Five
It is undeniably advantageous to face a single opponent with superior numbers.
However, a group that has never coordinated their movements cannot achieve an efficient joint attack simply by charging at one person.
The paladins hired by the Flowing Water Order had sought to gain the upper hand by overwhelming Elbridge with their numbers.
There was just one problem. The advantage they had secured by abandoning their pride was not enough to bridge the gap between them and Elbridge.
“···.”
The five paladins hired by the Flowing Water Order lost all will to fight the moment they confirmed the result of their first clash.
If five of them could not subdue the enemy, there was no way three could manage it.
And it was not even three against one.
Now, four paladins from the Spring Rain and Moss Order stood at their backs. They would have to overcome five against three.
The situation had become crystal clear.
‘There is no chance of victory.’
The paladin at the front planted his iron mace on the ground and spoke.
“We concede defeat.”
He released the iron rod. It clattered loudly across the arena floor before rolling weakly to a stop.
The priests of the Flowing Water Order watched the scene from below the stage as well.
Since the hired fighters had failed to fulfill their contract to the end, it would have been reasonable to protest. But they could not. Even with their limited insight, the outcome had been far too obvious.
Clap, clap, clap—
The spectators applauded, praising every paladin on the stage.
It had not been the fierce, drawn-out battle they had hoped for.
Yet this was the first match of the main tournament. If the preliminary rounds were the appetizer, this was more than enough. In fact, it might have raised expectations too high.
The crowd shouted at the top of their lungs.
“Spring Rain and Moss! Spring Rain and Moss!”
Some cheered for the goddess of the Spring Rain and Moss Order, others for Elbridge’s name, and still others for the Rusty Shield Order.
The roar of voices buzzed through the arena like the flapping wings of a swarm of bees.
Elbridge offered the audience a simple bow, then descended from the stage and returned to the waiting room.
Every paladin waiting in the room turned their attention to Elbridge.
“Sir Elbridge of the Rusty Shield Order. A splendid match. I am Eivor of the Laurel Wreath Order.”
Several paladins approached and introduced themselves.
Of course, Elbridge could not memorize every name and face.
But that was not a problem. They did not expect him to remember them clearly either.
The paladins of the Spring Rain and Moss Order waited for the others to disperse before approaching Elbridge a little later.
The dwarf-like, stout paladin Hakon spoke to him.
“Winning a match in the main tournament. That ties our order’s all-time best record. You also flattened the Flowing Water Order’s nose… A perfect hundred-point result. It’s all thanks to you.”
“I was simply lucky.”
“Haha! How much luck would it take to show that kind of skill by chance?”
Hakon laughed heartily. Team leader Scarlet and the slender Arvid both wore excited expressions.
But there was one person whose face was not bright at all.
Viveka.
“Lady Viveka. Is something wrong?”
“No… It just feels strange.”
Her words trailed off vaguely.
Elbridge sensed she had more to say, so he waited quietly for her to continue.
With a small sigh, Viveka went on.
“We set an incredible record and resolved our biggest worry… but I didn’t do anything to help. In the preliminaries, I only swung my weapon a few times, and in the main match, I literally just watched.”
The red-haired paladin, Scarlet, poked Viveka in the side.
“You don’t have to say that.”
But Elbridge answered her directly.
“Now that I think about it, that must be upsetting. I’m sorry.”
Viveka shook her head.
“I’m not blaming you, Sir Elbridge. Of course I want to leave my own mark on the Grand Tournament and our order’s history, but I know I’m not skilled enough for that yet. If our team’s strength depended on my performance to win or lose… we would have been eliminated in the preliminaries.”
Elbridge did not bother to refute her. Empty comfort was sometimes worse than none at all.
Viveka shrugged and smiled.
“Right now it just feels a little bittersweet, but if we had lost in the preliminaries or been defeated by the Flowing Water Order in the main tournament, it would have been truly miserable. Thanks to you, we avoided that. Thank you. Truly.”
Once Viveka finished, Elbridge asked her a question in return.
