Preliminaries
Preliminaries
***
"Over there, did someone cheat?"
As the priest of the Order of Flowing Water raised suspicions, paladins from other orders who had been loitering around showed interest and approached.
After all, when a dispute breaks out between orders, one can't help but be intrigued.
As if thinking this was the moment, the priest of the Order of Flowing Water explained to the people.
"An oracle just descended. An oracle saying that things have gone a bit too far... that we should take it easy. I suspect that the Order of Spring Rain and Moss must have committed some kind of foul play, and the God of Flowing Water, watching this, hastily sent down an oracle."
A murmur spread like wildfire among the paladins in the waiting room.
While the paladins of the Order of Spring Rain and Moss were feeling perplexed.
The short and plump paladin next to Elbridge, that is, the pseudo-dwarf, shouted furiously.
"Foul play? They say a thief's eyes see only things to steal... Say something that makes sense! How shameless!"
It was a somewhat aggressive remark, but they were already past the point of exchanging courtesies.
The priest of the Order of Flowing Water did not back down either.
"Then are you saying the oracle descended for no reason? Don't try to subtly cover up your dirty tricks!"
It is not easy to refute something when an oracle is used as evidence.
Therefore, instead of refuting the priest's claim, the pseudo-dwarf chose the path of turning the suspicion back on the opponent.
"Everyone, look here! Those of you who are well-informed of rumors will know of the dispute between the Order of Flowing Water and our Order of Spring Rain and Moss. But the Order of Flowing Water, after saying things like they would crush our order for some time now, has brought five paladins to compete who are all outsiders! They've only hung up their own signboard!"
"All five of them?"
Seeing the people's reactions, it seemed that a team composed entirely of outsiders competing was either extremely rare or unprecedented.
People's gazes turned to the five paladins collaborating with the Order of Flowing Water.
Indeed, numerous gazes can weigh a person down. The five hired paladins avoided the gazes of the other paladins.
"In my entire life, I have never seen an order pull such a stunt at the Great Festival! They don't even know shame..."
As the pseudo-dwarf, having gained momentum, shouted powerfully, the priest of the Order of Flowing Water rebutted.
"It's not a rule violation, so what's the problem? And the topic we were just on was the oracle directed at you people..."
In an argument, the person with the louder voice has the advantage. And since the pseudo-dwarf's voice was louder than the opposing priest's, he was able to cut off the opponent's words in the middle without difficulty.
"An oracle? I can tell just by looking! The God of Flowing Water must have also been watching the situation and, thinking this wasn't right, sent down an oracle telling you to restrain yourselves. Out of shame that those who call themselves followers are tarnishing his name!"
He could see that even the people waiting for the draw were glancing this way.
There are few things as entertaining as watching a fight. Even more so if it's a fight between order officials, not just common ruffians.
A vein popped on the neck of the priest as he refuted the pseudo-dwarf's claim.
"No, I'm telling you he told you people to take it easy, not me! Are you saying the oracle delivered by the God of Flowing Water now is wrong?"
"If the oracle isn't wrong, then your earholes must be. Think about it with common sense! An order that has scraped together five people who are all outsiders, an order that had no choice but to invite one young and inexperienced paladin to meet the headcount. Which side do you think a god would be ashamed of!"
In Elbridge's view, the pseudo-dwarf had the makings of a demagogue.
This was especially so in that his voice was loud and his pronunciation clear, and he skillfully employed a speaking style that boldly cornered his opponent.
Even the content of his claims was quite plausible, so the public opinion of the other order officials tilted towards the Order of Spring Rain and Moss.
"It is excessive. It's understandable that the God of Flowing Water would feel embarrassed."
"No, I'm saying the words were directed at that order over there, not us..."
The priest of the Order of Flowing Water expressed his unfair feelings, but the atmosphere that had already been set could not be easily reversed. Even more so since they were aware that they had committed a distasteful act.
