Thud!
Emily, looking like she was possessed by a goblin, dropped the soft-serve ice cream she was holding.
“You, why are you….”
Her trembling fingers pointed at us.
“Oh, what a coincidence to meet Mary and… Ken Feinstein here.”
Adrian, standing next to Emily, waved with a cheerful smile.
I glanced over at Mary.
I was checking her expression, since she just witnessed Adrian, the guy she liked in the game, here with Emily.
Even if their event hadn’t happened in the game yet, she probably felt some interest.
So I checked her face and noticed…
‘…Huh?’
For some reason, Mary was smiling slightly.
“Are you two enjoying the festival?”
Adrian, who was greeting us, then asked that.
I shifted my gaze back to Emily’s group from Mary.
Emily still had a stiff expression.
“Yes, we are enjoying it together. Ken suggested it.”
And the answer came not from me but from Mary, who somehow had her hand intertwined with mine.
At the same time, Emily trembled and opened her mouth.
“Why are you… what on earth…?”
Even if she asks why, there’s just too much to explain.
To start, I’d have to mention Siegfried’s story.
So as I was about to brush it off…
“I see… Why is that?”
Mary beside me asked, looking a bit amused.
“Hmm, that’s interesting. Are you two in some special relationship?”
Adrian, with an excited expression, chimed in.
That guy seemed sincerely curious as he looked at us.
‘Ugh… This is awkward.’
Looks like he doesn’t have even the slightest interest in Mary.
Not wanting our image together to be merely a source of entertainment for Adrian, I immediately tried to deny it.
But thinking it over…
‘Isn’t this a good opportunity to naturally check the progression of my relationship with Emily?’
I felt like this was a golden chance.
After all, Adrian and Emily’s feelings towards each other are key indicators heading toward the ending.
I can’t let this chance slip away.
I quickly tweaked my response.
“Well, it just so happened that we got tickets to watch the Swordsmanship Tournament. If it’s special to me, then I guess it’s special.”
If asked whether it’s special, it is, for Mary is always a wonderful person who helps me.
Huh? Mary’s grip on my arm is tightening for some reason.
But I immediately directed my gaze towards Adrian. Now’s my chance.
“So what about you two? Seeing you at the festival, you don’t look like just ordinary friends.”
Good, not a bad question.
It’s neither overly rude nor out of place in the flow of conversation.
From Adrian’s response, I’ll gauge his feelings.
As I waited for his reaction…
“Right, Emily and I…”
“Just friends! We’re just close friends, okay?!”
“…That’s what she says.”
Emily interrupted Adrian’s explanation with that shout.
No, if you answer, it loses its meaning…
“More importantly, what does special mean?! Explain in detail…!”
“Ken, the tournament is about to start soon.”
Suddenly, Emily started marching over. Ignoring her, Mary tugged my arm.
“W-Wait, Mary! You’ll fall over!”
Despite my words, Mary wouldn’t stop and kept pulling me along.
And we naturally distanced ourselves from the approaching Emily.
She shrank away, standing in place and watching us.
—
Led by Mary, I arrived at the tournament venue.
The Swordsmanship Tournament takes place in a Coliseum-like arena in the city.
Though it’s odd for a city to have a Coliseum, it’s game logic.
We submitted our tickets and sat in a decent spot.
“But who are you cheering for, Ken?”
“There’s a senior named Siegfried participating.”
“Ah, the one with the black hair…”
“Do you know him?”
“Yes, he doesn’t use magic at all but has good practical skills, so I remember him well.”
The academy has many talented students.
Among them, for someone like Mary, who stands out with her magical skills, Siegfried would definitely be memorable.
Being strong without using magic is quite rare.
However, Siegfried doesn’t just choose not to use magic; he simply can’t.
He lacks magical talent alongside his unique skill.
What he possesses are pure sword skills and physical attack-type abilities, primarily focusing on enhancement and striking skills.
‘Even so, to be ranked in the top ten of the third years is crazy.’
Most students at the academy not only excel in swordsmanship but also have strong magical abilities.
Using their unique skills, they can present unpredictable combat.
Being high-ranked solely through physical prowess is something extraordinary.
“Ah, it’s starting.”
With Mary’s voice, I focused on the match.
Siegfried stroked the hilt of the sword Ken made for him.
‘Looking forward to see how much this helps….’
This tournament is special for Siegfried.
It’s his first chance to prove a promise made with his childhood friend.
In the distance, in the audience, a girl with pink hair waved at him.
“Sieg~! Do your best~! You absolutely have to win!”
