Time passed, and it was finally the day of the preliminary round.
The streets were literally packed with no room to spare.
“Come on! I’ve got deals! Buy your stuff here!!”
“Hey! Special discounts for the Hero Selection Tournament! Get 10% off if you buy now!!”
People coming to participate in the tournament, curious onlookers, and merchants all swarmed together.
To top it off, there were people from the Holy Kingdom out to enjoy drinking and dancing even in the broad daylight.
All of them tangled together, creating a lively atmosphere as if a festival was underway.
“No festival like that anywhere.”
“Well, I guess for the Holy Kingdom folks, this is a festival?”
Typically, priests lived ascetic lives and, influenced by them, the people of the Holy Kingdom often led similar lifestyles.
For them, the Hero Selection Tournament was truly a once-in-a-lifetime event.
So, it wasn’t surprising that people dressed in the attire of the Holy Kingdom rushed out to enjoy drinking and dancing.
“Hey there, young friends.”
“…?”
Just then, someone called out to Rudell and his companions as they made their way down the street.
Turning in curious confusion, Rudell saw a fat merchant with a gluttonous expression.
“What’s going on?”
“You guys look like you’re here for the Hero Selection Tournament, right? Am I wrong?”
“And…?”
“Then you should check out these weapons!”
Saying this, the merchant displayed the weapons he had brought along.
At first glance, they looked like they were made of scrap metal, clearly low quality.
“These weapons, my friend, are the creations of a famous artisan from the Empire, each packed with tremendous magic power!”
But the merchant continued boasting as if these were ancient relics of great value.
“Packed with magic power, you say?”
“That’s correct!”
Grugh…!!
At that moment, Rudell couldn’t hold back a chuckle.
The merchant, utterly unaware of whom he was dealing with, argued that what mattered wasn’t the appearance but the magic power; even a wooden sword could break a legendary blade…
He was spouting nonsense that even kids wouldn’t buy into.
“Right now, only 10 gold pieces! At this price, it’s practically giving it away!”
“Hmm… how about this? If you vanish right now, I won’t report you.”
Huh, cough…!! “If young folks knew better about weapons, I wouldn’t have wasted my breath…”
While Rudell wanted to hear more of the merchant’s tales, the preliminary rounds were about to start, leaving no time to spare.
As Rudell pondered the merchant’s words, he replied, and the merchant awkwardly cleared his throat before disappearing into the crowd.
“I sometimes feel that my appearance is too gentle; it attracts too many oddballs.”
“Well… considering your looks, it makes sense.”
As Rudell grumbled, Leje let out a low chuckle.
Overall, he simply exuded harmlessness.
Rudell’s looks could be summed up in that one sentence.
Perhaps because of this, street vendors often flocked to him, and this was no exception.
“Maybe if I wear sunglasses, I’ll look a bit tougher?”
“Forget it, they won’t suit you.”
“Is that so…”
At Leje’s response, Rudell grimaced.
Just then, the bell in the distant clock tower began to toll for noon…
“Rudell, it’s almost time.”
“We need to hurry.”
Nodding to Kurt’s words, Rudell quickened his pace.
*
A massive structure reminiscent of the Colosseum.
Rudell stood in its center alongside Leje.
Surrounding them were numerous people bustling about, weapons in hand.
Boom!
Puh-woom!!
Waaaaah!!
With sharp sounds, fireworks erupted into the sky, creating colorful clouds, causing a roar of excitement among the audience witnessing the spectacle.
It truly resembled a festival.
“Wow, there are a lot of people…”
Rudell groaned lowly as he took it all in.
“Let’s see… at least five hundred here, I think?”
“You see that?”
“Yep.”
“Whew…”
While the number of five hundred was impressive, it was even more astonishing that Leje could gauge such a rough estimate just by sight.
“By the way… I feel a bit tense. There are a lot of strong-looking people around…”
There were several men in the crowd who resembled bandits rather than heroes.
Men with bodies that could dwarf the average person.
Men donning intimidating armor that screamed experience.
Looking at them, it seemed everyone present was an incredible veteran.
“But it seems like there aren’t many people around who compare to you.”
“Then I’m relieved…”
How did I end up in a place like this…?
I should have just refused.
With that thought, Rudell exhaled a short sigh.
Just then…
“Hey, kid.”
“…?”
Someone called out to him, and as Rudell turned, he faced a rugged-looking man.
With a scruffy beard and towering over everyone by a head or two, his sunburnt skin was covered in scars, and the massive cleaver strapped to his back left no doubt—he looked like a bandit.
“Kid? Are you talking about me?”
“Yeah, I’m talking to you. You don’t look like someone who belongs here; why don’t you go back to your mama for some milk?”
“…”
I really need to figure something out.
To end up being scoffed at by guys like this…
With that thought, Rudell shot a glare at the man.
“Oh? Why? Got a problem? If you have a beef, show your skills.”
“Bite me, I’ll just flatten you later.”
“That’s what I was thinking too.”
Contrary to his gentle appearance, Rudell didn’t shy away from a challenge.
In the past, when the Gold Rush Trading Guild had fun at the expense of other sizable guilds, his approach was to deal thoroughly with anyone who showed hostility within his means.
“That girl with you seems a joke too; with a body like that, how will you swing any power? If you don’t get knocked out in one hit, I’ll be surprised.”
“What did you say?!”
“Calm down. You told me to hold back, and now you’re getting worked up over nothing.”
As the man continued to taunt, Leje narrowed her eyes, ready to draw her sword at any moment.
Rudell stopped her, wanting to keep the showdown for after the preliminary rounds began.
“Let’s see you later.”
“Haha! You’re awfully confident!”
As the man turned away, laughing, Leje, with her teeth grinding, quietly simmered down.
Just then…
[His Holiness the Pope will now enter.]
A solemn voice echoed through the arena, and instantly the audience fell silent as if someone had turned off the noise.
It was an eerie calm, with only silence prevailing in the arena.
At the same time, from a vantage point overlooking the arena, an elderly man emerged.
He appeared like an ordinary neighborhood grandpa, but the radiant aura around him made it clear he was anything but common.
The Pope. Johannes Derenses Tubel Kainers.
Even from a distance, he radiated an immense presence.
Ooooooo…!!
The Holy Father has arrived!!
God’s blessing…
As the audience saw him, they all rose and knelt before the Pope.
As the living representative of the deity, he was also the leader of the Church serving all the virtuous gods.
The authority the Pope wielded was akin to that of the Empire’s Emperor in the eyes of regular citizens.
…
The participants of the preliminary round, including Rudell, knelt towards the Pope as well.
Simultaneously, looking down at the participants, the Pope opened his mouth.
[To all of you gathered here, I, Johannes Derenses Tubel Kainers, extend my sincere gratitude.]
His voice was firm and powerful, not at all betraying his advanced age.
As soon as he finished speaking, applause erupted from the audience, and the roaring ovation continued until the Pope raised his hand, signaling for silence.
[Your noble intentions of shouldering the great weight of being a hero for humanity deserve to be celebrated, and your efforts will be remembered for ages to come.]
How many people here truly had such pure intentions?
With that thought, Rudell gazed at the Pope.
[And to the esteemed guests from various nations who have come, I offer my immense gratitude and shall proclaim the commencement of the Hero Selection Tournament!]
Waaaaaaah-!!
The moment the Pope finished his declaration, cheers erupted from the audience…
Thus began the first trial to select the heroes.
