Chapter 79: World's Best Partner Selection Tournament—Preliminaries (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 79: World's Best Partner Selection Tournament—Preliminaries (2)
Knights with swords at their hips, warriors wielding spears, pugilists with gauntlets, mages clutching staves and grimoires…
A diverse array of challengers had gathered inside the Grand Arena.
Of course, this included female swordsmen like Helena and Natalia.
Among them were some rude bastards who muttered behind my back, clearly intending for me to hear: "Even a bored noble showed up. Tsk, tourist pieces of shit…"
There was no need to react to every little provocation, so I held back Helena and Natalia, who looked ready to draw their swords at any moment.
"Young Master!"
"Master!"
"Don't pay them any mind. They’re just street thugs who won't even make it past the preliminaries anyway."
Helena and Natalia looked deeply dissatisfied, but they eventually settled down by my side.
As soon as all the participants had entered the stadium—
"Now, kill each other!"
The shout came from Andrasta, who stood tall just below the spectator seats reserved exclusively for the Emperor and Empress.
Thanks to that, Helena, Natalia, and even I stood there with our mouths agape, staring blankly at Andrasta.
I should have known she’d be like this here, too.
In the original Milfgard, Andrasta was a character similar to the "Strongest Creature on Earth" from a certain martial arts manga.
For instance, there was a scene where a knight participating in a tournament like today's asked her why she didn't use a weapon…
"Swordsmanship, magic. Those are things for the likes of you."
"By 'the likes of us,' you mean…?"
"Every living creature except me!"
She had delivered that line with total confidence, without so much as a blink.
Of course, that knight NPC had his HP completely depleted in a single blow.
Andrasta was a character who received every bit of favoritism the developers could muster: she systematically always took the first turn, always attacked twice, always used area-of-effect attacks, and her damage output was essentially an instant-kill.
Furthermore, she had no love interest routes and zero service scenes.
And this was despite Milfgard being an eroge.
Because of that, the developers' sponsorship comment page was always filled with remarks like:
—Why even make and include a female character you can't beat or sleep with?
—Andrasta is a character that proves the developers' incompetence and lack of creativity.
—This game is shit, don't buy it.
—♚♚JOIN THE ST☆RM OF THE NEXUS♚♚ALL NEW MEMBERS$$GET FREE CARD PACKS☜☜100% GUARANTEED BACKS※ ♜THE LICH KING COMMANDS YOU♜ FREE PETS INCLUDED￥ SPECIAL CONDITIONS §§DIABLO 3§§★GET IT NOW★CHANCE TO WIN PORTRAITS@@
Yeah… it was at the point where even long-outdated "Restaurance" [a Korean meme referring to Heroes of the Storm spam] memes were appearing…
As if reflecting the atmosphere of those hostile comment sections, the thousand or so participants gathered in the stadium were buzzing with unease.
Perhaps affected by the mood, Helena, standing beside me, gently took my hand.
Regardless of her immortal body or her infinite magic power, it seemed my teacher was always worried about me first.
"Young Master."
I simply gripped Helena’s hand firmly without a word. I also took Natalia’s hand, as she had been hesitating after missing her timing.
Well… logically, everyone here can't actually kill each other.
If this were Erin, where Andrasta reigns as King, it might be different, but this is the Empire.
Specifically, the Grand Arena located in the heart of the Imperial Capital.
If a massacre broke out in such a place, Andrasta would—no joke—end up on the executioner's block.
"So, it's about time for someone to step in and stop her…"
Actually, this development existed in the original work as well.
Well, back then, it wasn't me but my older brother Luan, the original protagonist, who participated in the tournament.
In any case, it was the sequence for the appearance of a heroine who takes the "voice of reason" position, risking her life to give direct advice to the muscle-brained King.
"Your Highness!"
Sure enough, a beastkin warrior who had been mixed in with the participants leaped toward Andrasta.
True to her leopard-like appearance, her agility and jumping power were incredible.
Andrasta immediately called out the name of the female warrior who knelt before her.
"Irusan. What is it?"
"How many times have I told you that you cannot do that!"
"Why?"
"I have told you why several times as well!"
Irusan spoke to her King like a truly enraged female leopard.
The fact that this tournament was even happening was already a massive diplomatic strain. If a mass bloodshed occurred here on her orders, it would escalate into an irreversible disaster.
"Your Highness! Please, do not just say whatever comes to your mind! Have I not advised you of this repeatedly!"
"Hahaha. Right, you did."
Unlike Andrasta, who laughed it off boisterously, the Fiona Warrior Band standing around her were sighing in relief. This included Sreng, the saber-toothed tiger beastkin I had seen at the main gate earlier.
As soon as Irusan returned to the group of participants after finishing her task, Andrasta shouted once more.
"I sincerely apologize for the unintentional confusion! It seems my intention to condense the tournament period was not properly communicated!"
I didn't mean it that way, you guys just misunderstood~
A King is a King, after all. She’s using a style of speech I’ve heard somewhere before.
After leaving behind words that sounded like something you'd hear in Yeouido [the political district of Seoul], Andrasta suddenly began to descend into the arena.
"According to tradition and law, the Ardri is only supposed to face the challenger who reaches the finals! However, I have no intention of following that tradition!"
She suppressed the bewildered warriors following her and Irusan, who was trying to stop her again, with just a look.
Before long, standing at the same eye level as the participants, Andrasta shouted again.
"I shall stand here with the same status as a participant! To prove that I am worthy of receiving your challenges!"
