Chapter 598: Soccer(2)
Chapter 598: Soccer(2)
No matter where you go in the world, there’s a saying adults always repeat: "Kids these days have no manners."
It’s a famous phrase and a tradition of sorts throughout human history. Even back in BC times on Earth, similar records existed.
There are various reasons why this sentiment arises, but fundamentally, it stems from the generation gap. This holds true not just for humans, but for long-lived races like elves and demons as well.
That’s why I nodded along to the concerns that children weren't playing outside because they were too busy playing Call of Duty. From the perspective of the people here, it was an inevitable conclusion.
Before the card game Call of Duty appeared, adults likely felt satisfied watching children run around outdoors. It allowed them to train their bodies and develop social skills by interacting with their peers. But Call of Duty was different.
While it might help develop social skills, it did nothing for physical fitness. They just sat at home, played card games, and that was it.
‘There’s a strong cultural sentiment that one must be able to protect oneself.’
It didn't matter if it was a densely populated city or a remote countryside. The public safety issues typical of an era transitioning from the Middle Ages to the modern age, combined with the ever-present nuisance of monsters, created a strong tendency for people to believe they had to be their own bodyguards.
One could call it a somewhat barbaric mindset, but in a world where even guns hadn't been invented yet, it was an unavoidable phenomenon.
‘From the kids' perspective, they’ll probably just grumble about why everyone is making such a fuss.’
The newspapers specifically targeted "children" rather than just anyone who played Call of Duty. This was why I didn't criticize their stance. The game already carried the stigma of being speculative; seeing children neglect their physical training on top of that was bound to cause worry.
Furthermore, the cards were cheap and easy to collect. Because it was a card game, you could play it anywhere as long as you had a deck.
‘Still, the idea that children should play without worries is a universal sentiment.’
This world is by no means as kind as Earth. As seen in the Ascanal Incident, a dragon could swoop down on a peaceful daily life at any moment.
Because of this, adults always tried to be prepared to protect the children. They prepared for the worst of the worst, but generally, adults were expected to shield the young. If someone treated a child harshly under the guise of "raising them tough," they’d be mocked as a barbarian. At any rate, parents were likely longing for a form of entertainment other than Call of Duty.
"So, I’ve prepared this. What does it look like to you?"
"Isn't it a ball?"
"Looks like a ball to me."
It was the group of kids Mars usually hung out with, including Ariel. Today, I hadn't brought a TRPG, but a different kind of play.
I was currently holding a ball—one specially commissioned from the territory’s blacksmith. Given the level of technology, it wasn't a perfect replica of the ones from my previous life, but a ball was a ball. Moreover, I had it made soft so the children wouldn't get hurt.
"That’s right. It’s a ball. Not something like a pig’s bladder filled with air, but a specially made ball."
"Are you telling us to play with that? A pig’s bladder is plenty."
"Wasn't ball playing originally banned?"
Malcolm, a boy with a sturdy build second only to Mars, asked in confusion.
The "ball playing" Malcolm was referring to was likely "rugby" rather than soccer. This world had ball sports too. People are the same everywhere; they’d make something ball-like and run toward a "goal" point.
There were no limits on the number of players, and anyone could participate. The problem was the violence.
"You're right. The rugby you're talking about is a game banned for commoners. Wasn't it called the exclusive property of the nobility?"
Because anyone could join and there were no player limits, it devolved into a massive brawl every single time. People hiding weapons was a given, and surrounding buildings getting smashed was a daily occurrence.
However, because the "fun" factor was so high, it was a game people of all ages and genders used to participate in.
"Injuries were constant every time a match was held, and the surrounding shops were all destroyed, so the religious community banned it. Even now, if you’re caught playing it secretly, you’ll face a heavy fine."
Whenever a match between villages took place, the human and material losses skyrocketed, leading the state and the religious orders to join forces and ban it. There were also cases where "hidden masters" would suddenly jump in, and the number of casualties was quite high, making the ban unavoidable.
Furthermore, some people even used the chaos of the matches to rob houses. Criminal activity was more serious than one might think.
Thus, it became the exclusive pastime of the nobility, who could "afford the consequences." It remained a popular sport at the Academy as well.
‘It’s more like American football than rugby.’
I had seen it once, and it was so violent I could only shake my head. But even that "rugby" was nothing more than a simple pastime, not a "sport." It was entertainment enjoyed only by those who could handle the fallout.
On the other hand, the soccer I was about to teach them had much lower risks. Violence was strictly prohibited, and aggressive tackles would result in warnings.
‘The reason it never developed into soccer here is probably because the religious community is too powerful.’
On Earth, even if religion was strong, a simple "screw you" would have sufficed. Human entertainment can never be truly suppressed. But in this world, people feared they might actually be struck by divine punishment. It was another side effect of a powerful divine right.
"What I’m going to teach you is soccer. Have you ever heard of it?"
"I know! It’s the thing where Mussolini bribed the referees to win the World Cup!"
"..."
I felt a bit awkward at the energetic response from Alice, a girl with impressive freckles. Soccer was a sport that any reader of Blood and Iron would have heard of at least once.
Back then, I had glossed over it, mentioning that the World Cup and Olympics were held without providing a detailed explanation. I had also depicted the meeting between South Korea's Sohn Kee-chung and Hitler.
"A-Anyway, I’m going to teach you soccer, which everyone can play, not just the nobles. See those goalposts set up on both sides?"
The place where I stood with Mars and his group was an undeveloped vacant lot. I knew it would take some time before this area was developed.
So, I had temporary goalposts installed on each side. Naturally, I wasn't very handy, so I hired someone to do it.
