removed from the
commoners, but the Teigoon area was a different matter.
Hmm? This might also
become a killer phrase for recruitment... Thinking so, I decided to leave the
closing to Yuka.
◇Reference:
Individual Match Participating Players
·
Serena (From former Demon Territory
Count's domain: Non-Mage)
·
Spica (From former Demon Territory
Count's domain: Non-Mage)
·
Almis (From Imperial Kingdom: Wind
Mage)
·
Yorm (Former longbow soldier from Imperial
Kingdom: Wind Mage)
·
Isaac (Former Iron Cavalry of Empire Army: Non-Mage)
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