Cheers and laughter erupted from all over.
The King, who had always watched from on high, had declared she would roll in the dust just like them.
In a way, it could be seen as a very modern and fair approach, but…
Well… that woman probably just wants to fight more.
For the record, this development was also in the original.
The reason was simply that Andrasta was a muscle-brained battle-maniac.
"The strongest representatives of the Empire have all gathered before me. Then is it not only right that I test myself against every challenger!"
I think that’s how it went…
Compared to the original, it’s become a bit more sophisticated.
"And seeing her up close, she’s even prettier…"
While I was recalling those old memories, Andrasta disappeared into the crowd of participants.
In her place, Sreng’s shout instantly silenced the confusion of the crowd.
"I will now explain the format of the preliminary matches, and we will proceed immediately after the explanation!"
*
Sreng’s announcement could be summarized as follows:
First, as of this moment, no more challengers can apply.
Second, under no circumstances is it permitted to kill an opponent who has surrendered.
Third, the main tournament will take place the day after the preliminaries end and will follow a tournament format.
"Finally, the preliminaries will begin immediately! Fiona Warrior Band, lead the participants at once!"
So how exactly are the preliminaries going to work?
Without saying a single word about the actual important part, Sreng ruthlessly commanded the warrior band.
"Well… I guess we have no choice but to follow for now."
I felt like I was back at the Nonsan Training Center.
People who had no idea what was going on, myself included.
And the warriors leading them like instructors, barking orders…
Amidst the rising clouds of dust and the general chaos, I soon found myself mixed into a group of about a hundred people.
Whether by coincidence or design, I’ve been separated from Helena and Natalia.
Because of that, my gaze naturally drifted to my surroundings.
A greenhorn already stiff with tension.
A thug rambling on about his plans that no one asked for.
A decent-looking fellow quietly checking his weapon.
And a brat who got his nose broken after talking back to a beastkin warrior…
I felt certain that even if everyone here attacked me at once, I wouldn't lose.
Fortunately, neither Irusan nor Sreng is here.
Sreng was the saber-toothed tiger beastkin warrior who appeared in the original as the head and vanguard of the Fiona Warrior Band.
He used a massive greatsword befitting his enormous frame and was a quintessential warrior-type character.
He was a boss designed to be quite a headache, even if not as much as Andrasta…
Irusan, who looked like a leopard, was a female warrior who used a long spear and a shield.
Her attacks were as fast and sharp as a leopard's, and her evasion ability, combined with her sturdy shield and feline reflexes, was enough to make one curse.
Unfortunately, unlike Andrasta, she looked too much like a leopard for me to be interested.
I’m not some suspiciously wealthy person with a specific fetish.
Anyway, it looks like the sorting is mostly finished… what are they planning to do now?
The person I was looking for wasn't Andrasta or Sreng.
And it certainly wasn't Irusan.
It was Medir, a rodent-type beastkin with a scrawny body, protruding front teeth, a pathetic mustache, and a shabby tail.
In the original, he was a mastermind-type character who enjoyed using status ailments from poison and schemes, but the interesting part of his setting was that Medir wasn't actually part of the Fiona Warrior Band.
He was also a boss whose goal was to possess Andrasta by any means necessary, having fallen for her from afar.
"If that's the case, he should definitely be here… but I don't see him."
It could just be that there were too many people for me to spot him.
Or perhaps Medir doesn't exist in this world.
Or… like all rats, he might be hiding in the shadows, plotting something.
Even so…
Everything is meaningless before overwhelming power.
That applied to Andrasta, but it applied to me as well.
Just as I was unconsciously stroking the red gem of the Demon Sword Sitri—
I heard Sreng’s shout from a makeshift platform.
"The sorting of all participants is complete! We will now organize the groups into Preliminary Group 1, starting from the group on the far right!"
Then I’m… Group 12, the last one.
There are 200 more people than the thousand I expected.
This is going to take quite a while…
As soon as that thought crossed my mind, Sreng’s shout rang out again.
"Only one person from each preliminary group can advance to the main tournament! The preliminaries will be conducted in a way that selects that one person!"
In other words, it was a Kodoku [a jar of venomous insects where only the survivor is used].
Like throwing all sorts of poisonous insects into a jar and using the one that survives.
Then the format of the preliminaries would naturally be similar to a game of musical chairs, fighting over that single spot.
Meaning…
"The preliminaries will be held once in the afternoon and once in the evening! The participants in each group will fight until only one remains!"
"What? So you are telling us to kill each other."
Boo~ How can you do this~ This is barbaric~
Outcries like that erupted from various places.
Of course, those outcries were instantly silenced by Sreng’s next shout.
"Anyone dissatisfied with the format, leave! Anyone who lacks the confidence to survive or lacks confidence in their skills, leave as well! Only the truly strong are worthy of facing Erin’s Ardri!"
"…"
The challengers who had rushed in like the tide mostly receded like the ebb.
The remaining participants… were about half.
I didn't know if only those confident in their skills and survival remained, as Sreng said, but…
Regardless, there is no way I will lose.
If I can't even overcome this much, how can I hope to embrace the Overlord of the Plains?
It wasn't that I was confident I wouldn't lose; it was that I couldn't lose. I must not lose.
Just as I reaffirmed my resolve, Sreng’s final shout burst forth.
"We will begin Preliminary Match 1 immediately! All preliminary groups except for Group 1 and Group 2, leave the arena!"
Unfortunately, since I was in the last group, I had no choice but to leave the stadium.
Well… I’m used to waiting…