With a visibly anxious expression, she shouted encouragement at him.
Her name is Elise Granville, a friend and sisterly figure that Siegfried swore to protect.
“If you can’t win, you better be ready for no food━!!”
In a way, she might resemble an older sister to him.
Siegfried couldn’t help but smile at the thought.
He cherished their friendship, as she was a precious friend who always turned to him whenever things went wrong, showing her fiery personality and tendency to cry.
A precious promise with such a friend.
‘This time, I will definitely win.’
Siegfried steeled his resolve.
His eyes glinted with sharp determination and will.
—
‘Indeed, Siegfried is strong.’
This was Ken’s evaluation while watching the match with Mary.
True to being a top-tier third-year student, Siegfried swiftly won his first match.
His moves were akin to that of a black lightning.
In this tournament, where skills and magic are freely applied, he dashed forward unperturbed by the fireballs his opponent unleashed.
With a sound like thunder, the ground where he stood was uprooted.
As I blinked, he was right in front of his opponent.
And what came next was a downward slash of his black sword.
A dark trajectory generated an overwhelming wind of cuts.
WHAM!
“…Gah!”
His opponent was smashed into the arena wall like a cannonball, breaking it apart.
‘Scary…’
Siegfried’s calm yet piercing gaze.
Is that how the future Dragon Slayer, a master swordsman, looks?
Ken watched in awe and goosebumps ran down his body.
“Winner: Siegfried Gardner!”
As the opponent’s straw dummy couldn’t withstand the impact and shattered, the match ended.
And the arena erupted in cheers and applause.
‘Almost like a finals reaction.’
The audience was enthusiastic about this match.
It was that overpowering.
At the center of it all was Siegfried.
“Oh, so that’s how the results come about.”
“Guess they wouldn’t want anyone getting seriously hurt.”
As this was her first tournament, Mary seemed more interested in the broken straw dummy than Siegfried.
For the sake of safety, magical dummies are used in these matches.
With a simplified agreement in place, the dummies are set up, where if a contestant suffers fatal injuries, the dummy takes the blow and shatters.
The rule is simply breaking the dummy to win.
“With skills like that, Siegfried’s the probable winner.”
That was Mary’s impression after watching the first round.
And Siegfried’s thoughts after his own match were the same.
‘Seems like this sword won’t have much of a role here.’
As he caressed the hilt of the black sword, he glanced towards Ken in the audience.
He was thankful for the fine sword Ken made for him, but in a tournament at this level, he felt he could have won with a wooden sword too.
That was Siegfried’s conclusion.
But Ken had a different opinion.
‘That’s what the developers call malicious design….’
Siegfried was indeed strong.
He might very well be stronger than anyone else present at that moment.
But despite that…
At [Epiris Academy], unique skills are hidden cards that can overturn even that strength.
“Kya ha ha ha! Got you, Siegfried━!!”
An upset occurred in the finals.
Presented by a delinquent-like opponent with bright red spiky hair.
‘…Damn it.’
Siegfried found himself unable to move.
‘No way… Is this really happening?’
To be exact, he could slightly move the arm holding the sword, but he was immobilized.
‘Is that guy’s unique skill…?’
Looking at the seemingly carefree man, Siegfried recalled the beginning of the match.
The moment the match started, that guy rapidly approached him for a surprise attack.
But Siegfried wasn’t someone who would fall for that and merely dodged with a slight turn of his head.
Only to discover that attack was a trap.
The man had pulled out a hidden knife and inflicted a shallow cut on Siegfried.
‘Cursed-type unique skill. [Doll of Bloody Tears].’
Ken remembered the bizarre doll in the man’s hand as he recalled its lore.
The doll’s eyes glistened, now smeared with blood drawn from Siegfried’s cut.
“Kya ha ha ha! How delightful…! I’ve been waiting for this day, you with that always-overconfident face running ahead of me, Siegfried━!!”
The man mocked Siegfried, who was unable to move.
With a tone as if he was having the time of his life.
And yet, rather than humiliation, Siegfried felt confusion.
“…Do I know you?”
“What the hell!!!”
At Siegfried’s question, the man was taken aback, his face hardening, filling the arena with curses.
“You, you don’t… know me?! The guy in 11th place in our class because of you, this is ‘Kazhin’ speaking to you?!”
“…Huh?”
Kazhin pointed a trembling finger at Siegfried, who, after momentarily observing him with a stern face, simply replied.
“Sorry, I don’t know you.”
“You bastard!!!”
Kazhin bent backward, letting out a shriek.
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