Chapter 188
The 6th
Joint Supreme Tournament ④
A Desperate Strategy
Translator : PolterGlast
The preparations for
the Sixth Supreme Tournament, also serving as the Second Joint Athletic Meet,
had finally reached their climax.
The various lords
leading the participating competitors, the daughters placing their votes (and
bets)—their speculations and strategies intertwined.
To be honest, this
tournament was a bit special.
Due to circumstances
such as the recovery from the plague and the ravages of war, and the subsequent
division of domains, the Supreme Tournament had only been held five times
within the Estol domain alone. In addition to that, with the increase in
participating domains, the operation of the tournament had been slightly
changed after discussions with the other lords.
◆Individual Match
The individual match
excludes two of the selected teams. The excluded teams are the select team from
the Frontier Knights Sixth and Seventh Corps led by my brother Darek, and the
select team from the Royal Knights Third Corps. They will participate only in
the team match, while the individual match will be fought among the six
domains.
Margrave Hastburg: 5
participants
Demon Territory Count
Solis: 5 participants
Count Gorman: 5
participants
Count Solis: 10
participants
Viscount Kirias's
Select Team (including representatives from 3 baronial houses): 5 participants
Viscount Cornell: 5
participants
A total of 35
participants will compete, and the winning betting ticket will be for the
system where one must correctly guess both of the top two finishers' home
domains. If we didn't do it this way, the betting would be too fragmented and
would become unmanageable.
As a result, there
were 36 possible combinations for the individual match winner betting tickets.
◆Team Match
The team match will be
a five-person elimination battle, the same as last time. The only difference is
that it will be an eight-team tournament system, with four teams in Group A and
four in Group B, and the final will be a match between the winning teams of
each group.
The group assignments
were made based on the rankings of the previous tournament, divided between A
and B. The top favorites were likely already decided. The two new select teams,
which were predicted to be dark horses, were assigned to Group A.
<Group A>
Demon Territory Count
Solis (Previous winner)
Royal Knights
(First-time participant)
Viscount Cornell
(Previous third place)
Viscount Solis
(First-time participant)
<Group B>
Count Solis (Previous
winner)
Margrave Hastburg
(Previous fifth place)
Count Gorman (Previous
second place)
Viscount Kirias
(Previous fourth place)
As a result of these
groupings, there were 28 possible combinations for the team match winner
betting tickets.
◆Additional Changes
Betting Limit Setting:
The general window is
limited to 100 gold coins each for the individual and team matches. The
nobles-only window is limited to a total of 300 gold coins.
Betting Deadline
Change:
All betting will close
the day before the individual matches. This was changed so that people cannot
wait and see the results of the individual matches before betting on the team
matches.
Team Match
Participation Rules:
For the team match,
even the host, the House of Solis, can select its members regardless of their
past tournament records.
The betting limit was
newly established because last time, large purchases had changed the odds
themselves.
This time, as we were
expecting a record number of bets, we changed the deadline to the day before.
The official reason
was to prevent people from waiting and seeing the individual results before
betting, but the real reason was to prevent chaos at the reception center.
※
Including these
changes, we had made announcements in advance, so there was no major confusion,
but there were some young ladies who were hastily gathering information and
discussing trends and countermeasures.
"With this
change, it has become difficult to watch the first day's results and then bet
on the second day. This has made the information we have each gathered and can
exchange with each other even more valuable, hasn't it?"
"Just as you say,
Lady Flora, my brother has become a little cunning. A limit has been set."
"Takuhir-sama
must have his reasons. By the way, everyone who has come from the academy this
time has also expressed a desire to join our group... is that alright?"
"Yuka-san, it's
no problem at all! Let us all share in the victory."
And so, the three
gambler girls were joined by four new companions. They were already diligently
gathering information before placing their bets.
"Then I shall
speak first.
Neither my father nor
Lord Kirias seems to have acquired any new, particularly outstanding
individuals that stand out compared to last time. They were seriously debating
whether to place more importance on the individual or the team match...
However, it seems they lack a sufficient number of skilled archers to stake
their chances on the team match. Therefore, the result should be self-evident.
Lord Darek has had
everyone train considerably since observing the last tournament, but... he was
lamenting, 『I wouldn't lose in a
cavalry battle, but I'm still no match for my younger brother in archery. 』For me, it is a little
disappointing."
"Thank you, Lady
Flora.
In the Gorman domain
as well, at my father's command, we have put in more effort than ever before to
avenge our last defeat. This time, my father is aiming to win in both.
In addition to the
person who has led the Gorman domain's archers until now, we have the winner of
the last Supreme Tournament, and this time, several athletes of commoner birth
whose skills are in no way inferior to them. I was with them on the battlefield
during the suppression of the recent rebellion, and their skill is
considerable.
This time, since we
have a surplus of promising individuals, I believe he will field one of them in
the individual match and at least three winning athletes in the team match to
challenge Takuhir-sama. Therefore, I believe they will perform reasonably well
in both the individual and team matches."
"From what
Yuka-san says, we should probably keep an eye on the House of Gorman for both
the individual and team matches."
"I agree with
you, sister Flora. Well then, I shall go last...
Though it is my own
house, I do not think the original, main House of Solis will perform well this
time. All the good talent has been taken by my brother Takuhir, and my father
was in a panic. The House of Solis will likely... lose face this time. We
intend to build up our strength and make a comeback in three years, but
unfortunately, we do not have enough time right now."
Chrisia said this and
sighed a little.
"And as for the
Royal Knights, about whom we have the least information this time, I secretly
asked Gold-san, who came to the capital with my brother.