In a situation where the argument seemed to be ending in a muddled victory. Elbridge whispered softly.
"My Goddess. Are you listening?"
- Of course. Elbridge.
"By any chance. Was I not supposed to participate in the Great Festival?"
The Goddess's answer came back half a beat late.
- No matter what choice you make, your Goddess will always cherish you. Even if the moment comes when you join a children's ball game and give it your all.
"My Goddess. I turned twenty-six this year. Among the paladins in this place, there are almost none younger than me."
- Four days ago, there was a paladin who said his age was over two hundred years. Elbridge.
"..."
- There is no need to be ashamed. To repay a grace and keep one's faith, not shying away from a difficult situation and stepping forward is also a paladin's virtue.
The Rusted Shield Goddess was subtly teasing Elbridge.
But beyond the Goddess's playful voice, Elbridge felt a deep sense of anticipation.
Anticipation for the new followers Elbridge would bring?
No. The Rusted Shield Goddess was anticipating that her only paladin would shake off the burden in his heart and confidently display his skills in front of others.
When Elbridge smiled faintly instead of answering, a hint of laughter also seeped into the Goddess's voice.
- Elbridge. Do not mind the gazes of others. Four years since you first held a sword at thirteen. Nine years from the day you became a formal paladin. And again, some two hundred years. Even if many people do not know of your devotion, your Goddess alone knows of your devotion. Even if you act as you wish, there will be no one who can point a finger at you.
A childhood not enjoyed.
A youth that never existed.
Elbridge's life, of which it was now difficult to even gauge where it was heading.
Reclaim your lost life now. The Goddess was telling Elbridge so.
"That was the very thought I had as soon as I was freed from the seal. That I don't know what happened or how, but I have done my part."
Elbridge made an expression befitting a twenty-six-year-old.
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"What a shame. If things had gone just a little better, it could have ended right there!"
Vibeka lamented.
The reason was that a moment ago, in the Group 3 match, the Order of the God of Flowing Water had survived and advanced to the main tournament.
However, it was not as close a result as Vibeka's words suggested. Because in a match where at least two people had to remain until the end, the Order of the God of Flowing Water had a whopping three people endure until the end.
"They must have gone through some trouble gathering skilled people."
"True, they probably picked a fight with our order because they were confident they could pass the preliminaries more or less."
Elbridge leaned on the railing and watched the cleanup of the stadium.
There were quite a lot of paladins who couldn't leave the stadium on their own feet and were being dragged out. People who had fainted or broken something.
He could also see people from orders with healing powers moving about busily and treating the patients. However, there were not many people bleeding.
"Sister Vibeka. I have something I'm curious about."
"What is it?"
"Are we not allowed to use swords in the Great Festival?"
The absolute majority of the knights who participated in the match used iron clubs as weapons.
Even the knights who handled weapons other than iron clubs mostly used unsharpened blunt weapons.
Thanks to that, the preliminaries proceeded with considerable impact.
A melee where paladins, who exerted monstrous strength several times that of an ordinary human, wore armor and swung blunt weapons at each other with all their might? He had never even imagined such a scene.
"It's not exactly like that. It's just that it's advantageous to use an iron club according to the rules."
"What rule is that?"
"Sir Elbridge, didn't you read the rules written on the way in?"
"I was swept in by the crowd, so I didn't even know such a thing existed."
"You don't need to worry about the other rules, just remember one thing. If you kill another person during the match, or inflict a life-threatening serious injury, you get disqualified."
Vibeka explained that if someone were to get their vitals cut by a wrongly swung sword during the melee, they would be automatically disqualified, so it was common to use an iron club even if just to prevent an unfair situation.
"...Actually, the bigger reason is that an iron club is more advantageous than a sword. Since all participants are wearing thick armor, it's not an easy task to subdue an opponent with a sword, is it? It's more effective to just beat them with an iron club or a blunt weapon."
Most of the paladins were wearing armor that thoroughly protected all their joints.