“Lady Viveka. You mentioned that the Spring Rain and Moss Order reached the main tournament two years ago. Did you compete back then as well?”
“Yes.”
Sometimes expressions and eyes convey more meaning than words.
In Viveka’s brown eyes as she looked back on that time, Elbridge saw vivid joy and ecstasy. It must have been the happiest moment of her life.
“At that time, our order hadn’t reached the main tournament for nearly ten years. When we finally did, the believers were so happy… Some of the excited faithful even tried to force their way into this very waiting room.”
“That makes sense.”
“That wasn’t all. On the way back to the temple, they practically carried me the whole way. The next day we lost our first main match spectacularly, but…”
Viveka smiled faintly as she spoke. It was a smile without the slightest regret.
“Even though we were utterly crushed, I wasn’t disappointed at all. In fact, I was so excited that night I couldn’t sleep. Because I had a new goal. Sir Elbridge, do you know what our order’s best record in the Grand Tournament is?”
He had heard it in passing before.
“You said winning one match in the main tournament was the best record… so that would be the quarterfinals.”
“That’s right. It was set thirty years ago, before I was even born. The one and only record. Two years ago, on the day we lost our first main match, that became my goal. To win once in the main tournament and bring our order back to the quarterfinals.”
Unlike the other three paladins who had entered the Grand Tournament together, Viveka had firm forearms and rough, calloused hands. They were the traces of serious training.
Her appearance suited a proper combat order more than the healing-focused Spring Rain and Moss Order.
And now Elbridge understood why. The reason she had devoted herself so fiercely to training must have been the goal she set two years ago.
“But I never imagined my dream would come true outside my reach, without any involvement from me. That’s why it feels strange. When I went to ask for your help, I never expected anything like this.”
Her dream had come true?
No. To Elbridge, Viveka’s expression looked closer to that of someone whose dream had been stolen from them. She herself did not seem to realize it yet.
“Hey now—!”
The pseudo-dwarf Hakon shook his shoulders comically and jumped into the conversation.
“This is hardly the time to be happy, so let’s continue that story later. Since we’ve heard Viveka’s tale, how about we hear Sir Elbridge’s story this time?”
“···What story would you like to hear?”
Hakon asked in an extremely nosy tone.
“I heard that the moment you were asked to join the Grand Tournament, you accepted immediately. Just what reason made you accept ‘Viveka’s’ request so readily?”
“As I said before, it was because I received the grace of the goddess of the Spring Rain and Moss Order.”
When Elbridge answered that way, Viveka gave a pouty, cat-like smile.
Hakon did not look satisfied with the answer.
“Is that all? There must be more, right? Something a little more… interesting? Don’t be shy…!”
Elbridge thought for a moment before replying.
“I also wanted to make the name of the Rusty Shield Order known.”
“···Hmm.”
“Countless combat orders have vanished from people’s memories. No one visits them, and their temples are covered in nothing but dust. And the dust on the Rusty Shield Order is thicker than any other.”
Elbridge glanced at the stands.
An uncountable number of people sat there.
“I wish to brush away all the dust that has accumulated in their memories.”
Even after hearing Elbridge’s answer, Hakon still looked unsatisfied.
“···Nothing more? A slightly more embarrassing reason would be nice too.”
In the end, Hakon never got the answer he was hoping for.
“I knew it would turn out like this… but what terrible bracket luck.”
“There’s nothing we can do about it.”
The Spring Rain and Moss Order’s next opponent was one of the top contenders for the championship in this Grand Tournament—the Bloodied Spear Order.
The five of them, including Elbridge, stepped onto the stage.
The spectators shouted as if they had been waiting for this moment.
“Ooooooooooh—!”
“I bet on you! You have to win!”
The cheers were even more fervent than in the first main match, almost painful to the ears.
From the opposite side of the stage, the paladins of the Bloodied Spear Order ascended. The roar grew even louder.
Among the Bloodied Spear Order paladins was one face Elbridge recognized.