He said with a wry
smile, 『The Royal Knights have
always had many who are skilled in the martial arts, and many who have improved
considerably now. Without using magic, I myself might be in danger. However, I
am not even in the top five among the Demon Territory Count's subordinates... 』
So, I think we can
exclude them from our selection as well."
"Well then, with
the information from Yuka-san and Chrisia-san, the team match is as good as
decided. Let's bet on the assumption that either Takuhir-sama or Count Gorman
will take first or second place. What shall we do about the individual
match?"
"Yes, as you
pointed out, Lady Flora, the one I am most curious about this time is my
brother Takuhir's movements.
In last year's Supreme
Tournament, no one from my brother's subordinates won a prize, but this time,
my brother shows no signs of being shaken at all.
Rather, is it not
possible that he was preparing for this time and deliberately hid his skilled
members last time? Analyzing my brother's personality, I am convinced of it.
I tried to trick him a
little to confirm it, and he was completely flustered... As always, it helps
that my brother is so easy to read."
Chrisia said this and
laughed. If Takuhir had been there and heard his sister's remark, he would have
likely become very depressed again.
"Well then, all
that's left is the individual match, but we can narrow it down to four... no,
with the information we have, it seems we can narrow it down to three
combinations. If we bet on all three of these and then consider the
distribution... that will be the deciding factor of the game."
"Yes, Lady Flora.
I also intend to bet up to the limit."
"I, too, will bet
to the fullest, just like sister Flora and sister Yuka! I'm sure we'll win this
time as well!"
And so, the young
ladies' secret meeting came to a consensus.
Then, this lively
group moved to the betting windows and joined the line of buyers.
"Please, young
ladies, you need not line up here. If you would just give the order to one of
your attendants... At the very least, there is a window for nobles. Please make
your purchases there."
Yes, as was their
custom, they were trying to line up with the commoners and buy from the general
window. They ignored the attempts of their flustered attendants to stop them...
"What are you
saying! Please do not take away the excitement and fun of buying in line."
"I'm sorry. This
feeling while waiting in line for our turn, this is what I was looking forward
to."
"And this fun of
buying in line with my sisters again, I've been waiting for it for so long. And
now, I've truly become a big sister... please don't interfere with such a happy
time."
Flora, Yuka, and
Chrisia each explained to their own attendants. And behind their line, there
were other attendants who were even more flustered.
"Yuka-sama, this
is my first time, but this heart-pounding feeling is so much fun!"
"Surely you
wouldn't take away our fun, would you?"
"Yuka-sama, for
this very moment, I asked my father and received some gold coins."
"Oh no, I can't!
I think I'm getting addicted!"
The three girls had
gained four new companions in this way of having fun as well. They completely
ignored the flustered attendants and the strange looks from the commoners and
enjoyed their purchases.
And Takuhir, upon
receiving the report that there were some out-of-place young ladies lining up
at the general window instead of the nobles' window, as had happened last time,
and that some of them were in high spirits and had bought betting tickets up to
the limit, would once again hold his head in his hands.
"I have to tell
them to at least line up at the nobles' window when they collect their
winnings. I'll have to persuade them with my brother Darek...
But it's my job to
tell them, isn't it. When they get into that mode, they become different
people, so I feel a bit hesitant..."
Anne, who was next to
him at that time, heard her lord and husband's muttering, but deliberately did
not reply.
※
Shortly after the
betting closed, I received a report from Claire on the final odds. With the
significant increase in the reception center's staff, the tallying time had
also been drastically reduced.
"Takuhir -sama, this time... a record amount of betting tickets have been sold.
Combining the individual and team matches, it's over 30,000 gold coins!
About 70 percent of
the bets are concentrated on the team matches. Even though we set a limit, for
the sales to have grown this much... we didn't expect it either."
Claire said this and
handed me the tally results.
<Individual
Match>
Total Wagered: Over
8,000 gold coins
Favorite (4x): Demon
Territory Count Solis → Count Gorman
2nd Favorite (5x):
Count Gorman → Demon Territory Count
Solis
3rd Favorite (8x):
Demon Territory Count Solis → Demon Territory Count Solis
4th Favorite (9x):
Count Gorman → Count Gorman
...
Long Shot (640x):
Margrave → Margrave
<Team Match>
Total Wagered: Over
22,000 gold coins
Favorite (3x): Demon
Territory Count Solis & Count Gorman
2nd Favorite (5x):
Demon Territory Count Solis & Count Solis
3rd Favorite (11x):
Demon Territory Count Solis & Viscount Solis
4th Favorite (12x):
Count Gorman & Count Solis
...
Long Shot (176x):
Margrave & Viscount Kirias
"Well... it seems
everyone is looking at the same thing. The bets on the House of Solis were
split into three—my father, my brother, and myself—so it's a bit dispersed, but
we'll have to think about this for next time. If things continue like this,
it'll become a 'bank race'."
"That's true. In
the team match, with the new additions of the Royal Knights and Lord Darek, the
bets were split a little, but that might not be the case next time."
"The Royal
Knights' strength is an unknown, but their advance reputation is high. And my
brother is a hero who saved Teigoon, the Estol domain, and the neighboring
domains in the recent civil war. I think that reputation is also a big factor.
Well then, all that's
left is to wait for the main event tomorrow. Everyone, don't forget your final
checks and rehearsals.
Miseri, please guide
the honored guests.
Anne, please confirm
the opening arrangements with my father.
Claire, please check
the arrangements for the opening ceremony.
Yoltia, please confirm
the division of roles with everyone on the operating staff."
All preparations were
complete. Tomorrow, the largest event in our history, and the turbulent Sixth
(Joint) Supreme Tournament, would begin.
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