Contestant number 2222, ‘Bean’, got so bored that he wanted to die.
Bean wanted to prove his extraordinary intelligence.
So he liked challenging himself in contests that tested his intellect, achieving quite a flashy record.
He ranked first in his school at the Western Academy,
And unofficially ranked first in the Western Region in Paimon (card game).
But still, Bean’s desire remained unfulfilled.
No matter how many times he ranked first in the West, it wasn’t nationwide.
Bean wanted to be number one in the entire nation.
The one everyone acknowledged.
However, while there were battles among wizards or warriors in this medieval fantasy world, there were no contests to determine intellectual prowess.
As his competitive spirit was decaying, he heard about the ‘Tetric’ game tournament.
At that moment, Bean thought,
“This is the tournament for me.”
Excited, he joined the tournament, but he found the level of competition disappointingly low.
Of course, there was one kid, an elf it seemed, who troubled him all the way to the end,
But as soon as he got serious, he got eliminated.
Bean hoped for an opponent who would genuinely challenge him.
“Whoa!!!”
Thinking this, Bean, having passed the first preliminary, heard the cheers during the second round in the arena.
“What’s that noise?”
To have such shouts during the preliminaries intrigued Bean, and he went to see the match.
There were two players battling it out in Tetric.
A girl from the cat-eared Myojin tribe and a boy with yellow hair who seemed to be around his age were fighting, and it was clear to Bean.
“That guy… is holding back.”
It is said that those who have reached a certain level can read their opponent’s skill with one move.
Bean could clearly see that the yellow-haired boy was intentionally letting his opponent win.
With finesse so natural that the opponent didn’t notice, he made it seem like he would lose, only to turn the tables again, exciting the audience’s hearts.
This kind of act would be impossible unless there was hardly any skill gap at all.
If it weren’t for someone of his level, that is.
No… if it were himself, he could do even better.
Bean thought to himself.
“Now it’s getting interesting.”
Adjusting his glasses, Bean smiled, gazing at who seemed to be the biggest rival of the tournament.
At that moment, it was confirmed that [Contestant number: 1980 Johan] would proceed to the finals.
*
That evening, after watching all the preliminaries, we returned to our accommodations.
Out of thousands of challengers, only 8 had been selected.
And surprisingly, one of those 8 was Julia.
“Hahaha! One hundred million gold is mine!!”
Julia possessed unimaginable skill in Tetric, defeating other competitors and confidently making it to the top 8.
Instead of creating games, she seemed to play like crazy; typical of Julia.
Back at the lodge, we started our enjoyable dinner, grilling meats and drinking wine and beverages given by Sylvia while enjoying food we bought from outside.
As I sipped wine while watching from a slight distance, a voice came from behind.
“Did you enjoy watching? Yuren.”
It was Sylvia.
When did she arrive?
Well, this was the Edward Consortium’s inn, so it wasn’t strange for her to come in quietly whenever she wanted.
I sincerely thanked her.
It was all thanks to her that the priests were able to travel together.
“Thanks to you, I had a great time with the priests, Sylvia.”
In response to my heartfelt gratitude, she playfully laughed and said.
“Well, if you’ve enjoyed enough, I suppose it’s time to get to work.”
At that moment, work? I wondered if Jiren and Noirin felt like this back then.
Suddenly, I recalled how I made the priests do work during the last Crunch mode.
“I’m always ready to work, as long as the preparations are complete.”
“Yesterday, everything was perfectly ready. Tomorrow is all that’s left.”
Sylvia and I had been constantly in touch while preparing for Super Thomas and the Tetric tournament.
I guess the issues regarding hiring the welcoming wizard for the event had been solved well.
But… Despite her words, I sensed worry on her face.
“Yuren, aren’t you nervous?”
“Are you nervous, Sylvia?”
The tournament seemed well-prepared. The games were set.
Yet she seemed a bit worried.
“To be honest, I feel a little nervous.”
Sylvia leaned against the inn’s wall, gazing at the priests having fun with the festival.
It seemed she was reminded of the people who relied on her.
It was the first time she showed such a vulnerable side.
“My shoulders carry the burden of thousands of Edward Consortium families. If I fail, they will struggle too.”
When there’s a lot to carry, new worries arise.