The gaps between the armor made of plate were firmly fixed with rings and clasps, and the parts where bare skin inevitably had to be exposed a little were mostly covered with chainmail.
Like an aventail, a chainmail that hung down from below the helmet to protect the neck.
"Take it. Sir Elbridge."
Vibeka handed an iron club to Elbridge.
"This is... mine?"
"I knew this would happen. Who in the world comes to participate in the Great Festival with a sword? Take it quickly. My arm hurts."
Elbridge waved his hand in denial.
"I will just use my sword."
"I'm telling you a sword won't work."
"This is more comfortable for me."
"Hey, don't be stubborn."
"I'll pass."
When Elbridge refused again, Vibeka looked at Elbridge with a pouting expression. What could she do when the person himself refused?
"You'll definitely regret it later... If you think it's dangerous while fighting, run over to my side before it's too late. I can subdue most people. Got it?"
"Understood. I'll run away quickly and go over to your side."
At that moment, a shout was heard for the teams in Group 4 to get ready.
Vibeka straightened her shoulders and walked confidently in front of Elbridge.
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Right before stepping onto the stage, people assisting with the match progress dabbed paint on the chests and backs of the paladins' armor. It was a consideration to allow them to identify each other's teams at a glance even during the melee.
"We're green. I have a good feeling."
"What's the meaning of that?"
"The year before last, when we advanced to the main tournament, we were green too. Was that the first time we passed the preliminaries in seven years? They said it was an advancement after quite a long time."
There were seven teams that came up on stage.
The Order of the God of the Brass Cup, the Order of the God of Vines and Knots, the Order of the God of Spring Rain and Moss, and four teams formed by alliances of paladins from small-scale orders.
No one paid any attention to the Order of the God of the Brass Cup. The Order of the God of the Brass Cup was an order that emphasized the values of frugality and community, so it had no connection to combat. Vibeka's opinion was the same.
"You don't need to worry about the Order of the God of the Brass Cup. They're an order that finds meaning in participating in the Great Festival every year. They'll probably be swept away as soon as it starts."
The Order of the God of Vines and Knots was not much different either. Because the Order of the God of Vines and Knots was an order favored by scholars, or the minority of mages who had not turned their backs on the gods.
'Come to think of it, Sir Walter was from the Order of the God of Vines and Knots.'
The remaining five were the teams conscious of each other.
Elbridge noticed that people were glancing at him.
Of course, it wasn't because they felt threatened. They were just paying attention because Elbridge was the only one who had entered with a sword.
Deeng—
The match began with the heavy sound of a bell.
Elbridge tried to dash forward right away, but the pseudo-dwarf grabbed Elbridge's forearm and restrained him.
"Sir Elbridge. The important thing is to endure until the end. Let's maintain a formation so solid that they can't touch us rashly, and then move slowly."
It was a rational judgment. However, the atmosphere of the teams formed by alliances of small-scale orders was a bit different.
"Waaaaaah—!"
The paladins of such teams had a similar purpose to Elbridge. To make a name for themselves and their orders by performing well in the Great Festival.
They wanted to defeat as many opponents as possible and show their skills in front of the crowd.
Kuuuung—
The paladins clashed with a heavy sound.
As expected, he could see the Order of the Brass Cup and the Order of Vines being swept away.
"Don't get excited, stay back!"
There weren't many people targeting the Order of Spring Rain and Moss. Since the five of them were clustered together as one, they probably didn't want to touch them rashly.
But such a situation did not last long.
"This bastard, where do you think!"
The pseudo-dwarf seemed to block an approaching opponent's attack, then was instantly swept away by the flow and disappeared into the center of the stadium.
'...He said not to get excited.'
But that was what battle was originally like.
It was because of that excitement and heat that one's eyes would turn and they would start fighting even on a battlefield where life and death hung in the balance.
Unless one was extremely accustomed to battle, they could not maintain their sanity in the heat of the battlefield.
