Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Chapter 3. The Flag Tournament
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#Capital Aslan, in front of the outer walls.
"Ugh, I'm exhausted."
Arhil grimaced as she climbed down from the carriage. Yuda, following behind her, nodded in agreement. Just as she said, the journey back to Aslan had been truly grueling. They'd thought it would take a leisurely week, but it had dragged on for a full two.
If magical beasts had kept appearing and harassing them along the way, that might have been bearable—at least it would have been irritating but not boring. But no, the problem was the crowds jamming up the roads.
With the flag tournament coming up soon, people were flooding in from nearby kingdoms and empires to spectate or participate, so they had to wait in line just to rent a carriage.
The number of carriages traveling to and from the capital had multiplied far beyond the norm, but supply still couldn't keep up with demand, making it no easy task to secure one.
A few days of dithering around like that, Arhil had happened upon a fallen noble's child while walking and healed them. In return, they'd lent her a carriage to ride in.
The trip itself hadn't been smooth either. With so many carriages clogging the narrow roads, the horses couldn't pick up any real speed. It was faster and more comfortable than walking, which was small consolation at least.
Yuda thanked the coachman and saw him off. As she turned back to the group, watching the carriage vanish into the distance, she couldn't help but chuckle. Just like when Yuda and Jeanne had first arrived in Aslan and marveled at it, Arhil was now gaping at the capital, which looked like an entire mountain fortress.
"Wow..."
"Isn't it amazing? It's hard to believe humans built something like this."
"Yeah. This is my first time in Aslan, and I never imagined it'd be this incredible. I'd only heard stories before, but seeing it in person... it's really something. So grand and majestic."
Arhil looked deeply impressed. And who could blame her? Any human—or any intelligent being—would be awestruck at the sight of Aslan. At least, that's how Yuda saw it.
"Alright, enough gawking. Let's get in line first."
A massive crowd was queuing up at the checkpoint to enter Aslan. Heavily armored knights patrolled the area, keeping order in case of trouble. Whether that was the reason or not, things were running smoothly. Instead of the usual single checkpoint at the gate, they were operating three, so the lines shrank quickly.
"Yuda, I trust you haven't forgotten our promise."
"Promise?"
Yuda turned around, puzzled, as Jeanne spoke from behind her while they waited in line for inspection. What promise? She couldn't recall any special one. Jeanne looked disappointed at Yuda's confused expression.
"You promised we'd watch the flag tournament."
"Oh... that. Wasn't that about skipping it this time but joining in December instead?"
Ah, right—Jeanne's eyes widened. Now that Yuda mentioned it, that did sound familiar. Jeanne seemed less embarrassed about her faulty memory and more bummed about missing the tournament.
"Wait, so we're not watching the flag tournament? Then why are we even here?"
"We came to buy weapons, ended up taking a commission—that's it. I said no tournament viewing. Sigh, even now I can't figure out why we bothered coming. What can you do? It's the leader's call."
"I see. If it's the leader's word... powerless folks like us just have to follow along, huh?"
They chatted with downcast vibes, subtly pressuring Yuda to let them watch the tournament. As if there was anything worth seeing. Back in her old world, she hated crowds at university festivals or free concerts nearby. She'd gone once just to try it, then never bothered again. You couldn't get front-row seats anyway, and watching on giant TVs was the same, so she never got why people went wild. She figured this flag tournament would be no different, which made their excitement all the more baffling.
'Nothing to see anyway.'
Yuda glanced up at the walls. A green flag and a red one fluttered there. The flags atop the walls signaled the type of tournament. Green meant the one held every four months—which was expected—but red was a surprise.
The red-flag event only happened once a year, so timing a return visit would be tricky... Maybe checking it out once for the experience wouldn't hurt.
'Kain's participating anyway, so I should see how much he's improved.'
After a moment's thought, Yuda turned to Jeanne and Arhil, who were beaming at her from behind, and spoke with generous flair.
"Fine. We might even spot the Spirit Sword wielder if we're lucky. Let's take a look."
"Really?!"
"Yay! Awesome!"