It was Felix, the paladin who had tried to recruit him for the Bloodied Spear Order, spoken of shipwrecks, and left an irreparable wound on the goddess’s heart.
Felix subtly raised his right hand in greeting to Elbridge.
Once all ten had taken the stage, the announcer began introducing the participants.
“···Paladin Felix of the Bloodied Spear Order! And their opponents, paladins Scarlet, Hakon… of the Spring Rain and Moss Order…!”
Unfortunately, the announcer’s voice was mostly drowned out by the crowd’s roar.
But no introduction was truly necessary. The spectators already knew exactly who the ten people on stage were.
“Arvid! Viveka! And the paladin of the Rusty Shield Order, El-bridge!”
The cheers grew even louder.
Until the introductions ended, the paladins of the Bloodied Spear Order stared at only one person—Elbridge.
Elbridge looked back at them as well.
True to their order’s specialty in wielding spears, each Bloodied Spear Order paladin carried one long or short spear.
Viveka’s words echoed in Elbridge’s mind.
That winning once in the main tournament had been her dream. The subtle regret hidden in her voice. Yet at the same time, the gratitude she showed toward him.
“We will now begin the maaaatch—!”
Elbridge closed his eyes.
Beneath his eyelids, a snow-covered plain unfolded.
He looked to the side.
Except for where he himself stood, only a single set of footprints marked the vast field.
The footprints the Spring Rain and Moss Order had left thirty years ago. Those footprints lay right beside him.
If Viveka continued to work desperately, she might one day leave new footprints beside his.
But could she take the next step?
‘I cannot know.’
Unlike Viveka, Elbridge could reach the end of the snow-covered plain if he simply chose to.
Yet he did not believe it was right for him to leave the first footprints on this field.
This was not a plain for Elbridge. It was the snowy field of the Spring Rain and Moss Order, prepared for Viveka.
Was it right to leave new footprints on this field for the glory that lay at its end?
Was it wise to fulfill Viveka’s dream in her place, then hand it over with an indifferent expression?
Would the goddess desire such glory?
‘No, she would not.’
Still, Elbridge could not turn his eyes away from the order’s glory or the goal of gaining new believers.
Fortunately, he had one method. A way to seize that glory without leaving footprints on this pure white snowfield.
Elbridge opened his eyes.
Then he turned around.
“Everyone.”
Hakon answered.
“What is it?”
“May I ask you all for one favor?”
“Say whatever you need.”
“Would it be all right if I fought this match alone?”
He was not saying he would fight first. Elbridge had declared he would fight by himself.
Hakon laughed boldly.
“You’re the one who brought us this far. Why are you asking for our permission?”
He set his weapon down.
It was a clear declaration that he would not fight.
Hakon said to Elbridge,
“I think I know what you’re trying to do. Victory and glory are not the same thing, right?”
“You’re quick to catch on.”
“Whether you win or lose, you’ll become a legend. Go sweep away all that dust piled up in the temple.”
Hakon stepped down from the stage.
Team leader Scarlet and the slender Arvid also understood Elbridge’s intention. They lowered their weapons and left the stage.
The only one who had not fully grasped the situation was Viveka. But even she was swept up in the atmosphere and stepped down.
Elbridge looked forward. On the opposite side, the paladins of the Bloodied Spear Order still stood ready.
They did not consider the Spring Rain and Moss Order paladins’ actions rude. They had already witnessed Elbridge’s skill in the previous match.
Having watched Elbridge’s first main tournament match, the senior paladin of the Bloodied Spear Order could guess his intention.
Therefore, the senior paladin asked him directly.
“Paladin Elbridge. Do you want one, or do you want all five?”
It was not asking whether he would face one or face all five in succession.
It was asking how many he would face at the same time.
The senior paladin of the Bloodied Spear Order judged that Elbridge possessed both the qualification and the ability to do so.
The goddess read the paladin’s heart, and the paladin understood the goddess’s will.
Therefore, Elbridge’s answer and the goddess’s oracle came at the exact same moment.
“Five.”
— Five.