Chapter 92
(Kyle
Calendar Year 506: Age 13)
Joint Elite
Tournament ④ - Day 1
Translator : PolterGlast
"We will now
commence the Elite Tournament, the Five-Territory Joint Competition!"
A thunderous cheer
erupted from the packed venue at my father's opening declaration.
"This time, we
celebrate the victory in the recent war, to which the town of Teigun greatly
contributed. To commemorate this, numerous guests, including Margrave Hastburg
and Count Gouras, Commander of the Royal Capital Knights, along with citizens who
honed their skills in various territories and soldiers who distinguished
themselves on the battlefield, have gathered here in Teigun. Let us all
celebrate the victory and the glory of Kyle Kingdom anew, and enjoy the
competition!"
My father's speech was
also full of enthusiasm. This time, with the cooperation of Viscount Gorman,
two Sound Mages were amplifying the voices with magic. I had proposed this
possibility when I spoke with Viscount Gorman on the battlefield before, and he
confirmed it was possible, so we made the arrangements.
Following this,
Margrave Hastburg and Count Gouras, representing the guests, delivered their
greetings.
"Now, it's time
for the contestants to enter! Everyone, please give a big round of
applause!"
At the female host's
signal, as loud applause erupted, two figures wrapped in cloaks with their
faces hidden by deep hats stepped forward. Then, two rows of large flames rose
up, flanking the entrance pathway.
"Ooh!"
The cheers grew even
louder. Through the flaming corridor, the contestants entered with dashing
strides. Yes, it was a little opening act that I really wanted to try. It
caused some extra trouble for Claire and Clara, but seeing the entire venue,
including the VIP seats, amazed by the performance, I indulged in a bit of
self-satisfaction.
And so, the two-day
joint elite competition began.
◯ Day 1: Part One - Individual Battle <Ranking Group
Vote>
A total of 42
competitors vied for the first and second places.
<Competitors>
·
5 groups, 30 individuals, top finishers from regular
tournaments in Estol Territory (Red to White groups)
·
1 group, 12 selected individuals from other
territories (Brown group)
"Takuhir-sama,
the final voting results are in."
Just before the start,
Claire handed me some surprising information.
【Tally Results】
Total sales of
individual battle winner voting tickets: 5,000 gold coins
【Individual Battle Odds】
Most Popular: White -
Red, 4x payout
Second Popular: Red -
White, 5x payout
Third Popular: White -
Brown, 6x payout
Fourth Popular: Brown
- White, 8x payout
Fifth Popular: Red -
Brown, 9x payout
"Sales for
tomorrow's team battle are still being accepted until tomorrow morning, so they
haven't been tallied yet, but it seems many people are buying based on today's
results."
"I see, but the
White group is overwhelmingly popular, aren't they?"
"Liliana and
Irina are in the White group. Liliana, especially, is popular in Teigun... and
among the soldiers too."
That's right. Liliana
was a key player in repelling the bandit attack last year, and the soldiers who
participated in that campaign know her. And since Carleen's success, 【Crossbow Girls】 has been highly popular. Similarly, it's widely known among the soldiers
that Alar also participated in the previous battle. That's why the Red group,
where Alar is, is the second most popular. Still, the Brown group is performing
better than expected.
※
Amidst roaring cheers,
the individual battle began.
In the first half,
featuring fixed targets, there was an unexpectedly close contest, or rather, a
tough fight for Estol Territory. As anticipated, the White group (Liliana: 3rd
place) and Red group (Alar: 5th place) performed well, but the Brown group also
showed incredible momentum.
First place went to
the Hastburg Margrave's contestant, and second place to the contestant sent by
Viscount Kilias. The Viscount Cornell's contestant secured fourth place, and
the Viscount Gorman's contestant came in eighth.
The lords who had sent
their proud contestants watched the proceedings with satisfaction.
Then, as the
competition shifted to the second half with moving targets, another upheaval
occurred. Liliana showed a tremendous comeback, while Alar, perhaps under
pressure, missed targets more frequently.
Ultimately... Liliana
achieved a brilliant comeback victory.
It was similar in the
first tournament, but perhaps men are weak to pressure, tending to underperform
in crucial moments. On the other hand, Irina climbed from a middle ranking to
fifth place.
1st place: Liliana
2nd place: Hastburg
Margrave's contestant
3rd place: Viscount
Kilias's contestant
4th place: Viscount
Cornell's contestant
5th place: Irina
Margrave Hastburg
personally presented awards and prize money to each contestant. This time, with
various noble sponsors, the prize money was higher than usual:
1st place: 100 gold
coins
2nd place: 60 gold
coins
3rd place: 30 gold
coins
4th place: 20 gold
coins
5th place: 10 gold
coins
The winner's voting
tickets for the 3rd most popular combination, White - Brown, were confirmed for
a 6x payout.