Jeanne was over the moon. Her affection visibly spiked—a message flashed briefly in Yuda's vision. Yuda dismissed the intrusive notification right away. Smiling warmly at their childlike joy, she waited for inspection. It went off without a hitch, processed in record time.
First thing upon entering Aslan: securing lodging. With the crowds, Yuda figured it'd be tough, so she headed straight for the priciest inn near the tournament grounds. Sure enough, they had vacancies.
The rates were steep enough to deter ordinary adventurers or mercenaries, but Yuda had plenty of gold from dealing with Viscount Jinmu—no worries there. Still, two rooms felt extravagant, so after getting their okay, she booked a triple instead.
It was a selective establishment; the manager at the counter hesitantly explained they usually didn't take adventurers or mercenaries, but Yuda and Jeanne looked refined enough to make an exception. He stressed no trouble allowed.
With zero plans for mischief, Yuda nodded and paid up. Dressed in clothes from Black Wolf hide and a coat from Requiem's leather, she must have looked the part.
Yuda told Jeanne and Arhil to wait at the inn, unpacked their gear from <Bag> into the room, and said they could explore if they wanted—just leave a note saying where. Then she grabbed Edron's belongings and headed to a small forge-cum-weapon shop in Aslan's alleys.
Tucked in an alley, the shop still drew a few customers thanks to the tournament crowds. Yuda sat on a bench outside, peeking through the window, waiting for them to clear out.
One left, two entered—the line barely budged, but she waited patiently. It was consideration, after all; with news of their son's death, they couldn't run a normal business. Finally, when the shop emptied, Yuda stepped inside.
"Excuse me."
"Welcome!"
The bell hadn't even finished jingling when the proprietress shot up from the counter and called out. She'd looked like she hoped for a break, but plastered on a smile for Yuda—then her eyes went wide. She recognized the face.
"H-Honey!"
She bolted into the back with thief-like speed. Yuda flipped the door sign from OPEN to CLOSE and entered. Soon, crashing noises preceded a burly man charging out.
"Long time no see, Edsen. Doing well?"
"...Why are you alone? Did you not find my son?"
He skipped greetings, his face a mix of hope and dread as he asked about his boy. Yuda handed over the sword she'd brought. He stared at it in disbelief, then let out a heartbroken "Ah...!" His wife nearby collapsed in a heap.
"C-Can you tell us what happened?"
At Edsen's plea, Yuda recounted everything from Cheriu Village. He and his wife wept openly as they listened, and Yuda could only watch bitterly.
"I'm sorry for your son. But... I brought medicine to heal your daughter. Can you show me to her?"
Edsen nodded through tears, glanced at his seated wife, and led Yuda personally. Behind the shop was a house connected to the forge. In a room lay a girl, breathing raggedly in fitful sleep.
Yuda pulled a 'Fragment of the Magic Core' from the <Bag>—obtained from that altar—and slipped it into the girl's mouth.
Forged from countless blood and souls via powerful magic, this core rivaled the legendary elixir in effect. In a way, it was like the Philosopher's Stone, elixir's key ingredient. The tiny shard melted into liquid on her lips and flowed in.
No flashy lights or effects, but it worked fast. Her body mended at incredible speed; her breathing steadied like a miracle, and her eyes fluttered open.
"Daddy?"
She raised tiny, delicate hands. Edsen, still mourning his son, forced a smile and answered, gently sitting her up.
"Why are you crying? And who's this big brother?"
"No pain anywhere?"
Yuda checked. The girl furrowed her brow, as if it was obvious.
"Lots. Couldn't even breathe... Huh? Why doesn't it hurt?"
Panicking, she looked down at herself. Gradually realizing the change—easy breaths, weak but natural movement.
"D-Daddy, this isn't a dream, right? It really doesn't hurt? I'm really, truly better?"
Unbelieving, she asked Edsen, who hugged her tight amid fresh tears. Accepting it as real, she burst into sobs too. The room filled with their cries. Yuda silently watched.
========== Author's Note ==========
1) Ha, my goodness.
I wrote and uploaded at dawn then crashed, but it ended up in the practice section ;
Gotta change the title completely ;
2) Thanks for the 100-chapter celebration, hehe. Time to write even harder!