I understood her concerns and worries.
“Though my heart is certain, the world always has ‘what ifs.’”
There’s no guaranteed way to succeed in this world.
If there were, it would either be a scam or just a delusion.
All we can do is prepare as best as we can to get as close to success as possible.
Perhaps, this challenge would be the greatest challenge of her life.
Remembering the pressure I faced during my first game launch in my previous life, I felt a sense of camaraderie with her.
“Trust the joy you feel, Sylvia. Everyone wants happiness.”
We’re not just selling a product.
Tomorrow, we will offer something greater.
“Tomorrow, we’re not just selling a product. We’re giving a different happiness to the people of the Empire.”
I poured the finest wine Sylvia had given me into a glass, handing it to her.
She received the glass and smiled.
“I really can’t tell who’s the master of this tavern.”
Her eyes sparkled a bit as she lifted her glass and suggested a toast.
“But I’ll join you, Yuren, but my commission is quite high.”
Clink!
As the wine glasses collided, a clear sound echoed, and the quivering wine calmed our jittery hearts.
“My time is valuable too. But for you, Sylvia, I can offer a special friend discount.”
“Friend discount?”
“Yes, when we share tough times, we become friends after all.”
“Ah… I see. The friend discount… I like it.”
Her face turned red before she even took a sip of the wine.
What’s this? Is she sensitive to the wine’s scent?
Just then, excited voices overwhelmed me.
“Hahaha! Yuren! There you are! This drink is incredible! Let’s drink together!”
“Yeah! Let’s drink! My disciple!!”
Julia and the Master clung to my back, and Thomas appeared behind Sylvia.
“Excuse me, Miss, but it’s time for you to leave now.”
“It’s already that time? Alright, Thomas.”
Sylvia looked back at me one last time.
“Then Yuren, see you at the Zephia Coliseum tomorrow.”
“Got it. See you tomorrow, Sylvia.”
*
The next day was the foundation day festival.
In front of the royal palace, numerous people and nobles gathered, waiting for the speech.
And shortly after, she made her appearance.
“Look!”
“It’s Her Majesty!”
The current emperor of the Empire is ‘Cassius Zers Rohan IV.’
However, he is not yet of age, and someone is currently serving as regent in his place.
That person is the Emperor’s mother and the pinnacle of power in the current Zers Empire,
Queen ‘Olivia Aurelia.’
She entered the podium, flaunting her stunning platinum hair and looking unbelievably young at 42.
And she began her address.
“Today, we gather here to commemorate the founding of the Empire. But I wish to celebrate the peace of the Empire even more.”
Her words echoed beautifully and clearly throughout Zephia and through the Crystal Ball broadcast across Zers.
“It has been 30 years since the era of peace began. This peace has been preserved thanks to our late Emperor and the dedication of the Empire’s people.”
She spoke of her husband and the emperor who created the peace in the Empire, ‘Cassius Zers Rohan III.’
Rohan III passed away a decade ago due to illness.
She stabilized the political environment that was about to fall into chaos and governed for ten years, preparing to safely pass the Empire to her son.
“I hope to pass down the Empire, which was made possible by your efforts and dedication, to the next generation, and on behalf of the Emperor, I hereby declare the foundation day festival!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With her address, fireworks representing the white roses of the Zers Imperial family began exploding in the sky.
And with the start of the festival, cheers erupted from the crowd.
[ “Wowwwwwww!” ]
“Hail Her Majesty the Empress!!!”
Thus, the foundation day festival of the Zers Empire commenced, set to last for three days.
And at that moment, another celebration was beginning at the Zephia Coliseum where the preliminaries had taken place.
The Coliseum was already packed with spectators.
And in the center stood a boy with red hair and red sunglasses.
As the time arrived and the festival fireworks erupted, he began to speak.
“Hello! Tetric fans, I’m delighted to see you. I am JYJ from the Bard Guild, hosting the tournament.”
With that, the excitement of the fans in the Coliseum soared.
In response to their heartbeat, JYJ shouted with all his might to announce the start of the tournament.
“Then! From here on out! With the thunderous cheers!
We shall commence the 1st Tetric Tournament!!”
[ “Woooooahhh!” ]
Thus, the Tetric game tournament, the flower of this foundation day festival, began.
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