And if one could not maintain their sanity, it was better to just entrust their body to the flow rather than retreat half-heartedly.
'If he's lucky, he'll endure until the end.'
At that moment, there was someone charging towards Elbridge. The black paint dabbed on his chest was noticeable.
"Hmph!"
Elbridge deflected the opponent's iron club and kicked the staggering opponent's back powerfully.
The paladin with black paint dabbed on him staggered as if he would fall out of bounds, but managed not to fall and returned to the middle of the battlefield.
The problem was that in that short interval, the pseudo-elf and the redhead who were next to Elbridge had disappeared.
'...Where did they go?'
The pseudo-elf was passed out and face down, as if he had been hit on the back of the head, and the redhead was standing out of bounds, as if she had been pushed out by someone.
It was to the point where he wondered how they had passed the preliminaries the year before last.
Now, the only people left were Elbridge and Vibeka, and the pseudo-dwarf whose survival could not be confirmed.
As only Elbridge and Vibeka were left as a group, the number of paladins targeting the two of them increased.
"Sir Elbridge! Just hold on a little longer!"
Fortunately, Vibeka was enduring quite stably.
Then again, she must have had that level of skill to be able to participate in the Great Festival despite being an apprentice paladin.
At that moment, the eyes of a paladin with yellow paint on his chest met Elbridge's. The shape of the armor was familiar.
The reason Elbridge remembered that paladin's armor was because that person had already knocked down four people.
That paladin was large in build and seemed to have accumulated a lot of holy power, so whenever he clashed with others in terms of strength, he always subdued his opponent without much difficulty.
In this match, the person drawing the most attention from the crowd would be that man.
And Elbridge was drawing the crowd's attention in a different direction. As the idiot who was the only one to enter the stadium with a sword.
"Hmph!"
The paladin with yellow paint took a deep breath, then charged towards Elbridge like a bison. A firm will to make a fifth victim was visible.
"Fiiiive!"
The paladin who had kicked off the ground and charged pulled his iron club back behind him, then swung it with all his might.
No, he tried to swing it with all his might.
Because Elbridge's sword, which had moved a beat faster to the path where the opposing paladin's right wrist should move, blocked it, the paladin could not swing the iron club with all his might.
However, Elbridge's sword also could not pierce the opponent's gauntlet.
Kkigigigik—
An unpleasant metallic sound screeched as the gauntlet and sword slid against each other.
But that was enough. In the short gap, Elbridge's gaze swept over the opponent's armor. As expected, there were no exposed joints.
'If there are none, I have to make them.'
Elbridge's gaze moved from top to bottom.
The cuirass protecting the chest.
The fauld protecting the pelvis and waist below the cuirass.
Again, the tasset protecting the thighs below that.
Below that, the poleyn protecting the knee.
Finally, the greave protecting from the shin to the foot. Where would be easy to attack.
Elbridge's eyes landed between the poleyn, the knee guard, and the greave protecting below the shin.
He could see a clasp on the outside of the knee for connecting and fixing the two pieces of armor.
Elbridge's action was carried out simultaneously with his judgment. Elbridge's sword was swung immediately, and a spark flew from the clasp that was fixing the poleyn and greave together.
The clasp broke, creating a small gap on the opponent's knee. A gap of just about half a finger joint.
But that was more than enough for a sword to penetrate. Elbridge's sword immediately embedded itself in the opponent's knee.
From blocking the opponent's attack to cutting the clasp and driving the sword into the knee.
All movements were carried out in a single breath.
"Aaaaaaaaah—!"
A spatter of blood flew, and a painful scream echoed through the stadium.
Since it happened between the two people who had been drawing attention for opposite reasons, numerous spectators saw the scene.
"What was that, just now!"
But paradoxically, not many people understood what had happened between the two.
Elbridge pulled out the sword that had penetrated the knee, then lightly swung the sword to flick off the blood.
And said.
"Next."