A Fist, Not a Sword
A fist, not a sword.
No—what left the players reeling was Brian, dropped cold by a gauntlet to the forehead.
"Insane... Did he master fist arts or something? How did he send Brian packing in one hit?"
"So the sword was just a feint? That gives me chills."
"But his grip on the sword was perfect. The gear looks shabby, yet he must be high-level. That elf."
"He came out in bad equipment on purpose. Going for the twist."
"For what, exactly?"
"It's fun. That's why."
"Fair enough..."
"Still, Brian going down without landing a single thing is a bit of a shock."
"I was surprised too. Even if he was hiding his skill, even if Brian let his guard down, Brian isn't an orc who falls that easily."
"He didn't even let his guard down. That elf's first counter rattled him, and after that Brian was definitely fighting for real."
"...So it's just a difference in skill?"
"That's how it looks to my eyes."
The two trading those words were beastkin—and Demon God Worshippers as well. They had no idea the elf was Shin Yujun, so all they could do was pile one exclamation on another.
"I don't think there's a player left who can take that man on."
Sultan nodded at Armene's words.
"Nothing left to see."
"A rising powerhouse, you think? I've never heard of an elf like that. Never seen one, either."
"I'm not certain, but he may be hiding who he is."
"What? Hiding his identity? How? His whole face is right there."
"That elf. There's a fairly high chance he's a dragon."
Armene let out a hollow little laugh.
"You do love a joke. A dragon? Why would a dragon come here? To fight in a dull little duel like this?"
"Look at that face. That's a look you rarely see even on a high elf. And the sword stance is close to perfect—no, it is perfect. He throws a punch well on top of that? He simply crushed his opponent with raw attack power. Why is that possible? Because he's a dragon. Why is it that we, with all our intelligence, don't know who he is? Because he's a dragon who changed his appearance. Changing one's form—they call that Polymorph."
"...Even so, isn't jumping straight to dragon a bit of a stretch?"
"Given the circumstances, he has to be a dragon. And I never said I was sure. I said the odds were high."
"But listening to you, it does sound plausible. Plug in 'dragon,' and everything fits, doesn't it?"
"Exactly. That's what I'm saying. And also, a little..."
"A little?"
"Honestly, this is embarrassing, but looking at that elf fills me with awe."
"...What?"
Armene stared at Sultan as if she couldn't believe her ears.
"Armene. You've never seen a dragon in person, have you?"
"No. Well—I've seen an earth dragon, but..."
"That isn't a real dragon."
"Then you're right, I haven't. Have you, Sultan?"
"No."
"Then why ask like you're looking down on me?"
"My father said he saw a dragon with his own eyes. The way he told it, a dragon is a being no ordinary player can ever approach. He said that the moment you see one, respect rises in you on its own."
"...Wasn't that just a story your father told to amuse you?"
"He wasn't the sort to spin tall tales, and I heard it after I came of age. He wouldn't have sat me down for a fairy tale."
"So the point is, you feel awe. Toward some elf."
"I'm telling you, he might not be an elf."
"It's not as if the dragon part is certain, either. If he isn't one, then you felt awe for an elf who isn't even a dragon."
"...Pretend you didn't hear that."
"I will."
While the two Demon God Worshippers went on like that, a new challenger appeared. He was an orc as well, and his face said Brian's defeat made no sense to him.
"How did the likes of you bring Brian down?"
"Because I'm stronger."
"Arrogant! All that happened was Brian letting his guard down and getting unlucky against you."
"Save the talk and come at me."
Even at Yujun's deadpan reply, the orc didn't charge. He circled, keeping his distance.
"This one can learn."
He had watched Brian fail twice in a row, and he seemed to be moving with care because of it. Wise of him. But wisdom wouldn't let him topple an opponent he couldn't beat if he died and woke again. The orc who had shown up late was a notch below Brian to begin with. He didn't look consumed by rage. He had simply misjudged his opponent's level.
Yujun didn't wait. He moved first. He had entered the duel event, but he had no wish to drag it out; confirming the winner's reward was enough. And because he had taken the stage near the very end, the championship was already close.
He closed in fast and slammed the back of his sword into the orc's chest.
Crunch!
Armor caved in, and the orc went flying clear out of the ring. The match was ruled a ring-out loss—though he had already been unconscious before he ever landed.
"A-amazing! A mysterious elf putting down two powerhouses in a breath—calling it an unstoppable charge doesn't even cover it!"
The host gushed as he said it. In truth, it was a rare enough sight that the fuss was hardly out of place. Most of the players watching from beyond the stage hadn't been able to follow Yujun's movements with their eyes at all.
"Truly incredible, isn't it? I had plenty of confidence in my own skill, but this contestant seems to be on another level entirely! Now then—will any player step forward against a contestant with a mere two-win streak?"
"..."
No one answered the host.