"We did it!"
"You're
right!"
"We won!"
The three young ladies
were unusually boisterous. As a result of their secret discussion, they had
each bought multiple tickets for three different patterns of one-gold-coin
voting tickets, centered on White and Brown.
"It was as
expected. But the real match is next."
"I've doubled my
money. Next is... right?"
"Should I buy a
few more, I wonder?"
Yuka, Chrisia, and
Flora spoke with enthusiasm.
Watching them from the
side, a familiar scene came to mind: my mother and sister, who always gained an
advantage before relentlessly pressing forward.
"I just felt a
chill..."
"Me too,
brother..."
The two of them
probably envisioned the same scene.
After the competition
ended, a report came in about a minor disturbance in Teigun. Three out-of-place
young ladies, surrounded by guards, were queuing at the reception desk...
"Young ladies, if
you had just said so, we would have made the arrangements for you. Please, to
the guesthouse..."
Their escorts
desperately tried to persuade them.
"What are you
saying!? It's fun precisely because we line up ourselves, choose ourselves, and
buy ourselves!"
"Lady Flora is
right. Don't take away our enjoyment of receiving the payout!"
"How much should
we bet tomorrow? It's so much fun when I'm with you, Sisters!"
...I ended up
clutching my head, wondering if I had awakened something unnecessary in these
young ladies.
※
"Takuhir-sama, I
thoroughly enjoyed myself today. And it seems my daughters enjoyed it greatly
too, which is most gratifying."
"Thank you.
That's good to hear."
After dinner, during a
casual conversation in the salon, the Margrave addressed me again.
"It's good to see
you've formed a fine connection with Lord Gorman as well."
"Yes, he has
kindly taught me various things."
"Nonsense, I'm
the one seeking your wisdom now, aren't I?"
Perhaps intrigued by
Viscount Gorman's teasing remark, the Margrave joined our conversation.
"Oh? Lord Gorman
seeking wisdom? That's interesting. Might I hear about it too?"
"Yes, I've toured
this town repeatedly since my arrival and noticed something intriguing, which I
was just asking about. There is remarkably little trash in this town. Also, in
any large city, horse dung is noticeable on main roads. Yet here, there's
virtually none at all. I was curious about that..."
I explained:
·
We've placed trash cans everywhere and strictly
enforced their use.
·
Trash collection is done daily at set times.
·
This task is performed by town laborers on a rotating
basis.
·
Separately, there's a patrolling trash collection.
·
This patrol is done by children from the orphanage and
other town children.
·
Each is paid an allowance, aiming to instill
awareness.
"I see! So, the
laborers from outside, when they become the ones collecting trash, are forced
to adapt, whether they like it or not! Moreover, with children picking up
trash, adults can't just carelessly discard it. Lord Gorman, that's a truly
interesting story, a very insightful one that we should adopt in our own
territory!"
"As you say, it's
a story full of wisdom from places we don't usually look, not just on the
battlefield."
"Takuhir, I truly
believe it's fortunate that you and Darek are in our faction. I thank
you."
"And thanks to
you, I don't have to be alone. This is the first enjoyable journey I've ever
had..."
"That's because
of your difficult nature and your unapproachable demeanor!"
"You're right. I
was lonely both outside and within. Only my eldest daughter, Yuka, treated me
without discrimination..."
"Indeed, since
coming here, anyone who knew you before would think you're a completely
different person."
The three conversed
amicably, and as the night deepened, they decided to disperse.
And... some
individuals truly showed their true colors at this hour.
"Now, everyone,
my unworthy son and I will guide you."
The group, blending
into the darkness of the night, passed through the gate and quickly disappeared
into the deepest part of the Southern District.
※
In a certain room.
Despite the late hour, there were three shadows holding a secret meeting.
"My apologies for
calling you so late. I wanted to speak with you first."
"Not at all. If I
can be of any service..."
"As you may have
guessed, it's about those two. Well, one of them resembles his father in both
good and bad ways. His capacity as a general comes from his mother. The other
one, however, sometimes even I find him terrifyingly capable. He exceeds our imaginations,
in a good way."
"Am I, unworthy
as I am, causing you trouble?"
"No, no, both of
them are promising individuals with bright futures. That's why I wanted to
consult with you. We are considering our respective daughters as wives for your
sons. So, we'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter."
"But I'm not the
family head, nor do I hold a noble title, though...?"
"That's the
official stance. But in reality, the Viscount family's affairs are at your
discretion, aren't they? Could you share your thoughts on your sons'
futures?"
"It's not my
place to discuss politics. But as their mother, may I have a word with all of
you?"
"Ho ho ho, that's
precisely what I called you here to hear."
And so, their
respective nights deepened.
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