The goalposts weren't large. What we were about to do wasn't full-scale soccer, but futsal. The ground wasn't an issue either; since it was an undeveloped area, it was covered in natural grass. Even if they fell and got injured, there was a temple nearby where they could receive treatment.
"I’ll explain the rules. Unlike the banned rugby, in soccer, you only use your feet. Using your hands is strictly forbidden."
"Then how do we score a goal?"
"You have to put it in with your feet or your head. Just don't use your hands. You get the gist, right?"
If you don't know, you just have to try it. Since there weren't many people, we didn't use the full pitch but just one side. We decided to rotate the role of goalkeeper. If I was the only one playing goalie, the kids might not learn what it was like.
And so, to spread a healthy culture of leisure, a game of futsal—not soccer—began.
"Ariel, foul."
"Eh? Why?"
"No flying. Mana use is also banned."
They had to compete using only their physical abilities. Otherwise, it would turn into a battle of superhumans like some children's anime. Because of this, there was a slight disadvantage in that it was very favorable for beastkin, but the ball is round. Unexpected variables were bound to appear.
Thump!
The net made of rope shook from Malcolm’s powerful shot. Mars, who was the goalkeeper, looked flustered.
"Wahahaha! It went in!"
"Aw, dang it..."
Grumbling, Mars swapped places with Malcolm. The next child to score a goal was none other than Alice. Being young and experiencing the sport for the first time, she looked a bit stiff, but everyone seemed to be having fun.
"Even if I’m not here, you can call other kids to play. If there’s a problem, tell Ariel. Got it?"
"Yes!"
"But you have to go home if your parents call you, okay?"
The next day dawned. As soon as Ariel woke up in the morning, she ran outside to play. When I went to take a look, Mars and his group had called over another crowd, and they were all enjoying soccer together.
Since there were so many people, they were using both goalposts instead of just one. As a bonus, they played Call of Duty during their breaks.
"No! That’s a foul! You can't trip someone like that!"
"What foul! You said we can't use our hands, you didn't say anything about legs!"
"D-Don't fight..."
"..."
It seemed I would have to act as the referee while they played soccer. I’d also have to get some yellow and red pieces of paper while I was at it. They say kids grow up by fighting, but it wasn't good to have unnecessary conflicts.
"But what if the religious community bans soccer too?"
Adelia, who had returned to being my guard knight as my outings became more frequent, asked cautiously. She had also enjoyed rugby back in her Academy days. While soccer wasn't as rough as rugby, it might look the same to the high and mighty.
At her question, I curled one side of my mouth up. The previous ball games were banned because they were truly reminiscent of war, with no rules whatsoever. But soccer, while it might have injuries, caused almost no material damage. You just needed goalposts and a ball.
Even if the religious community gave us a sharp look, it didn't really matter.
"Would they really ban it? They won't if they have a conscience. If they do, I’ll go and argue with them myself."
No matter what I did, the gods couldn't take any action. Still, I wasn't just recklessly stirring trouble; I had my own thoughts on the matter.
Adelia made a subtle expression upon hearing my words, then turned her gaze back toward the soccer field. Since it was a field for children, the scale was small and the number of players was few, but if it became popular, I planned to try building a real soccer stadium.
"If you say so, I guess that’s how it is. But it’s quite surprising."
"What is?"
"That beastkin are having a harder time than expected."
Adelia gestured toward the field with her chin. I followed her gaze.
Among the children were beastkin, and as expected, they had innate physical abilities, but... they had "triangular feet." Their hands resembled humans', but their feet were more like animals'. It was a truly unexpected variable that piqued my interest. Leona was a half-blood, so she was more human-like, but most ordinary beastkin were like that.
Thud!
"It went in! It went in!"
"Handball! Handball! He used his hand!"
"No! I didn't! I swear!"
"..."
Is the "Hand of God" appearing already? I gave a bitter smile and declared the goal invalid. As a bonus, I gave Mars, who had used his hand, a yellow card. Mars only gave a wry smile, seemingly admitting he had used his hand.
"Let’s play again tomorrow! Are you going to call the other kids too?"
"Of course. You're coming tomorrow too, right?"
"After lunch."
And so, time passed after soccer was introduced to our territory.
"That’s my boy! Good job, son! You're doing great!"
"Don't be discouraged! You can score more goals! Don't give up!"
"Wait, wait. Isn't that a foul? Young Master! Aren't you going to call a foul for that?"
The number of adults watching the children play soccer gradually increased, until...
"Ehey. Brother. Isn't that a bit much?"
"You just can't use your hands; you can use other parts of your body. What’s wrong with blocking him from getting to the ball?"
"He’s right. You just can't use violence; everything else is permitted."
Eventually, the adults started enjoying soccer instead of the children. No matter how great a child's stamina is, they eventually get tired. Seizing that gap, the adults took over the soccer field.
Everyone struggled with the unfamiliar sport of soccer, which was different from the religiously banned rugby, but people are the same everywhere. There was no need to worry about crime either, as they played only in the designated space, preventing any chaos.
"You're sent off. Please step outside for ten minutes."
"Wasn't that just a normal tackle?"
"A tackle from behind is an automatic send-off unless you touch the ball. You could cripple someone like that."
"Tsk..."
And I acted as the referee for both children and adults alike. I had fallen into the very pit I had dug.
And one more thing.
"This man! Instead of working, you're sitting here playing soccer again? Go home right now!"
"C-Can't I just play for ten more minutes?"
"..."
I was able to indirectly realize why religion had banned rugby.