It had been like this when Brian was winning, too, but something was different. Not a single person watching still wore a smile. If anyone did, it was only the host, pleased that the event seemed to be swelling in scale.
The highest-ranked players in the banquet hall were rattled less by Yujun dropping Brian than by the astonishing movement he had shown when he took down the orc who came after. Armene and Sultan were among them.
"...See? He's a dragon, isn't he?"
"Dragons are good with swords, too? I thought they were more like the origin of magic."
"That's all prejudice. They live for ages, of course, and they're the smartest race there is—you think they'd only be good at magic? I'll say it straight. Set the gods aside, and if you had to name one flawless race, it's the dragons. They have no weaknesses."
"They don't interfere with the mortal world, though. Isn't that a weakness?"
"I don't think that's because of the race itself."
"Then what is it?"
"How should I know."
"...What kind of answer is that."
"A hunch. Something like instinct."
"Why don't you step up yourself and see what he can do?"
"Have you lost your mind?"
"Why? It's the perfect chance to tangle with a dragon. If it were me, I'd have gone out without a second thought."
"Then you go."
"No. I meant I would have left the banquet hall. Do you think I'm crazy enough to fight a monster like that?"
"Look how slippery you've gotten. You didn't used to be like this."
"How long are you going to treat me like a child? How old do you think I am?"
"Your head has gotten a lot bigger. In age—and the actual head."
"I told you, my head didn't get bigger! It's the hair! You tease me way too much over these awful curls. Honestly."
"Hair is part of your body, too. Deny it all you want. That fact doesn't change."
"Hmph. Not something I want to hear from a smooth, hairless beastkin."
Armene was a canine beastkin with a thick coat of fur, and Sultan a crocodilian beastkin with almost none, so the difference in their looks was considerable. Beastkin came in every shape imaginable, and Sultan's needling was their own sort of joke—a way of showing affection.
"Looks like it'll end like this."
"It did wrap up faster than I expected."
"Even if Brian had kept his win streak going, it would have been about the same."
"But that elf. He really is handsome. Even I, a beastkin, get fluttery just looking at him. I'm not usually like this, you know."
"Ha. You're hilarious."
Sultan laughed as if he couldn't believe her, and Armene's eyes went round.
"What? Why are you laughing?"
"You looked at Shin Yujun, our archenemy, and said he was handsome—that you wanted to take him in as a believer. Do you have any idea how absurd that sounded? Not even the same kind of person as him, a beastkin coming out with something like that. And not just any enemy. The cult's greatest enemy."
"Still... he is kind of cool, isn't he? Standing against us all by himself, without help from any other group. Isn't that one of those fantasies players usually have when they're young?"
"You said you read a lot of novels growing up. Turns out that did you no favors. Over a mere human..."
"Oh my. Are you jealous?"
"Jealous? Jealous? Heh..."
He said as much, but the remark had struck dead center. Sultan shook his head and didn't let it show.
"Hey, hey. Quit being ridiculous. Who would I be jealous of?"
"Sultan. You like me."
Armene leaned her face in, her tone full of mischief. Sultan clamped his mouth shut and turned his head away.
"I wonder what the next event will be."
"Changing the subject?"
"Quiet. I need to concentrate."
"You always dodge the subject at times like this."
With no challengers left, Yujun became the winner as a matter of course.
Didn't think I'd win after two fights. This is a complete windfall.
He had wondered when the reward would come, but fortunately the host told him at once to step up onto the platform.
Good thing they aren't settling it all in one batch later.
If, on the off chance, the time came to tear the banquet hall apart, and the awards were handed out long after, collecting his prize could easily slip out of reach.
"Congratulations."
The host smiled thinly and held out an item.
"Um... this is an equipment item, isn't it?"
"It is."
"Rather than equipment... I'd like to exchange it for something else."
"Why? This is better than what you're wearing. Not by a little—by a great deal."
At the host's words, Yujun's mouth worked soundlessly. Right. He had altered the appearance of his gear.
"I can't equip that right now. I'm under some strange curse."
"Ah... is that so? Even so, in case the curse lifts—"
"No. I'm telling you, give me something else. Is this how you normally treat a winner here?"
Yujun made a scene without a shred of shame. He wasn't in his own skin, but an elf's, so he could lay the brazenness down without a flicker of hesitation.
"...Well, it isn't a difficult request. The Castle Lord left reward matters to my discretion. What would you like?"
"Could I see the consumable rewards?"
"Not just anything is available... I'll show you a few."
The host didn't present the items themselves. He held out a sheet of paper with their names written on it.
"There really aren't many."
"As I said. And if anyone learns you exchanged your reward, it could turn into real trouble, so decide quickly."
"I'll take this one."
There was exactly one item he liked, so he chose it.
"Understood. Please keep what you received hidden. If you can, don't even tell your companions. At least until every event is finished—I'm asking you for that much."
"I will."